Taking Criticism

I'm studying multimedia, so a big part of my education is through constructive criticism. At times, it can be rough. There are some professors who will take your work and rip it apart bit by bit, piece by piece, until you feel like your very soul has been trampled upon in the form of your hard work and dedication. Really. It gets hard sometimes. The only thing you can do is grin and bear it, though. A lot of the time, you aren't even allowed to defend yourself.

The thing to realize, regardless of how heartless the delivery, the intention is to teach. The process is sometimes very trying. You get the "nicer" profs now and then, but really...sometimes you just want to go hide away in a lonely dark place and cry. It comes with the trade.

You need a thick skin and a sense of humor. Professional criticism is something I've adjusted to. Sometimes when your work is getting ripped apart, you need to be able to find the humor. I'm sitting in an especially harsh Digital Photography critique as I type this, and I'm struck by the change in the students around me. Many of my classmates have never had formal critiques before. In the seven and a half weeks we've been together, there's been massive growth. People talk now. They joke. They laugh. They don't take things personally.

This is something everyone should be equipped with, not just us artists. Sometimes, when life hands you some trial, whether it's criticism or even a personal struggle, a sense of humor and an ability to take a few blows is the best adaptation you can have.

Coming from someone who gets grades for having grace under fire, this really can make all the difference. Humor can be a wonderful coping mechanism, or can be the thing that turns you into a "duck" as my boyfriend would say. (It just rolls right off your back, like water.) So, as I sit here listening to photographs getting ripped to shreds by a very talented but very ruthless professor, I'm reminded of this.

Smile. Nod. And learn. That's sometimes all you can outwardly do.

Disappointment CAN Teach Lessons

Next Tuesday is the Rall Symposium here at North Central College. It is the honors and independent research event that is put on here every year. Earlier in the academic year, I'd been avidly working to get a grant to do personal research. I'd have travelled around the country meeting the leaders of the agriculture in social media movement. The farmers I would have gone to visit are all actually now heavily involved in a not-for-profit organization known as the AgChat Foundation. I didn't know about the Foundation at the time of my early research and proposal, as it was on lock-down until the Foundation's official launch.

Personal life caught up with me. Or maybe just life in general. My first attempt at getting the grant was rejected, and I had to face the reality that I have too many irons in the fire. I needed to focus on me, my health, and surviving college with decent grades. I mean, internships, classes, and my other job(s) are hard enough to balance. I had no right to try and pursue this great opportunity when my GPA is the lowest it's ever been!

If the research plans had worked out, I'd be presenting at next year's Symposium.

Working in the school's Marketing and Communications Department, I've been heavily-involved in a lot of the Rall Symposium prep work. I've been so busy lately that I didn't get to stop and realize how bittersweet it is. I'm sure at this point in my life I couldn't have handled the project, but it's also a bit disappointing that on the 3rd Tuesday of May 2011, I won't be giving my presentation.

Things could be worse. I could be losing my mind right now over a project that I just didn't have the time, resources, and focus for. I could have let down some great people by getting in too deep and messing up what would have been a well-intentioned project.

There's a lesson here. You can't have everything. You can't please everyone. You should never give up on your dreams, but you should be able to sort them into importance. The research trip? It would have been a wonderful opportunity. I've gotten to know the people I was going to be working alongside in my travels, and they're all wonderful people. If I hadn't had the dedication to approach them and talk to them about this project, I probably wouldn't know them as well as I do now, and I'd be missing out. Someday, I might go visit them without having the excuse (or distraction) of a research grant.

Overall, I think the rejection of my project was a blessing in disguise. In the months following the rejection, I've definitely come to terms with the fact that a steady job, and internship, freelance work, and classes are enough to keep anyone busy (even someone who jokes that sleep is for the weak). I don't think I necessarily "lost" any great opportunity anymore. I was just handed opportunities in different forms.

So, am I a little disappointed to sit here coding HTML about an event that I dreamt about partaking in? A little. More than anything, though, I'm grateful. I've learned a lot about my personal boundaries as far as stress and time-management, and I might have never seen that clearly. Besides, there's time for me to do work and research for the rest of my life. I don't need to stack all of it on in my four short years here in college.

