Job interview do's and don'ts

I was recently reading up on resumes and job interviews and I came across some helpful information on how you should and shouldn't act in a job interview. The main goal is to either land a second interview and/or get hired for the position. The number one reason individuals tend to not get a second interview is because they tell their potential boss too much information about their personal life. It's okay to discuss your goals, growth in your career in the past, and your motivations. Some other topics of conversation such as, vacations, allergies, and pets are questionable conversation pieces. As for absolute no No's...it's unsafe to discuss politics, religion, health history, name dropping, or talking about past bad experiences with bosses. I also learned that you want to leave employers wanting to know just a little bit more about you, thus, giving you an opportunity for a second interview.

Sunday dinner!

Today I've been studying most of the day at my friend Whitney's apartment, her roommates have been gone so we turned her apartment into a library. After our little scare over a friend today we decided we needed to chill and relax for the rest of the day. We have been talking about staying in a cooking dinner for 2 weeks now, however, with finals coming up and us being so busy we haven't yet. We talked and decided tonight was a great night for a home cooked meal.

One of our guy friends came over and we watched Prison Break for a few hours then made a trip to Wal-Mart. We got spaghetti stuff and salad and came back and cooked. It was the best meal I've had in forever!!! At college home-cooked meals are few and far between so when you do get them they are delicious. To top it all off, we had vanilla ice cream for desert!!

River Raft Race!

River Raft Race is an annual event in San Marcos. I got to attend for the first time this year and it was a blast, but an eventful experience. The weather was perfect and my girlfriends and I got out there early to hang out by the river beforehand. The police activity wasn't as strict as you might think which was cool because there was lots of underage drinking going on. I landed the position of designated driver so I had a sober day. However, I never realized River Fest was so dangerous.
Apparently every year multiple people are injured and/or drown unfortunately. Everyone in our party left with scrapes, bumps, and bruises...it's actually kind of ridiculous. As the day when on and people kept drinking one of my friends drank a little too much, which then triggered an issue with a medical condition she has. We knew she was very drunk and she was laying down in the raft. All the sudden she was talking to us and in mid sentence and her eyes rolled back into her head and she passed out not breathing. We thought she was going to begin having a seizure, however, that wasn't the case. The EMS workers came to our area and eventually she came to, after a few more minutes she passed out again and was eventually taken away in an ambulance. It was very scary and really made me realize how important it is to monitor your alcohol intake.

Summer is here!!

Summer is finally here!!! I wish I was getting to live here in San Marcos this summer, however, due to it being the summer after my freshman year of college my parents want me to come home for one more summer. I really wish I was getting to go to another country either in South America or somewhere in Europe. My friends and I had planned on going to Cancun, but we went there last summer so it seems like we should use our money on a place we have never been. I really enjoy traveling, so hopefully we'll be able to plan some exotic trip.
In the meantime, I plan on getting a full time job preferably in a field that will help my major. I've always had summer jobs, like life guarding, Century 21 (a real estate franchise), and at a cleaners. Since I've already been in college a year I feel like I should seek out an internship to educate me a bit more on my major, which is Mass Communications, more specifically media or public relations. Between traveling, working, and coming back to San Marcos to visit the summer should be fun and eventful!!

IQ testing!

I recently took an IQ test for extra credit in my psychology class. It was a really interesting experience and I encourage anyone who has the chance to take an IQ test to do so. I went to the library and took it one on one with a graduate student who was testing undergraduates for her research for her major. I was kind of nervous at first, however, after a while you become more comfortable which makes testing a lot easier.
The test has multiple sections, some of which are timed. The first section was all vocabulary and took roughly ten minutes. The following section you were given 4 to 7 tiles with pictures on them and had to arrange them in chronological order. There was also a timed math section which was somewhat nerve racking because you weren't provided with a pencil or paper, it all had to be done mentally. There were many other sections, these were just a few examples. The testing can last anywhere between and hour and half to three hours, it took me about and hour and 45 minutes. They grade you based on your mental age, divided by your chronological age, multiplied by a hundred. I'm still awaiting my scores, hopefully I did well!!!!

1st year of college!

