Tag Archives: classes

Under Pressure

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If there’s one thing I know I am absolutely qualified to talk about, it’s procrastination. In fact, just to prove my point, I procrastinated writing this post–for a little ‘method blogging,’ if you will–and I am now awake much earlier than I had hoped in order to finish it. Procrastination, especially on college campuses, is a pretty common method of study and operation, and although it may work for some, it definitely doesn’t work for others. There are many signs that might indicate someone is a procrastinator: excessive intakes of caffeine, late night signs of activity on Facebook and Instagram, a cheerful disposition on the outside as jokes are made about how much work is still left to be done by a quickly-approaching deadline, etc. However, if none of these traits are applicable, there is one sure-fire way to tell if you or someone you know is a procrastinator–an age-old expression that has withstood the test of time to consistently and accurately predict a procrastinator, even in their earliest stages of putting things off.

Does the phrase, “I work better under pressure” ring a bell? I can tell you from personal experience that this idiom has almost become a kind of mantra to me, allowing me to better justify the hours of YouTube videos watched in rapid succession, as the hours tick away and my deadlines loom closer and closer with every Buzzfeed clip I finish. Although senior year isn’t quite halfway over yet, I have already learned a lot about myself and the kind of student I am by really examining how I have approached my assignments this semester so far. To be blunt, I have some pretty bad procrastination patterns–like, really bad–which, to me, signals a need for a long-overdue reorganization of my priorities, time management, and motivational strategies in order to successfully get me through this last push and prepare myself for life after Scripps. Here’s a little mood music to play while you read the rest of this post–hopefully it motivates you to take my advice to heart.

They say old habits die hard, but I don’t necessarily think that’s true. Sure, the habits you’ve picked up over the years, likely starting in your youth and solidifying in high school, have had a huge influence on how you operate as a student and in your day-to-day activities, but these old habits are not set in stone forever. Instead, I say that while old habits might not die hard, they can certainly be shifted around enough to be retrained (or at least, attempted to!). Readjusting your study habits and such is not always the easiest of endeavors, but if it will help you out in the long run and make you better prepared as both a student and an adult once you move beyond the realm of higher education, why not try to better yourself in whatever way you can? After all, isn’t that kind of the point of coming to college in the first place?

Last week, I was lucky enough to see the honorable Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, give a wonderful talk at Pomona College. Her wisdom and advice for all of us in the audience was incredibly inspiring, and a lot of what she had to say has really stuck with me. She helped remind me why it is that I am here at college: because I came here for an education in order to grow as an individual and learn more about the world so I can strive to help make it a better place–not just to help me get a job once I graduate. I know, that all sounds kind of silly and romanticized, but it’s still true–and something that is often forgotten here amongst the pressure of grades, the vibrant campus life and social events, and everything in between. Sotomayor acknowledged how the expectations and the pressures of getting good grades has hindered the passion and the drive that students should be motivating themselves with, but also stressed the importance of reciprocity, even with the added expectations of high achievement: what you put into your education is what you get out of it, plain and simple. Her words forced me to evaluate my priorities as a student and reflect on the kind of education I was allowing myself to receive here at Scripps: was I pushing myself to take classes that sounded interesting, even if they were supposed to be hard or a lot of work? Or was I limiting myself by taking “easier” classes that I knew would boost my GPA and not require a lot of effort on my part–even if these classes weren’t useful to me or were things I had already learned?

While I’m sure we have all probably taken classes in both of these categories at one point or another, I found myself looking back over my time here at Scripps; not with any kind of regret, but with a sense that I absolutely could have pushed myself more. I procrastinate because I know I can and will get things done on time–as I have been doing for years. But, I have now realized that knowing I will somehow manage to finish all my work on time shouldn’t be what motivates me to actually do the work. For the rest of this semester, I want to try and change my mindset about my classes and start shifting my study habits in order to better prepare me not only for my last semester of college (which is approaching WAY too quickly, if you ask me), but also for my life after graduation, as I move into the job sphere that the cumulation of my education has equipped me to handle.

