Friday, May 11, 2012

Hiking Tanglewood

Yesterday morning, our Outdoor Adventure class met at the bus stop, and carpooled to Tanglewood Nature Center, a local hiking area.  Carrying our backpacks, we began trekking the 3.5 mile Red Trail through the woods.  The hike began smoothly, we were all walking at the same pace, joking, and laughing, the ground was slightly muddy, but level and easy to travel.  Then, about a quarter of a mile onto the trail, the terrain changed, and the class began to split up.  We encountered what seemed to be an 80 degree angle of a mountain to climb, that seemed to go on for miles.  The chatter slowed, breathing grew heavier, our pace slowed, and breaks were taken frequently.  Somehow, we ended up dividing into two groups, and traveled separately.  After what felt like a lifetime, we reached the top of the hill and the view was spectacular. 
We stopped for a moment to rest, and enjoy the view before continuing on our way down the mountain.  With the parking lot in sight, we emerged from the woods to find, to our surprise, the other group exiting simultaneously from another trail.  Laughing, we tried to figure out which group had made a wrong turn, and where the wrong turn was made as we returned to the vehicles and headed back to campus.  The hike was difficult, but the group we have made it  enjoyable and I would definitely be interested in hiking again in the future.

Adopt-a-highway

One of the activities that the term three, Outdoor Adventure class participates in is the adopt-a-highway program.  Our coaches spoke with the Highway Department and arranged for our class to clean about one mile of Route 17, and they would supply our class with safety equipment and cleaning supplies.  Usually our class meets Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, but we agreed to clean the highway on Wednesday in exchange for having no class on Friday.  Wednesday morning, we all met at the bus stop, to find two Elmira College vans ready to bring us to the highway, and we were waiting on a representative from the highway department to bring us hard hats, vests, gloves, and waivers.  There was a miscommunication with the highway department, and we ended up being delayed about an hour before departing, which was fine with us because we were able to eat breakfast while we were waiting.  We were brought to a portion on the side of the highway that was steep, and covered with litter and trash.  I have driven that portion of the highway dozens of times, and have never noticed the amount of garbage that was sprinkled on the side of the highway.  Dressed in orange vests and yellow hard hats, our class, in an hour and a half, cleaned about a dozen garbage bags FULL of garbage from one mile of the highway.  As we cleaned the highway, passing cars and trucks honked and beeped and shouted in approval, thanking us for devoting our time and energy to helping keep the environment clean.  It was a rewarding and eye opening experience, and I urge others to take part in adopt-a-highway program. 

Hawaii Class

My term three outdoor adventure class is unlike anything I have experienced in my life.  We have one camping pack and one day pack that we can bring, which seemed reasonable at first, but since we received our packs, we have accumulated more and more items every class that must go on the trip.  Recently we received our sleeping bags, tents, poles, tent flies, stuff sacks, canned food, pack covers, and waist bags that all must come on the trip in addition to the 30+ meals and clothes that have to fit in our packs.  We are all starting to wonder how we will fit everything in our bags, and how we are going to be able to carry everything for the duration of the trip, but our coaches keep reassuring us that it will happen.  A few classes ago we were assigned tent mates and tents, and were told to distribute the elements of the tent, including the tent, poles, and fly equally among ourselves.  I will be tenting with two other people, whom I have not met until this class, and I was assigned the actual tent to carry for the duration of the trip.  The last assignment we completed was a complete, thorough list of every breakfast and lunch we plan on eating while we are in Hawaii.  The challenge with planning meals is that we have to find food that does not crush under weight, melt in heat, spoil or go bad within 10 days, does not need refrigeration, does not need cooking, is compact and able to fit in small space, is not too heavy to carry, and has the nutrition we need to sustain ourselves.  This trip is much more complex than I originally expected, but it is teaching us to appreciate the small luxuries in everyday life that we often overlook, and I look forward to learning how little people can live with and how values change when shelter, food, plumbing, and hygiene are reduced to the basics.

