Leah of the Pack

The end of the school year is easily the most stressful time of the year. There are group meetings to be had, presentations and speeches to be given, and endless note cards to be made. I'll be the first to admit that I lose my mind with all the stuff I have to do before the semester ends. Here are my suggestions on how to survive finals. 

With my 20th birthday happening soon (May 6th people) I thought I might make a birthday list of the things I want.

1. Two Dozen Roses: On Tumblr I always see these amazing bouquets of roses. They are so beautiful. I would be content with two dozen (a dozen for each decade I've been alive) hot pink roses. Honestly, I would be happy with any kind of flower, even a dandelion which is technically a weed, because after all it's the thought that counts..

2. Chipotle: I love Chipotle so much. We're supposed to get dressed up and go out to dinner to celebrate but I kinda wish we would just go to Chipotle. So if someone wanted to pick me up a Chiptole Chicken bowl (with lettuce, white rice, mild salsa, sour cream, and cheese + chips & salsa) along with those roses I would be the happiest girl.

3. Mascara Bouquets: When people turn 21 sometimes they get a mini shot bouquet. I would like a bouquet of different mascaras, preferably made of just Maybelline products because those are my favorite.

4. A Cake With My Own Name On It: Since I'm a triplet I have to share my birthday with two other people. It kinda sucks because you never get a whole day just about you, which sounds selfish I know. One year, my aunt got us each our own birthday cake with just our name on it and it was the best gift ever because I had never gotten my own cake before.

Honestly, I'm sure there are more things I could think of but these are the four most important things on my list. Turn up for twenty.

During your time in college it will be near impossible to make it by without being in at least one group project. While I don't mind working in groups, sometimes you get a group that just makes you lose your mind the whole semester. I've come to learn that while each group is different, for the most part each group has people that fulfill certain roles. If you can't think of the group member that could be one of these roles, chances are it's you!

The Group Leader: It takes a special kind of person to take on the task of the group leader, or project manager. This person is organized, focused and knows how to get shit done. If you are elected as group leader it also means there is a 90% chance you'll be doing the majority of the project. Be ready to do your work + all the work the slackers didn't feel like doing. Even if you're positive that your group mates will pull their own weight, trust me, this project will basically become just yours. Everything falls on you, so make sure to keep calm and wait for group member rating day so karma can do it's job.

The Slacker: There is always the slacker, the one member that just cannot for the life of them do any tasks, even the simplest ones. There is always an excuse to why something can't be done. If they do manage to accomplish something, chances are they've done it all wrong. Of all the people to be, the slacker is the absolute worst.

The One Who Always Misses Meetings: With everyone having such unique schedules, finding time for groups to meet can be very difficult but it usually works out. But there is that one person that never shows up. Despite all the reminders the skip every meeting. Maybe they were napping, or perhaps they forgot but regardless of the excuse they never show up.

The Speaker: There is so much appreciation to be had for the speaker. They are the one you can count on to nail the presentation by wowing the professor with their stellar speaking skills. Mostly likely they will do a large portion of the actual presentation but they don't mind.

The Writer: With most presentations there is a paper involved. It seems like many college students absolutely loathe writing, so when you find a group member that enjoys writing you know you've found a gem. If no writer can be found you can bet that the group leader will be in charge of putting together the paper. Oh the joys of being a leader...

The One Who Gets By: This person contributes, but just as much as needed to be considered a somewhat important group member, but not enough to be a large contributor to the success. They fly under the radar by not really suggesting ideas but for the most part doing what is assigned to them. They show up for the presentation dressed in their business casual outfits, doing a minimal talking part and then write their small section of the paper. There can be multiples of these in every group. They seem unimportant but overall they are a influential aspect of your team because they do as their told and can usually be counted on.

Not every group will be made of all these characters and in some, many have duplicated. Other groups may have types of people not mentioned here (The One Who Shows Up To The Meetings Drunk - but that's a different story). Either way they keep your college group work experience interesting.

