This is my favorite time of year…The wonderful holiday season filled with lots of love, family, friends and great food! As you all know I love to cook and especially during this time of year.  As the years go by the food tends to get a bit traditional and boring so I thought what I could do differently this year to still provide that comfort food that everyone loves, but come up with some new dishes.

During Thanksgiving in our home while growing up we would always have the same traditional dishes every year. And while these dishes were absolutely delicious and I will always eat them. They do get a little boring. We would have both turkey and ham because my dad was a meet man. Always need to have protein so we could grow up big and strong. Then we would have the traditional sides like mashed potatoes, stuffing, corn and my favorite green bean casserole.  Oh and of course we would have yummy homemade gravy to serve over top.  They would also have cranberry sauce, but I was never a fan of that and nothing has changed. I am sure there are other dishes served during these times…I would love for you to share some of your family traditional dishes to help give me some new ideas.   

Last year I attended a holiday dinner party and tasted an amazing dish that I have craved all year long. It was a Cauliflower and Gruyere cheese. Oh my goodness; this dish was amazing. The wonderful lady who made it started off by making creamy rue and then mixed in the cheese and cauliflower, followed by baking it and it was the hit of the dinner that night. I also had a dish that a girlfriend made for me about 4 or 5 years ago that I cannot forget about.  Apple sage stuffing and boy is it yummy! Now prior to having this I was not a big stuffing fan because it was boring. Cooked bread with chicken flavors…yuck! Today you can actually buy breakfast sausage that already has sage in it and then diced apples for a sweet flavor along with your traditional stuffing mix, onions and celery. It over flowed with sweet and savory flavors that melted in your mouth.  While these are previous year recipes they are on my list of favorites that I do not get to have that often.  

This year I have been watching my traditional Food Network channel and trying to come up with some new ideas for this year’s Thanksgiving dinner and I have found a few tasty recipes thus far. The vegetable of the season seems to be Brussels sprouts. And while this was not my favorite veggie as a kid I am curious to try cooking it a few different ways that might peek my liking. My dad would just steam or boil them and my mom would put the cheese sauce on them to help cover up the bitter taste of them. I have found two different recipes that might be really good. One was a Brussels Sprout and cheese casserole. It reminded me of the cauliflower dish I mentioned earlier.  Another one was Brussels sautéed with nutmeg, salt, pepper and think pieces of pancetta bacon. Looked very tasty too! I do not have many green bean fans in my family now so the traditional green bean casserole is out of the question. I also saw a recipe for Leek bread pudding made with cream and cheese. Hmmm cheese seems to be the theme. I promise I can eat vegetables without cheese it just so happens to be the trend in the recipes that I have found this year. Any other ideas are welcome for sure. I am responsible for a few side dishes this year so I am collecting ideas.

If any of these dishes sound good to you let me know and I will pass the recipe along. If I happen to try any of them I will let you know how they come out too. In the meantime please send me some of your favorite dishes for the holidays! And I wish the best to you and your family during your Thanksgiving Day of Grace!!

It’s always a fun time of year for most as we get to dress up in costumes and parade around town without a care in the world. The question I have is do we really know how Halloween got started or where it originated? I am sure many people do not and there are many others who do not even celebrate the holiday as they feel it is celebrating evil.  So I thought I would share a little history with my fellow trick- or-treaters.

According to Wikipedia the roots of Halloween came from the Celtic Festival of Samhain and the Christian Holy day of all Saints. It originated in Europe and then came to America by immigrant settlers. The word Samhain means the summer end. The Celts believed the border between this world and the other world became thin during this time allowing evil spirits to enter into this world so they wore evil customs’ to trick the evil spirits into thinking they were evil too so they did not harm them (Wikipedia.com). They use the colors orange and black to represent Halloween because orange represents the harvest and black represents the evil spirits. It gives you a better understanding of the holiday and the history behind it.

I personally love this holiday because I enjoy dressing up. I have never been much of a creative person so I enjoy watching the creative minds of others. Over the years I have seen some really neat costumes. One year I saw a guy who dressed up as a night stand. He wore a lamp shade and then made a table around him and dressed it up with an alarm clock, reading glasses and a book. It was pretty neat!

 For Halloween I normally just go out and buy something to wear verses trying to come up with something on my own. However this year I could not afford to go out and buy anything so I needed to come up with something using whatever I had from past years and clothes in my closets. So I decided to be a Greek Goddess because I already had gold rope, gold jewelry and a white dress…put it all together, do my hair and you have a Greek Goddess costume. It was very easy and I got a lot of compliments on it. My boyfriend was a pimp using parts of a Halloween costume from a few years ago. His brother and sister-n-law dressed up as gothic punk rockers using old costume parts and his cousin was a 70’s guy using some of his parent’s old clothing. No one spent any money and we put together some great outfits.

It’s a fun time of year and I can’t wait until I have children to celebrate with and carry on the traditions. I see Halloween as a time to go trick-or-treating, have fun dressing up in costume, telling ghost stories and carving pumpkins. For those who celebrated, I hope you had a great time dressing up and carving pumpkins.               

Rasmussen unfortunately does not have a football team so I support our local University called UCF.  Also many of my friends and my boyfriend attend school there so I go to the games with them to show my support.  Not to mention I have a love for the game and watch a lot of football; both college and NFL.   Well I went to a game this past Saturday and I just had some fans really bother me so I thought I would share my experiences with all of you.

So we all know that football is a sport and sports are mostly competitive, right? And usually at a football game fans of one team with taunt fans of the playing team, right? Yes and while all of this is normal boys and girls it is just a football game. We can be completive without being rude or nasty. And that is what I experienced this weekend. And the sad part is these guys probably never even went to college or at least this college. I was watching UCF vs. Miami and some of the Miami fans were out of control. They were telling the girls how stupid they were and starting fights with the guys. These girls and guys were students of UCF trying to support their team and school.

Now this is something I might expect at a pro game, because there are a lot of rude pro football fans, but this should not be happening at a college game.  So there really needs to be game day etiquette and the visiting teams and home teams need to be aware of this proper etiquette. The visitors need to respect the home team fans and prevent from saying insulting outburst and if you act like a goof then expect to be treated the same in return. There should be no acting out against young girls and most certainly don’t get mad when one home team fan is sticking up for another fan. If you had too much to drink before the game, eat something and drink a coke cola.

 And for the home team fans… Make sure you keep your team spirits contained. It is not necessary to shout profound language to the visiting team, even if you think their team cannot play. And if your team isn’t playing well you have no room to talk about the other team. Keep the mouth closed…

 I enjoy going to football games and will continue on going and hopes that one day I can take my children to games too. I do not have a problem with being competitive, but there needs to be a fine line to draw at any game college or professional. Make sure you are aware of your surroundings and do unto others as you would want them to do unto you. What are your thoughts on game etiquette? Do you feel this way too or am I out of control? I would love to hear others and their experiences at football games.

