Workshops (Astrid Sidibe)

Workshops

I am one of those student who really enjoy to grow and learn more. When I found out that the school had free workshops to go to every Thursday I knew that I was going to attend. I have been to two workshops so far and they were really good in different ways. The first I went to was “Note Taking Strategies” which was really rewarding. It gave me a lot of new tools to work with, such as the “Cornell Method”, so I can take notes more efficiently. I actually started to use the techniques right after the workshop and it helped me to learn new material, so I can own what I am being thought. The second workshop was with Natalie D-Napoleon and it was a lot of fun. It was called “Song Lyrics 101” and we learned the structure of music to better understand how to write song lyrics. We also got to rewrite song lyrics to songs that already exists, such as “Yesterday” with The Beatles, and we also developed an understanding to rhythm and rhyme. It actually reminded me a lot of poetry. I had a lot of fun and it really helped me in the process of getting going with my own songwriting.

The Well

The Well is a place for all kinds of people who likes wellness in all its shapes and forms. It is where students and staff comes together for healing and growth. It is located on campus in the ECC building and they have many different workshops during the semester. Last week I went to a workshop called “stress reduction through mindfulness practice” and I had a great time. Barbara Rose Sherman had the workshop with us and she was AMAZING. She went through many variations of meditations such as sitting meditation, eating meditation, walking meditation and one where we ended up lying on the floor. I felt so good after that experience that I took her advice to start meditate for 5 minutes a day and see how it could improve my life. It is amazing and it actually feels as if my mind is more balanced than what it was before I started. So I challenge you to try to meditate for 5 minutes a day for a week and see if you feel any difference.

Hiking

Enough about workshops. Santa Barbara is a place that has a lot to offer, especially if you like the outdoors which is something I love. A few days ago I went hiking with my hubby. We decided to go on a trail called Inspiration Point. It was a beautiful hike on the most beautiful day. We were out there for hours. The hike to the top only took about one hour but we stayed up there and enjoyed the view for a really long time. The nature here is breathtaking. I really felt inspired up there looking at the magical view with all the hawks that flew by. I guess that they were looking for food or just enjoying the day like we were. Well I am going back there someday but first I would like to explore the other hikes that I have heard a lot about.

Acting for the camera

Before I check out I would like to share that I might have found a new calling in life. I have never been very interested in acting before but after I started this class I feel as if I found a way to get in touch with more of myself. It is so cool! During class we get to explore our inner life and bring out whatever is inside. Last time we got to laugh, cry and be angry on command. I had a blast! The theory behind acting is very relatable to mindfulness and as you probably already know I am all into that. I have come to understand that acting is all about being in the now and reacting to you partner/situation as you, inside your role, within a constructed world. I do not know about you but that is great fun for me and our teacher Matt is truly the best. He is so engaged in what he is doing and I get so inspired every class. It is like I get pulled in by his presence. He is very talented, it is like going to a show every class and also being a part of it. If you ever get the chance to take this class I think you should do it!

I will write soon again! Have a great time until then, I know I will!  

Best regards, Astrid.S

Volunteering With Vanessa (Vanessa To)

Hi! My name is Vanessa To, from Berlin, Germany with Chinese descent, I’m 18 years old, now living in Santa Barbara for one semester. Finally, after twelve years of attending school, I graduated last summer in 2018 my A level in Berlin (Germany). In the beginning, I was not really sure what I really want to do after graduating. I forced myself to study immediately, such as Fashion Design; International Business Administration or media science and communication studies in Germany-wide. By applying for lots of universities I noticed day by day that most of the majors I applied for were not really those courses of studies I really would like to study for the next three years plus two further years. So I decided to start to study abroad for one semester in Santa Barbara City College in California. Now, I am doing it! From now on, my dream is to study abroad because my greatest ambition is to improve my English skills in writing and reading, as well in interaction with other people. But the most important thing here for me is to figure out what I really want to become after one semester studying in SBCC. 

Today, I am still following my artistic hobbies that shaped and coined my personality. For this reason, I was volunteering for the 34th Santa Barbara Film Festivals (SBIFF) in 2019 which started on January 30 and was taking place until February 9. The SBIFF takes place in the Arlington Theatre (1317 Chapala Street, Santa Barbara) which has a capacity of 2000 guests.