Monday, April 30, 2012

Term 3

This is my final term 3 at Elmira College, and so far, it has been a blast.  Term 3 is a lot of fun because students have time to do things with friends in the area that they do not have time for during terms one and two.  Since students are taking only 6 credits for term 3, we have time to relax, travel, and in my case, work more.  I work half a mile from campus at Family Video, where I have worked all three years of college part-time.  In term one this year, I even completed my required internship at Family Video where I was taught all aspects of management and operations of the store and the company for 260 paid hours.  Now that I am taking only one class, I am working more hours to save up money for after-school expenses.  I also plan to work for Family Video as a manager in training (MIT) in the Buffalo area after graduation, and then manage a store in the area.  I am starting to get sad about leaving Elmira and the comfort of the "Purple Bubble" in just a few short weeks.  It seems like just as soon as life settles down and becomes manageable, it takes another turn and becomes scrambled and hectic again.  Hopefully the transition from full-time college student to full-time employee is not too much of a shock.  I plan on spending my last few weeks at Elmira College with my friends, and co-workers enjoying their company both on and off campus and on and off the clock.  Thinking about how much I have accomplished in the last 3 years seems unreal, and if I had the stack of papers and assignments I have completed  placed in front of me at high school graduation, I would have never thought it was possible.  The biggest lesson I have learned at Elmira College is that there really is no limit to how much one can do.  I won't lie, there were times when my heart was racing as the midnight deadlines approached for freshman writing papers, and tears flowed from my eyes when I saw the clock at night and the list of things I had to complete before going to bed, and I was frantically chipping away at assignments during my short breaks between all 6 classes and part-time shifts.  But somehow, everything was completed, and there was even time for some TV, naps, meals, outings, and hobbies in between.  People are capable of how much they are willing to push for.  It is OK to break down and freak out momentarily, and it will inevitably happen, probably more than once; but as long as you don't lose sight of the end reward, and just put your head down and get it done, you can do anything; absolutely anything. 

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Hawaii Bootcamp

On Tuesday's class we were measured and fitted for our camping packs for our Hawaii trip.  We had the length of our backs measured and then we were assigned corresponding backpacks.  I got a green pack (my favorite color!) and then when choosing our day packs, she let the 21-year-olds go first, so I got first pick (I picked a green matching day pack of course).  For the other half of our 3 hour class, we were working out in our hiking boots to the assigned workout routine we were given which included...

20 minutes of yoga
  • Video in the gym
20 minutes of cardio
  • Treadmill jogging at 4.6 or greater or walking 7.0 incline at 3.0 mph
  • Elliptical manual resistance at 10
20 minutes of weight training
  • 4 sets of leg presses
  • 4 sets of calf raises with weights
  • 10 step-ups per leg carrying 40 pound weights
  • 10 lunges per leg
  • 4 sets of shoulder presses
  • 4 sets lateral pull-down
  • 3 sets of 30 second wall sits
And we did it all in our hiking boots!  Which apparently is nothing compared to tomorrow's class because we are going to be working out in our hiking boots again WITH BOTH our day pack and our large camp pack FULL with 30 pounds.  She thinks we should simulate the actual daily experience of carrying our bags with us while hiking over lava, and walking for miles with extra weight.  Hopefully we will all live to see Hawaii :)

Spring Break

This week we all came back from our much needed spring break to start term 3.  I spent my spring break with my boyfriend visiting Niagara Falls, Canada, and it was a blast.  We had visited the falls once before during a mid-term break, but only from the New York side, and the Canada side is definitely much cooler.  Anyways, so we all moved back to school Sunday night, and unpacked our summer, term 3 clothes to wake up Monday, April 23, to snow covering the daffodils, irises, and grass.  Walking around campus Monday was comical since almost none of the students (including me) had clothes for snowy weather, so many students were wearing shorts, flip-flips, and short sleeve shirts and were shivering miserably around campus.  Monday was also the first day of our Outdoor Adventure class which travels to Hawaii later in May.  Our professor made it clear to us that this would not be a tropical, relaxing vacation, but more of a survival, physically intensive, camping trip to teach us the bare essentials of survival, and how to live as minimalists.  We were told that we will be hiking constantly sometimes dozens of miles a day, snorkeling in famous reefs, and camping in desolate campgrounds.  In order to prepare us physically for this trip, she explained that we would have to exercise during every class, and start counting our daily caloric intake to make sure we pack enough food to sustain ourselves.  We would only be allowed to pack what we could carry throughout the entire trip; no more than 50 pounds of food and clothes for our larger camping bags, and whatever we could fit in a small day pack.  This is definitely going to be a once in a lifetime trip!

Thursday, April 12, 2012

I DID IT!

