Holiday Study Strategy

Hello IMC Friends!

Is it just me, or have these last few weeks gone by at warp speed? I think it must be the hectic holiday season and not having enough hours in the day to get everything done!

It’s beginning to get a little quieter here in Morgantown, as WVU students are completing their finals this week and leaving campus for the winter break. Unfortunately, the nature of our online program means that we still have one more week to go. I will be the first to admit that I was pretty bummed after realizing that our classes would be in session over Christmas. But when you sit back and put it into perspective, it’s not so bad. Our classes are 9 weeks long, which means we are able to cover twice the amount of coursework as students enrolled in a program that follows a traditional semester. And, we have the convenience of being online.

Fortunately, I don’t have an assignment due for Week 8, so I’m planning on using the extra time I have this weekend to get a head start on my final project. And hopefully that will afford me some extra time on Christmas to spend with family and friends. What about you guys? Do you have a special strategy in place for managing your coursework and the upcoming holiday? Any IMC grads out there who want to give us some tips?

Snowy End to the Semester

Greetings, IMC friends! I’m writing you today from a very cold and snowy Morgantown. I hope you are staying warm in your neck of the woods—wherever that may be! (If your neck of the woods is Florida or somewhere else warm can I come visit you? 🙂 )

A snowy Martin Hall, WVU Downtown Campus 12/8/10

 

Hailey is NOT a fan of mittens because she can't suck her thumb. 🙂

My husband left yesterday for a business trip to Ottawa, Canada, so I guess I just need to put the chilliness into perspective. 😉

In case you haven’t realized (but I’m sure you have), we are now two-thirds of the way through the Late Fall semester. Woohoo! Despite having only one class, I can honestly say that this has been the most difficult and challenging semester for me thus far. Needless to say, I am looking forward to a little relaxation over our holiday break to recharge a little before Early Spring arrives.

Speaking of holidays, my family started a new tradition this year with our very own “Elf on the Shelf.” Have you all heard about this? If not, I will give you the Cliff’s Notes version. The Elf on the Shelf” is a children’s book that comes with a little elf figurine. According to the story, the elf watches children to see if they are behaving “naughty” or “nice” and reports back to Santa each night. And every morning, children must locate their elf—as he shows up in a different place in the house each day.

We talk a lot about social media in my IMC 619 – Brand Equity Management class, and one of the things we’ve discussed is the viral nature of social media channels like Facebook . The Elf on the Shelf is one example of this. I’d seen a lot of chatter from my Facebook friends (many of whom have small children) talking about their “elves.” I had no clue what they were talking about at first, but then a friend of mine sent me a Facebook message about the Elf on the Shelf with a link to the website. We’ve been doing the elf thing for about a week now at my house and I have to admit that it’s pretty fun. Elf on the Shelf has its own official fan page on Facebook, where fans can share stories and post pictures of the funny, creative places the elves “appear.”

Do any of you have an Elf on the Shelf? What is your favorite family holiday tradition?