So what will my final project be? I think I've figured it out!

As I mentioned (very briefly) in my last post, I have decided what I would like to dedicate my final project to--returning study abroad students at NYU. I currently work as a Study Abroad Coordinator at NYU's Office of Study Abroad Admissions and am confident that our office works diligently to ensure that students are prepared and informed about their study abroad options before they apply, are updated about their application status throughout their review process and receive the valuable information, tips, and updates about their pre-departure plans once they've been admitted. Yet, I feel that we can do a better job guiding our students back into life at NYU and in the US upon their return. Research shows that students continue through a U-curve upon returning home from a study abroad experience--they are excited to see their friends and family, to share their stories, and to live the "good life" of typically American comodities. That said, before long they bottom out and feel lonely, depressed, and/or out of place. At this point, it is important that these students find opportunities to engage in their community so that they don't become either a.) disillusioned with their life in the US or b.) disconnected from their international experiences. As a result, I propose creating a website that will act as a resource for NYU Study Abroad Returnees. My site will offer students a place where they can learn about the feelings that they're having and what research suggests they're going through. Additionally, it will provide them with information about international events on campus and in the City that they can become involved with. I will create a calendar that will post upcoming events and will offer suggestions for ways that the returnee students can become involved in the preparation process for new study abroad admitted students. Finally, I will dedicate a section of my website to work and experiences abroad so that students can research how they can become involved in the international community in the future.

My goal for the project is to create a website that offers a vast array of information to support returning study abroad students. I will include links to university resources like the Career Services Office, Global Education, Residence Education (and the international offerings that they post) and the Wellness Exchange. Furthermore, I will promote interaction amongst study abroad returnees by posting events on campus and in the City.

I will utilize CSS Style Sheets as well as images/flash that will add to the alure of my site and support the text. Additionally, I will try to incorporate the skills that we've discussed in class so as to make the site instructional as well as informational.

CSS Style Sheets: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

Okay, so in thinking about CSS style sheets, I thought it would be easiest for me to compile a list of things I know about them, and another list of things that I'm still confused about. Hopefully this will provide me with more clarity and Jim with some ideas about my progress. Here goes:

Things I know about CSS style sheets-
1. CSS style sheets are useful because, once linked to your webpages, they make each page appear consistent. This is especially important when you're working on a site with a million (or more) pages because hand coding them each would be exceptionally time consuming.
2. You create a CSS style sheet by selecting the rectangle with the plus in the corner of the CSS Style Sheets window and adding/changing the specifications there.
3. If you want to make a change to your CSS style sheet internally, you would mark "apply to this one page" (that's not really what it says, but you get my drift) on the first window that pops up after selecting the rectangle with the plus, and go from there.
4. If you want to make a change to your CSS style sheet externally (i.e. create a style sheet that you can link to other pages) you would save it as a certain .css document.

Things that I'm still confused about when it comes to CSS style sheets-
1. I still can't, for the life of me, make them link correctly. Jim, I know you've shown me, but I think repetition is key for me here.
2. I haven't been able to make a CSS style sheet that does what I want it to. I think I'm trying to make it fancier than we know how to make it, and if so I just need to hold on a sec, but if we should be able to make it do whatever we want, then I'm in trouble.

Here's what I propose:
1. I figure out what the heck I want my webpage to look like. I think once I have a better idea of what I'm doing, I'll be able to create a CSS style sheet that does what I want it to. Right now, I am the blind leading my blind self.
2. If it's possible, I think it would be extremely helpful to work on our CSS style sheets in a workshop type time during class. One of the things that I've noticed is that, so far, I watch Jim and Slava do their presentations, I understand it (or at least I think I do), I leave feeling confident that I finally know what's up, and I go home to find out that I have no idea how to recreate what they did. If we had a chance in class (and I know it would take up time, but I really think it would be useful) to work individually on a style sheet and ask Jim and/or Slava for help if we get stuck, I think it would open my eyes to a whole new world of web design.

On a happier note, I think I've decided what I want my site to be dedicated to: Students returning from study abroad & the resources that are available to them to aid in their "reverse culture shock"/re-acculturation issues. I need to compile information about resources at NYU and in NYC, but I am certain that they exist and I think it would be very useful for students who return to campus. Woo for brainstorming!