"There isn't enough time in the day!"
When I was young, I heard this phrase uttered quite often by the adults in my life. As I grow older, I'm starting to agree with it more than ever before. Not only is there not enough time in a day, but there aren't enough months in a year or years in a lifetime. Yes, it sounds cliche, but it's true.
Being in a transitional phase in my life at the age of 24, there are so many paths I can take and so many things I want to do at a given time. I'm constantly writing lists and making up hypothetical schedules for events I want to attend in the future. Unfortunately, there are only so many available days to do things (big or small) when I work 37.5 hours a week with an hour commute each way, every day. In the fall, I'll be moving in another direction when I start graduate school full-time. Despite my excitement for this adventure, it adds more to my ever-growing to-do list for this summer.
As a journalist, I understand deadlines. My career revolves around time frames. Time is inescapable, but people constantly fear time. Schedules and time frames seem to control our lives. We constantly feel like we have to take care of the smallest tasks immediately, and we allow these insignificant chores to monopolize our schedules and (eventually) our lives.
There is a lot of pressure put on young twenty-somethings to live a fun life and do things "while you are still young." Everyone seems to warn me about accomplishing things before I "settle down." When I look into my future, there are so many trips I'd like to take and so many events I'd like to attend, but working low paying jobs that offer little vacation time and trying to advance in my career in other ways tends to get in the way of all the things I'd like to do. Like me, friends of mine seem to be stuck in this rut of working, sometimes multiple jobs, and then just wanting to relax after dealing with the stress of a work day. Usually, I'm very supportive of "chillaxing" a bit during one's free time. My guilty pleasure is indulging in a large amount of television shows each week. Unfortunately, being stuck in this rut has caused all of us to be trapped in a cycle of boring routine.
I can't even begin to count the amount of times I talked to a fellow twenty-something friend of mine, and we discussed making plans to go on a road trip or a concert or sporting event. The initial excitement is always there. At that moment, there is hope for a change in our stagnant and uneventful lives. There's happiness! And then reality sets in. We look at our schedules and see that we are limited on days because our work schedules don't coincide or we have a family wedding to attend or we let the mundane chores of adulthood reek havoc on our weekly schedules. We tell each other that we'll "figure it out" and before we know it, the idea fades into the darkness. We are stuck in the routine.
We watch as our days pass us without doing anything exciting. Before we know it, a year has passed. We don't feel like anything in our lives has changed, or we don't have any experiences to share with others. We run on constant, never-ending deadlines that prevent us from doing things we'd like to do with our lives.
I fully support being responsible. Spontaneity and elaborate plans aren't always in the cards for hardworking adults. I'm realizing, though, that individuals have to force things to fit into the preset amount of time we are given. We can't control how much time we have. A day is 24 hours for each person. There are some people who make the most out of the time they have and live fascinating lives. Others allow their lives to stay stagnant without even realizing they are stuck in a cycle. Although money can influence a lot of behaviors, there are plenty of experiences we can have without spending a lot. It's important to shake things up a bit and experience new and fun adventures, regardless of age. Not having enough time should not be an excuse; we need to find a way to get things done.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
The Small Town Network
As a journalist for a small town, rural newspaper, I see a lot of different dynamics amongst people in the area. I go to school board meetings and when the principals give their reports, the same names seem to stand out. The same students seem to be involved in everything. Everyone seems to know certain family's names.
When I listen to my coworkers talk about specific locations, they tend to say things like "the house down near John Turner's old place," instead of specific street addresses. As a girl from a suburb outside of Pittsburgh, I thought I knew my town well. Nope. The sense of familiarity this town shares is something that a transplanted journalist like myself can only pick up after years and years of living here.
It's difficult trying to do my best and get things crossed off my to-do list when I have to depend on so many people. When I write a story, I need sources. If I am writing a story about a national issue or trend, finding information is not a problem; however, when I'm trying to localize every issue and make it interesting for the small community— my audience — specific people are necessary for me to contact.
Usually, for my stories, I will need to speak to one or two very specific individuals. My stories are based off these people. Nothing is more frustrating than trying to contact and call one person for almost a week and the person never gets back to you. I have deadlines and people expect things from me. It's all out of my hands; I have no control over it. I can keep calling. I can continuously leave messages, but what good is it? My story is about how Pete Anderson wants to build a new shop in town and Mr. Anderson won't get back to me. Problem. It's a very frustrating process.
