St. Paddy's Day... 5 Months Early?

The other Sunday, my friends and I headed by Metro to the Strathmore in Maryland. The reason? To see Gaelic Storm, one of my favorite bands. Never heard of them? If you've seen Titanic, you've seen them- they were the Irish band at the steerage party.

Jack and Rose are dancing to Gaelic Storm!

And they are awesome in person! I've seen them 3 times now, and my favorite was probably on St. Paddy's Day this past March in Milwaukee.

Gaelic Storm in concert!

The whole audience, all 3 levels of them, got really into it and was dancing, clapping, and singing along!

 Definitely a great way to destress and have fun before midterms and start the week off right. And on the way out, we stumbled upon the line to meet the band and were 3rd in line!

Us with Gaelic Storm!

Like I said in a previous post, being in DC gives you a wealth of opportunities to get off campus and experience great shows, exhibits, and speakers. Getting to the concert was incredibly easy, as the Strathmore is less than a block from the Metro station at Grovesnor in Maryland!

Us on the Metro- Excited to see Gaelic Storm and take a break from studying!

Speaking of midterms, I'm all done with them. Yay! I have escaped relatively unscathed, which is always a good sign for finals. My classes are going well. Two standouts are definitely Psychology of Crime and Violence and my sociology class on Jackie Robinson. Psych has proven to be one of those few classes that I actually look forward to waking up for, which is a big compliment in my book... ask anyone, I'm NOT a morning person in amy sense of the word. I wish the class had a book so I could do reading, which I don't think I've ever said about a class. Jackie Robinson has also been very interesting, with speakers and movies almost every week. My only problem with it is its 7:10pm-9:40pm timeslot on Thursday nights.... two and a half hours late at night can be rough, but the topic keeps my attention, which says a lot haha.

Well, time to get back to research for my thesis... more on that later!

Vickie

Psychology Studies

Today I participated in two psychology research studies which I need as extra credit and to fulfill a requirement for two different psychology classes I am taking this semester (14 & 121). The psychology department website explains this requirement:


Several courses offered in the Psychology Department require students to participate in research. Students enrolled in Psychology 1, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 are required to earn 3 points of research credit as part of the course. Instructors in other courses may require students to earn research credit or offer extra credit for student research experience. Research credit may be earned through participating in a research study or writing reports about articles describing psychological research.

Some of the studies I have participated in have been very lengthy (an hour or more) and some have been short (30 minutes or less!). Some are surveys, whereas others require computer access or walking, pointing, etc. It's actually kind of fun to be a participant while receiving credit for it! You just have to be able to go on your own time and fit it into your schedule.

If you're interested in a psychology major, definitely check out the GWU psychology website at: http://www.gwu.edu/~psycdept/

Back to studying for my exams! :( Keep checking back!

Chanelle

Almost there...

As October wraps up, so do my classes at the University of Sydney.  Tomorrow is my last day of classes, then a reading week, and then finals.  It is interesting to look back at all of the great times I have had in Sydney, and look forward to all of my exciting plans. 

After finals I am hitting the road!  Flying to Cairns up north and taking a bus all the way back down to Sydney stopping at a bunch of cool places on the way including another trip to the Whitsundays and Hervey Bay.  I figure I may not be in this part of the world again, so I have to take in as much as I possibly can.


After getting back to Sydney, my friends and I will fly to New Zealand for a short 6 day stopover before heading back to the states.


I have no idea what is going to happen along the way, but I am excited for whatever comes our way.  (The only problem is that I have to get through finals first....argh.)


I will be sure to post pictures from my adventures.  And please don't forget that you can email me at kwollner@gwmail.gwu.edu.


Kim

Here, There, Everywhere

Hey everyone! Isn't it funny how Jamie went home last weekend and I went home this past weekend as well! I took the Washington Deluxe bus (more convenient drop off location for me) home to NY where my parents picked me up and drove me back to new jersey where I live. I was able to get my winter jackets and stuff because the weather has been a lot cooler and I don't want to be without a good winter jacket! I was sick with a cold last week that luckily only lasted a few days! I did have to call out from work because of it but I rested and drank sooo many fluids that I got better almost immediately. :)

Work has been great. I absolutely love it. It's always fun to work for someone new and learn different things. They hired a few more people since the last time I told you about my job and it's been fun getting to know everyone. In fact, we had a team meeting this morning and everyone was there!

Unfortunately, over the weekend some friends of mine had a party that involved underage drinking. The party was "busted" by the University Police Department (UPD) and everyone involved was written up/given citations. Not a good situation to be in and something that has terrible consequences..both for the people throwing the party and for the people attending and involved in underage drinking. This is pretty common on campus but the UPD is definitely trying to put a stop to all of it. If you're going to drink, drink responsibly and don't get yourself into trouble! I know plenty of people that have had calls home to parents and/or have been suspended. Don't think it wont happen to you! I can assure you it can! I hope I'm not scaring anyone! I just don't think everyone thinks of the consequences all the time and it's better to be safe than sorry. It isn't fun to meet in front of a board of Student Judicial Services advisers to explain what happened. Not only that, but it's dangerous. .there have been cases of students being found with alcohol poisoning and some of these cases have led to serious health consequences.

