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Dog Blog

Welcome to the Dog Blog!  This blog is written by students in the Top Dog Communication course.  Students share their views, experiences and knowledge on topics such as college, the class, internships, jobs, etc.

pop quiz - Do you know quizlet?

4/27/2016

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By: Kristen Gandenberger

​Over seven years as a student of 3 different schools, and for countless different classes in four separate languages I’ve made a grand total of 58 Quizlet study sets.
So what is Quizlet? It’s more than just a site you stumble upon when googling vocab lists and study guide questions. Quizlet is a brilliant website (and equally fantastic app) that has been with me since I was a brace-faced middle schooler learning about mitochondria for the first time. And I’m still loyal to my trusty Quizlet digital flashcards after all these years because it is just that good.
Here are a few of my favorite features:
1.Let yourself be lazy. My very favorite thing about Quizlet is the import tool they have to make creating study sets even easier. When creating a new study set, there is a magic “import” button that you can use to seamlessly transform vocab lists into flashcards in a blink of an eye. 


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The import page is customizable so depending on your list, you can change how the Quizlet wizard reads your document (for example, you can tell it that your term and definition are separated by colons and your rows are separated by new lines). It’s so intuitive and makes last minute cramming that much easier!

2. No foreign language confusion. The worst part about studying a language is the constant inconvenience (and sometimes near impossibility) of adding accent marks. On Quizlet’s study set creation page, you denote at the beginning what language both the terms and the definitions are in, and panels of special character buttons will appear corresponding to the language. If the extra step of clicking each special character disturbs your flow, they also have keyboard shortcuts for many accent marks.


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3. Fight that study boredom. Even though flashcards are extremely useful and effective study tools, after 58 sets and almost 2000 terms, the flipping back and forth gets kind of boring. Good thing that’s not the only thing you can do with your study set! Using the sets you make, Quizlet can not only provide you with digital flashcards, but you can use the “Learn” tool (in which you have to physically type out the term that goes with the definition), practice your spelling, play games, and even take mock tests!
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So here are the Sparknotes: Quizlet is so easy a middle schooler can use it, so intuitive that you can use it to master those pesky reflexive verbs, and so varied that you never run out of ways to study (for better or for worse). Happy finals!
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Finals week survival tips (from a senior)

4/27/2016

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By: Leanne Bassi

So far, I have had over ten finals weeks in my undergraduate experience.
 
I’VE SURVIVED TEN WEEKS OF CRAZINESS, STRESS, AND QUESTIONING MY PURPOSE IN LIFE.
 
In those weeks, I’ve learned many helpful tips to acing finals and keeping your stress level down.  So, in honor of my ten finals weeks, I have decided to share ten tips that I believe helped me to survive this far with a little more than slice of sanity.
 

1. PHONE A FRIEND (Or in my case, mom)
I don’t know about your people, but my people are my number one fans. Whenever I feel down I call my mom or best friend and they help me straighten everything out.  During finals week if you are lost call someone you are close to, even if it is just to rant for five minutes. While the homework, papers, and tests will still be there, you will feel a little bit of relief and motivation.
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2. COFFEE 4 DAYZ!
If you are going to drink caffeine, drink coffee. The reason I’m saying this is because it is natural. Honestly, I do not trust that other stuff.  Once I was trying to cram for finals, I took one of those 5-hour energy drinks and thought I was going to have a heart attack. It’s not worth it. #BeNatural
 
3. “YOU GOTTA EAT!”
But for real… you gotta eat! Your mind and body start to shut down when you do not eat and that is no good. 

 4. HIT THE HAY/ HIT THE SACK! 
Look... sometimes you just have to sleep. No matter how cool you are, no matter how much of a G you are, as you get older sleep is a must. Do not deprive yourself. Take nap if you cannot concentrate, and then get up and study. Set alarms, have your mom call you, sleep sitting up. Do whatever you have to do so that you do not sleep the day away, but by all means rest those eyes when necessary.
 