Now, of course, this change in mindset and reevaluation of habits is not for everyone. If you’re not of the procrastinating variety, then perhaps you’ve already developed the kind of mindset about your education and bettering yourself that I am striving towards. That’s awesome! Keep up the good work. Or, if you are a procrastinator, but are pretty happy with where you are in terms of what you’re doing and learning, then by all means, keep on keepin’ on–whatever works best for you. I am merely presenting some advice that I wish I had absorbed much earlier on in my educational career–because it is definitely something I had heard before, but never really understood till now, as I’m on my way out of the educational circuit–in the hopes that someone else might take it to heart.

Has this kind of epiphany ever happened to you? If you have any advice for how I should start my change in priorities and move away from using procrastination as a crutch, then by all means, please let me know! Or, if you’ve had a similar revelation at any point in your life, I’d love to hear about that as well–I’ll gladly listen to anything that will help me put off actually changing my procrastinating ways….

(Just kidding!)

(Mostly)

 

The Benefit of (the Many) College Expectations

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Hi everyone! I wanted to start today’s post by thanking not only CP&R for the incredible Life After Scripps week, but also all of you that attended the events. I know that I was so pleased with the turn out at the Create Your Own Adventure seminar, and I hope that for those of you who attended, you learned something new and beneficial! Just a reminder that October 22nd and 23rd are the dates of the next two seminars. While the one last week was more informational, these next two are very interactive and fun!

I also really want to encourage you all to take advantage of the incredible opportunities Scripps provides. With the creation of every event, club, speaker, class, etc. comes the intent to benefit the student in some way. One of the women I interviewed, Clara, spoke to this point. While she was a busy student, she made sure to take advantage of all the opportunities she could, whether it was an extra class, joining a club, or going to a speaker event. The amount of activities she put on her plate “prepared me when I went to get my masters, because I was on it…I went into a very intense program, but I was actually prepared for the workload itself.”

Clara now teaches at a high school. However, not only does she teach English, she also is the dance teacher, a spin class teacher, one of the main program coordinators for the school, and is the faculty member that always volunteers to take on that extra assignment. While some people may look at her like she’s crazy, this is nothing new for her. Taking on all these tasks not only gives her something to do, but also provides more income.

I know for me that this semester I have been quite a bit overwhelmed with the amount I put on myself. Not only am I a blogger for Beyond the Elms, but also I still am maintaining my internship, I am a BOT student representative, the music director of Ninth Street Hooligans, and I am taking five academic classes. I also know I chose to do all of these activities for a reason: I wanted to blog for Beyond the Elms because I wanted more writing experience. I knew I wanted an internship this summer and I knew that the one I ended up with was going to be an incredible experience, even if it did go into the school year. I really care for Scripps and wanted to be more involved in its potential to grow, so BOT immediately caught my eye. And as for the class load…I wanted to finish all my GEs this year and also wanted to get a head start on my major.

I also know that I have learned a lot of skills from taking on this many activities that will benefit me later, whether it be I decide to go to graduate school or look for a career. I am learning how to make a (very intense) schedule and stick to it in order to get what I need to do done. I am also learning how to figure out what my personal priorities are and how sometimes making tough decisions is necessary. For example, until recently I was a member of the Chamber Choir. However, because of the amount of work I have taken on, I knew it was necessary for me to drop. I have been singing in choir since I was four years old, so this was not an easy decision. Honestly, I still am a little bit upset with myself, but I know I made the right decision.

As college students, a lot is expected of us. We are supposed to take classes, stay healthy, make friends, all while keeping in mind where we want to be after our four years at Scripps. However, I don’t think any of us should take this for granted. While it may seem overwhelming and stressful, we are learning to challenge ourselves in so many different ways. With every new assignment, we learn to balance and schedule—two very important skills that will go a long way no matter where you end up after Scripps.

