Blog Entry #8

Nothin' But A Good Time

Poison

Looking back on my first semester at USC, I have had an amazing time. I have made numerous friends, joined a fraternity, played for the hockey team, and enjoyed SEC Football (even though we haven't had a great season). I have also developed more responsibility and adapted to many of the differences between high school and college. Even through all of the rough weeks - writing papers, studying for tests, and doing homework - I've had nothin' but a good time.

The three main lessons I have learned are:

     1. Find a balance between academics and social life (it's not as hard as you think)

     2. Finish homework early, don't wait until the last minute (something might come up)

     3. Develop relationships with teachers (this could mean the difference between a B+ and an A)


If I could go back in time, I would use the rules my parents gave me when I was in elementary school - You can't play until you finish your homework. Great rule. Not only would it work great for time management, but it would reduce stress. If time is set aside for studying throughout the day and assignments are completed shortly after they are assigned (rather than the day before they're due), there is plenty of time to go out and have a good time later in the day.


To have an improved Spring semester, I have prepared a few things:

     1. I have 8:30 am classes Monday-Friday (responsibility, reason not to go out on school nights)

     2. I will have an orderly planner (organization, aware of assignments/tests/etc.)

     3. I will do my homework after class (time management, no all-nighters)

     4. I won't go out unless my assignments are done (school comes first)

Blog Entry #7

Last Thursday was the second time I have participated in an exercise like The Fall-Out Shelter. This activity is always interesting, as it allows you to see things from every participant's perspective. Because of the large diversity at the University of South Carolina, each of my classes are filled with students from all different racial, socioeconomic, and political backgrounds. These classifications are often the most influential components of one's decision-making process. However, my group showed no bias while choosing the "most valuable" seven people to be allowed in The Fall-Out Shelter. 


We had a discussion about how we would select the people who were allowed in the shelter, and we came to the consensus that it would be solely based on the contributions they would bring to the community. For example, after choosing the 60-year-old white doctor, we said that whether he was black, brown, red or yellow it would not matter. If he was a woman, it would not matter. We would've chosen the person with his characteristics and qualifications to fill the position in the shelter. This goes to show how our diverse community is growing with open minds, and the shaping of our future community because of this mindset from college students. 

In Utah, about 80% of the population is Caucasian, less than 14% is Hispanic, and less than 2% is African-American; South Carolina is very different. Personally, I have never had issues with people because of their personal identities. Rather, I judge people on the kind of person they are, and their qualities. Coming here, I knew the culture would be different, but I do not treat it differently than before. There's a quote from Morgan Freeman that addresses racism, however, I feel that it applies to all areas of this topic. He said, "How do we stop racism? Stop talking about it. I'm going to stop calling you a white man, and I'm going to ask you to stop calling me a black man."

Blog Entry #5

At this point, I have decided on one of the people I am going to request to interview for my career exploration paper. He is my brother's close friend who is working toward becoming a talent agent. Last time I talked to my brother about him, he was an assistant at a talent agency trying to work himself up the ranks. I still need to find someone to interview on the corporate business side, but I don't think that will be very difficult. Then, I need to prepare interview questions.

By completing my Networking Tree and Resume, I recognized how vast my network is. I am confident that I have enough connections to get a job that I want. And although I am only a first-year student, my resume has some good content.

In class, I described my dream life as being a talent agent or business lawyer living in Los Angeles. I would have a collection of cars, among those being the Range Rover and Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG that I drive to work. I would be working until mid-to-late afternoon and traveling relatively frequently. And when I want a break, I would stay at my vacation home in Ibiza, Italy.

And of course I would be sharing this dream with Selena Gomez

Blog Entry #2

Getting involved on campus is something that is important to me, so the Organization Fair was a great opportunity to find out about ways I can do that. I spoke to lots of people about their teams, clubs, groups and congregations.

I am already a brother in the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, as well as a member of the Carolina Hockey team, but there are two other organizations I would like to get involved with: Sports & Entertainment Management Club and Helping Hands.

The Sports & Entertainment Management Club will help me to get involved in the area of profession that I am interested in. I would meet other people who are studying or share a common interest in the field, and would have the opportunity to talk to people who are already successful in the business. Helping Hands is a charitable organization that puts on many events throughout the year to raise funds and awareness for cancer research and water supply in foreign countries, as well as feeding the homeless and getting involved with children. Throughout high school, I did over 250 volunteer service hours and I would like to continue to do service.

Here is my Semester Bucket List:

1. 3.5+ GPA
2. Be on the first line for the hockey team
3. Win a chair position in my fraternity
4. Get student section tickets for every football game
5. Travel to an away game
6. Help organize a charitable event
7. Participate in a charitable event
8. Help organize a fraternity event
9. Go on a Sports & Entertainment Management Club trip
10. Go to a party at The HUB

Blog Entry #1

My first week of college classes was better than I thought it would be. I expected the professors and teachers to get right down to business and start their lesson plans, but it was very much like the first week of high school classes in which they introduced themselves and reassured the students that they would help us through the courses. The best part of my first week was when my Spanish teacher told our class that she isn't there to make the course harder than it is for us, rather she wants to help us get our credit so we can continue on with our business majors. The worst part of my first week was my 7:30-9:30 class. I can relate my first week to the life of Bernadette because I'm in a new place and I'm expanding my horizons.