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.

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!

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!