What I learned: 1st week of my internship

Phew, fall semester is in full force. It has already been crazy balancing classes, an internship, and living in the city. I am in a special program through my university, called the Urban Semester program. I will live and learn in Cleveland, Ohio for the semester. (check it out here).

A requirement of my program is to have an internship in Cleveland. It just worked out perfectly for my junior year as internships are very important, especially as a junior and senior. My housemates and I work with 9 different non-profit organizations in the city. The organization I am working with is Esperanza, Inc. They work with the growing hispanic and latino middle-school and high-school population.

I started two weeks ago as their communications and Public relations intern working directly under the associate director. Being my first internship, it has been a learning curve. My director threw me the first day. It was quite the experience the first week so I thought I would share some things I learned.

It's all in the little details. It's really embarrassing when your supervisor asks you to check a list and when she goes through it you realize you completely missed about half of what you were supposed to do as she fixes your mistakes. Embarrassing. Double-check, triple-check, etc. everything. Making sure the little-details are accounted for make a big difference.

Names. The second day of my internship, I attended an event sponsored by Esperanza. I would try to tell my supervisor things about what guests needed or that someone had a question, but I could never remember the name of the person. I kept saying, "That person...umm..what's her name?" After a couple times of floundering for names, my supervisor stopped me and said, "If there is one thing you learn tonight, know that learning people's names is very important." Learning people's names is a skill. I am glad I learned this the first week so I can continue to practice and hone in on this skill throughout the semester.

Don't try to break your new shoes in. I do not own a pair of flats so I decided to wear my brand-new wedges. They needed broken in so why not break them in at my internship. Wrong...so wrong. The amount of band-aids and antibiotic cream I went through in one week was ridiculous. Please learn from this: no matter how cute the shoes are, break them in in moderation or your feet will be very angry with you.

Be early. For my urban program, I have to use public transportation to and from my internship. Yes, public transportation is not necessarily the most reliable, but that has only taught me the importance of being early.  I thought allotting 10-15 minutes to be early would be enough. Nope! Not when your bus is 10-20 minutes
late. So give yourself plenty of time for unexpected delays.

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Now that I have these under my belt, I can continue to work on them as they will only help me progress throughout the semester. I know I will run into many other things, but I understand that mistakes happen and they will only help me grow as an aspiring young professional.

What things have you learned from your internship? Any tips on making the most of your internship?

Happy Monday!

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What I'm Doing This Fall

Most of the participants in the program + our hall director at Edgewater Park

This Fall semester is a little different from any other fall semester I have had. I will not be attending class or staying on campus at BWU. Instead, I am living the college life in Cleveland. My university has a program called The Urban Semester Program.

10 students live in a living-learning community house in downtown Cleveland. The goal of the program is for students to develop a multidisciplinary understanding of urban issues and diversity. We will complete an urban studies minor over the semester with multicultural psychology, urban politics, urban health disparities, and urban life as our focus. To expound on our classroom (in the living room) learning, we are required to intern at a non-profit organization. Starting next week, I will be the communications intern with Esperanza (an organization that works with the hispanic, latino youth of Cleveland).

We are not only learning together, but living together. The 10 of us share the responsibilities that come with living in a house. We have to budget money for food, plan meals, and go grocery shopping. The house is not taken care of by university cleaning services, but by us! The chores are done daily and weekly to keep the house looking clean and in good shape (especially because professors and BW staff are frequent visitors).

Overall, it is a program created to help us grow and develop personally and professionally in an urban environment. I am very excited to be a participant in this program and seeing the growth throughout the program! If you want to know more, check it out here.

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Back-to-College: Dorm Room Essentials

Dorm Room Essentials by cfraley on Polyvore

I may be in a tad bit of denial that I move back to Cleveland tomorrow to start my junior year of college. It is a strange mix of excitement, anxiousness, and some nervousness. My bags are packed, a little lighter of course because after two years of moving, I know only to take what I absolutely need. My freshman year, I had an entire truckload of my "essentials." Sophomore year was a lighter load, but still a bunch of stuff I didn't need found it's way into my dorm room. But I think this is the year, I have figured it out. I compiled a list of my dorm room basics that make a dorm room your personal space. 

