MY FINAL WEEK DISCUSSION BOARD QUESTION in my online BUS 140/147 classes: Business students need to know business and accounting, but also need a good general education. What is one NON-ACCT/BUS class and/or instructor that you have taken at MiraCosta that you would highly recommend? Some class that you ideally enjoyed, learned a lot, and can apply the learning. Why was it a favorite of yours? Some responses in Spring 2014: One class I enjoyed was Kinesiology last semester with Professor Joan Hackett. She really took the time to be outgoing and enthusiastic with everything she did, and that alone made the workload lighter as it pumped us up. Ironically that class was the only A letter grade I earned in my 2 years of college, and I believe her enthusiasm is what made all the difference to keep us going and working hard. One class I found very beneficial was History 101 with Todd Menzing. I highly recommend taking a class with him! He really cares about what he does and relates history to everyday life. It allowed me to look at the world in a different way and really opened my eyes. Oral Communications has helped me so much in my life. Working in retail, as a shy person, was a challenge. Oral Communications has helped me open up and listen and communicate with customers easier. It was also good for critical thinking when we had to prepare speeches. I completely agree with you! I have taken a total of 3 communication classes so far and have enjoyed all of them as they were very beneficial. I have taken oral and interpersonal communications with Pamela Perkins and thought she would great! I also took a business communications class over the summer, but found that class would have been more beneficial during a full semester. I say this because the teacher I had cut out a lot of important subjects such as resume/cover letter writing due to lack of time. All of the classes I have taken here at Mira Costa have gone towards my AA and pre-business for transfer. All of the communication classes I have taken have been a great learning experience. I have taken Oral, Interpersonal, and Business Communications. Besides those classes, I really enjoyed the study of filmed plays class. This is because as I went through my course history on Surf, this class was the only "artsy" class I have taken. I think it is very important to take some time and learn about the arts and appreciate all the work that goes into both films and plays. I definitely would like to take some more art classes in the future. I love love loved taking cultural anthropology with Professor Lynne Miller. Not only was she a fantastic/knowledgeable professor, she made the class interesting a fun. Cultural anthropology might sound like an unnecessary class to take, but culture and world views are extremely relevant in any situation. That class taught me to examine and to pay more attention to different cultures and how they interact with each other. A class I have taken at MiraCosta that I would recommend to other students is Psychology 101 with Professor Fast. I believe that most all of us have or will enjoy a psychology class because they are very applicable to daily life. Dr. Fast was a very informational and organized professor. She was always in a good mood and provided students with assignments that were fair and reflected the material that was taught in class. Her class never included any surprises. I always knew what I could expect on exams and I was prepared for them as long as I went to class. I also had a great experience with oral communications last year. I never had any fear of speaking in public until I took that class and after the first two speeches, the anxiety subsided and I was able to channel what remained into humor and motivation for a great speech. I hope that your class was as fun as mine was. I agree that it is also great for critical thinking when it comes to preparing speeches. It allowed me to pick my words and body language more appropriately for different situations in and outside of the classroom. I took Philosophy 100 with Professor Louisa Moon online this semester. It was an accelerated class so it only took 8 weeks. The class really focused on critical thinking and in my opinion, it is a class that I would most definitely recommend due to the fact that it never hurts to be able to think more critically and also the class paced itself extremely well so I got a lot out of it without it being dragged out over the course of 18 weeks. Some classes really work well in the accelerated format. I know art isn't for everyone but I did take an art class here that I really enjoyed and was very fun. It s a beginner are class so don't feel intimidated. It s ART 100 Drawing and Composition. I highly recommend this 3 unit semester course and also helps in completing your GE certificate. As we all realize at some point the important role that electronics play in our daily lives I would say I really enjoyed my CSIT 110 class this semester with Steve Isachsen. Everything I learned I can apply in my personal, work, and school life.
