Well here goes nothing! First a little about me. My name is Hannah (obviously :-) ) and I am a senior at UNCW, graduating in May! Oh my gosh I can hardly even write those words. I am majoring in Communications with a focus in broadcasting and field production, and I am minoring in Spanish. I have a wonderful family including my amazing parents and three brothers, Josh, Zack and my twin brother Sam. I also have amazing friends and a wonderful boyfriend, Daniel (who just happens to be in this class as well). My dogs, Cleo and Barney, are the most important beings in my life. Cleo, my fat spoiled golden retriever who can make anyone feel wanted and needed and Barney, my sweet mutt who I saved. Anyone with dogs can understand my love for them.
This semester is my last and I hoped that it would be somewhat easy but I have realized that to be successful in anything after school, involvement is key. It is difficult to prepare for the future, especially with this economy. With an internship, 15 hours of classwork, extracurricular activities AND somewhat of a relaxing life I am having a difficult time getting through all this work. It is important to me that I gain as much experience as possible, yet maintain some sort of sanity. I am one of those people who likes to participate in everything as well as keep control of it all too. This semester I am learning that I cannot control it all and that is posing to be a difficult problem for me.
Communications is a wonderful area to study in because there is so many opportunities outside of class. My internship is truly giving me a chance to learn through experience more than anything else. In my opinion that is the best way to learn. I am working downtown with the City of Wilmington and the government television station. We produce PR videos for certain areas of the city as well as commercials and a bi-weekly show. It will be the greatest learning experience because I am considered a team member, not just someone who will work for free.
My biggest problem is keeping on top of everything all at one time. With class, a paying job, an internship, Lambda honor society, and filming work for UNCW athletics it is a lot on my plate. I either need to learn to live without sleep or learn to say no. All of the online work is really hurting me because in all of my classes I have multiple assignments due daily. I literally have begun to carry my planner with me and for the first time in my college career have filled out every space given for each day.
Being a big Christian I know that God will get me through all of this but how does everyone do this all the time? Talking with Tammy Bulger she said this is the real world. Oh my gosh if this is how the real world I am not so sure if I can do it all. I would like to take nights off and enjoy spending time with family and friends. As of now my only "free" day is Sunday and as a pastor's child, that is inevitably busy. How do you all get through all of the work and assignments? How does my boyfriend, a baseball player, get through practice, schoolwork, and anything outside of those two things? I would love to know that I am not the only one having such a difficult time and that there are others in the same boat, but are there? Can people really relate to my need for perfection in every area of my life as well as the most experience possible?
Haha this might be my first and last blog if things do not calm down or if I do not get a hold of all this work! Hope you now have insight into the life of a stressed senior!
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Hannah....you make great points! I as well am a Communication Studies major graduating in May and it is terribly frightning and overwhelming. I am very active as it is an like you try to be involved with many things. Being in a serious relationship of over 2 years i have come to find as i get older i am seeing less and less or my boyfriend due to our busy schedules. Last year was probably my bussiest yet. I was interning with New Hanover County School District along with babysitting and doing Lamda and taking 18 hours!! Somehow though i was able to manage. This semester i am only taking 15hours and babysitting but because i was abroad last semester in Barcelona and truly doing nothing but traveling, eating, sleeping and going out it has needless to say been a very hard adjustment to try and get back into the swing of things. I think mainly it is important for us to stay on track with our goals and balance our busy lives out as best we can (i.e. day planner) Hopefully all will fall into place come May :)
ReplyDeleteI don’t know about you ladies…but I am so scared for when May comes and then I have to find a job. I think that is my most stressful thing that I have to look at is where my life will take me. All of these classes, volunteering, jobs and internships are nothing if I do not get a career when I exit college. I have been talking to my family and boyfriend about it constantly. I am so scared that I will not find a job that can support the lifestyle and paying off my out-of-state loans as well. I have cried myself to sleep just thinking about what it is going to be like when I cannot find a job that makes me happy. These activities and class work that consumes our lives now is just preparing us for the career that will support us forever. What are we going to do if that job is not where to be found? Worse part is it is not very unlikely for us to still not have a job in six months after graduation.
ReplyDeleteHannah, I am in the same boat as you! With my internship at CMT, I have had to adjust to a new city, new friends, and pretty much a real job. I am working from 9 am to 6 pm five days a week. The internship is fun, don't get me wrong, but adjusting to working everyday--like we will have to do after we graduate--has been difficult. I am so tired. I work all day, and then come home to an enormous amount of online work for classes. I think the online work is what is bothersome. I just hope that these internships really do help us get jobs after graduation. Worrying about that is the most stressful part of graduating this year. I at least have until the end of July. It's also difficult being away from all of my friends for my senior semester of college. I know that we will both make through! I have to believe that everything will work out for the best!
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain on the business of college right now. I don’t do near as much on campus involvement as you, but I have my extra-curricular activities. I have two jobs, a full course load, and I help out at least 3 days a week doing something at my church, so it is still very busy. I don’t think life will be quite this hectic outside of college, because at least with a job your priorities are focused on one goal rather than getting two group projects done, taking a test, and giving a presentation all in the same week. So stick it out it can only get better in the long run.
ReplyDeleteI think that it's great you do so many activities! I wish I had taken the time to do an internship and join clubs, but with the amount of bills I have, I have to work multiple jobs adding up to working about 60 hours a week with a full course load. I can tell you this, it is much easier in the real world with a full time job! I had a full time job managing an apartment complex and doing all of the marketing for two years and while there were some weeks that I worked over 90 hours, I was at least focusing my thoughts on one basic goal and getting paid to do it! Good luck this semester!
ReplyDeleteI can identify with you on the learning to say "No" part! Last semester somehow I ended up joining like 6 different organizations and now I have absolutely NO free time! That's definitely a lesson that college teaches you- learn to say "No!" At least your activities seem to be very related to what you want to do once you graduate! I suppose it's okay to be overly involved and left with no free time if the activities you're doing will actually help later on!
ReplyDeleteYou sound like an amazing person Hannah. I love that you are close with your family including your dogs. I am very confident that they are great people. I love that you love animals to, it shows a lot about your caring heart. I know that you are stressed out with everything but I can say that it won't always be this way and it will get much better one day. I can not wait to read your next blog and hear more about you.
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ReplyDeleteHannah, you sure are busy. Hopefully you have a time to take a breath. School sure is more than it seems. Glad to read about your faith and how open you are with it. I feel its important to let everyone know where you stand. Personally I attend PC3 here in Wilmington. And its something to always be proud of. Hopefully you will be succesfull in balancing everything this semester brings you. Looking forward to reading more of your posts
ReplyDeleteHannah, I feel the same way. I am currently fighting sleep as I write this right now! I understand what you are saying totally. Hang in there girl. Just a few more months and we will be out of here. I also very busy with my sorority and other activities, I have hard time staying on top of the work too! Leave sticky note reminders up everywhere and utilize your phone to remind you. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteIt seems impossible, but somehow you get through it and you'll move on to the next step, which, yes, will be harder - but you'll make it through that fine too. Just wait until you have a husband, house, children, and career - there aren't any minutes off then :)
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