Down to Business

As I was contemplating what to write about today, it dawned on me that I never really publicized my class schedule. Although this might seem trivial sometimes, I find that knowing the classes that students are taking can give a pretty clear picture of how they spend their time both inside and outside of academia.

M,W,F

Career Perspectives

Finance

T, Th

Principles of Marketing

Business Information Systems

Management & Organization

Intermediate Accounting I

Now that I have painted a clear picture of my accounting degree, let me add insult to injury by documenting the extremely professional week I have just finished.

Wednesday night at the Stadium Club the College of Business hosted the Meet the Business Recruiters social. This is marketed as an opportunity to meet firm representatives in a low stakes and non-threatening setting to practice your professional interactions and make some contacts for either internship opportunities or full-time employment. So I ironed a suit, threw on a pair of heels and went to mingle with potential employers. Firms present included ANR, Boeing, BNSF, Edward Jones (Matt Blades was there Dad), Sherwin-Williams, the Office of Senator Jon Tester, and NAVSEA, to name a few. The event only lasts an hour and a half, so with more than 20 firms, you have to be very strategic about who you want to talk to and in what order. The big dogs, like Boeing, are going to take more waiting, and elbowing than other firms might. All in all the experience was good. Thursday was the Career Fair, same deal, except for a hundred times larger and more crowded. Again, I threw on the suit and tried my luck.

But that’s not all. To nerd out further, I agreed to be on the Student Organization Funding Board, which doles out funding from ASMSU per applications submitted and reviewed on a rolling basis. This happens once a week until the money is gone. Sounds fun right?

But now the weekend, were I will set aside business thoughts and academic work and relax. Just kidding. I will be working on a presentation and studying for an accounting exam on Thursday. Oh actually, I will also go to the hot springs, the football game and a barbeque. So it balances out!

Happy Weekend !

 

The Calm Before the Storm, Plus a Storm

For some students, the week before final exams, known as Dead Week, actually does feel dead. For others, it comes with a slew of group project deadlines, oral presentations, and general anxiety and panic. I was lucky enough to experience the former. My only project was due Monday, and we had been given the whole previous week in class to work on it. It caused me zero stress, and it was great practice for the final exam. Essentially, I killed two birds with one stone. I pursued two grades at the same time (the project and the final), and probably won’t have to put in more than an hour to round out my study time for the final! In case you were wondering, this class is MGMT 231, Business Research Methods. Its only prerequisite is STAT 216, which is seems like every undergraduate at MSU is required to take. So even if you aren’t a business major, you can take this class with minimal schedule shuffling. I was not a fan of statistics, but after taking this class, I am! And if you are a business major, take this class in lieu of STAT 217. You learn so much more, and have 500% more fun in the process. Because of all the free time I’ve had this week, I’ve been able to reflect a little bit on my semester. However, I had anticipated that this free time would be spent outside on the grass, soaking up the sun.

However, these plans feel apart Friday afternoon. I had spent the week enjoying the high 70s and then woke up Friday mornings to inches of snow on the ground, and worse, found that is was sticking to the road! Really, another winter storm? Repulsed by this influx of cold, I decided to boycott winter in late April and wear shorts and Chacos to class. I was happy to find that I was not alone; other students had dressed for summer in protest of the weather.

So Bozeman, this is not a request: Give us back our summer. Don’t give us a repeat of last year. We don’t want slush the day before the semester ends.

Return the warmth to us. Thank you.

Life of an Intern

I work for Outside Bozeman, the magazine publication portion of a company called Outside Median Group, which brings such things as the MSU Pocket Guide, and the Outside Bozeman calendar.

In the fall, an email notice from the College of Business informed me that Outside Bozeman was looking for interns in a few departments, and one of them was sales. Although I’m no marketing major by any means, business experience was business experience, something I had very little of. After a short email courtship, I was offered an interview downtown, and subsequently a position.

Now I knew the internship was unpaid (as many are), but I didn’t mind. This is something I suggest you do too: don’t mind. If you are looking for experience in your field, an internship is a great place to start. It’s a learning experience, and a chance to look at a potential career field (or may not) and ask yourself, is this something I like? Class work for your major and practical application of those skills in the real world is drastically different. I knew I wanted to go into business in theory, but I wanted to know if it was something I wanted to pursue in actuality.

