3 week Recap!

So....It's been like 3 weeks since I blogged last!! EEK!! I've gotta get back in my routine!! So a lot to catch up on!!
For Spring Break, I spent 6 days in the AMAZING city of Charlotte, NC! It was sooo great to be home...but I finally knew what people mean when they say they need a vacation from their vacation!! I felt like I was going nonstop!! 6 days is not a lot of time when you have so many people you want to see and and hang out with!  Overall, the highlights were my friends Bachelorette party, My twin brother and his fiance coming to Charlotte to see me, Going to Clemson to see my little brother, Spending a day shopping with my mom, Quality time with dad, and getting to see my friends Jessy and Stephanie!  I can't wait to be home for the summer...

Which leads me to another highlight of my Spring Break....I had an interview for an Internship...and I got it!!!! I'm sooo ecstatic! The best part about the internship is it is in Charlotte so I will spend all summer at home!! This way I get to be with my friends/family and also help out a lot with my brothers upcoming wedding!! Also, it's a great opportunity that could potentially lead to a full time job after graduation!! So excited!!!

Anyways, I came back to NYC and now I'm having the hardest time getting back into routine with classes and homework!  There's only 7 weeks left of school until the summer so it's crunch time...On top of that I have a huge exam in June that I have to start studying for!  Eek!!

About my exam: I am hoping to become an Actuary (someone that deals/calculates risk...usually working for insurance companies) so there are 5 major exams to obtain your ASA (Associate of the Society of Actuaries)....and I took one in December...and failed!! eek!  So I'm retaking it in June and I refuse to fail this time so I have to start studying now!! When you work full time the expect you to pass like 2 every year or you lose your job!

So I take that test the morning of June 9th....but Luckily that night, I'm going to the Lady Antebellum Concert!!! They are with Darius Rucker and Thompson Square so I'm soo excited! I just hope it will be a celebration kind of night and not a "drown my sorrows" type! Either way it will be fun!!

OK! So I guess thats it for now! I hope you all have a great weeek!!!

I'm A Big Kid Now!: Preparing for Interviews!

Hey Ya'll!! 

So I am in graduate school and am expected to graduate next December! I know a few of you other bloggers are graduating soon also...but even if you aren't, it's always good to know what to expect on an Interview!

I decided to write about this today because I went on an interview yesterday for a Summer Internship!  I think it went really well but now I just have to wait to hear back! Prayers are very much appreciated!  Anyways...here are a few tips I think people should follow when preparing for an interview:

1. It's better to be over-dressed than under-dressed.  I know everyone knows you're supposed to dress up for interviews but it isn't as easy as it may seem.  If you are not sure how formal the company is then I would recommend wearing a suit!  You can never go wrong with a suit.  However, before my interview they told me they were a casual office so feel free to dress comfortably.  In this case I stuck with a simple pencil skirt, blouse, and flats.  Overall you should use your best judgement but just be sure to dress to impress!

2. Be careful what you have posted on the internet!!! During my interview they informed me that they Googled my name!! Ahh! I'd heard some people did that but was still surprised when they said they'd done it!  Luckily for me the only interesting thing they found was that I like to tell Math Jokes!! It ended up being a great conversation starter!!

3. Prepare by thinking of answers to potential interview questions.  Here are a few questions that they asked me:
    -What was the best/worst thing about your school?
    -Describe a time when you were the lone champion at something...
    -Describe a time when you had to persuade someone to do something that they normally wouldn't consider...
    -What is your weakness and what are you doing to become better at it?
    -What event in your life are you most proud of?
    -Describe a time when you solved a problem using a solution that wasn't an obvious solution...
    -What was the hardest/worst feedback you have ever received from anyone?
    -Is there anything you would do different looking back at your time in college?

