How are you all fine people doing these days?

The semester is well underway!  People are once again running around and stories of unfair test questions are rampant.  Fellow students are enjoying the benefits of sneaking text messages and partaking in lecture induced naps all over our gorgeous campus.

These are things I obviously wouldn’t participate in, but I have been a witness to plenty of my classmates’ plights.  I’m taking all of my classes very seriously this semester.  As this will be my last semester at Lee, (massive sob), I’ve been spearheading through my assignments with all of the energy of an overzealous freshman.

So in the middle of sneaking a text in college algebra, I looked up and made the quite academic discovery.  Mr. Lim was discussing some of his background and heritage.  I immediately took an interest due to the unusual charisma Mr. Lim has and the passion for what  he does.  He started writing all sorts of super duper cool stuff in Chinese on the board.

I think I even learned how to pick up Asian girls in their own language now!  Killer.

But this made me realize something about Mr. Lim.  He’s human.  It’s been my experience that some instructors have a very automated approach to teaching.  Have you ever experienced something like that in your own classes?

The small gesture made me develop even more respect for my algebra sensei. I began listening more and realizing that this algebra class was unlike any other that I’ve taken.  He breaks down concepts so easily that even people, not like me of course, who are algebra impaired can understand.

So needless to say, I finally understand math.  Hopefully my awesome tutors, Leona(KWOK)and Amber can propel me to a passing grade.  Or else I may never graduate and will be a part of the graduation class of 2020.  Oh the horror.

My other classes are going fine.  Dr. Naderi is an awesome teacher and awesome person on top of that.  You should definitely take one of his Sociology classes as they tend to open your eyes to the world around you.  That’s one of the primary objectives for college anyway.  Right?!  Totally.

Mr. Armstrong is guiding me through Microeconomics this semester.  Don’t worry, he’s still friggin’ ripped and one snide comment away from beating me senseless.  But he’s such an awesome teacher and can verbalize just as well as anyone I’ve ever met.

Dr Miller, who teaches literature, and Sociology teacher Dickens have also both been great so far.

I’ve been carrying around this feeling of nostalgia as this will be my last semester.  Hopefully I don’t break down like a bad Lifetime movie in one of my classes.  I would hate to see Armstrong hand me a tissue and then choke me with it.  Phew!

So, I’m equipped with a basic knowledge on how to write Chinese and read great English literature this semester.  I don’t think I could be more deadly if I tried.

I’ll check in a few weeks. ( If I haven’t been taken off the air by then! )

OH MAN!!!!

This week is Lee College’s International Education week. Well.. I am guessing you guys do notice that we have a lot of flags of different nations hanging around Lee College campus. Ms. Susan Cummings, the International Education Coordinator at Lee College, organized tons of activities for Lee College students and faculty, even the public, to enjoy. I really appreciate that Ms. Cummings did all these for us. Thank you, Ms. Cummings!!!!!

Tonight, I went to see the performance of Lee’s Golden Dragon dance troupe from Houston at the Performing Art Center. It was amazing!! If you read my introduction before reading this blog, you should know I come from Hong Kong, China. lol. Even though I watched the dragon dance every year when I was living in Hong Kong, this performance still amazed me.

During the performance, the Lee’s Golden Dragon dance troupe’s leader, Dr. Lee, was sharing the history of dragon dance and the traditions of Chinese New Year. I am so happy that people learned more about Chinese culture. In my opinion, it is very important that we learn about different cultures becuase we are living in a very diverse country. Lee College also has a very diverse student and faculty population. As an international student, I am still trying to adapt the American culture. We need to have a global prospective towards everything now because we are living in the same earth that we all link with each other. That’s why I am really glad that Lee College has this awesome event to increase people’s international awareness.

Anyway, I enjoyed this performance a lot. Once again, thank you!! Ms. Cummings!!

Let me show you some of the pictures that I took =V=. I apologized that my camera is not very good…. /.\

The Dragon

The five lions @W@

Can you find where I am??? =V=

BUT – International Education continues!!!!! We still have activities going on next week.

• Monday, Feb.1, 2:00 p.m., Choral Music Hall
  Fulbright Scholar Pianist Juris Zvikovs speaks to LC music majors
• Tuesday, Feb. 2 at 2:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., in the Performing Arts Center
  Fulbright Scholar Pianist Juris Zvikovs Concert of Latvian Music
• Friday, Feb. 5, 10:00 a.m., Edythe Old Studio (2/F. of the Student Center) 
  Multicultural Seminar on Korea

If you have time, please come and join us because I am assure that you will have tons of fun!!!

