I don't know where time goes, but it sure goes fast!

Today I registered for my classes for my SENIOR YEAR OF COLLEGE.
I cannot begin to explain how crazy of a feeling this is!

We only have two weeks of classes left and then finals week! In years past I have usually started packing things up and taking them home little by little. I cannot bring myself to do that this year. The mere thought of having this year end, leaving my roommates, leaving my comfortable and fun townhouse and beginning my last summer working here at the 'Hurst is just so sad. FYI, if this is how I am feeling during my junior year, this time next year I am literally going to be a wreck!
However, what an amazing thing to be dealing with! My wish for all of those students about to end their senior year of high school and begin college is that in four years from now you are feeling just like me. I hope you dread the thought of leaving the friends that turned out to be some of the best friends in the entire world, the college that became your home and the people there that became your family. Even though thinking about leaving this amazing college life behind me is something that is so scary and terrible to think about, I know that I am so lucky to be feeling this way because college has turned out so wonderful for me.

Classes are going really well, pretty soon it will be time to start studying for finals.
Here's a quick recap of how things are going:
Communication in Society with Mr. Lebec- great class! The tests are a bit tricky, you definitely need to stay up on the class readings. I love the material in the class and my teacher brings in guest speakers who are specialists in the fields that we are learning about which adds more to the class.
International Organizational Behavior with Mr. Zohos - I am really enjoying this class, we have been learning a lot about how business is conducted in countries other than the U.S. It's definitely important to know about the customs and norms of other cultures so that if you need to conduct business, you'll know just what to do!
Operations Management with Mr. McAuley - this class has been interesting. It is a lot of mathematical equations and I really do not like math! I have been putting in a lot of outside study time and work for this class so I am hoping that it all pays off!
Labor/Management Relations with Dr. Swanson - this class has been really cool, my dad is in a labor union so I came into the class knowing a lot about unions but it's really good to learn how to be a good manager and leader when dealing with unions. If I ever end up being a manager in a company with a union, I will definitely work hard to make things fair for the union workers!

Wish me luck as finals quickly approach...after that is...SUMMER!!

Arlington, Georgetown and Washington DC

Awhile ago a made a post about my paper getting accepted to a conference, this past weekend I traveled with my group members and my teacher to Arlington, VA to present our research. Our research paper was written for Dr. Zaphiris's Communication Theory and Research class in the fall. We did a study on the portrayal of Muslims in American media.


Alicia, Kelly and I in Georgetown


The conference that we attended was the James C. McCroskey and Virginia P. Richmond Undergraduate Scholars Conference and we were ranked in the top four!! It was such a good feeling especially when we found out that there were over 125 papers submitted!
We were lucky enough to have received money from Mercyhurst's Student Creative and Scholarly Research Fund, along with the Communication department. At a school the size of Mercyhurst, many students will get opportunities to reap the many benefits that we have to offer, such as receiving money from funds that are avilalble to help and aid students.

Here I am in front of the Washington Monument

We had a great time presenting, I was a little nervous but we were definately prepared. We brought copies of our research paper and a lot of people came up to us after we presented to ask us questions and for copies of our paper!

Here we are with our trophies!!

We were in Arlington from Thursday until Sunday. Georgetown was just a bridge away, so we walked there a few times and D.C. was very close, we were able to ride the metro there and see a few museums. We had a really great time and we are already hoping to conduct more research so that we can go back next year!
   

Pictures of the Week: Spring Charity Ball

Here's a picture of Mike and I waiting for the buses to arrive on campus to take us to Union Station, a catering venue located in downtown Erie. Mike being such a gentleman, let me borrow his jacket because it was a bit chilly.

This year, the annual Spring Charity Ball gave all of the funds to the Jenni-Lyn Watson memorial foundation. There was a huge turnout! Mike and I had ticket #'s 133&134 so we know there were at least that many people!

Here's a picture of me and 3/5 of my roommates for next year, Kaleigh, Liz and Sarah!


With dinner and dancing, a good time was had by all!



My 3 Steps for Choosing a College

For all of the seniors in high school out there...I can't help but think and remember what I felt like when I was in your shoes. You are literally about to make one of the biggest decisions you've ever made before. It is coming down to that you will need to decide where you will go to college!

I urge you to sincerely consider all of your options. When it came down to deciding to come to Mercyhurst, here are some of the steps that worked for me. I hope my advice helps you and I hope you all make the right/best/ONLY choice ... MERCYHURST!!

1. Follow your heart. Deep down, you know what school you want to go to. You might have known before you even started looking at schools or you might have known after you toured the school. Either way, there is one school that you keep going back to and is always on your mind simply because it's where you belong. Don't ignore that feeling, have faith that God is leading you exactly where you need to be.
2. Your parents DO know what they're talking about. Even though you'd like to think they're wrong...you're wrong! Your parents know you a lot better than you might like to admit. If they are set on a school, they must have a good reason behind it. Sit down with them and talk about what they think, take their advice seriously.
3. Find the school that reflects your personality. If you are like me and love family, togetherness, a close-knit atmosphere. If you want to be known by your teachers and be able to go to them for help in your classes, choose the school that will give you that. Don't go out of your comfort level! The school that you choose is going to be your home, you absolutely need to be comfortable!

Follow these instructions and you will certainly end up at the perfect school for you! Best of luck in making your final decisions, I have been in your shoes before, and like your parents, I know what I'm talking about too! Don't be afraid, just go for it! Oh..and don't forget to choose Mercyhurst ;-)