Category Archives: Online Classes

Online Classes at FIT

Last semester was my first time trying online classes. I had never taking an online class before, so I was definitely not too happy to be taking two online classes and in another time zone. However, I had no other choice because I was studying abroad, and these classes weren’t offered there.

Class #1 was an Intro to Biology

Class #2 was Organizational Communication and Workplace Relations

For starters, the professors were great! They were clear and posted everything so that we had enough time to complete all assignments. Not only theirs, but also spend time in our other major-related projects. Overall it was a fair amount of work.

The assignments went had-in-hand with the textbook and resources provided by the professors. If you aren’t able to purchase a hardcover textbook, like I wasn’t, you can either rent or purchase the online version of the textbook.

Throughout the semester, the professors made sure we were keeping up, sending emails, reminders, making sure we participated in the class discussions, etc.

One of the reasons I liked taking these online classes was that I can complete the assignments in my spare time, after coming from my other day classes in Florence. I did not think that I would enjoy taking these online classes, especially with the time zone difference, I thought I would have issues to upload everything on time. I actually found myself registering for another online class for this upcoming semester, which came in handy because I had already chosen my main courses and did not want to rearrange it so much.

There are many courses at FIT that you can take online, from liberal arts to major-related. Check out the FIT Website for more info.

Have a great weekend,

Maria

Tips on Managing Projects

Happy Monday EVERYONE!

I know the semester is over, but it is never too late or too early (for next semester) to give you all some tips for managing all the projects thrown at you from professors!

1. Time Management –

I know, I know, I know! You hear this all the time, from almost everyone, but, this is key when it comes to juggling so many projects all at once. Making sure you have enough time for each project can make the difference in the quality of the final product. Not only that, but you aren’t stressing out the night before trying to finish everything all at once.

2. Get Lots of Rest –

Getting some rest and proper sleep in the days of hard work can seem a little hard to do. Not only will you feel rested, but this will help you start each day with a clear mind, ready to target all tasks.

3. All you can Eat –

Yes! Buffet style. I cannot stress this enough. It is very important to eat as much as possible when working so hard and for so many hours. This is the #1 thing that will give you energy to carry on!

4. Go over details –

It is never enough to go over all the details for your projects. Make sure you are following all guidelines given by your instructor and that you aren’t forgetting any small points.

Over the semesters I have been learning different techniques to help me juggle so many different classes. These were some of the ones that have best helped me through all the projects, you should give them a try, maybe they’ll help you too!

Have a great week,

Maria

Online Classes 101

Hello there!

Today I thought I would talk to you about my experience with online classes and let you in on a few tips and tricks I have for nailing an online class. Personally before attending FIT I had never taken an online class and just the thought of it terrified me. However, in a few instances, I had no other choice than to take an online class, because my schedule didn’t allow me otherwise.

