Mar 13
The other night I had a sort-of epiphany: If I hadn’t have chosen to go to PSU, my life would be so different. I realized how much life has changed since the moment I stepped into my new dorm room, anxiously awaiting the arrival of my roommate whom I’d had yet to meet. Read more
Feb 20
Last week, I had the experience of being on the other end of the table for several interviews. As part of my job as a resident assistant, I am required to interview people for the positions that will be open for next year.
I found it interesting to see the process through the eyes of the person conducting the interview. There were so many things that I had in my head as a personal checklist: dress, eye contact, sincerity, understanding of the job, and a drive and willingness to be there. I was thoroughly surprised with how little confidence I saw in several of the candidates. I’ve been involved with Residence Life for two years, so many of the things that I took for granted, things that I naturally expected from those I was interviewing, apparently did not seem to be so obvious to the candidates. I guess it goes to show you what experience can do to change your attitude, view, and expectations.
Overall, what I took away from this process is that presentation is everything. That doesn’t mean you have to be obnoxious and speak over others at every given point, or digress onto points that are unnecessary. Rather, be clear and concise with your ideas and don’t be afraid to speak up when prompted. Also, there’s a lot to be said with the phrase “dress for success”: your clothes reflect that you’re collected, professional, and ready for business. Even if you aren’t the most confident person in the world, just fake it ‘til you make it.
So I’m sitting in class, and I have to admit that I’m a little tired. I had a late night last night, as I went out with some girlfriends for a couple of happy hour drinks and to catch up after classes and meetings and work. This doesn’t sound like the worst thing, at least to me, but I will sometimes find myself wondering how other people manage to come to class every day with the air of being so overly prepared. I know that I’m not able to dedicate that kind of time—life is a little busy at the moment.
Most of us are juggling school and homework, jobs, clubs/societies/Greek life/sports/insert-what-you-please-here. Not to mention a social life. Personally, maintaining the social relationships in my life—everyone from my mom to the residents in my hall—takes up just as much, if not more time than needed to feel caught up on school work.
I sometimes wonder how this all manages to get done. But then again, I remember being told that 90% if learning in college occurs outside of the classroom. Perhaps balance is just one of those things. If you’re too focused in one area, you’ll burn out and go crazy. No exaggeration. It’s important to take moments to recuperate from the madness of everything happening during the week, but it’s also important not to lose your motivation and drive to keep going. All I know is that if my life was a table, and any of the legs were removed, I would certainly crash. Balance, my friend, balance.
Do you ever sit in class, and feel like you’re the one person that has no clue what’s going on? I seem to have already found myself in this dilemma this term. It’s now the second week of the term, and I’d say that I’ve already passed my previous record of stress-to-week-of-term ratio. On the second day of classes, I was assigned upwards of 200 pages to read before the end of the week. Granted, I signed myself up for these three 400+ level courses and one 300+ level course, but that still doesn’t mean that I’m not overwhelmed by this initial work load. This past week has left me feeling like this guy from the movie Better Off Dead: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmdVqCNev6Q
I guess it’s time to hit the books!
Nov 16
Le Bistro Montage
If you’re like me, you aren’t old enough to experience the night life of Portland. It seems that everything after-hours requires an ID. So what’s there to do when you’re itching to get out, but you can’t get in to 21+ places? I prefer the following places which have excellent food and foster friendly and relaxing environments.
Decorative interior to Rimsky’s
There are a few other places, but these have proven to provide an excellent non-21 experience every time I go. What are your favorite places?
Walking into the room, one hears the creak of a bandoneon, two violins and a rhythmically syncopated piano. The voice is incomprehensible to anyone who is not fluent in Spanish, but the pain behind the vocals brings a thickness to the chest that requires one’s attention to the dance floor. It’s impossible not to notice the couples of people, embraced and wrapped up in the moment, connecting to the music, the floor, and to each other.
Tango originated in the slums of Argentina, and since the 1920’s has since flourished around the world as a dance of connection and improvisation. The dance involves a feminine role and a masculine role (though either can be dance by both genders), and operates in a certain fluidity in which the lead invites the follower to move with him while allowing room for self-expression. It’s danced in close embrace, which can be related to a good hug.
I am so grateful to be able to take three hours from my life to connect with others through dancing Argentine tango at the PSU Tango Club every Tuesday. If you’d told me before I moved into college that in my first week, I would be trying tango for the first time and then develop such an addicting desire to continually grow, learn, and connect, I would have laughed at you.
I joined the PSU Tango Club a little over two years ago during my first week, and since then the dance has taken hold of my life and serves as my weeklycreative, social, and physical outlet. Tango is my antidrug that lets me let go of the stress of school, work and life for just a few hours at a time. I go out several times a week to get my tango fix at different venues around Portland. It’s a passion that I’ll carry with me the rest of my life that that has significantly increased my ability to meet people, escape my comfort zone and expose myself to communities and cultural activities I didn’t even know existed.
Being in college is all about these life experiences that force us to open our minds and explore, sometimes resulting in life-long passions.
Have you found yours yet?
Oct 2
I remember all too well my very first time walking into a college class. It was a 9am French class, and I had woken up two hours earlier to prepare. I was terrified. I was late and then proceeded to answer with a Spanish “si” instead of “oui” when my professor asked me a question. My heart raced and my face flushed deep red. I had from that day set the standard for the rest of the term, and I suffered painfully shy and awkward moments nearly every class.
I can now say that walking into my classes this term has been the opposite experience. With practice and time comes confidence. I no longer have to carry a map to locate my classrooms, and I’ve learned to plan my walk accordingly so I don’t show up to class 20 minutes early or 5 minutes late. I no longer feel the pang of anxiety every time a professor calls on me.
A metaphor I heard last year compared being a freshmen to a baby T-Rex: We have awkward arms and fumble about trying to find our balance. But by the time we leave campus, we’ve become the king of the dinosaurs, and the smaller dinos looks up to us.
You best run while you can, ’cause the T-Rex is comin’.
Theme: Linen by The Theme Foundry