It's really hard to believe that my first year of college is ending!! Nine months before I left for college my dad and I had a conversation about how my departure day was right around the corner. However, in my mind I was thinking nine months was forever and couldn't get here fast enough. The time flew and now here we are 18 months later from when my father and I discussed that. Just 2 days ago he called me and brought up that very topic, and giving me the typical parent line about "How your growing up so fast.." The funny thing is, I'm actually beginning to see it.
It's mind boggling how fast this year went because all I can think about is how I hope the next few years don't go by as fast. After college is the real world and I'm not ready for it yet, so time needs to go slower! You always hear people say college is the best years of your life, and despite the hard school work and dedication it takes, I totally agree with that ideology. I've had so much fun so far, and now the summer is here which is a bummer. I'm definitely not ready to go home, because I've just started to really establish my group of friends and really find my way around. I'm really looking forward to the next few years here and everyone should cherish their time in college because before we know it, we'll be graduating!!!

The scariest day of my life!

Yesterday evening I was hanging out with friends, and my best guy friend started complaining of sharp chest pains. That instantly sparked my attention because I had a friend in high school who passed away from a heart aneurysm, which could have been prevented had his chest pains not been ignored. So, the evening went on and his pains worsened and up until I dropped him off at home I begged to take him to the hospital. However, boys being boys, he was too stubborn to let me take him. He said he didn't feel like waiting in line, which is ridiculous when you could potentilly be having heart problems.
This morning roles around and I had a sorority workshop early and didn't really think about how he was doing. As the day goes on, around 1:00 I get a call from my girlfriend asking if I had talked to him because she was having problems getting a hold of him all day. I start calling him and no answer. I call his best friend and found out he hadn't spoken to him either. At this point I've started to panic (probably faster than I should have) and started to think the worst. For about 3 hours my girlfriend and I were very upset and panic stricken because we were thinking the worst. It isn't like him to go all day without talking to one of us and he doesn't sleep all day either. Finally, someone drove to his apartment and his truck was gone which was good news, however, for some reason the worry was still there. Eventually, he called me and I was so relieved. For hours I could hardly think of anything else, it felt like the world had kind of just stopped!! I've lost close friends before and all I could do was pray it wasn't happening to me again!

Formal this weekend!!

This past weekend I went to the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity formal! It was probably the highlight of my entire semester. We traveled to Canyon Lake which is not too far from San Marcos and got there around 4 on Friday. We settled in and then went straight down to the river and laid out and floated. Friday night we just hung out and had a party, however, everyone was passed out by like 12:30 because people had been partying all day. We woke up ironically at aroind 10 the nest morning and went back tot he river. It was a perfect day to be outside but the water was freezing. After I got the guts to actually get in the water my friend flipped me out of my tube! I was really mad because it completely dunked me under the water.
After being extremely tired and sun burned everyone went inside the cabins and started to get ready for the formal. Everyone cleaned up so nice after being wet and in swim suits for 2 days. Cocktails were an hour before dinner, so we went down to the pavillion around 7 for pictures and drinks. Dinner started at 8 and it was awesome, we had grilled chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans. Following dinner there was an awards assembly then everyone went to change to go back down by the river for the after party. There was a country band playing and we pretty much danced then night away! I wish I could go back and relive the weekend!!!

This weekend!!!

This upcoming weekend I was invited to the Pi Kappa Phi annual formal!!! I'm soooo excited. We are staying at a resort in Canyon Lake for the weekend, which is conveniently located on the river. We are to arrive on the first day around noon and layout and/or float the river. Check-in time isn't until 5:30 so we'll be outside chillin most of the day. Following that we will go in, rest up then get ready for the evenings festivities which will most likely be dinner then an evening party.
Saturday we will spend the day by the river again!! Then Saturday night will be the actual formal. It's kind of like a college prom haha! I'm looking really forward to it because I've probably experienced the hardest week of the whole semester. I've been doing homework since Saturday it seems like and studying for multiple tests, so a weekend away will be a nice treat at the end of hell week!!

ABC writers strike

Back in November of 2007 ABC's writers went on strike. This caused the delay in popular TV series like Grey's Anatomy, The Office, Desperate Housewives, and many others. These shows were put on hold due to the network running out of scripts because the writers stopped producing. As a result of these strikes writers are now being told by producers that they might not be allowed to participate in the future of ABC. Recently in February negotiations were finally reached and the strikes were officially put to a stop.
This relates to me personally because I am a Grey's Anatomy fanatic. The last episode aired was very dramatic so the next apisode has been long awaited. Word is that the next Grey's Episode will be towards the end of April. My other personal favorite is The Office. For the past five months nothing but reruns have been airing and I'm soooo ready for new episodes!

