Week 3 Learnings

This week I learned that it is super nice to prepare ahead. I had been studying for the grammar test all week and I was ready to take it. I was ready to nail this grammar test. I decided to take it Friday, and I went as soon as my class ended. When I got to the testing center, I saw that the line was out the door and there were a ton of people stressing about getting their test done in time, or trying to get it done before their next class. A lot of people had waiting until the very last minute to take their test and were now worried they weren’t going to get the test done in time. However, I had no stress because I had planned ahead and decided to take the test the day before it closed to avoid this problem. I felt bad for my fellow line-mates, but it helped to reinforce the lesson of “always plan ahead so you don’t have to stress”.

Extra Credit Networking Post

I recently attended a networking event for PwC. It was an informational dinner and there were over 150 students from Accounting and Information Systems there. It was an opportunity to meet with many different PwC professionals and to ask any question you wanted about working for them. Dinner was served and there was a professional at each table to talk with you while you ate and then after, everyone proceeded to different rooms to talk about different jobs within PwC. I met a man named Travis and I had a great talk with him about advisory. He told me that there really is no difference between the big 4 firms. All of the jobs are pretty much the same, but the real difference lies in the culture. You have to decide where you fit best, not on the job description. It was really great talking to him because sometimes it is easy to get caught up in the name of a company instead of looking at what really matters, like if you fit in with their culture or not. Travis was super helpful and I feel a lot more confident about my career direction now. 

Week 2 Learnings

This week I learned that grammar is really hard, but really useful. When I was in high school, I used to ace every grammar test and do really well in my writing and speaking. Grammar was really important to me when I was taking the classes, but I came to realize with taking M Comm that my grammar has really suffered in the last couple of years. I found myself forgetting simple rules and making dumb mistakes in my writing. I had grown very lax in my writing and speaking. I was horrified to realize I had made mistakes in emails to recruiters and future employers. Luckily, they still talk to me. The “so what” behind this post it the realization that I need to step it up and begin to care about grammar again. I’m in the midst of recruiting season and am sending out lots of emails, resumes, etc. and I need to get back into the grammar game. 

Week 1 Learnings

During week 1, I learned that no matter what level of school you might be, motivation is a fluid thing. I am currently in the first year of a master's program for IS and that might lead someone to think I am super organized and motivated. However, this past week I did not want to do anything. School did not feel like it was really starting and I had my head in the clouds. My routine was off and I missed a few assignments in my classes. The "so what" of this all, is that no matter what program you may be in, or what level, motivation ebbs and flows and you really have to stay on top of your game and choose to want to do well. Nobody else can force you to want to do well or be motivated. It has to come from within and you have to always be on top of your game or it is so easy to slide.