5. “BURR, IT’S COLD IN HERE!”
Cold weather forces you to wake up. So in desperate times I have sat in my freezing car, in the winter, at 3 a.m. studying. I am not trying to brag, but I killed those finals. Not encouraging anyone to procrastinate or cram, but sometimes that’s the way the cookie crumbles. Go outside for a bit or turn up the AC in your place. That A will be worth it.
 
 6. “ONE STEP AT A TIME, THERE’S NO NEED TO RUSH.” 
But honestly, you have heard this a million times, take it one assignment at a time. There is absolutely not need to stress yourself out even more. Finish the assignment that is due the soonest, then on to the next one.
 
 7. PROOFREAD!
Please, please, please try to have someone proofread your papers. They do not have to be an expert; they just need to have another set of eyes. Sometimes we do not see our own mistakes. I always bug my best friend to read my papers because she has nothing better to do. OH and because she was a journalism major and is an awesome writer. 

8. WORK IT OUT! 
Science shows that working out is good for you. So, take a break and move those glutes! You cannot sit and study for a thousand hours, you will not remember it all. So, do it in increments. I suggest physical activity in between to help you lose that freshman 15.
 
9. TURN IT OFF!
Say bye-bye to social media while you are studying, it is just a distraction. I would suggest turning your phone off, but if your mom is like mine she will freak out it you do not answer. So, minimize your interruptions by logging off!
 
10. THE MONKS KNOW BEST!
Lastly, remember everything is temporary. While I was in Japan I got to live in a monastery. One day while meditating with one of the monks he said, “You just have to remember everything is temporary.” That really stuck with me. Every emotion/feeling we have will not last forever-the good, bad, and stressful. So, you have to embrace it. Know nothing lasts forever and this too shall pass.

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6 Advantages of attending college in indianapolis

4/18/2016

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By: Reagan Van Cleave

Indianapolis is the 12th largest city in the United States and the heart of the American Midwest. Many know as the home to the greatest spectacle in racing- The Indianapolis 500 festival. This is the city I’ve grown up in.

In high school, I was dead set on attending college at the Big Ten University in small town Bloomington, Indiana (I think we all know who I’m talking about here). When it was time to commit to a college, I followed my heart and became a proud Hoosier—just as my parents did before me. Bloomington was … strange. There were a lot of different cultures present with various food options and anything you could really want out of a small, college party town. But, I did find some challenges in the fact I always had to travel back to Indianapolis for internships or to meet other professionals. There was not much in Bloomington besides the college itself. So I moved back home to Indianapolis.
 

So why is college in this city SO MUCH better?
 
1.Networking- I think we’ve all heard way too many times, ‘it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.’ While small college towns have appeal, they completely lack in the networking department. The city has so many businesses and places of work. Indianapolis is home to three fortune 500 companies. It is nearly impossible to live in this small, but thriving city without having a healthy network of potential future employers.
 
2. Internships- I recently completed an internship at the Indiana Senate downtown. I realized how fortunate I was as students traveled hours from Anderson, Bloomington and even as far as Evansville. How long was my commute? 15 minutes on a bad day. The city is so drivable and traffic very low maintenance. If you live in this state, most of your opportunities with well-known organizations will be located right here in the city.
 

3. Weekends- I could be biased, but I firmly believe Indiana is home to the best weekends. Whether it’s spent Fridays nights on Mass Avenue eating gourmet burgers from Bru Burger, spending Saturday afternoons walking on the canal and finishing on Sundays at an Indianapolis Colt’s home game, Weekends in Indy always have something to offer.
 
4. Events- Indy is home to one of the largest convention centers in the country and has hosted sporting events such as the 2012 Super Bowl, the NCAA Final Four. As a college student, you’ll never get bored. There is always something to do with friends and family.
 
5. Affordability- Indianapolis gives it’s residents the opportunities of a large city with a small town price tag. Food and housing in Indianapolis are low-cost compared to its Midwest neighbor, Chicago. Indianapolis is extremely affordable for even broke college students like myself.
 
