Diversity is very important to ASU. Diversity allows students to interactive with each other in a similar way to how it is in the real world. The reality is that after colllege, people will be mixed in with everyone around the world. Alumni will be globally engaged with diversity in the world.
ASU defines the word "in terms of representation and inclusion." Representation shows the many forms of diversity. A common misconseption is that when diversity comes to mind, people think of those from a different race or gender. Mostly though, race is recognized first as the determination of diversity. In actuality, diversity covers a broad spectrum. For intance, diversity can cover different racial or ethnic groups, religions, nationalities, social classes, gender, and ableness, just to name a few. Each one of these can be found at ASU.
On the other hand, inclusion describes providing a safe learning and working environment that welcomes all people. Delia Saenz, director of ASU's Intergroup Relations Center and Psychology professor, commented that inclusion is "characterized by our openness to difference and to discovery, both in the way we think and in the way we interact with others." Students display an oppenness to new experiences through diversity. Instinctively, people are drawn to others who are like them. But diversity is beneficial for the fact it provides exposure to new knowledge. It brings new information about people and places different from others that they might have never known if they did not come in contact with them.
The reason ASU supports diversity so much is because "connecting with people from different backgrounds enriches the college experience." Who would want to hang around with a hundred clones of themselves? In this way, you get to see different viewpoints and ways of looking at the world. Students come in contact with new experiences. They also see how others live who are from different areas of the country or world.
More than anything, diversity improves society by the collaboration of different people. A great example of this is democracy. Diversity allowed the governmental form of democracy to travel from Ancient Greece to many other countries. Experiencing diversity is easier than ever at ASU, due to its huge exchange program. There are students from all walks of life at the university. It's a great addition to the campus that all students should take advantage of.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Global Engagements
ASU really promotes Global Engagement. They highly encourage students to study abroad and learn foreign languages. The university contains several colleges specializing in leading students to become globally engaged. For business, ASU has a college called the School of Global Management and Leadership. When other countries interconnect, business inevitably must occur. Students are well equipped to handle these sorts of situations. Regardless of what field you pursue, whether it is science, technology, or even nursing, ASU tells it's students that "they will not need to seek out global engagement...[because] it will find them." This is why it is important to prepare for the future.
Global engagement can be strongly correlated to ASU's new college, sustainability. They compliment each other be acting globally in a mission to better the world. A powerful example of this can be seen through the water conservation movement. In the United States, water seems to be a plentiful resource that will never dry up. In fact, it is a finite resource that does not have the capacity to supply future generations if the way it is used continues. The United States is the biggest water waster on the planet. With our sinks, dishwashers, showers, baths, and Las Vegas fountains, we waste so much while others in third-world countries have trouble even finding clean drinking water. The US shouldn't get rid of all these appliances, but change the habits that are putting this vital resource in jeopardy.
The water problem has even been linked to terrorism. Mikhail Gorbachev, President of the Green Cross International, believes that "poor conditions, hunger, disease, and poverty" bring up extremists and radicals. The people in a country with these conditions will believe anyone who promises them a better life. They are so desperate for their lives to get better that they are willing to do the unthinkable. Water is thought of as the solution to end terrorism, and bring much prosperity to nations suffering from a lack of clean drinking water.
Global engagement is a benefit to society and the world. ASU is doing a great thing in preparing students to work with other countries around the world. Not only will it give huge problems, like water, a chance to be resolved, but it will better the world through collaboration all over the world.
Global engagement can be strongly correlated to ASU's new college, sustainability. They compliment each other be acting globally in a mission to better the world. A powerful example of this can be seen through the water conservation movement. In the United States, water seems to be a plentiful resource that will never dry up. In fact, it is a finite resource that does not have the capacity to supply future generations if the way it is used continues. The United States is the biggest water waster on the planet. With our sinks, dishwashers, showers, baths, and Las Vegas fountains, we waste so much while others in third-world countries have trouble even finding clean drinking water. The US shouldn't get rid of all these appliances, but change the habits that are putting this vital resource in jeopardy.
