2010 Resolutions and Links

I know everyone has been saying the same thing all week, but honestly, can you believe its 2010? Besides the letdown that I still don't have a hover-car parked outside, the future is looking awesome.

There's so much to look forward to! Of course, the top thing on my list is the Berkeley College Graduation Ceremony! Sure, I have my degree hanging up on my wall in a fancy frame. I'm just antsy for the tassle and Cum Laude sash.

Along with the new year comes the resolutions. I've set a few for myself that I'm sure everyone has made. I thought I would share my resolutions and websites to help everyone (students and alumni) to make 2010 the best year yet.

1. Sleep more. (I know that one sounds lazy, but I'm not cut out for all-nighters anymore. Coffee and energy drinks at 2am mean nothing when you're groggy and half-awake in the morning. This link takes you to an article about how lack of sleep affects productivity at work. In this cutthroat job market, the last thing you need is your boss to catch you dozing off at your desk.)


2. Brown bag. (I was looking through my debit statement and was shocked when I calculated how much I spent on eating out for lunch. Then, I got sick on soups and sandwiches every day. I would complain about this to everyone. That is probably why I got a nice thermos and some storage containers for Christmas. (Not kidding.) Here's a quote for an article in the LA Times that may make you think twice about that morning run to D&D's or Starbucks.
   

   "Cutting back to even three days a week saves you about $8 (assuming you're
   buying a latte -- or a coffee and a doughnut). That's about $35 a month, or
   about $400 a year." -LA Times



3. Pinch pennies. (I'll admit that I went nuts with the Christmas presents this year. The money I saved from selling off my text books went to gifts. Now, I gotta cut out the heavy spending and start saving. I'm still a freelancer to taxes are going to kick my butt this year. Also, I'd like to fully pay off my credit card this year. So, I want to share with you a website that it PERFECT for these kinds of goals. The site is studenomics.com. Besides the fun and quirky language, it definitely helps students learn how to manage money in the big bad world.)
4. Have a laugh. (All the sleep deprevation and soup and salad combos put a damper on my mood in 2009. I couldn't have fun because I wouldn't let things go. I had a case of the Mondays everyday. This year, I fully intend on having a more positive attitude. It's like Oprah's Secret mentality. Think positive and positive things happen. Have a laugh. Hug someone. Sing something fun. There's tons of sites for a little LOL. Buzzfeed, Youtube, Tumblr,...)
5. KIT. (Keeping in Touch. Now that is something I definitely have to work on. A Facebook wall post doesn't count. Neither does a Tweet. I fully intend on calling (yes, calling and not texting) my friends/family at least once a week. In '09, I called clients more than I called my best friends. This year, I plan on keeping in touch with the world.)

There's more but I read somewhere that you have to keep to-do listed under 7 bullets, otherwise, it overwhelms the brain.

I'm sure everyone has their own resolutions for themselves. If you have any nifty ones, please share! As part of the KIT resolution, I will be to respond to emails and comments much quicker.

Until next time, Happy New Year!

Site Cites:

• http://newslocale.org/health/hnews/lack_of_sleep_hurting_productivity_among_indian_workers_2009121511023.html
• http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-cover3-2010jan03,0,4664393.story
• http://studenomics.com/

My First Business Trip

Yes, it's 2:30am. I can't sleep!

In an hour and a half, I'm gonna be a taxi on my way to the airport. I'll be heading to St. Croix US Virgin Islands for my first business trip!

Not too bad, eh? 9 days in the Caribbean.

TEMPO throws this annual bash called "TEMPO Turns" all along the Caribbean. This year, we're hitting up St. Croix and Grenada with huge headliners from the region. One of the big ones is the band up there, N'klabe.

And thanks to my biligual skills, I'll get to be helpful with translating back and forth with them during meetings and conferences.

I'll try to take as many pictures as I can, but according to my supervisors, I'm gonna be running up and down so much that I might forget I'm in the Caribbean. Because, you know....85 degree weather and blue water is something that's totally forgetful.

I can't wait to bring back some stories. Until the 19th, bye New Jersey!

Stuff After College : The Exit Interview

I may have been clueless when it came to my loans but, honestly, I thought the way to start repaying my loan was to wait for my 6 month grace period to come up.

Nope. You gotta do something called an "exit interview".

I thought, "okay..what was my entrance interview?"

the entrance interview is the session you have with your Financial Advisor when you're signing those loan contracts. The "interview" is them explaining the terms and you signing something saying you get what they're saying.

The exit interview is similar to that.

Being an advocate for doing things online, I opted for doing my exit interview online. To be honest, I liked it this way. First, you have to read pages and pages about where your loan money was applied to your degree. They explain payment and interests and terms and everything. I decided to print every page out and highlight things I feel will be important in the future. If you take the time to read it, you'll find some interesting tidbits I bet you didn't know about your loan.

For example, with my loan, there is a suprise about taking time off between semesters. If you take time off during your degree program, that time off is taken out of your 6 month grace period you have after graduation. So, let's say I took 3 months off for winter quarter. That means that I have to start paying my loan 3 months after grad instead of 6.

