INTRICT dance showdown.. :)

AUGUST 14, 2008 a.k.a. DOOMS DAY

This was the day of our INTRICT dance showdown, to make up for the grade we got in the database challenge. Why dooms day? Well, this was the day that we also took our algebra quiz and our INTRPRG exam. Good thing we survived this day. :)

Let me place here what we went through to finish our dance for INTRICT. At the start of the week, that was a Monday, we had our very first rehearsal. We had so much difficulty because no one in our group have dancing skills. From that rehearsal, all we did was to think of songs to combine. In other words, we planned to create a remix of those songs. The next day, we also had our practice. We thought of easy steps to put to our dance. Haha. We accomplished about a fourth of the dance. :)) The next day, which was a Wednesday, we really had to be serious for us to complete the dance. Then, we accomplished half. But hey, that was an improvement! :))

The next day was the day that the showdown was going to take place. Luckily, we did not have our class in our first subject. So, we used that time to rehearse and finalize our dance. And............ We completed our dance! :) hahaha.

So there. It was INTRICT time. After we performed our dance, I was relieved because finally, it was over. :) I just hope that we gained back our negative score for the database challenge. :))

Makro Paper = No sleep...... at all :))

We were tasked to work on a paper as an output for our Makro field trip. There was no specific number of pages required, though. But of course, we have to work hard on it.

My groupmates and I started working on our paper when we were in school. We placed an outline so that we'll have a guide on how our paper will look like. :) That night, we worked on our paper, and gladly, we finished it. :)

But, here's the catch. When it was the day that we have to submit our paper, Sir Oli told out class that we have to use Microsoft Visio to illustrate the processes that are taking place in Makro. That only meant one thing. We have to change our paper. The whole class looked pale after knowing that we have to submit that paper 2 days after it was announced. So okay, we already knew that we have to work on it really fast and well.. Whick also meant one thing.. No sleep. :))

The day before the submission, we were already cramming. My groupmates and I really worked hard on it. Two of us had no sleep at all. Haha. The next day, a.k.a. submission day, good thing we had no class on our first subject. Which meant that I can go to school late. :)) Our paper was finished at around 8 45am. After printing it, I rushed to school because late papers will have deductions. :)) So there. Out paper was submitted on time. Whew! That was a relief. :)

MAKRO field trip.. :)

Last July 25, 2008, we had our very first INTRICT field trip at Makro. This trip was for us to see the actual processes that are taking place inside a company or an enterprise. So okay, here I go. Let me place here the things that we did on that day..

We had to assemble at the entrance of Makro at 7:30 am.. But, I have to fetch three of my blockmates at Ministop at 7am. Whew!! Good thing we made it on time, considering the heavy traffic there was on the way. When we reached Makro, all of our blockmates were there at the main entrance. I was relieved to see that they were still at the assembly area. Haha. After waiting for the others to come, we formed two straight lines, so as to be organized when entering the warehouse.

It was difficult for us to keep up with the discussion of the store manager who toured us around, because there were many of us, and we can hardly hear her voice. Good thing, our blockmates were intelligent enough to maximize the features of their cellphone. They recorded the discussion of the manager. :)

For an hour and a half, we were toured around Makro, and we saw how wet and dry products are received and stored. From here, we took down notes and listened attentively so that we would know what to put in out major paper. :) After the tour, there was a session for us to ask our questions.. The questions asked by our blockmates and the other blocks were about the problems that Makro experiences like spoilage of products and the like. These questions were clearly answered by the manager.

After the Makro trip, we planned to head back to La Salle to start working on our major paper. Unfortunately, one of my groupmates was nowhere to be found. So we decided to work on it when we get back home.

For about 30 minutes, we just stood at the main entrance of Makro, thinking of what we would do next. Haha. My other blockmates disappeared. Little did I know that my blockmate offered a free ride back to La Salle. :)) Some of us were left at Makro, and we do not know how to return back to La Salle. Three of us decided to take a cab. From there, we went to Jollibee, where our other blockmates went.