1// Cozy Bedding. I think great bedding sets the tone for your space. Personally, I love pink and currently have a bed spread with pink, aqua, and orange daisies.

2// Pillows. Make your bed cozy and cute with accent pillows! 

3//Lamp. A desk lamp is a good idea for the late nights studying when your roommate is already asleep. 

4//Mini fridge. You do not want to find yourself running to the cafeteria or going into town to find that everything is closed at night (well, besides taco bell). A mini fridge is a great place to store snacks and drinks, conveniently in your room. 

5//Rug. Some dorms do not have carpet. You can keep your feet warm with a rug. 

6//Large Calendar. Life can be crazy busy in college. Keep track of your meetings, classes, exams, and more with a large calender on your wall or desk. 

7//Pictures. Have a little reminder of home, family, friends, pets, etc. in picture frames around your room to keep you motivated. 

8//Fun Decor. Add some life to your bare, white walled dorm with some fun decor like a dinosaur plant holder. Bring posters, inspirational quotes, and trinkets.

9//Laundry basket. Don't be the person that carries their dirty laundry down the hallway in their arms. Get a laundry basket to easily tote your clothes to and from the washer and dryer. It is also keeps your dirty laundry at bay in your room. 

10//Fan. Many dorms do not have air conditioning so bring a fan to endure the end of August/beginning of September heat. It is not fun sweating your buns off in your dorm. 

11//Storage bins. Most universities provide a desk, dresser, and closet, but they have limited storage space. It is a good idea to bring extra storage likes bins to store under your bed, in your closet, or on your desk. 

12//Seat Cushion. Desk chairs provided by the university are not the comfiest so keep your tush from going numb with a seat cushion. You can find them in cute designs for around $7-$12.

What are your college dorm room must-haves?

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Weekly Wishes

What moving to college feels like...so many boxes, bags, and totes.

Last week, I really enjoyed linking up through Melyssa's blog, The Nectar Collective for Weekly Wishes. It is a great way to find encouragement and inspiration in the blogger community. Seriously though, your comments made me smile, your kind words are so appreciated and kept me going. Check it out if you need a little boost of motivation for your week. Have a lovely week! 

Last week my wishes were to finish my Couch to 5k training program, spend time with family, and finish my nephew's present. Well... check, check, and check! 

Run. Couch to 5k is now complete and I am rockin'! It feels so great to have finished this program; I have made a lot of progress over the last 9 weeks (a review coming soon!). On to training for a 10k! 

Spend time with family and friends. This week I was able to spend some much needed time with my boyfriend, grandparents, and friends over dinner, a softball game, a movie, and a trip to the mall. My sister also stopped over for an unexpected visit with my new, baby nephew! I am so happy to be an aunt (his favorite, of course!) and to have such a loving family. 

Finish my nephew's present. The Weekly Wishes held me accountable for finishing my nephew's present that I have procrastinated on for a while. Finally, I finished 3 onesies with snap-on bow ties. They are so precious! He is going to be quite the gentleman.

Moving Madness. This week is my last week before I head back to school on Saturday. So it is officially moving/pack-it-all-up and realize I have too much stuff week. I want to go through all of my stuff and decide what to keep and throw away. I absolutely despise clutter and junk so I am ready to donate, sell, and toss. This week I will be busy preparing to go back to school, but I can't wait to be back in Cleveland.

Happy Monday!

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This Shall Be My Purpose {Greek is Greek}

Class of 2015 

Fall of 2011, my friend, Paige, encouraged me to sign-up for Sorority recruitment. I looked at her like she had a million eyes and three heads. Why would I, the nerdy, awkward, freshman, sign-up for recruitment? In my mind, recruitment was for the pretty girls and all the other stereotypes associated with Greek Life (you know them). After a couple of days discussing it and finding out there would be free food (don't judge, free food= gold mine), I filled out my application.

To gain understanding that wisdom may be vouchsafed to me

Through the recruitment process I realized it didn't matter if I was nerdy and awkward or pretty and funny. Sorority life was not about good looks, parties, hazing, and actin' a fool, but, rather, friendship, support, and a valuable college experience. I fell for Alpha Gamma Delta because I saw a group of women, diverse in their passions, talents, and lives, but sharing a common purpose.

My Big, Taylor, and I.