4. Be sure to prepare questions to ask them!  They always ask if you have questions so make sure you have something to say!!  This is easily done by just researching the company!  If you read over their website or just type the company name into Google you are sure to find a lot of information that you can ask about.  There's also the obvious question such as "What would my duties include?", "What kind of opportunities are there for advancement?", or "What kind of traits do you look for in an employee?".  I usually try to create a list of about 10 questions to ask.  These don't all have to be "professional" questions either... Feel free to ask about what kind of activities they have for employees, etc.  For example, I asked about the different charities they sponsor and how they get their employees involved with them.

5. And most importantly, be yourself!!! They want to see if they could handle working with you everyday... I know it's hard to not be nervous but try your best to laugh, tell jokes, and make conversation when appropriate!

I hope this helps as you prepare to become a big kid and start an "Adult" job!!!

I'm BACK!

So... I haven't blogged in a week and a half!! AHH!  I've had midterms for the past week.  They started last Friday and I just had my last one this morning!! Talk about a stressed out week!  But the great thing is its finally SPRING BREAK!!!!

I'm so excited about this week off of classes!  Not only do I need the break from school work, I also am in desperate need of a break from New York City!! I will finally get to go home (Charlotte, NC) on Saturday for 6 whole days!!! I haven't been home since Thanksgiving and I haven't been home for more than a weekend since I moved here so I am beyond excited!  I just hope 6 days is enough time to spend time and see everyone that I want to!  It's amazing how fast time can fly by sometimes!! I already have most of the week planned and I get to start it by celebrating with one of my best friends from high school for her bachelorette party!!  Soo Excited!! Tonight I actually made something for her party that I'm pretty excited about!! It was my FIRST Pinterest Craft!! Finally!! I'll be sure to show you what I created next week!!

Anyways... I don't have much else to share since my days have only consisted of studying lately but I will say that I officially have SPRING FEVER! It was 68 Degrees in NYC today!!! WHAT?? I've been listening to all my friends and family talk about how warm it is in North Carolina while I've been stuck in 30 degree weather...so it was sooo nice to finally break out my sandals and enjoy the warm sun!

I hope you all have been doing well! I've enjoyed reading everyone's blogs this past week! (It was a great break/ procrastination method from studying so thank you!!)

Also, make sure you check out Prep In Your Step!! She's had some great giveaways ALL week! Today is a cute monogrammed (who doesn't love monograms!) clipboard and some matching notecards!!  :)

Ten on Tuesday!

I realized I haven't blogged in a few days, so today I decided to link up with Roots and Rings for Ten on Tuesday!!  Here are the 10 questions she left this week!! :)

1. What did you do this weekend?

     This past weekend I visited a friend in Baltimore, MD.  It was a very relaxing weekend and it was great to spend time with my friend!  The only thing I could complain about was the horrible bus rides! I used Megabus and they were just so disorganized.  Other than that, the trip was great!

2. Do you prefer short fingernails or long fingernails?

      I prefer long nails personally, but my definition of "long" nails isn't very long!  I have a bad habit of biting my nails so they are normally very short.  If they grow past the tips of my fingers then I consider them long and love them!

3.What is your favorite use for Pinterest?

      I have to admit that I have yet to become addicted to Pinterest!  I have one and browse occasionally but have never found time to try some of the ideas posted!  But if I had to choose I would have to say I love the new food and drink recipes I've found... I just hope I can try them some day!

4.Do you sleep with your mouth open?

      Yes! It's kind of embarrassing but I can't help it! I can't breathe through my nose properly (even when I'm awake) so I always wake up with horrible dry mouth!  

5. Where did you have the best pizza you've ever eaten?

      I can't mention a specific place but I would say in NYC.  Since I've lived in the city I've had pizza at a few different places but its always amazing!!! One of my favorites is Famiglia's broccoli and chicken pizza!!! But I'd also have to say I'm a big Papa Johns fan as well so if it's pizza, then its usually good!

