I have been so busy lately.  I just realized that I haven’t blogged for a month.  To make things worse, I just made a to-do list of everything that I need to do to finish the semester and events for work.  It looks never-ending!  On top of this I am still applying for summer jobs and internships, a job that has proved to be no easy task. 

Feeling stressed as ever, I stood on the Tenth Street Bridge, coming back from South Side Saturday night.  Gazing at the beautiful city skyline at night was calming and made me think.  I spend each day feeling stressed and pressured for the future.  I load myself down taking 18 credits to double major and minor and graduate on time.  I spend endless hours at my internship to build my resume and make networking connections for future job opportunities.  I participate in clubs and organizations on campus, and try to go to the gym on a daily basis.  Everyone holds me to certain expectations and I have to balance my time to carefully meet all requirements.  I get too caught up in the future.  It is good to feel some pressure and anxiety about all that you have to accomplish.  Additionally, it is smart to be conscious of the future and have goals and a strategic plan to reach them.  Yet, remember to breathe and enjoy the now. 

Staring at the city skyline I realized that I only have one more year of college before I enter the “real world.”  I used to enjoy learning.  Now it seems like I am only focused on achieving a certain grade to strengthen my gpa or build my resume.  When I sit in my sociology classes I am inflamed with passion, and a true love for the subject.  I sometimes get frustrated at work thinking that I am wasting my time, forgetful of why I am there.  Yet, I remember a time when I was a passionate grassroots activist, fighting for the Democratic causes I believed in.  My preoccupation and overemphasis on the future led me to forget the important things in my life such as my drive for genuine learning, and passion for political engagement.  As I watched the city at night I was inspired to take a breath and remember to enjoy life.  Now through the 6 papers, 5 finals, and 7 work events I have before the end of the semester I will be refreshed and recharged to do my best!

Be inspired and remember the now!
-Katelin

Lately I’ve been extremely stressed as I’ve applied for internships this summer.  I’ve spent hours browsing websites, job search engines, and internship databases, trying to find the “perfect” internship.  Whether it’s here in Pittsburgh, at the state capital in Harrisburg, or in the heart of American politics in Washington, D.C., I’ve found many outstanding opportunities for learning, networking, and growing professionally.  Everytime that I start to get excited about one, though, the worry starts to set in.  Am I qualified?  Will my application be competitive?  Do I have what it takes to be successful in this position?  Next comes the worst part— the dreaded resume!  With so many people as qualified or more than myself I have to make myself standout on paper!

Don't stress over the thought of your resume!

Today I went to Resumania in the Union.  I met with an HR Representative from UPMC.  She looked over my resumé, and offered constructive advice on improving the appearance of my resumé.  I’m so glad that I took advantage of this opportunity, offered by Career Services.  I made the changes that she suggested, and plan on taking it back tomorrow to get another opinion. 

Resumania is a great opportunity to get quick advice on your resumé!  If you don’t have a resume, it is never too early to start drafting one.  I started my first internship second semester of freshman year.  I hardly had anything to put on my first resume, and now it is filled with job experience, campus involvement, and professional achievements.  The table even offers a sample resume to get you started!  I was so satisfied with my experience today, and I urge everyone to stop by the table, whether it needs a quick tune-up or serious revisions, it can only benefit you!

Stop by the Resumania Table for resume writing tips today!

Don’t Miss These Upcoming Resumania Events:
-Wednesday, February 2, 2010 from 11:00-2:00 p.m. in the Union Atrium and Gumberg Library
-Thursday, February 4, 2010 from 11:00-2:00 p.m. in the 3rd floor of the Union, and Brottier Lobby

Happy Resume Writing!
-Katelin

I can not express the feelings of relief that escaped my body as I submitted my final project on Blackboard this afternoon enough.  I somehow managed to live through my Con Law final this morning, and am done with my semester!  It’s so strange, I don’t know where the semester went.  They say that “time flies when you’re having fun,” so I decided to compile a list of my top ten fall semester moments at Duquesne:

1.  Vice President Biden comes to Pittsburgh to speak before the Labor Day Parade in August.  It was so exciting to see him speak in person, being only feet away from him. 

2.  Duquesne continues to be ranked in top-tier among the nation’s best colleges by the U.S. News and World Report’s annual list.  Duquesne was among only 12 Catholic universities to be selected for the Best National Universities List.  Looking ahead to the future it is important to have a degree from a school with a reputable background.  It’s such a privilege to attend a school with these distinctions.

3.  Living outside of dorm rooms–my first apartment living experience!  While I enjoyed my time spent in St. Martin’s and Towers Residence Hall, living in an apartment is undeniably better!  In addition, living on campus in Brottier Hall is so convenient for breaks during the day, or participating in campus events at night or on the weekend.  I’ve had so many great memories with my roommate in our new humble abode!