Today is it, I have one more final in 2 hours, then I hand in my take-home final for night class, and I'm done. Done? I don't know when it will sink in, but after tonight, I only have a trip to Hawaii standing between me and my Business Administration degree. I have so many emotions now, it is hard to explain them all, but most of all, I am extremely proud of myself. Many people doubted that I would be able to complete college in 3 years, while working almost full time off-campus, but those people have motivated me the most these last 3 years, because I wanted to prove them wrong; and I did. Yesterday was one of the proudest days of my life, because my professor was handing out our last few graded papers as we sat down for our final, and when he came over to hand me my paper, he smiled, and shook his head, and said,"I have no idea how you did it, but you did it, it's over," and one of my papers he handed me had a little note on top that read,"Excellent paper Emily, and you did great work this term. You did it somehow and I had my doubts, but you proved me wrong for sure. Hope term 3 is no stress."


I thought to myself, 'These are the feelings I have worked so hard for the last 3 years to have,' and I even teared up a little as I started the final, overwhelmed with pride and sense of accomplishment. These last 3 years have been one hell of a roller coaster ride, but do not regret anything, and I would not change a minute of it. To the current students at Elmira, and the incoming freshman, I would say, there are times when giving up is very easy and tempting, but the end reward is worth every sleepless night, every word on every paper, and minute of being homesick. In times when you feel overwhelmed and like your drowning in an ocean of work and papers, remember to relax, stay organized, and take it one assignment at a time. One of my life mentors once told me, "The world is full of people who will tell you no, can't, too hard, not possible, too complicated ect. You have to remember that anything is possible if you have the strong enough desire to make it happen."

Friday, March 30, 2012

Academic Honors Banquet

Yesterday, March 29th, I was invited to the annual Academic Honors and Student Recognition Banquet at 5:00pm to be recognized for a couple of my accomplishments this year. Elmira College distributes several awards that are funded from estate donations, and generous alum who wish to honor students with particular attributes, talents, and interests. In addition to these awards, Elmira College honors students who have received local awards sponsored by businesses other than Elmira College. This year, I was one of two recipients for the Institute of Supply Chain Management of the Finger Lakes Region (ISMFLR) $1,000 annual scholarship award. Professor Mullen announced my accomplishment and I met him at the podium to shake his hand and have our picture taken. Later in the program, Elmira College recognized the 47 Elmira College Students who had been selected to be recognized in the 2012 edition of Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges. Following the distribution of awards, we ate our Elmira-College-catered chicken Parmesan, tortellini, and green bean dinner. After dinner, the 47 students chosen from Elmira College to be in the 2012 edition of Who's Who gathered by the podium to receive our certificates.
As soon as I grabbed mine, I rushed back to Meier to change for my Thursday night Strategic Advertising class. There is only one more week of classes, and some professors have cancelled class to allow us time to complete our many projects and papers that are all coming due simultaneously. After today, I have 8 classes left, then 2 presentations, 3 papers, and 3 finals, and then I just have my trip to Hawaii and commencement to look forward to. The time is flying by, and I am starting to become nostalgic about my time left at Elmira College. As excited as I am to begin a new chapter of my life, Elmira College has served as my home and my family for the last 3 years of my life and there are some things about it I will forever miss.

Monday, March 26, 2012

Honor Scholar Day

On Friday March 23, I was able to host my second overnight prospective student for Elmira College. Saturday was one of the Honor Scholar Days in which is for students who have applied and have been accepted to Elmira College and have received one of the various prestigious scholarships that Elmira College offers. My overnight guest, Caitlin, was from Binghamton, and she was trying to decide between Elmira College and Iona College, and was hoping that staying overnight would help her make up her mind. Once my shift was over at my off-campus job at Family Video, I went to Hamilton Admissions Building to meet Caitlin and welcome her to her third visit at Elmira. My roommate, Michelle, was also there waiting for her overnight guest that she would be hosting. Her guest, Jade, was traveling from Virginia to decide whether she was interested in attending Elmira in the fall semester. I brought Caitlin to 1855 to eat some of the best meals on campus, and meet with some of the other overnight guests who were staying with my friends. Following dinner, we attended an Encore performance of Orchesis in which Elmira College’s dancers perform student and faculty choreographed pieces arranged through a variety of styles including ballet, tap, modern, and hip hop. Since freshman and sophomore student have to attend Encore performances for terms one and two, I thought I would give Caitlin a sample of one of the shows. After the Orchesis Show, we went back to the Meier Hall Lounge and watched the SAB performance scheduled for the night; Magician Daniel Martin was doing a show. Daniel has been nominated for Entertainer of the Year by Campus Activities Magazine and was recently nominated for the 3rd year in a row for Best Male Performer. He has been featured on CBS, NBC, ESPN, Revision3 & VH1. The show was amazing, and left everyone stunned, amazed, and confused at the same time. We headed upstairs to the dorm room and then met with some of my other friends who had overnight guests staying to hang out for a little before heading to Twin Towers to meet some sophomores on campus, and more overnight guests. Caitlin and Jade enjoyed seeing Towers as it is completely different than Meier in the atmosphere and the visual aesthetics. We rounded up the group and headed back to Meier to decide the sleeping arrangements and set our alarms to escort Caitlin and Jade to the gym at 9am for Honor Scholar Day activities. I enjoyed meeting Caitlin and Jade, and it feels good to know that we play an important role in prospective students' decision on whether or not to attend Elmira College. It is one of the biggest decisions of a person's life, and it is empowering to know that they base their decision on the experience we provide them in one night. We wish both Jade and Caitlin good luck in completing and graduating high school and hope we helped them with their College decision.