I look around at my coworkers and realize they don't have QUITE as difficult of a time with it all as I do because they know people. They need to contact Pete Anderson? Well, lucky for them, their kids play ball with Pete Anderson's nephew. They will just bug his sister when they see her at church. Networking has never been so important. In-person networking.
I say "in-person networking" because I just attended a workshop last week. There was a lot of emphasis on social media and social networking. I completely support social media. I love it, but in these rural towns, where most of my readers fall in the 40-90 age range, social media doesn't do me much good. I can post on my Twitter and Facebook all day long, but most of the [very small] population I write about doesn't even know what those websites are or how to use them.
I'm learning a lot from this job and this experience. The information I'm learning is stuff I could not learn in classes or workshops. I must force myself to figure out ways to contact people and force myself to get out there and find people. I have to be innovative. I have to call a lot of people and ask a lot of questions. I have to search phone books for numbers (yes, they still exist). I actually really hate it a lot of time, but I know that in the end it's good for me. It's making me grow, even though I tend to feel like a total failure when I can't seem to make anything work in my favor (I like controlling my own life; I struggle when things aren't working for me, and I have limited control over the situations).
Some people may think small town living is simple and easy. I disagree. Small towns have challenged me, and as much as I hate to admit it, I think I will be grateful for it later on.
When I listen to my coworkers talk about specific locations, they tend to say things like "the house down near John Turner's old place," instead of specific street addresses. As a girl from a suburb outside of Pittsburgh, I thought I knew my town well. Nope. The sense of familiarity this town shares is something that a transplanted journalist like myself can only pick up after years and years of living here.
It's difficult trying to do my best and get things crossed off my to-do list when I have to depend on so many people. When I write a story, I need sources. If I am writing a story about a national issue or trend, finding information is not a problem; however, when I'm trying to localize every issue and make it interesting for the small community— my audience — specific people are necessary for me to contact.
Usually, for my stories, I will need to speak to one or two very specific individuals. My stories are based off these people. Nothing is more frustrating than trying to contact and call one person for almost a week and the person never gets back to you. I have deadlines and people expect things from me. It's all out of my hands; I have no control over it. I can keep calling. I can continuously leave messages, but what good is it? My story is about how Pete Anderson wants to build a new shop in town and Mr. Anderson won't get back to me. Problem. It's a very frustrating process.
I look around at my coworkers and realize they don't have QUITE as difficult of a time with it all as I do because they know people. They need to contact Pete Anderson? Well, lucky for them, their kids play ball with Pete Anderson's nephew. They will just bug his sister when they see her at church. Networking has never been so important. In-person networking.
I say "in-person networking" because I just attended a workshop last week. There was a lot of emphasis on social media and social networking. I completely support social media. I love it, but in these rural towns, where most of my readers fall in the 40-90 age range, social media doesn't do me much good. I can post on my Twitter and Facebook all day long, but most of the [very small] population I write about doesn't even know what those websites are or how to use them.
I'm learning a lot from this job and this experience. The information I'm learning is stuff I could not learn in classes or workshops. I must force myself to figure out ways to contact people and force myself to get out there and find people. I have to be innovative. I have to call a lot of people and ask a lot of questions. I have to search phone books for numbers (yes, they still exist). I actually really hate it a lot of time, but I know that in the end it's good for me. It's making me grow, even though I tend to feel like a total failure when I can't seem to make anything work in my favor (I like controlling my own life; I struggle when things aren't working for me, and I have limited control over the situations).
Some people may think small town living is simple and easy. I disagree. Small towns have challenged me, and as much as I hate to admit it, I think I will be grateful for it later on.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
I Wish The Real World Would Just Stop Hassling Me
A few days ago, I graduated from college. All four years of my hard work ended in a ceremony that was a little under two hours. I was recognized for about 5 seconds (well, 10 in my case because my last name is difficult to pronounce) for maintaining a 3.93 GPA. Was all that work really worth it?