No wonder some of my friends call me Mr. Lee just because I try as much as possible to provide information and advice that I find important to me and my fellow students when necessary. I was invited by my Accounting teacher, Ms. Francis Haggerty to talk to her class on how I was successful in both her accounting classes. And below are some of the tips that I shared with them and that I normally use when preparing for exams. I find them applicable not only to Accounting classes but other classes as well. I hope you can find these tips helpful as others have done so in the past.

10 TIPS TO PASS ACCOUNTING WITH   A GOOD GRADE

Accounting can be an easy subject to pass if students practice the following tips in addition to professor’s lectures and advice.

1. Read your text book before class.
2. Go to class on time and be prepared to take notes.
3. Work steadily throughout the course (Don’t cram at the end).
4. Set up a study team.
5. Create a study schedule with specific goals for what you want to have studied by the end of each week.
6. Ask questions on any material that you are not sure of (Approach your professor/ ask another student in your class/visit the accounting lab).
7. Answer questions that others have difficulty with.
8. Review all the materials covered in the course.
9. Review all the homework assignments and quizzes.

10. Finally, delay entertainment (partying)!!!!!!

 It worked for me and it can work for you!

So, this has been a busy week. I finished my submissions to a few scholarship foundations. I am hopeful so keep your fingers crossed for me (and Holly!). I am also in the midst of four-year college transfer applications. If you are transferring in the summer or fall and you have not yet started your applications – your late! Get on the ball!

So the week in review…

I became an illustration for physical environmental damage as acquired a nice sunburn. Anybody want to guess how? Environmental Science class! We held class outside in the courtyard – which was fabulous I must admit! It was a gorgeous day and the sun was good for all of us. I have now put sunscreen in my bag – right next to my hand sanitizer!

Trigger-nometry, the most wonderful Shih-Tzu in the world, had a great medical check-up. His “young dog tumor” has almost gone completely so all is well with him.

I attended the SAT testing on Saturday at Lee College. No – I was not a proctor – I was taking the test. I was surrounded by 7th and 8th grade students and high school juniors and seniors. I think I was the only test taker over the age of 17. I did not see any other non-trads! The other testers were all young enough to be my children! Well, everyone keeps asking how did I do? Who knows. I THINK I scored okay but will not know for up to eight weeks. Yikes! That is a long time to wait.

Well, I was so tired (from stress) when I finished that test that I headed toward home to take a nap. But just when I was getting out of the car, I found my podiatrist friend could actually squeeze me in for a little “outpatient surgery” on three of my little piggies. All is well and they are healing and feeling better now. I just cannot wait to get those little “peep-toes” I saw recently that I could not wear! Awesome – waiting for payday!

After a busy Saturday, I thought I would spend a quiet day at home on Sunday, only to have my husband inspired to help me move some furniture from one end of the house to the other. Well, I was not going to turn down the help so I took all I could get!

But, the highlight of my day was taking my niece to Lee College to see the Brasilian Quartet that was playing today. If you didn’t get to go see them, you really missed out. This quartet consisted of a flutist, two guitarists, and a percussionist. This was the most interesting quartet I have ever seen and so talented. My niece plays the flute and she was thrilled to attend the performance. It was cute to see her watching! I had such a fabulous time with her.

So, I am sure I was doing the same thing most everyone else in the nation was doing tonight: watching football (and doing homework). I do not really follow football but I have some really great friends who are from Louisiana and are truly crazy cajuns! So, I rooted for the Saints against my husband rooting for the Vikings and I am excited I won! Ok – well the Saints won! I think it is great – they have never been to the Super Bowl. I love to see things happen like that for people.

So, now I am here, giving you what I promised…A blog a week! I was not about to skip it. So this week, I have my first humility lesson this week and looking to take more photos! In the middle of it all, I have an overnight trip to take this week, too! Busy, busy, busy! I hope you all have a great week.

Welcome back, everybody.  It seems that we’re navigating ourselves back into the classrooms slowly but surely.  The first week of classes are upon us and it’s a wonderful time to be a student.  Everyone is filled with wonder and lofty aspiriations for what the semester could hold.