As it happens, I love my internship, and this spring, when I was offered the opportunity to take on some accounting/bookkeeping tasks and responsibilities, I jumped at the chance. Good things come to those to wait. And apply for jobs. And send follow up emails.

Some people may think that being an intern is like bring a free laborer, but it’s not really true. Companies make an investment in you, by using time and resources to make you a productive part of their team. If you can’t do your job well, then they have to clean up your mess. You want you to do well, and they want you to do well. They also want you to stick around long enough for them to get a return on their human capital investment. In the case of Outside Bozeman, because we do trade with so many of our advertisers sometimes Boss man Mike doles out some goodies from the trade treasure chest. Tuesday was one of those days. I got an hour massage and $75 to a couple of boutiques downtown.

If you get a chance to intern in a field that interests you, go for it.

(Check out Outside Bozeman here!) The magazine is free and available at tons of businesses around town. Or take a look at the digital edition on the webpage!

Shadow an Engineer

Information provided by Alissa Bleem. Summarized by Katie Chamberlin.

What is Shadow an Engineer day?

The College of Engineering puts this event on once a year (although they should probably invest in it more often) to inform high school students about the engineering programs MSU has to offer. Touring high school students get to witness engineering student in their natural environment, attend engineering classes and tours the facilities.

Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honor society on campus and the Society of Women Engineers help organize the event and provide volunteer tour guides. Students from all over Montana, and sometimes from beyond, trek to Bozeman to check out what the COE has to offer them.

Volunteers from all the engineering concentrations are available so high school students can shadow a student in their intended concentration if they wish. Or, they can be randomly assigned and get to see a concentration that they wouldn’t have otherwise been exposed to. The laboratory tours are often the highlight of the day, especially for students who have an interest in scientific research, either as an undergraduate or as a graduate student. Labs opened to tours this year included the bio-chemical lab, the high temperature corrosion lab, and the snow science lab.

The most useful or perhaps the most unique aspect of Shadow an Engineer is the student-to-student interaction. This event is not about getting talked at my professors or administrative staff or admissions officers. You get a day to day look and the program you are considering and get a student all to yourself for the duration of the school day. They will be happy to sit with you and answer all your questions. They love engineering too. Talk mass transfer, statics and dynamics, circuits, fluids, materials, or senior design. Get psyched.

Alissa’s advice: If you are going to be an engineer, congratulations. Your journey will be long and your time will be eaten by school. But you will love it. And if you don’t love it, at least it will grow on you. Remember: there are lots of engineering stereotypes. Mix it up a little and add something new to the list.

Bio of an engineer:

Behold Alissa Bleem. A native of Fort Collins, CO, AB is a second year student in the College of Engineering. She is a Chemical Engineering major, and works in the Center for Biofilm Engineering on campus as an undergraduate research assistant. While she does not have her own desk yet, she aspires to someday have her lab cubby back. Alissa is a 5’4” curly-headed Italian with green eyes who enjoys candlelit dinners and long walks on the beach. Her hobbies include mind-numbing mathematics, drinking coffee and trail running until she pukes. When not in class or the lab, Alissa can be found hunched over textbooks with her fellow engineering cohorts in the Strand Union Building, furiously scribbling down equations and cleaning drool spots off her homework.  While the proud owner of a humidifier, Alissa likes nothing more than to discuss de-humidifying air into the wee hours of the night.

Dead Week

Dead Week approaches. If you are unfamiliar, it is that magical time of the semester when students wake from their ‘I’ll get around to it” slumbers, buckle down, and start studying for finals. At some universities, Dead Week does not include going to class; however, here at Montana State, classes are very much in session during Dead Week. Here is a brief overview of how my fall semester Dead Week is going to shake down.

Monday: Class all day, then study for a Statistics quiz on Tuesday.

Tuesday: Sleep in. Take Statistics quiz, go to class and then to my internship at Outside Bozeman.