 May your favorite team win the National Championship!!    

Yes, it’s the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month http://www.nbcam.org.  And I am amazed at the number of supporters that I have seen locally and nationally.  As you all may have read in my blogs earlier this year; I had a scare with breast cancer and many of my family members have too. It is a very scary thing to go through and many women face it throughout the year.  They say 1 in every 8 women is diagnosed with breast cancer.

The problem with breast cancer is that there are no symptoms so many women go without knowing and by the time they get diagnosed it is too late. That is why it is very important to educate the women around the world; young and old and encourage them on education so they are aware. It is all about prevention so the more people know the better off they are.

The other day I was listening to a local radio station XL 106.7 who happen to be big supporters of NBCAM and one of their callers was telling a story about a friend who she encouraged last year to go and have a lump in her chest checked. The friend did as told and got results back saying that something in the test was abnormal and they needed her to come in for further review. Well she got too busy with life, work or whatever and never went back. Finally 8 months later she found time to go and at that point it was too late and she was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. What a horrible story… if only she had been educated on the seriousness and how it was important to act quickly she could have prevented this and saved her life. And then you have another story where a lady goes to get checked and they tell her it is nothing so the next time something appears she thinks it is nothing so doesn’t get checked and it happens to be cancer.

So I am proud to see we are starting to take these things seriously and more people are promoting awareness. I was watching a NFL football game on TV this past Sunday and the players were wearing pink on different parts of their body/uniform. Some players had pink on their shoes, hats, pants, shirts and around their arm…It was all over. Also last Friday it was the day for everyone to wear pink- I would imagine people did this nationwide, but I am not sure. I know everyone in Orlando did and it was pretty cool. On Friday everywhere I went I saw men and women wearing pick to show their support.   

We are heading in the right direction with Awareness and I hope we continue on this path. Someone said to me last week that they love how we are doing this for Breast Cancer, but there should be similar things for other cancers and illness too. I do agree with them, but we have to take one step at a time.  This has been going on for years, but only recently people have been opening their eyes. Thank you to all the supports and much love to all the survivors! May we continue to fight!!!

A few weeks ago I took part in my best friend of eighteen years wedding. She found the love of her life and they have now entered into the next phase of living. Now I wanted share the moments I experienced in this amazing wedding because it was not your typical wedding as they are not your typical couple.

Just to give a little insight on the couple…Jaime who is my best friend of many years is a wonderful individual with a great big heart who is always there when you need her.  She is an identical twin, but nothing like her sister. Jaime is very free spirited and cares more about life, earth and people than anything else.  She is extremely intelligent and is a science research specialist by trade.

The new addition to the family…her new husband Ronnie whom I have known since I was in high school too is probably the most laid back individual I have ever met. In high school he was the guy that always sat around playing acoustic guitar in the park while everyone else was running around and being crazy. Sweet, sweet guy also with a great big heart and the two of them together are a perfect match.

Jaime wanted to do something different for their wedding. They live in the Beautiful Blue Grass state…Kentucky and had their wedding in a local horse park. The grass and trees during this time are amazing. This time of year the beautiful colors of the grass, trees and cool weather were perfect for an outside wedding. She wanted to incorporate some history of their ancestors into their wedding and this is where it became interesting.  In doing so she decided to let loose a little and make this special day costume oriented. Yes…costumes and she did an amazing job at organizing the wedding.

They both have Apache Indian in the ancestry background and wanted to bring some of the wedding rituals into her ceremony.  In doing so she needed to represent The Universe, Life, Time, Water, Air, Earth and Fire.  The wedding party became each element and had a reading within the ceremony to talk about how they were going to incorporate their new lives together. For example I represented time so I actually read an Apache Wedding Blessing called Blessing of Time. I was fortunate as my dress was black, but everyone else had to dress according to what element they were representing…like fire wore a dress with orange in it. We each had wings to wear which matched our dresses and we represented fairies….very different!

They also did things like washing their hands and getting rid of past sins. They each combine sand together to illustrate how they will become one. They also had fire dancers and little kids running around with streamers. The guests were allowed to come dressed in medieval times like clothing. We also released butterflies representing new life…and everyone sat in a big circle as the couple sat in the middle. It was really amazing…we were not sure how it was going to turn out, but she did a great job of organizing it, researching and implementing. There was not a dull moment that day and there were a total of 150 guests so it was fairly decent in size too.

It was a wonderful wedding and as odd as it might sound everything turned out really well. We all enjoyed being a part of this wonderful day and will remember it for many years to come. I wish them both all the love and happiness possible and may they have a loving, prosperous life filled with lots of family and friends.

There are many football fans out there that all wait for this time of year to come. In fact many of us are lost once the season is over.  I am a huge football fan and love this time of year just for this simple reason.  Pre-season actually started a few weeks ago, but I do not really get into that as much. Mainly because there is a lot of warming up to do, getting use to playing with new players and they do not even play the good players as much; other than during the first quarter or two.

Now when it comes to Football there are college fans and there are NFL fans. I like to watch both and I have a love for both while many people only prefer one or the other. Some of my friends refuse to watch NFL because they say the heart and love is not in the game because it’s all about money.  I do agree to a point because these players are paid way too much to play a sport they love. And this is in all sports not just football. However the college players are playing to be noticed so they can make it to an NFL team so it’s kind of a double standard.

My team for NFL is Tampa Bay Buccaneers who is based out of Tampa Florida. They are the closest NFL team to me in Orlando so I have just always followed them. Now the Tampa Bay Bucs have had some good years and they have had some horrible years.  We have had some great coaches and some okay coaches. Overall I feel the team has struggled from lack of something. I do not know this for sure and this is just my speculation, but both of our last 2 coaches Dungy and Gruden were pretty amazing coaches and have led many teams to championships, but for some reason did not do well with our team. My question is…Are they given full authority to lead the team? Is there someone holding them back or restricting them? Who knows….we may never know. Now we have a new coach Raheem Morris. Raheem has been with Tampa since 2004 so he knows the team very well and hopefully will make great strides.  The only problem I see thus far is the fact we have so many new players on the team it may take a year to get use to playing together.  Oh and not to mention we have a very difficult schedule this year. We shall see….

