Need advice with CIS-107 TESC course

[hkhart]

Uggh... I thought this course would be more about applications and general computer topics. I'm currently trying to put together my final project which consists of developing an evaluation for a midsize company that wants to automate HR and accounting tasks. Besides a 5-8 page paper, I have to include powerpoint and spreadsheet - which I have already done. I am supposed to figure out all of the components needed, OS, utility, application software, communication and network needs, database management system, enterprise integration and recommendations for harnessing the WWW. Plus costs (which have been incorporated into spreadsheet and PP).

This is so beyond what I envisioned!!!

I've based a lot of my recommendations on cloud computing and used Dell's website to get general prices on hardware. Am I over thinking this and making it seem more complicated than intended? It seems more along the lines of a system analyst job description - not a 100 level computer course - Computer Concepts and Applications.

Even worse, it is worth 30% of my grade!

Any ideas or good websites where I might glean useful information?

[bricabrac]

I thought the same when I registered, that this would be an easy software course but it actually covered from soup to nuts in computing (hardware/software/networking/database). This was not a basketweaving course. When I took the course it was brutal, the assignments, midterm, final and paper. Hard grading standards, long papers and tons of citing/references. By the end I found it to be a great course, I learned so much.

My mentor was brutal but thorough; liked detail, loads of references, and long assignments. I enjoyed the paper with powerpoint. Sounds like the project changed from a research paper to a proposal. We had to do a paper min 10gs on computing mogul/history with a coordinated powerpoint imin 6-7pgs. Just follow a basic short proposal template, since you are creating from scratch you should be able pull in many creative sources. It's basic in business writing courses. Once you frame it you will see it basically writes itself. Check business communications book for guidance and layout. Then simply create your powerpoint to summarize the big picture: the project goals, cost, recommendations.

Have fun with it, make it your own company project!

http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/00...urces.html

[hkhart]

Thanks for your feedback, I feel better about it already! I was sure it was just me!! We might have shared the same mentor - mine is pretty sporadic in grading and what he wants seems to vary from each assignment. The midterm definitely was harder than I expected, which did not help my grade, thus making this paper necessary. I don't even care if I pull off a C, even a D would be okay other than not getting tuition reimbursement! My other class is AST-401 and the 15-20 page paper is a breeze compared to this!

[bricabrac]

My mentor was Flegle. The other hard nose is Sis Dauwer. Anyone other than these two is probably a breath of fresh air. Flegle ripped apart my initial assignment in two sentences and a B grade, so I caught on to what she wanted pretty quick. It is actually the only course I submitted 2-3pg DF assignments. The midterm I squeaked by with a C and the final a B+. Unfortunately at the time they both equaled 50% of the final grade so I ended up with a high B+ and worked hard for it. (All DFs and remaining assignments including project were 100s.)

Keep in mind although this is a 100 level course it is not entry level. When I enrolled the entry level software course was offered through a tecep exam.