5 Things to do during Spring Break

You've almost made it through week 2 of the Spring term. Congratulations! Next week you'll have a break with no assignments due, tests to take, discussions to post, etc. etc. How do you plan on spending your time? Take some time to enjoy it. BUT still take the initiative to keep your mind engaged outside of your school work. Here's how:

1. Journal - If you already have one, great. If not, get one. Write down your thoughts thus far for the year and reflect on your goals/resolutions. Are you accomplishing what you set forth for yourself? 

2. Make a collage - Bring to life any pictures and quotes that inspire you and hang it up in your room or office. Remember our Thursday thoughts post about inspiration? If not, click here . Have fun with it and be creative! 

3. Write down some goals - What are your intentions in the coming 6 months? A year? Keep them small, specific, little things you can control. Especially new habits you'd like to adopt - what is one thing you can do every day that would help you reach one of your biggest goals? 

4. Choose a good book -  Yes outside of your textbooks! Make it a goal to finish it before your week is over. The book should be something that can help you improve or get better at something you're trying to achieve.

5. Do something artistic. - Paint, draw, write, take pictures, dance, sing, build (who doesn't love a good DIY project?) , play an instrument, act, etc. You don't need to be good at it. Just create something original. There's no science behind these, but it's something that can rejuvenate you and make you feel like you can do anything. Don't get discouraged if your art is terrible or your project turns into a total Pinterest fail. Find joy in creating something just from your own brain. It's empowering somehow. So, try it. Trust me.

Orrr you could just

But then how are you engaging your mind? If you choose to binge watch something, why not make it educational and learn something? We say you do!

HAPPY (almost) SPRING BREAK OLCers!

Is Pollen Making It Difficult to Study?

Is the pollen outside affecting your daily activities?  The pollen has been increasingly covering all areas of the southeast, leaving our cars completely yellow.  Those with strong reactions to allergies have found it difficult to get out of bed to get to work and school. 

An article on Washington Post titled “Allergies can affect kids’ grades” stresses how there is truth to how pollen can affect your study habits. The article explains that students taking exams during the winter months performed higher than spring months due to allergies.  Also, students are staying home from school because of how they are feeling due to allergies. 

Another article titled “Can Allergies Affect Your Child’s School Performance” gives more detail about the relationship between allergies and school performance.  The article also gives tips for how to communicate your child’s allergies during the spring months so that the student’s grades do not suffer. 

I know these articles mostly pertain to young children but they also can relate to you.  Wash your hands, take care of yourself, and continue to push through your courses so you do not fall behind.  Spring break for your online classes is right around the corner!

-Brooke Bruton, Assistant Director 

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/answer-sheet/health-1/allergies-can-affect-kids-grad.html

http://www.beyondallergy.com/indoor-allergies/allergies-affect-childs-school.php

GMC Online Learning Campus Announces Department Chair of the Term and Adjunct Faculty of the Term for Winter 2016

We are proud to announce the winners of our Department Chair of the Term and Adjunct Faculty of the term for this past winter term, 2016.  We will start with our department chair of the term.  For the second term in a row, Natural Sciences Department Chair Jessica Bahn is our winner. Jessy, as she is commonly known, teaches Biology for the Online Learning Campus and also chairs the Natural Sciences department. In addition to her full-time teaching and department chair responsibilities, Jessy is also the GMC QEP Chair.  Her hard work and management of a large department have not gone unnoticed and her faculty repeatedly send notes about how much help she is to them and their students. Congratulations, Professor Bahn.

Our adjunct faculty of the term is Veronica Parades-Rendon.  Veronica has a history with the Online Learning Campus. Not only is she an instructor for us in the PER courses, but she also served in an advisory role. When asked to talk about her involvement with GMC Online Learning Campus, she wrote “I was hired in July 2011 as the academic advisor for the online campus after being stationed in Milledgeville with my husband.  I began teaching spring term 2013 and have been fortunate enough to continue my employment with GMC for almost 5 years. To many people 5 years is not a whole lot but as a military spouse we move every several years and it can often times be difficult to find a job especially when our last two duty stations have only been one year assignments.  Teaching online has allowed me to have an extremely flexible schedule and I feel very lucky to be part of the GMC online team.” According to Kelly Weems, the department chair who nominated her, Professor  Parades-Rendon is a consummate educator who shows an interest in her students and an interest in helping our campus grow.  We are proud to have her as part of our team.