The ability to communicate effectively is very important in the business world and in life in general. Professor Pablo Martin was my speech (Comm 101) professor, and I enjoyed the class a lot. It demanded some time outside the class, but was well worth it. He had a unique style that I enjoyed and seemed to always keep us engaged. The most important thing about his class is that I improved my ability to communicate. I learned to have some sort of method to my madness, and actual apply it when I'm speaking. He's a great teacher for anyone who needs to take Comm 101 still. A course I would recommend would be Sociology. The material doesn't really have any relevance to business per say, but my teacher was great and I learned quite a bit. I also took Philosophy 100 with Professor Moon...in 1995. I see she's the department chair now. There's a lot I still remember from that class, although philosophically I've grown a lot in 20 years. I also had Jonathan Cole for physics, and really enjoyed his classes at the time. Anyway in the English department at MiraCosta I always recommend Jane Mushinsky. I had her for English 201 and currently am taking her Literature 261 course. I think she is very helpful and entertaining, you can tell she loves her job. Her teaching style is very interactive and class discussions make the course fly by and also really help students understand the material. I recommend the English literature 260 or 261 courses because the material is interesting and the work load although challenging is reasonable. A class that I really liked in Mira Costa was Psychology 121 with Robert Kelley, although it was really a busy class turning in short essays every week, the class was enjoyable because of the professor s way of teaching and his great personality. I can't believe I didn't think about my prior English teacher when I wrote my post. I had Jason Crum for 201. He was by far the best teacher. Seriously, I would retake that class again if I could. I would highly recommend Comm 101 - Oral Communication with Professor Cheryl Broom. It was my most dreaded class, but also the one I got the most out of. I believe the skills I gained have improved my life in business, school and mundane, day-to-day interactions. I've learned how to structure a speech with an introduction, body and conclusion, the importance of opening and closing a speech with an impact and also the use of ethos, pathos and logos which are imperative for a successful speech. One of the requirements was to read a book by Randy Paush, called the "Last Lecture". It will not leave you indifferent, unchanged. Great read and I recommend it to everyone who is searching for life's purpose and meaning. One class that i enjoyed was psychology 101. Although it was basic, it had me think the motives behind each action that one person take. before i was pretty unaware of motive or purpose that people have, but after taking the class, I was able to see why some people act certain way or had general idea of what one's past would have been based on way they speak, or act. I believe taking classes in psychology, sociology or communication would help in doing business because they are somewhat inter-related, and business is done in personal levels. So knowing where one is from, how they grew up, or how they communicate would help doing business. I would highly recommend Communication 101 with Professor Alex Ware to business students that are in need of a good general education. I have made so much progress from my first speech to my last one that I give this past week. I didn't know how to properly structure and execute a speech. At the beginning of the semester I would be extremely nervous before getting up in front of the class. Now I have learned different techniques to calm my nerves and speak with a clear tone. Jobs will almost always require you to speak in front of other colleagues about a project that is being worked on. I'm a marketing major and I've already been working in my field for four years with an event marketing company. When I'm at a festival, conventions, or sports event, I have to speak to people for hours on end. It was a great lesson on how to communicate ideas and opinions in an effective way. Everyone can benefit from taking a communications course. I would highly recommend an art class. It is always good to know about art and be able to tell the technique and the process of making an art piece. I learned about color, expression, and now I m a big fan of Vincent Van Gogh's work. It is relaxing to paint or to observe art. Great class! Without a doubt I believe that Psychology, and Sociology are both huge in the field of pursuing a business degree. The most memorable of the two for me was Psyc with Professor Jamie Clopton. She was certainly the hardest tester that I have had so far, but that made me want to push harder. The knowledge about the general public that I was able to gain from that course was HUGE. She made the class fun, and made it VERY interesting. She always found a way to explain the importance of psychology in all kinds of fields. I always wondered why general education was such a huge part of a college career, and she was able to make perfect sense of that question. This semester I took a couple of classes that I actually enjoyed (and in one case gritted my teeth). I think the class that stood out was Philosophy 101, critical thinking. I really enjoyed working with the logic and I think it could be a valuable class. My professor was Amanda Brovold and I thought that she was really great this semester. I also took Comm 100, public speaking...aaaahhh!!!! I have (like many people) a real aversion to public speaking. However, I was glad I took this class and professor Kincade really got us out of our shells. Still, the subject matter was very uncomfortable and I am glad it is over. Finally, I took Oceanography Lab with professor
