Basically, all I'm tryin' to say is... turning 21 was fun, and I lived it up and treated myself to an amazing weekend with my other half. Don't miss out on the big milestones in your life, they don't ever come around again!
Friday, March 27, 2009
On Turning 21.
So, I will admit I am not a huge fan of drinking or of gambling, but I turned 21 last weekend and decided I might as well give it a shot- why not, I'm 21!!!! As it turns out, I didn't feel quite 21 until I was able to buy my own alcohol at Pavilions on the way to Pala Casino, where my girlfriend and I stayed along with my mom and grandmother. We had an ENORMOUS suite that my mom got for free for Cindy and I. Woohoo! Party! So, we drank a little, gambled a little, and had some fun ;)
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
An Oldie But A Goodie...Homework
I wake up in the morning....homework.
I go to sleep late at night....homework.
I go on vacation....homework.
It follows me everywhere! I'm either reading a textbook or working on a group project, or finishing a draft for an essay.
What's cool though, is that I have stopped letting my homework stress me out and control me. I control it! And my method is simple time management. One would take a look at my schedule and ponder where in the world I come up with the time to do four college courses' worth of homework, research, and reading.
My Normal Weekly Schedule:
Sunday: 10:30-2:30 (work)
Monday: Disneyland/ work (depending on the week)
Tuesday: School from 9:30am- 3:30pm, work from 4pm-9:15pm
Wednesday: Work/ Disneyland (once again, depending on the week)
Thursday: School 9:30am-3:30pm, Dr. Sokol from 3:45pm-4:15/4:30pm
Friday: Disneyland/Work
Saturday: 11am-2pm (work)
Okay, so there are like three days during which Disneyland is mentioned, which may sound silly, but those are potential disneyland/date/homework days that I have alloted for myself pending my work schedule and my partner's schedule. It is so important not to devote every waking moment to doting over your assignments. It is, however, imperative that you get you time into your schedule (however hectic your schedule may be). My reasoning for this being that when we are able to have time to do what we want, we are more inclined to actually do our homework, and even be more successful at it because we don't feel such a grudge against it! So go ahead... give yourself a Disneyland Day! Or whatever you wanna call it ;)
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
The Never- Ending Request for Some Time OFF!
First, let me explain why I have this dilemma. I have a sister who lives in Utah (Susan Crivac, look at her blog "Sassy in Silver" she's a direct sales genius ;)), and along with my sister are her two adorable daughters, Siena (5) and Maci (3), and her husband Mark. My sister is my closest sibling, and I consider her to be one of my best friends, and as if that weren't enough, my beautiful nieces are like my daughters. As I'm sure you can imagine, it is hard to be away from them, especially when they live over 600 miles away from me! So, naturally, I visit them a few times a year. Okay, here's where the catch is- I have to beg for time off from my employer every time I want to go and see them. Now, I do not work a 9 to 5 job, so this gets tricky because they have to find someone to cover my shifts whenever I go on vacation. First of all, employers don't like it when you ask for a week or a long weekend off every 3-4 months because it indicates that you aren't "devoted" enough to your overworked, underpaid position. I know I'm not the only person out there who has this never-ending problem, so I am going to give everyone a few pointers.
1. Ask for the time off at least 2 months in advance, that way your employer knows and has ample time to find someone to cover your shift. This also indicates to them that you are on top of things and that you plan things out (a great attribute desired by employers).
2. Be reasonable about your time-off request! Don't ask for two weeks off and expect to get it willy nilly just because you asked for it off way in advance!
3. For the few months preceding your time-off request, try not to take too many days off or call in sick, because this will just say one thing about you- FLAKE!
4. Be honest with your employer! Don't say "Oh, I'm going to visit my Aunt Mildred in Kalamazoo, who is dying of a rare skin disease." No! Be HONEST! If you're taking a long weekend off to go to Vegas with your significant other to have a romantic weekend, just let your boss know that you are taking personal time off to go on vacation. We're all human! And an employer will appreciate this kind of earnestness from an employee, because it lets them know that they did make the right decision when they hired you!
5. Last, but not least, BE GRATEFUL! Let your employer know that you really appreciate them letting you have that time off, because they don't have to! It's a request, not a demand.
I know it can be emotionally trying to find the time off to spend with those that we love, but remember that at the end of the day, we need to be respectful of the commitment we made by working for an employer. Remembering all these things will help us grow into responsible human beings, and will promote our own good work ethic!
Labels:
family,
time off,
vacation,
work,
work ethic
Monday, March 16, 2009
It's Nothing New
I'm 21 and I'm a starving college student. Starving for knowledge, starving for a future, but mostly...starving for success. Recently, I have discovered that success is defined by one's ambitions and goals, not by others' standards or expectations. It has been easy to lose sight (frequently) of this craving for success. It happens when you see others making more money than you who never obtained this pinnacle of "success"- the college degree. Working part time at Radio Shack is no longer enough to satisfy that never- ending need for sustenance and disposable income. It comes to the point where you are considering leaving everything behind and working full-time anywhere, just to have that cash in your hands right now. Well, this blog is intended to evaluate the college experience as a full-time student working from the bottom, up. There will be road blocks and invaluable experiences on the way, and I'll be telling you about every step of it, and letting you know how I coped with and handled every situation. Ready? I am.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)