What’s It All About, Anyway?

It’s been a while since my last post and I’m sure all college students out there know why: school work and parties.

Yes, the ever-present question in any graduating senior’s mind. For many the thought of choosing work over enjoyment isn’t even considered; partying comes first in your senior spring. It’s been hard these past few days for me to choose school over the more exhilarating option. Spring week is in full swing at Wellesley and I’ve just returned from my last Marathon Monday. Students and residents come out to the famous scream tunnel to cheer on the thousands of runners that pass by Wellesley’s campus at the half-way mark of the Boston Marathon. Screams of women can be heard from all over campus and echo even after runners have passed by. This tradition is just the icing on top of our spring week. Friday evening was our Dyke Ball; girls and guys come dressed in their most creative black tie, often times in their fanciest lingerie. Saturday was Avant Garde, the Ethos fashion show on campus, and last evening I attended our spring concert with Wale and Jon Hope.

This week has pulled me in two directions. I’m struggling to have fun in my last semester of college, while still trying to carry the course load of five classes. And apply for jobs. It tires me just thinking about it. My throat is sore from all the screaming, my face is still nipped from all the runners’ kisses I finally got (my sign read, “Kiss me, I’m JEWISH,” and 38 runners planted wet ones on my cheeks) and spring week still isn’t over.

Talking to my senior friends, some deep into their thesis work, others going out five days a week, it’s tough to decide which path to take. My best friend recently said, “Senior year is not only about looking for jobs—you have to enjoy college while you still have it.” And she’s right. But first I have to get some reading done, do some translation work, and then take a breath.

I’ve been evaluating my time in college and it’s nice to think of all the traditions I have participated in and upheld. I’ve jumped in our lake, explored our forbidden steam tunnels, and danced at many an on-campus party. I’m sure every school has traditions and everyone has partaken in at least one. Those memories are great when you run into an alum, be it one coming back to campus for another tradition (I screamed with one at the tunnel today!), or one you’d like to connect with while looking for jobs. Those memories, traditions, and even parties, that you go to will forever be a part of your college experience.

I can’t imagine spending my last semester, or year, pent up in my room worried only about grades. Graduation day (May 28^th!) grows near and it is scary but also exciting. Take some time away from all the frustration and frenzy of finals and theses for just a weekend, or two, and have the last hurrah of your college days. It can’t hurt, I promise!

Welcome Back, Spring Breakers

These days most college students are facing reality; spring break is over and only two months remain of this school year. That means two months to get a job, find housing, and overall prepare yourself to shed the sheltered undergraduate life and strike out on your own. This scares me and excites me all at the same time.

An aching sunburn has done little to motivate me as I’ve just returned from the oblivion of spring break in Puerto Rico. After spending days basking on the beach, exploring  the Yunque Rainforest, and lounging on a snorkel boat (unfortunately, the cause of my skin affliction), it’s hard to get back into the college -- and job search -- mindset. I’m trying to follow advice from my last post with a list on how to jumpstart my motivation.

1. Get over SB fever.

I know I still have spring break fever. The reminder of my relaxing week is all over my body. My plan is to head over to the nearest pharmacy and buy some aloe lotion and exfoliating scrub to cure my shedding skin. I have to rid myself of all reminders that I was so relaxed a few days ago. These next two months mean work. The sooner we all realize this, the better off we will be. If you have to download all those candid vacation photos off your camera to get those memories out and to move on, do so! If not, you’ll just reminisce until the metaphorical cows come home.

2. Plan your attack.

Get your planner out or look at your calendar, go over all your syllabi, and figure out what is due these next crucial months. You don’t want to go back to class without realizing your term paper is due in a week, which reminds me, I have an accounting midterm next week, yikes!

Once you’ve gone over everything, start planning out your schedule. Have everything you need to get done written down in one place. That way you’ll never have to sort through all those papers again; just don’t lose your schedule. With everything in one place and mapped out, that alone will lift a weight off your sunburned shoulders.

3. Start off slow.

Getting smaller assignments out of the way will leave you more time and will also ease you into getting work done again. Sure, I did a bit of work over vacation, but nothing comparable to what needs to get done during crunch time. If you need to jump into writing a term paper, work little by little; set a goal of a few pages each day. By the due date you’ll have a polished paper without pulling an all-nighter.

4. Maintain a schedule.

Whether it be working out daily or making sure you eat breakfast each morning, keep it up. Switching your schedule around will just make your mind and body think you’re still on break. I definitely didn’t work out during my island idyll, but now that I’m back at school, I have to resume running and Pilates again to really jumpstart the notion that I am back in reality. Maintaining this balance will help your sleep schedule, which will then help you be more productive during your day.

So now that you have the tools to get back into your working world, get ready. Get set. Life awaits. But first get that aloe to cure that sunburn.  

Work v. Play: List Your Way to a Happy Ending

I’ve been having an extraordinarily hard time focusing lately. I suppose that’s normal for a second semester senior, right? My lack of motivation has manifested itself in my classes and extracurricular activities. This has become a problem for me. I’ve turned to my lists to remedy my lethargy. After nearly four years of college I have found my to-do lists can get me through many situations. You might be wondering, what’s so special about to-do lists?

I asked myself that very same question until I took up list-making. College students have so many activities to balance; here’s my list: 

How do we keep track of it all? Some of you might have photographic memories (jealous!) or amazing planners to mark everything down in, but for many, that just isn’t enough. So we resort to little tricks, mine being lists.

Often times, simply the action of writing down everything that needs to get done gives me a little, but necessary, nudge. Search the Web for correlations between memory and writing things down and you'll find countless articles about muscle memory and the connection between the act of writing and remembering that item. Much like practicing dance steps, writing a to-do list or grocery list helps you remember to turn in that paper or pick up milk, just in case you lose that planner or forget to bring your list to the store.

