Normally, I would say, “Finish Strong!” with a deepening degree of conviction in my voice, but some of us may be tired and winded while to others “it’s just a walk in the park.” So, as not to add insult to the injured, or be utterly dismissed by the marathoners, my advice is simply…FINISH!

That’s right, the truth is, it really isn’t a race. Sure you may have goals and timelines, and perhaps you’re measuring your progress and success against others, but the reality is, this is no race, it is… a journey! And on this journey, there is only one thing that matters; not how long it takes you, not how well you’ve done, or even how many lumps you’ve gotten along the way, all that really matters is that you FINISH!

This was a rough semester for me, riddled with distractions and setbacks, and while I had intended on taking classes this summer, I am taking the semester off, because one lesson you must learn on a journey is when to rest. Though I am resting, the journey is still in progress and I intend to pick up next semester with renewed energy, focus, and strategy for finishing this journey.

What is your strategy? Do you know how you intend to make it to the end? Or are you simply following the road before you? The journey can at times seem so tedious and arduous when you lack direction and strategy. Though I encourage you this summer, no matter how you plan on finishing… FINISH!

8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.:    All offices open

9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.:      All offices closed

3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.:     Bursar and Student Aid offices open

3:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.:     Registrar office open

If you need assistance while these offices are closed, you can contact the office you need and leave a message. Staff members will respond to your request as soon as possible when the offices reopen.

Thank you for your understanding during this closure.

As I get closer to December, I will be looking back and sharing my World Campus experiences with you.

So you have a topic. But where do you start your research? When you want scan a variety of materials to get an idea of what is out there, check out the Try These First page.

From one spot, you have access to materials in The CAT, online encyclopedias, databases, essays, and newspapers. There’s even a link to the Citation and Writing Guides and online help with general questions.

The University Libraries "Try These First" resource.

For additional information or questions, contact Debora Cheney, Head, Library Services to the World Campus/Penn State Online, at (814)863-1345 or dcheney@psu.edu.

Penn State has entered a new era — our first online career fair takes place May 28 from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. ET! Yes,  online career fairs. The May 28 fair targets  students and alumni interested in working in Pennsylvania. If you are not looking to work in Pennsylvania, watch for announcements soon about other online fairs we are hosting exclusively for Penn Staters later this year.

Attend a pre-fair webinar to learn how to be successful

An online career fair is different from the typical face-to-face fair. If you never attended an online fair, you should consider attending a webinar hosted by Penn State.

During the webinars, you will see what the Penn State online fair experience is like, learn how to create an account, and update your resume and get it reviewed. We hope that, by the end of the webinar, you will feel prepared to attend the upcoming online fair and understand what to expect.

Webinars times:

• Monday, May 20, noon ET
• Wednesday, May 22, noon ET
• Wednesday, May 22, 1:00 p.m. ET
• Thursday, May 23, noon ET
• Thursday, May 23, 1:00 p.m. ET

8 minutes with each employer during the fair

During the career fair, each conversation with a recruiter is timed. You have 8 minutes to talk with each employer. The online fair preparation webinars will cover how to manage your time and strategies on how to write professionally during chat.

If you want a preview of what the interface looks like, please visit this site where you can watch a video that illustrates the system.

Get help from a career counselor before the fair

• Send a copy of your résumé prior to the fair  for a review by Career Services (in Word format please). Please submit by May 22 to guarantee a review before the fair and leave yourself time to make revisions.
• Contact me by phone at 814-867-3672, Mondays from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., and Tuesday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (ET) or make an appointment with me to talk about the upcoming fair or your résumé.

As always, if you have questions, please reach out and ask them – see you at the fair!

Lynn Atanasoff, PhD,  LPC,  DCC
Career Counselor

Me (far left) being congratulated by Dr. Wayne Smutz, Executive Director, World Campus and Associate Vice President for Academic Outreach, and Dr. David Sylvia, Director of Graduate Programs, Penn State World Campus, at the graduation celebration.

Make sacrifices now, they’ll pay off later

Many of us fund our own education, so it seems somewhat self-evident that we want to get the most out of our investment; sometimes it is necessary to stay in on Friday night or have your partner/spouse watch the kids while you cram for an exam, put the finishing touches on a project, etc.

My brother-in-law happens to be the newly-crowned all-Africa champion of Judo, Sambo, and wrestling, and he puts it very simply: work hard, train hard, and fight easy. Penn State has designed their curriculum as a training ground for success in the “real world”, so studying hard helps career success come that much easier.

Keep an open mind with required courses

As a business major, it is ironic that my nutrition course—taken to meet the requirement of one health course—had the most significant immediate impact on my life. By adjusting my eating habits, not only have I become healthier, but my children now have a father who shows them how to maintain a healthy diet.

Additionally, I have always wanted to travel, so taking Geosciences and studying our nation’s prestigious parks such as Yellowstone, Acadia, The Great Smoky Mountains, and more made sense—it offered an interesting perspective on places I am eager to ultimately visit.

Finally, for my art requirement, I actually contacted my adviser to see if I could take ART 203 The Art of Web Design because I wanted to gain some insight on the subject. By the end of the course, I was confident enough to design my own webpage, became interested in blogging (as a result, you are currently reading this post), and purchased Adobe’s awesome CSS package for a fraction of the retail cost.

What does all this mean? Well, sometimes the easiest path is not necessarily the best path. Challenge yourself, and you will be rewarded. Geosciences may not be a resume builder for me, but it was personally fulfilling and an understanding of web design can certainly be helpful in a technologically-driven world.