Personally, I am proud of myself. I know that if I didn't get a 3.9 or high GPA, I would regret it and be disappointed in myself. I'm very proud of my accomplishments, but in the real world, will it mean anything? I've been writing cover letters nonstop and applied to over 27 different jobs thus far. I graduated 3 days ago. I'm trying my hardest to gain a job, but will my effort be good enough?
In today's world, the cliche "it's not what you know; it's who you know" could not be more true. With our poor economy, everyone is competing for the same jobs. Jobs that once required a high school diploma now require a Bachelor's degree. The education field, a once reliable field of work, has become a struggling area of employment. With the Pennsylvania budget cuts, my many friends that aspire to become a teacher or work in the field of education are giving up hope and are hoping for any full-time position at any job. I, as a communication major, am doing the same thing. Unless a person is a math, science, or technology major, he or she is SOL (excuse my language).
As I continue to apply to places nonstop, I hope I can have some time to stop, appreciate what I have accomplished, and not worry about the stress and fears of the "real world." Graduating college is a big deal, right? If nothing else, at least no one can take away my degrees.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Numbers vs. Experience
2.8. 3.75. 4.0.
We are constantly striving for success in numbers. From the moment we enter school, we base our progress and academic goals on numeric scores. To be accepted into highly competitive universities, some students obsess over getting the highest possible SAT scores. After students enter college, many tend to work towards making Dean's List. SAT scores and GPA's seem to be standard by which we all judge our intelligence and educational success. What ever happened to the importance of experience?
While I believe many people nowadays understand that hands-on experience teaches them lessons that the classroom may not, there is still a strange obsession with scores, grades, and numbers. After speaking to several high school juniors and seniors, one of their biggest academic fears is the idea that they may not achieve their desired SAT scores. While I am a firm believer in good grades, why do teachers and universities put so much pressure behind scores and numbers?
If high schools spent less time focusing on getting students to raise their scores and more time encouraging students to job shadow and intern at places, maybe there would be less stress for college students to determine what they want to major in. I know I changed my major after my freshman year. I don't think there is anything wrong with changing majors, but it would have been less of a hassle for me if I went into college with more "real life" experience in my field of study.
It almost comes down to two ideas: "street smarts" vs. "book smarts." "Book smarts" are vital to gain knowledge and skills; however, today's public schools seem to be focusing the "book smarts" approach without recognizing the importance of "street smarts" and experience in the work force. Gaining experience early can better prepare young people for a life-long career.
Education is supposed to mold young people and help them achieve success. In order to achieve this success, people must have some sort of talent or interest in the field or subject. How can students know what they are good at without actually trying it out? Just some food for thought.
We are constantly striving for success in numbers. From the moment we enter school, we base our progress and academic goals on numeric scores. To be accepted into highly competitive universities, some students obsess over getting the highest possible SAT scores. After students enter college, many tend to work towards making Dean's List. SAT scores and GPA's seem to be standard by which we all judge our intelligence and educational success. What ever happened to the importance of experience?
While I believe many people nowadays understand that hands-on experience teaches them lessons that the classroom may not, there is still a strange obsession with scores, grades, and numbers. After speaking to several high school juniors and seniors, one of their biggest academic fears is the idea that they may not achieve their desired SAT scores. While I am a firm believer in good grades, why do teachers and universities put so much pressure behind scores and numbers?
If high schools spent less time focusing on getting students to raise their scores and more time encouraging students to job shadow and intern at places, maybe there would be less stress for college students to determine what they want to major in. I know I changed my major after my freshman year. I don't think there is anything wrong with changing majors, but it would have been less of a hassle for me if I went into college with more "real life" experience in my field of study.
It almost comes down to two ideas: "street smarts" vs. "book smarts." "Book smarts" are vital to gain knowledge and skills; however, today's public schools seem to be focusing the "book smarts" approach without recognizing the importance of "street smarts" and experience in the work force. Gaining experience early can better prepare young people for a life-long career.
Education is supposed to mold young people and help them achieve success. In order to achieve this success, people must have some sort of talent or interest in the field or subject. How can students know what they are good at without actually trying it out? Just some food for thought.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Scheduling Nightmares
As a junior of a four-year, state-funded university in Pennsylvania, I feel as if I should have no problems when it comes time to schedule for my second semester of my junior year. In theory, I should have seniority and scheduling should come easier to those that are older and need classes to graduate. The key phrase is "in theory."