On another scary note, a few people i know have been out sick because of....MONO. Mono is one thing that spreads like wildfire in college campuses. It's not "contagious" but it IS spread through saliva (particularly kissing) and is definitely NOT something you want to get in college. It makes you feel like you have the flu and you're tired ALL the time. It can get worse if left untreated! Be careful who you share your drinks with and who you kiss especially if they exhibit flu-like symptoms or have had mono before.

Just a heads up!

This is probably the strangest blog I have written but I only want to tell you guys about REALITY and things that DO happen. These are the kinds of things I never really thought about before coming to college and it might just help you to be informed.


On another note, I have two exams coming up =( I have one this friday and one next monday. I also have a lab (for psychology) final project where I have to run an experiment that I created on my laboratory class. It should be fun! I'm kind of curious as to what the results are going to look like. I will tell you more about it in a future blog.


I'll write a more POSITIVE and uplifting blog soon, I promise. Believe me...things are great and mono and parties getting busted are still pretty rare (which is why in my second year of blogging it's only been brought up once! :) ) I hope to tell you more about a student-alumni (Luther Rice Society) event I'll be attending in early November and about class registration, work, exams, and more. Stay tuned and thanks for checking out my post! =)

Chanelle 

New York, New York

Last weekend, I took the Bolt Bus up to New York with a few friends from my summer internship.  The bus is a really cheap and convenient way to travel between DC and New York.  Personally, I prefer Amtrak, but it can be a little pricey, and our round trip bus ticket was only $36.  It took about 4 hours to get to New York, and the bus drops off right in front of Penn Station/Madison Square Garden.  There are several bus companies that run cheap trips between here and New York - Bolt Bus happens to be my favorite. 


I may not have mentioned this before, but I love New York!  I know it probably seems a little silly, but I've only visited a few times and each time I love it more than the last. That's why I'm focusing my job search in New York. I feel like this is a great time in my life to move there and try it out for a while. 


Anyway, we got to New York on Saturday afternoon so that we could go to a friend's birthday party on Saturday night.  The highlight of my weekend was this view:

We went to a bar that had the most amazing rooftop deck/garden, and this was the view.  Absolutely beautiful.


In a few weeks, I will be going back to New York for the Advertising Women of New York (AWNY) Career Conference.  I have been offered a generous scholarship to attend this event, which I think will be an incredible opportunity for me to meet people in the advertising industry in New York.  


But for this weekend, I'm staying here.  My mom is coming to visit and I can't wait! 


Jamie

My Spring Break in Fall

I know I promised that I would share with you my spring break experience, well the wait is over.  I have finally recovered from the break and can tell you all about it.  To preface, I took this trip with 14 other people, most from my study abroad program.

First, we left Sydney for Hervey Bay.  This is a small town, with not much in it, but it is near the coast so you can walk to the boardwalk and the beach from almos any place in town.  After one night there we headed off to Fraser Island: a 70 mile island covered in sand, dunes, dingos, and natural pools.  There we camped, 4 wheel drove, swam and tanned in the beautiful sun.  The problem with Fraser Island is that there are a lot of sharks in the ocean so they do not recommend swimming in the big blue.  However, because mother nature is kind, there are beautiful lakes and pools only a hike away from any point.  This part of the trip was a lot of fun, but the whole driving in sand thing got a little scary.  In the picture you can see that the trail we drove on was flat and packed down.  this was not always the case.  There was loose sand everywhere, and our car, Carl, gave us some scares of tipping over.

 

The next part of the trip was in Airlie Beach.  Just a midnight bus ride away, we found another paradise.  This beach was more of a tourist town with a main strip of clubs, bars, hostels, and shops.  Again, you couldn't swim in the ocean here because of the jellyfish, but we made due with the beautiful lagoon that acted as a huge public pool.  From Airlie Beach we took the British Defender out for a cruise on the Whitesundays.  The Whitsundays are a group of 74 islands in the ocean off of Australia.  If you look at pictures from the Great Barrier Reef, they are usually taken from the Whitsundays.  The islands, the boat, and the ocean was beautiful.  We were able to relax, snorkel, swim, and relax some more on the boat.

Overall it was a great trip.  Probably the best I have ever had.  I recommend coming to Australia and traveling to all of these places.

I hope I have given you some great ideas for your next vacation or your study abroad trip!

Kim

National Book Festival

Besides all the great events that come to campus (concerts like Maroon 5, comedians like Jon Stewart and Robin Williams, and national figures like Hillary Clinton and Karl Rove), one of the best things about GW is that it's in DC. Yes, I'm sure that you all know that, but even going here, sometimes you can forget that there is a whole city outside of our 6x8 block piece of it. And in that city, lots of great events (which are sometimes free!) occur just a short walk or Metro ride away. 