So there. That was my day during the Makro field trip. :)) But, there's still more! :)) Read the next entry and you'll know. :)

kung fu panda! :)

Today was a blast!! haha. Andaming firsts.. :) First time to commute from moa.. First time makalusot.. First time to go to the mall during a school day! :)) haha. Definitely an unforgettable day. :)

So ok, here it goes.. Our prof in FWSPORT didn't show up.. Haha. Well, that makes our class dismissed earlier. :) Then that's when we (my blockmates and I), decided to go somewhere. There. We decided to go to moa to watch Kung Fu Panda, which was a great movie. :) It really took out the stress in each one of us. :)) Oh yeah, before I forget.. Thank goodness the FX was there on time when the LRT had a technical problem. :))

It was fun! :) Considering the fact that it was Liam's first time to go there.. haha. Field trip.. :D Hope we get to do this again.. :)

INTRICT entry 2 -- job opportunities.. :)

I learned a lot during this week's INTRICT sessions, not to mention about the latest technologies being developed nowadays.. MICROSOFT SURFACE!! I'd die to have one of those. Imagine, a table that does all the work for you in the fastest and easiest way. How much does this cost? About 4 million pesos.. Haha. I guess I have to find the most decent-paying job for me to afford buying one of these. So, this week, Sir Oli asked us to find 25 job postings on jobstreet, and place on a chart the responsibilities, technical and non-technical skills that we encounter on the postings.

Here we go.. By the way, it was hard tallying these skills and responsibilities 'coz there were lots of 'em.. =))

25 IT jobs in demand: =)

1. Flash Developer
2. EN IT Technical Analyst-Application Operations
3. .NET Software Developer
4. IT ENGINEER
5. Nintendo DS Game Programmer
6. IT ASSOCIATES / SPECIALISTS
7. MIS Analyst - MS Access and Excel Intermediate Users
8. Business Development Training Group - Systems Engineer
9. Global Beta Support Analyst - Project-based
10. Web Developer
11. Software Development Engineer
12. IT Change Management Specialist
13. IT Project Manager
14. Programmers/Web Engineers
15. Software Quality Analyst
16. Business Systems Analysts
17. C# Software Engineers (Consultant)
18. Programmer/Analyst
19. Systems Analyst
20. Junior Developer
21. Software Quality Engineers
22. NET Programmer / Developer
23. Application Support Analyst
24. Systems Consultant
25. IT Programmer


Each of these jobs require specific technical and non-technical skills, and of course, reponsibilities for the applicants to expect. =P

The chart above represents the most number of technical skills needed to qualify for the job of your dreams. =P Well, as seen in the chart, most IT jobs require applicants to have good skills in .NET, SQL, and HTML. On the other hand, IT jobs do not really require their applicants to have a background on ORACLE, CCNA, XML, and CSS. Now I know which skills I have to acquire during my stay in college, in order for me to find a nice job. Haha. =P

The above chart represents the number of jobs requiring such non-technical skills. =) Of course, we all know that all of the 25 job postings would require applicants to be a graduate of Information Technology, or at least any computer course, because after all, we were assigned to look for IT job postings.. =P The second skill that most jobs require is verbal communication skills. IT is about teamwork, how you present your idea and put it into reality. This skill is really needed because in the field of IT, we would interact with lots and lots of people, and we have to carry ourselves and present ourselves well. =) On the other hand, the skill that jobs do not usually require is organization. I guess, as long as you do your job well and people understand your work, even if your workplace is not at all organized, it's fine. (I think.).. =))




Finally, the last chart! Woohoo!! =) The chart above represents the number of jobs that require their employees-to-be to take note of the responsibilities that they have to expect and eventually look forward to. Most jobs require their employees to implement production plans. Of course, every IT graduate must expect this duty because IT is about working with teams (that goes with the saying "No man is an island") and when there are teams, productivity must eventually increase, and therefore, a better output must be produced. =) Another responsibility an applicant must expect is to test and resolve problems. IT professionals must make sure that their product is of good quality and of course, they should know how to fix problems that may arise from their program.. =)