Eastmond. There is a guy that really loves what he teaches and it carries over to his students. I agree that a well-rounded education is probably best but I still prefer business courses to humanities. I would recommend Dance History 101 with Trisha Hanada-Rogers. She offers her professional and educational background in dance and worked for a NY dance company. I took it online and there was a fair amount of homework but you gain an appreciation for all the dance genres. I originally took it to meet my art requirement because I can t draw and sounded interesting since I enjoy ballroom dancing. I also wanted to specifically learn about ballet because I didn t know much of its history. I found that I really enjoyed it and learned far more than ballet but a host of other dance genres, their history and how our society, environment, culture, art, music and theatre all influence dance. I also took Psychology 101 years ago and believe it is good for everyone to take. It really helps a person understand how people behave, interact and think. It does help in all aspects of life, socially and business. I would highly recommend READ100 with Professor Luke Lambert. He is a young passionate man that works hard to get the best out of you. His classed is based on a lot of readings. We focused on Rereading America and the book covered many subjects that were helpful for this class. We discussed segregation and patriotism. The skills that I got from that class were critical thinking and critical reading. I now analyze the content of each reading and question different outcomes. Makes me be a critical thinker and analyze my work much better. For those of you who don't want to take ENG201 and prefer to take READ100, I highly recommend Professor Luke! He knows his material and is passionate about his career. I would recommend MUS 113 with Kathleen O'Brien. It's a very simple straight forward class where you learn about the multicultural roots of American music. It's a very enjoyable class where you can just sit and listen to different genres of music while she explains their roots. She's a great professor who understands not everyone is music major, so she doesn't complicate most of the work and tests. A non-acct/bus class that I enjoyed a lot and thought that was very helpful in this class was Administration of Justice 101 with Professor Madigan. In class we covered the United States Constitution, Amendments and the Bill of Right; these are the foundations of our rights. We should all know them in and out to protect ourselves. I recommend everyone taking a sociology class! It will be very helpful if you are majoring in business. I found that it opened my eyes a lot more to how the world and all the different cultures exists. I also think that sociology AND psychology should be taken by EVERYONE, not just those pursuing business. They both really broadened my horizon. I feel like I learned a lot that will help in the world of business in the classes I listed below. In order to do business successfully, I feel a person has to have a general understanding of how people think, act, and their cultures as a whole. 101 GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY = WENDY CURTIS 102 CULTURAL ANTHRO = BRAD RETTELE 101 ORAL COMMUNICATION = TEREZ ANDERSON 103 SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY = KAREN BAUM 104 SOC OR PSYC = STEVE ESO Philosophy to me was very beneficial. A topic most people do not think much of has so much to offer. Being exposed to new ideas and discussing possibilities of reality helped me develop a greater sense of critical thinking and imagination. The general class introduces the subject while there are others such as moral philosophy that contemplates everyday problems we face. As we discussed ethics are a very important part to a successful business and life. One non-business class that I have taken was Art History. I absolutely love that class as well as the subject matter. It was something I felt applied to my everyday life, especially going to museums and looking at art. It furthered my appreciation for fine art, and it really is a great class to take just for self-benefit! Definitely a breath of fresh air. I would recommend that they take CSIT 120, deals with Excel programs. It's great to know. I use Excel every day in my office, many business job will require you to have some knowledge to pull up reports for the bosses I'm currently taking a COMM 101 class at a different community college, but this was going to be my suggestion as well. There's an intimate link between communication and business. I can't comment on that specific professor, but what's taught in such a communications class is valuable nonetheless.
During this semester I also took Psychology 100 class which I have found to be highly useful and relatable to everyday life. Simple things like how we develop relationships in our personal lives, at school, or in the workplace have been not only interesting but useful information I have used to increase my ability to befriend people in these situations. In Micro and Macro Econ (201/202), these classes build the basics on how economies function by teaching the basic concepts about supply and demand. Anyone taking business should take these classes to see models of how markets work. I took a class with Joe Silverman for Macro econ and I highly recommend it. It was the first economics that I had taken and I liked it so much that I graduated CSUSM with a BA in economics. My favorite class I have ever taken at MiraCosta College (and I have taken an awful lot of them) is Drama 148: Acting for the Camera taught by John Walcutt. I m a Dramatic Arts major, so there is an obvious application. Until last year, I had always intended to exclusively work on stage. I had no intention of film acting. Then I took part in a student film last summer through Actor s Academy and I realized that, not only did I enjoy it, I actually had a talent for it. I took Acting for the Camera last fall and it was an eye opening experience. It helped me to really understand acting, who I was as an actor, and more about myself as a