Winter Break to-dos!

As the academic semester reaches its final stretch, I am looking forward to accomplishing some non-class related tasks over Winter Recess.  Here are some of the things I might think about accomplishing:

1.  Make a mix CD.  This is a dying art.  All the same, people love mix tapes.  I want to make a good one to distribute to everyone accordingly.

2.  Host dinner.  I want to plan out a dinner menu and invite some people over for dinner, so I can have the joy of cooking for a group of people.

3.  Knit and crochet.  I want to do as much knitting and crocheting as possible.  I also want to try my hand at needlepoint, to make things like this:

4.  Clean and organize my room, apartment, and storage space.  Not much explanation needed there.

5.  Plan trip to San Diego.  I want to visit Maureen in San Diego, so I need to plan when I can go and buy a ticket.  

6.  Spend time with friends and family.

7.  Do some pleasure reading.  I want to finish The Help and then read Cherry by Mary Karr.  

8.  Exercise.  I need to use my gym membership.  I haven't gone in over a month.  

Cover Letters and Resumes

While reading through some cover letters and resumes for my boss, I am making some interesting observations.  Here's some of my [slightly un-]professional opinions:

• Write a cover letter.  If you don't want the job enough to write the cover letter, then don't write a cover letter.  Your resume will be put in the "no" pile.  
• Don't overgeneralize in your cover letter, and don't use abbreviations.  Use full title positions and institution names.  And give specific examples.  Don't mention the weather in your cover letter either (true story).  
• Don't give a paragraph of description for every bullet of experience, and don't give me every single fast food job you worked 10 years ago.  
• Formatting is more important that you think.  Employers like to see attention to detail, and the resume is the first impression of this.  
• Sidebar:  I have a friend who went in for a job interview and the person interviewing him said that she combed his resume for grammatical errors and typos and was impressed that he didn't have any, which showed that he is highly attentive to detail. (Granted, the job is at an accounting firm, but it's relevant.)
• Don't write that you have good interpersonal skills.  Any schmo can write that on their resume.  
• DO include:
• social networking proficiency.  
• All computer programming and software skills.
• Languages, if you speak more than one.

Okay, now that I have a better perspective on what a good resume looks like, I'm going to go edit my own.    

I'm still trying to figure out what area of speech-language pathology interests me the most.  I am also engaged in the ongoing decision regarding the type of setting in which to work.  

Here are some findings, so far (subject to change, of course):

1.  I like working with kids.  I know this.  But I haven't worked with other SLI populations enough to know if this is the only group I could be happy working with.  

2.  Multicultural aspects of speech and language are of special interest to me.

That's all.  

In other news, my GA-ship is great.  I love the people I work with, and I love being able to dress business casual every day.  It's gearing me up for clinical practicum next fall.  Speaking of clinicals, I talked to my program adviser and decided that I won't be able to continue my GA-ship for a second year.  Hey, I'm thankful  to have this opportunity for even a year!   And I am excited about being able to live somewhere where I can have a pet.  

August, so far.

I am so very grateful to have been offered a graduate assistant position this year. It is not in my academic department, but rather with the department of housing. I'm qualified because I worked for housing for three years as an undergraduate. (Yes, I was an RA.)

Because this is a position with Housing, an apartment on campus is part of the package. But this means I don't get to have visits from my dog (but my ex is kind enough to let me come visit her when I please).

I am anxious about classes starting. I have 4 grad-level classes, and one infamously demanding undergrad course, and I'll be working 20 hours a week in addition to that. I also need to take a basic-level math class at the local community college. It's going to be a challenging semester. Bring it on!

Hiatus: over.

I have definitely been slacking on this blog. What has happened since March, you ask? Here's a quick summary:

-I 4.0-ed my first semester of graduate school. Go me!

-I became single again, which was/is very hard but it needed to happen.

-I long-term subbed in a kindergarten classroom for six weeks and loved almost every minute of it.

-Got hired as a nanny.

-Ruined my 4.0 with my spring class grade. No worries!

-Grown closer to some new, fantasically awesome new female friends.

-Partook in the 2nd Annual Girls' Camping Weekend. (Best time ever).

And today is Independence Day! Sparklers galore.

MSHA Conference

I'm excited to say that I am registered to attend the Michigan Speech-Language and Hearing Association's annual conference as a student. The conference is a 20-minute drive away, so I don't have to fork up the money to pay for a hotel.

The only other person I know going is my graduate advisor, so I will definitely be out of my comfort zone. But I couldn't resist the opportunity to be around professionals in my desired field and gaining exposure to what the association is all about.

In other news, classes are going great. I have two big group projects coming up and a test pretty much every week. It feels like a never-ending to-do list, but I'm staying afloat. It'll all be worth it in a couple of years.

I've always been a sucker for a good story.

And when that story is a television series available on Netflix, I watch it for hours on end, as I did with Lost today. Wednesday was such a long, tired day, and I used it to rationalize taking the day off from subbing, sleeping in, and then allowing myself to get sucked into the Lost world.

I got the tutoring job, but I'm not sure if I'm going to stick with it. It's really far away (about a 25-minute drive), which would be okay if I had more availability. Currently, my schedule has me driving out three times a week for an hour each. Needless to say, I am looking for work elsewhere.

Classes are still going excellent. I have a much better work ethic compared to my undergraduate self. I make flashcards for tests and everything! I've recently applied for a Graduate Assistantship in the university's Housing Department, which would be a blast and a great help professionally and financially.

I've picked up "running" again. I use quotations because the term is misleading to my current level of ability. Jogging is a better term, with an intent to slowly increase time and speed. My friend and running partner, Katie, suggested we do this event called the "Warrior Dash" in the summer. It's something like a 5K combined with an obstacle course. Crazy.

School is back in session, my friends. I have been back in school for a month now, and I feel great about it. I'm doing well in my classes so far; both of my two tests were A's. My favorite class is Applied Phonetics, mostly because I like playing with the International Phonetic Alphabet.

I am still working as a substitute two days a week, and I'm interviewing for a tutoring position on Monday for some extra cash. I've also applied for graduate assistant positions for the coming school year.

There are some necessary changes happening in my personal life as well, which I'm anxious about. But I have faith that things will work out the way they are supposed to, and I will come out a stronger person no matter what happens.

Short little blip. More to come.