Late Nights and Early Mornings – Finding a Balance
A few days ago I was giving a campus tour to a group of high school guidance counselors (surprisingly it’s really challenging because they know the questions to ask that have difficult answers). As many people are when I give tours they are curious of how I balance everything I do — 3 on-campus jobs, co-chair for Relay For Life, co-chair for Knights of the Roundtable, a full load of classes (which I all need to graduate), plus an endless number of random things that happen on a day-to-day basis.
My answer is always that you have to find a balance. Get used to staying up late and waking up early; but remember to save some time for yourself. Take a Saturday or Sunday afternoon off from all your work and go to the beach, lounge at the pool, or just lay in bed all day.
You’ll be surprised at how much you can accomplish when you take a day off for yourself – it keeps you from burning yourself out and allows you to take it all in.
Wrapping Up or Rolling Out?
This is the time of the year when you can almost feel the end of the semester at the tips of your fingers. You probably already booked your flight home, started tasting mom’s special dinner, and even started thinking about what you’re going to do for a few weeks with no classes — which is probably nothing. Unfortunately the professors don’t seem to understand this concept. As you think the semester is wrapping up, the work is really just rolling out!
This week alone I have 3 papers, 1 test, 1 play critique and a project or two to finish up before Thanksgiving – on top of all that a few more things due the week after Thanksgiving! What does your work load look like over the next few weeks?
KOR Holiday Gala
Every year the Knights of the Roundtable (KOR) host the annual Holiday Gala…and it’s that time of year again! This year Gala will be held at the Boca Raton Bridge Hotel located at Camino and A1A. Check out some pictures of the hotel:
Outside View of The Bridge Hotel (Windows on top is the actual room)
The Space where Gala will be held (360 degrees of ocean and intercoastal view)
Who is this guy?!
Maybe you’ve seen him on TV? Somewhere around the world? Or more recently on fliers all over campus! Well I can tell you he will be paying a visit to Lynn and I have all the details at http://www.facebook.com/lynnuniversity.
Something else to check out (something I consider a must see) is Little LU’s most recent video on the Lynn facebook page. Word has it that he tried out for the baseball team!
Find out who this guy is, if LU makes the cut, and more by becoming a fan of the Lynn University page by clicking HERE
Lynn’s page is open — Write A Review!!
After several weeks, lots of writing assignments and several student and staff videos Lynn’s page on Unigo is finally open!
Unigo is a great tool for high school students who are trying to find the perfect college. Unigo provides an outlet for current college students to honestly review their school (AKA not from a marketing department’s perspective) — providing the opportunity for potential students to see what life is really like at each school.
I’ve written the website, reviewed Lynn, uploaded photos and videos, but now it’s your turn! Do yourself (and Lynn) a favor and write a review for Lynn, upload any photos or videos from your experiences while a student here:
Click Here to Check Out Lynn’s Page
Feel free to ask me any and all questions you might have! Ps. I would love to hear your feedback!!
Making Waves with Relay For Life!
I haven’t posted in a week or so, but I have been holding out to talk about last nights Relay For Life Fundraiser Party at Uncle Julios in Mizner Park. It was a HUGE success! A handful of Faculty, Staff and Students all came together to support the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life at Lynn University. We raised a little over $400 (which is really great, even though it’s only a small dent in our $35,000 goal)!
Everyone who came to Uncle Julio’s had a really great time! I want to thank Uncle Julio’s for donating an endless supply of Chips, Salsa, Quacamole and Queso and for making the now famous “Relay Swirl” — a frozen sangria and margarita swirl.
Our next Relay event is the Official On-Campus Kick Off Party:
“It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere” Thursday October 22, 2009 4pm to 6pm in Perper Plaza.
If you haven’t guessed the 2010 Relay theme yet….YOU ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO COME TO THE KICK OFF!
Applying to Colleges
As I’ve blogged about before I’ve been interning for www.unigo.com working to build Lynn’s page on the site (the expected launch is the 3rd week in October). Every week I am given 2 assignments – a writing assignment and a video assignment. This week’s writing assignment was to provide quotes for the Wall Street Journal-Unigo Partnership. I want to share with you the questions and my responses since it forced me to reflect back to the days when I was applying to different colleges:
- What advice would you give to high school students who are stressed out about their college applications and making the cut at their first-choice school?
