Blog #3: Laptops, Laptops Everywhere

Computer Hardware - What are the components of a computer?

     As a student and a child born in a generation of computers and technology, we are used to seeing AND using computers and laptops and tablets, etc., everyday of our lives. But do we really understand how the computer does what it does? How it does a corresponding action to your command? Of course oftentimes we would be curious, but oftentimes it ends in curiosity, nothing more.

     When I was in elementary, I faintly remember that in our computer class, we were shown the insides of the so-called "CPU", which I learned should be actually called the case, or chassis. Since I barely remember that, I was glad I took an IT class today when my mind could properly understand and retain the information :P

     It was cool to see an actual opened chassis and see all the parts and what every part does. I now understood RAM, the intel levels (core i3, i4, i5, etc.), and other parts usually seen on specifications when buying PCs, and what kind is perfect for a person's characteristic.

Actual motherboard shown in class, featuring Ma'am Marya's hand :P

     If placed on a table, a motherboard would look like a city, with buildings and skyscrapers, and buses. At a really small size, it is so complex that we almost forget that humans built this kind of thing. Even the actual board can interconnect the parts attached to it. Amazing right?

The Art of Buying a Laptop :P

Copyright, memegenerator.net

     After our lesson about the computer hardware, we were presented a list of 18 laptops with their corresponding specifications. At first I was like, "What are we going to do with these? Are we gonna study how to buy a laptop correctly?".

     But since earlier we were taught that we should choose what we think would suit our usage most, I chose a fast laptop with good graphics with a RAM or memory of 4GB DDR3 (compared to others with 2GB DDR3 or DDR2) and a 2.4 GHz Intel Core i3 processor with 3MB L3 Cache (am I talking alien? LOL anyway..). Some of those laptops have an AMD processor, which according to them was good for games, while Intel is good for multitasking. I'm more of a multitasking person, and I usually have more that 5 tabs in my browser, while listening to music and playing solitaire :3 Also, I chose the laptop with the highest hard drive size which was 750 GB, compared to others with only 500. It is because I took into consideration the fact that I don't have an external hard drive to use as a back up or storage in case my laptop runs out of memory. In fact, my 640 GB laptop is almost full in less than 3 years. I'm a memory keeper type of person so I don't usually delete things.

     Of course when buying a laptop I also look for a webcam, a CD/DVD drive, USB ports, HDMI ports, bluetooth, mic, and some other usual things. And of course, as a regular person I must consider the price. When it comes to buying things with my money, I make sure that I get what I paid for. The laptop with the specs I mentioned above costs 24,999 pesos, and it basically has everything I look for in a laptop (all-in-one), even better than the laptop I have now with the same price.

     I think learning about this was a great advantage, because I can easily decide what to buy for myself, unlike before that I have to ask a salesman who doesn't even know my personality. In this way, I can also help my family in choosing the laptop that's best for them, without bothering salesmen too much.

[To Ma'am Marya: I'm really sorry that I posted this just now. I really forgot to do it over the weekend. I hope you still get to read this ;) ]

Blog #2: Second Time Around

Second meeting in IT 1, February 4, 2015

Sweeter the Second Time Around

     When I was in 2nd year high school, we used UBUNTU in our programming class. My teacher was also from UPLB. We learned about HTML, Javascript, and C++ back then. I forgot everything that I've learned then, I only remembered a little about HTML. I was lucky that I passed the course because it was really hard for me, and everything back then was like alien language to me.

     Now in IT 1, I was again introduced to UBUNTU after almost 5 years. I swear I felt sparks (kidding :P). Ma'am Marya discussed some introductions about UBUNTU. It was heart-touching to know that Mark Shuttleworth, and the people who made and developed UBUNTU, had a purpose other than developing technology. Like Nokia's "Connecting People", UBUNTU, which actually means "humanity towards others" in Africa, seeks to have a universal bond, to connect humanity. It can also bee seen in the logo the 3 people connecting hands. Can you believe that UBUNTU is free? It also is secured, because the viruses that attack Windows do not run here. Also, they release software updates every 6 months, available to all users who have UBUNTU, and does not require buying a new laptop or reformatting just to upgrade! Isn't it amazing? (okay I think I sound like I'm endorsing :P)

Corn Kernel? NOT :P

     Ma'am Marya also discussed the basics in using UBUNTU and the interfaces (GUI or Graphical User Interface, which allows us to click icons, and CLI or Command Line Interface, in which a mouse has no use, only a keyboard and the monitor). She introduced us to the terminal or shell which looks like the cmd in Windows. The terminal or shell is called kernel. Then, we were taught how to use it using CLI.

No mouse? No problem!

     Ma'am Marya gave out handouts that had the commands that we can type in the kernel. Again, it looks alien to me, although every command had descriptions. But of course, what's a better way to teach us than letting us do it on our own? We are fortunate to have a one-is-to-one computer per person. In applying the examples in the computer, while Ma'am Marya guides us one by one, I can actually see what happens. In that way, I think we learn efficiently.

