Five Things You’ll Forget to Bring for Fall Semester
Let’s be honest: on Day 2 of the fall semester, you’ll wake up in your half-made bed and curse yourself for not having the forethought to bring a water bottle. As your parched throat cries out for water, you’ll suddenly realize that the only option in these COVID times is the shower. We’ve all been there! Last year, when I forgot to bring dish soap, I was in denial that the bathroom hand soap was NOT an adequate substitute for all of my cleaning needs. Not to worry, I have compiled a list of things that, over the past three years, I routinely forget to bring with me to college. Hopefully, this will help you prepare for this coming fall semester. Enjoy!
Frisbee (or other lawn gear)
Sometimes on a warm fall day, you’ll find yourself looking out at the expanses of lawn and wonder, “Wow, I wish I had something to do out there.” Every fall, the frisbee team likes to take over and in the spring there are always some freshman guys that play catch or Spike Ball on the North lawn. Do yourself a favor and find a way to enjoy these beautiful open areas: bring a book, bring a hammock, bring a chair – SOMETHING.
(more…)Leadership Expectations Have Changed
Organizations that survived the pandemic had to address and meet new expectations amongst their employees; for example many wish to maintain the ability to work from anywhere, communicate digitally, address social change, and remain innovative. The companies who continued to thrive during COVID often already had cultures of resiliency and innovation which they were, quite simply, able to put to work.
In a recent study done by the AACSB, the results echoed this, [efn_note]https://www.aacsb.edu/insights/2021/january/resetting-the-leadership-agenda-post-covid-19[/efn_note]
“Respondents believe leadership skills such as openness, empathy, resilience, and the ability to communicate will be of greater importance post-crisis. Pre-pandemic,13 percent would have pointed to resilience as a necessary leadership skill; post-pandemic, that number increases to 34 percent. Other front-runner competencies that will help leaders navigate the new normal are core humane skills such as altruism and mindfulness, according to respondents.”
(more…)Data is big news. Consider a Master in Data Science
Data is big news. From headlines that scream ‘Solar Energy Shines Brighter with Data Analysis’ and ‘How Can Big Data Analysis Help Professionals in the Music Industry,’ it’s no wonder that professionals across industries seek data science educational opportunities.
Middle managers and young professionals charting their career path have always had to maintain an attitude of lifetime learning to bolster their promotability; there’s probably never been a more accurate statement to describe career advancement in 2021. One article, published in the UK, states, “Data is the new oil in terms of driving business competitiveness and innovation. As organizations increasingly rely on information from data for their decision making, the role of the data scientist will become ever more important.” [efn_note]https://www.fenews.co.uk/featured-article/69792-fast-track-your-career-by-upskilling-to-data-science-and-data-engineering.[/efn_note]
If you are a mid-level executive or young professional working in operations, finance, IT, and even in human resources, using data to assist you in decision-making is necessary. The industry you are in can push your decision even further.
(more…)Lessons I’m Glad I Now Know
As I set down the book of my Juniata Experience, I reflect on the many lessons I gleaned over my four years at Juniata College. From graduating with an individualized Program of Emphasis to coming to terms with being a student-athlete throughout COVID-19, here are some lessons I’ve learned at JC.
Don’t fret about what comes next. Even during my first year, there were students who had clear plans about what they wanted to do after graduation – going to law school, medical school, teaching or more. By my junior and senior year even more of my peers had plans set in stone. I was different. Sitting at my desk for hours each week brainstorming ideas, I still didn’t feel that same drive to commit to some idea of who I want to be that I wasn’t fully on board with. It wasn’t until my last semester of college that same drive to decide finally came. It’s okay not to know what awaits you after Juniata, but once something motivating jumps out, make sure to grab on to that next adventure and hold on tight!
Motivation can come from anywhere. This lesson I learned from the journey leading up to my next adventure after college. I’ve vacationed outside the US before, but never lived elsewhere for an extended period of time. When COVID-19 crushed my opportunity to study Communications abroad in Germany in Summer 2020, I felt even more motivated to travel overseas. I briefly held out hope that a reprieve would come in the form of a trip to Brazil for my men’s volleyball team to play in a preseason tournament my final semester. Not surprisingly, even that was postponed. In the winter when I was given the chance to continue both my academic and athletic career by getting a Master’s Degree in England, I immediately jumped on the opportunity. Although the decision was my own, the opportunity given to me came thanks to the complete higher education experience that I underwent at Juniata. And, the motivation driving my leap of faith to move overseas to earn an MA was thanks to the strong encouragement to study abroad and opportunities for travel at Juniata that I was sad to have missed.
Live in the moment was the most important lesson I learned from Juniata. When people told me freshman year that four years will pass in the blink of an eye, I had no idea what they meant. It wasn’t possible then for me to see that one day soon, I would be walking across the stage to pick up my diploma, saying so long to the halls of BAC and having an especially sentimental final meal at Baker. It’s sad when the chapter titled ‘College’ in the book of our lives closes but part of living in my new present means living with our connection to Juniata.
As an alumni I expect to stay connected with both the lessons learned and people met through my alma mater. And when it’s your turn to leave the nest, I hope you don’t forget your eagle family either.