Congratulations ladies!

Drugs and Criminal Justice

Drug abuse has become a major issue in our society and has led to increase caseloads in our
criminal justice system, particularly the courts. Possession of cocaine, meth and marijuana are
familiar charges we hear about constantly. According to Neubauer (2008), “arrests for drug
violations represent the largest single category of police activity – more than 1.5 million per
year” (p. 92). But there is usually some reason why an individual turns to drug use/abuse. Some
may use drugs for comfort, due to depression, work, or marital/family problems. Perhaps
military service has caused one to turn to drug use. Because of the increasing use of drugs by
Americans, our criminal justice system has implemented problem-solving structure, one that
focuses on providing hope, treatment and rehabilitation as a method of justice. This is more of a
social services approach which has yielded some positive and effective outcomes.
According to a National Institute of Justice study on drug courts, lower recidivism and costs
were among the success of drug courts. “Compared to traditional criminal justice system
processing, treatment and other investment costs averaged $1392 lower per drug court
participant. Reduced recidivism and other long-term program outcomes resulted in public
savings of $6744 on average per participant” (http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/topics/courts/drugcourts/
work.htm). The efficacy of drug courts is determined by the determination of the
participant to change his or her life. In addition, the judge’s role in these cases can also be a
factor in determining the success and efficiency of the program. Our textbook indicates that
Miami Dade County had favorable results in which “offenders in the Miami drug court treatment
program had lower incarceration rates, less frequent re-arrests and longer times to re-arrest”
(Neubauer 2008 p. 92). However, we must keep in mind that geographic locations have
different results and that what may work in Miami Florida may have different outcomes for
Atlanta or Chicago, etc. In my opinion, drug courts are effective to a certain extent, but there are
factors like geographic location, the type of drug dependency and the length of time an offender
may have been on the drug, and the work of the judge and the participants’ work toward
recovery all are factors that determine the efficacy of these courts.
Furthermore, drug courts are referred to as problem-solving courts, which mean they use their
authority to cater to the treatment and social needs of offenders. I believe that therapeutic
jurisprudence is an effective approach that is utilized by drug courts. Therapeutic jurisprudence
is defined as “judicial bodies such as drug courts that stress helping defendants in trouble
through non adversarial proceedings” (Neubauer, 2008). In other words, there should be an
emphasis on treatment and rehabilitation rather than the courts playing what has been termed,
devil’s advocate. With therapeutic jurisprudence, the rebuilding and remodeling of an offender’s
life to achieve tangible outcomes for not only the offender but also victims and society is the
main objective. Judges, as I mentioned earlier, are very active participants in the rehabilitation,
supervision and encouragement of the offenders’ treatment. According to Peak (2010), drug
courts have “reduced probation violation and dismissal rates in domestic violence cases,
improved public safety in communities harmed by crime, and are well worth pursuing” (p. 228).
At the surface, therapeutic jurisprudence appears to be a sensible attempt to help channel drug
court practice. However, at its core, this perspective represents a radical departure in defining
justice as well as the appropriate role in achieving justice for its citizenry. By claiming that
therapy is a sufficient means of justice may leave some to wonder, if such a sentencing practice
is a fair and appropriate method of justice. Is it enough or is it too lenient? Maybe a better
solution would be to offer drug treatment and counseling without lowering sentencing. With this
approach, there is no chance for the offender to “beat” the system.
At any rate, the social services approach, therapeutic jurisprudence, caters to long-term results
and effects for not only the offenders but society. One must admit to and be willing to seek help
in order to deal with an issue; this is particularly true of drug users. Therapeutic jurisprudence
also can be looked at in a more positive sense between community and the criminal justice
system. It fosters a heightened sense of community trust and confidence that is too often lost
within citizens and our criminal justice system. We should stay tuned for more research and
studies on this topic, and hopefully, criminologists are able to find a meaningful solution that
makes such a rehabilitation method fair and reasonable.

