Closing Reflections on my IS101 Journey

 My experience in IS101 this spring semester was great. I learned a lot of new tools and shortcuts with the different Microsoft programs we went over. There was so much more to do and explore within these programs that were fun/challenging. Professor Albert was, very helpful, and patient with any issues I had. From the assignments to clarifying any questions I had about the LabSim challenges, he was available. My classmates were helpful and kind. If I had any questions, they wouldn't hesitate to lend a helping hand. The section I chose from Chapter 6 is, 6.7.2: Power Point Table. The content placeholder makes it so convenient to add a table to a slide. There are many options to format the table to your preference, which adds visual representation of data points to convey to your intended audience.

Here is a collage of my Power Point presentation I did at the beginning of the semester. The topic I chose was, American Samoa. 

This class taught me a lot about how I approach new challenges. It enriched my mind with new things to take and apply to my own personal/professional life. Thank you for your time! :) 

Before The Final Chapter

In Phase 2, I persevered by making sure that I got all of the homework for LabSim in a timely manner. I did the sections little by little. After completing all of the homework in LabSim, then I would work on the practice Exams. If I received a lower than 80% on the Practice Exams, I would redo it the same day aiming to score a higher score. By doing it the same day, the information was fresh in my head, resulting in a better score overall. A6 Spreadsheet Analysis with Trailer was not an easy one, but I was able to push through and get it finished.

In Chapter 5, the section I chose is, 5.7.6: Spill Functions. The spill function in Excel is unique in its functionality because it results in multiple outputs from neighboring cells. The formulas I learned are Unique, and Sort. Unique returns a list of distinct values, without duplicates. The Sort function automatically sorts an array in ascending or descending order. 

I have not had the opportunity to utilize what I learned in Phase 2 outside of this class. I work in the restaurant industry, and day-to-day duties do not require me to utilize any of the tools and shortcuts I've learned in Excel.

I am a naturally creative person, so I am not too worried about getting through phase 3 of this class. Therefore, my mindset does not require a shift, but I do need to go through the assignments in LABSIM at a slower pace to make sure that I am scoring 100% on all of the work at the start of it. I did not want to have to redo any work when it comes time to take the Exam. I learned my lesson when getting ready to take MOS-110 (Word exam).

IS 101 Progress

Hello everyone!

So far, I feel as if I did okay in the first phase of the class. There was an adjustment period with how I manage my time between work/school/personal life. Preparing for the MOS Word exam was pretty straight forward. I did not have any worries about the material on the exam. Taking the practice exams was very useful leading up to test day.

In the future, I would not procrastinate on assignments that are due. Get ahead of the material a few days in advance is possible.

The skill I chose is, 4.11.5: Word header, Footer, and section facts. Learning about the different type of breaks such as, next page, continuous, even page and odd page was pretty cool. It took formatting a document with a lot of different content and images easier to not only visually look at, but made it easier and faster with the various breaks readily available. Before taking this class, I would get frustrated with trying to format pictures and bullets in a document. Learning this skill will definitely be useful moving forward.

I will prepare for MO-110 Word certification exam by doing the practice exams and receiving an 80% or higher. Eating breakfast the day of, and get a good nights rest.

A quote I would like to share is from a best selling book called, Atomic Habits, by James Clear. The quote is, "You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems."

A New Space, A New Start

Hello, my name is Josephine Tait. I was born in Torrance, California, and was raised on a small island in the South Pacific Ocean called, American Samoa. You might ask if the move to an island was due to military service obligations, and the answer to that is no. The story behind moving there is quite simple. It is considered home to my mother and her family. Shortly after I was born, she decided to make the move from a corporate lifestyle in the United States to a way of life similar to her own upbringing, and what better way to do that then from a place she called home. I come from a large family, which includes having two brothers, and two sisters. In total, there are five of us. I learned and practiced the Samoan culture and traditions that were imbedded in my education, from the dances and song performances. In my way of life, there were a mix of farming, and fishing memories that I look back on with much gratitude.

My first impression of IS101 is a mix of curiosity and wonder. By learning how to navigate and utilize Microsoft applications I've come to realize that there is far more that can be done besides creating a word document, putting together a spreadsheet, and customizing slides for a presentation. Along with this curiosity, I am reminded that there is always more to learn as long as you are willing to learn them. Just the other week, I learned how to set rules in my imbox. These rules help with the flow of emails and categorizes them into different folders. Instead of having a messy and flooded inbox, it is a lot easier to find what I'm looking for. The walk-through videos and interactive assignments are fun to do. My impressions of CSN are similar to a previous Community college I attended in California which is, excitement in learning new things, meeting like-minded individuals, and gaining access to various opportunities.

My first experience with using the skill, 2.3.7 Cloud Storage, from LabSim was not a new topic to me. I first heard of this when I got my very first iPhone at the age of 17. The concept that your pictures, text messages, and contacts all get sent to the Cloud was a mind-blowing capability to my young mind. Upon going through the assignment, it was pretty easy, and I was able to get a perfect score on my first try.

I don't have anything else at the moment that I would like to share other than, my gratitude for being able to do this simple task of writing my very first blog post. Somewhere along the way, I forgot that I have always wanted to start a blog, so being able to do this, even as an assignment brought me joy.