Second Semester Sophomore
January 10th, 2010 | Categories: School, Work | 15 CommentsAs I begin to prep for the start of the 2010 spring semester tomorrow, I’ve been thinking a lot about what’s in store for me for the next five months or so. I have a lot lined up and while I actually am excited for all of it, it’s a little overwhelming. Krissy recently told me that she didn’t know how I found the time to sit down. While it was a joke, I think she might have a point…
Classes-wise, I am taking a full course load of five classes. Three are for my major/minor1, one for a General Education requirement and one as an elective. It’s not going to be a particularly easy semester, especially as I’m starting to get into the heart of both my major and minor, but every single class is one that I want to take. I’m actually interested in all of these subjects, which will make a huge difference when it comes to my motivation towards academics this semester2.
In addition to my classes, I am also working this semester. I have an on-campus job as a peer advisor (there are six of us total) in my school’s career center where I hold drop-in hours for students to get their resumes and cover letters critiqued, present in classrooms to promote the career center’s resources and facilitate workshops about all things job search related. It’s an amazing job; I love it. I’m incredibly lucky to be able to work in such a professional environment where I can establish contacts and network with experts while getting paid!
I also landed an internship this semester as the public relations intern for an international news broadcasting agency. I was interviewed for the position last month and was offered the job not even five minutes into my interview, which was a pretty big boost to my self-esteem! I’ll be drafting press releases, communicating with outside media, assisting with event planning and promoting different projects. This internship is what I am most excited for this semester as I want to work in the field of PR on an international scale and I’ll be able to experience just that as an intern at this agency. I’m even hoping I’ll even be able to assist in the Mandarin Chinese or Cantonese programs as I have the language skills to do so, although really, just being able to intern there is a huge boost to my career experience and resume.
I still maintain my web editor position of my school’s literary magazine3 but I’ve quit my museum job. I didn’t have the time for that as well as my internship, and I valued my internship more than my museum gig. I figure I’ve enough on my plate already without working at the museum, as I still have to fit in time to eat, sleep and oh, have a social life…
If I disappear from the blogosphere, you’ll know it’s because I’m insanely busy4. It’s going to be an absolutely crazy semester… but I’m hoping it’ll be the best one yet.
- I’m a Public Communication student with a minor in the Chinese Language. [↩]
- Last semester I had to take micro for a GenEd requirement, and I just about died because I discovered that my brain is most certainly not wired for econ. [↩]
- I’ve been bumped up to Web Editor fromn Assistant Web Editor. [↩]
- I’m really hoping it won’t come to that, though. That’s part of the reason why the blogging schedule is no more! [↩]
Tags: college, internship
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Hi, I'm Manda. I'm a college student studying communications and languages. I like to read, shop, bake, and travel. I have a tendency to listen to my favorite songs on repeat for hours on end. Sometimes I catch myself thinking in a language other than English. 
I still maintain that sitting is not a luxury you will have. :P Maybe you need to get one of those funny golf chairs – those kind that fold up into like an umbrella shaped thing, and then you stretch them out kind of like a tripod and they have a little seat on them. You can carry it around with you when you need to sit! lol
On a less silly note, let me just say that you should be so so proud of yourself for being so committed and achieving so much only in your second year of university. You’re amazing, dude. You really are.
I think PR is possibly the most perfect thing for you ever, it totally fits your personality. You are eloquent and don’t take any crap.
I still don’t understand how you will have time to do anything but work with this schedule, do you get a day or an afternoon off? But it will all be worth it once Uni is over and you need to be getting yourself a job.
And congrats on being promoted to Web Editor!
I only get weekends off :P
It looks to me like even though you will be pretty darn busy, you are going to have a blast. :) These are all things you will enjoy doing, and they will give you great experiences that you will remember forever. I know it will be sad or difficult for you at times to cut down the little time you have now for leisure things (like blogging), but it will be absolutely 100% worth it in the long run.
I am in a very similar situation right now, so I understand and relate to everything you said. Intense school curriculum, finding a job, and other responsibilities are all taking top priority spots for me; it’s lame right now to think I won’t have as much time for web-stuff and games, but I know I will be thankful for my sacrifices when all is said and done! :D
Good luck with everything, Manda! I’m sure you will do well with all of those tasks at hand. Be sure to update us every once in a while, though! :P
These real-life/offline commitments are about 95% of the reason why I’ve given up everything online except for blogging. I just don’t have the time/passion for anything else online anymore, but it’s a trade-off I am more than willing to make as everything I am now doing are things I love :D
Wow, that is an insane amount of stuff for you to do! It all sounds pretty fun, though – and fulfilling too. There are worse things in life than being busy doing things that you enjoy. :)
I agree with Krissy, though – you really are incredible, and I admire that you have such dedication to so many different things.
Gosh, you sure are going to have your plate full this semester! Sounds very hectic, but I think sometimes it’s good to stay busy – at least you know you’re getting somewhere and achieving something. :)
Congratulations on your internship too! That sounds like a really good start for your future career, hope it all goes well!
Eh, the way I see it, I have plenty of time to sit in class. :P I am also headed for an extremely busy semester. At least this one has a week break in the middle, unlike the last one. Ah well, I love being busy, I was so bored over break. And it’s great when you get to study something that you love, yes? :D
Oh, if I wasn’t studying something I loved I don’t think I’d be able to face this semester. And I guess I will have plenty of time to sit in class – I never considered that before :P
Wow, you do so much! Kind of inspiring, actually. I really admire fellow students who take on (and manage!) a lot of different kinds of work :-)
Good luck with it all!
PR sounds amazing – I’ve always wondered how PR worked, actually. So congratulations! And wow at how they hired you part way through your interview – I’ve never heard that one before, so you must’ve really impressed them :D
Your semester sounds extremely intense and full-on, but I’m sure you’ll handle it superbly; and plus, i think you’re right about the motivation thing…
Congrats on being bumped up :)
School always takes over my life too
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