-Tosha Wilson-Davis

References:
Neubauer D. W. (2008) America’s courts and the criminal justice system. (9th ed.). Mason, OH:
Thompson Southwestern.
Peak, K. J. (2010) 6th ed. Justice administration: police, courts, and corrections
management. Upper Saddle River. New Jersey. Pearson. As found in Principles of
administration (Custom edition for Troy University, CJ6610). 2010. Upper Saddle
River. New Jersey. Pearson Custom Publishing.
U.S. Department of Justice. Do Drug Courts Work? Findings from Drug Court Research.
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/topics/courts/drug-courts/work.htm.

Weekly Wrap Up- March 25th

Happy Good Friday to you all! 

Today is the last day of the drop/add period for the spring term, so if you need to drop any courses contact your advisor immediately! After this week, you will no longer be able to drop courses, you will only be able to withdraw. 

This week, some of our staffed traveled to Rock Springs Christian Academy and Calhoun County High School to conduct orientations for their new dual enrollment students! We try to ensure that our dual enrollment students are fully prepared for their online college courses. It is such a great opportunity and we want to give them every opportunity to succeed. 

Keep your eyes peeled, because we will soon be announcing our staff member of the term for the winter term! It is exciting for our someone on our staff to be nominated for this award! 

Registration for the summer term will start next week, so don't waste any time and get registered early! 

Enjoy your weekend and Happy Easter! 

Tips for Improving Your GPA

Grade Point Average (GPA)- something that we all think about and a constant indicator of our academic standing. Your GPA is important for many reasons and, for me, maintaining a certain GPA was always important, because I knew I wanted to pursue higher education and there is always a minimum GPA associated with admissions. Of course, you probably already knew all this and that your GPA is an indicator of your academic standing. However, did you know that there is also a minimum GPA associated with your financial aid status? This is something a lot of students (unfortunately!) learn the hard way. You can learn more about Satisfactory Academic Progress in GMC’s most recent catalog and I urge you to read more about it!

We know that GPA is important, but what are some easy ways to maintain a decent GPA? Well for one, it is important that you know how to find and calculate your GPA. This information can easily be found in your student portal, under web advisor! You can view your GPA on the first page of your program evaluation and your GPA by term can be found under academic profile!

What are some easy ways to help boost your GPA and overall student success??

Chegg.com provides some great ideas, but let’s relate them directly to Moodle and GMC Online:

1. Make use of your syllabus- be sure that you know all the important dates and use it to stay on top of your schedule for the term! The syllabus can be found at the top of the page in each course!

1. If you take notes, be sure to date them so that you know which section the material is from! This way, when an exam is approaching, you know just how far back in your notes to go.

1. Review your past homework assignments, quizzes, and tests! You can always view these material as soon as the new week opens.

1. Take advantage of the Question and Answer forum in Moodle (This can also be found at the top of each course page)! This is a way to talk with classmates about assignments and to get some great input! Having trouble finding a research topic? Can’t remember the Galileo password? Ask your fellow students!

1. Live chat- Every student has the opportunity to set up a chat with his/her professor! Just email or send a Moodle message to your professor to set up a time! This is a great resource!!

1. Free tutoring- Every student receives TEN HOURS of FREE tutoring in EACH course! Need I say more?

What are some ways that you maintain your GPA? Have you found some useful tips and tricks that you can share with other GMC Online students?

References:

http://blog.chegg.com/2015/02/02/simple-tricks-that-can-save-your-gpa/

Having Trouble with that Essay?

One of the most common complaints that college students have is writing.  Yes, writing.  Either they love it or they hate it.  There is really no in-between.  However, all students have to write papers in their college courses, and trust me, it only gets more intense the farther along students advance.  Major courses often require heavier, more intense papers. 

So how do students overcome their fear or hesitancy about writing papers? The simplest answer is to become so familiar with the process that it becomes like riding a bike.

One of the best resources for paper writing is actually online.  The University of Chicago produced an online guide called “Writing in College: A Short Guide to College Writing.”  Although the site is lengthy and includes a lot of resources, there are lots of items there that address concerns and questions professors commonly hear from their students.