Aside from that, I love taking the acting class for the camera in Santa Barbara City College. That is always exciting and I am learning day by day more about myself why do I act at that time in this way and how I could do it next time better. I think the acting class let me feel more self-confident if I don't know anymore who I really am. The people with whom I am having acting class are all really likable and we can learn a lot from each other by sharing our acting skills no matter in words or in physicalization. So, I decided to get a new perspective from the film industry to get a broader overview to obtain a better understanding and getting the first-hand experience. In what way, I registered on the SBIFF website (https://sbiff.org/film-festival/volunteer/) to volunteer.

Moreover, I love to share my unique moments with my community from SBCC.

What does the SBIFF offer?

The SBIFF is a nonprofit organization. This film festival "celebrate the art of cinema and provide impactful educational experiences for our local, national and global communities."

The International Film Festival of Santa Barbara's objective is to support education and community by offering free educational programs such as new international films. Furthermore, SBIFF opened in 2018 an Education Center in Santa Barbara for more support in education and creativity.

What did I consider and what were my tasks in volunteering?

First of all, I chose two different shifts with diverse target groups. For the volunteering, I had a dress code. I had to wear for both shifts a name tag, a green ambassador shirt with a long sleeve shirt, and black pants or jeans.

Let us “jump” into the volunteering experience

My first shift was the Tribute Event which started from 6 pm to 9 pm on 31st January in 2019. (For the Tribute Event I wore instead of jeans, black pants and took a little small bag for my valuables, please take a jacket with you it was really cold without one).

I was really excited to manage the lines; controlling the crowds and answering the questions of the attendees. For the very first time, I struggled to handle the large group but after some attempts, I figured out how to deal with the crowds. I was so happy that I had one another volunteer by my side because I was standing in front of the main door to tear the tickets for the numerous attendees.  

I learned how to be more professional in front of the public. Furthermore, by volunteering for a good cause, it gave me more strengths to come out of my comfort zone.

Even though, I didn't see any celebrities but I had an unforgettable moment this Thursday evening. After my shift, I could watch the nomination of the directors in the Arlington Theatre. There were some famous-outstanding-rewarded directors I didn't know before, for instance, Alfonso Cuarón; Yorgos Lanthimos; Paweł Pawlikowski; Spike Lee and Adam McKay.

The second shift was the Kids Event (Applebox Films)  from 9 am to 1 pm.

(For the Tribute Event I wore jeans and a small bag for my valuables and an umbrella, please take a jacket with you it was really cold without one). On that day, we had really bad weather in Santa Barbara but luckily I was not standing roofless. So, it was okay for me.

My task was to give free popcorn out in front of the Arlington Theatre to adults and children. It was a really nice experience to see the happy and surprised face of the adults as well as the children. I also met some (new) people from our City College.

After my shift, I could watch some parts of the movies for free and it was really interesting what kind of movie they offered. I don't remember the name of the movie but it was a superman screening in a comic version. Before the movie was over, the volunteers had to gather to clean and collect the (empty) packages of the popcorn and refreshments into plastic bags.

In conclusion, I want to say that it is a really great opportunity to gain work experience in the film industry but also a small contribution to the social community. I had a lot of fun and met new people from Santa Barbara. Here you can find more information about the Film Festival of Santa Barbara: https://sbiff.org/about/about-sbiff/

Best wishes,

Your International Blogger

Vanessa

You can find me on social media to stay tuned:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/xunxianvanessa.to.1

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifestyleblog.vt/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/xun-xian-vanessa-to-379517179/

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Snapchat: vanessaa.to

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYQJM_pBEpokvVAQYvvvfAA

Explore, enterprise, and culture (Ruth Zapico)

Hello readers! My name is Ruth Zapico and I am an international student from Spain at Santa Barbara City College. Please, grab a cup of coffee, tea, or whatever drink that you enjoy. Then, sit down and keep reading. Hopefully you learn something from my experience being an international student, and maybe you will consider becoming one too.

From the beginning I knew I wanted to come to California, one of the most prestigious states. I think that studying in the USA is a really serious and important opportunity for your future. Especially for job opportunities, because of that prestige that I mentioned before.

I would like you to keep in mind three words that we will be talking about throughout the rest of this blog post. These words are: explore, enterprise, and culture. Later on I will tell you how these three words can apply to you.