The water problem has even been linked to terrorism. Mikhail Gorbachev, President of the Green Cross International, believes that "poor conditions, hunger, disease, and poverty" bring up extremists and radicals. The people in a country with these conditions will believe anyone who promises them a better life. They are so desperate for their lives to get better that they are willing to do the unthinkable. Water is thought of as the solution to end terrorism, and bring much prosperity to nations suffering from a lack of clean drinking water.
Global engagement is a benefit to society and the world. ASU is doing a great thing in preparing students to work with other countries around the world. Not only will it give huge problems, like water, a chance to be resolved, but it will better the world through collaboration all over the world.
Entrepreneurship
An entrepreneur a unique make of businessmen. There are the drones, or cubicle monkeys, that go to work and head back home Monday through Friday, doing the nine to five shift. On the other end of the spectrum, there are the entrepreneurs, who delight in taking creative risks with a certain line of business. They are the innovators that have driven business in this country to greatness.
The entrepreneur niche is created by three elements: the environment, economy, and society. Entrepreneurs are always thinking and looking for ways to help society. Problems present themselves by these three elements and entrepreneurs are tuned to solving them. This idea then forms into a venture, which is pursued.
The common misconception is that entrepreneurs are just in the business of making money. This is a false statement. There are several different kinds of entrepreneurs. Of course, there still are the for-profit entrepreneurs that provide products or services in exchange for money. There are artistic entrepreneurs that deal with ventures in any aspect of the arts world. These can be painters, composers, musicians, etc. In a sense almost any entrepreneur can be considered "artistic," because "every entrepreneur is an artist." Moving on, there are political entrepreneurs that does a public good in exchange for support and votes. Lastly, social entrepreneurs look at social conditions and develop solutions through a venture that leads to prosperity. Susan B. Anthony is an example of a social entrepreneur because she fought for Women's Rights in the United States.
Entrepreneurs are in a tough line of work. When the venture is pursued, they must display an extreme amount of passion and drive to succeed. An entrepreneur must have persistence by persevering through whatever comes. In many situations, things don't turn out well. There are various disappointments and setbacks that can break a businessman's spirit. But they must overcome these if they want their venture to succeed.
Entrepreneurship is a challenging road, but a rewarding one. This can be seen in all of the good that has come out of past entrepreneurs like Ghandi, Muhhamad Yumus, Bill Gates, and countless others. These men and women blaze the path of the future. There should be more like them.
The entrepreneur niche is created by three elements: the environment, economy, and society. Entrepreneurs are always thinking and looking for ways to help society. Problems present themselves by these three elements and entrepreneurs are tuned to solving them. This idea then forms into a venture, which is pursued.
The common misconception is that entrepreneurs are just in the business of making money. This is a false statement. There are several different kinds of entrepreneurs. Of course, there still are the for-profit entrepreneurs that provide products or services in exchange for money. There are artistic entrepreneurs that deal with ventures in any aspect of the arts world. These can be painters, composers, musicians, etc. In a sense almost any entrepreneur can be considered "artistic," because "every entrepreneur is an artist." Moving on, there are political entrepreneurs that does a public good in exchange for support and votes. Lastly, social entrepreneurs look at social conditions and develop solutions through a venture that leads to prosperity. Susan B. Anthony is an example of a social entrepreneur because she fought for Women's Rights in the United States.
Entrepreneurs are in a tough line of work. When the venture is pursued, they must display an extreme amount of passion and drive to succeed. An entrepreneur must have persistence by persevering through whatever comes. In many situations, things don't turn out well. There are various disappointments and setbacks that can break a businessman's spirit. But they must overcome these if they want their venture to succeed.
Entrepreneurship is a challenging road, but a rewarding one. This can be seen in all of the good that has come out of past entrepreneurs like Ghandi, Muhhamad Yumus, Bill Gates, and countless others. These men and women blaze the path of the future. There should be more like them.
Sustainability
ASU has done a lot to promote sustainability. They view it as a serious global issue that needs to be addressed, so what better way than opening a college devoted to this. ASU is the only college in the country to have a sustainability college. Micheal Crow, Dean of ASU, has really set the university apart by the college and what its students will do for the world.