Take a look at their site:

http://writing-program.uchicago.edu/resources/collegewriting/

Careers in Criminal Justice

Have you thought about the adrenaline rush and positive high that a police officer gets when he has arrested a suspected criminal or pulled over the speed demon who could have killed a family traveling on their summer vacation? What about the correctional officer who has saved an inmate’s life by finding the suicide note or shank under the inmate’s pillow? This could be you!

There are several careers you can pursue with a criminal justice degree which include law enforcement, correctional officer, or even lawyer or judge, if you decide to pursue your law degree after obtaining a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice. Most often careers like those mentioned above come to mind when you think about someone who is pursuing or holds a criminal justice degree. However, there are several other areas that may be of interest such as park ranger, security guard, probation/parole officer, private investigator, coroner, and the list goes on.

Take a look at the following two web resources. They both house good information on the different career paths in criminal justice and an overview of the salaries associated with each career.  Think about your interests and where you would fit on the criminal justice career spectrum. Good luck with your current and/or future criminal justice career hunting!

http://www.criminaljusticedegreeschools.com/criminal-justice-degrees/jobs/

http://www.criminaljustice.com/careers/

-Tosha Wilson-Davis

The criminal justice field is a well-respected field in the community.  Information for salaries, jobs, and respected leaders who have graduated from universities in Georgia can be found by visiting http://www.criminaljusticedegreeschools.com/criminal-justice-schools/georgia/.

In the state of Georgia, you can pursue a degree in criminal justice in over 50 college and universities within the state.  Due to GMC’s transfer agreements, you can take advantage of transferring your credits directly from GMC to several of these institutions.  For a full list of Georgia universities offering criminal justice degrees, visit http://www.criminaljusticedegreeschools.com/criminal-justice-schools/georgia/ .

An overall view of how criminal justice is performing in Georgia can be found by the image below:

Reference: http://www.criminaljusticedegreeschools.com/criminal-justice-schools/georgia/

Introduction Forums: Are They Really Important?

In most online courses, and in all of them at GMC, professors make use of what we call an introduction forum.  In our courses, this opens one week prior to the start of the term.  Students go to the forum and post an introductory statement that their classmates can see and post a response.  While this activity is not required, thus there is no grade assigned, it just might be one of the most important parts of the course. Here is why.

1.       An introduction forum allows students to see what other students are taking the course, as well as find out a little about their backgrounds and familiarity with online courses.  Most students who have taken online courses before will talk about their past experiences with them in the introduction forum.  Here at GMC, we ask our students to talk about their nervousness, or lack thereof, when it comes to taking an online course.  They do this in the introduction forum. 

2.       The professors participate. While most professors divulge something about themselves in the course syllabus, they feel more inclined to elaborate and connect on a more personal level in the introduction forum.

3.       These forums plant the seed of the online learning community.  That is important in online education. According to Aaron Johnson, educational technologist at Denver Seminary and author of the book Excellent Online Teaching, “What studies found was that students who experienced a higher sense of community in their online course were more likely to achieve the learning outcomes.” (Johnson 32) There are usually multiple forums in an online course, but the introduction forum is usually the only one devoted to getting to know the members of that particular online learning community.

4.       These forums can be disarming.  That’s right. Many students, even those that have taken online courses before, feel a certain amount of trepidation about online courses right before they commence. Beginning with an assignment like this can help disarm the course and open up an opportunity for interaction between students well before the course starts.

5.       These forums give professors an opportunity to get to know the students. This interaction and knowledge can become very important as the course unfolds.

The main point here is that what sometimes seems like an activity that a student in an online course can skip, might just be the jewel in the crown. Take advantage of every opportunity in an online course. Introduction forums are wonderful and only work well if students participate in them and interact. In my online history courses, I notice a great deal of participation, and I learn a lot about my students that comes to bear when we are making our way through the course.

