Ode to a sister blog (DRAW)

One of the 'sister' blogs deserves a little bit of attention.

The DRAW blog (drive, ride, and walk) portfolio exchange group has been getting together over the past 8 weeks.

Why should you check it out? Well, one because the blog is relevant to the issues facing our age group (17 to 22) and secondly, because the point of the group was to use the experiences of that age group. This means that real live, bona-fide college students have been brain-storming, discussing, and using their reservoir of knowledge to try and figure out how to best reach ... you! Give it a whirl, go on now.

End of Summer

The Summer is ending. Okay, okay, don't worry quite yet... more like it is half-way over. Which means that thoughts of school and future may be creeping into your head.

What goals do you have for the future? Are you excited, nervous, apprehensive? My, but how excited you should be. I mean, really, look in the mirror (DO IT). How much have you changed in the last year? Two years? You are one of the lucky ones. You get to hear a gamet of ideas, opinions, future options-- you get to learn, and meet people you never normally would, and be in control of your life! Anything could happen. How open are you to the newness, to change?

What things will you let affect you? It could be anything-- something narsty like a DUI, or something fabulous like meeting the love of your life in Calculus class. Be open, be open, be open, and you could transform into anything.

So as you enjoy the last lingering rays of Summer, be aware of what is coming, and be prepared to change even more.

How to become a hero

A big part of this blog is about everyday heroes (thus the name of the blog). We have talked a lot about how to find a hero in our surroundings or in the most unlikely places. We have talked about how heroes can be just average people, working hard and following their dreams. However, we have not talked a lot about how you can become a hero.

It may seem like the obvious answer, but volunteering your time is a perfect way to reach ten cent hero status. Maybe even 25 cent hero status if you're lucky...

"Yeah, I would like to volunteer but ...."

"I have no time."

Oh really? Make time to give back. Just one hour a week can make a huge difference in both your life and the lives of those you serve. According to Mayo Clinic, friendships can stave off mental illness, help you share the burdens of life, encourage you to change bad habits, and reduce stress. The friendships you can form while volunteering have the potential of being deeper and more genuine because of the mutual interest. Also, you are becoming a friend to someone who needs these same benefits. Sounds like a pretty good reason to give up your weekly television viewing of 'The Bachelorette' or 'Monster Trucks Crushing Each Other XIII.'

"Yeah, but what is in it for me?"

Selfish, selfish you. However, it is a legitimate question we all might think, even if no one asks it out loud. Volunteering can benefit you too! Graduate schools and employers like to see people who care. That 4.0000 GPA is fantastic, but if you have been holed up your whole college career without making an effort to contribute-- you may be missing out on a new interest, new contacts, and experiences that will shape you.

"I don't know where to start."

Start with what you care about! Want to be a doctor or nurse? Start out in a hospital or clinic. Love spending time with your nephews? Maybe try reading to a group of underprivileged children. Volunteering should be fun and fulfilling. It is a chance to do something you love to do. Most organizations, companies, and groups welcome volunteers with open arms. Just calling or shooting out an email to a member will most likely lead you to a volunteer position. Similarly, many colleges have lists of organizations that take on volunteers.

It may be a crazy life, but taking the time to give back to your community is one of the best things you can do with that life. How often do you get to actively become a hero, after all?

Summer en Italia?

I am addicted to Summer. No really, it is my drug of choice. No matter what I am doing, I longingly look outside. The breeze, the pool, the sun, fireworks... I love it.

Now, there are productive, good practical things to do with your Summer. Finding a job so you can get some extra mula (to pay for that pool pass!) Internships, to figure out if you could be joyful. Summer study abroad sessions, that trip to Italy or France.

My advice? Study abroad. Do it. Nothing, and I repeat, nothing screams 'I am culturally competent and could work with a variety of people groups' than a study abroad session (during the semester or Summer). Add learning another language to the table, and you are so much more employable. When people travel, their world expands. What may have been important to you two weeks before going abroad (ahem, that boy that didn't call you back?) seems minuscule in comparison to how big that world really is.

So, while I am all about lazing it out at the pool-- you do have a chance you might not have again!

Expand your horizons ladies and gents, I promise it will pay off in more ways than you could imagine.

Figuring it out.

Figuring it out.

It sounds relatively simple, like a math equation or following the map to get to a destination.

However, in the words of young rock star Disney sensation Miley, 'It's the climb.'

We make the equation. We create the map.

Figuring it out-- who we are, what we believe, what we will stand for and aim for in this life. Priorities, careers, a love or two along the way.

At what point is what you stand for your own? This is it. Question and experience and wonder and become someone that you are proud of.

One way to do this is to maybe look at a few other road-maps. Who are people that you admire and want to emulate? It could be Paul Farmer, if you nerd out about public health like I do, or it could be that CA in your physics class who makes energy and force the most exciting thing ever. If that person you admire is physically around you, you are lucky! Talk to them, figure out what path they took in life-- did they study abroad? Take a class that changed them? Work in a hospital, school, or zoo? Maybe from taking that professor out for coffee or sidling up the courage to talk to someone in a field you might be interested-- you can borrow a couple of routes for your own life-map.