Not many students think about how much of a "dent" they leave in the Earth. Few ponder how much water they used that day, paper used, power used, food eaten, etc., etc. That is a lot resources used and/or wasted by one person, and multiply that by the US population, and then the world! Month after month, year after year, how long can the Earth supply a human population that is only rising? the ecological footprint let's a person know how much they use. This activity puts into perspective exactly how much they're wasting.
There is a challenge with sustaining out resources because people are using more and more resources. Chuck Redman, a professor at the college of Sustainability, says that "we live in a finite world." He means that our resources are limited. There is only so much of everything on this earth. The tragedy is that once a resource, like water, is gone, it's hard for it to return.
Sustainability is different from conservation because it focuses on maintaining natural resources so our generation can live comfortably. It also foresees the resources available for the future generation and "how what we learn today will affect us, our children, and future generations." The foresight aspect of sustainability really sets it apart from other kinds of earth preservation.
We can all be very "rah, rah" for this cause because it sounds very good. But doing what's necessary to achieve sustainability creates dissention in people. Telling people they have to use power sparingly and cut that 20 minute shower down to 5 minutes is very hard for them to do. However, the foresight of sustainability will allow them to live comfortably in 50 years, as well as their children and grandchildren.
Sustainability is more than just a cause, it's a necessary means to keep the resources that make humans live. With the ever rising world population, how people do things must be changed in order for those coming after them to live a good life.
Not many students think about how much of a "dent" they leave in the Earth. Few ponder how much water they used that day, paper used, power used, food eaten, etc., etc. That is a lot resources used and/or wasted by one person, and multiply that by the US population, and then the world! Month after month, year after year, how long can the Earth supply a human population that is only rising? the ecological footprint let's a person know how much they use. This activity puts into perspective exactly how much they're wasting.
There is a challenge with sustaining out resources because people are using more and more resources. Chuck Redman, a professor at the college of Sustainability, says that "we live in a finite world." He means that our resources are limited. There is only so much of everything on this earth. The tragedy is that once a resource, like water, is gone, it's hard for it to return.
Sustainability is different from conservation because it focuses on maintaining natural resources so our generation can live comfortably. It also foresees the resources available for the future generation and "how what we learn today will affect us, our children, and future generations." The foresight aspect of sustainability really sets it apart from other kinds of earth preservation.
We can all be very "rah, rah" for this cause because it sounds very good. But doing what's necessary to achieve sustainability creates dissention in people. Telling people they have to use power sparingly and cut that 20 minute shower down to 5 minutes is very hard for them to do. However, the foresight of sustainability will allow them to live comfortably in 50 years, as well as their children and grandchildren.
Sustainability is more than just a cause, it's a necessary means to keep the resources that make humans live. With the ever rising world population, how people do things must be changed in order for those coming after them to live a good life.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Student Success in College
Many universities want their students to succeed, but few have worked out the details of how they succeed. There are more factors that play into student success than just getting good grades. Although receiving high grades on tests and homework is the final goal, students need to plan their academic life around distractions and other commitments. If a student is successful at this, and they devote themselves to getting good grades, success is inevitable.
Students can easily get distracted from academics with a number of things. They can over-socialize, work long hours, special commitments, and many others issues might interfere. Whichever way, studies suffer by the lack of balance in someone’s life. Something that everyone has equally is the same amount of time. Everyone has 168 hours in a week. It’s how a student spends it that determines their level of success.
Students come from high school, which is a very structured, regimented environment. They get shell shocked when no one is making them go to class, eat, and pretty much scheduling their lives and ensuring they stick to this. Therefore, time management is vital skill to succeed not only in school but life as well. Few, if any, are born with this skill. Rather, it is refined and practiced daily. The best way to acquire it is to plan out your schedule. First, you must know how many hours you need for everything. For example, if you need 10 hours of sleep to feel well rested, plan your schedule around that. Don’t get six hours of sleep and be unable to function at full capacity. Know how long it takes to get ready in the morning, the length of your classes, studying time, and even eating. Also, ASU recommends that students spend two hours per credit hour studying. Every one of these tasks takes up time in a day that could be replaced with another task. Therefore, plan and prioritize. You need to list tasks in order of importance of what needs to be accomplished. If a paper worth 20% of your grade is due in a couple days, you shouldn’t go to the movies with your friends until after the paper is done. Once tasks have been prioritized, an important aid is a calendar or day timer. Put all of the prioritized items in it. This will ensure that it won’t be forgotten.