As scheduling for the spring semester draws near, I am in a constant state of worry. I have my classes figured out. Everything seems to work out great. Of course, I have a week until I actually schedule. The issue? Two of my six classes that I am required to take for my major (and are only offered in the spring) only have one section being taught during this coming semester. This means if I am unable to get into these classes, I will have to wait until my final semester to take these required classes and may possibly fall behind.
"Ask your professor to sign you in."
In many schools, this would work. However, at my university, professors are not as eager to sign students into their classes. In their minds, the longer a student stays at the university, more money the student will shell out to the school. Several of my closest friends are staying for at least another semester and some are even staying extra years due to scheduling conflicts throughout the semesters.
I feel that this is completely unjust. College students nowadays are in more debt than ever before. State-funded universities are not making it any easier for a young person to obtain a college degree. With tuition prices on the rise, staying an extra semester or paying for a few extra credits during "off-semesters" cause students to fall even further in debt and discourage young people from doing what they really want to do in life.
All of these thoughts stem from the simple concern of possibly not being able to take the appropriate classes I need for my major and the university's failure of providing an adequate amount of class sections. It's a domino effect. For now, I'm crossing my fingers that I am able to get into the classes I need to stay on track and graduate in Spring 2011 with little to no problems.
As scheduling for the spring semester draws near, I am in a constant state of worry. I have my classes figured out. Everything seems to work out great. Of course, I have a week until I actually schedule. The issue? Two of my six classes that I am required to take for my major (and are only offered in the spring) only have one section being taught during this coming semester. This means if I am unable to get into these classes, I will have to wait until my final semester to take these required classes and may possibly fall behind.
"Ask your professor to sign you in."
In many schools, this would work. However, at my university, professors are not as eager to sign students into their classes. In their minds, the longer a student stays at the university, more money the student will shell out to the school. Several of my closest friends are staying for at least another semester and some are even staying extra years due to scheduling conflicts throughout the semesters.
I feel that this is completely unjust. College students nowadays are in more debt than ever before. State-funded universities are not making it any easier for a young person to obtain a college degree. With tuition prices on the rise, staying an extra semester or paying for a few extra credits during "off-semesters" cause students to fall even further in debt and discourage young people from doing what they really want to do in life.
All of these thoughts stem from the simple concern of possibly not being able to take the appropriate classes I need for my major and the university's failure of providing an adequate amount of class sections. It's a domino effect. For now, I'm crossing my fingers that I am able to get into the classes I need to stay on track and graduate in Spring 2011 with little to no problems.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Science/Math vs. Liberal Arts: A Never Ending Battle
I'm sitting on my computer doing my hourly checks of my favorite websites. I always start on Yahoo! because it's my homepage, and it is home to my standard e-mail account. I tend to click a lot of Yahoo!'s news stories because they interest me. One category that is particularly interesting to me are the career articles. Today's article of choice? Most Lucrative College Degrees.
The main focus of this article is the top 15 highest earning college degrees. Almost all of them have the word "engineering" in them. The rest are science or math-based. This is not surprising. They even say it's a supply & demand thing. A lot of students go into liberal arts nowadays and very few graduate with science or math-related degrees. What bothered me about this? Well, after discussing the lowest earning degrees (communications is included in this list--not that I'm surprised; I'm well aware of this.), Ed Koc, director of research at NACE, stated in this article that "few grads offer math skills, and those who can are rewarded."
I hate the phrasing of this. Here's the thing: I CAN do math very well. I passed Calculus AB & BC with A's. I understand they are talking about graduates here, but this is one of the many statements that lead to science & math majors constantly thinking they are superior to those of us in the liberal arts majors. The entire world puts these people with science & math careers up on this pedestal. It's so impressive that they chose a major in said fields. How come no one is ever impressed when I mention my degree in Communications (Public Relations) & minor in English Literature. While they are racking their brains trying to create formulas and solve problems for one class, I'm taking the course load of two areas of study.
