Saturday, January 29, 2011

Breaking the Bland

Most readers have probably noticed how much I change the design of my blog.
            In the course of six months I have had six different color schemes. I want to apologize. It might be exciting to click on the link to my blog and see a new background, or it might be just frustrating.
            But I will explain my actions.
            I would consider myself a pretty boring person. I might not sound like I have a boring life, but I do things in a routine. I just stick to the same plan, way of doing things and lifestyle.
It’s not that I don’t want some excitement in my life. Trust me, I keep waiting for the excitement to begin. But changing the pictures and colors on my blog, my little piece of the world that is truly all mine, gives me the sense of excitement I sometimes need. So the next time you see the background change, just know, I was probably bored.
I find it interesting that this is the only thing in my life I am willing to change at the click of the mouse. I could dye my hair, but I think you and just about anyone I have ever met would never forgive me. And I might never forgive myself; of all the things God gave me, he gave me great hair.
I could change the backdrop on my laptop, but the black and white photo booth snapshot of my two best friends from home and me is perfect.
I could switch up my wardrobe, but I like being comfortable and simple. I could try a new style but I am not a runway model.
I could change my profile picture, but the one I have works so well. I could try a new sport, but God certainly did not give me athletic ability.
I could change my major, but I’m not that brave. I could try any myriad of new things, but hey, I’m comfortable. What can I say? I’m pretty darn boring.
And would I trade my perfectly boring life for something more exciting? I don’t think so. The grass is always greener, and I’m happy right where I am. I just get bored sometimes.


P.S. Check out my new blog about my thoughts on the entertainment world. The Popcorn Critic click on the words The Popcorn Critic in teal. 
Proof that I was bored and wanted a new blog. 

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Now is the time to be selfish


If you don’t already know what makes Northeastern so special, then I wouldn’t call you a true follower of my blog, but that’s ok, I’ll remind everyone.
            We have what is called the Co-op program. This means that after three semesters, students have the option to apply and take a full time job, not an internship, but an actual job at big name companies.
For six months the student works as a full-fledged employee. Then she returns to school for more classes and eventually does it all over, repeating the process three times. So yes it takes five years to graduate, but when you come out, you have a year and a half of actual work experience.
Before anyone gets to go on co-op, we must take a class that teaches us how to write a resume, a cover letter, how to dress for an interview and how to interview successfully. I am currently in this class, although, I won’t co-op until next spring.
This week in class, our instructor gave us an assignment: plan out your college experience. I have to write on a piece of paper when I want to go on co-op, when I want to be in school in Boston and when I want to go abroad.
This task might not seem so hard for the average college student, but I suddenly found myself faced with a daunting task. I wanted to live in the now, not five years from now.
For a person who always desperately clung to a plan for my life, I suddenly became a “Why don’t we just wait and see what happens,” kind of person.
It’s not that I don’t want to plan my future; I just want to have options. What if I want to take a vacation or hop on a plane to Europe on a whim? Northeastern is saying I can do that only if I plan ahead.
So what do I do? Do I study abroad? Do I do three co-ops? Do I go abroad during a summer session? Do I only study?
The future is certainly up in the air.
I had a friend telling me about the pressure to stay in touch and be the person she was in high school and come home as much as she could. But she said something that made me realize she is absolutely right.
“Now is the time to be selfish.”
In ten, twenty, thirty years, who knows what my life situation will be, but I probably won’t have the chance to study abroad for six weeks, a summer or a semester. I won’t have the chance to take a job for just six months to give it a try and come back to the classroom afterwards. I won’t have the chance to be young, make mistakes, find myself and stumble upon my future. That is something I am sure of.
            So now is the time to be absolutely selfish. I need to think about me, what I want to do, what will make me happy and what will lead me to the opportunities of a lifetime. 

Friday, January 7, 2011

Returning Home


In one of my first blog entries I wrote about the importance of remembering where you come from in order to move progressively towards the future. This past week I had the chance to go back to some of my roots and take my own advice.
            Now I didn’t want to be one of those pathetic kids who comes back to high school the first chance they have simply because they can’t let go of high school, but I did go back to Holy Family anyway.
            I told myself it was because I wanted to wish my best friend’s younger sister a happy 16th birthday at school. But I was using this as an excuse to go back and see all the teachers I really did miss. I wanted an excuse to go back and show everyone, “Hey, look, I made it.”
            Going back reminded me of all the things I did miss about high school, but it also helped me to see that moving on is a good thing.
            It helped me to see that life goes on without you sometimes, so don’t dwell on that and live your own life. Holy Family certainly kept going, even without the Class of 2010. However, it was comforting to know that we are missed.
            The best thing about going back was seeing the pride in my former teachers’ faces when they heard I was succeeding.
I got the chance to talk to a few students about my college experiences. I remember being a junior in high school with college on the horizon like it was yesterday. I blinked and here I am about to head back to school in Boston for my second semester of my first year of college.
But talking to the students made me realize that no matter how many people tell you about college, how many books you read about it, how much you prepare for it, college is a surprise.
You just have to take that leap from high school to college with blind faith that Holy Family gave you everything you need to succeed. I learned for myself that they did.
Mr. Gumerlock gave me a good sense of humor to take with me. Mr. Good taught me some very important advice about beginnings. Mr. Bishop and Mr. Domko gave me self-confidence in my academic habits. Mrs. Prew gave me some important lessons about letting go and being myself no matter what. Mr. Blair taught me to always believe in myself. Mr. Galmish taught me that I wasn’t screwed for college assignments. And Mr. Wilson taught me that I would end up at the college where I was supposed to be.
They all made me into a great college student ready for success. It was good to look back at Holy Family because now I’m focused to begin again.