The College Student's Top 5

Top 5 Things a College Student Should Know

1. Learn how to survive on less than 6 hours of sleep a night.
2. Get involved in several extra-curricular activities (you will thank yourself).
3. College is all about new experiences, but don't forget who YOU are.
4. A bike ride during the middle of the night can sooth even the most tense and stressed nerves.
5. Make sure you enjoy your major, because you'll be doing for the rest of your life.

A long, long week

Most people look forward to Thanksgiving break with optimism of a closing semester and wonderful food at home with your family.  I had always looked forward to the end of another semester, but this year i realized that it can be difficult to go home for that one week of break.  With a different schedule and rules that you have grown unaccustomed to it can be quite an eye opening experience about how life differs at home compared to school.

Living at home for the last 2 years while at Blue Ridge Community College my lifestyle was still unchanged because of my college experience.  I still was ingrained in the schedule that I had enjoyed for the last 20 years.  Now this change of venue and scenery has fostered a new schedule and regime, only to be undone in a mere week.

Now, at the end of Thanksgiving break I was looking forward to coming back to my home in Blacksburg, and Foxridge, to get away from that change and to enjoy the peace and quiet of my apartment.  The plan over break was to be very productive and write a few of the papers that I had due, but with the change in schedules that did not happen, needless to say.

Is your leadership Authentic???

Some of the most authentic leaders in the worlds history can also be categorized as the most devious ones.  Adolf Hitler, Mussolini, Genghis Khan, etc...  Authentic leaders can also lead people for very positive results, such as Martin Luther King Jr. Mahatma Gandhi, Winston Churchill.

Authentic Leadership is defined as a leader being true to their beliefs throughout a process and their life.  They are "authentic" to themselves and their beliefs. That is the key, being true to yourself and your beliefs.

I am striving to be an authentic leader in my everyday life.  By being true to myself, and being honest with others about my talents and short comings.  There is nothing wrong with admitting what you cannot do.  To compensate for this I place myself around others who have strengths in the areas I am weak in.

Ideal Job

My ideal job would include working with children/youth to develop their talents and skills.  So naturally this would fall under the education realm.  After that initial decision, the field opens up drastically.  Will it be traditional education in a school?  conducting seminars?  Trainings?

By using my strengths I can better analyze which field will suit me best.  My restorative trait helps me solve peoples problems which must be, in my opinion, present in any good teacher's arsenal for dealing with students.  Arranging things to have them make sense has always been a strength of mine as well.  This will come in handy when organizing lesson plans to get the most out of my potential students.

Obviously, from reading above, I have already chosen my career field that I plan to pursue.  Because I know that I have an overwhelming passion and dedication to help develop the youth of America and know that I can make a tremendous difference in at least one life, and by doing so will bring great satisfaction.  And, isn't that what working should be all about?  Gaining satisfaction in a job well done?

Mood Changers

Do you have that one song that can turn your whole day around?  That one song that you love to hear, no matter what time, season, or what mood you are in.  Music has a funny way of affecting our attitudes and perspectives on life.

With my positive attitude I am naturally drawn to energetic and positive music, regardless of genre.  But I will admit that I also have a huge addiction to the sweet sounds of love songs and ones about the simple things in life.  Something about those tunes make me at peace with myself and can relax me at my most stressed.

Most recently it has been Tim McGraw's "Felt Good on my Lips" and Jason Aldean's "Don't You Wanna Stay". I have been able to make it through many nights of late studying with these two songs (among others) to keep me calm, cool, and collected.

Strengths Based Leadership, volume 2

Due to the fact that I messed up with the order of the last entry I will be issuing a 2nd installment of the Strengths Based Leadership Blog.

Do you want to shine?

To reach peoples full potential, they must focus on their strengths instead of their weaknesses.  Think of everyone's leadership potential as a star, with multiple points.  For each point there is a low spot also.  If you were to focus on your weak points your strengths would be diminished and that star would turn into more of a circle, or a blob.  As a leader, we need those strong points, those shining points to focus on, and let others use their strong points to complement ours.

Or be a blob?

Your strengths, as shown example to in a previous post, tend to also be the activities or items you have an interest in or leave a sense of satisfaction when you complete them.  While your weaknesses usually include the ones that you have to force yourself to do, and time never seems to fly by when completing these tasks.  To play to your strengths you are empowering yourself to complete things to the best of your ability because you are enjoying your work.  When they say that if you enjoy what you do you will not work a day in your life they are correct.