4.  Receiving an A on my first Latin exam!  This excitement is just not for making the grade on this test, but for realizing the importance of reading and studying.  This was my first year taking mainly classes for my major, and I found that the readings were not only beneficial, but shockingly interesting and engaging!

5.  Pittsburgh hosts G-20 Summit resulting in a mini-fall break at the end of September.  This break was a great pick-me-up from the first month of classes, and being the week before mid-terms was a great chance to catch up on reading and studying.

6.  Around the beginning of October I ran in the Zoozilla 5k with my friend, Brittany.  The course went through the Pittsburgh Zoo.  Though I hadn’t been training for the event, it was a fun, healthy, morning running past the gorilla habitat with my friend.  (Don’t be fooled by the picture— she was dragging me up a hill at the end!)

7.  Russell Crowe on campus!!!  In October Russell Crowe appeared on Bluff Street filming his next motion picture, The Next Three Days. 

8.  Spending another semester interning with the Democratic Committee.  I am so grateful to have the opportunity to continue to my third year interning with ACDC.  I have grown in many ways since I started as a freshman.  I’ve learned and developed so many skills that are practical and necessary in my career field.  I encourage everyone I know to seek an internship as early as possible, and hope that they will have the same positive experience that I have had. 

9.  The exciting Duquesne v. Pitt Basketball game at Mellon Arena!  Though the Dukes came out defeated after double-overtime, it was still such a memorable game. 

10.  Hanging out with my friends at our “Saturday Night Joint”!  My friends and I began going out for dinner to Applebee’s every Saturday night.  Sharing spinach dip, laughs, and stories from the past week it is always a time that I look forward to decompressing from school stress and having a good time. 

So there are my top ten fall semester Duquesne moments!  I hope that everyone has their own best moments from this semester to look back on.  As they say, “College is the best time of your life!”

Enjoy your break!
-Katelin

Today I had a surreal realization— I need to begin preparing for my Latin final!  While most would not find the thought of agonizing over nearly 250 lines of Vergil’s Aeneid enthralling, I will happily spend hours indulging in the classical text, excited to be taking the exam.  This is my second time taking the class.  Initially I was devastated to learn that my grade was not high enough to receive credit and continue to the next level.  I had never failed anything before, and had serious doubts about my academic capacity.  I watched my GPA plummet as a result of the F, and felt hopeless I would ever have any scholastic achievements.  I remember hearing my teacher recommend that I consider another language, while holding back tears in his office.  Latin is the only language I have ever known, as I have studied it since junior high school, and the thought of re-learning declensions, verb syntax, and grammatical rules of another language was terrifying.

My teacher also offered me advice that day in his office.  I’ve just recently found a full appreciation of his words.  He told me that everyone needs to fail, and that he too had not always been successful in his academic endeavors.  I returned to Latin this year with a more determined attitude.  I was not going to let this language bully me again, rather I was going to prove to it that I was capable of translation.  Now I see that I have proved so much more, not to the language, but most importantly to myself.  I am going into the final with a high passing grade.  I have proved to myself that I can do what I set my mind to, and that persistence (and many long hours of studying and energy drinks!) has its rewards.  I’m writing this to encourage any student in my situation not to give up.  If finals and the close of the semester brings undesired results, DO NOT GIVE UP!  As Vergil writes, “Forsan et haec olim meminisse iuvabit,” (Aeneid, Book 1, Line 203)— Perhaps someday we will look back upon these things with joy!

Good luck with finals!
-Katelin

Hello, readers!  My name is Katelin Lambert and I’m a new blogger for the Liberal Arts College.  The following is a summary of my day on Friday so that you can get a better understanding of my life.

At 7:30 a.m. the dreaded alarm on my Blackberry goes off.  After getting ready and having breakfast with my roommate I hurry up the hill for Latin class.  For as much as I complain about taking this class, I’m going to be sad when I’ve fulfilled the language requirement next semester and no longer have Vergil’s Aeneid to translate.  I have an hour break between Latin and Constitutional Law which proves to be just enough time to go to the library and review the readings before class.  Following Con Law I realize that I have an International Relations quiz that totally escaped my mind.  As I hurriedly study the foreign policies of Germany, France, and Russia I decide that I need to calm down and take a minute to breathe.  Finding a balance between taking 18 credits, working at my internship, and making time for relaxation is definitely something that I struggle with.  (And usually school and work trump relaxation!)  I go directly to my final class of the day, Family Systems, where I had a presentation to give to the class.  This still allows me two hours before the close of the workday to get downtown and finish my day at my internship.

I lead a busy life, though I would not have it any other way.  I am very passionate about my internship at the Democratic Committee.  My classes for my majors, Political Science and Sociology, are challenging and engaging.  As with all college students, I live under a constant state of stress, triggered by pressures coming from all directions, wondering what my future holds.  Nonetheless, my fear of the unknown is calmed at the end of the day knowing that the experiences I have gained at Duquesne will direct me to a bright future academically, professionally, and socially.

-Katelin