Graduation



picture by Carine 06

Graduation is in the air. Here are two stories of graduation from local universities -- SDSU and USD. Grads in Red and Black and USD Grad's Success Easy to Process appeared in the "U-T San Diego" on May 18, 2013. City's graduation is Friday, May 24th. Come and join the celebration!

200 Workers Needed

Looking for work? A Mission Valley restaurant is hiring: "sous chefs, line cooks, servers, hosts, bartenders, and busboys." Eatery Looks to Hire 200 Workers appeared in the "U-T San Diego" on May 18, 2013.

Passion for Music

picture courtesy of Nicholas N.

"I believe in my talent" -- Nicholas N.

In a world in which the fine arts are increasingly seen as frivolous and impractical for employment, Nicholas N. is going against the grain. He is not only a music major, but envisions himself as a singer, a goal that would have many parents cringing at the bleak prospects for earning a living. Nicholas is not only unafraid; he actually embraces the challenge. He looks for opportunities to be creative. His black and white photography was displayed at the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts while he was in high school. He recently made up a song about primates for one of his college classes, and he performed in the annual City College Talent Show sponsored by Tandy Ward on May 17th.

Where did Nicholas get his zest for music? His father influenced him by being a music fan with a range of artistic sensibilities. Among Nicholas’s varied interests: photography, drama, modern dance, tap, ballet, choir, and musical theatre. “I try to use creativity,” Nicholas conveyed. “I take advantage of every music opportunity I’ve been given.”

Lower Student Loan Rates?

picture by Twp

Senator Elizabeth Warren from Massachusettes is proposing to lower student loan interest rates:

“[T]he federal government is going to charge students interest rates that are nine times higher than the rates for the biggest banks,” said Sen. Warren, “the same banks that destroyed millions of jobs and nearly broke this economy. That isn’t right.”

Sen. Warren Introduces Bill To Lower Rates On Student Loans to .75% For One Year appeared in the "Consumerist" on May 9, 2013. The article was forwarded by Lana Kapchinsky.  

Hiring Peer Mentors!

First Year Experience:

The “First Year Experience” office provides support to all students who are in their first year at San Diego City College. FYE provides students with the necessary tools that instill positive academic habits, in addition to an abundance of support systems. These essentials ultimately guide students into a continued successful college career.

 Job Opportunity:

 

Position- First Year Success PeerMentor

Open to- Current or Transferring City College Students with at least a 3.0 (minimum 30 units completed toward degree/transfer), as well as University Students who at one time transferred from City College.

Position will focus on- The peer mentoring program focuses on seasoned college students supporting first year students. As a role model mentors help, teach, motivate, and inform mentees how to be an above average student.

Biotech jobs don't require a 4-yr degree

What does it take to get into the biotech industry in San Diego? According to a U-T San Diego article, Biotech Report Stresses Practical Education, you need hands-on training which can be obtained at many community colleges and universities without completing a bachelor's degree. The article references San Diego Miramar College and CSU San Marcos. City also has training in biotech.This article was published on April 27, 2013 in the "U-T". It was forwarded by Sharon Rhodes.

CarMax is hiring

picture by Ildar Sagdejev

CarMax is hiring in the areas of sales, business office, purchasing, and service operations. Click "Read More" below for more info.

Completion/Transfer rates dropping


Less than half the students who started in a California community college in 2006 completed their goal after six years. What is causing the drop in degree completion and transfer rates? Fewer Community College Students Completing Their Degrees appeared in the "LA Times" on April 9, 2013. The article was forwarded by Rudy Zamora.

Want to see how City College compares to other CA community colleges in completion and transfer rates? The "Student Success Scorecard" will break it down by gender, ethnicity, and age.

Have an opinion about why students are not finishing their degrees? What obstacles have you encountered in school? What do you think would help? Post your reaction to this article in the "comments" below.

Summer classes

picture by Nehrams 2020

As many of you know, summer classes aren't available at City this year, but there are other options. Rudy Zamora and Luis Perez have informed us that Grossmont College and Cuyamaca College will be offering extensive classes this summer. It's best to apply to these colleges by April 12th. Patsy Maes and Cathi Lopez told us Palomar College is offering summer courses. Apply by April 30th. Also, we will be offering cross-enrollment with SDSU. If students want to enroll at SDSU this summer for one class at a reduced cost ($52.00 for the course), they need to go to Admissions (A-112) to start the process. Students must be enrolled in 6 units at City during the spring 2013 semester to qualify.

The following info about SDSU cross-enrollment was provided by Marilyn Harvey:

SDSU summer class schedule has been released and can be found at https://sunspot.sdsu.edu/schedule/#.   There are three sessions during summer and each one has a different deadline to add/drop courses.

There is now only one schedule adjustment deadline per session. 

S1  (6 weeks)     Classes begin May 22 and the deadline to add/drop a course is May 31.

T1  (13 weeks)   Classes begin May 22 and the deadline to add/drop a course is June 4.

S2  (6 week)      Classes begin July 8 and the deadline to add/drop a course is July 16.

picture by Allan Ferguson

Because the course offerings at our campuses may be very limited this summer SDSU will accept forms verified using spring 2013 attendance in 6 units.  If a student was not enrolled in 6 units for spring 2013 then they cannot be verified for cross enrollment for summer 2013.