It’s definitely the most pleasant time to be on campus.  In my experience as a  student, I have always felt there’s a certain mystique surrounding the inception of classes.  Everyone is so pumped up to finally get back on track or continue to do well.

It’s almost like a great novel in the process.  You never really know the outcome until the end of the semester, but there’s always such positivity at the start of the academic journey.

For me, I’m happy to say that this will be my last semester at Lee.  I’m sure many of you are in near sob to hear this, but I assure you that my banter and legacy will live on. 

If only in my own mind.

Now I hope everyone is ready for a happy and productive semester of work.  I know that you all can do really great things at Lee if you simply put your minds to it and dedicate yourselves.  I will keep you guys regularly informed about my final class room experiences at Lee.

Let’s rock and roll, ladies and gentlemen!

So, ok, sorry for the delays in posting but my New Year’s Resolution is to blog once a week for sure.  This is my last semester and I will not end it being tossed off of “Blogger’s Island!”  So finals for last semester went off without incident – well almost…  For sure all was well with Business Principles and Environmental Science.  I did have to play catch-up in Kinesiology and even threatened to have a shirt made that said “Property of Karen Guthmiller” to wear to my workouts.  I made it thanks to the support and encouragement (ok – well lack of listening to my whining) by Ms. G.  The irony is that I took that class for “personal enrichment” and I struggled to make all my hours to get an A.  ADVICE:  DO NOT GET BEHIND IN EXERCISE CLASS!  I did not want to be the girl who ruined her GPA over “P.E.” class!  So all is well that ends well.  Oh wait…I saved the best for last.  Of course, Voice class – I had to sing in front of a jury and a video camera.  I did not forget the words but it was still an awful delivery.  I was so great (not) that they did not need to hear my second song.  Shucks!  I saved my best song to end on!  Well, I was so nervous and shaky that I was just glad I survived so I grabbed my things and ran out the door, promptly texting my professor to apologize for the fact that she was going to have to watch that video.  So, the worst was over that day.  It was Monday of finals week and I had one final left…Photography.  At 5:20 pm, I found out that the final was not on Thursday but on the following morning.  I had marked my calendar incorrectly!  (No ribbing PTK friends – it was even color-coded.)  So, thank goodness for an understanding boss and a supportive husband because I was up all night.  But – I was there with bells on the next morning…the first one to class!  Then it was truly over….Fall 2009 – out like a light.

So the holiday…what did I do for the holiday?  Wrote essays for scholarship applications, isn’t that what everyone does on holiday?  I worked more hours at work in exchange for days off I know I will need this semester.  I got a lot of things caught up at work and put myself in a good position to be organized for the new year.  I did attend a holiday party for New Years (which you can see by the pics above). 

Spring 2010 – here we come!  This is hard to believe it is my last semester at Lee College.  I booked my last classes and now all I can think about is that cap and gown.  I will be the first in my family to obtain a college degree and it feels great!  I do have to take the SAT exam this weekend in order to apply to one of the colleges I would like to attend.  Wish me luck!  I have been having the SAT question of the day come to my email and so far I have been successful in answering all but one of them.  Out of about 15 questions so far, not bad.  I do have a practice SAT scheduled for Tuesday so we shall see how I feel after that.  Nevertheless, it has to be done! 

Ok – so – just a friend-lee reminder to get your student ID from the bookstore if you have not already done so.  You will need to have it for sure this semester! 

Well more next week.  Enjoy Welcome Week – someone let me know how the hypnotist is.  I will be in Science class so I have to miss it.  See you around campus!  And remember – if you need anything, stop me, I will help!

Hey guys.

I am sorry I havn’t contacted you for a looooooooong time… well. This week is our last week and some of my friends are already done with their finals (>_<). Anyway, I just got through my World Civilization I test and I hope I did great (Orz). I still have 7 papers to turn in before Thursday (procrastinator =O=!) and a Texas History Final at 5:30pm today (I need to start studying = =”).

At last, I wish y’all (yes. y’all..  XD) good luck on your finals and have a happy holiday!!!

聖誕快樂!!!
(Merry Christmas!!!)

Chestnuts roasting on an open flame.  Jingling bells and reindeer games.  The festive atmosphere is in full effect!  It’s Christmas time and it’s the best of the times, for I will be getting a lot of super cool stuff from Santa.

