When I was in high school, we weren’t allowed to write our own yearbook quotes and that’s probably due to space, but one Garfield High School senior wins the award for best quote ever.
To the average person, you might think that Jessica Lee is just a huge fan of chemistry, but decipher what it is she’s really saying and you’ll find a quote that will warm your heart in other ways.
Click the cut!
Oops! We’re running a little behind on posts this week, but here is your Thought Catalog roundup!
Is it just me or is anyone else noticing the lack of quality in posts on Thought Catalog lately? There are a ton of “list” type posts and ones that look like they should just be on BuzzFeed.
Well, the long-anticipated talk in front of the students has come and gone! I thought all of you would be interested in hearing how it went. For a little over a month, I had been nervous (maybe for no reason at all) and I had been preparing what I would say through various blog posts here letting you know the topics I might hit on. When it came down to it, I mentioned none of it. It is unnerving to stand up in front of a presentation hall speaking to 30 students each wondering what in the world you are doing there. It’s one of the reasons why I could probably never be a teacher, myself, but I have so much adoration for those that had me as a student. I wasn’t perfect. I spent 70% of class day dreaming wondering what my life would be like after college, after high school. If my professors allowed me to munch in class, I was a happy girl. We don’t give our teachers and professors ENOUGH credit and I will always stand behind that statement and tell that to every young student I come across in the future that tells me their teacher just “doesn’t get them.” They do. It’s just you that doesn’t understand your teacher and that they are a human being just like you.
As I stood in front of that hall offering what I had to say, I felt confident. Then I felt uncomfortable hearing the sound of my own voice and insecure that I was rambling. That impending fear that I had probably dawned on the students and that’s when I kind of knew I was dunzo. The speaking engagement lasted 10 minutes. I didn’t get to say all that I wanted to say, but that’s okay. After the talk Henry told me that I was probably being too hard on myself as I sometimes am. These students, after all, were very close to having their summer. By being in this 3:40 PM class, I was taking them away from their happy hours and the rare Seattle sunshine. It didn’t matter who was standing in front of them, they just didn’t want to be there probably. So I will say – students, being dismissed by you is not the worst rejection I have gone through in life, but maybe somewhere in my ramblings you heard my advice about being kind to others, working hard throughout college by staying busy, and taking everything you hear from your professors to heart. Or maybe you didn’t – to which I will just say GOOD LUCK! You will soon learn eventually. Also, my introductory joke only got some stifled giggles. Ouch! Looks like I could never be a stand-up comedian either.
In preparing for my chat with Seattle University students in my former major (slated for next week!) I have already written two posts on Yow Yow! One post was about the advice I had for post-grads and the second was a slew of articles written by other people that I found to be useful even after graduating. This time around, I want to talk about something that I find to be the most important of all. Now, more than ever – after you graduate – you are going to feel an immense amount of pressure. And the best way to deal with that pressure? Do you. Easier said than done. Upon graduating and even while you’re still in college, people closest to you will bombard you with questions because people are human and humans like to pry. People also like to pass along judgement in what they believe to be subtle, but it won’t be because you know better than that.
I noticed a slight trend today of articles posted on LinkedIn and all of them had to do with advice recent grads should take. Now in my last post, I discussed that advice should not always be taken in at once. For one, it’s too much information. Two, it’s not always applicable, but it will be when the “timing is right.” I can’t even begin to tell you how much I hate saying that last part and how much it has been said to me in the last few months, but in this moment right now, nothing seemed more fitting.
Whether it was a trend on LinkedIn or the fact that my talk is coming up and I am trying to solidify my material, every article I read today on this subject was beneficial. I wish that I had this advice when I came out of college. Would I have taken it as seriously? Probably not. That’s the problem that my professor who’s class I am speaking to posed to me as a problem. Even though I would have this advice to give to these students, they may not see the value because they haven’t had the year of working experience that I have just had. Regardless, I do hope that my advice will spark something – a change, an opinion, or inspiration.
Here are the articles and posts that I read today:
For the last two years, my friend John has been teaching over in Detroit through a program called Teach For America. I have known him since my first year of college. I have worked alongside him and looked up to him as a role model. His job in Detroit, no doubt, has been challenging and difficult at times, but I am confident that this experience has enabled John to grow, learn, and take on anything that comes his way after this. When we first heard from John on Yow Yow! he was maybe half a year into his program. Please read his guest post here.