6. Good Ole’ Hoosier Hospitality- Hospitality is what we do best and it’s hard to find it on this side of the Mason-Dixon line. You wouldn't believe how cold-shouldered some people can be elsewhere. If you’re here in Indy you can count on great customer service, pleases, thank you’s and doors held open.
 
If you’re considering a move to Indianapolis, don’t hesitate. The city is thriving and named one of the best cities for millennials to date. What are you waiting for? Come see all this city has to offer, you wont be disappointed.  
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the value of travel

4/4/2016

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By: Alliy Moyer

​While I have never studied abroad, I have gotten some pretty amazing opportunities over the years to travel to other countries. Each time I have left the States, I have always come back with something valuable. Whether it’s a new outlook into a different culture or a cool trinket picked up along the way. So far, I have been to 10 different countries.

But by far my favorite would have to be Kenya. What an amazing place! The people. The wildlife. The culture. Truly an amazing experience. While in Kenya, I met some amazing people, so amazing that I actually returned again the following summer. We visited a couple different tribes and it was so cool to see how differently they do things. Life for them is so simple. They even taught us some of their customs. We also visited a couple different schools. Those children are some of the best I’ve ever met. They told the best stories (mostly in Swahili of course) and attempted to teach me and my friend how to play soccer (to this day we’re still not very good). But even though we were really bad, it was the greatest feeling to put a smile on their faces.
 
Just recently, I signed up for the Spring Term trip to Costa Rica. This will be the first time I will be traveling to the Central/South American area and to say I am excited is a complete understatement. Just thinking about everything we get to do while we’re there gives me goose bumps. I can’t wait to talk with locals and see their way of living. After traveling to so many other places, I like to compare the differences/similarities to each place I go. You learn so much without even realizing it.
 
Traveling abroad, I think, is the best way to learn. Completely submerging yourself into a new place and a new culture can be truly life changing. I’ve learned so much about culture from traveling. In today’s work force, it is important to be aware of other people’s cultures and their customs. We have such a diverse group living in this country, it is vital to know all of your co-worker’s backgrounds. Diversity and acceptance is the basis of American culture. 
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Spring break in japan

4/4/2016

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By: Leanne Bassi

When spring break rolls around most college students plan to vacation somewhere hot. A place where they can party and forget the struggle which is college for a week.

BUT NOT ME. 

Last year, I found myself stepping off a plane, halfway across the world in Osaka, Japan. Not only was it cold, but it was raining with a chance of snow.  I wasn't surrounded by my best friends, but instead classmates whom I barely knew. I just landed and I was already beginning to regret my decision.  As we trudged to the hotel I kept thinking about all the money I spent on this on this trip. So, once we got to the hotel I decided I needed to let off some stress so I did what I always do to eliminate my stress-eat and sing.

A group of us went to karaoke after eating some authentic Japanese food. That night I went to bed wondering what Japan would offer over the course of the next week. Oh and I forgot to mention, not only was I spending spring break not partying in somewhere warm, but I was "working."

 I went to Japan for a peace study and would be spending the majority of my time in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Words cannot describe the life-changing experience that was before me. Throughout my entire life living in the United States, I felt as though I was a victim. Being a minority, from a single-parent home, in the "hood", I thought the world had wronged me. But after listening to these people's experiences, I realized how blessed I was in life. I went to a number of museums, countless memorials, and heard firsthand testimonies of victims. I met with a mayor who was determined to change the world and create peace across the globe. I was most touched when I saw the children killed in the bombings, which solidified the fact that I want to spend my life educating children.

To sum it all up, my trip to Japan taught me that life is a blessing, that everything in life is temporary, and we should be thankful for every experience. Basically what I'm saying is this trip to Japan was MOST definitely worth the money.



 
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purdue OWL: The oracle of writing

4/4/2016

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By: Jessi Shelton

Back in high school, I had an English teacher that nearly worshipped the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL).  Granted, he was a former Boilermaker and probably had at least something to do with the website’s existence; nevertheless, the wisdom he imparted upon me will always be in the back of my mind.
 
“Write paper.  Consult Purdue OWL.  Steak!”
 
