Inspiration

I think it is important to keep up with international news and conflicts around the world, especially in places I have visited, want to visit, or find to be important in current events. Over the summer I studied abroad in Paris for the foreign language program, and recently one of the hot topics the Hijab ban in France and the ever-increasing muslim influence. When I went to Paris, I was able to put some of my language skills to use to talk with people about how they felt about it when it came up in conversation. During my time there, I would casually browse articles on the internet- the ease of access of information is so convenient, especially when I had to be informed about my surroundings since I was there for a month. I usually was lazy and read the articles in English, but sometimes I would change the settings on my facebook or Yahoo news page to French to get in the habit of switching over my normal daily internet check-up to take my experience to another level. Sometimes I would even buy fashion magazines in French (because fashion is just more fun that way anyway!) and I even browsed through the Cosmopolitan website in French to make learning outside the classroom more entertaining!

Through the internet, it is so much easier to learn new words and have access to a whole different language so that I may continue what I started without letting it fade when I'm not in the classroom. I really want to be fluent in French since it is the official language of various international political and social organizations, and it opens up opportunities for jobs with travel. Plus, immersing myself in different cultures is fun and exciting! I hope to be able to translate and write in English and French, and who knows- maybe I'll pick up another one along the way!

It's Crunch Time!

As a Junior, I'm finding that graduation is just around the corner, and I have a lot to do to prepare myself for my post-college life. I have to figure out what I'm going to do, where I want to work, and what exactly I'm looking at doing after college so I'm not the stereotypical grad living in my parent's house watching TV and encountering regular visits with Aunt Georgia to listen to her whine about her doctor's appointments. So, to avoid this I have to start getting ready for a future as an employed college graduate!

Right now I'm looking at interning at the State Department, to my horror, a few days ago the USAJOBS website with the application was down for an entire week! I thought the digital age was supposed to be more helpful, but I guess I should have foreseen problems like website reconstruction that could delay my access to arguably one of the most important applications I will fill out in my college years! It's due November 1st so I have a solid week to fill it out, email to my Dad and others who have worked there in the past to make sure it's exactly what they want.
My Dad worked in government facilities as well and he has told me how much easier it is for me that I can instantly access and fill out applications, whereas when he was starting out in the 1980's, everything was paper copy and it took so much more time (not to mention, so much more anticipation) to figure out where he got hired. My friends have also been sending me links to other places they have interned and are willing to write and forward their old employers letters of recommendation for me. I find it fascinating how quickly networking is today, and hope it can work to my advantage!