How do you tell a student: “I know some of how you feel about failure: I feel like a failure everyday”?
I am no stranger to anxiety. My mom says it runs in the family. But there is a special kind of anxiety that comes with teaching. That anxiety usually rears its ugly head once a week, in the late morning or early afternoon of Sundays from September to June, telling you the kids are coming back. A former teacher of mine once stated it like this: “no matter how hard you work today, you will not do enough for your kids, and feel like you are letting them down”.
Some days I work a lot as a teacher, and some days I do not do enough. But there is one common trend: I always feel like I have not done enough.
For those of you thinking about teaching, be inspired by this sentiment: teaching is so freaking rewarding. There are such beautiful tangible and intangible results that I am so grateful for. But for me, teaching was a glaring reminder of all the ways I don’t feel like I stack up.
When coworkers find out that I am not teaching next year, they question: Is it the kids? Is it the administration? Is it because you feel this work is impossible? I make up a different answer every time, but the truth is that it is none of those things.
You wouldn’t think that being out of college for a year and returning back to it would make such a difference, but it does. I had a very unique experience yesterday and I won’t ever forget it. I won’t ever forget it because I’m about to document the observations I saw in this post. Mind. Blown.
All in all, it was a great event. When Meghan and I left last night while Super Mash Bros. were still playing she turned to me and said, “Well last Quadstock ever.” and at that moment both her and I looked back over our left shoulder and took in one last look of the massive stage and the bright and colorful lights.
We laughed. “God, that was like a scene out of Girls!” – Meghan
Throughout college and surviving the business school, Maddie was kind of like my little rock. The girl never ceases to amaze me and she’s one of the hardest working people I’ve ever met. Here at Yow Yow! we’ve always supported her in her musical endeavors and will continue to do so of course. Her follow-up piece is something that I know will resonate with many of you and definitely falls in line with the post-grad 20-something talk we’ve been going off of lately. To give yourself a refresher, see her original guest post here.
Hello Yow Yow! readers! The last time I took some time to sit down, and you know, casually reflect on my ever -looming future, I wrote about questioning my path to pursue a career in business (whatever that really means) and to instead jump head-first into a life as a singer/musician. Well, it’s been over a year since I wrote down all of those thoughts, and I KNOW you all have been on pins and needles wondering how I feel now (does sarcasm come across in blogs? I’m still so new to this…).
Since graduating from Seattle University in June 2012, I’ve been working at a search-engine marketing agency in Queen Anne. Before you ask, no, I don’t work for Google. I’ve been working at this company since the summer before my senior year, and over my two years there, I’ve gone from a part-time intern all the way to a recent promotion to Client Manager. I’m proud of these milestones, but I’m sure you’re starting to realize it isn’t quite that career in music I was always daydreaming about.
If I have learned anything about advice giving and advice taking this year it is that the person who is receiving the advice is never obligated to take it all in. It is, in fact, their decision to pick and choose what is best for them and sometimes advice that is given can be accepted not right then and there, but at a later time when it is more appropriate and comprehensible.
As I mentioned awhile ago, I will be speaking to a class of business management students next month and ever since I learned that I would have this opportunity, I have gone back and forth about what I was going to say about post grad life. Would they consider me enough of a reliable source since I just graduated less than a year ago? What can I say that will sound relatable and not pretentious? How can I make my explanations clear enough so that they translate and resonate with these students?
I have been catching up with friends, writing notes, and taking bits and pieces from articles that I’ve read to compile this short list of what will probably make up my talk to these students.
I just came across this adorable map of Seattle University’s campus edibles! I’m really not sure if any other campus has anything like this, but this is pretty special, isn’t it?
Ugh. Love.
To view an enlarged version of this map, click here.
Something that really excites me about these posts every week (and I’ll only say it one time and one time only) is that if there is ever an inappropriate title, I will try to disguise it in the best way I know how. Now you know my secret! Some friends of mine have recently been telling me that these Thought Catalog roundups are a favorite of theirs on Yow Yow! because not only are they interesting reads written by 20-somethings, but they also help my friends find perspective in their own lives. And hey! They help me too so I’m glad that we are all mutually benefiting from this. Have a wonderful rest of your weekend everyone!
PS I also forgot to mention last week that when I select these posts, I also like to choose ones that are kind of controversial. You’ll know it when you read it!