Have any of you ever felt overwhelmed by what college expectations are placed on you? If yes, how did you deal with that stress? Have you ever thought about whether these expectations have benefited you?

An Indecisive Narrative

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I am certainly one of those college students who changed my mind about my major hundreds of time. There was even a short 10 minutes when I considered the 3-2 Engineering program–spoiler: that was NOT going to happen as you have to plan for that starting day one. I came to Scripps wanting to be an Economics and Politics major, but quickly changed my mind. Neither were really my passions and I especially did not enjoy my politics classes. The question was: now what? And trust me, everyone was asking.  My friends still tease me about my major selection process, and I have to admit that it doesn’t feel good to feel like the one who doesn’t have it all figured out. Unlike me, my best friend always knew she’d be a Neuroscience major and my boyfriend always knew he’d be a Computer Science major–I felt like the odd one out.

It took some stumbling along the way, but taking Arabic really shaped what I wanted to do. I wanted to somehow incorporate Arabic into a major because I love it so much and want to keep learning about the language. At first, I thought to do Late Antique Medieval Studies through Pomona, but eventually have decided to do Middle East & North African Studies because more language courses can count towards that major, so I can study Arabic for longer and go abroad easily. I had actually stumbled into doing a lot of the requirements and those politics classes that I thought were a waste counted as electives. Phew. That took a while. But I wasn’t satisfied.

Gee thanks, XKCD....

Gee thanks, XKCD….

Last summer–at the tail end–I switched into an English class. I had never once considered studying English in college. After all the talk about how unprofitable it is, I don’t think it once crossed my mind even though I absolutely love literature, arguments, and reading. English, of course, is perfect for me. I get to pick apart texts and read fantastic literature for homework! I have had great experiences with Scripps English faculty and am enjoying my very first Pitzer class as well.

However, then comes the inevitable question I always dread: so….what’re you going to do with that? I’m not completely sure. I want to go to law school and English lends itself really well to law. Learning a second language is a good and marketable skill, so I can easily sell my Arabic skills. But should I have to? I am challenging myself and learning in a way that makes me happy and fulfilled. Scripps prepares well rounded women who can learn to market their liberal arts skills.

If you’re considering an “unprofitable” major, my best advice is to go with what makes you happy. I didn’t decide to be an Economics major because I wasn’t excited by Economics or the job prospects that many of the Scripps Economics majors have. It’s not my thing. If you’re doing a major that isn’t your real interest because you think it’ll lead to a good career, think about what those careers are and why you want to pursue them first. I’ve had Scripps students say things to me like “English majors like you are the reason Scripps doesn’t make as much money [in donations],” which is not true. Some people will be negative about your choices, but that doesn’t mean you should stray from what makes you happy.

You study here, right?

You study here, right?

In fact, you may be much better at selling that Anthropology major that you adore than the Computer Science major that you feel rather meh about. Remember that you can always take Statistics, Economics, Accounting, Computer Science, etc courses to put on a resume without having to really commit to a major that you’re unhappy with. Stay true to yourself and your goals and be okay with those things changing. College isn’t where we have to figure it all out, but it is a unique opportunity to learn and grow in the way you choose to.

The World is Your Oyster

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I’m sure at one point or another, we have all heard this phrase,”the world is your oyster.” To those not too familiar with shellfish or the metaphor, let’s dig deep into the land of endless unknown possibilities that lie ahead of us after our collegiate journey.

Best believe it! Photo via Cutest Blog

Best believe it! Photo via Cutest Blog

While growing up, you often hear other kids say, “I want to be the President” or “I want to be a firefighter,” and even “I want to be an astronaut.” Kids with their delightful sense of innocence don’t limit their career opportunities. They dream with their eyes open, thinking of professions that excite them and make them happy.

