Patience

I was never a very patient guy, but that's changed recently. I've been in college for the better part of 4 years now, with still almost a year to go. That means I'll have my bachelor's degree in 5 years. (Really hard math, I know)

I've learned to be patient with things, though. If you're always speeding through things, always wanting results instantaneously, then you aren't learning anything in the process. I am a results-oriented guy, so I love doing things...but enjoy the process every now and then.

That can especially be said for those of you thinking about grad school. Be patient, learn, and enjoy the experience. If there is anything that we can help you with at UCO's graduate college, please let us know!!!

Some of my favorite Oklahoma diners

Sorry for not posting as of late...I've taken a bit to re-think how I want to approach this blog. I've also been in the middle of a big research project. Thanks for understanding.

Today, I'd like to let you know about a few of my favorite places to go in Oklahoma. Some you may have been to; others you not even know existed. Let's get started.

1) Meer's Restaurant | Meers, OK | Map | Website




This place is awesome. They have some of the best burgers around, and it's cheap for college kids. The only problem is that it's way down around Lawton, OK. The best thing to do is take a day trip and explore the Wichita National Wildlife Refuge. It's a great place to spend the day, and then go to Meer's for dinner.



2) Pops | Edmond, OK| Map | Website




Pops is located right on historic Route 66 just a few miles east of UCO. The food is okay...the selection of soda pop is what sets this place apart. If you ever decide to go here, make sure you get a "Kickapoo Joy Juice".



3) Pete's Place | Krebs, OK | Map | Website




Pete's is located in SE Oklahoma, just outside of McAlester. Another great day trip is to go down to Robber's Cave State Park and explore the caves, and then make Pete's a dinner stop. Some of the best Italian food (especially the Italian sausage...mmmmm). This is one of those must-try places, even if you don't like Italian food all that much.

Well, there you are. These are, of course, in no particular order. I have a few other places that I'll be sharing later on, but I felt like it was a great time to let you in on these favorites of mine. The weather is beginning to turn nice, and day/weekend trips are always a great way to relax your mind and get away from the stress of college, even for a small amount of time.

Jackson Graduate College at UCO

If you're considering grad school, please, please take a look at the Jackson College of Graduate Studies. At the moment, I'm working for them to help improve the website and their presence in the online environment.

After spending several weeks working with the people, I can tell you they will help you 100% of the way through your graduate studies. Questions, concerns, and issues that you need help resolving are their specialty.

UCO undergraduate studies are great, but I've been told (and see it with my own eyes) that the staff at the graduate college is superb!

Oklahoma

For those of you that are international students, you might think: "Why would I want to move from my country to the USA, only to end up in Oklahoma?" Most people that live in the United States and have never visited or been to Oklahoma would probably ask the same question. The answer is pretty simple: Oklahoma is a great state to live in and to explore.

First off, the cost of living is dramatically lower than other areas of the U.S. However, this does not mean that the area is in bad shape. Nothing could be further from the truth. With a new NBA team and a city government forging ahead on efforts to renovate the downtown area, there is a vibrant and diverse selection of things to do around OKC.

Other areas of Oklahoma offer great lakes, state parks, mountains, and caves. We have such a broad selection of geographical features that makes living in Oklahoma exciting and fun.

For more info about state parks and things to do, check out www.travelok.com.

Come back soon to find out some of my favorite places in the state.

Settling in

Just as the warm weather is starting to get here (although it looks like we may get some cooler weather again soon), I have really started to settle in to the rhythm of this semester. Not that things have calmed down or are slowing down, but I just feel a bit more comfortable now. I was letting a lot of things pile up on my plate without addressing them...which is not good.

What do you need to address in your life/career/school studies that will help you settle in?

Suggestions?

I always love suggestions from readers. What do you suggest that I blog about? Is there a particular issue about UCO or college in general that you care to know about? Do you want more tips, techniques, and musings? Or would you rather just have more informative posts?

Let me know in the comments or by sending an email. You can reach me at csmith133[at]uco.edu

International Students

Here at UCO, we have a very diverse student body. International Students are welcomed with open arms and we love to celebrate and learn about the cultures of these students.

If you are an international student seeking to gain more knowledge about going to school at UCO, I will be blogging soon on a few issues I think you will be interested in. For now, be sure to check out the International Student Office website, and also the list of master degree's available while attending UCO.

It

I never could put my finger on it until the other day. It was always something I struggled with using. I never knew exactly how to master it. I couldn't figure out what to do with it. It was everywhere. In everything that I saw, it was there. It was an integral part of my work, as well as others'.