2009 National Book Festival

Along that line, even though I've been in the city for 3 years, I realized that I had yet to experience one of the best FREE events in the city (if you're an avid reader like me) - the National Book Festival. The all-day event down on the National Mall has tons of different authors spanning various genres, like mysteries and thrillers to biographies to childrens books. Each author not only gives a talk (about their books, their inspiration, their families, etc.), but also hold book signings.

Lisa Scottoline

This year, two authors finally made me experience this festival for myself- Paula Deen and Lisa Scottoline. Very different, but 2 of my faves. If you check out the pages I linked to, you can actually watch a webcast of the talks they gave. The day, of course with my luck, was overcast and rainy, but it was still a lot of fun and a great experience.

Vickie

Early Decision

With early decision 1 deadline fast approaching, I know a lot of you are trying to figure out if this is the right path for you. After applying to colleges myself, and working in the admissions office for 2 years, I have learned a few things about early decision at GW. However, let me preface this entry by saying I did not apply to GW as an early decision student.

Early decision, as a lot of you know, is a BINDING contract with the university. This means, that if you are accepted from this pool you MUST attend GW. And if you are declined admission you are NOT pushed back to regular decision. The binding contract is what people find scary. Depending on financial situations, opportunities, other schools, and so on, there are plenty of reasons to apply early decision.

When admission directors read applications, early decision or not, they are looking for someone who truly wants to be at GW. This is why every applicant must answer the “why GW?” essay question. Applying early decision shows that you really want to go to GW and are willing to rescind other applications if you get in.
When I was applying, I could not make a binding decision in November. I was too dependent on financial aid that I did not want to lock in my admittance without knowing I could afford it. And even though GW was always my number one choice, I had to keep financial capability in mind.

The benefits of applying early decision are great. You don’t have to worry about applications into December like many of your friends, you get more time to explore where you want to live, what you want to take, and what you want to join once you come to campus, and (generally) you get to register for things like Colonial Inauguration (orientation) and housing before other incoming freshmen.

The acceptance rate under early decision is the same as under regular decision, around 36%. So don’t think that because the pool is smaller you have a better chance. But also think about if GW is you absolute number one choice. I suggest discussing this with your parents and teachers to get there opinions.
Don’t forget, you can email me at kwollner@gwmail.gwu.edu if you have any questions!

Kim

The Past Seven Weeks

Well, its been busy to say the least.

For those who are reading my blog for the first time, I am a senior in the School of Business and I will be graduating in December with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing and Sport, Event & Hospitality Management. So, in addition to classes, work, and all of the other things that I want to do in my last semester of college, I am spending every spare moment job searching. I’m looking primarily for jobs in marketing communications, but I’m open to anything and I am definitely interested in relocating, hopefully to New York. But, as you can imagine, no matter what kind of work you are looking for, now is not the best time to be looking for work at all.

Here are a few things I have learned so far:

1. Use the F. David Fowler Career Center at the School of Business. The folks in the career center are probably sick and tired of seeing me, but they are extremely helpful and they’re great at making sure that I stay optimistic and that I’m utilizing all of the resources that are available to me.

2. Talk to everyone. Literally, everyone. Yesterday, I was on the Metro and I ran into a guy that graduated from GWSB 2 years ago. We started talking about my job search he wished me luck, got off at his stop and went on his way. After he got off, the man sitting down next to me said, “I heard you talking about your job search. I work at an internet marketing firm in DC. I’m not sure if that is what you’re interested in, but we’re always looking for talented interns - here is my card.” Talk about networking!

3. Speaking of “interns” - its OK to apply to post-graduate internships. I had to change my thinking early on about what kind of job I am looking for. I am graduating a semester early, and there is nothing wrong with taking a full-time internship that will add to my experience and help me get my foot in the door if that seems to be the best thing.

4. Apply to EVERYTHING. Much like when you apply to college and you’re told to apply to “safety schools” and “reach schools,” I had to adopt that same philosophy with my job search. I have been applying to jobs that I know I am over-qualified for or maybe aren’t EXACTLY what I’m looking for. I have also applied for jobs where I meet most but not all qualifications. I write a very compelling cover letter and apply. Can’t hurt, right?

5. Use LinkedIn every single day. It has been a great way to find GWSB alumni that are working in New York in my field, but it has also been a great way to identify HR managers at companies that I am interested in working for!

I know that most of you reading this are prospective students, which means that you are having a hard enough time with your college search and probably don’t even want to think about your job search, but I’m writing these things to assure you that GW students do not enter the workforce unarmed. I am confident talking to people, applying for jobs and going to interviews because I have spent three and a half years as a GW student. On more than one occasion people have looked at my resume and said, “Oh, you go to George Washington University? That is fantastic! I hear great things about their students.” It is amazing how much my degree from GW is worth out there in the real world!

Updates on my job search and everything else that has been happening around here will be coming much more frequently. Be sure to check back often and feel free to send an email if you have any questions!

Jamie

Is it really October already?

I cannot believe how the first half of the semester has flown by - the first half of my LAST semester at GW.

Wow!

I’m studying hard for a Business & Government Relations midterm, but as soon as it is behind me this evening I will post more and bring you all up to speed on what has been happening around here for the last 7 weeks!

Stay tuned!

Jamie