When I read the course description for Professional Practices for English Majors, I was intrigued. The description read: "Focus on the individual, national, and global value of English and the humanities for the professions and for life. Emphasis will be placed on meaningful career paths, gaining relevant experience, and professional development opportunities." Great, I'm going to … Continue reading A Personal Reflection On A Professional Class
During the spring 2017 semester, I was in an Intro to Poetry Writing class with Dr. Hope Wabuke. I've got to say... this class was the most interesting, intellectually stimulating and entertaining classes I've taken so far. We talked about several different poets and read all kinds of poetry. We wrote about 15 poems for … Continue reading The Power of Slam Poetry
A mentor, defined by Merriam-Webster, is a trusted counselor or guide. When I was assigned to do a mentor profile, I had no idea who I'd write about. Sure, I've had mentors in the past, such as family members, teachers, academic advisers, coaches, professors and peers. For example, I consider my high school English teacher … Continue reading Can I Be My Own Mentor?
Investment. Merriam-Webster defines investment as “the outlay of money usually for income or profit. But I’m not talking about that kind of investment. I’m talking about what you put into life and what you get out of it. To the best of my ability, I try to make my life as wholesome and purposeful. I’ve … Continue reading Life is an Investment
For my Professional Practices class, I was given the choice to read "A Little Life" by Hanya Yanagihara or "The Sellout" by Paul Beatty. I had already bought "A Little Life" and wasn't about to spend money on another book that wasn't on my already huge To-Read list. Before reading, I went to Goodreads to … Continue reading REVIEW: ‘A Little Life’ by Hanya Yanagihara
On April 11, one of my English classes had a class discussion, which left me emotionally and mentally drained. We were posed with the question: How are you feeling right now? A pretty general question was bound to elicit several different responses. However, there was a general feeling in the room: discouraged. Some talked about the … Continue reading Let me ask you something… How are you feeling?
Technology consumes our lives. Most people stare at a computer screen all day. You're looking at one right now. We carry tiny computers in our pockets. When I'm walking on campus from class to class, the majority of students I pass have headphones in listening to music, which I'm occasionally guilty. Sometimes, I even see people … Continue reading Unplug & Be Where You Are
Whenever I hear "essay," I immediately think of academic essays that are written for a class. Those sometimes aren't the most interesting works to read, so when I was assigned to read three essays from "The Best American Essays" by Jonathan Franzen, I was not exactly thrilled. But I was pleasantly surprised. The three essays … Continue reading The Best American Essays 2016: ‘Sexual Paranoia,’ Opinions on Faculty-Student Relationships
Beginning in September 2016 and up to now, March 2017, I've found myself saying, "I am so busy." I do have a busy schedule; I'm enrolled in 17 credit hours, spend 18+ hours a week on homework and work at my job 10+ hours a week. But am I really that busy? I watched a TED Talk that … Continue reading TED Talk: ‘Laura Vanderkam: How to gain control of your free time’
Feb. 22, 2017. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Career Services hosted a Business and Liberal Arts Career Fair. This was my first time attending a career fair and I felt lost almost the entire time. I did what I could to prepare: printed copies of my résumé, looked through the list of employers attending, and did research … Continue reading Post-Career Fair Thoughts & Realizations
I've taken the StrengthsFinder 2.0 assessment twice, first in August 2015 and second in January 2017. Surprisingly, there are two new strengths in my Top 5 and the rest have been shuffled around a bit. August 2015 Results: Harmony Discipline Consistency Relator Learner January 2017 Results: Achiever Discipline Learner Responsibility Harmony Because I had taken the … Continue reading Spot On StrengthsFinder Results
My freshman year of college wasn't exactly productive. During both semesters, I was only enrolled in 12-15 credit hours, two of which were exercise classes. So I had it pretty easy. It wasn't until fall semester 2016 when school really starting kicking my butt. I realized if I took only 12 credits per semester I … Continue reading Staying Organized as a College Student
Nicole Hilder 