2012 ISM Scholarship Dinner

On Thursday, March 22, I was invited to attend the annual ISM Scholarship Dinner to accept my $1,000 reward I received from Hilliard in recognition of academic excellence and business acumen. I was lucky that both of my parents and my boyfriend were able to attend to support me. I sat at the dinner table with my guests, my professor/academic advisor/guest speaker for dinner, and the scholarship chair that interviewed me and played a major role in deciding the scholarship recipients. They gave me a certificate of achievement, took my picture with members of the scholarship committee, and gave me a check and a wine glass with ISM imprinted in it. Several members of the ISM Finger Lakes Region congratulated me throughout the night, and my parents enjoyed bragging about their effective parenting skills that guided me to where I am today. My advisor spoke about a book that he had read over the mid-term break and provided interactive activities for the different tables to participate in, which were a lot of fun. Finally, the dinner was concluded and I met my parents back at my dorm to swap out my winter clothes for summer clothes they brought, before saying goodbye to them. I definitely needed that last hug from my parents to get through my last couple of weeks of classes.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Countdown Begins

This weekend is not only St. Patrick's Day weekend but also the 100 days until graduation countdown begins! Yesterday the members of the class of 2012 were invited to the Commencement Fair in the Tifft Lounge from 1:00-6:00 to receive loan information, free key chains/bottle openers, sign up for senior week activities, fill out exit surveys, and collect our GRADUATION REGALIA! That's right, I am now in possession of my purple cap, gown, tassel, and hood, and it will stare at me for the next 100 days reminding me how far I have come, and how much farther I can now go. March is the busiest month of the school year since there are no breaks, lots of tests, ceremonies, dinner events, prospective students visiting, and finals. There are a ton of events coming up including my LAST advising day to register for my trip to Hawaii for term 3, a meeting with the Human Resource Manager at Eaton Corporation to discuss human resource management in a business setting for a project, the ISM Scholarship Awards Dinner next Thursday when my parents come to visit, and I believe I will be hosting another prospective business student on the 23rd. I will try my best to keep posting throughout the chaos.

Monday, March 5, 2012

Icing on the cake

It all paid off, literally. I just received one of the best e-mails of my life this morning, and my heart started pounding when I read the subject line: ISM Scholarship. Of course, when I decided to check my e-mail I was waiting in line at 1855 for my chicken salad panini to cook, so when I read the first word of the e-mail "Congratulations" I screamed with excitement and everyone in 1855 stopped and looked at me. I could not help but smile for the rest of the day, remembering how upset I was last year when I was not chosen, and thinking about how much effort I put into writing a good essay and interviewing for my last chance this year. As I walked into my first and only class for today, everyone knew somehow and congratulated me. Ironically, the second winner of the scholarship is in my same class so we were both beaming with excitement. We were invited to attend an awards dinner on March 22nd at the Elmira Country Club, where we will be recognized for our achievements and awarded $1000.
Before I even finished reading the e-mail, I called my dad and blurted out the news, and then my mom, and they are both very proud and happy for me. It's events like this that make me grateful for the opportunities available here at Elmira College and the constant support I receive from my family. Both of my parents are trying to rearrange their schedules so they can attend the awards dinner with me, for what might be the last time they are in Elmira before I graduate in a couple short months. It all seems surreal, but exciting at the same time, and I am so proud of myself for how much I have been able to accomplish in my three years here at Elmira College.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Good News