     The first exercise was given after all of us learned some commands, while some commands were left undiscussed probably for a challenge. Although challenging, it was actually fun creating and renaming folders, creating text files within folders, moving folders from Documents to Desktop, finding and counting a given word from the text in the text file, and some other things we usually do using the mouse, but we learned how to do by only typing commands in the kernel. It is actually very fulfilling and I feel satisfied and happy in what we've achieved and learned for the day.

It is only our first exercise, and I don't want to generalize but I hope I would still enjoy the next ones like I enjoyed this one. I know every exercise will get more and more challenging, so I hope it also gets more and more interesting, and more and more fulfilling. I am excited (though still anxious) to face yet another meeting in IT 1. :)

Blog #1: For The First Time

First meeting in IT 1, January 28, 2015

Queasy queasy queasy

     Like any other first meeting, I was anxious. I was kinda worried to meet my teacher and my classmates, and tense because it is the start of a new semester. Of course a lot of things would run on my mind:

• I need to make a good impression, and of course be friendly to everyone.
• What would my instructor be like? I already knew that she was young, but would she be fun? Would she be strict or considerate?
• What will we do on our first meeting?
• Will the exercises be hard and challenging?
• What if I don't pick up on the lessons?

     I had countless questions running on my mind that day. I was happy because I know some of my classmates, and even have two orgmates with me. But still, I was uneasy.

Gamer girl

     Then, my teacher came and welcomed us. Her name is Ma'am Mary Grace Angelie Aguirre, Ma'am Marya for short. She told us things about herself, and I think it was cool that she knows how to play DotA and LOL, because I think those are hard :P

     It's too early to say things, but I think, from what I see, that she will be approachable and fun to be with, so I kinda expect fun classes and activities from her. Also, I think if we try, we could be friends with her and act like it outside the classroom, but of course respect must never be out of the picture.

Pinoy Henyo 2.0

     From my experience, teachers usually just introduce themselves and the subject on the first day, and dismiss us early. But Ma'am Marya introduced us a game without a specific title, but is like Pinoy Henyo. The words were put on our backs, and we must roam around the room and ask two (2) questions ONLY per classmate, for only 10 minutes! I thought it was easy, but it wasn't. I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to guess, because the non-guessers will perform a talent in front. I think I only had a minute left before I guessed mine correctly. My classmates gave out context clues, "turo dito, turo doon" and pointed to a classmate that had a word related to mine (hers is SystemOne, and mine is Sir Bulacs), so I finally guessed correctly! I was actually planning to sing "I Won't Give Up", good thing I didn't. :P

Gone, gone, gone

     The game helped in eliminating worried feelings in me, because I talked to almost everyone in class, and learned to trust them for that time. This first meeting was very fun, and I am sure that I will always remember that feeling :)

Me, Myself, and I (plus other things)

WARNING: This post will be loaded with TONS of pictures, so, ENJOY! :D

Hey there and welcome to my blog!

     I'm Vivien Ysabel Cruz Cordero, and I'm a junior BS Applied Mathematics student from UP Los Banos. 

So call me maybe...

     When I was little, I call myself Vi, because I couldn't pronounce my name. While growing up, I get called by different nicknames: Vivien, Vien, Vivi, Viely, Ysabel, Ysabely; and some are for fun, like: Siopao, Pilsbury, Piglet, Taba, Chub, and it's because of my chubby cheeks :P

     My closest friends and family usually call me Viel, and oftentimes use the nicknames I mentioned earlier. Some people (those I just met, or my classmates for a subject, my teachers, etc.) call me Vivien. I think it's very formal, but as we talk more, they eventually call me Viel. I don't really mind what other people call me, whatever they choose makes me feel special to them.

Ma famille bien-aimee (My beloved family)

My parents' graduation at UST, 1987

My parents

My parents, Ernani Jose F. Cordero and Gemma C. Cordero, met in college. They were born and raised differently, but they have the same values, and both of them value education.

Christmas 2014

     I am really thankful for my parents because they are always there for me no matter what happens. Yes, they are strict parents, but they know how to have fun, and are kinda open-minded enough (:P) to understand my behavior. We may have a 30-year age gap, but they make a way to be updated to things (like internet lingo, tech stuff, etc.) because they want to be closer to me and my brother in every way possible.

I love them very very much :)

My little brother                                                   

Me and my brother, 1997

His name is Miguel Luis C. Cordero (Migo), and he is a college freshman also in UPLB (BS Agricultural Economics). We have a two-year age gap, and when he was little, I am very happy because I have a new playmate. While growing up, we usually fight and bicker, like cats and dogs. But now we almost never quarrel. We joke around the house together, laugh and do weird and "kadiri" stuff when we feel like it, and we help each other willingly, especially now that we go to the same university.

1997

Not so little anymore :P

Extended Family

With Lola Pining (my mom's mother)

With Lola Lulu, Lolo Archie, and Tita Bambi

 My grandparents are one of my most idolized people, because they raised my parents very well, and have gone through a lot to achieve where they are now. We make sure to visit our grandparents regularly, to catch up with life, and bond and enjoy life with them. :)

So I just shared some stuff about me. In my next posts, it will be mostly about my awesome adventures in Information Technology 1 :D

Thank you and I hope you enjoyed reading! :)