person. It was a very cathartic experience, too. Even if you re not a performer, this is a good class. It s fun, interesting, and gives you a lot of insight into yourself as a business. John s an immensely talented actor (look him up on imdb) and teacher. One of my favorite classes to take at MiraCosta would be NUTR 105. It is amazing, even for those who do not necessarily have a passion for health and fitness like I do. It really allows for students to open their minds and see what proper nutrition can do for an individual, but also the effects of a bad diet and exercise habits that can lead to other things. It is super fun, a great application course, and it really will allow for better understanding when it comes to athletes, nutrition, exercise, and health in general. It is a good class for men and women of all ages. On a previous discussion board i recommended AUTO 102 Preventive Maintenance with Paul Katson. This class is a great class for everyone to take because it helps you to understand your car. You learn minor repairs and safety measures to take with your car to avoid spending a whole lot on major repairs later. Besides that class i highly recommend any class taught by Jim Sullivan. He is so passionate and so knowledgeable when it comes to literature and writing and really life in general. I took HUM 250 and ENGL 100 with him and my perspective has completely changed and I have gained a lot from taking his classes. While many found it very boring, I enjoyed English 202, Critical thinking and composition. It taught me how to think outside the box and question the creditworthiness of writings and statements by essentially anyone telling you anything through many different mediums. We also went into the power of propaganda that we are surrounded by, (and yes, it's all over the place, not just in War related ads like many people think). I took Shakespeare Studies Honors with Jim Sullivan and although it was the hardest class I've ever struggled, his teaching is the best. Shakespeare alone is a hard subject but Sullivan was energetic, passionate, and tries to help you as best as he can. If you are interested in video and media design, the MAT classes are for you! I have taken several of these classes and they have been great. One class I would highly recommend is MAT 270 Advanced Design Studio taught by Jeff Uhlik and Karl Cleveland. It puts all the action of a real world experience of video and media production right in the classroom. Another class I am taking this semester is Film 101 taught by John Walcutt. Both the video production class and the film class coincide with each other and taking both has really helped me a lot and has prepared me for my future in film making, especially since I will have a film go into production this summer. Overall, I recommend taking classes that you will benefit from and prepare you for your future whether they are general education classes or preparation for major classes. I come from a family of educators: everything from teachers to administrators to professors and scholars, and the one thing that was always stressed to my siblings and me, was to be well-rounded, and to go outside our comfort zone/the box to see what the world has to offer (I know I m changing tense here pardon, please). The one class I completely enjoyed was Marine Ecology. I grew up camping on the beaches before there were State/National Parks, and walking for miles when the tide was out hunting for shells and exploring the tide pools. I learned soooo much about the ocean, the land, the effect our daily lives has on the land and atmosphere, and in turn, the oceans of the world. Do you know that the ocean supplies more than 75% of the earth s oxygen supply? If you don t believe tossing a cigarette butt out the window, or fertilizing our greenery/crops damages and threatens our planet, or that global warming just might possibly exist, then I strongly suggest you take this class. Two non-accounting/business classes I have taken at Mira Costa and greatly benefitted from are Intro to Oceanography and General Biology. In Oceanography I learned so much about the ocean, the labs were interesting and fun, and we had a lab at Dana Point and sailed on a boat to collect sediments from the sea bottom. There's so much to learn about the earth's tectonic plates, water acidity and saltiness levels, how waves form, and so much more. Since Oceanside beach and the Pacific Ocean is our neighbor, I highly recommend the class taught by Ray Rector. Biology, on the other hand, helped me learn a lot about my body and how it functions. Taking the lab with the lecture implements the things you learn on the lecture because you test your own blood to see what blood type you are, you find out the level of food, vitamins, nutrients, proteins, etc. your body needs according to your body height and mass. Also, you do a urine analysis and test how healthy you are. I know it sounds weird but it's very interesting. Your body may be releasing too
much water, too much dead skin cells, blood, puss, crystals, etc. Biology is super informative and I recommend taking the class with Brian Brady. Believe it or not I really enjoyed my Microsoft Excel (CSIT128) class I took last summer at Mira Costa College. My instructor was Andre Anderson and he was very helpful. While I found this class to be extremely demanding to have taken over the summer semester I did find that this was one class that I did not struggle so much with as an on line class. His direction and explanations of things were clear and concise and he was extremely responsive when i have a question or issue with a subject in the class. Taking this class had immediate results for me at work and I highly suggest this class. I am a Computer Aided Drafting and Design Major and I took a class last year which I really enjoyed. It will be offered again this fall. It is the 3d Printing and Rapid Prototyping Class. 