It's About Choices

Things have been rocky lately, to say the least. Yet, I'm lucky enough to have people that help me bounce back (or try to) when the road gets a little rough. This time in life is meant for learning lessons. Granted, we spend our whole lives learning, but what we figure out (or don't figure out) now will ultimately influence where our careers start and how they grow.

During a conversation today, a wise man who I'm starting to consider a pretty good friend said, "Kelly, it's about choices." A lot of our conversations have stuck in my mind lately for many reasons, but this line stands out especially.

In four words, he got a message across that has been trying to get through my thick skull for years.

Choose. Prioritize. What matters most? Your health should come first, even if today's corporate world seems a bit too fast for that. And by health, I don't mean avoiding colds. I mean cultivating healthy habits, relationships, and outlooks.

If I had a dime for every all-nighter I've pulled because of procrastination or panic, I'd be on my way to getting my car paid off. After those stressful late nights and caffeine-induced crazes, I always felt drained, exhausted. Was it a smart thing to do? At times it was the only thing I could do. I'm sure many of them were unnecessary, though. I was dumb enough to make that choice, though.

Now, I sit nearing the end of an incredibly stressful week. Some of it, I couldn't avoid. A lot of it was self-inflicted, and unnecessary. This stage of life is going to be stressful, if you do it right. You make so many choices in early adulthood. Some of them are dumb. Some of them require careful establishment of your priorities. A lot of the time, your choices influence you a lot more than you'd think.

So, I leave you with the same advice I got earlier today, during a pretty serious conversation. It's about choices.

Death of the Unpaid Intern

Jobs aren't necessarily easy to find these days. Sure, if you're looking to break into a booming industry, there may be plenty of entry-level positions to be filled. One of the best ways to improve your chances of getting a job is through internships.

Previously, many interns fought tooth-and-nail to get the experience and prestige that comes with high-stakes corporate internships. If you haven't seen"The Pursuit of Happyness" I suggest you see it; it's a great movie, but also offers a good example of the vicious competition that comes with high-level, high-stakes internships. These unpaid experiences may be valuable, but to the companies hosting them, they're becoming risky.

The Department of Labor is cracking down, according to Inc.'s online magazine. Come to find out, the majority of these unpaid internships are actually illegal. There are laws in place to maintain a minimum wage for anyone, and the most of these unpaid internship positions directly conflict with those laws.

For years, companies have been feasting upon the necessity for one-of-a-kind experiences. They found that the youthful thirst of prospective interns outweighed the need for income. That era seems to be coming to an end. More and more, these young interns are wising up about the law. Lawsuits, both personal and public, have become fairly standard following or during unpaid internships.

Some unpaid positions are, in fact, legally unpaid. That's a rarity, though. So, as you and I head out to start our careers, we need to be skeptical. We need to understand our rights as employees, interns, and working citizens. Some short-term internships are worth not being paid; however, be sure you defend your rights.

Bite the Bullet

No internship is created equal. No learning experience, no job, no endeavor will ever bring the same amount of satisfaction or education.

There's no such thing as a perfect internship, but there definitely are experiences that may be "less-perfect" than others.

My "at home" job, the one I'm so in love with...well, it's one of the closer-to-perfect ones. I love the work I do, and I'm trusted enough to be given hefty tasks without overt baby-sitting. Other experiences, though, have not been so good.

I've held down jobs where menial tasks involved hand-holding and babysitting. I could have shown my worth a million times over, but the title "intern" or "student worker" automatically dictated a need for constant supervision. Micromanaging is not the way, people!

However, as the intern, as the "lesser experienced" student of the world, it's your job to shut up and learn. Sure, there are instances where enough is enough. Of course there are times when the practices are so incredibly wrong that you have every right to complain or report. The plain and simple fact is, though, that a lot of the time, interns and student workers are brought on to do the work that "real" employees don't have time for.

Let's face it, not every position we get is about our learning experience. Many times, it'll be about the company or organization's productivity. Cheap labor can get things done.

So, hang in there. I was once told that "Today's interns are tomorrow's CEO's." If that's true, then aren't those awful experiences worth it? I think I can handle some micromanaging and coffee-fetching if it means I'll be the one running the company someday.