To welcome the opportunity of contributing to the world's work

My experience as a member of Alpha Gamma Delta has developed tremendously in the past two years. Greek life has provided many rewarding experiences and opportunities in leadership, community service, social, sisterhood and scholarship (5 Pillars of Greek Life). I always knew that the people I surrounded myself with will influence me the most, for better or worse. I have truly grown as a person because of these positively influential women and the Greek Life community.

Supporting our philanthropy, JDRF, at the Cleveland Zoo. 

To cherish friendships with but a chosen few

My AGD Sisters are...my support when times are tough. kind. my biggest cheerleaders for my biggest dreams. comic relief. late-night snack buddies. my therapist. my best friends. my motivation to achieve even my most ambitious goals. my inspiration to push myself to do my very best. study buddies. my role models. 

They mean the world to me. I don't think I could ever thank them enough for what they have done for me. Smooches to all of you for being amazing young women; your excitement for life, comedic ability, and kind hearts have impacted me more than you know. Special shout out to my family, congrats to my big who is off to medical school this fall (so proud of you!!) and to my loving little, it has been so much fun watching you grow! I could not ask for better friends, or sisters.

Grandbig, Big, and Little 2012

This shall be my purpose that those who know me may esteem Alpha Gamma Delta for her attainments, revere her for her purposes and love her for her Womanhood.

Over the past two years, I have learned and gained so much from Alpha Gamma Delta. I am a part of a national network of women confided in the same purpose. I am very proud and humbled to be a part of such an accomplished fraternity. The opportunities, friendships, and memories presented through AGD will far exceed the four years of college, lasting a lifetime.

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When I was a College Freshman

Holy moly....this summer slapped me in the face and ran. It has absolutely flown by. My classes begin in just two weeks to start my junior year of college. My JUNIOR year....I might be having a quarter life crisis about this. When I was a freshman, upperclassmen always told me "it goes by fast." My naive, freshman ways did not think any thing of it! But they were right, they were so right. In just two years, I will be in the "real world"....this slightly induces heart palpitations and sweaty palms.

I wish upperclassmen would have told me more than just "it goes by fast." Below are a few things that would have been nice to know as a freshman. Good luck with college and have a great time!

Don't feel rushed to pick a major. I always thought I needed to have my life planned out, making sure "my i's were dotted and my t's were crossed." Before my freshman year, I felt like I needed to know exactly what I was doing so I picked a major. I found out rather quickly that it was not the thing for me. It is ok to not know what you want to do with your life. College is the time to figure out what you are passionate about. You do not have to have it all together and planned out as a freshman.

I can be weird with the best of them.

Explore. Like I said above, you do not have to know it all. It is your time to explore, figure out who you are: your passions, goals, strengths, weaknesses, etc. There are so many opportunities in college. You can join a club or an organization, take a class that interests you, join a sorority/fraternity, volunteer, travel, and so much more. Take advantage of the opportunities provided to college students, you will truly grow as a person and it will help kick start the rest of your college experience.

Balance. Class, sleep, meetings, homework, hanging out with friends, you are going to be busy. Time management is a key factor in being successful in college. Maybe use a planner with calenders and reminders to balance out your commitments, homework, and "you" time. Find what works best for you, you are now responsible for your life, no one else is going to take care of your responsibilities for you.

Student Discounts. College students are poor. Take advantage of student discounts. They will save you a lot of money. Keep your student ID in your wallet. Whenever you go to a store, ask the cashier if they have a student discount. If they do, whip that bad boy out like your the FBI and get your discount. Check out my list of student discounts (here).

Network, Network, Network. Nowadays, it is all about who you know, more so, than what you know. Get out of your comfort zone and meet people! You can do this by attending career fairs, being involved on campus, talking with your professors, networking nights, conducting informational interviews, just to name a few. Meet people, make connections, and keep in touch.

What do you wish you would have known as a college freshman? Any silly stories?

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College Student Discounts

Source

College Students are poor. It's just a fact, after spending $600 on books, a small fortune on tuition, dorm supplies, etc....we do not have money. Fortunately for us, many stores and companies understand our penny-scraping woes. They are kind enough to offer student discounts; 10-15% here and there adds up quickly. Check out some of these great student discounts to use for your back-to-school shopping:

Do you know of any great student discounts? I would love to hear about more!

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