Fall Break

Fall Break was this past weekend, and while most people head home for the 4-day weekend, I ended up staying back here in Philly which was actually great. The weather was absolutely perfect and my roommate and I finally got to cross a few things off our growing list of things to do downtown. It was a great time to explore the city, go to some good restaurants and not eat campus food for a change, hang out with friends and just plain old relax. I made it downtown to Center City every day of break, either to run errands, go out at night, or just take a walk. And I finally got around to going for a run by the Museum of Art, which of course included running up and down the Rocky steps! So it was nice to spend quite a bit of time downtown, but I also got to enjoy campus as well. While I love being at Penn when it's buzzing with activity, it's also nice to be on campus when it's calmer and there aren't a ton of people around. So all in all, it's been a good and much-needed break to revive me before upcoming midterms!

Things have really started picking up-- we've barely had two full weeks of classes but so much has been going on and I've kind of gotten into a routine so it actually feels like we've been here for a lot longer. One new addition to this year is that I've started working as a Spanish tutor at the Penn Tutoring Center, another one of the school's great resources. So basically, tutoring services are provided to all Penn students who want it for the majority of the really popular beginning and intermediate level classes (things like Bio, Chem, Math, Finance, Econ, etc...). There are general walk-in opportunities at the Satellite Centers, but you can also request a private weekly tutor if you want something more consistent and individual. And the best part is it's COMPLETELY FREE! So there's no reason not to check it out, and it's also nice to know that if you're having a little trouble with a class, there are support systems to help out.

In addition to working at the Tutoring Center, our club gymnastics practices have started picking up which is always fun. Some nights (actually, most nights) I go more to hang out with people than actually work out. Practices end up including anything from karaoke, cartwheel and handstand contests, running up walls, volleyball, and dance parties. It's a great stress reliever and a nice mental break from thinking about class or recruiting stuff.

First week of classes

There's a reason I said NSO and the time before classes start is one of my favorite times of the year. I went from having absolutely no academic obligations and being completely carefree to feeling extremely overwhelmed and getting caught up in this whirlwind of shopping for classes, meeting with advisors for my major, buying books, bulkpacks and other school supplies, and, although I didn't originally think it was something for me, OCR (On-Campus Recruiting, more on this later). But despite the fact that things have been a little hectic lately, it's kind of nice to have all these activities to do and ways to keep myself busy. And although I've only been to 4 of my classes, so far so good! I'm taking a nice mix of courses to finish up my majors, and a few just for fun and out of interest, like Portuguese and Contemporary African Politics.

I'm still getting used to the fact that I am officially a senior now. I ran into someone at the bookstore I hadn't seen in a while and said "Wow, so you're a senior now, huh?" and then suddenly realized that I am too! It's especially terrifying since I don't have a clue as to what I will end up doing after graduation. Which is why I decided maybe OCR wouldn't hurt, although I'm definitely keeping my options open and will apply to lots of non-OCR jobs as well. In case you don't know what OCR is (since I was abroad, I had no idea what it was until last semester), it's basically this big process where lots of banks, consulting firms, marketing companies etc... come to Penn to give presentations, host info sessions and give interviews to hire students for internships or post-grad positions. It's a time when it seems like half the campus is walking around wearing suits and stressing about whether they'll get an interview or offer from Goldman or JP Morgan or McKinsey. So basically it's the most intimidating thing ever for a small little liberal arts girl like myself. But nevertheless, I've found myself getting into it, mostly just to find out more about what job opportunities are out there. We'll see how things turn out...

Back to Penn!

Well I arrived to Penn this past Sunday and am pretty much all moved in. And by "moved in" I mean there are still half-empty boxes, clothes, suitcases, shoes, and bedding strewn around my room. I've been pretty busy helping out with ISO, International Student Orientation. It's been a lot of fun meeting all the new international and exchange students, but between training and all of my shifts during the day, there hasn't been time for much else... and unpacking was definitely what got neglected.

Even though I had a great summer and will miss my friends from home, it's great to be back and Penn again and see all my school friends. And this is probably one of my favorite times of the year-- most people are back but classes haven't started yet so everyone is carefree and able to go out and have a good time. Tonight a bunch of friends and I went down to Citizens Bank Park to see the Phillies take on the Mets. It was actually a great game since the Phillies are right behind the Mets for the division lead in the East. The game was sold out and ended up being an exciting one-run constest. And despite the fact that I am a die-hard Braves fan and wanted both teams to lose (I got quite a few comments for wearing my Braves hat), I enjoyed the game. Since I'll probably never become a Philadelphia sports fan, I'll take advantage of the other things the city has to offer!

