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Hi Friends,
Today’s vlog brings you a singer/songwriter Chyla Anderson + plus a little treat at the end of the video.
Be sure to check out her Myspace and her YouTube page (http://www.youtube.com/user/cafromca1) where she does some amazing covers of your favorite artists. Enjoy!
So what’s your story?
JamTown
Hi Friends,
In today’s vlog, you get a double dose of goodness:
1) My guest reminisces on her best college internship. 2) You get to learn about the music of an awesome singer/songwriter, IFE!
Enjoy!
So what’s your story?
JamTown
The latest vlog.
So what’s your story?
JamTown
JamTown’s Response:
My easiest class was probably Theatrical Symposium…otherwise known as CTCS 466. This class was not only the most awesome class ever, but also the least stressful. Students have the task of watching films before they come out and sitting through a question and answer discussion with some of the cast and crew affiliated with the films. It was probably the most popular class in the film school. Anyone at USC could take it. When it came time to select classes for the new semester, this class would always fill up really quickly. It was held in the main screening building at USC, Norris Theatre and housed at least 200 students…maybe more. We had textbooks for the class and had to take notes for our exams, but it wasn’t on any info that was really intense.
I took the class twice and saw so many great movies. Crash and met director Paul Haggis. Friday Night Lights and Billy Bob Thornton came as the guest. (Also my friend Lee from vlog #1 was taking the class with me at the time and was also in the movie. Billy Bob joked with him a little bit). Dust to Glory (a great documentary on off-road racing). Hotel Rwanda with writer/director Terry George as the guest. And there are so many others that I can’t remember. Needless to say, I always got an A in that class. And if anyone got anything less than that, then that person was probably a slacker.
So what’s your story?
JamTown
JamTown’s Response:
I don’t know if every college has a pass/fail option, but USC did. And if I’m correct, pass/fail does not add any points to one’s GPA. Students had a limited number of classes where they could choose this option…maybe two or three classes? Not sure if you could apply it to all your classes either. But anyway, all you had to do was do well enough to pass and BAM…success. No worries about getting As, A minuses or Bs. All you needed was a passing grade and you were done.
I never took any of my classes pass/fail. It would have been easier and less stressful. But I guess I wanted to get as many GPA points as possible. I had friends who exercised this option and they would be skipping down the hallway having fun while I was hitting the books hardcore. But in the end, it was good for me to have to work a little harder. It helped me to become more focused, diligent, and organized to things done and to realize my full potential.
So what’s your story?
JamTown
JamTown’s Response:
The class schedule definitely affected my extra-curricular activities, especially since I had a lot of night classes. Those were film and advertising classes and they would be four hours long. On those days, I would usually get out of class at 10:00. By that time, any school event or club meeting that I wanted to go to would just be getting out. My plight would change from semester to semester as my class schedule would change. So sometimes my classes were a problem and sometimes they weren’t.
When you’re planning your class schedule, you can plan one that works around the club meetings you already know you’ll be attending. But things come up for a student all year long that you can’t plan for. And sometimes you can’t plan your schedule as you’d like because you’re taking a class that is only offered one time every other semester and that’s required for you to graduate.
For a few semesters, I can remember major events happening around lunchtime in the center of campus. But I couldn’t go because I was in class. The worst part was that I knew they were giving away free stuff and sometimes even free food. (Free stuff is a big deal in college).
Another thing that annoyed me was a big group friends who would congregate at my apartment every week to watch America’s Next Top Model. I am a fan of that show, but I couldn’t watch it with them because I was in class. So I would often get out of my advertising class and bike as fast as my legs would let me to my off-campus apartment, only to get there in the last few minutes of the show. My roommates and friends would be excited, laughing and commenting on the show’s details. I would yell at them to get out of my house (in jest, of course). I was so annoyed that I couldn’t share in that weekly party in my own apartment.
