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Exploring the power of ChatGPT: A comprehensive overview

 

Disclaimer: The title, as well as some of the text within this document was written by ChatGPT

How ChatGPT works
In simple terms, ChatGPT works as an AI capable of summarizing texts, providing general knowledge questions, as well as generating human-like responses based on input it receives.
It is like a big brain that tries its best to talk like a person, but sometimes it might make mistakes or not know the right answer.

How to use for resumes and cover letters
When using ChatGPT to create resumes and cover letters, it’s important to use the generated text as a starting point or a draft. However, directly copying and pasting a job description is not recommended. ChatGPT might make up information about your work history or previous experiences, leading to false statements. It’s crucial to take the AI-generated content with caution and not rely entirely on its accuracy.
Use it as a reference but be sure to review and verify the information before finalizing your resume and cover letter.
If you need assistance or guidance with what to include, NECC Career Services is available to provide support and help you make informed decisions.

Myth busting: Students will use ChatGPT to cheat
A common misconception about ChatGPT is that students will utilize it to cheat. Is this true?
Well, it depends on the subject. ChatGPT’s math capabilities are limited in the free version. While it can handle basic arithmetic and some calculus problems, it struggles with complex or advanced math problems, especially in fields like physics. It does not have a built-in calculator or the ability to solve intricate mathematical equations.

In terms of essays, ChatGPT’s abilities to write may vary. Due to the fact that ChatGPT lacks real world knowledge beyond what it was trained to do, it may not provide accurate or up to date information about certain subjects.

However, the quality and accuracy of the information it generates can vary, and it may not always meet the standards of academic or professional writing. It’s important to review and edit the content generated by ChatGPT to ensure it aligns with your desired level of accuracy and clarity.

No, people don’t have to worry about cheating using ChatGPT.

Its capabilities are limited to summarizing information and generating text based on what it has learned.

It is not reliable for complex problem-solving, such as math. Students can use ChatGPT to enhance their writing skills, but they should be cautious, verify details, and correct any mistakes encountered.

As for math majors… Well, sorry, unless ChatGPT has a NASA level computer, the possibility of the AI doing all the math is impossible.

My experience
I use ChatGPT a lot but only to a limited extent. I sometimes experiment with the software by giving it physics or calculus problems, but from what I experience, ChatGPT cannot be considered a cheating tool in any respect.

To address any skepticism from professors, I recommend conducting a scientific test to assess ChatGPT’s problem-solving abilities, across all versions, to provide valuable insights into its capabilities and limitations. Such a test would serve as an opportunity to demonstrate the workings of ChatGPT and gain a clearer understanding of its boundaries.

Conclusion
From my perspective, I see ChatGPT as a great tool to create a skeleton structure of resumes and cover letters, which takes away the headache of writer’s block. I highly recommend utilizing ChatGPT for compiling a cover letter. It has proven effective for me in the past.

In addition, I suggest seeking guidance from Career Services to ensure the quality of your resume and cover letter before submission. In terms of academic integrity, ChatGPT is limited to what it can do and is susceptible to spreading false or inaccurate information based on what it has been trained on. Therefore, it cannot be used as a cheating tool for students, especially in math-based subjects.

For more information: ChatGPT website: https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt
NECC Career Services: careerservices@necc.mass.edu or book a meeting through Navigate

Robert Suriel is a current NECC student who served as a Federal Work Study student at Career Services this past year.

Opinion

The power struggle between the media and real-life violence

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The entertainment industry is one of the most popular and influential things that we as human beings consume. One of the more popular themes that we are exposed to within this industry is violence, but there is a troubling aspect to this as well. The thing that concerns many folks out there, including me, is the connection between violence in the entertainment industry and violence in real life. Acts of violence like mass shootings have been popping up quite frequently over the past couple of years, and it feels like the entertainment industry plays a role in this.

One of the biggest reasons for this is because the media tends to overdramatize the scenes that include violence in order to enhance the plot of the product they produce.

There are many ways they do this from massive explosions, to big fight scenes, to using top of the line weapons among other things. While it often leads to a successful product, it can also show a susceptible audience (children) that violence is cool and shows that it is acceptable for anyone to solve their problems with violence.

There is another aspect that should be considered in this struggle as well and it is something that is difficult to talk about: mental health.

While nobody has ever proven that there is a direct correlation between this, violence in the media and violence in real life it makes me wonder if we devoted more resources into this if events such as the Stoneham Douglas High School shooting and many others could have been possibly prevented if we had done this.

Now that the problem has been discussed, what are the ways that we can combat this problem to possibly prevent it from happening in the future.

There are the old tried and true ways of doing this by controlling what are kids have access to, but kids will just find a way around that.

There could be more resources devoted to mental health, but it is not on the top of the decision makers to do list. The discussions will continue to happen, and we need to figure out a solution now.

Hopefully, the media will be a part of the solution instead of continuing to be a part of the problem.