Wednesday: Class all day, then study for another Statistics quiz the following morning. Study for Infectious Diseases and American Popular Music during the evening.

Thursday: Repeat of Tuesday, plus SU Sustained Dialogue Board Meeting. Study for American Popular Music and Infectious Diseases finals, which are happening tomorrow.

Friday: Class all day plus American Popular Music and Infectious Diseases finals. Kick back with the roomies and engage my creative outlet by demanding they let me French braid their hair. Plug in Pokey (our Christmas tree), drink some chai tea, listen to some Christmas music, and sleep.

Saturday: Sleep in. Study all day, and then go listen to Alissa perform in the Bozeman Symphony, holiday style. Sleep more.

Sunday: Study like there’s no tomorrow.

Good luck to everyone of their tests!

Thanksgiving Treats

I’ll admit it. I’m pretty lucky. And not only in the ‘let’s go around the table and say what we are thankful for’ kind of way (although by that account I am also quite fortunate). I am in fact talking about how early I got to leave for Thanksgiving break. I added 4 days to my holiday, essentially doubling my time at home. Not bad, huh? The drive doesn’t seem so long when you know you don’t have to turn around in 72 hours and rinse and repeat.

Thanksgiving means some very specific things for me. First, food. Second, family. Third, fun. Pretty cheesy, right? Perhaps. But while the first two remain relatively self explanatory, you should be a tiny bit curious about the third. First, my girlfriends and I do Black Friday our own way. I’m a thrift store fiend, and the day after Thanksgiving, everything in Goodwill in 50% off. Seattleites do love their secondhand treasure. Things get pretty crazy. At the end of the day, I came away with seven articles of clothing and a sweet pair of aviators for $23.19. Beat that.

My second favorite thing to do is sit in a Starbucks for hours and catch up with friends. It’s holiday cup time; something about that red paper cup warms my heart. Or maybe’s it’s the steaming beverage in the cup that does the warming. At any rate, I’m warm. During the holidays, Starbucks has a perpetually long line of customers, and that means the baristas start taking names with drink orders. My favorite thing to do when getting coffee is use a fake name when I order my drink. I’m waiting for the day that the cashier calls me on it when she looks at the name on my debit card. It hasn’t happened thus far.

All in all it was a wonderful break from school. Only a few more weeks until the end of the semester!

Moral: The only reason I could go home so early was because I was able to successfully switch a midterm from the day before break actually started to the day I actually wanted to leave. Although this may seem like a daunting task, there are only really a few steps you need to take to make holiday wishes (or any other time constrained endeavor for that matter) a reality. First, do not be afraid to approach your professor and ask for what you want. They can be surprisingly accommodating. Second, be clear. Don’t beat around the bush; be polite and direct about what you need, and if applicable, a good reason why it should come about. Your professor will not bite, he wants to help you. If you’re in a pinch don’t suffer in silence. Small exchanges like this between student and teacher can be the start of something awesome. Maybe you will find a friend or a mentor on the road to that Thanksgiving turkey.

I had to tie it back into school somehow didn’t I?

 

New Classes

It’s time to register for classes once again. For me, registration is always a double-edged sword. On the one hand, registration is like starting with a clean slate; you forget about the classes you are currently taking and get excited about starting a new semester and a perfect GPA to boot. On the other hand, registration week can be a jolting wake up call. Remember that excitement you felt about the approaching winter holidays? Suddenly, that euphoric state is replaced by dread. Wait, hold the phone. You suddenly realize that finals week is fast approaching. Remember all those group projects that are coming up? All that studying you have to do? All the things you have to NOT FAIL??!!?!? You grudgingly go to your advisor’s office and grab your PDF. With a sigh you look at the date you register, find your priority is of average placement, and hope that the gods of MyInfo are smiling down on you on that date and time.

But then you think some more.

I’m not registering first, but I’m certainly not registering last. Maybe I will get all the classes I want. I’ll probably do pretty well in the prerequisite classes I need for next semester. I did do really well on all my accounting exams. Actually I’m pretty excited about registration; maybe I’ll get lots of classes in Gaines, and get to sit in those comfy office chairs. Maybe none of my classes will be in Willson. That would be awesome. Okay, I’ve got a handle on this. Registration: bring it on.