I am in no way saying their majors are easy. I just don't appreciate the world constantly believing that these majors are "better" than those of us studying in the liberal arts fields. I, personally, chose my major because I enjoy it a lot. While money is a concern of mine, it's not my primary concern; I just want enough money to get by in life. I respect those that do see money as a primary concern. I just feel like no one appreciates those of us that follow our "dreams" or passions. In the days of energy crises, global warming, and biological warfare, very few of us liberal arts majors get any recognition.
Again, I do respect everyone who goes into these intense fields. We need people in all areas of work. Nevertheless, my hope is to one day see an article on Yahoo!'s homepage praising those of us in the communications, English, arts, and humanities fields. It sometimes feels like it's us against the world, but I am not going to let it stop me.
The main focus of this article is the top 15 highest earning college degrees. Almost all of them have the word "engineering" in them. The rest are science or math-based. This is not surprising. They even say it's a supply & demand thing. A lot of students go into liberal arts nowadays and very few graduate with science or math-related degrees. What bothered me about this? Well, after discussing the lowest earning degrees (communications is included in this list--not that I'm surprised; I'm well aware of this.), Ed Koc, director of research at NACE, stated in this article that "few grads offer math skills, and those who can are rewarded."
I hate the phrasing of this. Here's the thing: I CAN do math very well. I passed Calculus AB & BC with A's. I understand they are talking about graduates here, but this is one of the many statements that lead to science & math majors constantly thinking they are superior to those of us in the liberal arts majors. The entire world puts these people with science & math careers up on this pedestal. It's so impressive that they chose a major in said fields. How come no one is ever impressed when I mention my degree in Communications (Public Relations) & minor in English Literature. While they are racking their brains trying to create formulas and solve problems for one class, I'm taking the course load of two areas of study.
I am in no way saying their majors are easy. I just don't appreciate the world constantly believing that these majors are "better" than those of us studying in the liberal arts fields. I, personally, chose my major because I enjoy it a lot. While money is a concern of mine, it's not my primary concern; I just want enough money to get by in life. I respect those that do see money as a primary concern. I just feel like no one appreciates those of us that follow our "dreams" or passions. In the days of energy crises, global warming, and biological warfare, very few of us liberal arts majors get any recognition.
Again, I do respect everyone who goes into these intense fields. We need people in all areas of work. Nevertheless, my hope is to one day see an article on Yahoo!'s homepage praising those of us in the communications, English, arts, and humanities fields. It sometimes feels like it's us against the world, but I am not going to let it stop me.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Fate vs. Freewill
Everything happens for a reason? You control your own destiny? Which one of these famous cliches are correct?
A friend of mine from another blog site brought up the discussion of freewill & fate. It's quite an interesting discussion and it all has to do with personal beliefs. I understand everyone's beliefs are different, but it got me thinking about which side I favor.
I'm the moderate, can-see-both-sides-to-every-story, relatively open-minded friend of any group. I've never been extreme on a side of any issue and I understand most arguments for everything. As a result, I can't pick one or the other. I believe there's a combination. How diplomatic of me, I know, but hear me out.
I believe there are several decisions made for every instant in life. For instance, I had written a series of words before I typed up that last sentence, but I decided to delete them. As a result, this blog entry has been changed and will lead me in another direction than the blog entry that may have resulted if I kept the same series of words. I believe that there's a path or maybe predestined consequences with every decision. I feel that individuals have the ability through freewill to chose which path (of the many possible paths) they chose. I know a lot of people probably feel this same way because it's an easier belief for humans to wrap their mind around.
I'm currently reading The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. The timing of this topic is kinda ironic (fate maybe? ha!) because this book touches on this topic quite a bit. *General Spoiler Alert* Henry, the main character, time travels. Obviously. However, the reason he can do this is because events in his life have already happened/are simultaneously happening all at the same time. No matter what time period he's in and no matter where he appears, it's impossible for him to change life because everything has already happened and things are already planned out. This concept was incredibly hard for me to follow for awhile. I finally understand it in the context of the book. Nevertheless, I do not agree with this idea. I'm fascinated by the idea that things are happening at the same time as things in the future are happening, but all of this is too difficult for my human mind to even fathom. *End of Spoiler Alert*
Forever or life itself is a confusing concept for everyone. The idea that every single part of our life is planned out and things are "destined" to happen is an idea that is impossible for me to grasp. If this is the case, why are so many people living in terrible conditions? I feel fate is our way of trying to make sense of life--a life no one can truly understand until its over. Fate is a comforting factor that allows us to not feel guilty about our mistakes and choices.