Campus Life, Slider

COG sponsored trivia night is a festive success

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The Community Outreach Group works throughout the academic year by doing meaningful work that supports the communities adjacent to NECC. These are included but not limited food drives, bake sales, recycling days and other selfless good deeds that help others in need.

On Dec. 11, this group put on a Holiday Trivia Night where all the proceeds went to the Fidelity House, an organization that supports families with people who have disabilities in the Merrimack Valley. The event overall was a success, and there were many highlights as well.

The most memorable part of the evening was the commentary of Dermot Luddy, the Master of Ceremonies for the evening.

Luddy provided his quick wit through every step of the way (including when technological difficulties arose because that is a theme of 2020) and used his thick Irish speaking skills to good use and made sure everyone was having a good time.

Luddy had good pace when asking the questions and was totally engaging with the participants as well. If there was one thing that could have been improved upon, I would have liked to see him give less hints, but that was the only flaw there in an otherwise great hosting job from him.

The participants reaction was overall great but could have been better at times. Everyone seemed to be having a good time, however during certain portions of the event there was a lack of energy. This could have been chalked up to being completely Zoomed out (because again 2020), and it got a tad competitive as the evening wore on, but that is to be expected when participating in a trivia contest. Luddy and NECC Professor Meredith Gunning did a great of getting the event back on track, and all was good in the end.

At the end of the trivia portion of the evening, a winner was declared. The lucky winner was Alisa Bucchiere, and she received a Yankee Candle basket worth $250.

Then we proceeded to the ugly sweater portion of the evening. The people who chose to participate in this contest went one by one showing off their ugly sweaters in the hopes of winning a basket. There were a lot of great sweaters out there, and this event was judged by Gage Prezioso, the President of COG.

Bucchiere again was the lucky winner of this event and took that gift basket as well. This event raised $1,149 and was a great way for NECC folks to connect with one another and support a worthy organization as well.

To learn more about the Community Outreach Group, please contact Professor Meredith Gunning at mgunning@necc.mass.edu. To learn more about the Fidelity House please visit their website https://fidelityhhs.org/.

 

Opinion

The power struggle between the media and real-life violence

and  

The entertainment industry is one of the most popular and influential things that we as human beings consume. One of the more popular themes that we are exposed to within this industry is violence, but there is a troubling aspect to this as well. The thing that concerns many folks out there, including me is the connection between violence in the entertainment industry and violence in real life. Acts of violence like mass shootings have been popping up quite frequently over the past couple of years, and it feels like the entertainment industry plays a role in this.

One of the biggest reasons for this is because the media tends to overdramatize the scenes that include violence in order to enhance the plot of the product they produce. There are many ways they do this from massive explosions, to big fight scenes, to using top of the line weapons among other things. While it often leads to a successful product, it can also show a susceptible audience (children) that violence is cool and shows that it is acceptable for anyone to solve their problems with violence.

There is another aspect that should be considered in this struggle as well and it is something that is difficult to talk about: mental health. While nobody has ever proven that there is a direct correlation between this, violence in the media and violence in real life it makes me wonder if we devoted more resources into this if events such as the Stoneham Douglas High School shooting and many others could have been possibly prevented if we had done this.

Now that the problem has been discussed, what are the ways that we can combat this problem to possibly prevent it from happening in the future. There are the old tried and true ways of doing this by controlling what are kids have access to, but kids will just find a way around that. There could be more resources devoted to mental health, but it is not on the top of the decision makers to do list. The discussions will continue to happen, and we need to figure out a solution now. Hopefully, the media will be a part of the solution instead of continuing to be a part of the problem.

 

 

Home Page Featured News, News

MAICEI program sets up students with disabilities for success

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There are many ways for students to access the Northern Essex Community College, whether its as a full-time student, a part-time student, or an Early College Student but there is one program that never gets mentioned and that is the MAICEI program.

The Massachusetts Inclusive Concurrent Enrollment Initiative (MAICEI) program is a partnership of Massachusetts public two and four year colleges and universities with local school districts to support students with intellectual disabilities or autism spectrum disorders to become students on the college campus and participate in an individualized inclusionary experience. The students are dually enrolled in their public-school district and at the college.

There are many benefits to being enrolled in the MAICEI Program. “The program supports student choice for audit or credit classes, work internships when possible and also Peer Mentorship, if the student is interested,” says Theresa Yurewicz, the MAICEI program coordinator at NECC.  Students are full members on the NECC campus and may fully participate as students in or around campus.

The process to get into the MAICEI program is one that requires a lot of steps, so anyone who wants to participate must be ready to put in the hard work.

“First and foremost, the student should talk to their Educational Team at their high school or Transition program and express their interest in the program. The student’s team can and will help them guide the interested student’s possible application to the program,” Yurewicz continues. The MAICEI program currently has a formal MAICEI program partnership with the following local school districts: Andover, Georgetown, Haverhill, Lawrence, Methuen, Newburyport, North Andover, and Triton Regional.