Now that we have all returned from our last break before the end of term 2, we are re-energized and prepared to finish our last term of classes strong. I had a wonderful break, I went to visit Niagara Falls, Canada for the first time with my boyfriend and I had a blast. When I returned to campus Sunday afternoon to finally hand in my internship paperwork to be accepted and approved, I arrived to a pile of good news in my mailbox. First, I received information about Commencement preparation which is rapidly approaching. Second, I received news that my essay that I submitted for the ISM scholarship was selected as one of the finalists, and that I have an interview on Thursday to further discuss my interest in pursuing procurement and purchasing as a career. Third, was a notification that I was one of 47 students selected by Elmira College to be a member of the Who's Who national recognition for students that demonstrate academic excellence and leadership abilities. Also, my picture and biography were posted in Harris Hall on the Economics bulletin board for having senior status and studying for a minor in economics. I also got an e-mail about being an overnight host again for a perspective student for Honor Scholars Weekend in March. Today, my group and I presented a huge group project presentation for one of my classes, and the weather is starting to get warmer. Only a few more weeks of my crazy, 6 class schedule and I'm home free!!

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Senior Year Courses

I remember one of the things I was worried about the most as a high school senior enrolling in college, was being able to understand, complete, and enjoy college-level coursework. I remember thinking that high school-level course work seemed hard enough, so college-level coursework seemed unmanageable. I thought I would use this entry to describe the work associated with college for all the nervous highschoolers out there, or for anyone who is interested in knowing what kind of schoolwork Elmira College Business Administration majors receive. Ironically, after three years of increasingly difficult classes, I still believe that my freshman year was the most challenging; and I think that is part of the school's strategy. In freshman year, every student is required to take a "Freshman Writing Course," regardless of incoming college-level transfer courses (trust me I tried) in which we write at least two papers a week (most of them with midnight due dates.) There are also Saturday classes for the first term, and a twenty-page paper due at the end of the course, in addition to a mid-term and final. That class, in addition to the required CORE class, Encore (classical theater) requirements, and community service (60 hours), (plus an off campus part-time job I decided to add), freshman year was by far the most difficult to handle. However, at the end of freshman year, after accomplishing all of that, the feeling of relief and pride is so overwhelming, it empowers students and instills confidence in them to complete the remaining years at Elmira College successfully. Now that all of my general degree requirement classes are completed, I finally have the chance to take classes that are challenging, but rewarding and enjoyable. For example, in my Market Planning class (the capstone class for a Marketing specialization) we are assisting a local, non-profit business in writing a marketing plan for their business which they will implement for the year 2013 (I cannot describe more details because I signed a confidentiality form). In my Human Resource Management class, groups of three people are traveling to local business to meet with representatives from Human Resource (HR) departments to discuss their career in HR, ask them what challenges they face, learn about the company they represent, and then report about it at the end of the semester. Recently in my Strategic Advertising class, we watched the Superbowl commercials and analyzed the effectiveness of each one and the elements that make a successful or unsuccessful advertising campaign. Needless to say, the courses get more involved in the transition from underclassman to upperclassman, but they are far more interesting and relevant to future career plans. With only 5 weeks left before my last semester at Elmira College and my trip to Hawaii, I think about how far I have come and how much farther I can go now with everything I have learned these 3 short years of college.

Friday, February 10, 2012

Halfway Point

It is almost the halfway point of term 2, and everyone is feeling the stress of mid-term exam week. With 4 classes in a row on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I'm very fortunate that two of my professors took pity on us, and gave us take-home mid-terms instead to lighten the load. This weekend is the Athletic Alumni Weekend, where a bunch of alumni come to network with current students and answer any questions they might have. Also, my parents are coming this weekend to visit me since my 21st birthday was 2 weeks ago and I haven't seen them yet. I recently applied for a local scholarship offered by the Institute of Supply Chain Management in the Finger Lake Region (ISMFLR). Every year, the ISMFLR holds a fund raiser to collect as much money as possible to give back to the community in the form of scholarships. The criteria to be a candidate for the scholarship is full-time student status, majoring in Business Administration, with an interest in pursuing supply chain management as a possible career. I applied for this scholarship last year, however, they only had enough for 2 $1000 scholarships, and they ranked me third. This year, I have senior status and I am more interested in supply chain management than last year, and hopefully my essay application reflects that. The winners of the scholarship get to attend a supply chain management conference in Baltimore, Maryland in the begninng of May as well. The review the applications after the deadline which is in the beginning of March, so cross your fingers for me!

