Panel and Advising Meeting

Our class with the First Year Office Students was actually really helpful. They started the class by handing out index cards and if anyone had a question to write it down then hand it up. Sometimes if students are shy to answer questions in front of other students it helps to write it down and have the teacher ask and discuss instead. Many students came up with questions which helped a lot too.
They discussed everything we needed to know about registering for classes and gave some advice, like using rate my professors and creating a class shopping cart. Some people wanted to know about how you become an RA, so they told us that you first need to maintain a certain GPA, and the interview process is a little weird.
Another very important thing they discussed was how to succeed in college. You need to use all of your resources. If you need help, go to academic advising and the first year office, don't struggle by yourself. Ask your teachers after class for a more in depth or one on one explanation, that is what they're there for. Learning how to have time managements is a major key to success. One thing they said to use was Buzzfeed's Bullet Journal method. Having a planner or a calendar is something to consider as well.
Personally, I think this school is dry and not many people are around on the weekends. They told us if we want to find events we should download the Salem State Events app which continuously updates all of the events going on each day. Getting involved on campus by either joining a club, sport, or finding a job is also a way to be more a part of student life.

Justin then came in to talk to us about advising. He went through step by step of how to look at your unofficial transcript and how to use your degree tracker. It was also very helpful how he printed out copies of how it looks on the Salem State website so you could follow along and have help while looking at these resources at home. My adviser is James Gubbins and he sent out an email to all of his students saying how and where to set up a meeting with him, as well as how to be prepared and what to bring. I really think Salem State cares about your success. They have so many different resources for any problem a student could even imagine having. All of the teachers they hire also seem to be down to help if you need it and don't want to see you struggle alone. I have already created my class shopping cart for the spring semester and I am really excited to begin these next classes. Now that I know what to expect from college I can't wait to begin these new classes, get a fresh start, and experience the beautiful weather in Salem.

Below is a link I used to get more information on academic advising.
https://www.salemstate.edu/academics/2424.php

Halloween Parade

The Halloween was my first Halloween related event in Salem, and it was actually really fun! At first I got a ride with my friend Brett and we were walking around downtown Salem. I saw Salem High School, the NPS, and many other organizations that we have talked about in class. When looking at the parade, I saw about five of my friends just walking in the parade. I walked over to them and when I asked what group they were with, they said they just wanted to walk in the parade. People were still waving at us, and some would cheer when we walked by. The people of Salem really are so nice and very accepting. They are all comfortable with each other and I feel most of them have close relationships with other families. I also got a ride from my friends on the way home from the parade, although it wasn't too far of a walk. I really enjoyed the feeling of being a part of such a nice community, especially through a holiday like Halloween.

A Trip to the Library

When I first toured Salem State, the library is one building that stuck out to me the most. I loved the huge windows and all of the different seating there was. Each floor has a different volume level so if you need to work with another person or want to be in a quiet environment there is a place for you to go. The comfortable chairs and private study rooms motivate people to stay and study which I like the most. A majority of the windows look out into the North Commons, which has a lot of nice scenery and many people walk people. This location always gives you a feel of sense of place because it is right in the middle of everything going on in this part of school. So many people come to the library to study you could always find someone to talk to. One thing that Jason taught me was how to get to the ground floor area. Every time I walked in I would see tables and computers in that room but never knew how to get down there. It seems like a quiet, comfortable place to stay as well. Another thing Jason spoke about was researching. I can never find enough scholarly websites that relate to my topic, so I was glad he mentioned so many useful resources and ways to find cite worthy articles. After Jason discussed all of his tips, two people from Mapworks came and explained what the survey would do for us. When they pulled up an example of someones results I was not expecting so much feedback. They even give you people you can call to ask for help. Even though we only went to the library, I learned a lot more about why they built it the way they did and more about everything Salem State has to offer for you success.

Farmers Market

On September 22, I met with a local farmer at the farmers market. His wife, who also helps him in the farm, stayed at the stand while my group and him went to talk and learn more about what he does. What struck me most about the farmers market in general was how many people went. I definitely wasn't expecting there to be such a wide variety of materials for sale as well. Some questions we developed before arriving to the farmers market were how big his farm was, who else tends to the farm with him, and what type of food does he make. Each question he answered eagerly and to the best of his ability. The farm is 2.5 acres, and he works on it with his wife and father in law. When we asked what type of food he produced, he said vegetables, flowers, and mostly pickles. 6,000 pounds of pickles are produced per week! These are sold all throughout New England and goes through cooperation's like Sysco. Another question we asked him was why he likes to farm. He said he likes it because he feels food is very important and big cooperation's are taking over. Fresh food is so much better, and large productions put so many chemicals, preservatives, etc in their food. Unfortunately, I got a new phone so all of the pictures I took at the farmers market got deleted so I found one from online shown at the above left corner. I thought this connected with my sense of place in Salem because there is so much energy downtown. There is so much to explore and the people of Salem seem to just have so much to offer.

The Historian of Salem

In class I had to opportunity to meet the historian of Salem. He moved here after he graduated high school and loved it ever since. He loved the environment, community, and everything there was to do. One of his favorites was going to a downtown store called Reds, which I will post a link about on this blog and have a picture of to the right. What struck me the most was how much he loved everyone in Salem. He said he was always a people person, but he said the people here were all so different yet kind. His favorites were Portuguese people who lived in the same neighborhood as him. They were always so loud and were straight up with each other, meaning they would say whatever was on their mind and be fine the next day. He eagerly answered everyone's questions, and I wish I asked more about what Salem was like when he first moved here because that sounded more interesting. New people are coming in and taking over what this Historian used to love about Salem. Even though I did not complete the homework before our guest speakers came, I do not think it impacted my engagement at all. I was still very interested and loved hearing what he had to say. He made me feel much more confident on finding my place in Salem if I just give it more time. I think it would have went better if the second speaker came on a different day, because by then I already had taken in so much information from the first speaker, and find it difficult to sit and listen for long periods of time. Overall, I would rate myself a 3 in my engagement because although I was very intrigued by what this person was saying, I asked no questions and had no feedback afterwords.