Endings and Beginnings

Today is my last day at the call center. My last post, I talked about job hunting and rejection, but I have a new job lined up! I'm heading to the County Clerk's office. I'm going to miss working along side the great people I've worked with for the past (almost) 8 months.  

How to Handle Rejection

As I've mentioned in my last blog post, I've recently graduated and I have been job hunting since then.

Hunting for some jobs

I put in plenty of applications and sent my resume off in a million different directions.

So while I was optimistic and hoped that I would be offered employment soon, I knew that I was not going to get offered every single job I applied for.

I spent many hours simply searching for jobs that were looking for an applicant with my skill set; many more hours filling out online applications, answering questions and submitting my references.

Yes, it is very discouraging to hear back from an employer that they can't offer you the position you applied for (or to not hear back from them ever). I was having breakfast one day when I got a call after an interview to tell me that I wasn't selected; those pancakes didn't taste quite the same.

Thanks 

It's totally okay to feel bad because of rejection, but don't let that rejection bog you down. You still have other doors open.

I still had to hear back from other places that I applied and interviewed for. I could still find other places to apply.

Even after you face rejection, remember that the world isn't going to end and there are still a million different options out there for you.

What sticks with me the most, is during one interview, I was told that if I don't get the job, it wasn't because I wasn't qualified, but because there was someone who was more qualified or just a better fit for the job.

When you're out there looking for employment (or anything in life where they accept or reject you) remember that: there was someone else who was just a better match, not because you aren't good enough. You're going to be a good match somewhere: just keep looking!

After you get rejected, it's okay to take some self-care. Get some ice cream (maybe not ice cream in this cold), stay in and watch a movie, drink hot chocolate, go to a discount bookstore and buy a book, or take a bubble bath (they basically have magical properties).

Don't take rejection personally and keep working at it; you'll get there eventually. How about one more inspirational dog to end this post?

I Graduated from UT Tyler....Now What?

On Friday, December 13th, I graduated from The University of Texas at Tyler with my bachelor's. I walked across the stage and later went out to eat with my family.

Now, I'm still working my two part time jobs and have to get started on what I'm going to do post-graduation. It still hasn't fully sunk in that I won't have to worry about classes next spring. So I'm feeling a bit lost. 

Literal Hunger Games and Christmas

What do The Hunger Games and Christmas have in common? One is a fight to the death between children ages 12-18 and the other is a religious holiday that has been transformed and reclaimed to be celebrate family with gifts and food.

Tablet shopping, nbd.

Don't Find Out What the Fox Says

There has recently been a report of someone being bit by a coyote while on campus. Yes, those aren't just rumors: someone did actually get bit by one of the wild animals that call our campus home.

There have also been reports of students finding wild foxes and (harassing) signing "What does the fox say?" to them. Please don't. That makes them feel threatened, thus aggressive.

Please don't sing What Does the Fox Say to the foxes on campus. That fox isn't your girlfriend, don't serenade it. #psa #wildlife #patricia
— UT Tyler Admissions (@ApplyUTT) November 11, 2013

Hey you're pretty cu...NONONONO I REGRET THIS DECISION

50th Anniversary of Doctor Who!

This Saturday, November 23rd is the 50th anniversary of the sci-fi show Doctor Who!

EXCITEMENT

If you're not familiar with the show, you should be! It is an extremely popular TV series. I first became familiar with the series when I was still a senior in high school. I heard so much about it, but I didn't take the time to watch it until Syfy had a marathon one Saturday (back when I didn't have a job). I was instantly hooked.

UT Tyler Spring 2014 Classes

Registration for classes for next semester began on November 1st. Registration is open to everyone and if you haven't already made your schedule, please do!

As of today, registration is open for EVERYONE for spring 2014! Talk to your advisors! Get your top classes! #myuttyler #patricia #spring14
— UT Tyler Admissions (@ApplyUTT) November 6, 2013

 If you need help navigating myUTTyler, Emmy made a blog post about it to guide you. If you haven't spoken to your advisor about your schedule and your degree plan, make an appointment.

Some students self-advise after their freshman year when they're required to go to a freshman advisor, but it's in your best interest to go see your advisor to make sure that you're on track. Your advisor can also give you the schedule of classes that your department is going to be teaching the following semester.

