Hit the Books...with the Internet

With our dependency on the internet in mind, it is difficult to imagine a world without it. Daily the internet is used for work, school, play, and more. For me, the internet has more advantages than disadvantages to my education.

The internet has benefited my educational career immensely because it is now part of my career. One of my majors is Computer Information Systems, a cousin of Computer Science. Many of our projects concern the internet in that we take into consideration the needs of some internet users and morph that into class projects. Through studying and completing projects, we are conditioning our minds to look at the internet a different way. We are challenged to look at the internet and examine how we can improve upon it. In addition to acting as a great research tool for us, it is also a great model for predicting what is next in the technical world because of its constantly evolving nature.

While the internet has obvious benefits for me as a Computer Information Systems student, it also provides great benefits for me as a Theatre student. My other major is Theatre Arts. Within our curriculum, I have gained motivation to create my own material. The internet provides a wider audience for my creative projects, much more than a theater can possibly offer. YouTube is a great outlet for the creative type. Within the past year I have gained an interest in the YouTube industry because of its unlimited possibilities and creative freedom. Now I take what I learn in my theatre classes and incorporate that into my YouTube channel where I write, act in, and edit all of my own videos.

Like previously stated the internet has impacted my education so much by expanding my mind and opportunities. However, the internet creates some drawbacks to education as a whole. First, the internet has decreased our work ethic. We are lazy. Students now have unlimited access to academic sources, which is great for research papers. However, we are too prone to copying and pasting what we see and crediting ourselves for these ideas. The internet, in a way, damages are creativity in terms of creating topics for papers. It is a great advantage for brainstorming but should not be used to find a concrete essay topic.

Another prominently negative impact the internet has on education is that it decreases productivity. It is a distraction in some cases. We desire for instant gratification, which is what the internet offers. Even worse, so much content exists on the internet that begs for the attention of students. One large example of this is social media. We are so dependent on our phones and on social media with a new status or tweet from a friend making its way to our phone almost constantly. It has even affected me. I clicked way from this essay to check my Instagram feed to find only one new picture was posted within the past five minutes. Today, the internet has many disadvantages to our education.

While the internet is a great tool for education, it has some drawbacks. However, I have learned how to use the internet to my benefit for education. I feel more prepared to take on the real world – even as the internet evolves faster than the real world itself.

Explore More Through the Internet

Most often, the internet is used for connecting with family and spending countless hours looking at pictures of who-knows-what. What most people forget is that the internet can be used to benefit ourselves. I use the internet to explore my world through working, reading, and garnering a perspective on current events.

The most prominent way that the internet has helped me explore the world is that has now become part of my career. Currently I am studying Computer Information Systems and Theatre Arts at Azusa Pacific University. In all of my computer science classes, I get to learn about different areas of computer science, which helps me gain a perspective on the field that I am in. I also gain a new perspective on the world around me while working in this field. I have the privilege of working in the field that I am currently studying. As a freelance web developer, I work with multiple types of businesses and organizations. These clients have ranged from a house for unwed mothers to a blog focusing on kids in the entertainment industry. Through working with my versatile clients, I get to explore that world for a brief period of time – an experience I would not have the chance to do otherwise if I did not have internet.

Moving on, the internet has helped me explore the world through reading. Abundant new articles about both computer science and theatre are published daily. With the free speech and freedom of the press nature of the internet, vast amounts of news sources exist on the internet, which brings many new opportunities to learn about different areas of both industries. It is simple for me to jump from one article to the next while still absorbing useful material with each article. The most important idea that I take away from every article, regardless of its subject matter, is the reaffirmation that I desire to work in both of these fields after graduating college. I feel discouraged sometimes while engaging in challenging activities related to computer science or theatre. However, reading articles from working professionals helps me to know that I am on the right track.