Paying for More than just Classes

April is Alcohol Awareness Month.

Who you talk to in college will greatly change the view of how alcohol is used on a particular campus. The fact is though, that drinking happens on most college campuses. Take a look at the link below and the sidebar information, think about yourself and your friends, and evaluate the alcohol risks in your life.

How Alcohol Affects Us

Turning TwentyTen

The Common Dime

HERO

A dime isn't worth a whole lot, and to be honest I probably wouldn't turn around to pick one up if dropped on a busy street corner. But even though the dime is common, it is valuable if you have enough of them. Dimes into dollars could buy a pair of jeans, a new car, or even a private island.

Collecting snippets of information from classes we may or may not want to take, jobs we love or do not enjoy, or experiences that were awesome or a huge letdown is like collecting dimes. At the time each piece of information or experience may not seem important, but put all those moments together and you have something invaluable.

Turning TwentyTen

Fear

Fear has become a lingering reminder of what will happen to every senior as the months dwindle. While we all knew eventually we would leave here, and even at times looked forward to it, the reality has become stable and solid before our eyes; no longer ethereal and fluid. As of May, we will all be homeless instantly. We will all be jobless in seconds. We will all be on our own directly. It is no longer a hypothetical 'future' that drives us forward. It is a reality. We are being sent out, armed with a car packed full of possessions, with no assurance of where we will live or that we will even be able to earn the fuel to keep us going. We are on our own with only the basic knowledge of how the world works and the worn maps of our parents. We are afraid, but the key is already in the ignition and our trembling hands are on the wheel.

The CopperHare

Junior Year

Fun is something juniors in college are ready to experience. After surviving our freshman year and buckling down to work during our sophomore year we are now starting to have time for ourselves. Of course, we're worrying about finding an internship over the summer, but now is the time to enjoy our friends and get involved. With only one year left, the future is starting to become clearer. We are joining clubs because they look good on our resumes and because networking is so important. We are taking our core classes, finally getting into what we want to learn about. We know how to study and stay healthy; we are almost independent adults. We have to take the time now to enjoy our lives because the next five years or so will be the reality of being grown up. After all, the friends we make in college will be the friends we have the the rest of our lives.

MonaLisa

Freedom

We had just begun our lives without the watchful gaze of our parents and caregivers. We burst onto the college scene and made the most of the opportunities for mischief. Staying up late at night, sleeping in late, and doing what we wanted to do. No one at home was getting notifications about our grades and they couldn't check to see if we were working hard at school.

For many of us this became a problem. We hadn't yet matured enough to take responsibility for ourselves. Our grades slipped, however, no one was there to tell us that wasn't okay. Many discovered alcohol and the distractions continued to pile up. The freedoms we had just been given were abused.

Grades came, we started to pump our brakes and look back on the previous semester. Maybe we should have concentrated on school more. Maybe we shouldn't have kept our foot pressed to the floor on the gas pedal. We started to realize that maybe freedom comes with responsibility. We started to grow up and have begun to take the wheel of life.

The LumberJack

Digitally Distracted

Have you ever been in class, listening to the lecture, when you get distracted by a person surfing the internet? First they are on Facebook, playing Farmville, then they are watching a YouTube video. Recently, this type of situation has become more common. Professors have noticed that this is a distraction for the students who use laptops and those that do not. Some professors have decided that they need to remove this distraction from their lecture halls. However, it may be difficult or it may not be desirable to ban laptops, phones, and iPods. While technology may detract from class attentiveness in some areas of study, in other areas technology is used to enhance learning and generate discussion. If a student doesn't want to pay attention in class they probably won't, with or without technology.

Do you bring your laptop to class? Are you able to resist internet distractions? 

Read more about this topic: The Washington Post

How much is that in World of Warcraft?

For the amount you're going to spend on college you could buy a car, put a down payment on a house, and still have enough to buy furniture. But, instead, you decided or are at least considering college. Why?

Your parents would tell you it's to get an education; the 'be all you can be' approach. Your teachers would tell you it's to get a better job; after all, college educated people earn an average of a million more dollars over their lifetimes. Your friends would tell you it's for the experience; tailgating, dating, meeting new people, and living your life. But, why would anyone really spend that much money?

Because being better is priceless. You can't measure the amount of information you'll gain from paying bills to showing up to class. There is no dollar equivalent to understanding yourself better than you thought possible. No one can assign a value to meeting the person you want to spend the rest of your life with in the library at 3 am. And there is no amount of money you can attribute to never having to say "would you like fries with that" ever again. Add all that together, and the value of further education seems worth the cost.

The CopperHare

Perceptions and Reality of College Drinking

Most people assume that partying is more prevalent when students get to college. In reality, there are more alternatives to partying in college than in high school.