After I got back home from Buenos Aires, I did some hard-core job hunting. But it was a little hard since I would only be around for about 7 or 8 weeks before heading back up to Philly so I figured the restaurant industry was probably my best bet. I started working at this European-style bar and coffee house near my house. I worked there a few summers ago as a hostess but decided to try serving to try to make a little more cash. This quite possibly was a big mistake. First of all, we're open from 10AM until 3AM every night, which makes for abnormally long shifts. This also makes us a hot spot for the post-clubbing crowd and things can get pretty crazy. We also happen to have the most extensive drink menu in Atlanta which the servers have to know pretty well. So basically it's a lot of hard work for not a ton of money. But it's not so terrible because the people I work with are pretty cool. Everyone helps everyone out, there's a laid-back atmosphere and we all kind of joke around together. It's a little disconcerting doing this while I'm hearing about all my friends working in DC, NY or Philly at career-related internships, but at the same time, it's kind of refreshing to do something unrelated to my field of study for once. Plus, it's been cool meeting people who are so interesting and different from the people I'm used to hanging out with. I'm not necessarily just a Penn student majoring in IR and Spanish, in fact, most people have never even heard of Penn. Unfortunately, it's also the type of job that puts a damper on my social life since I work a lot of nights and weekends, but I thoroughly enjoy my days off. I usually go out with my sister or other friends and have discovered that Atlanta has a pretty fun nightlife too!

Back to the real world

Hello all! So I just recently got back home after being in Buenos Aires, Argentina for a month working on my research project. It was very different being there compared to when I was studying abroad last fall; I was much more independent, completely on my own schedule and without a program or support group. I also wasn't with my same group of friends that I spent a lot of time there with before, since most of them were students from other US institutions. But it was still a great learning experience. I was able to get in touch with a political think tank/consulting group who let me use some of their resources and did a lot of really interesting interviews with various NGO leaders, congressmen and other politicians, and academics. I was also there for the local mayoral elections for the City of Buenos Aires which were interesting to observe. But luckily it wasn't all work and no play. BA is a great city with so many resources and things to do. I went shopping, running through the parks and rose gardens, went to movies, and went out to bars or clubs at night with friends. And I felt so lucky to even have the chance to go back so soon after very reluctantly leaving last winter.

Unfortunately, that didn't last forever, and now I'm back in Atlanta looking for a temporary job to make some money since I did such a good job of spending it the past month. I'll probably go back to waiting tables or hostessing at one of the restaurants where I've worked past summers. More updates to come!

An appetite for risk

Various student groups are always holding conferences and bringing different guests to give lectures on campus. I try to go to ones that might interest me when I can, usually for the sake of hearing what they have to say, but sometimes just for the free food-- these things tend to be hit-or-miss, sometimes I wonder where they find these people.

But today I went to a talk by Andrew Shapiro, the Senior Defense and Foreign Policy Adviser for Senator Hilary Clinton and a graduate of Penn. The talk was presented by the Fox Leadership Program at the Fels Center for Government and Public Policy (for all you aspiring IR, Political Science, Urban Studies and Diplomatic History majors, or anyone else with a related interest, definitely tap into the resources offered by this center) and it was the first time in a while that a speaker held my attention for the entire hour. Not only was he just a very down-to-earth guy with a good sense of humor, but hearing about his career path and how he got to where he is was really encouraging especially given my recent apprehensions and concerns regarding my own uncertain future (Hey Day was great fun and everything but the realization that you only have one year left in college is not at all).