The verified forms must be turned in to SDSU by the student to the Office of the Registrar by the deadlines stated above.  NO exceptions will be made for late forms.   All SDSU matriculated students are held to the same deadlines with no exceptions so any student wishing to enroll via the cross enrollment program must do the same. 

The cost is $52 per course and only one course can be enrolled in for the entire summer term. 


  

New Scholarship!

This $500.00 scholarship is for students between 18-25. Deadline: Sept. 30, 2013.

GPA Questions Answered

by Kelli Turpin



picture by Mando vzl

This blog post is in response to an anonymous comment on the blog a few days ago regarding GPA.  I’ve edited the questions a bit and answered them a little more fully than the commenter probably thought I would. 

Let’s start at the beginning.  GPA stands for Grade Point Average.   Your GPA tells anyone looking at your transcript how good your grades are.  (You’ll notice I didn’t say “how good a student/person/employee you are.  Your grades are a direct reflection of how well you absorb and remember specific information, not necessarily how much you know and definitely not how smart you are.) 

Student Profile

"I had a great teacher who really challenged me, and I challenged him back." -- Rediet.

Rediet T. came to the U.S. at the age of 18 as an international student from Ethiopia. Everything was new. The country, the educational system, even the communication was hard. Living and going to school in a different country was scary. She didn’t know a lot of people, and Rediet was away from her mother, her center of comfort and stability since the age of 3-and-a-half when her father passed away from cancer.

The school system in Ethiopia is completely different. There, the schedule is set for students, and they have limited choices. After high school, students take a test similar to the SAT, and they need to score high enough to choose a certain major. Rediet earned a good GPA in high school but she still didn’t get into the university she preferred. She ended up studying at Arba Minch University but really wanted to attend Addis Ababa University because that’s where she grew up. Then Rediet obtained an international student visa to study in the U.S. and came to San Diego City College.

Counseling Schedule Starting Feb. 11th

picture by Marc Ryckaert

Spring 2013 Counseling Schedule started February 11

Non-Peak Period Schedule Monday to Thursday 8-9am - Appointments 9-10am - Walk-In Counseling 10-11:00am - Appointments 11:00am-1:00pm - Walk-In Counseling 1:00-5pm - Appointments 5-6pm - Walk-In Counseling

Non-Peak Schedule Friday 8-10am Walk-In  10am-12pm Appts

Job Demand for Computer Science Majors

If you want to land a high-paying job after graduation, major in computer science. A spokesman for Microsoft said the company has 6,300 job openings and 3,600 are in computer science and engineering. What can you expect to earn? Most of these jobs pay $100,000 and up in salary and benefits. Want a Job After College? Major in Computer Science appeared in the "U-T San Diego" on Feb. 2, 2013.

picture by Antony-22

Also, if you're thinking about earning a Ph.D. to teach in academia, How Many Ph.D's Actually Get To Become College Professors? from "The Atlantic" breaks down the percentage of graduates who obtain a tenured college teaching position by major. The article was forwarded by John Gradilla.

Math Advice



picture by Rovnet

"Math does not have to be intimidating." -- Victoria Phung.

Here is an interview with City College Math Professor, Victoria Phung, who is teaching Math 38 this semester. The actual interview took place in the fall of 2012, but we thought it would be appropriate to post it at the beginning of the semester. 

What classes are you teaching this semester?

-I am teaching Math 38, Pre-Algebra.

How long have you been at City? 

-I've been here for at least 10 years.

What are some of the most rewarding aspects of teaching math?

-Help students come to understand mathematics.  It is very rewarding when I see that they get the concept and the students themselves are excited that they get it.

In our global society, why is it important to have a strong foundation in math?

-Because math is everywhere, all around us.  Understanding mathematics enhances your reasoning and problem solving skills. 

UCSD Top 10 in Best Value




Revelle College by Tktktk

 
According to Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine, UCSD is one of the best value colleges in public university education. UCLA and UC Berkeley also made the top 10. SDSU ranked 77th and CSU Long Beach, Cal Poly Pomona, and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also made the top 100. Kiplinger's Rates UCSD 10th Nationally Again ran in the U-T San Diego on Jan. 13, 2013.



UCSD literature building by Tktktk


Speaking of UCSD, a few months ago, we posted an article about the TAG ending at UCSD in fall 2014 and some students voiced objections. Here's an option for first-year students wanting to transfer to UCSD. UniversityLink is a program that allows a student to transfer with a minimum 3.0 GPA if they meet specific requirements. Interested first-year students should meet with a counselor to discuss requirements for this program. Note: you must be either a high school senior or in your first year of college to be eligible.

Pay Off Student Loans



Picture by Marya

Want to pay off your student loans? Brian McBride paid off $26,500 in student loan debt in two years. This Huffington Post article shows how he did it. Here's a Wall Street Journal article from "Yahoo! Finance" about people who threw a "loan-payoff party" after taking care of their student loan debts. Also, an online article detailing four ways to avoid excessive student loan debt recommends students work no more than 20 hours a week: "Research by the nonprofit thinktank Public Agenda shows that balancing school and too many hours of work is the No. 1 reason students drop out of college."   

County of San Diego hiring

The County of San Diego is hiring for a number of positions such as certified nursing assistant, project manager, and environmental health specialist. Here is info on County positions open for hiring.