september already?

Rahh! Say it isn't so! But before I degenerate into my usual fist-shaking-at-sky-in-attempt-to-delay-graduation bit, let's move on to an event I'm attending tonight through the comm school - a Business Advisory Services Panel.

For all you potential consultants out there, what I've learned though my Strategic Management Consulting class (and through general osmosis of information in comm school hallways), is that this industry has been hard hit by the financial crisis. There's a dearth of jobs and a huge supply of highly talented and qualified people pounding the streets. Looking a bit grim there. =(

However, a bright spot is that business advisory services have really picked up in the last couple of years. In spite of all the doom and gloom, they're actually showing a small growth in the industry (for all non business minded folks, that's major in these times). So tonight, I'll be attending a panel with AlixPartners, E&Y, PwC, Booz Allen Hamilton, and Navigant Consulting presiding. I'm really looking forward to this, it'll be an interesting three hours.

sittin' in my office...

Alright, next bit of my post will reveal a lot of my personal identity *dundundunnnn!*

I'm currently sitting in my office in the Office of the Dean of Students, holding Honor Loan office hours. I'm the Honor Loan officer this year, which means I make short term, emergency loans to students in need. This means I hold 10 office hours a week, sitting in Peabody (hey, if any of you are campus touring -- come upstairs after the tour to say hi to me!) and reviewing loan applications. It's pretty awe inspiring to realize how much the school trusts its students when I have access to a $100,000+ fund. Student self governance at its best. This is why I love this place so much. =)

I walked in about half an hour ago to all the deans frantically taking rubber wristbands out of small individual bags and repackaging them into brown paper bags. They were prepping for the new tailgating rules on the Lawn -- it's a tradition for Lawn residents to hold tailgates outside their rooms before football games, and this year is no different. However, residents are limited to 40 guests this year, controlled by wristbands designating that you're a guest of this resident. The wristbands are a cute green, but I for one am still not in favor of this new policy. This creates so much hassle for both the office and the resident. Of course, the argument is that yes you'll have to know who all your guests are, but who's to say I'll always know who my guests are? What if I open my tailgate to the new members of my CIO -- how on earth would I have gotten to known them after one general meeting? Isn't this the whole point of get togethers, to get to know people you don't? Instead, this feels like it encourages elitism by reserving the Lawn for close friends of residents, not to mention what a headache it'll be to collect wristbands at the end of the tailgate before people run off to the game in their excitement. I don't know, I have my doubts about this

end of the first week!

And whoo, what a week! I was running around from 9:30 am to about 9:00 pm everyday, but gloriously enjoying it! Apart from the requisite classes, I was also going back and forth between my clubs and hanging out with friends.

Some of the notable things that always happen the first week of class include the activities fair, Rotunda Sing, and of course the first weekend. The Student Activities Fair was held on the Lawn this year, which I actually didn't attend because I was holding office hours for one of my positions. I really wonder what that sight looked like... hmm. But the fair is when all 500+ student organizations at UVA turn out en masse, set up tables and posters, and try their best to bribe -- er, convince students to join them. =P I say bribe because since the fair usually happens on a really hot day, lots of organizations have freezepops or chilled drinks. "Free freezepop if you sign up on our mailing list!" Haha, quite crafty eh?

I'm actually dashing off to a club event soon, I'm co-chair of a peer mentoring organization that's holding a scavenger hunt today. (Any of you who are reading this and are first years, it's horribly easy to figure out who I am from this, haha. =P )

it's the last first second day of class...

Here's your resident morose feeling... dare I say it? ...fourth year (ugh, cue shudder of horror). Well, pledge to myself: I won't think about it anymore. I'm going to wring the last of what I can from college!

I'm supremely happy with my classes this semester, the professors all seem nice and the material very interesting. I'm taking three accounting classes (because I'm planning to sit for the CPA) and two management classes. Accounting Information Systems (more concept and computer based than numbers based), Cost Accounting, and Federal Taxation I compose of the accounting classes. Negotiations and Strategic Management Consulting compose of the management classes. I'm really impressed by all my professors, some have an amazing work experience, and others are movers and shakers in their subject fields. I have a big grin on my face just thinking about it. (Okay, I know, I'm a dork).

I.. unfortunately also have homework due tomorrow that I need to go work on. I haven't had a chance to really sit down and read the book until tonight because I've eaten every meal since I got back with a different group of friends, and held around six Honor Loan office hours over two days. So, apologies about my pathetic update, I've got to dash to do work.

life can't possibly get anymore hectic than this. @_@

Apologies for the lateness of my update. Since I last posted, my internship's finished, I've gone up to NOVA for a few days, gone back down to C'ville to move into my sorority house, and will be headed to University of Richmond for a sorority retreat, and have been dealing with various extracurricular committments out of the wazhoo since then.

This summer flew by, it seriously, seriously did. People say that time passes by faster the older you get, and you know what? I definitely agree with them now. At the beginning of this summer I thought there would be all the time in the world to savor my last free summer, but whoosh! It's gone by like smoke.

I'm gearing up for my fourth and final year (of which I'm terrified about because I really don't want to graduate), and I bet I'll be approaching a lot of events with wistfulness and nostalgia. Everytime something happens, it'll be the "last time" I'm doing something like this. Moved in for the last time. Witnessed first years at orientation for the last time. Looked at buildings being constructed that I'll never get the chance to use. Ah, good ole TJ's University. It's treated me well.

For those of you entering your senior year in high school, I hope you embrace it and live it to the fullest. (I also hope you've started your applications already! And certainly those essays, you'll need to spend quite an amount of time on those.) I'll offer some application advice later if anyone's interested (and feel free to shoot me a question in the comments area), but at the risk of sounding like an old geezer, I wish I was in your shoes. =)