What Happened to the Featured Writer?

This is a quick note of apology. Some evidence that newbies have a hard time keeping up :)! As I get more accustomed to the blogging world, I know I will get better at this. Until then...I hope you can hang in there with me.

From this point on...no promises or expectations. I will do my best to keep the fresh voices coming...and you will still get the full months worth of air time.

For the next 30 days, we will be enlightened by a college professor and author, Todd Pheifer. I think that one of the best ways to introduce a person (when not face-to-face) is by quoting them. On his profile page at Helium.com, Todd wrote, "I love the word "tenacity", because I believe anything can be accomplished if you have the vision to see it through to completion." I think that is a great mindset for any student of any level.

If there is ever a topic you would like addressed here, let me know and I will do my best to cover it in a timely manner.

Math Woes revisited and relieved

Well, once again, after giving it some time and allowing myself a clear mind, I got it.
Those Truth Tables aren't really as hard as I was making them out to be.

Can you believe that my error was an error in reading?.... Ya, go figure...haha
In the text, it explained the order of operations, and listed out a hierarchy to follow. I assumed that since the items were listed in numerical order from 1 to 4, that this was the order you utilize the connectives....My bad!!! It's actually the other way around...haha..
Go figure, that a person who would rather read a 5000 page novel than complete a 4 chapter math lesson, got hung up by misreading something...HA

SO, just like I learned in Pre-Algebra, back in 7th grade, you work the parenthesis first....of course;)
While in th (), you negate anything that has a ~ before it, then plug in the values for the junctions (the carrots...both of them), after that you move on to the conditional (single headed arrow), then the biconditionals (double headed arrow).

It helps if you use different colors, or lowercase then uppercase letters, or some other visual way to show yourself which step you are on. For me, this helped a great deal, because after filling in a column, I got lost, and had to start back at square one, looking over each step, until I figured out where I was. Not everyone will need this, but visual learners will see the benefits.

I wrote the first steps (just the basic truth values for each variable in the statement) in lowercase letters. Then I used capital letters for the second steps. I Underlined these columns so I could spot them more easily when working the next steps. Then I circled those columns so the final connective would be easier to recognize.

Another thing that was tripping me up was the order I put the Ts and Fs into the left columns. I finally ended up looking at an answer to figure it out, because I was utterly lost. Just remember, 4 T's, 4F's, then 2T's and 2Fs 2 times. Then the last column will be Ts and Fs alternating.
I hope there's never a need to have 4 variables, because then I will be searching in the dark again till I find another simple remedy:)

Well, now it's another week, with four new chapters to learn and ponder. I'm sure I'll be back with more woes and what nots. But if not, feel free to comment on this one with any new ones that come up for you!!!

Importance of Staying Fit for College Success

Here's a little more on taking care of yourself. As important as it is to get enough sleep, we as college students also need to keep ourselves active and healthy. Even distance learners, who aren't sitting in the classrooms for hours at a time, 3 or 4 days a week, still have to make it a point to get the activity we need to keep our bodies going strong.

Here's Leigh's voice on the subject:
Good health and fitness is important for everyone, but there are special considerations for the college student. Students are faced with issues such as sleep deprivation and poor diets, all of which can negatively impact good health. It's a good idea for college students to remain focused on strong fitness during their school years because it's easy to fall into bad habits... finish reading here.

As a distance learner myself, I find it it difficult to find the time each day, or week for that matter, to put into my health and wellness. I chose a distance program because my life was already busy and full of time responsibilities. I also know, however, that any added activity on a regular basis will improve your overall health. So I watched what I did for a while, then wrote down things I could do a little differently. Before long, I had a list of 10 simple ways to stay fit. I do little things, like sweeping my carpet every once in awhile instead of vacuuming, or walking to the corner store with my kids instead of hopping in the van. A little bit can go a long way, but it wont do much for knocking off already collected pounds, or reducing negative effects you're already fighting. These little things can re-energize you after a few days of sedentary, repetitive work and studying.

As always, enjoy what you are doing, and do what you are enjoying! Best wishes.