Be resourceful

As a student at Penn State, there are so many resources at our disposal. I am referring not just to the massive online library resources, but to the vast network of students, professors and administrators. For instance, contact Career Services, reach out to fellow students through social networks (including, but not limited to, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter), and reach out to professors to discuss school, career and life objectives. In my experiences, I have found professors to be very receptive in offering feedback or advice, and have actually had long email conversations regarding topics unrelated to coursework.

These are just a few key principles that helped me get through some difficult times; surely other students have personal advice that they can offer. What are some things that have enabled you to get the most out of your World Campus experience?

1. Schedule your courses.
2. Pay your tuition bill or confirm that you’ll be using financial aid.

After you schedule your courses, you will receive your semester bill and then you can pay the bill or confirm that you’ll be using financial aid. Even if you have a zero balance on your bill, you still need to complete this step. World Campus will notify you if you schedule courses but do not pay your bill and complete your registration.

Tina Lucas, Finance Manager for World Campus and Continuing Education Bursar Office

You have until June 3, 2013 to complete your registration for the summer 2013 semester. If you do not pay your bill and complete your registration by this deadline, you will be canceled from your World Campus courses.

You can do both steps — schedule your courses and pay your bill or confirm your financial aid — in eLion. Check our step-by-step instructions to see exactly where to go and how to complete these actions.

If you’re not sure whether you’ve completed your registration, you can check your registration status in eLion. World Campus will also notify you via email if you still need to complete your registration. If you do not complete your summer 2013 registration by June 3, you will be canceled from your World Campus courses.

For more information about completing your registration, read our Frequently Asked Questions.

Priscilla with her husband Nathan and daughter Bella.

Though recent World Campus graduate Priscilla Tarr did not attend her commencement ceremony this past weekend, she did have the opportunity to celebrate her achievement at “the happiest place on Earth”. Priscilla and her family took a trip to Disneyland to commemorate the great milestone of earning her degree.

The criminal justice major reflects on her time at World Campus and shares a few of her experiences and advice she has for current students.

How did you make your decision to attend World Campus?

Since Penn State World Campus offered me the flexibility that on-campus classes could not I knew it was the right fit for me. I was able to work at my own pace with my hectic schedule, which includes being a stay at home mom, military wife, and working on a full course load at the same time.

What has your experience been like?

It’s been wonderful! I was able to interact with my classmates as if I were learning on campus. I communicated with them regularly through email and class discussion boards. The professors were also both accessible and knowledgeable.

Left: Priscilla in her Class of 2013 Mickey Mouse graduation cap. Right: Priscilla with her parents, daughter, husband and Sully from the Disney/Pixar movie "Monsters".

Having graduated, what do you have planned next?

I look forward to using what I have learned from my coursework and applying it in the “real world” towards a career in criminal justice. I am also looking to pursue my education further in the fall.

How has World Campus prepared you for your future endeavors?

World Campus has prepared me for my future endeavors by providing me with unsurpassed knowledge in the criminal justice field. I will be able to apply this knowledge in any job I choose to pursue. I have applied for positions with my local police department and sheriff’s department.

What advice can you give to other World Campus students?

I would simply say work hard and stay focused. You can do it, don’t give up!

The Penn State Blue Band drumline takes the field to begin the pre-game show. Photo courtesy of Penn State News.

From the Blue Band’s humble beginnings as a six-member drum and bugle corps to becoming the largest student organization on the University Park campus — with over 300 active student members — you will hear it all!

Dr. Richard Bundy, director of the Blue Band since 1996, drops by the studio to discuss the history and traditions of this renowned group. A few things Dr. Bundy shares include:

• how the Blue Band formed and grew into the organization it is today
• the game day schedule during football season
• the origination of the Drum Major’s traditional pre-game flip routine
• exciting and unusual places the Blue Band has performed
• the Blue Band’s biggest accomplishments over the years
• what the tryout process for students involves

Dr. Bundy also shares other fun tidbits, including what goes into preparing the Blue Band’s famous halftime and pre-game shows and some fun stories from traveling on the road with the Blue Band. Don’t miss out!

Listen and Get Involved

Listen to, or download all PawCast episodes through the World Campus website or subscribe to the series through iTunes U or your preferred RSS feed reader to get continued updates about new episodes.

You too can participate in PawCast! Ask questions in advance for our upcoming guests, share your ideas for future podcast episodes, and submit your own tips for academic success. Visit our website now to contribute to PawCast.

Thomas Argondizza

We talked with Thomas recently to learn about his international teaching experiences, his passion for teaching, and what he loves to do when he’s not teaching.

Tell us what students will find exciting about your course this summer, INSYS 100.

The goal of INSYS 100 is to familiarize students with the many ways that electronic distance learning is and isn’t impacting the world, in many places. I’m excited to share own my international teaching experiences with students.

In 2006, I worked for the U.S. Agency for International Development, and I went to Kyrgyzstan to teach a class about eLearning design principles. The class was made up of teachers from Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan, and we focused on the differences between traditional Western and Eastern teaching styles.

What did you take away from your time in Kyrgyzstan?

It changed my whole approach to life! After that experience, I realized I had a passion for teaching instructional systems. I knew I needed to get my Ph.D. in Instructional Systems, and that’s what brought me to Penn State.

We are glad you’re here with us now! What do you find most satisfying about teaching?

Thomas and his dog, Max

I love being able to change students’ lives in a positive way. It’s never too late to make a positive change in your life!

Also, teaching instructional design and systems provides an opportunity to work with people from other cultures or countries without having to sit in the same exact classroom. It’s a field of study that really bridges cultural gaps.