Monthly Archives: May 2013
First Class completed – Top of my Class – Bring on the next one!
My first month of class is officially over! I can not believe how fast it went. I have learned so much in the past month. I am so excited to be moving forward to the next class, Behavioral Science, and look forward to learning so much more.
I am also very proud of my performance. I was Big Dog when it came to the competition that went on through out the whole month of class. I finished in first place with actually 29 Lynda’s completed. My “Team C” came in first place as well for top teams. There are perks for doing so well, you get “Bookmarks” as a reward!
Today was the last 2 hours of the class and it was awesome to go over everything we learned. On top of being the Big Dog on the Lynda’s, I was honored enough to be voted by my class as the “Most Influential Classmate” Meaning that the majority of the class thought that I was the one class member who they learned the most from and they felt I was a great asset to the class. Even my teacher told me he learned a lot from me and would be using my class work as examples of how to do it correctly. I have not gotten my final grade yet, but I have nothing but 100% A’s right now and only have two more projects to be graded, but I have faith they will be 100% A’s as well. Hard Work pays off.
Our instructor, Paul, spoke a lot about us not giving up and how things are going to be hard. He said that as time goes on and things get hard to not forget about the finish line and then he played this video which had me tearing up in class. Good thing they keep the classroom lights low. But it really hit home that even though I am shooting to be the BEST Full Sail student with Straight A’s, it isn’t about that always. It’s about never giving up on your goal. This video inspired me so I hope it does for you as well.
Things are going GREAT at Full Sail University!
My Digital Literacy has been going great! Been working well with my group Team Galaxy. We had a fun project on Wednesday where we got to leave class for 45 minutes and walk around campus and take some pictures. This is the picture I took. It is a Panorama of a portion of our library. The point of doing this is to give the pictures to a different group and they have to use digital tools like www.verexif.com where you can take ay picture and enter it into the website and it will give you all the digital meta data that the picture has such as GPS Location. Example Below.
- Camera make :Apple
- Camera model :iPhone 5
- Date/Time :2013/05/22 15:20:13
- Resolution :4496 x 2528
- Flash used :No
- Focal length :4.1mm (35mm equivalent 33mm)
- Exposure time :0.0081 s (1/123)
- Aperture :f/2.4ISO equiv. :200
- Whitebalance :Auto
- Metering Mode :pattern
- Exposure :program (auto)
- GPS Latitude :N 28º 35.65′ 0″
- GPS Longitude :W 81º 18.26′ 0″
- GPS Altitude :27.18m
Crazy to see how much someone can find about you just from one picture! So be careful what you post on Facebook or any other social media website. People can find a LOT more than you think they can.
Here is my second project I got to do, Researching Credible Connections. My second attempt at PowerPoint. This one was less technical we just had to research several different words using the different new research databases that we are learning about. Hoping to clear another 100% A on this one. Having no doubt it will happen. Let me know what you think so far?
My First PowerPoint Project and My first A’s Whoot Whoot!
This was my very first PowerPoint presentation I ever made. I am pretty impressed with it since I had never used PowerPoint previous to this, but did do a tutorial prior to starting that helped me out immensely. The presentation was a response presentation to two other teams who had to present. Team A: had to present the reasons Video Games are good for literacy ad Team B: had to present why they were bad. We as Team C: had to preset what our finding were and based on everything choose a winner between the two teams. It was difficult to choose a winner but we had to do it and even though it went against some of our beliefs we choose Team B. So enjoy the video but know that we had to get up and speak throughout the who presentation and what you are seeing is just the slides. I also added the music so it wouldn’t be so boring to watch the slides scroll through. There was a LOT of funny parts that might not come through with the video as it did live but you will get the idea. I feel us as Team C had the BEST presentation out of the whole class. We kept it entertaining, on topic, fun, short and sweet, and above all informational
Go Team Galaxy!
Guess what? I got my first A’s!!! I am soo excited to get my first grades and will be excited to see these 100% keep racking up. The projects and homework assignments we have been doing are pretty fun you just have to make sure you follow protocol and directions. I am not sure of the grade on the above presentation yet, but I will be sure to update when I find out.
So far I have straight A’s in College!! BOOM! Head Shot! Haha People who watched the video will get that reference.
What an amazing first week of class! Things that have happened…
Sorry I haven’t had much time to do an update for the past week, its been a little crazy making sure I am staying on top of my studies, projects, and life. But it has been going way better than expected. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect for my first week of college but I do know that I am definitely a much better student now then I was back in high school. I “WANT” to learn, I “AM” interested in the subject matter. It has also been great meeting new people in class. I have already made friends with a bunch of people and plan on getting to know more as class continues.
