Spring 2009 students

To be successful in this business writing class you have to stay on top of your assignments. Make sure you check your class page to know your assignments for the following week. Keep your book handy because it will be your best friend when it comes to writing your business writing assignments. Make sure for your client project, you pick a good group because you will be spending a lot of time with them. Also for your client project make sure your group does everything on a schedule so you do not put it all off until the last minute. Finally just make sure you have fun. This was my most enjoyable class this semester and I am sure it will be for you too!

Client Project Reflection

From working with my team members, I have learned that group projects can be beneficial when working on a big project such as this client project. It is nice to be able to split up the work and also to get input from other people. There is always someone to contact if you have a question or need help. The best thing about this project is my group. I have a really good group. We all work well together and get along really well. We made doing this project fun. My biggest challenge has been being group leader. It has been hard finding times to work on this project together. Now that we get class time it is not as big of a problem. It has also been difficult writing each part of this project from the informal report to the proposal although it has been a learning process along the way. Next time I have a group project I have learned to communicate with your group on a regular basis so that everything doesn't get put off until the very end.

Dual Coding Theory

The first system in this theory is that people process the language. That is exactly what happens in this add. The first thing I notice is the words "We believe." Then I notice that it says "practice like champions." The second system is to process visual displays. Then I notice that this is written in a gym. But I also think that the two other statements are visual displays. We I look at this add it looks like someone painted the statement "practice like champions" on the wall above the door on the gym. I also kind of see the statement "we believe" as if the team is running out onto the field through that sign. The third system is to process the connection between the language and visual display. I think there is a strong connection because the language is the visual display. The last thing I would see is that it is a Nike add. Then I would realize that Nike is promoting belief in yourself and to play like champions.

Miscommunication

This past summer I worked at a spa. We had one treatment for couples called the Riverbath. As spa attendants we were required to set up the Riverbath and have it ready for the couple to retreat in 30 minutes prior to their couples massage. One day at work there was a huge miscommunication. I was just arriving when this was all happening, but there was three other female attendants there. Each attendant thought the other was preparing the Riverbath, but they weren't. It was almost time for their massage to start a therapist noticed that there was no one in the room for the River bath. She came and told the attendants and we had to fix the problem. Because of this communication we had to talk to the couple about what happened. We then had to ask them if they would mind having their Riverbath after their massage. Luckily they were a very understanding couple and said that was okay. There was also a massage scheduled for that room after theirs, so we had move that massage to a different room. This could have been prevented by simply asking each other if we had started the Riverbath or just going to look ourselves.

Mock Interviews

I thought the mock interviews helped a lot. I was a little nervous when I went in there, but when you started talking to me my nervousness disappeared. There were a few questions that through me off. I know people always ask about strengths and weaknesses, but that question always kind of throws me off. I did learn to tell how I have overcome my weakness. Also another question that threw me off was the one about my most unique experience with working at the spa. I was not expecting a question like that; I did though answer honestly about something I really like about working in the spa. I learned a lot through this process. I was given some good tips after the interview was over. I learned to try to relate anything I possibly can to my job that I am interviewing for. Also I learned to state ways in which I have overcome my weakness. It also helped that you looked over our cover letter and resume to give us tips on how to make it more appealing.

Presentations

The first presentation I really enjoyed was Jennifer's presentation on Clemson Dancers. I love to dance. I have never taken dance lessons before, but I did cheer for three years in high school. I also dance for my sorority dance team. I grew up doing gymnastics and other sports such as softball and basketball, but I have always had a passion for dance. I love to go to the clubs, to watch dance tv shows, and to watch professional dancers dance. I would definitely be interested in trying Clemson Dancers.

The second presentation was the one that Jan did on study abroad in Italy. I am planning on studying abroad in Italy for a month sometime in May and June. I love the Italian culture and especially the food. The Italian language is also very beautiful. My heritage is also partial Italian. I think Italy is a beautiful place and would be an amazing experience.

The third presentation I enjoyed was Case's presentation on the South Carolina state flag. I am a South Carolina native, born and raised. I proudly support our state flag. I am a native of Charleston and love everything about it. Case also brought up a lot of interesting facts that I never knew. This presentation taught me a lot about something that means so much to me.

My Family-Free Blog

For my free topic I want to talk about my family. My family means everything to me. I have one older sister. She is only 15 months older than me so we are pretty close. She is a cosmetologist and works in a salon and spa in Charleston. Not only is she a cosmetologist but she also sings in a band. She sings in a local band in Charleston that plays a lot of jazz and hip hop sort of music. My mom is a nurse at St. Francis Hospital in Charleston. My dad works at the ports in Charleston. My family is very close. Even my mom's side and my dad's side are very close with one another. We have lived in Charleston my entire life. My dad grew up in Charleston, but my mom moved around a lot. All my other family, for the most part, lives in Charleston or just outside of Charleston. We see each other a decent amount. Usually on Sundays we all go over to my uncle's house, grill out and lay by the pool. My neighbors are also pretty much a part of our family. They are from Philadelphia and moved to Charleston about five years ago. My family and there family hit it off and are now very good friends. My family is my backbone. We all support and are behind one another 100%.