Once time management skills are applied and a student has an adequate amount of time to study, they must have good study methods. Even before that, students must have the passion and drive to succeed. If the student doesn’t see any reward, other than a diploma, they won’t give it their all, and their grades will show it. They must be given the foresight to see that the work being done in the present will pay them dividends in the future. Then and only then will they be equipped to have efficient studying. Something important is to study in the environment that fits the student. Choose wisely whether it is in a group, alone, in the library, dorm, etc.
College is very different from high school. Professors give students fewer reminders and a lot less individual attention in class. Make sure you pay attention, and if you don’t understand something, voice it in class. In addition, teachers make special time, called “office hours,” to give students time to receive help in the class. Most importantly, take advantage of the resources ASU gives students and be proactive in getting assistance.
Few students grasp what all is involved in collegiate success. There is a lot involved, like time management, avoiding distractions, prioritizing, and good study habits. But in actuality, when all these components are set in place and a student’s life is balanced, college has the potential to make the most memorable times in a person’s life. Years down the line, when a big paycheck comes in the mail, you’ll be thanking yourself for all those hours you put in studying at ASU.
Students can easily get distracted from academics with a number of things. They can over-socialize, work long hours, special commitments, and many others issues might interfere. Whichever way, studies suffer by the lack of balance in someone’s life. Something that everyone has equally is the same amount of time. Everyone has 168 hours in a week. It’s how a student spends it that determines their level of success.
Students come from high school, which is a very structured, regimented environment. They get shell shocked when no one is making them go to class, eat, and pretty much scheduling their lives and ensuring they stick to this. Therefore, time management is vital skill to succeed not only in school but life as well. Few, if any, are born with this skill. Rather, it is refined and practiced daily. The best way to acquire it is to plan out your schedule. First, you must know how many hours you need for everything. For example, if you need 10 hours of sleep to feel well rested, plan your schedule around that. Don’t get six hours of sleep and be unable to function at full capacity. Know how long it takes to get ready in the morning, the length of your classes, studying time, and even eating. Also, ASU recommends that students spend two hours per credit hour studying. Every one of these tasks takes up time in a day that could be replaced with another task. Therefore, plan and prioritize. You need to list tasks in order of importance of what needs to be accomplished. If a paper worth 20% of your grade is due in a couple days, you shouldn’t go to the movies with your friends until after the paper is done. Once tasks have been prioritized, an important aid is a calendar or day timer. Put all of the prioritized items in it. This will ensure that it won’t be forgotten.
Once time management skills are applied and a student has an adequate amount of time to study, they must have good study methods. Even before that, students must have the passion and drive to succeed. If the student doesn’t see any reward, other than a diploma, they won’t give it their all, and their grades will show it. They must be given the foresight to see that the work being done in the present will pay them dividends in the future. Then and only then will they be equipped to have efficient studying. Something important is to study in the environment that fits the student. Choose wisely whether it is in a group, alone, in the library, dorm, etc.
College is very different from high school. Professors give students fewer reminders and a lot less individual attention in class. Make sure you pay attention, and if you don’t understand something, voice it in class. In addition, teachers make special time, called “office hours,” to give students time to receive help in the class. Most importantly, take advantage of the resources ASU gives students and be proactive in getting assistance.
Few students grasp what all is involved in collegiate success. There is a lot involved, like time management, avoiding distractions, prioritizing, and good study habits. But in actuality, when all these components are set in place and a student’s life is balanced, college has the potential to make the most memorable times in a person’s life. Years down the line, when a big paycheck comes in the mail, you’ll be thanking yourself for all those hours you put in studying at ASU.
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