Advice

For those students taking Essential Computer Skills with the wonderful professor Dr. Belisle, there are a few things you need to know. You need to go to class. Everything on the quizzes and homework is derived from her well-articulated lectures. Trust me, I’ve missed class, and the homework is always difficult to finish following the absence. Skipping class because of the “I know everything” mentality will also hurt you, especially because it is impossible not to learn something new in this class. As far as homework, be meticulous about your work, and definitely do not skip homework assignments. You will find she is not afraid to ding you for slight errors in the homework. The best way to verify that your work is satisfactory is to compare your final result with her online tutorials, which can be found on the comprehensive class website. Use her online lists, to verify that every part of the assignment is completed and included in the final work. I suggest you find a fellow classmate to work with; they can help you with the assignment and should prevent you from making mistakes. Punctuality is a must, because you will be docked unless you complete your homework on time. Also, avoid the urge to skip homework assignments; they may seem like busy work, but they are designed with the intent to prepare you for the quizzes. In all honesty, the work is going to take sometime if you are doing it correctly, so just work diligently and try to include some creativity. Know that she generously awards creative work so think about incorporating a nice composition or design feature that doesn’t detract from the overall purpose. Probably, the best advice I could give is to be forward thinking. Always, look ahead on her website to see when classes and homework is coming up. Plan your time well so that you can adequately devote enough attention to each assignment you have, and be prepared to try to learn from class rather then just get by. Check blackboard, for the status of your grade and make a conscious effort to maintain a goal for this course. Overall, I think you will find this class really enjoyable just as I did, but remember it won’t be difficult but it won’t be as easy, it takes work and devotion. Anyways, good luck and work hard.

One Sentence of Advice:

Remember it won’t be difficult, but it won’t be as easy, it takes work and devotion.