6. What do you eat for breakfast on weekdays?

     It depends on how much time I have in the mornings!  Tuesdays and Thursdays I have an early class so its usually grabbing a granola bar and I'm out the door.  The other days I usually don't have anything to do until the afternoon so when I wake up before noon it's usually cereal, a bagel, or occasionally some eggs and toast!

7. Do you watch award shows? Why or why not?

       Sometimes... If I happen to be at home when they are on then of course I'll tune in to see all the pretty dresses!  But if it's the CMAs or CMT Awards then I make sure to watch!! I love country music!!

8. Can you whistle? Snap? Curl your tongue? Bend down and touch you palms to the ground?

         Whistle- No, I wish.... Snap-Yes.... Curl my tongue- Yes.... Bend down and touch the ground- No...I'm not even close!! I need to become more flexible!

9. What email service do you use?

        Gmail!! I just use my old university email and it happens to be Gmail so that's what I go for!! I also have a personal Gmail account, an old AOL account, and a crappy account through Columbia but they really need to upgrade!

10. What is your favorite outdoor activity?

        I love just walking around... In undergrad, my roommate and I would just take long walks on a nice night just to ponder about life!  I miss those!! But now I love walking around Central Park, or just walking for no reason.  It's a good way to clear my head!  

I hope you all have had a great day!!!  Please pray for me as I'm taking on midterms within the next week!  Just 10 days until Spring Break!!!!

Happy National Margarita Day!!!

I know it's Ash Wednesday so it seems bad to have "National Margarita Day" on the same day, but I didn't create it, so I guess I'll just enjoy it! :)  I've never participated in Lent but this year I decided I'll give it a try!  I had a hard time coming up with something to give up since I don't drink much soda or eat fried food often anyways...but I decided I'm giving up late night eating!!! Since being in New York, grabbing a late night snack from a street cart or the market has become a bad habit! So now I will not eat after 9:30 pm... I know that's still pretty late but I have a few classes that are from 6-8:45 pm and 5pm is way too early to eat dinner so I had to give myself a little time after class to grab dinner!  Hopefully I can achieve this goal!  (My roommate decided to give up elevators! I think it's a pretty cool idea since we only live on the 5th floor so its not hard to walk up the stairs!  Good way to get some extra calories burned!)

Anyways,...I don't know about you but today has been the longest day everrrr! Time has not been on my side!! I guess I'm just really looking forward to the weekend, and whenever you're excited about something, it can never come quick enough!!

Although I slept in (entirely too late) I woke up sooo sore! I ran 2 miles yesterday and I'm not a runner so that just equals pain!  I also had a dream that I had decided to play college basketball again and went to pre-season workouts (something I definitely don't miss).  I think that just made my soreness more mentally painful!

Anyways,  I spent the entire afternoon in the library with some friends doing our homework...homework that is ridiculously hard!  Sometimes I wonder why I decided to go to graduate school!  I hope it pays off one day (and I know it will).  After completing (most of) the homework, we decided to grab a frozen margarita to celebrate this great holiday! It was a great way to recover from our brain overload at the library!

After dinner with a friend, I came home to watch Revenge! (Amazing show!!!)  Unfortunately there is no new episode tonight! Bummer!! Luckily for me, the book "Catching Fire" I ordered (not even 48 hours ago) arrived today!! So I'll get to use this time to read!!!

Last but not least, I went to brush my teeth and clumsily dropped my toothbrush in the toilet!! EEKKK! I'm just thankful my dad decided to throw in an extra one in my last care package!! ;)

Hope you all had a great dayy!!

What did you give up for Lent?!

A Lazy Day!

Happy Monday!

I know everyone usually hates Monday's but since I have no classes on Mondays, I personally love it (at least during this semester!) Anyways, I perfected the lazy day!! Last night I stayed up until about 3 am reading "The Hunger Games"...and of course I woke up thinking about "The Hunger Games" so I grabbed the book and laid in bed most of the day until I finished it...

All I have to say is: AMAZING!!!

