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!!    

I have been taking online classes with Rasmussen College for almost two years now. While all of my classes have been challenging and really require your focus and attention; I will say there are few classes that are really challenging and wish I had more one on one time with a face to face teacher during these times. Not saying classes should be easy, but some things you really need to have a clear understanding.

My classes that have been the most challenging are Accounting I and Payroll Accounting. Accounting one I had to take twice because the first time I just didn’t get it. Then the second time I barely passed. However I passed and that is what really matters. I was studying hard and asking the teacher questions and genuinely trying to get a B or higher, but there is just so much to learn and accounting in general is a hard/confusing subject. The whole aspect of debits and credits are just the beginning of how the process works. The funny thing is I have been in accounting and finance for several years of my working career, but never really dealing with bookkeeping and general ledgers.

Then there is Payroll Accounting which is another difficult subject. I have a new found respect for payroll and human resources managers. Keep in mind when you learn a subject like accounting in college they teach you have to calculate everything manually without the use of a software database. This is a great thing, but it really shows the complexity behind it. Payroll has so many taxes, codes and a guideline that has to be followed it is very complex. There are Federal laws, state laws and city laws. You have different Federal Acts to follow and you must always stay updated because additions to the Acts can take place at any time. One wrong file or late payment to the government can cost you money.

I am currently in the Payroll Accounting class and I had a D mid semester.  This class has been very challenging, but I have been hanging in there and my teacher has been amazing. I have probably spoken with this teacher more then any of my other teachers in the last 2 years. She doesn’t mind and loves trying to help which has made a difference. I have a few weeks left but my grade has increased to a low C and I am finishing the semester strong. If the teacher wasn’t so helpful, I would probably be facing the problems I had with my accounting I class.

Rasmussen offers free tutoring which I wish badly that I could take advantage of, but I am not near a campus. The closest campus to me is Ocala, but for many of you the campuses are near. I recommend if you are having trouble with a class, please reach out to the school tutor. There is online help too through Smarthinking, but that is more for a specific question or paper needs you might have. Great to have...I used it after midnight one night. Tutoring is expensive so having Rasmussen include that in our tuition is great!

Well I will keep you posted as I get to the end of my payroll class. Wish me the best in luck as I near the end of this semester and as always if you ever have any ideas, suggestions or feedback; please feel free to comment.    

Hello everyone! I hope this New Year is treating all of you well. My last blog I shared with you that I had found a job and I told you I would follow up to let you know how things are coming along. I also want to let all you how school is and catch everyone up.

The new company I am working for is Fabulous! I love everyone there from the top, right down to the bottom. I am also doing very well. I learned the processes quickly and have already been helping private clients. This job allows me to help others and I love helping others. I have worked for small, medium and large companies in my past and I have come to realize the bigger the company the more stresses you endure. The larger companies are in your face all the time wondering what is going on, when the smaller companies are only in your face if the work is not getting done. And that is more my style because I am motivated by working for good people/companies. If you are good to me, I will work that much harder for you, but if you are stressing me out and breathing down my next I loose all self motivation. I know there are people out there who need a drill sergeant to stay on their back or else they do not work, but that is not me.  Company’s loose sight of the real workers out there and at the end of the day they drive them away.

I am only in my first month with the company; however things are going really well. I am going to do everything in my power to make sure this works out for me 100%. I will keep all of you posted along the way to let you know how I am progressing.

 SCHOOL…

School is coming along as I complete courses and gain more credits. It is defiantly a journey, but well worth it. This semester I am having some struggles, but my teacher has been working with me the last couple of weeks. The class is Accounting Payroll and I do not know what it is, but I have so much trouble with Accounting. Since the teacher has reached out and assisted me I have increased on certain areas, but I have a ways to go. We are in the middle of the semester so I have to really focus and dedicate more time to learning it. The funny part is I actually want to learn this class and I want to do well in it. Accounting Payroll is a great skill to have for any management role in an organization.

Recently, I used Smarthinking, which is an online tutoring tool that Rasmussen provides to all of their students. It is a great resource to have. It was late one night and I was working on some payroll problems. I sent in a question and a student started instant messaging me within 5 minutes. He coached me through the problem and it worked out great. Where else can you get that kind of help at 1:30 a.m.? For me I live alone so there is know one to consult, especially at that time.

Well if anyone can recommend some tips on Payroll Accounting I would love to hear your thoughts on what helped you. In the meantime I will continue to plug along and push for a great grade.

Take care for now and will talk with you next week.   

I am half way through the semester and the day to day stress with work and life has me drained. As I am sure many of us are going through the same things with the economy turmoil, however I cannot help but to think my world seems as if it is crashing down on me. I wake up every day with butterflies in my stomach wondering if today is going to be the day they let me go at work. And these are not good butterflies either. This is just not healthy, I can not eat well, can not sleep well and it is just draining me. Ahhhh…

I can say one positive thing about school is that it gives me a positive sense of security because once I am finish I will have a degree to back me up in my career search.  However right now I do not have that and that is what scares me more than anything in the world. I am on my own with no family to help me if something goes wrong. I know people who have been laid off and it has been months and still no job. What will I do? I am continuously searching the internet and applying to jobs in hopes one bites if something does go wrong with work.  If anyone out there knows of anyone in Orlando that is hiring, please let me know.

As for school my classes are going great! One of my classes is in Customer Service which I really like. It makes some interesting points which causes me look at my job a little differently every time I learn something new. I have also learned there are companies out there that need lesson in training their staff with customer service skills; some people are horrible when it comes to service. I deal with people all day long whether they are clients or candidates looking for employment.  It is very important to treat everyone with excellent customer service no matter what the situation is. I speak with people everyday who are laid off from work and they are stressed; relying on us to find them a job. Sometimes they get upset and irritated because we can’t find them a job quick enough. This then can cause certain people to lashes out. I tell my colleagues it is still very important that they do not take this to heart and should treat them with respect; having empathy. It is only their fear that is making them react this way and we are the only people who can speak with them and give them a sense of security.

My teachers are great and the students in my classes are great too! So far the grades are still up there and I hope to continue on the same path.  All I can do is take one step at a time and pray I make it through the crazy times. Who knows when things will start to turn around. If anyone else is going through the same things; my heart goes out to you and your loved ones.

Strength & Courage

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?