8.29.2012

Do you remember how, in high school, you could dream about what your future might hold without actually having to worry about your future? The only reality that stood in your way then was that obnoxiously loud Calculus teacher or that guy whose snores were quiet enough not to be heard by the teacher, but were loud enough to distract you from your dream life. I remember being able to tell myself then that every whim that popped in and out of my head was not only a possibility, but was a clear prophetic vision. According to daydream #1 (April 5^th, 2007), in about a year I’ll be jumping off some ship in the middle of the Pacific Ocean chasing after that ever elusive mako shark. 

Although I never anticipated being the next Jacques Cousteau (I know that this is every adolescent’s dream), I also never thought that my college years would be spent dissecting the poetry of T.S Eliot, or reading about the troubles with historical periodization. But what shocks me the most is that, despite contrary belief, it appears as though time and space do not cease to exist after college. In fact, strange as it may seem, as the future moves ever closer, it begins to look more and more like the present. 

I suppose this means that I should actually begin filling out graduate applications. I guess I should go ahead and start taking those Praxis tests. And hey, who knows, I might even start thinking about what, exactly, I want to do. Because, much to my surprise, senior year isn’t the year that comes before seventeenth grade; rumor has it that it’s the year that precedes reality. Unfortunately it looks as though I’ll need to make a decision. Well, there’s no time like November!!! Until then, I’ll go back to my daydreams. Woah, is that me scaling Mount Kilimanjaro?

I’ll keep you posted on what happens. 

GUEST POST: Moving Out of the Comfort Zone

The following passage is a guest post from a senior IUB student (S.) completing a summer internship in sales. 

This summer is flying by, and with it, so is my summer internship. I didn’t know what to expect when I started in May and every day has presented new challenges and learning opportunities. Being a Tourism Management major, I did not have a strong sales background going into my heavily sales-based internship. Despite this I thought, hey how hard could it be? Well, I was in for a shock the first time I tried to make a sale on my own and failed miserably. It has been a very humbling experience, and I still ask questions every single day. The second I think I finally know the in’s and out’s of the business, I find myself in a situation that I do not know how to deal with. I think going out of your comfort zone and trying unfamiliar experiences is a great way to make yourself more marketable to future employers. It shows you are flexible and willing to try new things. I didn’t know much about sales before this internship and now I can add it to my list of marketable skills! I encourage everyone to try out new experiences, even if it makes you nervous. Whether it is an internship, part-time job, student organization or volunteer position it will help you learn a variety of skills and find new career interests!

Written by S.

Letter to My Freshman Self

This past week I have been reflecting a lot on being a freshman student. With Orientation in full swing, campus is in a flurry with all new Hoosiers. I won’t lie, this makes me extremely jealous. Freshman year is such an exciting time—so many new things to experience. Unfortunately, all these new experiences don’t come with a how-to manual. Although I truly believe some things you have to learn the hard way, some I wish I would have just learned off the bat. If I could write a letter to my freshman self, explain a few things about college, it would probably go something like this:

Dear Me, 

College isn’t what you think it is. And trust me, it is definitely NOT what your high school peers think it is. Right now, whenever you flip on the radio, you probably hear that popular song “I Love College.” (Spoiler Alert: that song is about to be way over played; please don’t put it on your Ipod.) Just as the song proclaims, you will one day, absolutely, love college—but the reasons you will love it will not be the same reasons glorified in that song. You won’t truly realize how amazing college is until you start being yourself, and stop thinking you have to fit a pre-determined college stereotype. College is an individual experience— there is not one ‘right’ way to be a Hoosier. You don’t have to go to every party you’re invited to (and you definitely shouldn’t), be best friends with the girls on your floor, or follow the same timeline as your peers. 

You don’t have to know all of the answers about what you want to do with the rest of your life. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when you are uncertain, but I promise you that everything ends up unfolding in its’ own time. You don’t need to always be thinking big picture, rest of your life kind of stuff. However, you shouldn’t always be living moment to moment. In a few years there will be a popular saying that you will grow to hate—YOLO (You Only Live Once). In college, finding the balance between freaking out about the rest of your life and embodying ‘YOLO’ can be difficult. For you, the pendulum will swing a few times to both extremes. Find the balance by focusing on your next life step. By doing this, you’ll be able to gain some clarity towards the bigger picture. 

