The Survival Guide of a Chronically Stressed Hedgehog

Phase 1, Me Pretending I Know What I’m Doing

During Phase 1, it was honestly just me trying to survive because I didn’t really know how this class works. I kept thinking I was already behind even when I wasn’t. So I tried to stay ahead because once I fall behind, that’s it, game over. I don’t really have free time, but if I see even a small window, I sacrifice sleep just to keep up. I already know I mess up a lot, so I try to prevent future problems before they happen, even if that means stressing myself out early.

Time Management, or Lack Thereof

If I could redo Phase 1, I would manage my time better. Maybe actually use lunchtime to read ahead instead of thinking I have “plenty of time.” Because I thought the computer assignments would be quick. They were not quick. You open it and suddenly there are like 10 steps and if you miss one tiny thing, it’s wrong. The syllabus was already available before class started, so technically I should have prepared more. I also couldn’t access the MOS program at first, which did not help my stress level. I should have watched more videos early on because the videos actually helped me understand what the exam would look like instead of

going in blind.

Chapter 4, The Citation Police

For my topic I want to talk about 4.10.1 Citations and References, especially APA 7th edition formatting. Professors really love citations. I’m not even joking. You can write amazing content, lose sleep, pour your soul into it, and then lose points because the spacing is wrong or something isn’t italicized. And you’re just sitting there thinking, seriously? I still think content should matter more, but I get that formatting is part of being professional. I just need to accept that references are not optional and that tiny details matter whether I like it or not.

MO-110, Controlled Panic

For the MO-110 Word exam, I already took it. What I did was basically spam C.2.1 to C.2.6 assignments over and over again. If I got something wrong, I redid the video in the course and reviewed it again. I also redid Practice Exams A and B at least 2-4 times each because I didn’t trust myself. I probably reviewed four to six hours before taking the exam because in my head I was already preparing for failure. Somehow I didn’t fail, which honestly surprised me. But Excel? Excel is going to destroy me. I already know it. Excel and I have history and it’s not good.

My Survival Manual

If I want to share something, it’s this. People always say, oh this class is easy, accounting is easy, IS101 is easy. For me? No. It’s not easy. I STRUGGLE. My schedule is literally my survival guide. If I don’t follow it, everything collapses. I use checklists because I need to physically see that I did something. Crossing out tasks makes me weirdly happy because at least I accomplished something that day. I don’t feel prepared most of the time. I just do the work and hope for the best. If I pass, that’s a win. If I don’t, at least I know I tried.

The Pessimistic Hedgehog Tries IS101

About Me

Hello, my name is Kevin, and I’m currently studying accounting at the College of Southern Nevada. Before this, I worked as a pharmacist back home, and after moving here, I gave nursing a try at CSN. Honestly, my family needed someone who could handle the business side of things, so I decided to switch gears and learn accounting. I usually go with what makes sense for my situation, and this just felt right.

First Impressions of IS101 and CSN

To be blunt, I’m not very good with computers, and I’m going to be honest about that. With that in mind, my first impression of IS101 is that I know I’m going to struggle. After reading the syllabus and reviewing the assignments, I can already tell this class will be challenging. If I don’t fail, I expect to at least aim for a passing grade. I have some experience with Word, almost no experience with Excel, and a bit of experience with PowerPoint, mostly because CSN uses PowerPoint a lot, and honestly, that was a struggle for me.

LabSim Experience, Discussion 2 Part 2

For Discussion 2 Part 2, I chose LabSim 3.3.1 Printing Options in Office Applications, which focuses on using Word’s print current page and page range settings to print only selected pages. I chose this topic because of my real work experience. As a nurse, we deal with patient history and physical documents that can easily reach 20 pages or more, sometimes close to 100 pages. I once got scolded by my boss for printing the entire history and physical documents when she only needed the most recent lab results. That experience stuck with me and is exactly why I wanted to learn how to print only specific pages instead of entire documents.

Something I Want to Share

One thing I want to share—I’m kind of a pessimist. I get that it might turn off some people, so I usually keep to myself to avoid spreading it. I don’t buy into the idea that everything will always work out; bad things happen, and I just try to be ready for them. When something good comes along, it’s a bonus. I’d rather expect setbacks and be prepared than be caught off guard. It’s not the most cheerful outlook, but it helps me handle challenges, including this class.