“We hope to add additional school districts in the future,” Yurewicz says.

The MAICEI program is a Massachusetts state budget funded grant program. Each year, NECC applies to continue its grant program. NECC has been a part of the MAICEI program since 2015.

The MAICEI program has had an incredibly positive impact on everyone who has been involved in it.

“I have been in the program for two years, haven taken three classes, and I have felt both supported in it and have had fun while in the program,” said Glen Middleton Cox, a NECC student who participates in the program. “The people in the program have treated me with good respect and helped me pick good classes. They made me feel comfortable at the college and helped me make friends. They made me feel great inside.”

“I have been in the MAICEI Program for two years. I`m currently taking two classes, as I was able to advocate to take more than one class per semester. I think it`s been a positive experience, as I get to take classes for college credits,” says William Parker,  a NECC student who also participates in the program.

“The accommodations in the MAICEI program are great and if I could give one piece of advice to students who are interested in this, I would use them,” Parker says.

The impact of the MAICEI program has been felt through the NECC community as well.

“The MAICEI program at NECC is a wonderful opportunity for students to experience college with their peers while still getting support in their courses and around the campus,” says Jillian Knox, Learning Accommodations Liaison for the MAICEI program and Disability Services Specialist in the Learning Accommodation Center.

“The college has received a great deal of positive feedback from NECC staff and faculty, our public-school partners, students, parents, community partners, and the entire NECC community,” Knox says.

The MAICEI program also offers a way for students who are not involved with the program to be in it as well through the Peer Mentorship program. This program offers students the chance to be paired with a student in the program and offer them help with all aspects of college life.

To learn more about the MAICEI program or the Peer Mentorship program, please either visit this website: https://www.necc.mass.edu/succeed/academic-support-services/learning-accommodations/ma-inclusive-concurrent-enrollment-initiative-maicei-program/#coaches-mentors or contact Theresa Yurewicz whose information is below.

Theresa Yurewicz

MAICEI Program Coordinator

Learning Accommodations Center

Behrakis One-Stop Student Services Center, SC-111

Telephone:978-556-3646

Email: tyurewicz@necc.mass.edu

Features

Social media leads to an acceptance dilemma

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Social media has become an enormously powerful tool that society has used for many different purposes. From Facebook to Instagram to many others we now have more ways to connect with people and to share information than ever before.

However, with great technological advances there comes a problem that needs to be addressed and that is how we are accepted in society. As more people are joining this ever-evolving movement, there appears to be a disconnect with how people are presenting themselves to the world.

“I think a lot of people get popular from social media and it depends on the person,” said NECC student Nisaly Gonzalez. There are many people in the world who use social media to help launch their careers by becoming influencers but as people are doing so, they become less likely to act like themselves in the process.

There is also an important factor that needs to be considered and that is the one that we call age. There are very stark differences of how kids and adults’ access social media.

“I think kids go on social media just for fun and entertainment, while adults go for work purposes,” Gonzalez said. There is also a maturity factor that plays in there as well.

“Adults are more mature than kids,” NECC student Nicholas Dalton said.

This has led many people to struggle with being accepted in today`s age of technology and really brought this idea of social media culture to the forefront.

“The advice I’d give someone struggling with changing themselves cause of a social media trend is I`d ask them  why they’d want to change themselves so much for something so small that’s not going to matter later. Wanting to look like someone else just because you can isn’t a great way to view yourself when you are already good as you are. Don’t copy someone else who is doing something that doesn`t work for you,” NECC student Khory Smith McPherson said.

There are many ways to combat this increasing problem.

“Taking it down and stop using it for a while,” Dalton said.

“Just being yourself is what matters most, following a trend isn`t bad just you don`t have to change something that is already working fine,” Smith McPherson said.

 

 

Home Page News Bytes, News

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Pandemic Etiquette 101

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The day of March 12 will live in infamy due to the coronavirus pandemic and how it subsequently shook up the world.

When this pandemic first hit, we didn’t exactly know what we were in for but we knew that life as we knew it would never be the same.

The pandemic has really changed how we act as a society and has given us a whole new bunch of rules to follow.

There are the classics like social distancing, wearing masks and practicing good hygiene, however no one really talks about another how the aspects of daily life have changed.

“Socialization — people are staying home more often due to the pandemic,” said Carrie Corsaro, NECC Educational Coach said.

We are now recommended to eat outdoors, shop using one-way lanes and get our education through a variety of technological applications due to the virus.

There is something that people also do not consider when discussing pandemic etiquette, and that is the mentality of how it affects people of different ages.

The response from children is different from the response from adults.

“I would say children have a harder time with this because they don’t know what is going on,” said Henry Nachamie, NECC student.

It does not matter how old you are, good etiquette is always important especially in trying times such as these.

As long as we stay careful and vigilant and follow the guidelines, then we will return to a new normal and be better off for it.