As for College I watch two teams. Orlando’s home town team UCF and of course the Florida Gators. I have a love for both and watch all of their games. Well if they are aired on TV. The UCF games we try to attend a few here and there, but tickets can be pricey so we cannot go to all. Florida is hard to get tickets too. You literally have to know someone to get tickets, but I have been to a few and I love going to their games. The energy and love you feel throughout the whole stadium is amazing. UCF last year just built their own stadium on campus so that was very exciting for all the fans. Hopefully now we can start playing like a real football team.

Well here is to a good season. I will keep you updated with home team games as we attend for UCF and Tampa. As well as my thoughts on how we are playing. I would also like to here if any of you have a favorite team. And how do you expect your season to make out this year.

This is the time of year we always go see Dave Mathews Band as they do their Summer Tour in Florida. We are huge fans and I personally have only been going to see Dave in concert for the last three years.  I am not sure what I was waiting for because this band is amazing in concert. They are all about the action and bright lights, musical instruments and pleasing the fans.  DMB puts on an amazing performance year after year.

The last few years it has rained without fail during every show we have attended. Rain or shine we are always there. There is something about getting drenched while hearing jamming music just makes it all that more entertaining. This year we decided to go to two shows; one in Tampa and one in West Palm Beach. The Tampa show was first on Wednesday and we did not get rained on during the whole show amazingly; however that caused it to be miserably hot will dancing around in the crowds. Still no stopping us… They played 19 songs and it was mostly their new songs which if you have not heard their new CD it is a must. It is called Big Whisky and the GrooGrux King, 2009.

The following Saturday morning we got up early to drive to West Palm Beach which is three hours from home and we rented a hotel room on the beach so we could spend that day and the next on the water. We made a nice little weekend getaway around the whole concert. By the way when I keep referring to “we” I am talking about my boyfriend, his brother and wife. We love going to concerts with each other as no know gets grouchy or wants to leave before anyone else.  Anyhow we arrived in West Palm and check into the hotel and then relaxed for the rest of the afternoon until it was time to get ready for Dave. During the week when we see DMB we always miss the first couple of songs because we are going right after work of course, but this time we wanted to get there early so we could see the start of the show. 

On the way to the show it starts to down pour like cats and dogs. I was getting really bummed because I did not want it to be raining as we were walking in. Not to fret little one because the rain stopped just in time for us to walk up to the show and find a nice seat on the lawn area. The night starts to fall, people are gathering in closer and closer as we all wait in anticipation… Drums…screening….guitars...and the fans go wild. This show was fantastic and extremely up beat as it was the last show in Florida for this summer. They played a combination of both new and old songs. DMB has only 5 CD’s I believe so we know every song there is and we sing right along with everyone they play.  They played 19 songs that night which is a lot for one show and we sang and danced around the whole time…until the end.  Oh and by the way we did get rained on during the show, but it was only for 5 minutes. By that time it was nice and refreshing. Well until next year…We Love you Dave!

As I had mention to everyone I am currently taking World Geography as an elective class and I am really learning a lot just three weeks into the course. Or should I say I am learning how much I did not know.  Let’s just start by saying the last time I opened a World Atlas was in middle school or at least that is when I can remember last looking at one. It is amazing for me now seeing where the different regions are are and all the countries within.

Today Michael Jackson the “King of Pop” un-expectantly passed away of a heart failure. While this is a sad day for many, it is also a day to celebrate his death by remembering the glory of his musical talent. Michael lived a long road full of musical history, legal battles and financial problems, but no matter what we will always remember Michael for his musical talents.

Michael had been preparing for a series of comeback performances in London, England.   It was announced that he had been working long hard hours as he was preparing to give his fans the best musical entertainment in history. Many people talk stink about Michael and his legal troubles, but when the tickets for his upcoming concerts went on sale they were sold out in minutes.  Why…because he brought something to us…the uniting of black and white music.

Michael will now be a legend pop star to me and many others from the Jackson Five era, to the hits of the 80’s, 90’s and millennium. When we were growing up we listen to Michael in awe of his music and dance moves. Some guy friends of mine walked around with white gloves as children imitating Michael’s moves. He was an idol to many of us and I will never forget the wonderful music he brought into my life.

As I watch the news and listen to people around me talk about Michael and his passing it amazes me how many people loved Michael. People were crying on the radio station as the shared their memories of Michael. The news showed people all around the world lighting candles, posting pictures and flowers near as they mourned the loss of Michael. While certain people talk of the scandals Michael was accused of there are so many more who loved him for his true talents.

Some people are questioning his death and was it fake. They feel that maybe Michael got tired of all the negative talks of him and financial problems and decided to fake his death. I do not really believe that…I feel if he was going to do something like that he would have at least waited until after his 50 upcoming concert events that were sold out. Who knows really?

This is the first person of fame in my lifetime I have lost. I have never lost someone that has been there through my upbringing as a child and continued into my adult years. I compare this to what my parents went through with Elvis. He was an Icon “The King”.

“Thank you MJ for sharing all your talents with people all around the world and thank you for your love for music as it showed deeply.” Love and Peace

Just 2 weeks left of spring classes and then spring break is here. And I cannot wait! This semester has been challenging, but yet eventful. I have learned great things in my Excel class and even in Business Ethics.  When the end of the semester is near things get really crazy because it is important to make sure you have all your homework assignments from past weeks. This is also a good time to review your grades on past projects and see if you can fix what you got wrong (this usually only works if it is an ongoing project throughout the course).

Reflecting…My professors were excellent this semester as they helped me through all of my challenges. Some more helpful than others, but that is a given considering each professor has their own way of teaching. I defiantly struggled through these classes towards the end of the semester; of course as we got further along in the semester the difficulty level got greater. I especially learned a lot in Excel and I really feel I benefited from the class. In the business world Excel is utilized for many things and formulas being the biggest use. That was one area I was always challenged in, but now the simple formulas are nothing for me. I also learned how to utilize the Analysis function which is helpful in both business and personal uses.

I also got to utilize the Mentor Center for the first time ever during this semester and that was a huge help because these last few weeks were very challenging for me, so thanks to everyone in the Mentor enter. I will continue to utilize it as I continue on with my degree. The library is a helpful tool also as I needed to find articles to research and write about. All the tools are right online to help the students get through the courses. Great resources and tools!

And as I was working my way through these difficult weeks of class; I also watched the season finales of Grey’s Anatomy and American Idol. Now that is challenging…Thank goodness for DVR (records the shows). While online school is great because you can set your own schedule; I still need every other evening to do homework which meant I could not watch my shows when they were on, but I recorded them to watched them after I finished school work. Now of course I have no favorites on TV so I will spend my break at the pool.  Fun and relaxing in the Sun!!

