Archives for the Month of September 2005 on Danny Pho's Online Journal
Career Fair
The career fair was a little intimidating. There is so much pressure to "perform" well and to get an internship. Questions were coming up the entire walk there. Was I dressed appropriately? Was I prepared to answer the questions? I really did not know going into it. I spent several days looking at the companies that were going to be there and doing a little research on them. I narrowed the list down to several companies but when I got there, everything changed. I did end up going to those that I wanted to but the guide was a little deceiving. Many companies listed certain majors they were looking for and what opportunities were available but when I talked to them, many companies said they were not sure what positions were open and what wasn't. I did not understand that because I would expect the companies to be a little more prepared for those questions.
However, I did not mind the experience at all. The employers were all very friendly and willing to answer any questions I had. It really was not as bad as I would have expected but I do believe I could have been a little more prepared. Since this was my first career fair, I believe it could only get better. I learned a lot and even though there were not many positions open at this time, I think I benefited a lot from the experience.
Networking Exercise
Today's networking session was very interesting. I really did not know what to expect in the beginning. To me, and probably many people, it is very intimidating to actually go to a potential employer or someone you don't know and start talking about myself. How do you start the conversation? It seems like there is no set answer because it varies from person to person. It almost seems like there is no right answer. However, the tips from today's class helped a lot. Talking to other people who are in the same situation helped but there are still many questions that have not been answered. I guess it can only get better after several tries.
Participation
Part of today's class was spent discussing the participation portion of the course. I understand it is necessary to have everyone participate in this type of course but I believe the system benefits some people more than others. It was said that only about 10% of the class should receive a 3 on a daily basis. If this is true, then with the class of 40, only 4 people should be able get an A. I do not believe that is necessarily fair. Because of this, it was evident in today's class that everyone was attempting to get their "two cents" in because of the need to receive a good grade. It was almost forceful.
It may also be difficult for some people to express their opinions or comment because of their personality. The LSI test/survey we took was supposed to describe our learning style. As someone stated in class, certain learning styles may make participating in class difficult while something natural for others. It is almost like penalizing those people who do not feel as comfortable speaking in class. Participation is important but I believe it should not be such a huge portion of the overall grade or maybe there should be an alternative that can alleviate the pressure of having to comment just for the purpose of receiving a grade.
Is management for me?
Here's a dilemma. I'm not sure if management is for me. I was considering many different majors when I started last year and it was really confusing. I already had several internships in high school that was related to engineering and that did not seem right to me. So here, I am, attempting to get dual degrees in Management (information systems) and Math, not really sure what I'm going to do with either degree or both together. I love the most of the courses so far and it seems like a good fit but I'm not sure if it's what I want to do. The information systems concentration seems like something I would enjoy but I haven't taken a course in yet so I don't know what to expect. Maybe I would have a better understanding of what I want after this semester.