Don’t be fooled! Often times we take online classes because we think they will be easier. That is so wrong! Most times than not, they actually require much more work and time than physical classes do. Yes, they are more practical, because you can sleep in and work on your own time, which makes planning more flexible.
Is this class for you? What I mean by that is that taking an online class pretty much means teaching yourself. So I would really suggest taking a class, you know won’t be too challenging and require too much work. But once again it’s all up to you. If you have a full schedule and decide to take an online class, I wouldn’t take a class you no familiarity with. For example I never took a math classes online, because I knew it was going to require a lot of work and time on my part, because from experience I know math is not my strong suit.
Make sure you have time. If you have a full schedule, taking 7 classes, and on top of that you are working, I would really think twice before taking an online class. Taking online classes do require you to participate and keep engaged, if it’s a subject you know will be easy to keep up with, then go for it, otherwise I would suggest taking it next semester.
READ what is expected! This is in my opinion the most important tip. You never know what a course will entail before you read the syllabus. Since you don’t have a teacher to tell you, make sure the first thing you do is check Blackboard and look at the syllabus. From there on you’ll be able to make a final decision and decide if this is the class for you. Last semester I wanted to take my internship class online, thinking it would be easier and less work. I took one glance at the schedule, and dropped out immediately.
Create a schedule. If you decide that yes, you are going to take that class after reviewing the syllabus, I would start organizing your schedule. How will you split your time, with physical classes, work and your online class. Don’t forget to write ALL deadlines somewhere you won’t forget them, because online classes are all focused around deadlines (and there’s a lot of them).
Manage you time. OK, so now it’s time to start splitting your time. When are you going to be working on your online class, how long, what day/s. etc. I would invest in a time planner and write down the days you’ll be working on everything, as well as the deadlines all the way through the end of the semester.
Take notes. This is honestly what helped me pass my online statistics class I took two semesters ago. Online classes can throw a lot of material at you, and it accumulates very quickly with new material coming along each week. Videos, tutorials, pdf’s, word docs, charts, slides etc. What I would do is every unit or section of the class, I would watch the tutorials, read the material and write notes on the most important information. Yes, it takes longer, but a least I didn’t need to go back and scramble to find the material again, it was all in my notebook. This is especially helpful, during quizzes and exams, because you can look at your notebook and everything is in front of you.
Make sure you have stable WiFi/internet access. This is especially important during quizzes and exams. This happened to me a couple of times during my exams, when the WiFi wasn’t strong enough and would have to reload. This is the most frustrating thing ever, especially if you under a time constraint.
There’s no time for procrastinating. If you are someone who procrastinates, I would strongly reevaluate taking online classes. With online classes there is no procrastinating, you are constantly under time pressure and deadlines. If you miss a deadline, you cannot just resubmit or re upload it later. The session are closed down and it will affect your grade (harshly).

Anyways, I really hope this was helpful and insightful. Online classes can be really great for students who commute from far away or have busy schedules. However, although I’ve had my few shares of online classes, I personally prefer taking a physical class. But once again we are all different and work differently, some people might enjoy online classes much more than others.

Do you have any tips you’d like to share? Leave them down in the comments below.

xoxo

-Z

FIT Online Beauty Program

BIG BEAUTY NEWS!

FIT, in partnership with Allure magazine and Qubed Education, an online education provider, is launching Beauty Industry Essentials, the first-ever online non-credit certificate program to deliver an in-depth introduction to the multifaceted careers in the $265 billion global beauty industry.

The program is fully online and self-paced, with rolling admissions, to provide maximum flexibility for participants, who have up to one year to complete the program’s seven courses and receive a Certificate of Achievement from FIT.

The curriculum has been designed by faculty in FIT’s Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing, and the courses will be taught by FIT faculty members, along with top editors at Allure, industry leaders, and professionals at MAC Cosmetics, Shiseido Group USA, and Givaudan, among others.

Beauty Industry Essentials is being offered through FIT’s Center for Continuing and Professional Studies. Enrollment is open at beauty.fitnyc.edu; students can start classes on September 1 or anytime thereafter.

for more information, check out the program’s FAQs here.

Life Hack: How to be an Optimist

As we begin to get further into school it can be difficult to be optimistic when you are stressed out. But finding ways to stay optimistic about the future and your life will allow you to be positive even when your life isn’t exactly all rainbows.

First, It is a very important goal to set and accomplish larger goals , as well as follow through. We need to make ourselves believe we are capable of doing anything. You are what you reach for and it tends to become easy to forget why you came this far sometimes with a negative mindset.

Next, Remove any negative things in your present life. I cant tell you how amazing it feels when you do. Negative energy feeds off negative experiences so when you remove these things it opens many doors for change. Also, take responsibility for your own actions. While it tends to seem easy to blame others , it wont allow you to grow and feel good about yourself. The most successful people don’t blame anymore, not even themselves. They evaluate the situation and think of what they could do differently. We can use our set backs as a learning process for the future to keep improving.

Work in a positive environment. How can you change your outlook on life if you surround yourself with negative people who don’t care about their future ?Positivity can be contagious and once you inspire yourself you can inspire others as well. So being in the right environment is key to any amount of change.

Lastly, take baby steps, none of this will happen over night. It’s easy to be overwhelmed when you think about everything you want to accomplish. Take small easy steps to frequent success , this will keep you motivated and moving forward.

Stay Positive!

Xoxo,

Kailee