Wow…Can you believe who the final winner was? I must say I was totally shocked by the results.  Don’t get me wrong; I think Kris is a talented singer however I feel Adam was by far the best in that competition. Even as I was watching the final show I was just amazed at the different levels of Adams signing expertise.  There is not a note that kid can not hit. Regardless he is going to make it big..I have no doubt in my mind.

The rumors I have been hearing around town…People felt that they were not going to promote someone who could be gay; therefore they were not going to vote for him to be the American Idol Star. If this is true I think that is the most absurd thing I have ever heard. What is the problem with people and excepting the rights of gay Americans? This is a free country and if that is the life they want to live then more power to them…it should not be someone else’s decision on who one can love or not love. It just makes me ill…now back to the topic; we do not even know if Adam is gay or not and even if he is the name of the show is American Idol with the purpose of finding the next singing superstar. That is what we all should be voting on and if you are voting for different reasons then maybe you should not be expressing your opinion.  That is my opinion and I will leave it at that.

I wish Kris the best of luck and I congratulate him in being the winner! I think he is talented as well, but not to the same degree as the other contestants that were in the top 13. Funny thing is I was questioning why he was even in the top 13. I just did not feel he was as talented as some of the other singers. Obviously someone felt differently or he had enough people in his hometown voting for him.

I thought the season finale was a great 2 hour show between amazing guest and the final 13 contestants putting on excellent performances. This past show really was one of the best American Idol’s to date. It makes you wonder about how many real talented people are out there that never get noticed. We need more musicians today as I do not feel there are enough really talented stars. I feel this way because I am a huge music fan and I just do not feel the quality of music is as good as it use to be. 

My favorite performance was the Carlos Santana and Fergie performances. Although it was nice to see   all the performance that night; they were my favorite.  I think it is great how some of the old school artist come on American Idol and sing along with the contestants.  It must feel pretty good for them to have these young singers singing their songs like the best of them.

I am looking forward to next season because they are coming to my home town…Orlando, FL. I am sorry to announce you will not see me trying out for the show because signing is not my forte.  

Today it is very important to network for both social aspects as well as business. I thought I would give everyone some ideas on how to build a Social Network. This can help many people by simply just trying to make some new relationships; to helping you find your next career opportunity. And to be honest…coming from the Employment Industry – if you are not networking it is going to be difficult and take you much longer to find a new career. There are some many qualified candidates in the market that you really need to be talking with people who can hire you directly.

First it is important to start joining social networks that interest you. There are social networks that exist for every conceivable profession, hobby or interest.  It is very easy finding social networks be going to Find A Social Network.com.  You can find many networks that are populated with the same areas of interest.

You will then need to start blogging to allow people to get to know you. You can also comment on other blogs and ask them to check out your blogs. Eventually you will start having your own network to interact with regularly. I have been blogging for a year and a half about the life of an online student. Trying to get people to interact with your blogs can be challenging, but if you search for other blogs and invite people to check out your blogs it can really help in speeding up the process on building your own social network.  It is very important to create an online portfolio so people can learn more personal information about you, which will make them feel more comfortable.  There are several different social network sites like Myspace, Facebook and LinkedIn. Remember when using sites like Myspace and Facebook; you need to make sure there is nothing offensive or discriminating on your profile page. If you are talking to an Executive and he/she checks out your Myspace to find some risky pictures, I do not think you will get the job.

Then lastly you need to Tweet. I mentioned in an earlier blog that I have recently found the world of Tweeting. I am still learning this area and I am still trying to find Tweet sites to visit. So if any of you know of any, please let me know.  Twitter has become incredibly large and everyone from movie stars, musical artist and many others just like you and me are Tweeting and building relationships. Well I hope this information has helped you getting started in building your own executive or personal network. Let me know how things work out and/or if you find out some new sites to check out. Until next week…  

Let’s face it guys and girls…I do not get to watch much TV, but I do have a few select shows that I can not miss out on. The Pick of the Season this year is Grey’s Anatomy, American Idol, Nip Tuck and my favorite of all The Food Network. Now I know that is not a show, but a TV channel; there are many great cooking shows that I watch day and night.  The TV is a great break for me and allows me to unwind after long hours on the computer. I am not a real big TV person as you can tell I do not have many favorite shows, but there are some that I just can’t miss.

American Idol is one of them and I have been watching the majority of the shows this season. I will admit to missing a few of the audition shows, but those are more for entertainment of other people’s expense. I mean some of these people that try out for American Idol are awful.  How do their families allow them to go on National TV and humiliate themselves? I am not saying I do not laugh with the best of them, but geese. I really like the part of American Idol once all the weak contenders are voted off. Then that is when the show really gets good.

Right now they are down to some amazing artist on American Idol. I think it is one of the best seasons in a long time and they have really discovered some real talent. There are a couple people that I am not impressed with like Megan Joy for one. She is just ok and there were many “just ok people”. She is a pretty girl, but no comparison to the others on the show as far as talent. And what is with that cork screw thing that she does while she is singing. Ah it bugs me.  Also Scott Macintyre is another one that I think is just ok and really isn’t all that great. Plus he looks weird when he sings because his top lip doesn’t move. Not that makes a difference, but you know how some things just bother you about a person…that is one of them for me. So anyhow while they have made it this far I really do not see much light at the end of the tunnel for them. Now I will tell you who I really like and I think they are amazing. The first one is Adam Lambert and let me say Wow because this guy can sing. Yeah I will agree the theatric side of him is a bit much sometimes and his look can be a little weird, but that is Hollywood for you, right? He really knows how to use his voice and can do just about anything. I have not heard one bad song from him. I know some may disagree, but I that’s my opinion. Allison is another great contender on the show. Yes I will agree she has had some good and bad choices for songs, but I really feel she has a great voice and sounds amazing. Not to mention she is only 16 and can really show some vocals. Great show this far for the season and I am so anxious to see who makes it to the finals.

My other show that I just can not live without is Grey’s Anatomy. This show has caught my heart since day one. I love every character on the show and I am always in suspense as to what is going to happen next. The last show I watched was Mc Steamy freaking out because of his last surgery and is refusing to do any more. I will agree that he has killed some people in his career, but like Meredith stated he does get them as last hope. He really needs not to be so hard on himself and what is he doing pushing Meredith away…I was ready for them to get engaged. The other character that has been bugging me is Izzy and her talking with her dead boyfriend. That was starting to get old and a little weird, wouldn’t you agree? I am sad to hear she is sick and I wonder what is going to happen next. I have the next episode recorded I just haven’t watched it. I can not wait to see what is going to happen. Do you think Meredith is going to be leaving? Ah see this is what keeps me going. Well stay with me for more of my favorite TV show talks and all of my other blogs as a student’s life.             