As a senior, I feel like I’m taking a multiple choice quiz every day: work or play? After three full years of classes, I finally have Fridays off. What kind of a senior am I if I don’t enjoy my final spring to the fullest? With my lists, I can balance the demands of school and the desire to socialize. I never neglect to have a non-school activity on my lists, and I never have to pull all-nighters – don’t you wish you were me?

I’ve solved my motivational dilemma with my lists. They help me to focus on what I need to do, to prioritize my plan of attack, and thus to worry less. Because of this, I can enjoy my free time with friends, rather than worrying about academics and finishing my work.

So get out that little notepad you’ve always wanted to use for something, pick your favorite pen, and write it all down. From working out, to your ten page paper due next week, put your mind at ease. And of course, don’t forget the gratifying scribble you will soon scratch through all of those items on your to-do lists: ta-dah! Happy listing!

The Ultimate Interview Outfit

As we progress through our years of college, our workplace wardrobe is constantly changing, from funky first year to self-assured senior. My clothing choices have certainly shifted since I arrived on campus four years ago. At that time I was fresh out of a job at The Children’s Museum of Maine. Read: Jeans, t-shirt, and a paint-splattered apron. Since then my style has matured as I’ve spent the past two summers in Manhattan interning at RealSimple.com. Read: Knee-length skirt, button-down shirt, and high heels.

It’s February and for many of college students, that means prime interview season. But what to wear? This question plagues job seekers and internship hopefuls alike. Any search on the web for interview attire will turn up countless articles on what to wear and what to steer clear of. I want to give you specific examples. You only make a good first impression once and much of what you choose to sport in your interview says scores about who you are and what kind of an employee you have the potential to become.

1. Button Up. Cleavage will get you noticed and will also get you thrown out. Think about what type of an image you want to portray to prospective employers: confident, sensible, and put together. In no way do these qualities come across when employers are too focused on how many buttons you chose to leave undone. This shirt is a great choice:

Banana Republic, $60

It’s stylish but also very tasteful and gives your outfit a blush of color. However, the color is not overpowering so the interviewer still focuses on your face, not your shirt.

2. Take a Seat. When buying a skirt to pair your shirt with, sit down in the dressing room to test out the length. If the skirt rides up anywhere near your mid-thigh, don’t buy. I don’t need to elaborate, do I? A tasteful skirt coming to your knee or just a smidge above is perfect. Try this chic skirt out:

Banana Republic, $80 

Grey and black skirts are staples to a great work wardrobe. Switch them in and out with colored tops and you have a week’s worth of options. High-waisted skirts are flattering as they begin on your natural waist, creating a slimming look.

3. Don’t Overdue It. This goes for many elements of your ultimate outfit. Don’t load up on jewelry; less is more in this case. Classic pearl earrings, or a delicate necklace are the perfect accessories to an interview outfit. You don’t want your interviewer too focused on your sparkly two carat diamond studs or the huge chain that keeps making a jingling sound on your neck. This also goes for shoes. Modest lower pumps are a must. If you can manage to walk into the office in four-inch heels without looking drunk or like a 10-year-old trying on her mom’s shoes, then by all means, pump it up! A confident walk, smile, and handshake say a lot about a candidate. Try these accessories to create a great, not good, first impression.

Heels: Bandolino Shelly, $40. Earrings: Ralph Lauren, $24.

Welcome to Senior Spring

Last month I threw out all of my notes from first year and sophomore year (along with my baby teeth that I hoarded from the tooth fairy). I’m a senior and I’m facing the inevitable — moving out of my childhood room in just a few months after I graduate. I can’t imagine I’ll ever need Astronomy 100 notes in a career in journalism. I’m having to make decisions, and for those who know me, that’s not easy.  

As I approach my final days in college, I still have so many things I have yet to learn, do, and document. As a senior at Wellesley College, I have never climbed the tower of Green Hall, danced at Dyke Ball, or attended Rhulman — other than for the food, of course. I have done my share of tunneling, jumping in the lake, and sledding. In the last semester of our undergraduate careers we will all be facing numerous lasts: dinners, all-nighters, and late night movie binges. This is our last time to rebel before leaving the college bubble. Senioritis comes with the package; we may try to drag this semester out as much as possible, but the truth is, our days are numbered.

This blog is about college students readying themselves for the world outside this comfort zone we call home. With all the amenities — a beautiful campus, late night free dining, deadlines that are often flexible, and some good education to top it off — college has created a great security blanket for us over the years.

As I gear up for interviews in a shaky economy, it’s worrisome to be graduating in an unsure job market. We have to look on the bright side, however: at least we didn’t graduate last year! Rents have come down. And for lucky Wellesley women, theWellesley card is worth more than ever with so many alumnae in the White House.

I’m ready to move on physically but whether or not the publishing industry is ready to accept me into its not-so-open arms is another question. Bankers are earning more than ever, oh, how I wish I had enjoyed Econ 101.

Having lived abroad in Spain, Manhattan, and at home inMaine, I invite you to come with me as I crawl as slowly as possible through my last semester. Hopefully everyone on campus can gain some insight or needed laughs, from my fellow 2010ers looking to land a job to fresh-eyed first years just starting their undergraduate journey.

While interning at Real Simple I learned scores of ways to organize a home office or cook a chicken breast, but only experience and friends can help upperclassmen get through the next few months of our senior spring. I hope that I can offer a tiny bit of advice about finances, fashion, and farewells to those who are going through what every college student has to face upon departure. I hope you look at this blog for a peek at what’s ahead, be it figuring out what to trash during senior week, or what to bring with you as you emerge from the college cocoon.