-Dean Jeff Wells

Community-Oriented Policing

Can you imagine what our criminal justice system will look like in 2030, 2050, and beyond? It
is not too early for all citizens to think about this as 2020 is only four years away. There are
several emerging trends in criminal justice today, but there is one that has been developing more
steam over the years, community-oriented policing, which is most times abbreviated as COP. It
is a very fascinating phenomenon that includes the community’s efforts in helping police
eliminate crime. Want to catch the bad guys and girls? Here is your opportunity!
To help in bringing the community and citizens in general closer to those in uniform, some
police departments have started implementing strategy sessions within their communities such as
Warner Robins Georgia Police Department’s “Coffee with a Cop” monthly event. In addition,
the Fort Valley Georgia Police Department has launched a program called “Front Porch Roll
Call.” Such programs’ main focus is to build better relationships between its officers and the
community. This is a step in the right direction and one that embodies the community-oriented
policing concept.
There is an old saying that states it takes a village to raise a child—this is so true and is why
school officials, law enforcement personnel, church leaders and county/city administrators play
such a huge role in helping reduce juvenile delinquency and crime in neighborhoods across the
nation. Now, you can take an active role in this effort with programs such as citizen’s patrols and
neighborhood watchman, just to name a few. So, the next time you see those blue lights or the
officer ordering at the local McDonalds drive through, think about what you can do to help in
bringing this emerging trend of community-oriented policing to life.
For more information on the programs discussed in this article, visit the following links:
http://www.41nbc.com/2016/02/02/fvpd-to-launch-front-porch-roll-call/
http://wrpolice.blogspot.com/2016/01/coffee-with-cop-at-mcdonalds.html
http://www.nacop.org/whatarecop.htm

Author: Tosha Wilson-Davis

Weekly Wrap Up-March 11th

Today is Friday and this weekend, students registered for the spring term will finally have access to their courses! During week 0, students can view their syllabi, complete the syllabus quiz, and interact with other students and their professors in the introductions discussion forum. Take this time to become familiar with Moodle and ask questions if you need help!

Did you know that GMC was ranked #9 on a list of the 13 Best Public Military Schools in America? The article bragged on GMC for having multiple programs for students and courses that can easily transfer to four year institutions. Not only do we have a preparatory school and junior college in Milledgeville, but also several campuses throughout the state of Georgia and our online campus. One thing to remember about GMC, is that you don’t have to be in the military or plan on joining the military in order to attend; we have a military history, but 95% of our students are non-military.

Have you ordered your books for spring term? Remember, the term is starting on March 19^th- that’s only 8 days away!! If you still need to order books, visit our marketplace today!

Do you have any questions or still need to register? It’s not too late! Contact us today! 

Cyber Security Adjunct Faculty Member Makes Huge Strides in Health IT

Cyber security professor, Dr. Emily Darraj, was recently recognized by Northrop Grumman for her security and privacy work in Health Information Technology. Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company which provides innovative systems, products and solutions to government and commercial customers worldwide.

The White Paper, entitled "The Perfect Storm" was published by Northrop Grumman and discusses how in recent years the healthcare industry has experienced a surge in data breaches, security incidents and criminal attacks. In fact, in 2015, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services breach report documented more than 100 million people were affected by healthcare breaches. Northrop continues to address the privacy and security challenges within the federal healthcare space and defend against cyber criminals in this "perfect cyber storm." Their approach enables layered security and enhances data protection efforts to create defense in depth information assurance at a level above the industry's current practices.

At the annual HIMSS (Healthcare Information Management Systems Society) conference held in Las Vegas at the end of February, Northrop Grumman addressed the fundamental need to improve health outcomes and the current emerging healthcare fraud schemes and trends. They demonstrated their findings and advances themed "Improving Healthcare, Health Security and Health Outcomes" in areas such as: benefits systems administration, fraud prevention, payment modernization, public health and personalized healthcare.

"It is a great honor to have them do this," said Dr. Darraj. "We created 2016 Health IT predictions which did not exist."

Congratulations to you Dr. Darraj on your hard work and dedication. We are proud to have you on our team here at GMC Online!

For the full press release, click here

Metacognitive Learning Strategies: How to get the most out of your study time

High school students don't typically have to study very much and often times they are given a review to prepare for tests, but this doesn’t really prepare a student for college or help them learn the material. Typically, we have to change our study habits when we arrive at college in order to succeed. Simply studying or reviewing what you went over in class doesn’t cut it.