Well it’s the New Year and now is a great time to make some New Year resolutions. What are your resolutions for 2009? Do you believe in doing New Year resolutions? I know there are mixed views out there regarding this…some love this time, some people cheat themselves this time of the year and others think New Year resolutions is a joke.  We all have opinions and are free to feel whatever we like, right?

I on the other hand I love this time year. It gives me a start date and end date to really reflect on my life and makes come changes. For me the New Year resolution is a motivator for life changes. I truly take some time to reflect back on my previous year and decide what makes me happy and what bothers me, I then come up with a new plan. I have been doing this even more the last few years because I am getting older and life is quickly passing. I also will make joint changes or goals with mutual friends or with my boyfriend. Then we have each other to push towards our goals for the new Year.

Reflect…

Last year my New Year resolution was to be a better friend. That was a big thing for me because as we grow older we tend to loose sight of the ones we love and care for most. While this needs to be mutual thing, I made an agreement to myself that I would at least try to keep in touch on my end and if my friends do the same great and if not, then there’s not much I can do. While I did do a lot better this year with keeping in touch and even went to visit a few friends. I did not manage to keep in touch with everyone as much as I had hoped.  This year was a challenging year for me mentally, financially and emotionally, while this is no excuse I will not be as hard on myself. However I will continue this resolution into 2009.

This brings me to my new 2009 goals for the year, as always I will continue to keep good health and improve health in some areas. I had a few health problems in 2008 so I am and have been making strides to a better mean. I am also going to try to take more courses during a semester and hope to graduate sooner. It is hard to work 60 hrs a week and make 2 or 3 classes, but I was laid off and trying to find new employment. I only hope I find a good job with a better schedule so I can focus more on school. And for my last goal for 2009, I am going to improve my finances and start to save more money. I am going to really focus on what I spend, make sure I am smart buying and become more stable with my self.

While I hope everyone has goals to work on for 2009, whether you call them New Year goals or just goals in general for a better life…I wish you all the best of luck and a Prosperous New Year!

We did it! We the Democrats won the election and we have a lot of work to do. I say we because it takes more than one man or woman to clean up the mess our economy is in. One thing we need to keep in mind is Obama is not going to turn this Country around over night. It took eight years to mess it up and it could take a-another eight to clean it up. The more support we have from the Americans/citizens the quicker we can turn things around.

Yes, I agree Obama has a lot of work to do himself. He made a lot of promises to Americans and he needs to stand true to his word. I am sure we are all frightened about what the next few years will bring. Obama is a smart man and if he wants to go down in history not only as the first African American President, but a darn good one then he will stand true to his word. Besides I really feel we needed some change in the White House and things happen for a reason…

As Veterans Day just passed with the new President in office, Obama already announced his first step towards change. More than 90% of homeless people are US Veterans and most of them fought in Vietnam. He is going to commit to taking care of the new generation of Veterans. He quoted “On this Veterans Day, let us rededicate ourselves to keep a sacred trust with all who have worn the uniform of the United States of America: that America will serve you as well as you have served your country.”  My father was a Vietnam Veteran and I have always felt this country did not support him as if he stood frontline for his Country; instead he had to work harder and go through a lot of mental distress. When my father died the government did nothing…However if I wanted to go to the Post office and fill out a 3 page form with information I wasn’t sure about, they would mail a flag to me. How sad is that? My father experienced things in his life that you would hope your child never has to experience…There are some many young men and women fighting for our country witnessing death, hunger, cruelty and much much more. I hope he stands true to his statement and really starts to show support to the new Veterans of our country.

What are some of the things that you would like to see Obama change?

For the first time in my 31 years of my life I made a contribution to my country and it felt great! Whether or not my vote makes a difference I will never know. However to me I made a difference and I am proud of it. It is going to be a long night while waiting for the states to turn in their electoral votes and I can not wait for the results.

I did early voting in the Downtown Orlando Library on Friday last week.  I was amazed to see so many voters there to make a difference in the world. The voters were from all nationalities and all different age levels. There were actually a lot of young voters there not to mention many of them were of Latin decent and African American voters which was great! I wish I had started voting years ago, if only I had a little more guidance to express the importance of it. Therefore I want to express how important it really is to be such a big part of history. Do not listen to the discouragers that say your vote will not make a difference because they are just trying to discourage you.  Obviously it will make a difference.

While standing in line I talked to some nice people with a lot of great points and different views on the US. They all had a lot of anger balled up inside waiting for someone to ask them for their thoughts. I am almost afraid too because everyone has such different views and the average American is truly angry.  One gentleman was a US veteran and he was carrying a lot on his shoulders. He kept on and on about how the government is so money driven that they have lost real sight of the citizens and what is important for them.  It is pretty sad to have a veteran think so un-highly of his country much like this gentleman. My father was a Veteran who fought for his country and they did nothing in return for him. This still goes on as young people spend years in the military and when ready to get out into the real world it is nearly impossible. This is truly sad and should not be allowed to happen. Why would anyone want to support a country that does not support them in return?

November 4, 2008 will be a big part of history and I hope many good things come from it. This country is hurting and it needs some positive energy in the white house. We need someone that is going to commit to their promises and really try to make a difference in the world.  We need someone that honors their citizens and respects all of them for who they are and not what they have. Talk is cheap and any of us can provide that; I could run for president and offer greater support than what has been in the seat for the last 8 years. We need a President that wants to save the world from Global Warming and will do whatever it takes to make it happen. We need CHANGE… My vote is for Barack Obama…Who did you vote for?         

With the election on the forefront of every American’s mind, a woman voter may have more to think about than the average “Joe Sixpack” (a phrase recently coined by vice-presidential candidate, Sarah Palin).  For instance, some political discussion has taken place regarding positions of each candidate with regard to the Roe v. Wade ruling and its standing in allowing a woman the right to choose abortion.
 
As a woman, having the right to decide whether to carry a baby has been an entitlement to me.  Although I have not personally had to apply such right in my own life, knowing the right is mine is critical to my sense of security and safety, particularly in a society with high crime rates.  Additionally, the medical community today pushes pharmaceuticals to every patient without fully understanding the potential side effects to an unborn fetus.  These uncertainties are concerning and reinforce my opinion that a woman should have a right to decide.
 