Scoliosis

Scoliosis is an abnormal lateral curvature of the spine. I was diagnosed with this condition in the 6Th grade by an annual scoliosis check through the school. I eventually found a scoliosis specialist at Scottish Rite Hospital in downtown Dallas. Going into my first visit my family and I thought I had only a possible 10 degree curve of my spine. However, after multiple x-rays and many hours at the hospital it was concluded that I had what is the called the "double S curve." Which means my spine is actually in the shape of an S and I have two curves. A person with scoliosis is physically in danger when the degree of their curve reaches 60 degrees. My top curve (at the time) was around 35 degrees and the bottom was around 23 degrees. The treatment action we took was wearing a plastic back brace that covered my entire midsection and was extremely tight.
I wore my brace for four years and int he middle of my freshman year in high school I received the news that I had stopped growing in height and could now discontinue the wearing of the brace, however, surgery could still be a possibility one day. Today my curve is 61 degrees on the top and approximately 44 on the bottom. The plan is to have surgery before I turn 20 years old and it will probably take place next year. The recovery period is extensive but it will benefit me int he long run and hopefully prevent future severe back issues.

Time management!

With the end of the semester approaching everything is chaotic. It seems as if there's not enough time in a day! Everyone is cramming for tests and hurrying to complete assignments before coordinating deadlines. It's insane and I'm ready to go home haha! If there's anything I've learned from my first semester of college it's 'time management.' No one can get anywhere without it and it's been a hard thing to get accustomed to. In college you can't procrastinate like you can in high school, there is no such thing as late work in college, and teachers really don't care if your dog ate your homework.
Another interesting change to get used to was evening out my time between school, my sorority, and having a job. It's almost impossible!!!! You have to be willing to make tons of sacrifices, however, the bigger the sacrifice the better the reward. I think that's how it goes, anyway. For those of you that maintain a full load and a job, more power to you! I had such a hard time doing it and it costs me the gardes I could of had!!

Spring Break!

This Spring break I decided to stay home verses going on an expensive vacation. I got home Thursday and just in the past few days I've really learned how much I appreciate home. It's kind of lame but when you get caught up in school and all the extracurricular activities you may be involved in, you forget how much your family and home mean to you. I have two younger sisters, the first is 2 years old, and the other is a year old. Every time I come home they are doing new things that I'm constantly missing out on. I've really missed out on the funnest part of their childhood. However, I do like being away at school and it just makes my time with them more special.
I also have learned to appreciate the home-cooked meals!! I think everyone can relate to that. I live in a dorm so it's not exactly convenient to cook myself dinner, which is why my mom made sure she had a meal ready when I came home Thursday. I've also really enjoyed spending time with my mom. She is my best friend and between raising my sister, being a wife, and working we don't talk as much as we should so it's really enjoyable to come home and get to spend time with her. Anyway...I've just come to appreciate my loved ones and all they do for me because at the end of the day you'll always have family! =)

Great experience!

I recently traveled with my sorority to Austint his weekend for our annual region weekend. It's a 2 day conference where all the Delta Zeta chapters in our region come together and attend different seminars about our sorority. One of the seminars was about our philanthropy which is the speech and hearing impaired, and we support the Painted Turtle Camp. This camp is located in California and is a week long camp solely for children with different disabilites. Each week in the summer is for a different disability. The lady in charge of the seminar discussed volunteering and showed us a short video of what goes on at this camp.
It kind of caught my interest simply because I have scoliosis and growing up and traveling to my childrens hospital frequently, I saw children who struggles so much with their disabilities and it was really touching and sad. After the weekend I'd thought a lot about it and decided I might want to go to this camp and be a counselor for a week. However, it's expensive to fly to California. Then this week in my sorority meeting, our president announced that Delta Zeta is going to sponser one girl in our chapter to go this summer and be a councelor!!! Hopefully that someone will be me...it seems like it would be a very rewarding experience.

Roger Clemens & Andy Pettitte

I'm a huge New York Yankees fan and all of this Yankee drama sucks! There's a bunch of "he said/she said" stuff going on so who's to say who's really telling the truth. The new buzz is about Clemons declaring in a press conference that Pettitte 'misremembers' Clemons prior statements about steroid and HGH use. Pettitte seems to be owning up to his HGH use and what I don't understand is why Clemons didn't do that in the first place?? So far, Andy doesn't seem to be suffering any serious repercussions as a result of him coming forward. Clemons on the other hand, could be facing a different fate because I think it's fairly obvous to the public that he used substances to enhance his baseball performance.
Another jaw-dropper was the fact that Clemons blames his wife for the use of HGH, which has been proved to be partially true, however, his involvement is still a strong possibility. It's now too late for him to tell the truth (if he hasn't already) because then he will get charged for pergery. Not to mention Brian McNamee's part in all of this. It seems that guy is screwed no matter what because that's who everyone is trying to blame for the players HGH and/or steroid use. I think the whole situation is a mess and the players either need to be punished or leave them alone and let them get on with theoff season.

