Archive for August, 2009
Sunday, August 30th, 2009
This fall my sister is graduating from the College of Veterinary Medicine at Texas A&M. She is planning on becoming a dentist and has applied to all of the schools in Texas. So far she has received feedback from two schools and has scheduled interviews. One of her interviews is in San Antonio and the other is in Dallas, which is great except they are only two days apart. So what does all of this translate to…road trip! (more…)
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Thursday, August 27th, 2009
How do I always do this?
One of my vices is getting too involved. It doesn’t matter where I am, or what I am doing, I somehow get swept away with all that I CAN do, and end up doing it all.
Since coming to Singapore, I have managed to mimic my years at Texas A&M; I volunteered with the Student Counseling Services HelpLine (it used to be a secret, but now I am out of the closet about my involvement) and this past weekend I devoted to the NUSSU Hotline training; danced with the Armstrong/Bergeron Dance Company and was heavily involved with the dance department back home, and yesterday I took a two and a half hour Master Class with the resident choreographer (who coincidentally used to dance with the Houston Ballet) for NUS Dance Synergy, and have looked into auditioning with the NUS Dance Ensemble this Saturday; currently blog for Mays Business School, and now I am the editor for the Outspoken section of the NUS campus-wide magazine, the ridge. Not to mention I am taking Chinese, which requires a massive amount of devotion, and how could I forget- I’m supposed to also be studying for an Open Water Diving test for my PADI SCUBA certification. (more…)
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Wednesday, August 26th, 2009
Having always been the sort to enjoy cooking or dancing on rainy days, beautiful notes in songs or particularly poetic phrases in books or conversation, I’ve been accused of being a Romantic more than once. For me, it has never been about creating an impossible fantasy world or choosing naivete over reality. I just choose to be grateful–to notice things that bring me joy–to create a hospitable mental environment for myself to retreat into after a long day.
In any case, none of those things, although seemingly related, translate into being a natural ‘girlfriend’. Notoriously independent among friends and family, more than one eyebrow raised when a new profile picture on facebook featured a boyfriend. Who is he? Where did you come up with him? You’re graduating soon–is he The One? Some questions were easy, others (obviously) terrifiying after a couple of months. ”Whoa!”, I thought, “What am I doing here?!”
Dating is part of the college experience that some will warn against, calling it a distraction or finding a host of reasons to say it’s “not best”. What I’m learning, though, is that committing to spending time with someone interesting (and in a lot of ways different from me) broadens my interests and teaches me things about sports, the guiltless consumption of huge amounts of Whataburger, and even the way someone else’s family functions. It’s fascinating and, after 2 years of focusing on career preparation, exactly the change of pace I needed to keep my learning curve the steepest.
If making the grade, developing leadership, interning and traveling overseas seem like the “no-brainers” to making the most of college, there’s something sweet about learning to enjoy relationships of all kinds, too. Don’t miss out on deep connections with people–notice them, pursue them, be grateful for their unique intricacies…enjoy the opportunity to know them! We–not the latest discoveries or trends in management or policies in accounting–are the real basis of business, and if you miss out on people now, no outdated textbook can bring you back up to date.
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Sunday, August 23rd, 2009
School is officially starting again next week, so many Aggies are migrating back to College Station. All around Texas parents are having to say goodbye to their children and are helping them pack their last minute items. This is almost the same situation in my house, but as you know I already live in College Station. There are tons of boxes in my house, but I’m not the one moving, my parents are. (more…)
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Friday, August 21st, 2009
Work week is almost coming to an end. Tomorrow is our last day and I could not be more excited.
For those that don’t know, work week is just like it’s name … it is the week before recruitment start and it is when the entire chapter gets together to prepare for it.
(more…)
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Wednesday, August 19th, 2009
Having been raised on fried chicken, Dr. Pepper and as much butter as can be mixed into any dish possible, health and fitness are far from my forte. This summer, however, I have taken to doing repetitions with hand weights. A couple of 8 pounders were laying around the house, and the first night I stood in front of the mirror doing curls, I felt A) ridiculous B) strained and C) unsure whether what I was doing would even make a difference in my overall fitness. Nonetheless, I concentrated on keeping my arms from feeling like spaghetti, and now, a couple of weeks later, lifting the dumbbells doesn’t make me feel foolish and isn’t the least bit difficult.
Changing personal habits (like execerise regimes) or patterns of thinking (like passiveness or laziness) work the same way, I’ve learned. The following is a quote from one of my communication textbooks which–AAH!–I actually read. I like it.
“There is not some kind of monolithic, singular, fixed environment that exists detached from and external to…people. Instead…people are very much a part of their own environments. They act, and in doing so create the materials that become the constraints and opportunities they face. There is not some “they” out there who puts these environments in front of passive people. Instead, the “they” is people who are more active.” -Weick, 1995
Circumstances exist because someone–a person, full of both endless power and the trappings of mortality–chose or neglected to choose for life to be the way it is. The grocery store is laid out the way it is because someone in a board room suggested it, and everyone else present either intellectually agreed, disagreed but couldn’t bring others to side with him, or didn’t care enough one way or another to say anything at all. How much more true of laws, policies,
We all make a difference, whether we 1) want to 2) intend to or 3) feel equipped to do so. What impact are you having? Can you feel proud of the decisions you’ve not only piloted, but the ones you’ve allowed by agreeing? Do you like the legacy you’re leaving?
Speaking up can feel a bit like lifting dumb bells for the first time. For some, it’s unnatural, unpleasant and even outright risky. But, learning to form an opinion, communicate it, and negotiate its finer points until they’re accepted are all pieces of shaping a world that’s more fit to live in for more people.
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Wednesday, August 19th, 2009
Another year, another beginning of the semester… Should be quite commonplace for me now, after 8 semesters at Texas A&M, however my final fall term as an Undergraduate student, I have to start all over again, lost, confused and with a thousand unanswered questions… because I am enrolled at the National University of Singapore.
Studying abroad for your final semester is not very conventional, nor does taking American history outside of the United States seem very logical, but to me, it makes perfect sense. That is right, instead of graduating in May (like I could have, and according to dissenters, ‘should have’) I prolonged taking History 106, a freshman level American history survey course, until now. Surpassing opportunities to test out of it, to take it online, or even to take it over the summer, I am surely going to get far more out of it over here than taking it just to ‘get it over with.’
So, I’m a junky for education. I take classes for ENJOYMENT, and not to complete a degree requirement. I guess I am what you call an ‘unconventional student’ in that respect, but there are much worse addictions than school. (more…)
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Monday, August 17th, 2009
Once back on shore, the focus turns to finding the final kayak. Responsible for our snorkel gear, we return to the small raft that originally retrieved us. Getting most of it back, they laughed when we asked for the other yellow flipper. “We accidentally dropped it over the edge. You can swim to get it if you’d like” Lacking the ringgits to pay for it, we dove down, and sure enough, bright as ever, was the yellow flipper, peacefully resting at the bottom of the deep blue sea.
The final unknown mystery still remained; where had that darn kayak gone? (more…)
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Sunday, August 16th, 2009
Right now most students are depressed that summer is almost over, but at the same time are excited to see their friends again when school starts. This, however, is not an accurate description of students that have just finished summer school. Last week I completed my final exam and my summer has now officially begun. (more…)
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Friday, August 14th, 2009
I’m finally got back from New York to Texas a few days ago.
I was pretty worried driving back up to College Station because …
#1) I am a typical bad driver
#2) I haven’t driven in 3 months
BUT, I’m here in one piece !
(more…)
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