Week 1 & 2

Part 1 – Biography

My name is Julia Icard and I am currently a sophomore at Lenoir-Rhyne majoring in nursing. Though I may be a nursing major my actual career goal is to be a midwife, but nursing is the first step. I commute every day to LR and it was probably one of the best decisions I have ever made. I really enjoy being able to live at home while I experience college. My sports career ended when I graduated high school. I was a cheerleader for ten years and was actually given the opportunity to be a back-up dancer on the MTV show Made. On the other hand my job is also located at home because I actually own my own business. Being crafty is something that comes very natural to me and after years of compliments and encouragement I finally turned it into a business. It includes everything from embroidery, monogramming, sewing projects, and other handmade crafts. Besides being creative, I love a good book, kayaking, fishing, and being surrounded by family and friends. Another reason that contributed to my choice of being a commuter is my love for my animals here at home. I really don’t know what I would do without coming home to them every day. Over the years I have learned why dogs are truly called “Man’s Best Friend.” I have 5 dogs, 2 cats, a sugar glider, a bird, and lots of other small animals. Yes, I know it sounds like a zoo, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. One of those dogs is a long-haired miniature dachshund, Marley, that lives inside with us and she is by my side every second of every day. Marley is most definitely my best friend and the best dog that anyone could ever ask for.
            I do have to say that I am actually pretty good when it comes to computers. I took several computer classes in high school and took CSC 115 during my freshman year here at LR. We did a lot of basic things for Microsoft Word, researching with Powersearch, and made a Prezi. When it comes to Excel, I know general things like adding functions into the rows and columns. There are plenty of things that I have never used in the program but would definitely like to know more about it. My goals for this course are to become more efficient with my computer skills in these particular areas. Computers are something that I use on a daily basis but knowing more would never hurt, especially in programs that I don’t use regularly only because I haven’t learned their basics or in depth uses.

Part 2 – Good or Bad?

Personally, I believe that computers make life better but then again they can sometimes complicate things due to their occasional malfunctions. When I was one, my dad’s brother moved to South Carolina and hasn’t been home since. No one knows really why they up and decided to move away but as a family, it killed us all. Although, thanks to Facebook, I now have contact with my cousins and I am able to see their pictures as well as share some of mine with them of all the things they are missing out on. Technology allowed me to reconnect with family that we had lost contact with for so many years. Another example of technology would also be Facebook allowing me to stay connected with my best friend who moved to Florida a long time ago. Now, we will never lose contact easily because social media is right in front of us all the time. Technology does have some big down sides sometimes considering I am on the third hard drive in my new laptop that is only a couple months old. Crazy right? I could be in the middle of a paper and all of a sudden, everything on my computer would be gone. The black screen of death would corrupt everything. When it comes to school, I use a computer every single day so when it crashed, there was no going back. So, in my opinion, I believe that computers have a huge impact on our lives. Whether they build us up or tear us down, they are always going to affect us. With our highly addictive devices right at hand, we as a society are being transformed into a technological world where technology is taking care of us all, whether it be good or bad.