Instead of simply studying to memorize or make an A, students should focus on learning the material well enough to teach the material. Think about it, what would you spend more time preparing for: making an A on the test or teaching someone the material? You have to know the material much more thoroughly when you are going to be teaching it versus just memorizing or reviewing it for a test.

Tips for learning to teach the material:

While studying, try explaining the material to another person or even just explain it out loud to yourself; as you do this, you will find that there are areas of the material that you need to spend more time on or that you need to study in depth in order to explain it better.

Anticipate what questions someone might ask if you were teaching; this will help you understand the material from multiple perspectives, giving you a deeper understanding.

Typically, even professors will admit that they first gained a deeper, broader understanding of their subject when they started teaching! Imagine that! It is a matter of studying versus learning and when we take time to learn the material, we become masters in the making. Try teaching the material to your friends, family, or your favorite stuffed animal and let us know how much your test scores improve!

-Kayla Brownlow

McGuire S.Y., & McGuire, S. (2015). Teach students how to learn: Strategies you can incorporate into any course to improve student metacognition, study skills, and motivation. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing, LLC. 

Thinking About Continuing Your Education at an Online University of College to Obtain a Bachelor's Degree?

As the spring of the year draws near, students begin to think about their graduation OR continuing their education. As most of our students at GMC-Online are pursuing an associate's degree, we know that many of them are starting to think about their four year degrees once they finish here at GMC. It would not be illogical to assume that many of those students are thinking about continuing to pursue their education online.   The question then becomes: "Where should I go if I want to pursue my bachelor's degree online?"

This is not a simple question to answer for the online student.  First, choosing the right online college depends on a number of things, particularly what degree program is desired. While many universities offer all of their degree programs in a face-to-face format, they do not offer ALL of them online. Secondly, it is important to make sure that the online college and program chosen are accredited. Accreditation is not only important for quality of education, but it is also important for financial aid. Colleges and universities that are unaccredited are not eligible for federal financial aid. Thirdly, when choosing a college or university to attend online, students should consult credible, outside sources that evaluate those colleges and universities, particularly paying attention to rankings of their online programs.

Specifically to address that last point, US News and World Report, publishes college and university rankings each year. In fact, they are well-known for their rankings.  They also rank colleges and universities for their online programs, and the following link is a report on those for 2016.  Take a look at their findings.

http://www.usnews.com/education/online-education/bachelors/rankings

The point is that as you choose your next destination, if it is an online program, you should look for not only accredited schools, but also programs that are sound and have programs that fit your needs.

Dean Jeffery Wells

Why Should a Student Pursue a Criminal Justice Major?

First time college students or those reentering college may not have a defined major in mind just yet
and may be wondering, what do I want to do when I grow up? What major will bring me the most
satisfaction? Students who may be asking themselves such questions should consider a degree in
criminal justice.
Criminal justice is an emerging career field that offers a wide variety of positions to include
Probation/Parole Officers, Law Enforcement Officers, Correctional Officers, FBI agents or a student may decide to pursue a Juris Doctorate (JD) degree. Normally, a criminal justice major will take a range of different courses such as Intro to Criminal Justice, Intro to Corrections, Criminal Law/Criminal Procedure and Juvenile Justice. Such classes will prepare a student for the types of offenders and situations they may encounter while serving in a law enforcement capacity.
Do you have a passion to serve others? Do you aspire to take on the bad guys while simultaneously
being a change agent and inspiration to our youth? If you answered yes to the preceding questions,
think about pursuing a degree in criminal justice and giving back to not only your community but our
nation. Remember our slogan here at GMC, “Start Here, Go Anywhere?” This is especially true when
you complete your AAS criminal justice degree here at GMC.
Learn more about the Criminal Justice program and other AAS degree program that GMC offers.
Additional information on criminal justice degrees can be found at the following website:
http://www.criminaljusticedegreeschools.com/criminal-justice-careers/

Author: Tosha Wilson-Davis

Weekly Wrap Up- March 4th

Today is Friday and the last day of the Winter term! Remember, all of your assignments are due tonight by 11:55PM! This is different from the Sunday due date that you had for all the other weeks this term, so be sure to complete everything on time. Your professor has to submit your grades by Sunday and they need time to grade! Good luck on your finals! 