Hey, guys.  I know I haven’t kept in touch but classes have been brutal.  Macroeconomics and Accounting II have beaten me down.  I can’t even sleep without thinking of some accounting formula or if a recession is going to haunt me in my dreams.  It’s gotten that bad!

It’s finals week!  Everyone is ready for the holidays.  I hope you all do well and all that spiffy jazz.  I’ll check in with you guys next year and I promise to have more entertaining zaniness then.

So have yourself a merry little Christmas and enjoy the New Year.  Peace!

Time is running very quick guys. I cannot believe it’s only six weeks left before the end of the semester. I have been involved in a lot of activities both on and off campus that’s why it took me this long to update my blog.

Getting involved on campus and in the community is one way of professional development, personal enrichment, and networking. During the month of October, I had the privilege to make more than four presentations to high school students in the Goose Greek School District, and also represented the college during college fairs.  It was an awesome period full of fun and excitements. One day, I made four presentations in a row at Crosby High School to tenth graders about my personal life experiences at Lee College, and my journey to The Wall Street.lol you know a 2010 finance major with a concentration in investment management=]. If you have not yet joined any organization in college then this is the right moment guys. There are a lot of benefits including networking, and resource sharing etc. I am current a member of four organizations and through these organizations, I managed to get almost all the books I needed for this semester from friends. The general perception about students who are members of any organization is that they are smart, trustworthy, and possess high levels of readership skills. Currently there is a new organization going through the formation process called international club. It is a  great place to learn more about different cultures, countries, traditions, and  holidays  people enjoy and celebrate all over the world.

Anyone interested can join the club. Our next meeting will be on 12^th November in room 105 in the old gym. Hahaha this is not promo but I like giving out information to the prepared minds.

Anyway, academically I think I’m now on the right track. Psychology class was killing me. I failed the first test but then I decided to reposition myself by paying more attention in class, do all the class activities, home work, and study hard. Dr Umez, my government teacher advised me that if you want to have high grades then you must study hard as if there is no tomorrow. Yes it really works. On the following test I improved my grade with 27 points. I don’t believe that dropping class should be the first choice when you fail the first one. It appears that most professors drop the lowest grade for the final grade.

No man is an island guys, as the saying goes. Within the same month of October, I was conducting a research for personal enrichment about the challenges students meet in college. I was surprised to learn that almost 70 percent of the students I interviewed went through similar challenges at one point. The challenges ranged from academic, social, and financial just to mention a few. Due to the applicability of the solutions, I requested a few students if I could share their challenges with my readers and I was motivated by their positive response.

Leona is an education major, and her main problem in college was writing papers and she overcame her challenge by utilizing the writing center where she could get help with her assignments.

Aurora is a tutor and her challenge was parking. She overcame it by coming to school early or asking a family member to drop her off at school.

Australia had a problem with time management mostly because she has a one year old son. But she utilized the project Leeway on campus that helped her with day care and scholarships.

Ashley graduated this year from high school; she concurred with Leona and decided to dedicate herself because she knew she has to do the papers and study extra hard if she wants to achieve her dream.

Some student also said they do their homework at work, listen to their lecture recordings when driving etc. I just selected a few and if I missed your comment, please I will try to include it in my next blog.

October was really exciting, and I’m looking forward to November as another successful month.

Thank you for taking your time to read my blog and I wish you a happy Halloween weekend.

Well, I always say that I am going to write more often but there are just never enough hours in the day. Okay – a number of people have asked for a pic of Sandie and I so see these below. I want to scan some old pictures from when we were little so I will get to that soon – I promise!

So, my new “paid internship” is going well but it is a challenge, of course, to balance work and school – many of you know just what I am talking about. The simple logistics of being at different locations is a challenge. It turns out I-10 floods in a number of spots on the main lanes between 610 and Baytown. Wow! Well, I finally got new tires so that helps. My husband finally said I had gotten every safe ounce out of those tires and now that I have new ones, I believe him. My poor husband does not see me most of the week and he has “stolen” my dog’s heart. Oh, sure, Trigger-nometry (his legally registered name) is happy to see me but he has bonded with my husband more and I have to say I am a little jealous. It is a win-win for Trigger because now I give him more treats. All is fair in love and war – the love of my dog and the war for the love of my dog. He’s GGGGRRRREEEEAAAAAT! (sorry – had tooo!)