This snippet of advice has potentially been the most important that I have received to date.  When he used the term “steak,” what he meant to say was, “This paper was exactly what I was looking for and you couldn’t have done anything better!” but his brevity was always his redeeming quality.
 
The Purdue OWL is a website and totally free service that provides instructions and writing resources that make every college student’s life around three million times easier.
 
Worried about how your APA title page for that final term paper needs to look?  The Purdue OWL will have a .pdf example accessible for you.  You don’t have a clue how to cite that lecture you heard in MLA format?  Check the all-knowing OWL.
 
The OWL is simply arranged and it makes navigation a breeze.  The homepage features a sidebar that can take you on whatever journey you desire. (See image A)

Since citations and reference material are ever-changing, I consult with Purdue OWL most often when deciphering how to create my bibliography.  Located just under the Research and Citation section, the entire list of whatever you could possibly need appears. (See image B)

Step-by-step instructions are featured under each linked format.  Any and all of your questions are answered, and you’ve never been more relieved to have all of the information you need in one concise area.
 
Wah lah! Your paper is done and your citations are in place.  You receive your first steak, and the only people you have to thank are the handy-dandy OWL and my high school English teacher.
 
owl.english.purdue.edu
 

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advice from an unqualified freshman

4/4/2016

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By: Kristen Gandenberger

1. It’s okay to be alone.
In fact, a lot of times you won’t have a choice. This seems counterintuitive since most college students live just feet from their classmates on campus, but in college everyone has different schedules. Your friends will have labs at night or jobs or just simply lunch breaks different from yours. Get used to eating alone sometimes. If you’re brave, try doing it without your phone.
 
2. But it’s okay to not to want to be alone.
It’s good to learn to be independent and at peace with your own thoughts sometimes, but humans, even introverted ones, are social animals. Everyone needs to get out and talk to people sometimes. So…
 
3. Say yes to people.
Even if you feel like you have a ton of homework or are exhausted from the week, go to dinner when people ask. Attend a football game with them. Pretend you knew before moving to Indiana that basketball is a thing here. Friends start out as strangers that ask to share your Spanish textbook. Say yes and get to know the people around you.
 
4. Say yes to challenges.
My first semester of college ever I was coerced into taking a 400 level course for modern language majors and minors (of which I am neither) where we learned French and German at the same time in a 2 hour class that met only once a week. I tell people this and they usually ask why I didn’t drop it. Truthfully, I was a confused freshman and just didn’t think of it. However, I tell people it’s because I’m super brave and confident and like to face challenges head-on. I got an A in the class.
 
5. You’re probably not the best at anything…
Even if you were the best in high school, have the trophies, scholarships and accolades of every teacher you’d had since Pre-K. And if you are the best at something, being in a new environment with tons of other, better dressed people who have trophies and scholarships and fawning teachers probably makes you feel like you aren’t.
 
6. But that doesn’t mean you’re not good at anything.
Just because you aren’t the unanimously voted best badminton player anymore doesn’t render your skills worthless. You’re still really, really good at badminton. Someone else’s skills don’t detract from yours.
 
7. Smile.
This is a simpler and less preachy way of saying “be considerate of other people because campus isn’t that big and they will remember your rude face and hate you forever.” This especially includes food service staff. June at the dining hall and Tina at Streets make my day (and my dinner!) every time I see them so the least I can do is ask them how their week is going.
 
8. Don’t complain all the time.
I might be an unqualified freshman, but I’m not dumb enough to think that college as a system or any particular university is perfect. What I do know is that the people who pay college tuition and only have negative things to say about their school look so dumb. I prefer to get the most out of my money by focusing on all the awesome things (like Top Dog Communication).
 
9. Call home.
I’m entitled to one cliché and this is it. Also, remember to tell your grandma happy birthday.
 
10. Be patient.
Surprise! When you get to college you still won’t have it all together. Building a flawless grownup wardrobe, deciding what you want to do for the rest of your life, and finding the perfect wise faculty member to take you under their wing all have something in common: They take time. So do yourself a favor. Breathe for a second. Order a pizza with your friends. Enjoy it while you can.
 

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