A few hours ago I was just offered the position of Social Media Assistant for my campus' office of residence life and housing. I am so ecstatic! Duties of this job include managing social media accounts, blogging, assisting in taking photos and videos and more responsibilities that I am confident I will excel at. I had a good feeling about the interview but I was told I was the unanimous choice and the main standout candidate which makes me beyond happy. I probably smiled for an hour straight after I got the call. The best part about this internship besides getting to do the things I love to do, is that I can use it to count towards my credits for graduation which makes this position such a great opportunity! I have been so lucky job wise these past few weeks. I cannot wait to start my new position!

Tis the season to be interviewed! With summer jobs and internships looming many people are setting out on interviews- including myself! Here are some tips and things I have thought of that can help with the interview season.

1. Dress to impress: You want to be taken seriously, so it's important that you dress the part. Dress, skirt or dress pants for the ladies, and always a tie for the men! With such weird spring weather we are having choosing an outfit can be difficult. One thing to always remember- wear tights. Another thing to consider is dress for the position you are applying for. For most interviews business casual is what is expected but if you're applying for a store at the mall, dress in the style that they sell so that the interviewer can really see you in their brand, trying to sell their product. Remember the golden rule: look good, feel good, do great.

2. Don't be nervous: I know what you're thinking, easier said than done, right? But there is no real reason to be nervous, you're just talking to people, something you do every day. One thing I always tell myself before an interview if I'm feeling nervous is that I have done things scarier than this before.

3. Eye contact is key: When I'm talking to people, I always notice who makes eye contact or who looks away. Someone that can hold your gaze during a conversation always seems more engaged and confident. If you can keep eye contact during an interview is shows that you're not nervous and it sets you apart from other applicants.

4. Make a resume ahead of time: If you have to submit a resume before the interview or have to bring one with you, make sure you allow yourself plenty of time to get the task done. The last thing you want is to turn in a resume filled with silly mistakes. Be sure to have multiple people check over your work to ensure that you've got it perfect.

5.Be yourself: Don't try and change you image just so you seem to fit the company better. Be yourself and they'll love you for that!  Remember, nobody does you better than you can.

Happy interviewing!

April shower bring May flowers but April also brings along the housing lottery, which means you have to figure out your housing situation for the upcoming school year. Everyone who is re-contracts to live on campus gets sent a number, the lower the number the earlier you have to pick your housing. According to your number you also receive a set time to go and actually choose and register your housing choices. Seems like no big deal, right? Not this year. Normally you have your usually room of four that you tend to keep as roommates for your whole college career but this year we have a group of five trying to get into one of the few five bedroom apartments on campus. Freshman year we had heard about these apartments, thinking they were an urban legend of the UWGB campus, no one really talks about them and they aren't advertised. This year we have done our research to find there are only four available. All we can do before losing our mind while anxiously waiting for next Thursday to arrive is to hope that those with lower numbers than us (hello 547!) have no idea that these apartments exist.  May the odds be ever in our favor. 

Hi! I'm Leah and I'm going to be using this as a way to write about my life, mainly cheerleading experiences for the rest of my college career. I have a different blog dedicated to a different style of writing, but I wanted a place to write about my college experiences and show a more relaxed style of my writing, so Leah of The Pack was born. To start out here is a little about myself.

1. College: I am a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin- Green Bay, where I am majoring in Communication with an emphasis in Journalism and Public Relations. I love writing. Journalism has been something that has always interested me and I look forward to learning more about writing as well as broadcast journalism during my time as a student.

2. Cheerleading: I have been a cheerleader for nine wonderful years and I have learned so much more than I had ever imagined. I started on our community's rec team in sixth grade and went through our middle school and high school teams. I am currently a member of the UWGB Phoenix cheerleading team, which has been amazing because in addition to cheering for our university's basketball teams we also get to cheer for the Green Bay Packers! Also this year I am a UCA rookie staff member. I cannot wait to start my summer with UCA!

3. The Future: There are so many different things I see myself doing in the future. I think it would be so cool if I could share my passion for cheerleading through my writing by working for a cheerleading magazine such as American Cheerleader or Inside Cheerleading. Otherwise I would like to write for another publication. I also am interested in broadcast journalism. Being a TV news anchor or a talk show host would be a awesome job. Or running social media for a big organization, or working in PR for a large company, there are just so many careers I am interested in, I can't wait to see where life takes me!

Even if this blog never gets read, I am excited to write about my life because it's a great way to keep track of all the adventures that life takes me on. Thanks so much for reading.


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