Hello everyone! Ashton here with my third blog post. Phase 2 has been a pretty interesting mix of new challenges and useful skills, and I’m starting to see how everything in this course connects together.
Phase 2 really tested my ability to stay focused and keep pushing through. Microsoft Excel was bigger than I expected. There were a lot of functions, formulas, and data analysis tools that took time to get comfortable with. The URL Components and Social Engineering topics were eye-opening too. I never realized how much information is packed into a simple web address or how easily people can be tricked online. The A6 Spreadsheet Analysis with the Trailer assignment was probably the most challenging part for me. It took a while to get everything organized and to understand exactly what the questions were asking for. There were moments I felt stuck, but I kept going back to the material and eventually figured it out. I’m proud I didn’t give up on it even when it got frustrating. Overall, I think I performed decently in Phase 2, but I know I could have been more consistent with daily practice instead of longer study sessions.
In Chapter 5, I worked on more advanced features in Microsoft Word. This chapter focused on things like mail merge, which was completely new to me. At first it felt confusing and technical, but once I understood the concept of linking versus embedding data, it started to make more sense. I can see how useful this would be in a real workplace situation. It definitely pushed me outside my comfort zone compared to Chapter 4, but I feel like I gained a practical skill that goes beyond just formatting documents.
One of the best parts of Phase 2 is how applicable the material is to real life. I’ve already started paying much closer attention to URLs and suspicious links before clicking on anything. I’ve also been using Excel at home to organize my personal budget and track expenses, which feels satisfying because I can actually see the value of what I’m learning. These skills aren’t just for class. They’re helping me become more careful and organized in everyday situations.
Looking ahead to Phase 3, which is all about creativity and actually bringing ideas to life, I’ve been thinking about my approach. So far in this course I’ve mostly focused on completing what’s required and doing it well. But I want to shift into a higher gear. I’m going to make a conscious effort to upgrade my mindset. Not just meeting the requirements, but trying to do my best work and really get creative with the assignments. I believe putting in that extra effort now will help me build better habits and get more out of the rest of the class.
Overall, Phase 2 has been a solid growing experience. I’ve learned new technical skills, become more aware of online safety, and gained a better understanding of where I need to improve my consistency. I’m excited to carry that momentum into Phase 3 and see what I can create.
Hi Ash, honestly after learning about URL's and the components I am so skeptical over every email I receive. Phishing scams have also gotten a lot more sophisticated and it's much tougher to quick scan and see the problems. Learning about Linking and embedding is pretty cool I'm not sure I can use it in my current hospitality role but maybe one day I can, I really see the usefulness.
ReplyDeleteI read most of the blog post by our peers and I rarely see people talk about how important the URL Components and Social Engineering lesson was. I also didn't mention it in my blog but now that you mentioned it in your blog, it made me remember how easy it is to get scammed since a lot of people get easily targeted because they don't pay attention on what they click. That said, hopefully you are putting in the effort of applying what you have learn in the class and finish this semester strong with a bang!
ReplyDeleteHello Ash, thanks to the lectures we got out about URLs and internet scams I have also started to spot some in the real world. It has opened my eyes to how prevalent it is in this day and age.
ReplyDeleteHi Ash, your post made me think about how growth sounds nice in theory until Excel decides to destroy your confidence with one formula error. IS101 honestly felt like a constant cycle of learning something new, getting confused, fixing mistakes, then repeating the process again the next day. Even with all the stress, I still think this class forced us to improve whether we wanted to or not.
ReplyDeleteHi Ash. Learning about URLs was also something new for me, and now I try to pay more attention whenever I browse online so I can avoid scams in the future. I am glad you change your mindset, doing only what is required sometimes keeps us from reaching our full potential. Keep it up!
ReplyDeleteHello Ashton, I liked how you talked about actually using Excel outside of class for budgeting and organizing things because that’s when the skills start feeling more real. Also, A6 definitely had those moments where it felt confusing at first and then suddenly everything started making sense.
ReplyDeleteHi Ash, I too was brand new to the concept of mail merge and even the separate assignment we had to complete i struggled on. After going over it with the professor I was able to understand how useful the option was and how beneficial it is to learn especially when applying it in the workforce.
ReplyDelete"There were moments I felt stuck, but I kept going back to the material and eventually figured it out. I’m proud I didn’t give up on it even when it got frustrating."
ReplyDeleteI'm elated that my signature topic of how to dissect a URL led you to start paying much closer attention to URL and suspicious links before clicking ^_^
I'm also proud of you for not giving up even when it got frustrating, Ashton :-)
Hi Ash. I found the idea that recognizing online is important. I sometimes get messages from McAfee that my computer might contain viruses, which makes me worried. However, knowing how to recognize and avoid online threats is helpful for anyone who uses a computer.
ReplyDeleteHello Ash. Mail merge was also entirely new to me, and it took me a good bit of experimenting until I got it down. I'm glad you found A7 useful!
ReplyDeleteHi Ash, Mail merge was confusing to figure out. I looked through countless Google forums and YouTube videos, everyone was showing how to do it, but I didn't exactly understand the difference between merging the data and linking the data until I talked to Prof. Wu.
ReplyDeleteHi Ash. It does take a while to get comfortable with excel. A6 was struggle for me. Even with the all my previous knowledge I just get anxious when I'm given complete control over assignments like this, I never really know 100% what is wanted and figuring that out is not fun. I wish you luck using excel in your life outside class!
ReplyDeleteHey Ash! Don't beat yourself up too much about Excel being harder than you expected. Almost everybody is saying the same thing about it so you are not alone. What matters is you continued to learn and persevere no matter how hard or confusing it got. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Ashton, I relate to the part about Excel being way bigger and harder than expected. The spreadsheet assignments were definitely stressful sometimes, but it’s cool that you kept pushing through instead of giving up.
ReplyDeleteHey Ash, this whole class pushed me out of my comfort zone and am glad it did, otherwise I probably wouldn't have learned some cool functions and what not during this phase.
ReplyDeleteHey Ash! Phase 2 was definitely a learning experience, I second that!
ReplyDeleteHey Ash, good job with the A6 assignment, I agree that was a frustrating assignment for me too but we all kept our cool and managed to conquer it. Yeah, these skills are very practical and useful and goes beyond just in a classroom setting and it's cool to know we got the credentials after passing the exams. Keep up the momentum and hope all goes well!
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