As humans, we all have different personalities, ways of thinking and interpreting. These, among many others, are what makes every single of us unique. I came to California to study film and tv production because California is the birthplace of the cinema. However, if you are interested in biology or engineering, that is perfect too, you are just another human being with different interests than me. Maybe your reason to come to California is the nice weather, the surfing or the beautiful beaches. Once I knew I wanted to come, I started looking up universities, and I read about every single one of them. It was a really long process, I am not going to lie. Many of those universities were not for me. Either because of the cost, the location or the majors it offered. Then I found Santa Barbara City College. It was a perfect match, so I applied, and a couple of months later I was in California putting together my new IKEA furniture.

Do you still have in your mind those words that I told you earlier? When I came to SBCC, I was looking forward to become more independent, to have more freedom, to explore things and getting out of my comfort zone, and probably following the dreams I have.

Becoming a Santa Barbara City College student brought me so many opportunities. SBCC brought me the opportunity to explore, because it lets you try out different things, to see what you like the best. It brings you the opportunity to do internships as well as working on campus after the 1st semester. SBCC also gave me the opportunity to be an enterprising and creative person because the classes are really practical instead of having to memorize many formulas and letters. And last but not least, in SBCC there is a concentration of people from so many countries from the world. This is beautiful because a lot of out new knowledge comes from talking and living with people from different cultures.

I have learned that in order to succeed you have to work hard to reach your dream. No one is going to do the work for you, and success is something you need to work for. I have also learned what it’s like to live with people with different cultures. It can be challenging sometimes, but most of the time it’s amazing. It is crazy how much knowledge you gain from this experience. For this reason, I welcome future students to enjoy this great opportunity that Santa Barbara City College offers you to explore, create and enterprise among the exchange of knowledge.

Talk soon,

Ruth

 

Top 5 Things to do in Your First Semester at SBCC (Antonio Monteiro)

It is hard to list all the great things that I enjoyed during my first semester at SBCC. Meeting new people, moving away from home, and learning how to be more responsible is just a few. But as a veteran, there were a few things that I wish I knew before coming to SBCC. Your first semester are vital for future success during your school years. And oh boy, they go by really fast. So without further due, here are the top five things to do in your first semester at SBCC.

 

1) Learn the College Requirements for Graduation

You need to learn the rules of the game. Otherwise, you will not know how to play it. And this could make or break you. 

Learning the requirements for graduation, the necessary general education provisions, and how to plan your years at school is vital. 

Get to know more about the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC), and how to use assist.org to pick your chosen universities, and learn their course requirements. The sooner you understand the educational system, the more comfortable you will become at SBCC. You will know why you are taking the specific classes, and what to do.

 

2) Plan your courses, major, and routine.

By failing to plan, you are planning to fail. Plain and simple. I have not yet met any successful student here at school that does not plan his/her school year. Not only that, the successful student plans his/her days, weeks, and months. If you do not plan, you will be stressed out during midterms and finals week. And this could impact your grades and health (not good). Therefore, go ahead and prepare your course plan, major and daily routine. And if you do not know your major, no problem. You can always plan your general education requirements.

 

3) Meet your counselor

Go ahead and meet your counselor as soon as possible. He/she will be the person that can help you with your course planning, and any other type of question or issue related to your preparation for success here at SBCC.

Do not be afraid to tell them what is going on, what are your challenges and what you want with their advice. They are highly trained professionals with the willingness to make you successful. So help them help you! And if you feel like your counselor does not fit with your personality. Do not be afraid to look to ask for changing your counselor.

 

4) Check out the school resources

Our college is like a breakfast buffet for helpful resources. There is something good for everyone. Therefore, go away and learn more about them. And give it a try on the ones that you think it might help you.

5) Take the initiative to meet your professors

Go ahead and meet your professors. They want to see you succeed if you have questions. Or even if you want to set expectations about the classes and ask for tips on how to do well, do not lose the chance of going to their office hours.

 

Bonus: Get good grades ASAP! This is serious. Get good grades, primarily in your first year.

 

The GPA is cumulative, which means that if you have a 3.8-4.0 GPA during your first year, it is most likely that you will keep it high. Think about it like that, the earlier you get good grades. The easier will be for you to transfer to a top-notch university. You will be setting yourself with the habit of achieving excellence, and you will keep up with ease once you get the grip of it in the beginning.

  

To Sum
I know that college is much more than grades, and studying. There are a whole array of things going on in our lives, new experiences and so on. However, keep in mind your priorities, and why you are here. You do not want to get stuck in a wrong group of friends, abuse too much of parties, and other things. But by any means, do not cut your fun out, this is important too. Just learn how to manage.

 

I wish you the best of luck and an excellent experience here at SBCC!

Best, Antonio

 

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