Now, you don't need to take the Clifton Strengths Finder Assessment to find out what your strengths are.  All you need to do is take some time throughout the day and write down things that give you a sense of satisfaction while doing them.  After a week of doing this everyday you should have a good list compiled.  With this list pull out your top 5 list of things that make you feel good.  These are your strengths!  Play to your strengths and you will not be disapointed with your life.

Life Decisions

With course selections just finishing up for the Spring Semester I began pondering my future here at Virginia Tech, and how long it would take me to complete my degree.  There are many contributing factors in the length of my stay here on campus.  Many of them have to do with the hours of coursework at semester and my participation in extracurriculur activities.

I believe that all facets of the college experience contribute to your overall education throughout your time spent at an institution.  These include, in class lectures, out of class assignments, extracurriculur campus activities, and off campus festivities.  These contributions must be weighed against the high cost of living expenses and tuition with each semester that passes while in school.

Now, that careful measurement must be made to see how long I can survive in Blacksburg while a student and achieve all that I have set out to achieve in my student career.  Should I take an extra semester to make sure I can fully focus on my classroom activities?  Or try to take summer classes and stay in town without being able to work full time over the summer to compensate for tuition?  All these decisions must be carefully weighed...

Relay all year!

Relay For Life at Virginia Tech isn't until April 22nd, 2011.  But that doesn't mean Relayers on campus aren't already raising funds to battle against cancer.

The Relay For Life Fall Kickoff is scheduled for Wednesday, October 27th from 5-7 pm.  This will take place outside of the Graduate Learning Center, in between the building and Squires Student Center.

At this event there will be acts from students in campus organizations, such as the capella groups(mens and womens), as well as the Virginia Tech Dance Team!!!  We will also be outlining some plans we have for the Relay season.  Free pizza will be provided by PK's and Firehouse, so no need to go eat before you come, or leave early to grab a bite.

Teams can also sign up at the event, computers will be available for teams and individuals to sign up on the www.vtrelay.org website.

I hope to see everyone outside of Squires on Wednesday evening!

The Largest Event on Virginia Tech's Campus

What is the largest non-profit event on campus every year?  The Big Event?  nope!  Try, Relay For Life!!!!!!

Over the past 2 years Relay at Virginia Tech has raised over $1 Million dollars collectively.  All of those dollars raised have allowed Tech to become the largest collegiate Relay in the World!  And, largest by far, the next closest collegiate Relay has only raised $600,000 over that same period.

This year we are going for even bigger things.  With a goal of $750,000, 750 teams, and 7,500 participants, Relay is going to take VT's campus and the Blacksburg community by storm this year!!!  All of this money will go toward cancer research to eliminate this deadly and catastrophic disease that has stricken so many people and families over the years.  Such research is being conducted right here at Virginia Tech.  Many breakthroughs like these have the ability to be found with the technology that exists today, all that is needed is the funds to pay for the research.

With the lofty goals that have been set this year so much can be done to help with the cancer research that is being performed.  But it can only happen with the help of every VT student/faculty/staff and Blacksburg resident help.  People can sign up at vtrelay.org and create and team to start fundraising!

Strengths Based Leadership

A few weeks ago I took a self-assessment of my strengths through Strengths Finder.  This assessment is run by Gallup Polls and presents you with your top 5 strengths that make you the leader you are today.  My personal top 5 include: Includer, Arranger, Restorative, Consistency, and Activator.

I love including EVERYONE!

Upon reflection of these signature strengths I have come to realize that they truly do embody who I am as a person, and how I influence others while I am participating in a leadership role.  I am truly a go getter!  When something needs to be done, I am the one to put that first step forward and get the ball rolling, this calls upon my Activator strength to accomplish this.  A few other examples include; my Includer strength always making me want to invite everyone to events and to make them feel welcome, and the Restorative strength allows me to solve problems by seeing things from an outward perspective.


Be realizing my strengths I can now feed off of that awareness and push myself to incorporate those strengths into my everyday life more.  Those top 5 strengths are going to help me become a better leader and a better person.  All I have to do is embrace them and the horizon is endless.

I Hate Midterms!!!!!

To start things off this week, I would just like to say that I HATE Midterms!!!!!!!!

Everyone has been freaking out over these little tests that can throw your grade into a tizzy.  I will go as far as to constitute that midterms are more stressful, and should not be included in a final grade.  Even more so than the final exam. 

Granted it is nice to have a halfway checkpoint during a class.  But to have anywhere from 10-20 percent of your grade be effected from this check up is simply ubsurd!