For our students that have applied for next spring, get an appointment with an advisor as soon as possible. The quicker you can get registered, the better chance you have at getting a schedule with the times you want and having to change your schedule around because some classes are closed.

The less classes you have left to finish your degree plan, the more registering is like The Hunger Games.

REGISTER FOR YOUR  SENIOR REQUIREMENTS

I had to take a research methods class last year as a senior requirement and as soon as I was able to register, I enrolled into it. Those are the kinds of classes that fill up quickly; I asked a classmate that was a year below me and he couldn't register the day after because the class was already closed. 

Get the hang of enrolling in classes and learn how to navigate myUTTyler like the back of your hand. You are going to need that skill when you're almost done with your undergrad career. 

You can't cook?

Part of being a college student is fending for yourself when it comes to your meals (I don't mean using your dining dollars for every single meal). I've heard plenty of people say that they can't cook: they burn water, as the expression goes. I'm going to tell you to not listen to that noise.

Amen

Too many are afraid of making food because if it turns out badly, it would be a waste of food and time. That shouldn't stop you. I like to mostly bake, but I still try out new things to cook. And yes, I've messed up some recipes. Don't let that discourage you.

All you need are simple recipes, some creativity and some patience. After you learn some basics, you can get a little bolder and start experimenting with new things.

UT Tyler Patriot Preview Day

Last Saturday, we held our Patriot Preview Day. This was the first time I've worked one of these events, and I had a blast. If you didn't get a chance to visit us, we will be holding another Preview Day on April 5th. Here's what our twitter feed was like during the event:

Swoop gets his news from the Patriot Talon. Come get a newspaper at Patriot Preview Day! #beapatriot pic.twitter.com/gW1D4vS6eo
— Patriot Talon (@PatriotTalon) November 2, 2013

So are you convinced thus far? There's no other way to be than to #beapatriot. Tweet your experiences & thoughts of Patriot Preview Day!
— UT Tyler Admissions (@ApplyUTT) November 2, 2013

It's Patriot Preview Day! So excited to see everyone here today! #beapatriot
— Alpha Chi Omega- UTT (@AXO_UTTyler) November 2, 2013

Excited to meet future business students in T-minus 15 minutes! #BeAPatriot #CBTUTTYLER
— CBT at UT Tyler (@CBTUTTYLER) November 2, 2013

If you have pictures of Preview Day, go ahead and tag us on twitter and share your pictures with us!

Tag @ApplyUTT & share your Preview Day pictures with us! You might see it on the student blog soon! #beapatriot #studentpics #patricia
— UT Tyler Admissions (@ApplyUTT) November 3, 2013

On Preview Day, breakfast consisted of Rusty's Tacos breakfast tacos; lunch was burgers, hot dogs and dessert. During lunch, we were giving out some prizes and during the showcase, our tables were filled with goodies.

If you've been following us on Twitter in the weeks leading up to Preview Day, our team posted some pictures about getting ready for the big day.

Decorating pumpkins for preview day! Go to http://t.co/Fts8oTGVvW to register! #PreviewDay #UTTyler #KevinBerber pic.twitter.com/p1d9d0ejX2
— UT Tyler Admissions (@ApplyUTT) October 17, 2013

Having #fall break time fun! #studentbloggers #uttyler #beapatriot #patricia http://t.co/2jWbL0yC7F pic.twitter.com/YYv138wC6T
— UT Tyler Admissions (@ApplyUTT) October 21, 2013

PAINTING PUMPKINS, YOLO! #uttyler #beapatriot #Julia
— UT Tyler Admissions (@ApplyUTT) October 23, 2013

In fact, we got so attached to our Preview Day pumpkins, we started naming them. Valkerie went on a search for her Jeffrey after lunch.

I love happy endings.

What was your favorite part of Preview Day?

Let's Costume Like Adults

When you have something going on during Halloween, you want to do something great. Sometimes you walk down the aisles of the store and see the Halloween section, but the costumes there just don't cut it. The Halloween store doesn't have anything that fits your needs.

   

You end up buying a generic bagged costume (pictured above) and then you vow that next year, your costume will be better. You've thought about making your own, but Halloween is literally days away and you don't have the time or the resources.

It's Just a Test

For our high school juniors who took the PSAT on Wednesday, October 16th, you were administered Form W. For those that aren't juniors or didn't take Form W of the PSAT, you are left out of an (apparently very funny) inside joke.

