Being Thankful.

I’ll be the first to admit that I often lose sight of what’s important in life. I catch myself thinking about something I “need”, picturing how happy I would be if I had that new pair of boots or the most current iPhone. Then I remember how almost every time I get that “must-have,” the excitement wears off in about a day and it’s on to the next thing.  Regrettably, it seems to be an endless cycle.

That is why Thanksgiving is such a great time of year. There is no emphasis on gifts, or the next toy we can add to our collection. It is a holiday devoted entirely to being thankful for what we already have: family, friends, freedom, food on the table, you name it. I don’t know about you, but sometimes when I’m feeling down about something pointless, I need a reminder of what matters, and Thanksgiving is perfect for this.

With the holiday just around the corner, there is no better time to be generous to those in need and thankful for what we have.  Let’s enjoy the time with our loved ones, and if you don’t already, try to live everyday like it’s the thankful season. That’s my goal anyway!

Have a wonderful Turkey day! J

Jenny

The End is Near

        Well Thanksgiving Break is next week and after that only about 2 weeks left of the school and then FINALS! Even typing that makes me cringe. This means countless hours at the library not moving from the table, no sleep, tons of junk food, candy, and plenty of coffee.  In one day, I could end up spending like 13 hours in the library studying non-stop. Don't get me wrong, I sit with a group of my friends during this time and that long in a library can make people do strange things! We try to have a good time while still preparing for our exams at the same time. The first official day of finals start on Thursday December 6^th and end on Friday December 14^th. Luckily my last final is on December 11^th.  December 5^th is considered a “study day” at Bradley, this mean all classes are cancelled and students are getting ready for the challenging tasks ahead of them.

                It’s not unusual to walk through the library the week of finals and see kids sleeping in their chairs with their heads on tables, with blankets around them.  Bradley does do their best to try and help out for instance; coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and hot cider are all given to students for free every day. Typically around midnight, a student group comes in and hands out snacks to everyone in the library. I think most students can agree with me when they say that the day after your last final consists of lying in bed all day and giving your brain a rest.  Then it’s off to enjoy a nice 6 week long break to enjoy spending time with family and friends during the upcoming holidays.  So for me it’s less than a month until I get to enjoy that feeling, 26 days to be exact! Until then though it’s time to get down to business and study hard!

Brooke

All About Blogging

Well, another blog day has come, another day to try and decide what to write about without putting everyone to sleep. Should I discuss insurance? Nah, I’ll leave that to the experts. What about Thanksgiving? Nope, still too soon, I’ll do that next week (spoiler alert!). I could discuss what’s going on in my school life? That’s not overly exciting though, school is school and finance is finance. I’ve got it! This blog will be dedicated to the process I take when deciding what to blog about!

As you can tell, it’s quite an ordeal sometimes. It’s all about finding that perfect topic. Something you have the knowledge to talk about and something that people will enjoy reading. So far I have discussed stress, I would say I am an expert on that (although only a self-proclaimed expert). Then there was seizing opportunities. I’d say I have some knowledge there, but it is definitely something I would also like to work on more. Last but not least was the election, and I’d say we have all heard enough about that for a while.

Before starting my internship at Nixon, the thought of writing my own blog never even crossed my mind, but I would say it has definitely been an enriching experience. It takes a lot of time and brainstorming sometimes, but that’s the neat part. For me it is like a challenge, and who doesn’t love one of those? Although at times I may dread it, requiring employees to keep a weekly blog is a great way to make sure they are constantly thinking.

 Now, for all of you future Nixon interns who will be writing blogs, just do what I do. It’s a simple process really: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Just kidding. Writing a blog is a great way to challenge yourself to find things that interest you and share them with others.

Jenny

The Dark Side of Social Media

Social media…it’s everywhere no matter where you go or what you do, you will likely see something that says like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.  Just like almost all college students, I have a Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Linkedin. Social media is a way of connecting with people, sharing memories, and photos online. Now it seems like everyone from 10 year olds to grandparents have a Facebook at least. I have to admit, I do use Facebook and Twitter to keep up with what people are doing and to see else is going on in this world we live in. Even though these sights are meant to keep people close and connected with people all over the world, there is a still a dark side.

It’s not uncommon for social media accounts to be hacked, for rude and cruel comments to be made towards others, for picture not intended to be on the web to be posted, and many other terrible things can be done. I’m going to focus on Facebook in particular, because those are the stories I hear about the most. As a college student, I soon will be looking for a full time job once I graduate.  Any employer I apply at, will most likely to on the internet and see what kind of social media profiles I have. This means, that stuff I post on Facebook needs to be “clean”.  According to Maureen Downey, from  the AJC Get Schooled blog, offenses such as essay plagiarism, vulgarities in blogs, alcohol consumption in photos, things that make current or future employees “wonder”, and “illegal activities” are things college students should avoid putting out on the internet. I have also seen a lot of people on my news feed posting how much they don’t like their professors or even bosses. This is a big no no, because I have read stories about people getting fired from their jobs because they have posted negatives things about their work or even the people they work with.  Something else that is becoming more common is that employers are using social media to recruiting potential students.

It is just very important for everyone to remember that what you put on the internet may come back to bite you one day.  Just because it’s on the internet and it can be deleted doesn’t mean someone else hasn’t already seen it and spread the word.

-Brooke

Election Day is here.

Well, today's the day. It’s already been four years  since the American people decided to send Barack Obama to the White House. This first Tuesday of November is particularly important to me because it is the first time I am able to cast my vote in a presidential election. Whether you are physically going to the polls, or took  part in absentee voting like me, it’s an exciting thing to be a part of. Tonight is the night we get to see what direction our country will potentially take. I for one, will be glued to the television,  praying for the best and preparing for the worst.

The United States is founded on the principles of democracy. Each citizen has the right, and dare I say, the responsibilty, to educated themselves and be a part of the democratic process. It’s a beautiful and wonderful  thing when you think about. Many people will say “I can’t change anything,” or “My vote doesn’t mean anything.” The truth is, your vote does matter, and you do affect the outcome. If everyone were to think their vote was pointless, then nothing would be solved. Therefore, determine what you find important in a candidate, and go out and cast a vote. America is depending on us.

Jenny