The first week was very interesting in class. This Digital Literacy class is really getting us to think about how we communicate in the world today more so as digital communication is becoming the most common way to communicate. My Teacher Paul Hayes has been great! Keeping it interesting and entertaining at the same time. I do enjoy how this is considered a General Education class yet they tailor it to our degree. I am mixed with all kinds of degrees in this class. Tons of people are at Full Sail for Music, and it has been really cool meeting some real talented people. Since music is such a HUGE part of my life it will be fun to be around musical artists and be able to see them blossom as artists as I do in my art.
Right now for the second week we have been split into groups and my group, Team Galaxy has to do a presentation based on what two other teams had to present. basically we get to be the judge and decide who we thought gave the best presentation and why. Our subject is Does Video Games Help or Hinder Literacy Today. So I am working on my first PowerPoint presentation ever to present our findings. It will be very interesting to see how we do and how my teammates like my PowerPoint I have worked on. Looking forward to collaborating to make it perfect so we all get A’s. But I’ll keep you all updated on my grades.
I can not even imagine how much fun my classes will be once I get into my actual Major of Video Game Art. And the bad part is our classes go so fast. Full Sail teaches you what you need to learn in 4 weeks what other colleges take 16 weeks to teach you. So it is pretty intense to say the least.
Digital Identity project for my Digital Literacy Class
Digital Identity
Today we had our first project in Digital Literacy. We had to come up with a Digital Identity for ourself. We could do it any way we wanted, whether it be a song, a video, a collage of pictures, but I choose to make a collage of words that describe me and how I communicate digitally. This is the result of my idea. I hope that it will impress people in my class as we have to post our submission up on the chat board for all to see. There are some pretty talented people in my class who have done some pretty good projects. I hope they also consider mine just as good.
I am having fun in class and already feel like I am learning a lot. We had to read two different articles for homework both were very interesting. The first one was an article on Digital Natives and Digital Immigrants. I still have not come to a conclusion if I am a Digital Native or a Digital Immigrant. Since I was born right on the cusp of the Digital Age. But I feel like I have become a Native since I have always been into technology. The second was about Wikipedia and the pros and cons and why people feel it is a good thing and why people still fight the fact that it is the Encyclopedia Britannica of the digital age.
First Day of the Next Three Years of My Life
This door and number might not look like much, but this is now the room, class number FS3F-117, door that I passed through, view I saw that started my college degree. I can look back on this door and know that when I walked through this door I became a college student, something that I am VERY proud of accomplishing. There are few moments in ones life that something this insignificant can become such a huge part of your life. This is one of them for me.
My very first class is Digital Literacy which means the ability to effectively and critically navigate, evaluate and create information using a range of digital technologies. This is already sounding like a fun course to me. It will deal in how we communicate in the digital world. Since I am a “professional communicator”, I think this will be right up my alley. The Teacher Mr. Paul Hayes seems like a very good teacher but also seems like he doesn’t put up with any crap either. I like that. I am also very impressed with the way the teachers interact with the students so far. Meaning for me it definitely is not like 20 years ago in High School. We are all supposed to be adults now in college and so far they are treating us like adults. Makes me feel good knowing we are on the same level. But it does make me laugh that they do have to go over the basics with us to make sure that you have no excuses later. Simple things that everyone should know like, Show up to class, Do your work, Do not back talk, ext. The simple things that you would think “Adults” should know but I’m sure some do not.
I would have to say that my first day of college life was AWESOME!
Pinch me! Am I still dreaming? Nope this is REALITY NOW!
Last Day of Orientation – Tomorrow is First Day of Class
Full Sail Orientation days are in the books. 5 days of pretty intense information. Lots of stuff to try to remember, but I am sure I will be able to find any info that I might need. We got to hear a lot more good info of stuff that we will need to know. I met a few new people today and have been working on networking a lot. Hope to have some of these people in classes.
I snapped these two pics because I hope one day to have my art or something that I worked on in that show case. This is many different items from alumni who have worked on some of the biggest Movies, Music, and Games in the entertainment industry. People send back things from the set, or gold albums, or movie scripts to put in this showcase to show that the results of hard work will happen. Pretty amazing to look at all the stuff in there knowing these people probably walked these hallways before me.
After my last Orientation Workshop I choose to go see Matthew Eng from EA Tiburon located here in Orlando. He is a Concept Artist and he was hosting a seminar to explain what he does at EA and how he got into the field. It was very awesome to see someone doing what I want to do come to the school on his own time and let people know it is possible to get into this field. He also did a Photoshop demonstration which was awesome to see him start from nothing and end up with an amazing finished product. Sorry about this pics, but i was sitting kinda near the back.