Decaf yourself

I work two part time jobs and I'm a full time student. I drink two cups of coffee every morning and while I'm working here at the call center, I drink coffee as well.

I feel your pain

I had a midterm this morning and I ended up drinking three cups of coffee along with a cup of green tea. Maybe it's time for a caffeine detox.

Caffeine exhibits the features of a typical psychoactive substance of dependence. It is valuable to recognize caffeine dependence as a clinical syndrome, since some people feel compelled to continue caffeine use despite desires and recommendations to the contrary (x). 

Mind that caffeine dependence happens when you drink about 5-7 cups of coffee daily.

Excessive consumption of caffeine will produce problems, and appropriate information should be given to minimize effects in psychiatric patients and other sensitive groups. It is important to balance this with information on the benefits of caffeine, for most consumers can usually control their intake to maximize the beneficial effects and reduce or prevent adverse effects due to over-consumption or consumption at inappropriate times (x). 

While there are health benefits derived from caffeine, it's probably not healthy to be sleepy around 3 P.M. and have to drink another cup or two of coffee to be able to function and get rid of a headache. I've decided to start a caffeine detox and have a bit better relationship with coffee after that.

While there's no consensus on the best way to go about it, it's generally advised to slowly wean off caffeine. Let's get our schedule in order!

Day 1: Regular amount of coffee

Day 2: 10% decaf 

Day 3: 25% decaf

Day 4: 50% decaf

Day 5: 75% decaf and black tea

Day 6: just tea

Day 7: regular tea and a cup of decaf tea

Day 8: decaf tea

Day 9: decaf tea and water

Day 10: just water

Once we've gotten past out caffeine deficiency, we can better enjoy an occasional cup of coffee instead of always waiting until our next one.

If anyone is joining me next week in this, let me know how it goes!

I ain't no hollaback girl!

Women get catcalled everyday; it happens. "Anywhere between 80 percent and 98 percent of women report persistent, aggressive street harassment" (x).  A quick look into the tumblr tag "catcalling" will show you how often it happens and how uncomfortable it makes us.

Let's Vote!

"Citizens often have good reasons to vote because they bear partial responsibility for the electoral outcome. Even if an individual's vote is not decisive for a given candidate's victory, such a vote can still qualify as a partial cause of that victory. So a voter can earn moral or quasi-moral credit for an electoral outcome" (x). 

Maybe it's because I'm a political science student, but I seriously want everyone to vote. I don't understand how anyone could choose not to when they live in a society where our ancestors fought for our rights to vote.

Thanks, Ron.

Graduation is happening!

On Wednesday, the chair of the department of Political Science and History stopped me in the hallway and told me he signed off on my graduation application and I'm all set.

There's some of our readers that are in high school and some are barely beginning their college careers. Maybe you aren't fully aware of what it takes to get to this point, so let's journey into the depths of what it takes to graduate at The University of Texas at Tyler.

Official Correspondence. What what!

I Like Libraries

I mentioned a few posts back that I also work at the public library and I talked about what we offered along with the summer programming. Fall programming is in full swing and there's some cool stuff that you should know about.

For out high school readers, the library is introducing a Teen Advisory Council and those who participate can earn volunteer hours. Those of you that are in groups like National Honor Society or the International Baccalaureate Program that require community service hours, you can fulfill those here.

After every meeting, there will be a movie matinee at 2:00 PM.  The council meets the first Saturday of every month. The next meeting is on October 5th at 1:00 PM. So you get your volunteer hours and a movie.

Our greatest goal of the library is to get more children reading. For our readers that have families with younger children, we have four different story times. We try to accommodate all kinds of time constraints when it comes to our story times. 

The amount of time a child spends reading books is related to the child's reading level in the fifth grade and growth in reading proficiency from the second to the fifth grade. The case can be made that reading books is a cause, not merely a reflection, of reading proficiency (x).

We also have programming for older children:

Of the three learning activities—reading, studying, and television—only reading was linked to achievement. We found that children who spent time reading for pleasure did better on tests of cognitive achievement (x). 

Since Halloween is a little over a month away, we're doing a costume exchange as well. 

For all our other readers that want to volunteer at the library (who wouldn't?), you can sign up through The City of Tyler. You can help promote literacy, work with cool people and make children happy.