The great thing about college though is that every semester is different because your class schedule is usually different. You’re taking classes on different days, different times, etc. So I couldn’t wallow in pity for too long because change was always coming.
So what’s your story?
JamTown
Hi Friends,
Today is my 2nd oldest sister’s birthday. Happy Birthday Sister!!!!
I’m so excited to bring to you a vlog from someone I’m a huge fan of…the incomparable Amanda Diva. And since she resides in New York, I did my first video interview via Skype! Check it out! (And sorry for the echo chamber at the end). 
So what’s your story?
JamTown
JamTown’s Response:
Ooo bookstore buy-backs are a big humongous fail…for the most part.? Sometimes, you hit it big.? And when you do, it’s like winning the lottery…sort of.? As a student at USC, I learned very quickly at the end of my first semester that it doesn’t matter if your book cost $250 AND was purchased as a new book.? The bookstore will have the nerve to only give you $30.
What?!!! $30?!? 30?!!? You’re not even gonna give me half of what this darn book cost that didn’t teach me anything and is poorly written, I might add.? What?!? I demand to speak to your manager!!
All those things and more ran through my mind every time I would try to sell back my books.? Some books they don’t even take back.? Other books, they’ll give you for pennies on the dollar.? So you can come to the bookstore with $500 worth of books and leave with $60 cash.? It hurt my feelings every time.
Sometimes, I resorted to other methods like selling directly to other students or using Half.Com, where I sold several books to needy students across the country.? So, the power was back in my hands and I got a little more money for my books.? But the bookstore almost never gave me what I thought was sufficient.? It’s a hard pill to swallow, but that’s just the way the cookie crumbles.
So what’s your story?
JamTown
In Wooden Nickels: CG is surprised by a verbal exam.
JamTown’s Response:
There were a few exams that caught me off guard in college.? One class (one of my all-time favorites) refused to give us a study guide for the midterm and final, something I was used to for most of my other college classes.? The class was one where we watched movies before they came out.? We would have guest speakers affiliated with the film from actors and directors to the sound designers and writers.? Amazing class, but we really didn’t know what to take notes on.? I mean, we had some textbooks assigned to the class for readings and such, but other than that, we were kind of in the dark about what was important to the professor.? So I just decided to take notes on everything, just to be safe.? And that was a great strategy because I had the obscure notes necessary to pass the exams with flying colors.
I think my only verbal exams in college were in my Spanish classes.? Reading and writing a language is one thing, but speaking it is a whole different ball game.? I can’t even remember too many details about the exams because they were that stressful for me.? All I know is that I didn’t fail the class and I didn’t faint in front of my professor either.
So what’s your story?
JamTown
Response of the Day comes from a College Dreamer!? I want all my College Dreamers to drop me a line and tell me what colleges you’re looking at.? And give your high school a shout out!
Response of the Day: Brittany @ “College Vlog #14: Surprise!” (“Campus Life” category)
I enjoyed the video blog. I learned alot of helpful tips for college. I will be a freshman this upcoming year.
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In Wooden Nickels: CG has to take class in a big lecture hall.
JamTown’s Response:
I took classes in the huge lecture halls and the small classrooms.? The huge classes are somewhat better because you can disappear in them (in some of them).? Since you’re in class with hundreds of other students, it’s harder for a professor to know everyone in the class.? No one is looking over your shoulder to see if you’re paying attention.? However, you have to be way more disciplined in a class of this type because you have so much freedom.? It’s very easy to go to sleep, skip class, come in late, leave early, not turn in homework, etc.? And you won’t know the damage you’ve done until you see your GPA.? I never did most of those things, of course.
But I think the lecture hall class actually allowed me to relax more.? If I wanted to answer a question, I could and if I wanted to lay back and take notes, I could do that too.? In smaller classes, you have to be way more alert.? And sometimes, that just isn’t going to happen after a night of writing a 25-page paper.? I do not miss those days at all.
So what’s your story?
JamTown