My baby sister!

My parents were divorced when I was very young and my mom decided to get remarried four years ago. My step dad didn't have any children yet and so they decided to have another child and it was a girl. I have a young mom who's really in shape and healthy so it was ok that she was having another child. My sisters name is Bailey and she is adorable!!People constantly think shes my child because we look alike and she's so little. She just turned two on Friday and I went to my hometown to visit for the weekend. She's already going through that terrible two stage and my poor mother is being ran ragged.
My mom's side of the family is big and made up mostly of females. All of us girls (all my aunts, girl cousins, and my grandma) went to the Cheesecaje Factory on Sunday afternoon in honor of Bailey's birthday. Normally she is fairly well-behaved in public, however, this day I think she just woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Not only was my sister loud, cranky, and being bratty, she was flat out uncontrolable. My mother ended up having to eat her meal quickly and leave our lunch date with my sister because her loudness was ruining other peoples meals. I guess all young kids are like this but I feel bad for my mom haha! Before they left Bailey made sure she stuck her whole hand in her cake getting it all over my white shirt.

My Christmas break accident =(

Over Christmas break my family and I went to Houston on Christmas day to visit my grandparents. I drove my own car because I had to leave the very next day to return home to go back out of town with my father. I left my grandparents house around mid afternoon and stopped by CVS to stock up on water and snacks for the ride home. As I was backing out of my parking space I looked both ways, however, apparently I missed the new black Lexus flying behind me and I clipped the back fender. To give you some idea of how minor this was, I didn't even know I hit the gentleman and I continued to drive away until I saw him chasing me down on foot.

I turned around and pulled back in to talk to him and as I stepped out of the car I was confronted by this older grumpy man hollering at me like my parent. I was in no position to get an attitude with him because I did in fact hit his car. We traded information and I checked out both of our vehicles. My car was fine and there was a scuff on his left fender approximately 5 inches long and I was able to rub it out with my finger. I made the call to my parents and gave them the update and they said they would take care of it. To make a long story short the gentleman decided not to file it on insurance, however, he made my parents write him a $932 check for the damage!!!!! I was so mad because there was no way I did that much damage. I didn't do body damage and I didn't scrach the paint. I'm still mad about it but we couldn't have him file it on insurance because then my insurance could potentially drop me. Tiny fender benders like that are a pain!!!!!

Job Hunting!!

I'm really struggling right now trying to find a good job that is compatible with my schedule. I didn't have a job last semester becasue I saved all my money when I worked in the summer, however, that money ran out and now it's time to do something about it. My motivation is so I don't have to ask my parents for money anymore because they already pay for my car and school and I feel like I have to do my part. It's really difficult though to go to school and keep up with your studies while trying to maintain a job. I know plenty of students have jobs and attend school so I know I can do it to.

If anyone has any ideas on places I could potentially work at please let me know. I'm experienced with secretarial work, computers, and all that good stuff. I'm also certified in CPR and the heimlich for babysitting and what not. I'm looking to work maybe 15 or so hours a week. If anyone has any ideas whatsoever I would greatly appreciate it!

Bad airport experience!!

Monday morning I was in the Dallas Love Field airport at the crack of dawn trying to fly back to get to classes on time. Traveling is always a bit of a hastle and somewhat stressful, therefore, when others stressful factors enter the picture it seems to intensify the situation. Unfortunately I was flying stand-by (or space availabe) due to my mom being a Southwest flight attendant we get passes, however, if there is no space on the plane you must wait for the next one. This could potentially go on all day so you can understand why I would be a little frazzled since I was on a time schedule.
I finally get through security and down to my gate where you must also check-in. As I get to the counter the ticket agent was not only the rudest individual I havever met, it was almost like she knew she was being rude and just didn't care. First of all, she wouldn't answer any of my questions to do with the flight. She kept telling me to wait, then the phone would ring, then other travelers would come by. Naturally I was getting irritated, so I went up there and finally got somewhere with her but she was still very rude. Some people really have no business working with the public. To make a long story short, much to my disliking I didn't get on the plane and I missed my first two classes, and the ticket agent picking today to hate the world didn't help at all. My mom is considering writing her up so hopefully that helps!