3d printers are the next technological BOOM! And with the knowledge acquired in this class you will be able to do so much more. You can take an idea and bring it life. One non-business class I really enjoyed was Geology 101. I took it online, which was really convenient, and I learned a lot. Now, I know how mountains were formed and how earthquakes happen; what processes occur in the ocean and the movement of tectonic plates; and how streams, rivers, and glaciers carve out the terrain. I learned about different rock types and minerals and lava flow. It was all very interesting and a great way to complete a required science. I highly recommend taking geology 101. I took a film class with John Walcutt, and he is absolutely wonderful. It is a pretty easy going class that gives you an appreciation for movies and the people who make them. He is very engaging and energetic about the subject and I would recommend to everyone. I also took a film class at MiraCosta and still use some of the concepts I learned from the class when I'm watching movies in my free time. I really enjoyed the class and would also recommend other students to take a film class. One of the classes that I enjoyed the most at MiraCosta was psychology. I found the lessons to be extremely entertaining and the professor was amazing. Her name was Jamie Clopton. She was an awesome professor and really enjoyed what she was teaching. I have a great amount of respect for Karen Baum. Sociology that explains more than you ever though you knew about life and where you are going. Math 130 really helped me think about the same thing in different ways. In trig, once the unit circle is known then it just repeats but in asking you different ways to get to the same answer. So I liked the class because of what it does to the mind. It is almost like a mental workout, but without all the hard math that is usually associated with any math class. I took a Sociology class last semester with instructor Sean Davis- It was an unconventional class and very interesting at the same time. I learned a lot about prejudice and its negative impact on society. I'm currently taking Communication 101: Speech and have a wonderful instructor who teaches more than just how to get up in front of a group and talk. Nickie Lester covers many aspects of public speaking from preparation techniques to confronting anxiety and stage fright in the moment. When I first attended her class, I thought that I would not learn anything useful since I present in front larger groups on an almost regular basis. However, I have been able to pull great amounts of value from what she has taught, including how to recover during a speech that derails. This fulfills a language requirement, and I would recommend it for anyone who needs to fill the requirement or even just wants to learn how to reduce anxieties and stresses surrounding public speaking. History 111-- American History after 1865 with Lisa Lane. I have had a surprisingly wonderful experience in History 111, although I tend to dislike history classes. The instructor's online class is well organized in a way that it does not get in the way of learning. The instructor does not use a book, but instead uses a well-written lecture and a variety of primary sources. Throughout the semester the class has been encouraged to contribute by locating primary sources that they find interesting. It is only an introductory class so it is by no means a complete illustration of American history but it is a solid start. I've taken four different comm classes at Mira Costa and each one taught me a fair amount applicable to reality. I also found that with comm teachers, I ts easier to learn because the teachers are excellent at communicating the lessons. Sam Arenivar is always my first choice for a com teacher. He has a lot of business experience that he related the lessons to. Interpersonal, intercultural, and group communication can all be used in social and business settings. In business you must work with others to trade and profit so communication is unavoidable so you might as well be good at it. One class that I recommend to all students is Communication. Not only do I feel that it helps improve individual communication, it practiced group communication and presentations as well. I learned several techniques to improve how I communicate at work, school, and personally. I also learned how to interpret other people. Many people come off as difficult or shy, but it may be because they do not know how to effectively communicate. This class should be mandatory for all majors because it is essential in all fields of work. So many companies require and urge group planning. This tends to be something that many students and employees dislike because they don't always feel that they can do their best work with a group. If they learned to communicate effectively group work would improve as
well. I am a huge advocate of communication since I took that class. I would also recommend Dr. McClure at Mira Costa Oceanside Campus! I have just taken a Hospitality class. I thought it was mainly for front office management for an office like setting but once I started the course I realized it was in fact for a hotel front office instead. I did enjoy the class very much and learned a lot about that aspect of business. It covered every area of hotel management and gave me a lot of insight on what goes on behind the scenes. Communications 111 with Steve Rohr - Oral presentation of literature. As business students we need to learn a lot about business laws, finance and other technical and ethical concepts. We also need to know how to present ourselves to potential employers and clients. This class will help you become a better public speaker and presenter. I really enjoyed the PHIL 101 class at MiraCosta. The instructor was Amanda Brovold. Ever since I took that class though, my whole perception of life changed and it was really just a rad class to take for fun. There is a lot of creative writing and thinking outside of the box type of stuff but Philosophy is Great and I recommend it to everyone.