To find a solution to this problem causing college students all across America to lose countless hours of sleep this week we need to figure out why the midterm was assessed at all in the 1st place.  And since we do not have the resources here to figure out  why they were first given (although I predict that it dates back to European universities, whose rigid structure and academia would put to shame even the most intellectual universities of today's time) I propose to digress from the history lesson. 

And, to sum up my original point, those midterms are still lingering in the back of mine, and every other college student in America at this point.  How will we pass them, and what sort of impact will they have on our college career?

stress

The other week I mentioned all the activities that were piling up onto each other, and about the best way to manage all those was to prioritize based off of importance.  I'm taking my advice to heart this weekend!  I got to spend 3 lovely days at Virginia's State Fair this past week, and because of my absence from class and Blacksburg I have neglected my studies.

Me facing my task's in the face!!! 

Now it's time to play catch-up!  I finished as much of my work before I left to help serve BBQ with Block and Bridle, a club on campus, but I still have soooo much work to do it's daunting.  With a paper to write, a few quizzes to study for, and a slew of email's to respond to make for a very busy Saturday, one which I would much rather be watching college football.

Now it's time to buckle down and get the job done.  All I have to accomplish are small task's, and if I stare them in the face one at a time I'll have no trouble accomplishing them.  Just one step at a time...

Who's your leader?

In your mind, who is the most influential leader in the world?  Many might argue that President Barack Obama is, simply because of the position that he holds.  Which is what is stirring in my mind right now. 

Is he your most influential leader?

I've known many leaders who use the power of their position to its full strength, and their is nothing wrong with that.  They get a high percent of efficiency from their employees.  But, what if a leader used more than their positional strength to motivate and influence the people around, and under, them?  I'm willing to bet that the people around the 2nd person will consistently outperform the previously stated group.



Iatola Komani, the spiritual, and overall, leader of Iran not only uses his positional power, but also his leadership traits and characteristics to influence the entire country of Iran.  He mainly uses spiritual speeches and references to help guide the citizens thoughts in the direction that he wants them to go.  Now that is Inspirational Leadership!!!!


Many effective leader's names are well known because they can mix their personal leadership style and effectiveness with the positional leadership authority they possess.  President Obama is an excellent example, because he can become instant friends with people, which allows him to influence them, but he also uses his positional power when needed.  Those leaders that use both powers, as needed, are going to achieve the greatest success, and influence their priorities the most over the course of history.

hectic schedule's

The week 5 blues...  everyone gets them.  That sluggish feeling when school has just started wearing on you.  Everyone is still used to their summer routine of waking up whenever they please, moseying around most of the day, and then taking a nap right before bed.  Then week 5 of school hits, it hasn't just been a 4 week long bad dream, school, and classes are back.

Papers pile up, test after test, and the constant need to peruse Facebook and take a break all weigh on people's time.  All of these are contributing factors to the depression that hits in right around this time.  Not to mention any extra curricular activities that may throw a few hours into the mix, as well.

It takes a VERY dedicated and prioritizing individual to make sure that all the assignments, tests, and extracurriculars are kept up with and maintained at a high level.  Otherwise, all of them may suffer as a result.  That's where roommates, or close friends come into place.  They can help you stay organized, keep your priorities on the right track, and help you out when you're in a cram.

Barbara Kingsolver

Props are due to Ms. Kingsolver for writing an excellently written book, "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle"

Barbara Kingsolver's experiences with agriculture are one and the same with my own.  Never having a farm of her own before.  She is in awe of the experience she is thrust into, and loves every second of it.  I did not grow up on a farm, but have worked on several throughout my life, loving every moment, every sweat that has soaked my shirt, and every injury that occasionally comes along with the grueling life of a farmer.

Barbara specifically notes the mood and culture difference from southwestern Virginia and Arizona.  While visiting Phoenix, Arizona last January I can was opened up to a whole new culture, seemingly sprung up in the middle of a desert, surviving only because of recent human technologies, such as irrigation.  And now moving to Virginia Tech and Blacksburg in southwest Virginia I am experiencing a culture identical to what she saw.  One that is open to and friendly to its neighbors, compared to Arizona, which seems to be too busy to care about others.

Each person has their own particular desire on place to live.  Some enjoy the city life, while others love the peaceful nature of the countryside.  But each of us should still be aware of where our food comes from, and not just consume haphazardly.  This is something that needs to be addressed across the nation to better educate the citizens and to keep them aware that their actions are sometimes hurting their food supply.

Leadership??? or Management???

Would you prefer a good leader?, or a good manager?

Of course its based of what you need done, right?  But can one person effectively do both at the same time?