Bite the bullet, swallow a bit of ego, and step into your future. Sometimes, the worst jobs bring the best opportunities.

The Healthy Intern

I didn't go to class, or work, today. Why? Because I woke up feeling like death. Couching, hacking, sneezing...not to mention, chills, fever, etc.

When you're in this stage of your life, it's easy to get sick. Stress and close proximity to others make the spread of illness easier. Cold and flu season is generally one on-going epidemic for most college campuses. I seem to have fallen victim!

Well, there are some tricks to getting yourself up and running again in a pinch. Even though I missed classes today, I still have an obligation this evening that I CANNOT miss. So, I turned to some oldies-but-goodies as far as flu/cold remedies:

1. Soup. Soups are soothing on the throat, but can also contain protein and antioxidants that your body needs to stay strong. Chicken soup is a favorite stand-by, but just about any broth-type soup will do. The broth also helps to clear the throat some. Avoid cream-based soups, though, as these can make coughing worse (in my experience.)
2. Fruit Juice. Generally orange or grapefruit juice is the best, although cranberry can be useful too. Don't chug this stuff, though; you only need to drink enough to get about 100% of your daily Vitamin C intake. One 12 oz. bottle of Tropicana oranga-strawberry-banana juice has 120%. It's not hard to get your daily value of C. However, don't try to overdose yourself on Vitamin C in hopes of flushing the sickness; taking too much of it can actually inhibit your body's ability to absorb it.
3. Vicks Vapor Rub. This stuff works miracles. A few dabs under the nose help fight congestion within minutes! Overnight, putting it on the throat, chest, and under the nose can help guarantee a slightly less...gross...coughy...icky...wake-up the next day. Also, if you need some heavy-hitting help, you can use a bit of a steam treatment with this stuff. Put a dollop of the Vapor Rub into steaming-hot water (in a bowl). Hold your face over the bowl, and put a towel over your head. This creates a sort of home-made steam chamber. You breathe in the steam, and with the mentholated Vapor Rub added, it's a great way to minimize head and chest congestion.
4. Sleep. College kids and busy interns tend to go between extremes in the amount they get. Either they get way too much, or not enough. Well, when you're sick, there's no such thing as too much sleep. I had three naps today, punctuated by eating, drinking orange juice, and talking on the phone with my ma about a financial aid error.
5. If problems persist...see a doctor. Most colleges have clinics where there are nurses/doctors on staff for students. If that's not an option, check out walk-in clinics in your area. Here. we have the Central DuPage Hospital's "Convenient Care" Clinics. They're fabulous. They have a full testing facility right there. They can even do x-rays. They helped me kick walking pneumonia last term.

This time of your life is stressful and busy. This time of year is swamped with bugs and viruses and flus and colds and a wide variety of other microbic culprits. Those two facts together means you're at risk. Stay health, keep on top of your sleep, and good luck!

Keeping a Positive Perspective

To put it simply, I'm hanging on for dear life. Even after trimming down to one campus job, I feel like there aren't enough hours in the day. That's alright, though; I feel productive. In fact, despite a lot of turbulence in my personal life, I feel more on top of my career now than I ever have.

Now more than ever, I know the value of counting blessings.

I've been incredibly lucky as far as my early career goes. I've had an incredibly successful internship which is now a seasonal job; I'm in the midst of my second internship, which seems to be going well thus far. For a sophomore in college, that's pretty great.

Sometimes, when things get too busy or two hectic or just too hard, looking on the bright side is the only real option to keep you moving. So, when you get to that place where you think that there's never enough time, enough patience, enough energy, or enough talent, take a breath.

Think of what's going RIGHT.

Chances are, if you're busy, it means someone thinks you're worthwhile enough to demand your time.

If you're stretched out, it's because you're reliable enough to be valuable to more than one person or organization.

It can be hard. It can be VERY hard. However, it's part of this crazy stage of life, this transitionary period where you're learning how to grow from student to professional, from teenager to adult.

Hang in there. Look on the bright side. Don't give up. And don't be ashamed to feel a little fear.