Just recently, I watched the struggles of a friend trying to get pregnant in her 30’s.  To explain in detail, this friend had tried for several years to get pregnant, to no avail.  However, on this particular month, she did all the right things.  She charted her ovulation and every single detail to make sure that nothing was overlooked.  Too afraid to excite her husband unnecessarily, she carried this burden alone, with the exception to a few trusted friends.  Suddenly, she started to possess pregnancy symptoms.  However, an early blood test suggested she wasn’t pregnant.  At this point she was relieved for not having excited her husband about something that did not exist.  The only problem was, my friend was convinced she was pregnant.  She recognized changes in her body which were unexplainable.  Another week passed and my friend performed another blood pregnancy test that provided another negative test result.  Although she had missed her cycle, there was no accurate explanation to the cause and the physician’s solution was for my friend to take medication to restart her cycle.  She couldn’t help but question whether she was indeed pregnant but too recent for the tests to detect.  The physician’s nurse couldn’t offer a solid answer.  The point is, there was no guarantee she wasn’t pregnant.  A woman knows her body and physicians know their tests, but sometimes one or the other is wrong.
 
I’ve mentioned my friend’s struggles to point out that even today, in America where land is “free” and your destiny is whatever you make it…, modern medicine continues to be puzzled by many unanswered questions.  If the nurse couldn’t tell my friend with certainty that she wasn’t pregnant, how could she make the decision to “restart” her cycle?  Likewise, my friend ultimately had the right to make that decision.  Flipping the coin, what if my friend WAS pregnant and learned of a pending deformity of the baby.  Shouldn’t she have the right to make that choice?
 
With the election nearing, it’s only appropriate that American’s should consider all things pending.  Women voters especially have more factors to consider than whether our candidates are “soccer moms” and dress well, but rather, “will they truly represent ALL of a woman’s best interests?”  If you are a woman, you have a RIGHT TO CHOOSE…on November 4th.

It’s that time of year folks…you got it, election time.  Much like any other American, it’s time when we are all considering which political view we share and which direction we will vote on November 4, 2008. 
 
So, I ask…”where are you on the political forum?”  If you haven’t been following the political debates, you have missed quite a bit that I most certainly can’t enlighten you on.  However, I would urge you to check out … to update yourself on the all encompassing list of issues.  I will, however, give you a brief summary on a couple key issues that have recently been discussed in our latest presidential debate.
 
In short, we have John McCain as our Republican candidate running against Barack Obama, our Democratic candidate.  Both candidates agree that change is imperative to pull America out of the financial crisis we are in; however, Obama specifically uses “change” as his motto to encourage Americans for a better economic future. McCain, however, is struggling with avoiding the image of following the economic and political policies of our current President, George W. Bush.  For that reason, McCain is hoping to encourage Americans that his policies are different from those policies which have landed America in its current recession.
 
During the third presidential debate, Obama spotlighted several key issues of his campaign, including his intent to lower taxes for the average American citizens who make less than $250,000.00 per year, to implement an energy efficient environment, and, among other things, to minimize unnecessary combat.   McCain’s campaign goals include the redistribution of insurance funds to the insurance providers, with the intent to lower American’s insurance costs, as well as his interest in continually helping other countries with their military needs. 
 
Needless to say, this merely touches the many different issues between these two candidates.  The point remains…we are approaching an election and it’s time for every citizen to do his or her own research, familiarize oneself with the key issues and your relevant stance, and most importantly, VOTE.  Stay tuned until November 4th!

Have you ever sat down and really looked at your spending? I have been financially comfortable until this last year and have reached a point where I need to look at what I am spending before hand. This is a really big must have for me, but it is not going to be easy. I have the same amount of money coming in as I have going out…Yikes

In the last two months I have noticed my money cushion diminishing at a high rate. Having the money cushion is great, but it tends to hide what you are really spending because everything is flowing comfortably. Well, let me take that back because if I balanced my checking account like I should I would have noticed these things a long time go. However this is not the case so going forward I need to be smart and make some wise life altering decisions.

I am not sure if any of you what Opera, but she had a show on last week that talked about saving and spending money on necessities verses wants. Her guest talked about stretching the dollar to get its maximum benefits. Most of the families are cutting corners because of the economy and challenges they have all had, but there was one family who has been living this way for years. This family only lives on the necessities, the husband car pools to work, mom bargain shops for groceries and tons on other cut backs are made. They live on an income of $58k a year with a family of 6. This is amazing and I highly recommend going to Opera.com to check it out – they give great tips to follow.

On the same show there was a lady who has mastered the bargain shopping to a whole other level. This lady gets 3 papers every Sunday and cuts out the coupons and then matches those with items on sale at her local grocery store. Basically she is saying that you need to base your meals on the food that is on sale. This lady had a $137 grocery bills before coupons, but after the coupons the bill came to $37. Wow…that is amazing.

All of the ideas they were giving seem difficult, time consuming and just plain challenging, but I think once you create a pattern and new habits; then things will appear to be easier. I have reached a point were I do not have a choice, I need to learn how to cut back on spending and start saving. The other thing is to get rid of the credit cards. Credit cards should only be for emergencies and nothing else.

So I have first calculated my monthly spending and then looking to see what I can cut back on or get rid of. My next step will be to figure out the grocery bill shopping because I spend a lot on food here, food there and so on. I am always open for help ideas so if anyone knows of any great ideas on savings please let me know.    

I watched the opening for the Beijing Olympics on Friday night and I can not even begin to explain how much I was in awe. For those of you that watched it can understand my appreciation for the Chinese. They didn’t just use the technology of the century. They used thousands and thousands of people to put on this spectacular show. It was filled with lots of beautiful colors, talent and history.

The Olympics is much like school because you practice and practice to make perfection and hope to win the gold medal at the end of the road. That is my school life in a nut shell. I study and study to learn as much as I can and hope that I receive the best grades while doing it; which in return allows me to have the gold medal (diploma) at the end of the road. 

 
These athletes train for years to have a chance to make it to the Olympics and some still don’t make it when the time has come. It is a once in a life time opportunity that couldn’t add up to anything else in the world for these people. If you think about it, they are becoming a part of history and they will never be forgotten. How many people in life can say that…not many.

While school may not make you apart of history in this way, it does make you a part of history in the fact that you will feel better about yourself and your accomplishments. In return will help you become smarter, stronger and happier.   This will allow you to have a great career whether you are working for yourself or for someone else. No matter what you will be making a difference which will make history.
What is your favorite part about the Olympics?

I would have to say it is mixing like a margarita. It is a little sour, but over all tasting pretty good. In other words, it is a little challenging right now because they are cramming my brain with all kinds of material and then at the end of the day I have to come home and get back on the computer and cram my brain with a little more material. It can be very exhausting, but I know it will get better as soon as I am done training.

Over my entire schedule is decent being I only have to work Monday through Friday; however I do have 10 hour days and that can be a little much with school, but that is where the dedication comes in to play. No one ever said it was going to be easy, but rewarding once I am finished.