Representation Matters

Well, when I was nine years old Star Trek came on," Goldberg says. "I looked at it and I went screaming through the house, 'Come here, mum, everybody, come quick, come quick, there's a black lady on television and she ain't no maid!' I knew right then and there I could be anything I wanted to be (x).

As Whoopi Goldberg said, seeing someone in the media that you identify with is important because it impacts your opinion of how well you do in life. As a woman, it’s important for me to find accurate and diverse portrayals of other women in the media that we consume. 

Take Care of Yourself

The fall semester is here to stay. Lectures, quizzes, assignments, readings, projects and exams are about to happen to all of us and we need to be ready to face them. Don't let the semester and your schoolwork stop you from taking care of yourself the way you're supposed to.

What to do with your financial aid refund

On August 16th, the financial aid award packages were added to our tuition bills. Everyone that was expecting financial aid was anxious.

If you haven't checked and made sure your myUTTyler account shows all the awards you have accepted on your account, you should do that and follow up if you think there's been an error.

Aw yiss! Payments made!

It is a wonderful sight

Beginning August 30th, any remaining aid money that didn't pay for your tuition will be refunded to you. Once you see you have extra money, a million things you could do with it will cross your mind. So what shall you do with this gift?

1. Buy a car.
If you haven't bought a car and don't live within walking distance of campus, this is your opportunity to buy a car. If you have a decent income from your part-time job, the amount from your financial aid package will be a good sum for a down payment. Shop around to make sure you have a good deal.

Take a parent or a friend you completely trust with cars and test drive different models. Ask around to find out where the best deal on car insurance is.  Remember that you're going to pay for more than just the car itself: title, inspection, registration and insurance will be an added cost. Also, gas, oil changes, tires and any kind of repairs should be expected.

If you already have a car, but are constantly having issues with it, trade it in and give an extra payment with your refund. Get something more fuel efficient, with more seats (carpool and ask your friends to help you out with gas every so often) and safer (your insurance is cheaper with a more safe vehicle than, say, a sports car) to save some money.

2. Give to a charity
Find out what it is that you want to change and find the (reputable) charity that does that. Once you donate, you get a feeling of goodwill (those warm fuzzies) and if you have a job and have to report your taxes, the donation is tax-deductible!

3. Buy a bicycle
If you live on campus or you just want to cut the time it takes you to walk between your classes and get a good workout out of it, then buy a bike.

There's tons of bikes on campus and almost every single building has a bike rack at the entrance. It improves your health, takes less time, and you won't be tempted to drive from one building to another (and waste gas in the process).

4. Save!
If you want to put your money away for a rainy day, put it into a savings account. Shop around both online and at local branches. Compare the advantages and benefits each give you.

Look at the fine print and make sure you won't be charged for things you weren't aware of. Make sure there aren't any penalties for withdrawing money because you're saving for an emergency or when your own funds fall short during the semester.

If you want to put that money away for a long time, think about putting it into a Roth IRA. It'll eventually grow (with some help from your income) into a good sum for your retirement. It's something to think about if you want your money to be put to good use and you're sure you won't need it anytime soon. We aren't going to be young forever, you know.

5. Buy an ice cream truck

If you want to be the cool kid on the block and always have a stash of ice cream, this is for you. It will be summer year-round! It's a great ice breaker and you'll be the most well known person for miles.

Okay, don't do this. I'm not telling you what to do; if you really want an ice cream truck, I can't stop you. But, seriously, don't do this. 


Christmas comes early for those of us that receive financial aid refunds and the endless opportunities that come with that refund are always a cause for celebration. Be smart with your money and remember that later in the semester, you might need it (but don't just stash it in your sock drawer).

What are you going to do with your financial aid refund? 

Smoothie Sailing

Maybe doing stuff in the kitchen isn't your thing, and you don't want to end up making something you'll end up throwing away. Maybe you just don't know where to begin. I have a basic formula of how to make great smoothies that can be adapted to any taste.  It's still hot outside and we need every bit of cool escape we can get.

Smoothies are fantastic. I especially love drinking one after a workout because you get amazing nourishment and the cold feels really nice after sweating like crazy. I follow a few "rules" to making a smoothie and I don't have to stick to one flavor every single day.

This isn't a recipe: these are basic necessities for creating a smoothie. We have another blog post that features a recipe if following step-by-step directions is your thing.