The best part of the book is that it leaves you hanging... thankfully the series is complete so I went online and ordered the next book "Catching Fire"....so now I just have to wait 2-3 days until it's delivered and I can continue where it left off!!  It seems like too long to wait, but I guess it might be a good thing since I have midterms coming up and I should probably be preparing for those?!! (Studying ruins everything!)

Anyways, after laying around all day I decided I needed to get out for some fresh air!  Luckily, the city didn't get any snow yesterday and it wasn't too cold.  I ended up walking the 40 blocks to Trader Joes!  It was so refreshing to just get out and walk (while listening to my iPod of course)!  The funny thing was, when I got to Trader Joes, it was SO busy...and New Yorkers aren't the most polite people when they are grocery shopping! I ended up doing a lap in the store and walking right back outside!  Although the prices are a little cheaper, it just wasn't worth the madness that was inside that store!

I ended up back home just in time to make some dinner and settle in to watch The Bachelor!  (If you haven't watched tonight's episode yet, skip this paragraph! I don't want to spoil it!)  

Poor Kacie B.!!! She was by far my favorite and I thought for sure she would win!  Of course I can't stand Courtney (I don't think anyone can) and Lindzi and Nikki just seem kind of fake!  But o well... it'll be interesting to see who he ends up with! Gotta love reality TV!

So that was my lazy day! (I forgot to mention I received a package from my dad with my 3 favorite kinds of Girl Scout Cookies!! YUMMM!! Another part that made my day great!!)  I hope you all had a great start to the week!  As for me, I guess it's back to a full day of classes and studying tomorrow! O joy!

Throwback Thursday!!!

Happy Thursday!!!

I thought it would be fun to do a "Throwback Thursday!" so I found a few pictures from my Junior Year in High School!! It seems like a different life and I had no idea what I had in store for my future!  In high school I was pretty shy and quiet but I loved my friends and I still keep in touch with most of them! I was involved in a lot of activities (mainly sports) but still was never the "popular" type and I was completely fine with that! So let's go down memory lane!!!

Left to right: Me, Lauren B., Kri, Lauren W.

This was at Windy Gap!! Windy Gap is a Young Life (Christian program for high schoolers) camp!  Every year there was a weekend trip and this was the first year I actually went!  YL camps are always a blast, filled with all sorts of goofy activities and fun ways to learn about Jesus!

As I mentioned, I played many sports in high school, but basketball was my main sport! I even ended up getting a scholarship and went to play 3 years in college.  Anyways...this is a picture of my team playing in Time Warner Cable Area, where the Charlotte Bobcats play!! It was actually right after the arena was built and before the Bobcats had even played there! The only memories I have of that game is that we lost (by 2 points) and at one point my shoe came off during the game and I was put on the jumbo-tron trying to put it back on... embarrassing!!!

I'm #44

These 2 pictures are of my team...my team that won the North Carolina 4A State Championship!!!!  One of the greatest memories of my life!!  I've been on a few winning teams, but there is nothing that compares to being the State Champion! 

Junior prom.... First and foremost...This is my brother, not my date (hence the awkward pose).  Anyways...everyone is always excited about their first prom... I loved my dress but HATED my hair...I told her I just wanted a curly pony-tail but she pinned it all up... Now I suppose it doesn't look too bad but I just remember feeling so stupid! haha! I had a great night with some great girlfriends (no date!) but I remember being stressed out because of course I had an AAU basketball game the next day at 8 am!

And finally one of the best pets I ever had! My rat, Skinner! I bought him my junior year for a psychology project!! That's right, I had to teach him to go through a maze!  The funny thing was that no matter how much I tried he would never do what I wanted!  Eventually he got so big he just climbed over the walls of the maze!  Luckily, the day of my presentation, I took him to class and for the first time he went all the way through the maze in like 20 seconds! I was shocked but at least I got a 100 on the project!!!

 I hope you enjoyed traveling down my memory lane!! It's hard to believe that was about 6 years ago!

What are some of your favorite memories from your Junior year of high school??