Category Archives: Academics

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

I Made a Jacket!

Front opening of my jacket.

For my final project in MG 312 – Manufacturing II Process Analysis, I made a lined, full zip, corduroy jacket with two front welt pockets. This was a very involved process as we started from scratch. We took our bodies measurements and made a “body fit” pattern. This was so that we knew exactly what our measurements were so that we always had a place to start from if we wanted to start over. Just getting my body fit pattern just right was difficult. I had little experience in making any type of garment, so it took a few iterations to get my body fit just right.

The lining and facing of my jacket. We also put a brand and size combo label, and a wash label in.

Once I nailed that, I started patterning the silhouette of my jacket. I sized up my body fit in every direction and started working on prototypes of my final garment. I particularly struggled with patterning my sleeve. This was the first sleeve that I have ever made. Most of the textbook resources that we had in the class were dedicated to women’s wear, so there wasn’t a huge selection of menswear guidance. Even so, some of the textbooks were hard for me to understand with my limited experience, so in the end, I made my sleeve based solely on intuition – it didn’t turn out half bad. It took me roughly 6 failed sleeves to get it sized just right – I still can’t believe pattern makers can make things like sleeves correctly on their first try.

The sleeve in the welt pocket of my jacket.

The blue corduroy and black lining that I used in my final garment were provided by my professor Linda Cohen (she’s the absolute best professor at FIT). I had to lay the corduroy in a specific way to make sure that the nap of the fabric was matching, but once I had everything cut and fused, it was time to start sewing. Sewing isn’t particularly complicated but it is definitely time-consuming to get quality seams. It also takes some amount of technical skill to operate the machinery well. It took me the entirety of a week to make my final garment. From finalizing my patterns, cutting my fabric, fusing my fabric, and sewing, I spent roughly 85% of a week in the labs. There was a point where I hadn’t eaten in 27 hours because I stayed up working for so long.

Back of my jacket.

On the last day of class, everyone presented their final garments and told us about their journey through the process. Everyone did an amazing job with their garments, no exceptions. Students made things such as denim jackets, tunics, suit vests, joggers, leather blazers, fur collars, robes, dresses, and even blouses. Once the presentations were over, even our professor told us that we had raised the bar for this project, which was an extremely rewarding thing to hear. This is the last class that I’ll be having with professor Linda Cohen and I can’t explain how thankful I am to have had her for the last two semesters. This class brought all of my fellow classmates together like no class has done before, and I am also thankful for that. Now I’ll have a jacket to wear for Winter that I made!

Front opening with the collar up.

Exams at PolyU – What’s the Difference?

Hi everyone!

This week was my last exam- my semester is officially over! Now to wait for results and travel a bit before heading back to America. Exams at PolyU are very different than those at FIT- I was surprised how the process works and thought I would compare and contrast the two.

At FIT, professors sometimes give a final project instead of a final exam, or do the final online, but generally the final takes place in the last week of the class meeting. You might get a handout with what to study, or the relevant chapters, but generally it is a cumulative review. Each professor is different however!

At PolyU, the system is a bit different. After 13 weeks of classes, there is one week for “revision,” when you can finish final projects, study for exams and generally take a breather before launching back into school. After that is an exam period in which each class is assigned a time, each block 2 or 3 hours long. For example, my exams were May 2nd 8:45-11:45 and May 6th 3:15-6:15. Multiple tests were administered in the same gym/classroom, which was set up in a similar manner to how the SATs and other standardized tests in America are given. Each desk had a bag underneath in which you stash your bag, and no food or drink is allowed. It is a very strict environment with lots of proctors checking to make sure you are following the guidelines. However, I did enjoy the serious tone and it helped me keep focused.

The past year’s exams are usually posted on the library website, which gives you a chance to practice the style of test to be administered. I found this really helpful, as otherwise I would have had no idea what to expect. Since the final exams count for a large portion of your grade- up to 70% for some classes- having any and all help is great.

It feels good to be all done with exams and ready to travel, but I will miss PolyU. It is strange to think I will never take another class there. It’s almost like having the feeling of graduating twice- once from PolyU now and again next year when I leave FIT.

What kind of tests do you prefer? Let me know!

Best,
Sam

Production Management Semester 5 review

We are officially in the upper division. This is where things start to get a bit more intense and you bring all of the information that you learned in your Associates together.

MG 306 – Information Systems: Case Analysis

This course teaches students about computer systems, both the hardware and the software that it takes to run them. Students also work with Microsoft Access to learn about data systems. This is a good class to learn about what the IT experts know. If you are a little week on your computer knowledge, this is a great class to ask questions.

SC 332/032 – Color and Light Science

Ever thought everyone sees colors the exact same? Well think again. What even is color? This class teaches students the scientific perspective of light and color, allowing us to talk about color in technically correct standards, along with learning different color measuring methods so that exact color matches can be met in industry.

MG 311 – Manufacturing I: Equipment Analysis

The first part to the two part manufacturing courses. This course requires students to genuinely understanding how sewing machines work. Students are required to write up reports for several different sewing machine types describing the different parts and the type of machine, how to thread the machine, locations of parts and the mechanical movements of the parts. Students should have an understanding of the machines from the inside out, allowing for them to encounter a machine they have never seen before but have an understanding of how the machine works and what it’s capabilities are. Students also go over different stitch and seam types in the class, learning the industry standard terminology for these. For the final project, students create a pair of shorts with a different range of seam and stitch types while also creating an operations breakdown report describing the construction steps for the shorts.

My final pair of shorts

A surger with the throat plate removed revealing the feed-dogs.