Lastly, the internet has helped me gain a perspective on current events. Social media is prominent now more than ever. Again, because of its free speech nature, many people have the freedom to state their opinions whether that opinion is expressed through YouTube or Facebook. Additionally, the internet has given individuals the opportunity to expose current events to people that may not have known about these events otherwise. One YouTube channel who completes this successfully is SourceFed, a news channel which presents five news stories during the week. These stories are not just current events that would appear in the nightly news, but also news about interesting research and news stories almost too outlandish, but still contains some value, to speak about on the nightly news. From these videos, you not only receive all the information you need to stay informed on the subject but you can also read about other people’s opinions on the matter in the comments section. The internet helps me stay informed on important current events and opinions.

The internet can be extremely beneficial for an individual through working, reading, and staying informed on current events. Limited knowledge of the internet’s capabilities is the only thing stopping most individuals from using the internet to gain a well-rounded worldview. However, through education and awareness, this problem can fix itself.

One Stop Treatment - Slim Berry

Recently, I have researched weight loss supplements. I came across the One Stop Treatment website and browsed through their selection of weight loss supplements. Within the past few months, I have started taking weight loss seriously. I was eagerly searching for a supplement that could help me lose weight and lengthen my life. Even though weight loss does include fat loss, I had a negative feeling that the health problems I had while overweight would linger into my healthy adult life. I came across a supplement called the Slim Berry. The Slim Berry is a combination of berries like acai berry and pomegranate, which have been said to include benefits for the human body. The berries included in the Slim Berry have health benefits that help with weight loss and anti-aging. Even though I do not have to worry about buying any anti-aging supplements now, the Slim Berry’s nutrients could absolutely help me lose even more weight than I had imagined. Ingredients in the Slim Berry have been proven to boost metabolism, burn fat, and increase energy. Additionally, the Slim Berry could help people live longer lives. The Slim Berry achieves its claim-to-fame results by getting rid of the toxins contained in the human body, which boosts metabolism. A person’s hunger is also controlled after using this supplement because the vitamins and minerals contained the Slim Berry give the body enough excellent nutrients to temporarily suppress hunger. Normally, those on a weight loss diet can see a loss of one to two pounds a week. With the Slim Berry, however, participants can lose up to five pounds a week with a combination of fewer calories, more exercise and consuming the Slim Berry supplement. As a person who has struggled with her weight for years, I have found a supplement that can do everything that I had hoped for my body and even more. If you would like to learn more about the Slim Berry, please go to One Stop Treatment.

How College Will Affect My Career Path

At this point, I am planning on attending Azusa Pacific University in Fall 2012 majoring in Theater and minoring in Computer Science. Azusa Pacific will affect my career path because I think that the faculty is especially caring of their students. While my father and I were talking about Azusa Pacific, he was telling me about an article in the newspaper about a former student athlete who attends Azusa Pacific. My dad told me that the former student athlete talked about how his Azusa Pacific professors care deeply about not only their academic performance but also their family life. This student athlete told a story about his math professor helped him with his classwork and homework at one point during the semester, which I had never heard of before. When I toured the school last August, our tour guide explained that her past professors treated her like family. They would ask her how her family was doing and enquiries like that. They were vigilant of their well being in addition to their academic performance. With an environment like that, I feel that I will thrive the most there because I know that I can and will be supported through any situation.

Another reason why Azusa Pacific will affect my career path is through their sense of community. A requirement at Azusa Pacific is to attend chapel three times a week. Even though this does sound a little intimidating, I have heard that this brings students closer together as one community even though we are all from many different states. A supportive community like this will greatly influence me because I will feel more motivated to succeed. I hope to find many people at my school who will accept me for who I am. Knowing that I do not have to change myself to please someone else will help me so much in order to maintain focused on my studies. If I can find a supportive group of friends, I feel that my academic life will be much easier to manage, knowing that if I do mess up, someone will be there to send words of encouragement. A loving group of people makes any situation a whole lot easier, whether the situation is academic based or not.

This scholarship is sponsored by CenturyLinkQuote.com.