“When I was in high school everyone told me not to worry about it, but of course I did. I had practically spent the last 12 years of my life on trying to be successful and get accepted to a ‘top’ school. I knew I wanted to go to a school where I would get the best college experience, you know the frat parties, all nighters and of course a reputable name that would look good on a resume. I wasn’t accepted to my first choice school and looking back on it now I’m happy I wasn’t. My success has not and will not be measured based on the fact that I got into one school or another. What matters is the person you become once you get there – where ever you go.”
- Did you get rejected from your top-choice school? What did you learn from the experience?
“I wasn’t accepted to my first choice school and I thought it was the worst thing in the world. I come from a small town where everyone knows everyone else. Most of the people who live there have moved back there after college – in fact I graduated from the same high school as my mom and even had some of the same teachers. I waited every day for the admissions letter to come from my top choice school. I knew that if it came in a little envelope I was going to be disappointed, but if it was in a large envelope I had been accepted. When that small envelope arrived I was extremely disappointed and I was worried about what everyone was going to say. Now looking back the kids I graduated with who went to their first choice schools a lot of them have returned home which leaves me to wonder if I did get into my first choice where would I be today? I’ve learned that it’s not about the size of the envelope that matters, but it’s more about the experience you have while you are there.”
All I Want is a Beach Bon Fire
As we all now that when working in a large organization like Lynn there is a lot of “red tape” to go through to get something done, luckily things at Lynn go pretty quickly. But my newest project is getting a permit to host a bon fire on the beach as a Housing and Residence Life Staff Development night.
First I called the City of Boca Raton who told me that on public beaches you cannot have a bon fire (an I would be arrested if I did..not sure if that would really happen, but I don’t think I’m willing to try). Boca said that if I find a private beach (one with beach front condos to sponsor the bon fire) then I could do it; although they said they never heard of anyone doing that. Boca recommended calling Delray Beach.
I called Delray and “they said absolutely not…try Boca.”
I then tried the city south of Boca, Deerfield Beach, and they told me that I can fill out the special event permit, but the person to approve or deny things like this was taking the day off..just my luck right?
So I’m waiting for Deerfield Beach to call me back in the next few days. The good thing is I can always cold call a few of the home owners associations of the condos on the beach and see if they would be willing to help….luckily I know some people who live on the beach that might be able to help.
Have an alternative idea or a way around the red tape? PLEASE let me know!
CIVILITY IS BACK BABY!
Last year while I served on the Student Government Executive Board I had the opportunity to create and develop a Civility Initiative focusing on strengthening the Lynn Community. I hand picked a committee of your not-so-typical student leaders (well they were at the time) and together we started what we all know as Civility Week last spring.
The best part is that I had the opportunity to challenge another student to chair the Civility Initiative as I passed down the reigns to Henry Edelstein this year.
Civility Week is next week and I am so excited to see all of the hard work that the new committee has put into this initiative. I’ve had the chance to look at the schedule of events and I am thrilled to see how innovative and creative they have gotten. Be on the look out for the Hate/Peace Wall, Academic Life Dialogue, GSAs Coming Out Day, KOR’s Coffee in the Courtyard and so many other great programs!
Cardio Circuit whips you into shape!
Today I taught my first Cardio Circuit fitness class and it was incredibly successful. I had 5 students (which is a great number for the first class)! We started off by running a few laps around Lynn and then headed up to the Aerobic Room and jumped, kicked and squated through, what seemed to be (well for me atleast), a very quick 30 minutes!!
It’s a totally different experience to be teaching a fitness class rather than taking one. When teaching my adrenaline kicked in and I felt like I could have worked out all day! It was also pretty awesome to see some of the students struggling, but coaching them to push threw it and finish the excercise or circuit.
I teach the Cardio Circuit 4 times a week:
Mon & Wed from 4 to 4:30pm and Tues & Thurs from 6 to 6:30pm
Class meets outside the Fitness Center in the Lynn Res Hall Lobby.