Although Mr. Shapiro was always headed down a successful course, nothing was ever certain and there was no "linear path" as he put it. There was no step-by-step process, and he went through his own share of uncertain times, sleeping on a couch and doing temp work while his friends were working at fancy law firms, investment banks or consulting groups. While at Penn, he never thought he'd ever be so lucky to have the opportunity to get where he is today, but he did so by taking advantage of opportunities as they came, not by following a set of specific guidelines. Instead, he emphasized what he called an "appetite for risk" and the willingness to try out new things, even if it's not always the safest path. When asked where he saw his career headed in the future, he said he still had no idea, despite being in his late 30s. This really put things in perspective for me. After being abroad, especially in such a "tranquilo" society like Argentina's, I learned exactly what having an "appetite for risk" meant and didn't mind uncertainty so much. But sometimes being around so many career-oriented and pre-professional classmates can be a little overwhelming, so it was nice to be reminded that I am only 21 and have plenty of time to decide what I want to do. And then change my mind and decide on something else about 8 times if I want to.

Hey Day!

Basically, yet another great reason to come to Penn. Today was the last day of classes, which means it is also the day when juniors officially become seniors. Basically, there is a huge picnic for the entire junior class on Hill Field, after which everyone wearing red Hey Day tshirts, canes and foam hats, and marches around campus while the seniors throw various items such as marshmallows, streamers, mayonnaise, ketchup, flour, chocolate sauce, and I think even a dead fish was thrown last year (although you all won't have to worry about that, they've banned several items). Then, the march ends in front of College Hall where the University president, Amy Gutman gives a speech and officially declares everyone seniors. I know, it sounds a little silly, and even I myself was a little skeptical before. But there really is nothing like being a part of it and seeing your entire class all together, wearing the same thing and all excited about the same thing. And also all freak out about the fact that you now have only one more year of college left!

Working hard and playing hard

So we're in the last week of classes, right before finals, smack in the middle of crunch time. What a time to start a blog on reflections on typical Penn life. All around me, I see students half-asleep, walking around like zombies with cups of coffee and Red Bull practically permanently attached to their hands. Study lounges are packed, and don't even think of trying to get a spot in the library unless you've staked out your carol early on. But nevertheless, despite the tense atmosphere and stress all around, I try to take a step back and put things in perspective. It's almost comical how we drive ourselves crazy around this time. It's something you get used to, and something you bond with your peers about. You come together in your suffering, and when it's all over, you've never been happier. That's what it's all about-- work hard and play hard. But in the end, the positives always seem to outweigh the negatives, and in the long run, the negatives never really seem all that bad anyways.

In an attempt to mentally flee from more immediate academic obligations, I've started looking towards my summer plans. Today, I finally bought my plane ticket to go back to Buenos Aires this summer. I studied abroad there last fall and had SUCH an amazing time that well, I just had to go back! I mean, I'll be using grant money for undergraduate research through the Penn Program on Democracy, Citizenship, and Constitutionalism so technically I think I'm supposed to be doing quite a bit of work while I'm there. But again, I can sense that whole theme of "work hard and play hard"coming up again. Now that I've actually bought my ticket, the whole thing finally seems a bit more real to me. I had been feeling a little stressed about my summer plans (or lackthereof) recently since all of my friends were hearing back about exciting internships; I'd started to tell people I was going to be working on a fishing boat off the coast of Alaska or as a lion tamer at the zoo when they would ask about my summer plans. But then I found out I'd gotten this grant which was perfect-- the chance to travel and be abroad under the pretense of doing something academic and productive! No just kidding, I mean I will be doing quite a bit of work, and the topic (the participation of young people in politics, and the recent re-opening of cases of human rights violations that occurred during the military dictatorship) is very interesting and important to me, but let's just say I'm extremely glad that I will not be in a stuffy office building from 9 to 5.

It's going to be slightly nerve wracking this time around since I'm basically going completely on my own. No one will be there to pick me up at the airport, I won't have my program office to turn to if something goes wrong, I won't really know a ton of people my age (most of my friends were other American students while abroad), and I actually don't quite know where I'm going to live yet. Buuuuut those are just minor details, I'm sure everything will figure itself out in the end! I mean, a friend of mine studying abroad in Australia ended up living in a hostel for like 6 weeks. And I'm kind of excited to be there on my own and be really independent. And also maybe finish up all the shopping I didn't have the time/luggage space to do while I was there the first time... Ok, but enough about Argentina. Basically, this just goes to show that there are tons of great opportunities and resources for Penn students, and they're not always what you'd typically expect them to be! I never thought I'd be able to do something like this, especially as an undergrad. I mean, I didn't even really know what "doing research" meant until a few months ago, but I guess I'll find out! Ok, chau for now...