Palo Alto students have questions; Campus experts have answers
What is the best job for a full-time college student?
| Various types of employers
advertise at the Career
Resource Services: full-time, part-time, permanent, and temporary.
If you are a full-time student, it is better to work part-time so that
you can concentrate on academics. Telemarketing offers part-time positions
with a higher-than-minimum-wage salary. Some telemarketing employers
that advertise through our Job
Placement Services are Advantage Rent-A-Car, Calling Solutions, and
WEST TeleServices Corporation, just to name a few. In these companies,
the customer is calling you for a service; therefore, you do not have
the high-stress rejection of cold calling that some outbound telemarketing
jobs have. Another source of part-time employment that pays more than minimum wage is the Student Educational Employment Program (S.E.E.P.) at Lackland Air Force Base. The academic requirements are stringent and most positions are clerical, which requires the applicant to type at least 50 words per minute. Working in a government position requires that you maintain a high GPA, have a declared major and attend school at least six college credit hours per long semester. Palo Alto’s Job Placement Services has the latest information on San Antonio’s economic indicators and demographics, as well as employment and wages. These resources help to give students a clear and realistic view of the world of work. Very few employers work around a student’s school schedule, so it is to your benefit to be organized and prioritize your academic and work obligations. Employers are looking for a person who is dependable, has problem-solving skills, is computer literate, has goal-setting skills, has good communication and listening skills, and demonstrates integrity and independence. Job Placement is a component of the Career Resource Services located in the Counseling Center. Office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday during the Fall and Spring semesters, and 7:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. during the Summer semesters. Lydia Ortega, the Senior Job Placement Specialist, will help you write your resume and will also help you call employers to arrange an appointment for an interview. Lydia Ortega, M.A. Senior Job Placement Specialist lortega @accd.edu 921-5298 Why is it when we need to discuss matters with a certain counselor, they are not available? The Counseling Center is open Monday - Thursday 8 a.m. till 7 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. till 5 p.m. At least one Counselor is always on duty; however, most hours several counselors are available to see students. If you came in to see a particular counselor, it is possible that the counselor you were requesting to see was not available. All of the counselors can teach up to 6 courses, serve on campus committees and advise newly enrolled students. If you came in while the counselor was occupied with activities mentioned above, it could be possible that the particular counselor you were wishing to speak to was not available. When visiting the Counseling Office, keep in mind that during the semester, students are seen on a walk-in basis, but during registration, due to the volume of students, counselors see students by appointment. In addition to walk-ins and appointments, simple questions may be answered by telephone or by e-mail. Our telephone number is 921-5280 or you can visit the Counseling Center website at http://www.accd.edu/pac/counsel/counselors_staff.htm Dr. Dan Rodriguez, Chair Counseling Department drodrigu@accd.edu 921-5291 Why do people gain the most weight in college? How can you lose weight? The “freshman 15” is a common phenomenon seen on college campuses around the country. The increase in weight seems to accompany attending college. The weight increase usually stems from the change in lifestyle that occurs. Changes in eating and physical activity patterns and increased stress are common. College students, especially those who commute to school, often eat on the run, picking up fast food or convenience items instead of eating sit-down meals. Students also tend to eat while studying or watching TV, which can lead to unconscious overeating. The demands of college courses, work and family can decrease the time you can spend in physical activity, which can decrease your body’s muscle, which makes weight gain easier. Increases in stress levels can also cause an increase in food intake. So how can this weight gain be lost? Weight loss is a common goal among people living in the United States. At this time about two-thirds of adult Americans are overweight, and we spend more than $40 billion each year on weight loss programs, books and magazines. The results are poor. The average time a person spends on a diet is 42 days, and the average weight loss is less than 10 pounds. Even if you lose more than 10 pounds, there is a 95 percent chance that you will regain that weight within one year. In other words, diets don’t work. What does work is a combination of increasing physical activity and decreasing food intake. Try to accumulate 30 minutes of activity every day through walking or other activities. Sign up for the free citywide Walk San Antonio* program here on campus, which can help you track your progress. Decrease your calorie intake by reducing your portion sizes. Eat a small hamburger instead of a double one. Choose small fries instead of large. Choose a piece of fruit instead of cookies or cake for dessert. Drinks add up, too. A 20-ounce non-diet soda has 250 calories. Drink one of these each day, and you will have consumed enough calories to add two pounds to your frame every month or 24 pounds in a year! Small changes in eating and physical activity can make a big difference over time. Finally, be patient. You didn’t gain the weight in a few weeks, so you won’t lose it in a few weeks either. Successful losers set realistic goals, stay focused, and don’t give up. *You can sign up for Walk San Antonio by contacting Susan at 921-5237. Susan Kazen, R.D., M.P.H. (Registered Dietician) Kinesiology Professor skazen@accd.edu 921-5237 As a broadcast news major, why do I have to take so many classes that have nothing to do with my major? It's called a liberal education. This is the idea that everyone going to college, regardless of their major, should learn