*This inner monologue/emotional rollercoaster has been brought to you by Katie Chamberlin. Do with it as you will.

Great Expeditions

Have you ever wanted to travel the world? College is the perfect time! You are old enough to really get the most out of your travels and aren’t weighed down yet by the demands of a career (or at least I hope you’re not). One of the best things about the Montana State University Honors College is its special spring seminars (don’t you love alliteration?) known as Great Expeditions. Each spring, Honors picks new places to go and develops new curriculums to support them. The main idea is that you take a class in the spring semester and learn some specifics about the country you will travel to. Some years the course is an overview, including history, language, art, etc, and sometimes it’s specialized, for example a focus on economics or architecture. Then, at the end of spring semester after finals are over, you, your classmates and your professor jet off on the best start to summer vacation ever conceived by man!

The trip is both an extension of what you learned over the semester as well as a time to explore a new place with your peers. The class is usually about 13-16 people and you get to know everyone so well that by the end of semester you are pretty much jetting around with umpteen of your closest pals!

Do I sound enough like a brochure for you yet?

But in all honesty Great Expeditions is one of the best presents you can give yourself. Last year I was lucky enough to go to Chiang Mai, Thailand with Professor Wade Hill of the MSU College of Nursing. We were hosted by the Faculty of Nursing at Chiang Mai University and given a lecture series and study visits to different clinics and hospitals around the city and surrounding countryside. But it wasn’t all academics! We had tons of time to trek through the jungle, visit temples, eat the local cuisine, shop at the night markets, explore the city, and sample the nightlife. 

This year there are 3 trips being offered, Brazil, South Africa, and Ireland. I am crossing my fingers that I will be going to South Africa this year. Dr. Ilse-Mari Lee, the director of the Honors College and a native South African will be leading the class. Hang out with awesome students and distinguished faculty in coastal paradise? Hmmmmm, yea sign me up.

That 1st Week of Tests

Jackson Lake

Well, it’s that time of the semester again: Round 1 of midterms. In my experience, having between 1 and 2 tests is the norm, and so I complained incessantly to anyone who would listen (mostly my roommates) that I had 3 tests to study for. Imagine my surprise when a kid in my Infectious Diseases class told me he had 4 tests in 3 days. Needless to say, that shut me up pretty fast, although it didn’t do my roommates much good, as I learned this on Friday, when my tests were all over. J

I knew this week was coming, and yet I still seem to be forever scrambling at the 11^th hour. Why is this? Do I really have awful time management skills? No. Am I the Queen of Procrastination? No. Then what? The beautiful Montana weather is to blame. The last few weeks have been filled with temperatures in the high 70’s and low 80’s. Just prime. I have been so busy cramming outdoor fun into these first weeks of school that I ultimately end up cramming Microbiology and Excel functions into my head as a result.

Geothermal colors

Highlights of outdoor cramming: Weekend road trip to Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park with the roomies, hiking and swimming ensued. Open air thrift shopping in downtown Bozeman. Hiking in Hyalite Canyon. Hiking to Lava Lake. Floating the Madison River and hitchhiking back to the parking lot. Backyard barbeques and Frisbee.

Highlights of indoor cramming: Living in sweats. Not being able to see my carpet because of all the text books and papers on my floor. Chai tea. Mechanical pencils. T accounts. Prokaryotes. Owner’s Equity. Alexander Fleming. Finding the best study corners in the library. Watching Arrested Development as a reward for an hour of studying.

The best thing about midterms is when they are over and it’s time to relax and do something for you! Every student deserves that break, always remember to treat yourself. Personally, finding that outlet was pre-planned for me this year. Today is my birthday! I refuse to spend it all taking tests! Tonight, some friends and I will go out to dinner at Sweet Chili, Bozeman’s best Thai restaurant, and then retire to my basement apartment for red velvet cake and Bananagrams.

The Moral of the story is: Accept that studying for the first round of tests is going to be hard, but remember that studying and temperature are inversely related. The colder it gets, the easier it is to study!