9.12.2012

Last night I was treated to a free dinner at the illustrious Wright Quad Food Court. Although some might argue that Wright Quad Food Court is perhaps one of the 10 wonders of the “what one shouldn’t eat” community, I, with fork and spoon, unabashedly devoured my baked ziti, breadstick, rice, and yogurt. Was it healthy? Ehhhh, I suppose that’s up for debate. Was it worth it? Um , did I tell you what I got to eat? Of course it was worth it. All I can say is that I pity the fool who truly believed that there’s no such thing as a free diner (or lunch). When you know the right people, anything is possible.

It just so happens that the “right people” in my case, was a good friend of mine.  Every once in a while I feel like everyone should try the following: 

·         Put everything aside and take a deep breath (not that deep)

·         Find a friend of yours, maybe one you haven’t spoken to in a while

·         Ask them to grab something to eat (Hopefully they live in a residence hall and have meal points)

·         Catch up and talk out what’s on your mind

Last night, I was reminded of how helpful a genuine conversation can be. I’ll tell you that there are few things more exciting than talking about something you’re passionate about with someone who is just as passionate about it as you are. My friend, who is also interested in teaching and who herself considered Teach for America, listened as I blabbered on about ways I might fail, other options I was considering, and possibilities I didn’t even think existed several months ago. We talked, for instance, about classroom management, an area with which I feel I might struggle. It was nice hearing that someone else had the same qualms about managing a class. My friend, however, assured me that if you stand in front of a class and say “I can wait” when the class gets too loud, silence will immediately follow. I’m still waiting to test that theory. Either way, it was nice to hear that somebody had the answers.

It was also nice to just talk out some anxieties that the both of us were feeling. I don’t if some wise man ever said this, but I’m going to throw it out there: Out of a shared fear, comes an even stronger hope.  Knowing that someone as confident, smart, and put together as my friend was just as worried  was encouraging. It’s a paradox, if you think about it. Everybody wants to believe that they, as an individual, carry with them a unique set of fears, hopes, and desires that nobody else can possibly understand. Yet, at the same time, there is no greater comfort, I feel, than knowing that someone else feels just like you do.

Well, I’ve almost finished this Teach for America Application. I’m just working on tailoring my resume. I also started an application to Vanderbilt’s Higher Education Administration program. ). I’ve always thought it would be fun to work at a college/university in their recruitment office. Trust me, I know  I’m juggling quite a few aspirations (for the complete lack of a better analogy). It’s exciting, but I can’t help but worry that perhaps I’ve overestimated how much I can juggle. We’ll see.  I’ll let you know when I’ve dropped the ball so to speak.

Today’s moral: There is such thing as a free dinner

9.5.2012

Well, the saga continues. I’ve almost made it through my third week of classes, and I’ve given myself some time to think about what, exactly, I need to get done in the next couple of months. And by time I mean that stretch of time that occurs immediately after you lie down in bed but before you actually fall asleep. You know, the time when visions of potential failure and unresolved conflict seem to poke and prod at your dozing conscience.  And, lucky for me, my subconscious is always accommodating, and has no problem providing me with a chance to think about everything that needs to be accomplished by representing, through the vivid medium of dreamscape,  what would happen if I were to forget to take care of business. 

I have managed, though, to narrow down possibilities for next year. As of now, I’m considering the following possibilities:  

·        Teach for America

·        The Indianapolis Teaching Fellowship

·        A.C.E  (Alliance for Catholic Education) Teaching Program

·        Higher Education and Student Affairs 

I actually started an application for the Teach for America program last night. It was to a certain extent both exciting and nerve wracking. For one thing, I know that Teach for America is all about sending teachers to high needs schools, which, to me, is where the uncertainty comes into play. I’m idealistic in the sense that I truly believe that I could change a student’s life for the better, but am realistic in the sense that I recognize that every individual brings to the classroom a particular life story that I might not be able to understand, work with, or change for the better. I’m highly empathetic, but I wonder if that, in fact, might be my undoing. Will the fact that I’m so empathetic interfere with my ability to separate my personal and professional lives? Will I lose sight of the content I’m required to teach while trying to help each student overcome what it is that is holding them back? 

I’m not sure, but I am excited, quite simply, to have a job prospect for the upcoming year. I just know that I’m finding it harder and harder to sit in class. I want to go out and do something meaningful. I could insert quite a few hackneyed phrases of passion here, but I think I’ll just leave it at this: I definitely feel as though it’s time to move on and start something new. Maybe it will be Teach for America. Maybe it will be something entirely different. We’ll see, I guess.

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.