Here here is a better shot of the final result. It just blew me away that he started with a blank canvas so to speak and started with one simple black object and then created this all off the top of his head.
Tomorrow is the BIG day! Tomorrow at 1:15pm will be my first class (Digital Literacy). I can not believe it is here already and just amazing how fast this dream has turned to reality. It just goes to show you that if you put your mind to it you can achieve anything. I did what it took to make it happen and with the help of my mother we got everything done.
Wish me luck!
Day 4 of Orientation – Feeling like a PRO!!
Today I feel like I am a PRO Student walking around campus.
I am really getting to know the layout of the school so far and feeling very comfortable on campus but they are also kind of keeping us in the same general area. But lets just agree I am becoming a PRO!!
Today was my first 4 hour lecture Workshop. I think they are getting us used to what it will be like to be in a classroom setting for such a long time, seated, and paying attention. Today was a pretty good workshop, it had to do with a lot of different information from Library sign up to Money Management. We had 5 different teachers and staff speak during that 4 hours and all were wonderful. I am so glad I get to have my computer out during classes and lectures so I can look up all the things live while they inform us of these different websites and helpful info. I had about 6 windows open with 6 pages I needed to bookmark.
The best news of today that absolutely made my day is I had to speak to one of the orientation reps, Derik, about my school email that I was having issues accessing. He was very helpful and got me the info i needed to solve the problem, but he stopped me and asked me about this blog! If you read yesterdays post I told you about Ann who blew me away with her workshop. Well I emailed her to thank her and let her know how wonderful she did and about my blog since I was posting about her. She replied and told me that I made her day today! She then promptly made my day by forwarding my website to all the Orientation Reps. I was so excited to have someone from Full Sail tell me how great they thought my website is. For a professor to tell me how blown away he was with my blog really touched me and even said that this would be something great for the president of Full Sail (Garry Jones) to see!! WOW! If you are reading this Garry, Welcome to my site! 🙂
I guess that just goes to show you that if you take a minute to stop and tell someone how well they did at something, or how much you appreciate someone for their actions, or compliment someone, Basically take a minute to make someones day, it will come back to you ten fold. So I will try to make someones day again tomorrow and you should do the same!
Day 2 and 3 of Orientation. Busy Busy Busy!!
So busy I will combine two days here!
Well here it is!
I got my MacBook Pro and OMG is it so nice! I am actually doing this post from it right now. Well the past two days have been very busy but just wanted to give everyone an update on what college life has been for the past few days.
On Tuesday It was a very long day. Had a “Welcome to Full Sail” Event where we got to see the President of Full Sail speak along with staff and students telling us all kinds of things from exciting to boring. Boring only because it was all the common sense stuff like be safe here, be nice to people, and so on. Then I had an Adobe Suite 101 which was very helpful and learned about Adobe Illustrator which sounds super fun to work with even more so than Photoshop. Then we finally got our MacBooks! It was very cool because they had a guy come in from Apple to walk us through the set up process. It was KILLING me though because I am one who has to rip it open and mess with it right away. He had other ideas. We had to wait and listen to his speech and make us all turn them on at the same time with a 3, 2, 1 countdown. It was pretty awesome to see and hear 30 MacBooks turn on at once.
Today was also another busy, yet fun day. First thing this morning I decided to take the Math (Test Out), which is a test to get out of having to take the class, if you feel you are a pro at that subject. I Just wanted to see where I stand in the math department since I have not done any math in 20 years other than adding up money. I failed, but I expected that and actually did better than I thought I would. Then had a Media Math Workshop which was nice to get some info on what I will be working on. Mac Basics Workshop was next. That was a fun workshop since I am pretty good on computers but it was fun to learn the basics on my new MacBook and learn a few tricks and shortcuts. The best part of the day was Effective Communication workshop hosted by Ann Bloch. She was absolutely amazing. What a great public speaker. She was amazing at working the room and keeping everyone involved and entertained with her bubbly positive attitude. It was about a lot about things I already knew but when it comes to human interaction and communication you can never learn too much. To hear her side of things and views was great. I hope to get to be a part of any of her lectures in the future. Thanks Ann! Made my day!
I am really feeling like I am in a dream each day when I am walking on campus. I feel so good about my decision of being a Full Sail student and going to college. I am so happy with the teachers so far too. I really feel good knowing that the professors are around my age group. I was totally expecting the super old, grey haired, crotchety, mean professors. Not the case at Full Sail!
My Full Sail Journey.com 