Well, this semester is half over and let me give you a run down on how things are going. I love my classes this semester…Business Law class is sooooo interesting. There are a few challenges that I did not consider with my other classes.

Let’s start with voice class, which I now refer to as “humility training.” Who would have thought this was soooo hard? I will say that I have learned new breathing techniques that have helped me when dealing with my asthma. But, it is embarrassing that while my friends are singing hits by Cyndi Lauper (gotta love her!), I am singing “Down by the Sally Gardens.” Ok – please don’t think I am complaining. I love Dr. Black and she is doing the right thing by me but I get so frustrated that I cannot just study and get it right. Practice, practice, practice. I try so hard! It turns out that as much as I like to talk, Dr. Black has had to remind me that singing is an activity done “out loud.” She says I am making progress. Let us just leave it at that.

Exercise class has been a challenge because I have been trying to stabilize my schedule. I love to work out but sometimes I cannot get to the gym during the open hours so I do it from home. Bummer that I cannot count that but the most important part of exercise is the personal benefits and the wellness that comes from that activity – both physical and mental. If you are not exercising, add a little bit to your day, or every other day, for the sake of your well being. Nike has a great piece of advice: JUST DO IT! Even if it is just a little each time. Every bit makes a difference.

My photography work is fun. I have been working on my collection of photos and it has been harder than I thought because I want it to be perfect. I have to make a book and I have great ideas. My honors project includes yard art – both wacky and wild, as well as sophisticated and elegant. If you know of interesting yard elements like this, please get in touch with me so that I can include them in my portfolio. I am really excited about this project.

Okay – I saved the “best” for last: Environmental Science. So far what I have learned is that this is not an area that I will major in. I do love what I am learning and it is so different from what I am used to studying. This is the perfect class for someone like me who is not a science major. We study things that are practical information that can be beneficial to every person in daily life. However…I have realized that if our activities do not make me dirty, I am usually allergic to them. There was the flower disection, the separating of the owl pellet (not what you think, but I will spare you the details, unless you ask…), sifting of the sand to discover the variety of components in the compound mixture. The activity that tops my list right now is the plant collection. We need to collect 20 Texas native plany species. We joked yesterday about how bad my allergies were after Carlton, Gloria, and I worked on our project together. We spent all afternoon and part of the evening gathering and identifying specimens on Sunday. Fast forward, I came from the doctor this afternoon where I was given the “you should know better” lecture and treated for “severe allergic reaction” to an unknown allergen. WELL – I know what allergensssssss….they are pressed in that plant press downstairs! I got a steroid shot – which means I will eat everything in sight for the next few days. And, a round of antibiotics because the doc believes I have barely started to brew a sinus infection. Since I am due to travel this weekend, best to be precautionary at this point.

Traveling? Yes, I am traveling this weekend to Washington, DC. I am thoroughly excited but equally anxious because I have such a busy schedule. I will be attending the National Collegiate Honors Conference with Mr. Britt, our fearless Honors Director at Lee College. This is a chance to interact with other colleges with honors programs and learn about opportunities at their campuses when moving from the two-year college to the four-year college. One thing I learned recently while in the company of leaders from other state four-year colleges is that they (four-year campuses) recognize that they are losing student body to the more cost efficient community colleges. They are starting to realize that they should be looking to these campuses to find good transfer students to their campuses. Everyone reading this that is a student now should pay attention and ask questions of potential transfer campuses and confirm what they have available for you so that you can adequately compare opportunities at various campuses.

When I get back, I will write more about the conference and what I have learned. I will also be working on some scholarship essays so it will be very busy but like I always say, if you want something done, give it to a busy person. My planner is full of color right now!

Before I close, I want to take a second to say thanks again to the Lee College Foundation, the Lee College Honors Program, and the Lee College Ambassador Program. Without these organizations and the extraordinary people that make up each one, I would not have the courage or belief in myself necessary to attempt the new things I do, nor would I have the opportunity. Each of these programs has kept me “in the game” and I will be forever grateful. Thanks, thanks, thanks to each of you – College Relations, Honors Office, and others!

Well good luck to all of you students for the remaining part of the semester. If you are not yet a student or have taken time off, note that registration starts soon for the spring semester – get your schedules out and pick your classes! Best of luck!