By now, you're probably wondering: What the heck is it?

The answer: light.

You see, as a designer, photographer, and videographer --- light is the "glue" that holds everything together. Light effects colors in a print job. If you view a piece under an incandescent bulb, and then view that same piece under a fluorescent bulb, it will look different. Why? Light.

In photography, lighting is essential. Not only does it matter how you light the subject, which direction the light is coming from, or even if the light is "hard" or "soft"; without light, there would be no photography. You cannot take a picture (unless you're taking a picture of, well, nothing) without a light source.

The same is true for videography. Lighting effects the look and feel of your movie. If you use the right lighting, you can pull off all kinds of effects. You can make it look like 10 o'clock at night when in reality you're filming at noon. This is only a small example of what light can do for you.

So what is it in your trade, business, or profession? What is essential? Study it, master it, and take control of it.

Career Fair

At the Nigh University Center, there is a career and internship fair going on. If you are interested in finding a job or internship this would be a perfect time to check out everything that Oklahoma employers have to offer.

The fair started just a few minutes ago and runs until 4 o'clock today. You can't miss it if you go up to the 3rd floor of the University Center.

Learning by doing

College is full of opportunities for us to learn. Sometimes, we (and by we, I mean, me) feel like we are not getting anything out of these classes that we’re paying so much for. For whatever reason, it seems that professors are not actually teaching, and we’re supposed to just read the curriculum and take exams when they are scheduled.

The design department is a bit different in that regard, just because we don’t really have readings, and we don’t have exams. We have projects that are worth a certain amount of points and maybe a “semester project” that is our final. But still, the concept applies. We can feel like we’re not being “taught” anything.

Truth of the matter, as I come closer to graduation, I realize that I am being taught. Just not how I was in elementary school. I’m being taught how to learn, how to thrive, how to make decisions, and how to gain information without explicitly being told the information I’m seeking.

I’m not entirely sure that this was what my professors had in mind, or if they knew from the beginning this would be the best way to approach the situation. By no means am I stating that my professors did not teach --- they did, in fact. But not how I was accustomed to.

The bottom line is that while you can expect to learn valuable information about your field of study in college, the best way to learn is by really getting your feet wet and doing whatever it is you want to learn about.

Useful Web Applications

When my parents were in school, there was no such thing as the internet. (At least as we know it today.) Things were a little less complex, and they only had to worry about checking their answering machine (if that), and maybe keeping track of the mail for correspondence.

Today, we have so many ways of communicating and tracking our data. Being a graphic designer, not only am I keeping up with tons of email and voice messages, but I need a place to keep my files and have them available to me wherever I may be. 

A few of my favorite web applications for keeping up with everything includes:

Gmail

My email client of choice is www.gmail.com. A great search function, tons of storage, and the ability to filter and tag my mail makes it easy to find exactly what I need. I can also access it from anywhere I have internet access --- my phone, laptop, or even a coffee shop computer. If I need to download messages I can always set it up to be accessed from Apple's Mail.app client. 

Dropbox

At www.getdropbox.com, you have instant access to 2GB of data storage that syncs across multiple computers and also gives you web access, once again. It's super easy to set up and get started. I love this service because I can upload papers, edit them at home, and they are synced back to the web where I can grab them in the library and print away. Instead of worrying about where I put my flash drive, as long as I sync my files to Dropbox I have them everywhere I go. 

Remember The Milk

I'm a big fan of organization and making sure that I know what I need to do next. I still have many kinks and issues to work out as far as my own organizational plan goes, but Remember the Milk is a great "task management" application. I can add tasks, sort them by days, reschedule them, and even get a text message on my phone when a certain task is due. This helps me ensure that I'll never overlook something important. 

These applications are only a few that I use daily. Of course, you must use them efficiently to really be of help to you, but once you get the hang of them they are great.

Diversity

Another reason I love the campus at UCO is because of the diversity of the student body. The cost to attend UCO allows a diverse selection of students, who may not be able to afford a higher tuition at a state school, an opportunity to have a great college environment.

We have many foreign students who are on studying abroad here in Oklahoma. We have low-income students. We have high-income students. Students on scholarships for football, baseball, and other sports. There is a plethora of students at UCO. The chance to experience the culture and community of these various students through the activities the university allows is also very exciting. There seems to always be something going on in relation to a different student group.

If you are considering college, don't hesitate to consider the University of Central Oklahoma.

Failure

I've learned a lot in college. Not only have I learned many things academically speaking, but I've also learned some great "life" lessons, if you will. One of the very best things that I've learned through my time at UCO is a little something about failure.