Now as we grow up, we tend to shed those beliefs and even subject them to criticism, claiming that they are overly optimistic and land in the territory of impossible childhood dreams. But I think there is a lot to be said about an imaginative, creative, and hopeful childlike perspective to career searching.

Now on the other side of the coin, I agree that in the current job market and in every job market one must be practical. Jobs aren’t going to find themselves and you must be efficient, strategic, and persistent in pursuing your ideal work environment. But should this mature and “adult like” strategy cost us our simple childhood dream-like-perspective? Well… simply put, no. We can actually learn about our current selves from our past selves.

Throughout the years, I have heard many stories from different mentors in my life including internship advisers, professors, and my boss that what you study in college and pursue in an undergraduate world of academia is not a buy-all end-all product. Why limit the possibilities of our potential career path when we know this little unpredictable thing called life somehow always gets in the way?

You make plans, they change, and as a result you follow the curve ball that gets thrown at you. So listen up folks, don’t take yourselves too seriously. Be focused, deliberate, practical, and strategic while in college. By all means have a 2 year plan or heck have a 6 year plan and try to stick to it. Be intentional when picking a major. Think, “what kinds of opportunities could this track lead me down? Is this realistic for the life that I have envisioned for myself? Does this provide meaning and satisfaction in my life? Does this make me happy?”

But when life picks you up, drops you down, and puts you in an unfamiliar position. Ya get back up and you go with the flow; you’ve got no other choice. So channel that inner child within you and keep dreaming, because who knows maybe that one dream writing job is waiting for you but you’re too busy complaining about your current job to even notice. After all imagination is key, don’t believe me, well you must believe my dear friend Albert.

images

You can’t argue with the one the only Albert Einstein! Photo via Picture Quotes

Now “you may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one!” So as we move forward, let’s not only imagine all the people living life in peace but also all the people loving their jobs because they trusted themselves and their dreams enough to get them there!

Imagine. Photo via John Lennon Facts

Imagine. Photo via John Lennon Facts

Peace out folks,

Isabella

Choosing Classes or Picking a Job?

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Picking and registering for classes seems to me (an inexperienced freshman) like picking a job. There are so many potential options, however I still feel so limited in what I am able to do. I have gone over and over the catalog trying to find the right courses to take, figure out timing that will work, and find the best professors. At first I was so excited to be able to take new classes and have a wider variety of options. Then I found out that my registration time was at 4:15, and everything became a little less hopeful.

Going through these steps has been similar to how I’ve approached jobs. At first, I get so excited about considering all of the jobs that I could possibly have. I could be a journalist, the owner of a start-up business, a lawyer, a publisher, a coffee barista, a traveler… The world seems to be at my feet. However, I then realize that I can only have one (or two) majors and that I won’t be automatically given my dream job. And then I realize that when I go into the work field, I will be one of many little fish in a big, big pond. Just like my late 4:15 registration time.

As it is still only my first semester of my first year here, I know that things will eventually work out. I have all five schools here to help me take the classes that I need, I have a great adviser, and I know some tricks to help me get into classes. But it’s a little more daunting when it comes to working after college. Hopefully I will be able to build some connections while here at Scripps and take advantage of all of the resources that I can. That way when I graduate I will not feel too little in the big pond.

Finding a job after college and working for the rest of your life is still a little bit more of a challenge than just registering for classes for next semester. They are still similar, though. You have to remember that eventually things will work out. Even if there is a job that you don’t like, you know that you won’t want to stay in that field or further pursue it. Just like the politics class I took this semester. Even though it hasn’t been my favorite class, it was still good in alerting me to the fact that I don’t want to study politics.

The job process is similar to college, just stretched out on a much larger scale. While things here at Scripps seem to occur so quickly, finding and maintaining a job will take a much longer time. So after graduating from college, that’s the number one thing that I will have to remind myself: things aren’t going to work out right away, and it may take a few tries to get it right. Just like choosing your classes and trying to choose a major. It will all be alright in the end (hopefully).