I am currently taking Accounting I and it started off good; however this past week was pretty challenging. I am figuring learning T accounts and balance ledgers. Pretty confusing because assets are negative and liabilities are positive. It really makes the brain work, and when you are brain-dead due to over-load it makes things difficult. I also received the incorrect book in the mail and have to see about getting the correct one. Luckily at Rasmussen they post the first few chapters in the portal.

Needless to say, the last few weeks of my life have been challenging. There have been times with thoughts of quitting roam through my head, but I just make myself stop, take a breather and coach myself to carry on. I really want to succeed with my decision to go back to school therefore I am going to need lots of encouragement and extra pushes when times are hard.  

Well after several interviews with Robert Half International, I am finally a new proud employee. This process was very in-depth and lasted about a week before they offered me the position. Robert Half is a specialized staffing firm with over seven different divisions. My new title will be Staffing Manager and I will be assisting qualified candidates in finding Accounting and Finance jobs.

There is nothing I love more than helping others and I found a company that allows me to do just that. My position as a Staffing Manager will be to help qualified candidates find a job specializing in accounting and finance positions. I will also be finding the clients in which will be in need of these candidates to work for them. Robert Half has been providing these services for the last 60 years worldwide and they have an excellent reputation in specialized staffing. The other Divisions include Technology, Office Teams and Higher Managerial Positions.

During my first week they have been providing me with all types of educational information; including testing, videos and readings. They also have a website called RHI University which is designed to provide their staff with on-going education so everyone can and will succeed. The whole office is very eager in teaching me all I need to know in order to succeed. I find this to be very satisfying and comforting, knowing I am working with a great company. I can not wait until I start providing help to all and I will be sure to let all of you know how my job progresses.

Wish me luck 

My two week break went by too quickly. That could be because I did not really have a break because I was too busy trying to find a job. I honestly must say job hunting, interviewing and placing my resume around are probably the three worst things ever.

Ok, maybe it is not that bad, but it is no picnic in the park.

I have been fortunate enough to land a job with a great company and I was only off work for a week. Of course I took off an extra week once I landed the job, so I can have a little time to myself before I am back to the grind. The company that I got in with is a specialized recruiting firm that helps both companies and candidates fill positions/get jobs. The interview process was very tedious and stressful; however I learned a few things and thought maybe I could share them with all of you.

When going on an interview you must do the following:

• Find out the companies website and read up on the company. You should know how long they have been in business, what their mission statement is, company goals and how they got started. This will impress them that you took the initiative to research the company.
• Always have at least 3 questions to ask them. It is important for you to make the company sell themselves to you too.
• Always go to an interview well groomed, fully rested and make sure you are holding your head high with confidence.
• Always wear a suit (if you do not have a suit, a black blazer will work). You should stick to the basics, no flashy colors. If you can, wear a black suit with a white under shirt. 
• Lastly, if they say they will get back with you in a few days, don’t wait for them to call. Be persistent call them if you have not heard back by end of day. Or if they tell you to think about the position and call them the next day. Don’t wait to call the next day, call a few hours later. You must show excitement about learning more about the company.   

The company that hired me, made me do four interviews. They ranged from interviewing with whom would be my immediate manager, all the way up to VP of the state of Florida. It was very nerve racking, but I wanted it and I made sure I impressed them all the way. You have to remember not to be arrogant, but confident. Then once you get through that and they give you an offer, it is the best feeling ever.

I start my new job this coming Wednesday and I am extremely excited. They are going to provide lots of training and it will take time for me to build my clientele; however once I get the job down, I will be off to a great future.

Don’t worry I will keep you posted. And please keep your fingers crossed for me.

How was your break?

Well…I have spoken of it in my past posts, but it is time to bring it up again.

If you can remember when I talked about how bad the economy is and how companies have been laying off people here Central Florida.  In my industry of financing auto loans, we have seen a dramatic decrease. And then the only people able to shop for a car are those people with challenged credit that have no choice. It is just plain scary out there and who knows how much longer this will go on.

On Monday the 24th my company announced that they were closing down five branches in the Florida area. What did this mean for me? Yes, that is correct; I have officially been laid off from my job for the first time in my life. I have never been laid off nor fired before. It is the worst feeling ever and I can’t imagine having to go through something like this more than once in my life.

I am my only source of income and that freaks me out right now. While others may have a spouse or family member that can help them if need be, I have myself and only myself. Although I am sure my friends would help if they could, I would never ask for it. Luckily for me I do practice saving, but it is not enough to hold me for months on end. A friend of mine lost her job the first of February and she is still looking for a job. That scares me for sure.

It is hard looking for the job of your choice when you do not have the college degree to back you up. However now that I am in school, I can put it on my resume and people admire that. I believe it will help me along with having my back-ground experience. If only I was finished, it would be great, but I am not. In the end all this does is make me strive harder to complete my degree with Rasmussen.

Keep your fingers crossed for me, as I journey down the path of finding a new career.

It has been rough this semester. I think it is a combination of work, school, work, school and do not let me forget work. Ok I am making jokes, but speaking the truth. It is not easy juggling the two, especially when you have daily stresses of “will I have my job tomorrow”. However I keep telling myself and I truly believe every bit of this is worth it. Do I wish I would have gone after high school, sure? Did I, no?

Some people might be happy if they did not go to college and they landed a decent job here and there, but I want so much more. I have actually been fortunate enough to have good paying jobs, but it is not enough for me. I want more flexibility and want to pick and chose while they are picking and choosing me. While experience is great, the degree takes a step in front of you and this bothers me. So no matter how hard things get and how much I think I can not make it anymore. I am determined to get through this.

I am actually doing well in my finance class, but because of all of my stresses I feel like it is not sticking with me. I am a little scared when final time comes because I am not real confident that I will do well. Maybe I am crazy, but this thought goes through my head everyday and I am not sure how to overcome it. The finance class that I am in has to do with a lot of equations and formulas. I feel once I figure it out to answer the question, poof then it is gone from my brain. Do I have a lot on my mine? Or do others ever experience this problem. I am looking for a little help here so for my fellow readers please drop a line and let me know what you think.

I am not sure how it is for the rest of you, but when tax season rolls around, it calls for a busy time at my work. Even when the economy is down and people get their tax refunds they still go car shopping. I work on the finance end of things and we have been slammed with applications on people wanting a new or used automobile. Do not get me wrong…I am not complaining, because I have been waiting for this season to roll around so I can make some more money.

Even though I knew this time of the year would be busy, I was not sure due to the economy being down. I must say that even when things are tough, people get a little money in their pockets and if they do not spend it, it might burn a hole in it. I know that things have been tough, but there are some people who have been struggling and really need transportation. What do you do with your tax money? I personally like to save some and the rest I use to pay off credit cards. I really hate having balance on my cards so I pay them whenever I have an opportunity too.