In the design courses here, they encourage us to fail. I know, you're thinking: "What?!? Why would they encourage you to fail?" Well, it's not quite what you might think. They encourage us to take risks. To be on the edge. To fall down. To fail, and to fail miserably. Because, in a sense, it's better to fail miserably and know why you failed and how to reign your ideas back in then it is to "play it safe".

Of course, like many things in academics, this can be said of failures in your day-to-day life as well. If you never try, you never know what might be. What didn't work. What might work the next time. You get the picture.

Sometimes, you might just have to fail to succeed.

Why I chose UCO

It's nasty outside today. The streets are slick, and freezing rain is falling. UCO has cancelled classes for this afternoon/evening. And for that, I'm very grateful. 

A lot of people have asked me why I chose UCO over some of the other colleges around. We have OU in Norman, OSU north in Stillwater, and UCO of course here in Edmond. For my specific degree, UCO was relatively a no-brainer. 

I've heard great things about OSU's design program, but I wanted to live at home and make the commute to college. While I'm sure college life (living in the dorms, being a few steps away from classes, the numerous on-campus events, etc.) is great, I had goals and friends that would require me to save money living at home and commuting. UCO is the premiere school in the metro if you want to get into the design industry.

Not only does UCO have a great faculty, but they push you hard to think and be creative on your own. They are there for you when you need someone to bounce ideas off, but they by no means will hold your hand. I truly believe that some of the aspects of my life have changed dramatically because of the design department at UCO. 

Before taking a single design class at the school, I was afraid of various things. Public speaking, failed ideas, risking my reputation, etc. In other words, I was pretty scared of getting out on a limb...even if the limb was only a few feet off the ground. The faculty at UCO pushed us like no other, making us realize that we were responsible for our growth and that we all had great ideas, they just needed to be coaxed out. 

Not only is the design department great, but the staff and overall campus experience has been great. The campus is beautiful, and everything is within fairly short walking distance. There is a variety of events both on-campus and off that I can participate in, restaurants and stores that I can visit, and other community-related activities in Edmond. 

If you are a college graduate considering where to continue your studies, UCO has a great graduate program. The Jackson School of Graduate Studies offers plenty of degree programs from a Master's in Design to a Master's in Biology. 

Or, if you're just now researching where to go after high school or looking to go back to school, UCO is a great college that I recommend wholeheartedly. 

Saving money on textbooks

I'm always looking for a new way to allow myself to save some money. Buying books at the college bookstore is probably the best way to see all your hard-earned cash quickly drained from your account. That's where Chegg.com comes in.

For those of you unaware, Chegg is a website where you can rent your textbooks. Yes, I said rent. The savings are pretty substantial. Usually the price to rent a book is about 50-60% off what you would pay at the bookstore. Of course, if you need the book long-term, it would be best for you to buy it outright. But if you know you'll never crack open the book again, Chegg is a great place to rent your books next semester.

Managing it all

My typical week keeps me pretty busy. Okay, that might be an understatement. I am always busy.

Just to give you an idea of my week, here is how it breaks down:

• 12 hours of classes
• 25 hours working part time for the State of Oklahoma
• 20+ hours working part-time for the Jackson Graduate College

That is just the hourly time investment my week requires. Not to mention actually doing homework, studying, spending time with my girlfriend, and volunteering at my church. I say all this not to brag, but to maybe help some of you out there with some time management tactics. A few things that I've found very helpful to me follows:

• Process and prioritize everything once a week.
  Your bills. Your homework. That voicemail you forgot to return. Buying groceries. Changing the oil. No matter how insignificant something may be, processing and prioritizing next steps (actions) is a key to keeping your sanity.
  
• Focus on the task at hand.
  Most people think they can multi-task. The truth is, most people can't. Really push yourself to finish the task at hand, unless of course it is a huge assignment or project that has multiple aspects.
  
• Break it down.
  This is for those big projects or assignments. Take an aspect of that project and get it done. Outline your paper. Gather research. Set up an apointment. Whatever it takes, just try to do it one bite at a time.

I'll have more to add in the coming weeks. For now, try to keep up at the beginning of the semester so you don't spiral out of control when the much bigger projects come later on down the road.

Collegiate - What is it?

Welcome.

You're probably curious --- what is this random blog about? My name is Cody, and I'm a senior graphic design student here at the University of Central Oklahoma. I also work for the department of Graduate Studies. During the winter/spring of 2009, you can follow this blog to find out about life in college...in particular, my life in college. I'll be blogging about random thoughts, tips, preparation ideas, and anything else that may cross my mind as I look ahead to graduation.