Carl English’s OBI blog

It sounds like some super hero strong hold, but it is really OBI.  After graduation, the place really feels lonely.  It is nice to get loads of work done without interruptions, but I realize just how much I miss our students.  They really do become friends over the year.  To all of the high school and college students out there in the world, congratulations and good luck in the next phase of your life.  Enjoy the small break, because it is the last one you will probably ever receive.

The only reason anybody should ever consider going to college is to get a good job.  College should not be used as an excuse to party, avoid paying bills for a few more years, and to study funny things like Video games 101 or Comic Books and their place in society.  Those are actual classes.  I am not making this up.  You should learn and practice the skills that will earn you a career and propel into the future.  Even though the economy is slower than it has been for years, there are jobs.  Even if you have to start by flipping burgers, making subs, or cleaning bathrooms, your work is noble.  Here is a great website to get you started on your job hunt.  www.indeed.com  It is a mega site that incorporates many job search engines, like monster.com, yahoojobs, and more.  Also check out you local area chamber of commerce website.  The usually have links to local businesses that are looking to fill positions.  Do not forget about America's job bank, which puts you on to federal jobs, and look into taking local and state civil service tests.  Government is always hiring.

Have a great summer!

I am currently administering a math test out to our spring enrollees.  It has been a good start to the year so far, and this class will only add to it.  I enjoy working at OBI and this time of year, while full of stress, is always exciting.  There is a lot of work to get an applicant started for a semester.  If you ever wonder why most colleges charge a hundred or more dollars for an enrollment fee, this is why.  It takes dozens of man-hours to get a student recruited, enrolled, and scheduled.  The nice thing about admissions at OBI is our enrollment fee is already low, 25 dollars, and I often waive it anyway.

Well it is getting late and is almost time to head to my second job.  If you wonder what that is, tune into MIX 101.5 in Olean, NY or check out www.mymixwmxo.com to find out.

OBI held its first ever blood drive December 3rd.  It was a great success.  Well over 20 units were donated.  We beat the stuffing out of JCC.  They have 6 times the student population and couldn't even bring in half of what we did.  I am very proud of OBI's students and staff.  The Community Blood Bank of Western New York is a great organization. 

The Christmas season is upon us.  I know that Christmas offends some people, but I am unapologetic.  One thing we should do as Americans is never compromise our beliefs, but be tolerant of others.  I will say Merry Christmas and someone else may say Happy Kwanzaa.  It is all good in my book.  Whatever your beliefs are, enjoy this season.  There is something about it that makes humankind a little bit better.

I also want to recognize our Student Senate for their participation in the Santa Claus Lane parade.  They made an excellent float and represented OBI very well.

The economy is in a bad way.  We all know it.  Now is the time to upgrade your education.  Government money often dries up for social programs, but they always try to keep education alive.  The reason, a well educated workforce drives the economy.  Grab the money that is out there and get yourself to school.  Yes, it may be a sacrifice for you, your social life, your family, and your TV watching, but the dividends will be worth it.  At OBI we specialize in the non-traditional student.  The ones with families and jobs.  There are plenty of colleges like us out there.  Find one!

I received the first flu shot of my life last week.  I hope it was worth it.  My arm still hurts.  Yes, I am a wimp, but I swear that needle was twenty feet long.  Am I ever going to update this blog on a regular basis?  I sure hope so.  It is a good thing I don't have any fans, or they would be mightly disappointed.   

I have uploaded some photographs I have taken at OBI over the past year.  I like taking pictures, but the problem is, I am not very good at it.  I will add captions over time.  It does take me awhile to enter pithy remarks.  Most people would say, " Carl you are the funniest, wittiest guy I know.  Don't tell me you have to think about all the great, profound things you say."  I don't, it just takes me a long time to type them.

The OBI Fall Semester 08 semester is going along smoothly.  Three weeks are already finished.  Wow, that was fast!  OBI was also on the front page of the Times Herald.  An article was written about the 4 day work and class weeks we hold.  It was a good article and the 4 day weeks are one more reason to come to OBI.  The Spring Semester will be here before we know it.  It is never to early to enroll.  Whether it is OBI or another great school, college is the way to go in this day and age.  A college degree is favored in many job markets, even in factory work.  It is also never to late to start.  There is often financial aid help available no matter what age you are.  There, that was my pitch for the week.

I recently received an email from a gentleman who stumbled upon my blog.

"I have had the misfortune to accidentally come across your blog. As Director of Admissions at OBI your English is also quite awesomely dreadful. Does one have to be illiterate to be admitted to OBI?"