Despite this argument of mine, I do feel like there are a lot of things we can not control. I believe a lot of things do happen for a reason, but the reason is because we made a choice. As I said before, I believe our choices lead us to other choices and lead us to our destiny. I do not believe the whole thing is planned out for ourselves. I guess my beliefs are more towards freewill than anything, but I'd like to hope there's fate somewhere out there. Fate is a comforting factor, and it allows many of us to carry on and hope for the future. We all need that hope sometimes.
I'm not gonna stop making choices and chasing after what I want just because someone tells me "if it's meant to be, it's meant to be." I will, however, keep the idea that I'm on a path with many possible consequences. There's a life out there waiting for me and all I have to do is make the specific decisions to lead me there. We'll see how it goes and what my path is like. This was all very Robert Frost of me.
Anyone else think about fate and freewill? Anyone else's opinions differ? I love seeing people's point and arguments on topics like these. It's interesting to see people's stances on life and choices and the future.
A friend of mine from another blog site brought up the discussion of freewill & fate. It's quite an interesting discussion and it all has to do with personal beliefs. I understand everyone's beliefs are different, but it got me thinking about which side I favor.
I'm the moderate, can-see-both-sides-to-every-story, relatively open-minded friend of any group. I've never been extreme on a side of any issue and I understand most arguments for everything. As a result, I can't pick one or the other. I believe there's a combination. How diplomatic of me, I know, but hear me out.
I believe there are several decisions made for every instant in life. For instance, I had written a series of words before I typed up that last sentence, but I decided to delete them. As a result, this blog entry has been changed and will lead me in another direction than the blog entry that may have resulted if I kept the same series of words. I believe that there's a path or maybe predestined consequences with every decision. I feel that individuals have the ability through freewill to chose which path (of the many possible paths) they chose. I know a lot of people probably feel this same way because it's an easier belief for humans to wrap their mind around.
I'm currently reading The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. The timing of this topic is kinda ironic (fate maybe? ha!) because this book touches on this topic quite a bit. *General Spoiler Alert* Henry, the main character, time travels. Obviously. However, the reason he can do this is because events in his life have already happened/are simultaneously happening all at the same time. No matter what time period he's in and no matter where he appears, it's impossible for him to change life because everything has already happened and things are already planned out. This concept was incredibly hard for me to follow for awhile. I finally understand it in the context of the book. Nevertheless, I do not agree with this idea. I'm fascinated by the idea that things are happening at the same time as things in the future are happening, but all of this is too difficult for my human mind to even fathom. *End of Spoiler Alert*
Forever or life itself is a confusing concept for everyone. The idea that every single part of our life is planned out and things are "destined" to happen is an idea that is impossible for me to grasp. If this is the case, why are so many people living in terrible conditions? I feel fate is our way of trying to make sense of life--a life no one can truly understand until its over. Fate is a comforting factor that allows us to not feel guilty about our mistakes and choices.
Despite this argument of mine, I do feel like there are a lot of things we can not control. I believe a lot of things do happen for a reason, but the reason is because we made a choice. As I said before, I believe our choices lead us to other choices and lead us to our destiny. I do not believe the whole thing is planned out for ourselves. I guess my beliefs are more towards freewill than anything, but I'd like to hope there's fate somewhere out there. Fate is a comforting factor, and it allows many of us to carry on and hope for the future. We all need that hope sometimes.
I'm not gonna stop making choices and chasing after what I want just because someone tells me "if it's meant to be, it's meant to be." I will, however, keep the idea that I'm on a path with many possible consequences. There's a life out there waiting for me and all I have to do is make the specific decisions to lead me there. We'll see how it goes and what my path is like. This was all very Robert Frost of me.
Anyone else think about fate and freewill? Anyone else's opinions differ? I love seeing people's point and arguments on topics like these. It's interesting to see people's stances on life and choices and the future.
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