When it came time to prepare for homework, career work and time-management, I was not sure how to plan. I must say that it has been a bit of a task trying to do everything and I have also had some health problems that I have been trying to handle. Like I said in one of my other blogs…time-management is KEY. This time of year for me means working more, seeing more clients and helping out my funding department with any and everything. This is the department that finalizes the loans and sends the money out to the appropriate parties. This requires someone who can be a great team player for sure because busy times equals stressed out people. I seem to do pretty well with this. I think for the most part I tend to be the happy person and when something does bother me, I suck it up and move on. Unless of course it is an important matter that should be handled. 
 

When school is involved we should plan ahead if we know work is going to keep us busy. In worse case scenarios if you are unable to plan ahead or if you are having trouble getting an assignment in on time, I have found that the teachers are pretty flexible with you as long as you notify them in a timely manner. I must say all if my teachers this far has been extremely helpful and understanding when needed. I would love to hear how you handle your time management… Can you please share your stories with me?

The winter semester is half way through…How are you doing in school? Well I am hanging in there like a champ, but let me tell you something…this Finance class is not easy. I am have been doing fairly well, however the further we get through the semester the harder it gets.

Has anyone ever checked out an annual report for a company? Companies provide their annual statements for the public to view and decide if they want to invest with that company or not. Well there are different ratios to be calculated to determine this information. I have been having more troubles trying to figure this out. I just can not imagine how people love to do this type of stuff. Okay… that was a joke. However on a serious note, I need help.

I know they have finance calculators out there and I actually borrowed one, but I could not come up with the same calculations as the examples that were provided to me. Is there a certain Finance calculator that is better than the other? Has anyone taken this Principles of Finance class before? Do you have any suggestions as to what might have helped you through this? I am totally open for ideas…

This class is a very interesting class and I think it is great for everyone to take, however it is not easy. I want to know this stuff and be able to do it without having such challenges, but just can not seem to grasp it. So who can help???

Hope everyone had a great Valentines Day! And for those who don’t have that special someone to share it with…best wishes with finding that special someone this year! 

Wow what a rough start to 2008!

I was hoping for a great year, but this year has been more challenging and worrisome than all the others. As you all are aware, there are people being laid off everyday from work. Plus, people already are having troubles making ends meet. My company has also been lying off people and it really makes me worry.

Go figure, move into a new place, pick up a few more bills and then “BOOM” lose your job. My goodness, I hope that does not happen. The word in the office is they are going to keep me as the company marketer and offer the other marketer a different position due to the income is not coming into to make up for our pay. The good thing is that they are considering offering an alternative position verses just letting him go. However the position pays less so it is almost as if they know he will quit.

This is my first time experiencing a down in the economy. I am 31 and was a child last time something similar happened. I could not image the old days when depression was a lot worse. I hope that we do not get to that level. And just think all of this stems from the economy and government being greedy. That is my opinion because when the real estate market took off, people started buying and selling and buying and selling….until it crashed.

Well, I am keeping my fingers crossed and hope that my job stays secure and that the economy starts to shift upward. Florida is hurting pretty bad and it makes me wonder how the rest of the world is doing…

Hang in there guys!!

Does not sound very interesting does it? Well for those of you that like money and dealing with the stock market and investing might think differently. I happen to find all of this interesting, but due to the fact I am still learning it, it makes understanding it very complicated. I am finishing up on week 3 of my Finance class and I must say as I am reading this stuff, it can be very confusing.

The upside to this is I am still learning despite it all. The other day while visiting a client, I was able to speak in his language when he questioned me about the stock market. He is a major stock market watcher who sells and trades his own stocks. This process can be very tedious since you have to watch every second of it. He started talking to me about short selling and long selling. Which before this class I had no idea of what he was speaking and that would have made me loose some creditability. When you short sell a stock you make money on it before it starts to loose big. Basically you buy and when it makes a dip down you turn around and sell it right away. Long sell is when you buy a stock and sit on it until you make money over time. Wow…thanks for listening to that one. Point being even though this class is complicated; it is a great use of knowledge for me to carry.
 
This past week the Federal Reserve Bank dropped the interest rate to 3.5. This was huge for someone of us and I am hoping we can start to kick our economy into gear. It is truly becoming scary out there and I worry everyday about my job, finances and personal well being. I know this country has seen times like this before, but for me it is my first. The Fed Bank is there to help control our economy so at this time I am going to lean on them and hope they turn things around.

Yes… Break is over and it seems like I just went on break. It was really nice to have the time off during the holidays. I was able to spend time with family and friends, relax and be lazy. I will tell you when you are in school and working the breaks are truly appreciated!

Every semester I get a little scared because I do not know if the classes are going to be easy or hard. The anticipation can really be nerve racking. This semester I am taking Principles of Finance. I am not sure what to expect out of this class, but I will let you know what I think. And if any one has taken this course I would love to hear any tips you may have.

This class is going to teach me the fundamentals of finance and investing as well as put me on the road to being a great Business Manager. I took a class last year that showed me how to utilize the stock market and such, but I have a feeling that this class is going to be a bit more extensive. I really feel every household should be educated on finances and how to manage their money properly. 

Well for those that are ending your break too, I want to wish you the best of luck for the new semester! May you make it through with great strides and learn lots. Remember key tips such as studying, taking good notes and always stay caught up…when you fall behind it is hard to get caught back up.

Good Luck!!

As if finals are not bad enough, we get to throw the end of the year pressure in the mix. Unless you are only a student, I am sure you understand what I am talking about.

When December comes, the boss man comes out too. It is that time of the year where the company’s numbers come to a close and the books need to look good, show lots of profit for the year and be ready for new beginnings. This time of year has always been stressful for me in the finance world of business.

Now I have finals to worry about too. The good thing is after next week we get a break and boy do I need it. Finals seem to get harder and harder as time goes by. I thought school would get easier as I become accustom to everything, boy was I wrong.

Actually some classes are a breeze for me and others are not so much. For example my computer class that I am currently taking is challenging, but yet I understand it. The English Composition class is a bit more difficult for me; therefore I am worried about writing my final paper.  

I have not been able to figure out any new strategies to put into place yet when it comes to taking finals. The key elements go back to the basic; time management, studying, reviewing notes from the semester and asking your teacher any questions you might have. I know from experience, being an online student you sometimes forget that there is a teacher who is available to answer any questions you might have.

BTW: Check out this site for a few tips on studying for finals.

How are you doing this time of year?