Most jobs require good oral communication (English and Filipino). It's a good thing we have time to practice these two languages in school. =)) Hopefully, I get to learn about the different technical skills IT jobs require in the 3-year stay I will have in DLSU.. =P I guess I just have to do my best to meet the standards of these jobs. =) I also have to develop my leadership skills and hoe to be a team player. After all, more ideas may come out if we all work in teams. ;) These skills may eventually develop by joining organizations that can enhance leadership and teamwork. :) Lastly, I have to develop multi-tasking, which I guess I am developing now (working at my blog, uploading pictures in my friendster account, and watching TV). Haha. =))

Homework reference: http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dcrgj7tj_0dfp3m8d8

on to the second week.. :)

Just a random blog..


Today is the start of a new week. Second week of classes. Can't this week go any faster? :)) lol. I can't imagine what tommorow would be like, with the thought of having a graded recitation in INTRPRG. Looks like I have to crack some bones. :)) I don't want to stand for the rest of the 1 1/2 hr class just because I didn't get to answer our prof's question. Haha. I guess after tomottow's INTRPRG period, it would be a great relief not only for me, but also for my blockmates. :))

INTRICT entry 1.. :)

As I have learned in class, Google does have a lot of applications that students like me can use in communicating with my classmates and professors, reminding me with events or tasks I have entered in my calendar, and doing reports together with my group mates or partner. These applications are very advantageous for me because I can make better use of Google applications, not only the basic or common uses of these applications, but including its functions that can help me manage my time, and work more productively. In INTRICT, I learn about the latest technologies, how to maximize them, and how to use them properly. Google is a good start for me to learn about these new advancements in technology because this application is a good example of an advanced electronic search engine. This can give me an idea on where is the direction of the advancement in technology, and probably the next step to its further improvement.

Yahoo has similar applications that Google also has. Yahoo provides a calendar application which helps me organize upcoming events, tasks to do, and my daily schedule. Also, it provides an address book where I can put my contacts in, which makes it easier to communicate with other people. Google provides an application called Gtalk, which helps me communicate with other people faster through chat. Similarly, Yahoo provides Yahoo Messenger, which can make communicating with many people a whole lot easier.

In my own definition, productivity can be referred to as an output of work and effort exerted. It does not mean that if you exerted work and effort to a task that is given, then it is considered productive. It is more than just work and effort; it is about maximizing the tools and resources given to you and going beyond what is expected of you. Most people say that technology makes our lives easier, but it can also make our lives complicated. Yes, this is true, but it depends on the user whether he or she will use technology as a tool to further improve his/her output and organize them. This is where productivity comes in. We use technology in order to be more productive, but in what way? Let us look at Gmail for example. We can use its calendar application to input our schedule. With properly configured settings, Google will automatically send an SMS message to your mobile phone to remind you of an upcoming event. This can help us maximize applications, and therefore become more productive. Sounds great, huh? Yes, I learned it from our INTRICT class. :D

Considering that my father is a busy person, I can suggest that he makes use of technology to further improve his work. This can be done through an electronic calendar like Google, which automatically reminds its users of their upcoming events. This application can be very useful and helpful to my father because he can avoid missing appointments just because he forgot that he has one. When he acquires of this application, I am sure that he can relax his mind of the many schedule he has, because the technology advancement that Google has can help him keep track of his daily activities.

first week! :)

Seems that my high school days are officially over! Now it's a fresh start for my college life. :) First week has gone.. Seems only yesterday, it was just only our first day! Haha. Assignments on the second day?? Who was I kidding! This is college now, time to be serious.. :)

First day of classes was fun, simply because there wasn't much schoolwork to be done. But when we met our INTRPRG professor on the second day.. Boy, was it nerve-cracking. I can see myself studying for intrprg every night just for the sake of not standing up for 1 1/2 hours! Haha. :) Now I'm just thinking of how to survive this 'terror' subject. Well, I guess it just comes down to this: Stop. Look. Listen. What the.. :P

Woohoo!! First blog entry.. Not that hard than I thought it would be.. :) 'til next time. :D