See? It pays to read the fine print.

According to the letter from Berkeley, it said the process can take anywhere from 30-45 minutes. So when you get your letter, grab a cup of coffee and grab yourself a comfy seat because I will take you that long. There is a lot to read and at the end, there is a quiz! (and I thought I was done with quizzes!) It's a good way for them to know you get that you have to pay this money back.

If this sounds a little too nuts to fill out on your own, you know you can always head to school and have a session with a Financial Advisor. Remember, Berkeley services extend past graduation.

The Busy College Grad

Class of 2009! We did it!

I've been a graduate for about 2 weeks, now. I just hit me today that hey...I have a Bachelor's Degree! I have a full-fledged, legitimate, college degree! I was all smiles this morning with a little pep in my step walking to my bus stop. I had accomplished that many take 4 to 5 years struggling to obtain. I did it in less than that. Only 36 months and I'm glad to say that I feel a little more prepared for the workplace than those graduating for other schools.

I'm telling you, Placement Seminar is the Berkeley Advantage. Without it, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have been able to land in my internship. A lot of schools offer programs to learn how to interview and how to prepare a superstar resume. It's just that not a lot of people take advantage of it. Having this as a course is what truly separate the Berkeley Bulldogs from everyone else.

With this, I would like to welcome everyone to the Berkeley College ~Alumni~ Blog!

I'll be changing the layout and content a little. I will be keeping this site helpful for perspective students and yes, I'm still gonna put up some helpful tips for freshmen and upperclassmen. College never ends. Neither will learning.

Now, I'm off to work and later, rent a bunch of post-grad movies like "Reality Bites" , "Post Grad", "Adventureland", and "Post Grad".

Internetless

So here's an update on what's been going on recently.

As you all know, my financial stability is as level as the Medusa rollercoaster at Six Flags. Its up and down and up and down. Well, with the house being foreclosed and all, my brother and I decided to move into our own apartment. I used my ~Intro to Finance~ skills to budget our lives. This is month one and all monies have gone to where they were suppose to.

We just had our TV and phone installed. Now, internet on the other hand...that doesn't kick in until September 1st. So, I'm mooching off free internet at McDonalds and Pollo Tropical in Clifton. : ) I'd rather get free internet and smell like grilled chicken than pay 5 bucks for 2 hours at Starbucks. For now, at least.

Accelerated Classes are over. They lasted six weeks. Six- very accelerated- weeks. Assignments came as quickly as they went. I would suggest them for the student who can keep up with reading assignments and homework as it comes. There's no delay when it comes to accelerated. Good for those just wanting to get the class out of the way. Bad for those who sometimes delay on starting their assignments. (Like me!) I managed to pull off a B on those classes. I really wanted an A, but then again, you really can't get A's with a week of missed assignments. That grade was a total result of senioritis and lack of funds for internet service.

But, the grass will be greener in less than 3 weeks! (21 days until I get my Bachelor's!)

Stress Management in Newark Campus

I might end up going to this on Wednesday. I'm not saying I'm a ticking timebomb. I'm more of a ....wind-up toy thats slooowwwlllyyy turning off.

I know we're all on the same boat. We're the Ipod generation. Insecure, Pressured, Overtaxed and Debt-ridden In my case, I'm working 72 hours a week, trying to keep a high GPA and now, I have to find an apartment in 3 weeks because my mom's house just got foreclosed! Ain't that something!?

So now I have this weird twitch going on in my eye. I grew my first grey hair! I'm sure I have more coffee than blood running through me. You can laugh. It's kind of funny. But it means I'm stressed out.

I'm just glad I'm taking online courses. If I had to squeeze in an on-site class, I'd probably go nuts! Thank goodness for online classes.

I did check out the Newark Campus music event in at NJPAC last week. It was pretty festive! I bolted before the rain began but I enjoyed it. Newark is full of summer activities so there's always something to do near the campus.


How's everyone else doing? We're in the humpweek of the Summer Quarter.

Online Classes ACCELERATED! / Freshman Questions

Two out of my four classes this quarter are accelerated classes. Do you know what that entails? 4 Discussion boards, 3 GHAs and papers due every two weeks. Sure its stressful but it only last for a couple of weeks. Instead of the regular quarter-long class, these courses run for 8 weeks. That's 4 weeks without the extra homework!

Right now, I'm in the middle of finishing my paper for one of these classes. I figured I would tell you guys about accelerated courses. Let me go on record that its totally worth it. You get your classes done in less time than usual. That means I only have to worry about one class and internship once September comes. Good Deal!

The shirt up there is from what is probably my new favorite website, ThinkGeek.com

SideNote: I've made a sidebar of archives entrys new and perspective students might find helpful. It even includes the famous Berkeley Bluecard explaination post! Next week, I'm going to make a post answering questions a lot of freshman/perspective students ask (like where are the M rooms in Garret Mountain?, Who's my Career Counselor?, What's a Berkeley Blue Card?, What times do the shuttle buses run?) If you have any to add, feel free to email me at Vanessa-Gomez@mymail.berkeleycollege.edu