A Full Intern is a Happy Intern

There's one dilemma that most "young professionals" face: food. Whether you're trying to survive on cafeteria fare and dorm room cooking, or you're struggling to keep yourself nourished on an unpaid internship, living in some apartment in the city, food can be an issue. Never fear, I've compiled a list of thrifty, tasty ideas. These "dishes" are a combination of my own ideas, suggestions from others in similar situations, and some creative searching.

Pouched/Canned Proteins

If you're completely against preservatives, pass on this section. If you're willing to deal with them for the sake of eating, stick around. Just about anything comes in a pouch or can anymore, although the most common ones are chicken and fish. They're also the most versatile. You can use them to make complete meals, or add them to your favorite microwavable goods to mix things up.

I love salmon in a pouch. Granted, it's no 5-star fillet, but some lemon juice and pepper can make it taste pretty snazzy.

Chicken, usually in a can, can be added to things like Bowl Appetit and Easy Mac dishes for a source of protein. Fish can be, too, but I'm picky and I think chicken goes better with this stuff. Yeah.

Also, BACON comes in a pouch now. I don't mean, like, tofu-shaped-and-seasoned-and-colored like bacon. I mean BACON. Pre-cooked bacon. It has to be refrigerated, yeah, but it's a fairly cheap (and convenient) way to add AWESOMENESS to your dish. (I'm a bacon-lover...I'm sorry if you're a vegetarian. Please don't be offended by my love of eating animals.)

Soups

I love Ramen noodles with a passion...they're actually my biggest comfort food. HOWEVER, if you have a little more wiggle room, I'd suggest "real soup." Soup is great because a little can go a long way; for most people, soup increases feelings of fullness where other foods may fall flat. It's because of the combination of liquid and solid. I really, really, really like Campbell's Select Harvest soups. Obviously, there's plenty of variety here.

Cans of soup are cheapest, but the microwavable bowls are pretty handy. I spend a lot of time eating my lunch at my desk (at both of my office jobs) and those are ideal. All I need to remember of my own is a spoon.

Hot Cereals

Buying in bulk is an option for these guys. I love Quaker's giant tubular oatmeal containers. If you want the cheapest option, buy big bags/boxes/tubes/whatever. If you want quick convenience, there's those little individual-serving pouches. Either way, the "just add water" prep methods for most hot cereals make them idea for fast-paced life. They're cheap, and very customizable. Fruit, raisins, CRAISINS (yum), nuts, brown sugar, honey, syrup...yeah, you can add whatever the heck you want to to these hot cereals. Mmmmm!

Obviously, this is just the tip of the ice berg. Duh. Food is full of millions of untapped options and ideas. The best idea? Just play around. Invent your own delicious dorm room delicacies. Fry up some cheap, intern-friendly inventions. Regardless of what your taste is (unless you're just snobby, but we all know you aren't, right?) there's plenty of inexpensive, flexible, tasty ideas for you to develop and pursue!

First things first...

I'm Kelly. Or, as I'm known at my current job, "Kelly the Intern." We actually have customers who know me as Kelly the Intern. I've been talked about in blogs and podcasts as Kelly the Intern. The longer I work at building some career experience, the more I realize that being Kelly the Intern is actually a pretty huge part of me.

Of course, being in my field, writing a blog about it seemed fairly natural.

I'm an interactive media studies major. That means...well, it's hard to explain. It pretty much means, right now, I'm a jack of all trades as far as creative marketing goes. I do video, print documents, some web editing, design, writing, and a bundle of other random tasks. I do the things that people appreciate, but don't always realize actually need to be DONE. Unfortunately, at this state in my career, I'm okay at doing all of those things, but not overtly skilled at any. Oh, and I'm also minoring in English, because a designer who can write the document they're drafting a layout for is a pretty valuable thing.

I'm at a crossroads. I have to start thinking about what I'm going to specialize in. This is scary and weird and not so warm-and-fuzzy when you think about it.

So, enter this blog. It's going to be my sounding board. I'll introduce you to my escapades as a college student, an intern, a woman, and a member of society.

And if you're curious about the name, "Cheap Pizza" is in reverence to the food that's kept me alive through the first year and a half of college. If it weren't for great deals from Little Ceasar's and Domino's, I would have starved to death in my first semester.

I hope you enjoy a view from the eyes of an uncertain, relatively-poor, and professionally-developing college student.