"Ed Always" edallways@hotmail.com 

Mr Always did not check out the back dated "issues" of my blog.  I held a discussion last year around this time about the need of blogs to be grammatically correct.  The consensus of the people who responded was, that as a representative of a college, I should make an effort to police my grammar, punctuation and spelling.  However, in the environment of a blog, as my friends pointed out, normal rules are relaxed.  I do not have to live up to the standards of Oxford, which I assure you, I do not, but I should make a try. 

I often return to my former posts and clean up mistakes I find or others point out.  I do not have my blog posts proof-read as I do my other school related correspondence.  Is this a mistake?

I started this blog as informal way for prospective students, current students, graduates, and the world in general, to get to know me and OBI.  Was this a mistake?  Olean Business Institute is a different kind of college than most people are used to.  We are very much student oriented and strive to make the kind of atmosphere people can thrive in. 

I did respond to Mr. Always and pointed out a few mistakes that he made in his short note, and in three sentences, there was a lot of them.  Can anybody point them out?  I also asked him to point out my errors and I would be sure to correct them.  As of now, I have not heard back from him. 

I also want to take the chance to assure my friend Edward, that the students at OBI are not illiterate.  I would think a job placement rate of 90% or higher would attest to that fact.  Our students are a hardworking group of people, who more often than not juggle families, jobs, and fulltime classes.  I would hate to be in his shoes if any of our non-traditional students who pull 4.0 averages ever come across Ed in a dark alley.  It is not cool to insult them.  I can take it and I am used to it, but to bash someone who puts more effort in one day than many (our detractor among them?) do in a lifetime, is extremely low.

What does everyone think of this issue?  Feel free to answer my questions and weigh in on this subject.  I look forward to a wide variety of opinions.  Maybe, we will hear back from Ed.  I would hate to make him a pariah.

OBI's  Adult Learner Scholarship tests are being held today.  It boggles my mind how under utilized scholarships are.  But I am somewhat of a hypocrites.  I received an academic scholarship from the college I attended, but was too lazy to apply for anymore.  Quite often, this money is just lying around waiting for someone to take it.  How often have you walked by a penny on the ground and thought to yourself, I won't pick that up, it is not worth my effort.  I have done the same thing and then wish later on I had all of those pennies I passed up over the years and then five minutes later walk by another one.  Scholarships are just like that.  Some scholarships only require the filling out of a one-sided form to be eligible for their monies.  How difficult is that.  I tell you, it must be difficult, since most people refuse to do it.  I have found an interesting scholarship search engine.  It is nextstudentloans.com/sse1.  The company that runs this engine does sell student loans, but if you use their search, you can opt out of getting solicited by them.  It takes about ten minutes to fill out a questionnaire.  It is worth the effort.  I made a profile myself and I never received one email from the company regarding their loan service.  I think it is a winner.  Anyways, what does a little spam hurt if you are trying to fund your college education?  It is amazing the variety of scholarships that are offered.  There are scholarships for: left-handers, horse riders, 4-H ers, chefs, only children, twins, Daughters of the American Revolution, and more.  If you have ever had a hobby or played a sport, there is a scholarship for it.  Even if you are currently enrolled in college, it is not to late to look.  Even a 100 dollar scholarship may come in useful as it might pay for a book or two.

I can't say it enough....... Scholarships,Scholarships, Scholarships!  Don't be a knucklehead, look for scholarships!

It is Thursday and I am out of the office, but not for fun.  My water well is broken and I am waiting for the stores to open so I can buy very expensive parts.  The job is not overly hard but can be tedious.  Pulling and fixing a 350 feet deep water well is not my idea of relaxation.  If you have ever worked on your own water well, you know what I mean.  Those city folk sure do have it easy.  This is why everyone should enroll at OBI and get an education, you can afford to have someone do it for you.  Well, enough of the whining, it is time to get to work.  I will try to update with my progress.  Viva la city water!

I am really tearing it up now.  This is like three entries in one month.  I am getting much better at this.  I was a little late with this one, but I just had two knee surgeries and had other things on my mind.

The fourth of July is over and it already seems summer is drawing to a close.  So now it is time for everyone to enroll in OBI, and I do mean everyone.  We are having some little changes in the school that may not seem like much, but it is the little things that count.  My office is slowly but surely becoming clean.  Do you think papers from 1995 should be thrown out?  I think I will keep them.  They may have important information.  Like info on MC Hammer, the Fugees and Pogs.  OOOOh pogs.