Leadership is defined as a process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task, by wikipedia. 


Management, defined by Wikipedia, is the acts of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives efficiently and effectively. Management comprises planning, organizing, staffing, leading or directing, and controlling an organization (a group of one or more people or entities) or effort for the purpose of accomplishing a goal.


While leadership has a more broad definition, management is very specific in the fact that it sites controlling as an option to obtain the desired results.  Those results are even defined as "common" when talking about management, they are specific to what the manager wants to achieve.  


So, while leadership is the process of influencing other to achieve a common goal.  Management is only concerned with the process of the individual goal, not how to get there, as long as it gets done. 

After a loss...

After Virginia Tech's loss to Boise State this past Monday all of Blacksburg was in dismay, including myself.  Watching the game on a friend's porch I hung my head during the last 30 seconds when Boise was able to take a knee and run out the clock. 

This game was supposed to be the beginning of Virginia Tech's National Title Run.  Being ranked 10th overall in the beginning of the season and their strength of schedule this was going to be their year(should they win all their games) to make it to the National Championship Game in Arizona, and win it this time!  Until our loss to Boise State Monday night...

Now we must move on, focus on JMU this Saturday, and ECU the saturday after that.  All while hoping that the college football gods shine on us and give us another chance by having a few teams ahead of us lose.  Who knows? We might even get a rematch against Boise in the NC come January...

Just as I was settling down into my new college experience, getting accustomed to this new campus lifestyle, I have been thrown a curveball by the big man upstairs.  Classes were going extremely well, with very little amount of a hangover from stepping up from a 2-year school to a 4-year institution.  Then it hit me, my grandmother is in very critical condition and likely won't make it past this weekend...

My memories of my grandmother are from when she was in her late 70's and still working on her farm by herself.  My grandfather died when I was 4 in a tractor accident and Grandmomma worked the farm for the next 5 years, all on her own.  Her farm is in Culpeper, Virginia, just outside the town of Culpeper.  I always have remembered my grandmother as a very strong woman, still doing farm and yard work until she was diagnosed with Alzheimers Disease, at the age of 86. 

Shortly after she was diagnosed we had her moved into an assisted living facility to better suit her needs.  This was a major emotional rollercoaster in my life because of the shock that I experienced when my eye's were finally opened to the condition she was in and knowing that she would never be the same strong individual that I had known my entire life. 

Now this shock has been taken to the extreme.  Knowing that in a few short days, likely, she will no longer be with us.  This brings into retrospect everything that I have experienced over the past few months, weeks, and days.  Life had been going on steadily and progressively, with highs and lows, goods and bads.  Then you realize that there are just some things you can't control and you just have to react to.  Like the loss of a loved one.

How we react really defines our outlook on life, and the way in which we view the world.  This view can be changed by by events in our life, but it is our overall attitude in life that can sway the outlook one way or another.  There's no way of knowing how I will react when the official word is given.  I can only hope that my attitude on life can help me stay consistent, as I always have.

Time to reflect, and time to move on...

I absolutely LOVE running!  I run by myself, with my headphones on, so as not to get out of my "zone" that I enter when I step out of my apartment.  The music selection is anywhere from "I Made It" by Kevin Rudolf, to "Cinderella Man" by Eminem.  Really, anything with an uptempo beat that I can keep pace to I enjoy. 

I get lost in the music, as it slowly moves to background music, and my mind travels to other items in my head.  These include: daily happenings, remembering people I met throughout the past day/week, and most recently grasping the eye opening summer I just completed. 

This summer I had an excellent opportunity to view into my possible future as an Extension Agent by serving as a paid intern in the Rockingham County Extension Office.  Since the actual 4-H agent was out of the office most of the summer I was thrust into his position, luckily with a little bit of help from an AMAZING admin. asst.  Throughout the summer I was immersed into this world of Extension, conducting meetings, planning and running day camps for 4-Her's, and dealing with the many, many hoops that must be jumped through while working for the state.  I also had an excellent experience at Smith Mountain Lake 4-H Camp as an Adult Leader, I had been to camp as a young 4-Her, but had no idea the impact that this camp can have on the kids that attend, or the young adults that help lead the kids throughout the week.

My internship was truely an eye-opening experience, in which I will pull life, and classroom, lesson's from throughout my college career, and beyond.  I have reaffirmed my passion and dedication for working with youth, either in 4-H or FFA programs.  Every evening, when I run, I have slowly been digesting the summer, one week at a time, and have gathered all those fond memories and experiences together to pull from whenever needed in the future.