The spring term starts in just two weeks, on March 19th!! Be sure to contact your advisor today to register! We like to encourage students to register as early as possible, in order to ensure a successful start to the term!

Daylight’s saving time begins Sunday March 13^th! Get your clocks ready to spring forward!

Have you subscribed to the blog yet? If not, sign up today!

Choosing the Major That’s Right for YOU

How many times have you been asked, “What are you majoring in?” As a college student, that is usually one of the first questions you will be asked when you meet someone new. Even more so, when you are an undeclared major or enrolled in the General Studies program, people will probe about your interests and what you might be interested in-this can be stressful. You should know that The National Center for Education found that 4 out of 5 college students change their major at least one time and, on average, change their majors three times! You are not alone.

So, what can you do to face this huge… enormous…important…life-changing decision?

1.       Decide whether you want to take easy classes or a variety of subjects while you are deciding. Taking easy classes will boost your GPA, but taking a variety of classes will give you a better idea of what your interests are.

2.       Go ahead and complete your core classes- these are going to pretty much stay the same no matter what degree you choose. Get those English, Math, and Science courses out of the way while you are finding yourself. Along the road, take some electives that you think you might find interesting, again, they will help you figure out your path!

3.       Take advantage of career aptitude tests! There are many available online through a quick Google search.

4.       Talk to your friends and family! Ask them how many times they changed their majors and why they changed! Take their feedback in stride and don’t dismiss a class just because your BFF didn’t like it. Ask them what they didn’t like it and decide if it might be something you’d like. If you become interested in a subject, talk to your advisor about it to see what your options are.

In the meantime, make sure you are taking advantage of class time and soaking it all in! The more you know, the easier and more thought out your decision will be!

-Kayla Brownlow
OLC Advisor and Professor 

http://blog.chegg.com/2015/08/05/undeclared-and-unprepared-a-guide-to-finding-the-major-for-you/

Do You Know How to Reason?

GMC’s Quality Enhancement Plan focuses on critical thinking. Part of that includes helping students learn how to use the five basic reasoning skills.  One of those is deductive reasoning.  We have all heard that term used before, but what is it? According to Dictionary.com, “Deductive reasoning is a logical process in which a conclusion drawn from a set of premises contains no more information than the premises taken collectively.” They use this example: “All dogs are animals; this is a dog; therefore, this is an animal.” Deduction begins with premises that are assumed to be true. If an untrue statement shows up at any point in the method, the conclusion becomes illogical and false. For example, if I said that all men are birds and this is a man; therefore, the man is a bird, I have reached an illogical and incorrect conclusion.  One must begin with accurate premises to begin the process of deductive reasoning. 

Another critical thinking skill is inductive reasoning. Put simply, inductive reasoning begins with data or evidence. The thinker then takes that data and evidence and arrives at a general conclusion based on that data.  According to scholars at Utah State University, an example of inductive reasoning would be:

“This cat is black. That cat is black. A third cat is black.  Therefore all cats are black.”  However, as one can see, this is an incorrect conclusion as the data is insufficient. Just like deductive reasoning, all points in the process must be solid and true, or in the case of inductive reason, sufficient. While the thinker here has surmised, based on his experience, that all cats are black, we know from a larger data collection (scientific evidence, the observations of other people who have seen cats of a different color) that this conclusion is wrong. However, the way we know that this conclusion is wrong is by examining data to reach a conclusion. 

A point to make here is that deduction and induction by themselves are inadequate to forward an defensible argument that is solid and will hold up under scrutiny.  As scholars at Utah State continue to point out, “While deduction gives absolute proof, it never makes contact with the real world, there is no place for observation or experimentation, no way to test the validity of the premises.  And while induction is driven by observation, it never approaches actual proof of a theory.”

To help further clarify the difference between the two, check out this video from the Khan Academy. 

https://www.khanacademy.org/math/precalculus/seq-induction/deductive-and-inductive-reasoning/v/deductive-reasoning-1

Try to learn these two reasoning methods and their dangers when used incorrectly to sharpen your thinking skills.

Dean Jeff Wells