“ … You can choose a ready guide in some celestial voice. If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice. . .” (from “Freewill” by Rush)

Making choices is one of the great paradoxes in life. Even the act of not making a choice is making the choice to let someone else decide for you. While some decisions do not present us with ideal options or even positive options, taking control of making the choice can help us reduce our anxiety about the situation.

College degree great investment

Over spring break I had the opportunity to visit the newly renovated Myriad Gardens in downtown Oklahoma City. It was great to see this revitalized public space — lots of children playing on the grounds, people reading and relaxing on the tree-shaded lawns, and even a dog park. After three years of a tough economy with lingering challenges, the new gardens and park provided another sign of hope for Oklahoma.

Throughout our state and especially here in Oklahoma City, there are other signals of an improving economy and quality of life — for example, the new jobs being created by the energy and aerospace industries in our area forecast a positive future. It is important to note, however, that many of these new jobs require education beyond a high school diploma. If we are to sustain this growth and economic improvement, we simply must have the educated workforce, or the forward momentum will stall.

Q: Why do the Internet browsers open new windows instead of new tabs?

A: If you right click on a link and select ‘open as a new tab,’ it will open as a new tab…by default, if it doesn’t want to replace the webpage, the normal operation is to create a new window. At the time [Internet Explorer] was developed, none of the browsers had tabs.”
—Jonathan Overholt
SQL Server Administrator

On Thursday, March 29, the OCCC Military Career Fair will be presented from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. in the College Union greater dining area. Recruiters will be sharing military and educational benefits information.

Many branches of the U.S. military, and campus offices and programs will be represented including:

Air Force Reserve

Air Force

Air National Guard

Summer and fall enrollment are rapidly approaching so students should start planning now to avoid long lines in the Office of Academic Advising. Enrollment for returning students opens March 26.

Visiting with an adviser early to pre-plan your next semester is a smart idea.

Students who set their goals early and have an action plan are often more successful in their academic careers.

Likewise, if you are working, have a family, or other priorities that you must plan your coursework around, meeting with an adviser in advance can make enrollment a much smoother process.

Classes will fill up quickly and optimal times and days for those on a restricted schedule will be difficult to find.

“Mistakes are the portals of discovery.” James Joyce (1882-1941)

Part of what helps us grow and become the most that we can be is the ability to make choices and take risks, even though some of those choices may turn out to be mistakes.

Fear can be an important emotion in that it keeps us safe, but too much fear, especially in situations where the outcome will not be fatal, shuts us down and stunts our growth.

In the classroom, this fear of making a mistake often forces us to take the path of least resistance. We might sit in class wishing that we could ask a question or challenge assumptions and let our thinking soar to new heights, but we don’t. We can’t. We’re afraid of being wrong. We’re afraid of making a mistake.

The future of our community, state and nation depends on having a strong economy, a safe environment and a just system of law and order — just to name a few issues. It also depends on having skilled leaders at all levels.

At OCCC, we take our responsibility to lay the groundwork for our students to be ready to take prominent leadership positions, not only through intellectual development, but also by providing opportunities to learn specifically about leadership.

The President’s Leadership Class at OCCC is a course offered during the fall semester designed to develop and enhance leadership skills for a select group of students.

Q: How do I get a grade substitution on my transcript?

A: “Go to Records (and Admissions), ask for a substitution form, fill it out and you should receive an email informing you if it will go through or not.”

—Alyson Stell
Academic Adviser

Dear OCCC students, alums and community members,

The OCCC Job Fair & Health Job Fair is near.

This largest employment event in the Oklahoma City metro area is scheduled for Wednesday, March 7, with general employers in the general dining area from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. and health employers in CU 2 and 3 from noon until 6 p.m.

Please dress professionally and bring extra résumés as the job fair attracts more than 100 employers from a multi-state area. A wide variety of job recruiters from numerous career fields will be on campus and many hire on the spot.

Be prepared to interview and hopefully, land a new job.

This has been a busy enrollment period for the Office of Academic Advising. During the last three weeks of peak enrollment, our office has received more than 4,100 student visits.

As always, students can avoid long lines during the peak enrollment period, which is the first few weeks before classes begin, by choosing classes at the beginning of the enrollment period.

We encourage students to start meeting with an adviser in late March for summer and fall enrollment. Visiting with an adviser early in the semester is good planning. Students who set their goals early and have an action plan are often times more successful in their academic careers.