Monday, January 23, 2012

So close...

I knew coming into this term that my professors were going to give me a run for my money since this is my last semester of classes, and I was definitely right. I would not recommend to anyone else taking 6 classes at a time because it is a lot of work and there is NO free time to do anything but homework. But I, personally would not want it any other way. These past few weeks have flown by, and I am the kind of person who needs to be moving and being productive constantly for my sanity. The thing that keeps me going is the image of walking up stairs in a purple and gold gown to meet Dr. Meier and shake his hand as he hands me a degree in Business Administration, and looking out into the crowd and smiling and waving at my mom and dad and remembering the day that has kept me going since the day I came to Elmira College; the day that my dad hugged me goodbye on the Elmira College lawn with tears in his eyes that he had to let me go and whispered in my ear, "Make me proud, kid." And on my way down the stairs in my purple gown (probably crying out of happiness, sadness, relief, and fear) switching my tassel from one side to the other, smiling from ear to ear, and go back into the crowd to hug my parents for the first time as a college graduate. The support I have had from both my family, friends, and professors has been overwhelming and much appreciated and gives me the motivation and strength to wake up every day and do crazy things like taking 6 upper level classes, blogging, attending club meetings, working part-time, running an online business, and earning two specializations and a minor in three years. I would not be where I am today, or who I am today without my family. The difference between kids who are successful in life and complete college and those who are barely motivated enough to complete high school is the support they get from their family. Thank you Mom, Dad, and Rachel, for everything you have done for me these last 20 years.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Back to the grind

This week marks the beginning of the class of 2012's final major semester of our undergraduate careers. The end is in sight, and there are just 6 classes and a trip to Hawaii standing between me and my degree. I have had all of my classes now except Strategic Advertising, which is a 3 hour Thursday night class and so far the classes seem to have interesting material but are going to be a lot of work. Now that the general degree requirements are out of the way, I can finally take the interesting business classes and learn about the topics that I came to college to pursue. After the past 2 and half years of being an undergraduate business student at Elmira College, I am more convinced than ever that I want a career in business. I remember being a senior in high school and a freshman in college stressing about whether I chose the right college and panicking that I would choose a major that I would end up hating. My advice to high school students, people who are thinking about changing careers, or people who are thinking about enrolling in college is to get as much experience in as many different fields as possible whether its through internships, community service, volunteer work, or part-time jobs if you have any doubt about what you want to pursue as a career. I was one of those kids that went through high school throwing random potential professions around in my head wondering what I wanted to pursue in college. Not knowing what you want is very frustrating, but narrowing it down by process of elimination through gaining experience and knowledge is the best possible solution. In high school, I had finally narrowed my options down to lawyer, veterinarian, or business but I could not make up my mind. In the course of 3 years, I took a summer internship at a local courthouse as a court clerk, worked as a veterinary assistant at an animal hospital, and worked as a shift leader at a dollar store so I could get personal, insider experience in each field to help make up my mind. It was a lot of work on top of school, but it was the best decision that I had ever made, and I would recommend it to anyone who feels unsure about what career they want to pursue. During my experience at Elmira College these past few years, I have noticed that the students who do not succeed are the people who are not motivated to learn the material they decided to pursue because they were not as interested in the field as they originally thought they were and never had a back up plan. There are many events coming up this month including the first Marketing and Management Club meeting for the second term and my 21st birthday, so stay posted for updates!

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Holiday Break

It is almost the end of our 3 week long winter break, and many students are eager to get back to school and begin term two classes; myself included. Graduation is finally in sight, and I am excited to get back to school to start my final term of classes in my college education. It is hard to believe that my time as a student at Elmira College is approaching the end already, but starting my life as a college graduate is more exciting than words can explain. Being a student for the majority of my life, imagining life after college is scary and exciting and refreshing all at the same time. I am determined to enjoy every second of the my final semester of Elmira College and learn as much as I can from the amazing business professors who have taught me for the last three years. My classes this term sound interesting and the course content covers all aspects of business that I am interested in. On top of having interesting business classes and projects to look forward to, I have enrolled in the term 3 trip to Hawaii to complete my physical education general degree requirement. Completing my experience at Elmira College with an 11 day camping trip to Hawaii before flying back to graduate is a perfect way to celebrate the conclusion of my time as a student and symbolizes all of the wonderful memories from my college experience and the opportunities that Elmira College has to offer. This upcoming term will be full of new experiences, events, activities, and memories that I can't wait to share...stay tuned!