Don’t be afraid to explore; right now there are too many opportunities out there not to be a free agent. Apply for that job you’ve always wanted (being a barista is definitely everything you thought it was going to be), take a class that is out of your comfort zone, and invest more time in your friendships. It’s the experiences and chances you never thought you would take that make you love college. 

Until next time, 

Annie

Rising Senior

As of today, I have 365 more days at Indiana University until I graduate. I have one more year to exhaust the possibilities, build friendships, experience Bloomington, and leave my mark on this campus. This is a lot of pressure; but I also feel excited thinking about where I will be in my life a year from today. A year from now I should have some type of road map for the next few years—a destination picked out, a career to actively pursue, and a new life within eye sight. I’m trying to push the feelings of nostalgia away, and focus on making the most of these next 365 days. I have no doubt in my mind that this next year is going to fly by, even though I so desperately want it to be the slowest year of my life. I don’t want to waste any time—I want every one of these 365 days to be an experience to remember. Posted by Annie

More Little 500

Little 500 is here! It’s going to be a weekend filled with racing and fun. A lot of students will spend time with their friends for one of the last times this semester, before they head home for summer. This tradition will continue this weekend, and it will be an exciting experience.

As finals are approaching, I am definitely keeping my head in the game. I have had one of the busiest weeks ever, this week, and I am keeping my priorities straight and staying focused. It’s very important to me to not lose sight of what my goals are and what I need to focus my attention on most. I am doing what I can to get an A in a few of my classes by doing extra work and attending extra events outside of the classroom. This is taking up a lot of my time outside of class and making it harder to organize a schedule, but I would like to get the best grades possible so I am trying my best!

I will be checking back next week after my first Little 5 is coming to an end, and as I am preparing for my finals and to head home for the summer.

Posted by Rachel

Little 500

IU’s Little 500 bicycle race is here, and it is the ultimate test for students’ academic endurance! As the year is winding down, it is very important for students to remember what we are here for- school. There is a lot of temptation to go out and have a good time each night, but I hope that some other aspiring Kelley Students are staying focused, as I am doing, in order to reach our goal.

As I am preparing for my internship for the summer, I am keeping some important things in mind. I realize that, at first, I am going to be very nervous and scared as an intern. But, I am going to try my best to remain calm and do my best right from the beginning. I’m going to embrace this summer as my first hands-on job experience in a field I may be interested in pursuing. If I can keep an open mind and pay attention to how I feel about my work, I will get a good idea of whether or not I want to further pursue a career in the logistics industry. I’m lucky to be able to say I am in a good position where I can decide that either I enjoy what I am doing, and continue it in the future, or decide that maybe it’s not what I want to do, and pursue a different experience for next summer. I look forward to getting this experience, and will aim to develop from it as best as I can!

Posted by Rachel

Application Submitted

I have submitted my application for the Kelley School of Business, and I am working hard to keep my grades up this semester in order to get admitted! I am confident that the business school will be a good fit for me, so if I am admitted I am excited to pursue a degree from Kelley!

As the school year is coming to a close, I am getting ready for my internship this summer. Interning for my first time should be a fun experience. It makes me a bit anxious to think that I am not going to be living at home this summer, but in the back of my mind I have said all year that I don’t want to go home this summer. This is because I realize the importance of getting an early start with an internship my freshman year and making good use of my time. I will be able to travel home on the weekends, so I will have a good balance of being in Indianapolis and being at home.

One of my main goals this year has been to step out of my comfort zone in order to better myself. I have successfully done so in multiple situations, and they have turned out to be some of my best decisions. If I wouldn’t have stepped up and spoken to employers at the Fall Career Fair for my very first time with a confidence that was hardly representative of what I was actually feeling, I wouldn’t have gotten my internship, nor the experience I can now use to better myself. Scary situations are sometimes the best ones to face head-on and tackle, without letting yourself feel apprehensive. I may have been very nervous and hardly poised when speaking to employers as an inexperienced freshman last fall, but I put on a smile and did my best and now I have more experience than most people my age. When I attended the winter career fair, it felt a LOT easier to speak with employers, and I got a compliment from one of them, saying that I was very poised for a freshman. I will continue to step out of my comfort zone in order to become a better person and to gain experience- it has been a very worthwhile goal.

Posted by Rachel