about certain fundamental areas of human knowledge---like math, science, history, government, humanities, and social sciences. The purpose of this spread of classes is to help you become a literate, well-informed, critical thinker, who can make personal and political decisions within our democratic society. This is the real answer to your question. The technical answer is that the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, both of whom give Palo Alto College its "accreditation" (this means they say we can be a college and teach students), say we must have a "core curriculum" composed of these fundamental areas. Besides all this, how can you be a sports broadcaster without knowledge of stats, steroids, stories, and all that colorful language for which your chosen profession is so famous? Dr. Dorothy Haecker, Chair Behavioral Sciences and Humanities/IDST Department dhaecker@accd.edu 921-5055 Why is the Student Center expansion going to eliminate the recreational activities with more study rooms? I am working with the Palo Alto College Student Government regarding the Student Center. There are going to be recreational activities, such as ping-pong, available for the students. However, there will not be video games. I do not believe that video games are a healthy option. Recreational activities will be available. There will also be study rooms available. Many students have requested study rooms closer than the ones available in the library. I have to respond to these needs. I also plan to do something interesting like an Internet Café, and have rooms available for student groups who want to meet. Dr. Ana M. Guzmán, President Palo Alto College aguzman@accd.edu 921-5260 Why do women always have to have it their way? I’d like to begin my response with a mini-lesson in logic. (I promise to get to the question!) Logic is the branch of philosophy that focuses on reasoning. Philosophers and students of philosophy study logic so that they will be better able to sort out reasoning that is good from reasoning that is fallacious, or bad. Reasoning well is difficult, but it is also important because it provides us with a tried and true way to negotiate many of the problems we encounter in our daily lives. To that end, here is one thing to watch out for. It is the mistake in reasoning philosophers refer to as the “fallacy of complex question”. This mistake in reasoning occurs when an unestablished assumption is hidden in a question. An example is found in the question “Are you still beating your wife (husband)?” Another would be, “When will you stop cheating?” In the first case, the questioner assumes that you have beaten your spouse. In the second, the questioner assumes that you are being scholastically dishonest. In both cases, the problem is clear. The questions assume something that, by rights, they shouldn’t. Every piece of reasoning has to start somewhere—has to assume something. But, not all assumptions are equally legitimate. The more obviously correct an assumption, the better the assumption, while the more controversial the assumption, the worse it is. Assumptions are kind of like cognitive diving boards; they are our point of departure that ultimately culminates in our thinking, saying, and doing all sorts of things. When we jump off a defective diving board, we end up with problems. So too, if we begin a thought process with a questionable assumption, we end with a problematic and, therefore questionable conclusion. That being said, I will finally respond to the question. Although the question may have been asked in a light-hearted, joking manner, I am going to address it as if it was intended to be taken seriously. I consider it a bad question. I say this because it commits the fallacy of complex question, and so I am not going to answer it. It assumes that women do always get their way. I think we know better. They don’t, at least not all of the time, and probably not even most of it. In fact, research shows that in many areas of life, women simply do not get their fair share. Here is just one example: a full-time working [white] woman, receives only 73 cents to every dollar received by a white man. The case is even worse for women who are minorities. An African-American woman receives only 65 cents. Hispanic women are paid only 53 cents to the dollar. I could go on, but I don’t think I need to. Granted, the plight of women is, generally, more equitable than it use to be. It is clear that we still have a long way to go. The problem, then, is not that women always get their way; it is that all too often, they don’t even get their due. Dr. John Hernandez Philosophy Professor johernan@accd.edu 921-5037 Why do nice guys finish last? Much of what I said above about the fallacy of complex question applies to this question. Still, I find it interesting and worth pondering because it prompts us to examine several very important issues: What do we mean by nice? What does it mean to be victorious? What really matters? Socrates said that the really important thing in life was not merely to live, but to live well. If he is right, then, in a very real sense, nice (where nice is understood as being morally righteous) guys/gals can’t finish last, at least in the “races” that matter most; they are always winners! Dr. John Hernandez Philosophy Professor johernan@accd.edu 921-5037 Is there any free counseling program for depression or stress? Yes, different areas in Student Services (including Counseling) regularly present session on topics ranging from note taking, to time management, to alcohol and drug abuse, to family abuse. At present, there are no sessions scheduled on depression and/or stress. Individual counselors, however, are available to work with students who might have concerns with depression or stress. As a rule, counselors work with students on a short-term basis. In most instances, that's enough to address the concerns. If additional counseling is needed, the student will be referred to a community agency that deals with the client's particular need. Most of the referrals are to agencies that offer services at no cost or charge on a sliding scale. For specific information on workshops offered on campus, or if you would like to talk about your circumstances, stop by the Counseling Office. All sessions are strictly confidential. Dr. Dan Rodriguez, Chair Counseling Department drodrigu@accd.edu 921-5291 |