Depending on the size of the high school, it may be very easy to know who's doing what and judge people based on the cliques they are in. Because of this, it seems like there's more pressure to "fit in" with a group when a large portion are partying. College offers a wider range of groups to join, many of which do not enjoy the party scene. At a large college or university it may be easier to avoid the pressure to party and "fit in" because not everyone knows who you are and what you're doing. There are also lots of clubs and other activities to be part of - one Iowa college has 700 clubs! 

In high school, some students may expect other students to party. College isn't that way. Many college students respect others that choose not to be out partying every weekend.

High School to College

Congratulations, you've almost reached the end.

There are a lot of benefits to being done with high school. There are a lot of consequences, too. But, for the most part, there's just a lot of life out there to live. So far, you've been following a plan according to the desires of society and your parents. However, that plan ends here. You have reached a point where there are no set roads to follow, only guidance and support of your friends and family. You are about to step off the cliff into the unknown.

So, as you lean out over the unknown below you, you have a choice to make. You can fall, refusing the support offered or turn your back on the lessons you've worked so hard to learn, or you can learn to fly.

Five True Things College Students Don't Say

1. There are few victims, mainly participants. For the most part, no one is going to force you to do anything you don't want to do. If you don't want to be at the party, don't go. If the situation gets bad, leave. If you can't leave under your own power, ask for help.

2. You can always quit. You can choose not to go to class, drop out, get a nine to five job, and pay off your loans. People can be successful without a degree, but give some thought to what you want to be doing in 5 years. Most often it takes additional education and training to get that perfect job, but there are options on how to get there.

3. Second place will not make you as famous as first place. Everyone remembers the first man on the moon, but few remember the second. Followers are rarely as documented as leaders, and unoriginal thoughts and things are often overlooked entirely. If you want to be appreciated for your talents, it will take work, time, persistence, and luck.

4. Rules are good. Rules are a society's way of defining what we believe to be right. They ensure everyone can get an education, a job, or become a better person. They also define what will happen if they are ignored. In an unpredictable world, it's nice to know everyone is playing by the same rules as you, and have the same consequences.

5. Hope fails people who fail it. We get up in the morning because we have hope it will be a great day. We go to school because we hope it will teach us something. We get jobs because we hope to do something useful with our time. We have children because we hope we can give them a life as good, if not better, than we had. And those children grow up hoping to prove their parents right; that all their hopes were worth it. It's sentimental but true; and hope makes it possible.

The CopperHare

Digital Impression

Do you believe that a first impression is important?

Do you think that a future employer's first impression of you will come from your interview?

Many employers search the internet for information about you before you even meet them. In 2009, 45% of employers used social networking sites to check candidate's digital footprints, and 35% of employers did not hire a candidate based on what they found.* Things you wouldn't expect could include something as simple as a book review on Amazon.

Digital Footprint (Drive-Ride Blog)
Building a Digital Footprint (CareerBuilder.com)

Take a look at the footprint you are leaving. Does your online presence support your career goals and show how you have used acquired knowledge and skills? What does your digital footprint say about how you communicate, both online and face-to-face? Showcasing positive, creative, and unique characteristics may separate you from the job seeking crowd.

The Work Buzz

*CareerBuilder survey

The Millennial Generation

I was asked this afternoon by a friend of mine, to discover what was being said about our generation, the Millennials. Some of what I found was rather despairing, some rather hopeful. For instance, I found out from the PEW study, that 83% of people in this generation (that participated in the study) slept with their cell phones! If that doesn't strike you as a negative attribute, then think about this; our generation is admittedly more tech-savvy than others, and the tendency is growing. People in our generation are very dependent on technology for everything. (Just in passing, have you ever noticed how hard it can be to not have a cell phone or a computer? It makes you feel out of touch with the world.) Children younger and younger are learning how to operate cell phones, computers, and other tech tools. If the technology keeps increasing and improving, sooner or later it may hit a peak and then drop. What will happen to our generation when/if that happens?

On a positive note, our generation is also well on its way to being the most educated generation yet. In our technological world, increasing knowledge and skill is necessary to run the technology and keep ahead of the ever-changing present. We have to constantly keep one-upping ourselves with newer and better things. So education is extremely important. The study also says that our generation is the most accepting when compared to other generations. Apparently, we are more willing to accept non-traditional couples raising children, mothers working outside the home when they have young children, and other family dynamics.

So what do you say fellow Millennials? Does it sound like us? Check out the research and find out! pewresearch.org/millennials/

Information sources:

http://pewresearch.org/

http://isedj.org/5/13/ISEDJ.5(13).DeGagne.pdf

Technology Failure

Have you ever considered what would happen if technology failed?

What would you do without your cell phone, TV, or computer?

What would you do without the internet to solve your problems?

What would you do without your game console, iPod, or electricity?

Do you think you could survive; gather and hunt your own food? Could you find clean water? Are we so involved with our technologies that we have lost our ability to survive without them? In my opinion the answer is yes, many people have lost the ability to live without them. Without fuels or electricity agriculture would fail, and if agriculture fails there is nothing to eat. Can you imagine people from large cities wandering around looking for food?

I’m not saying this would happen, all I’m trying to say is we need to learn to problem solve without the help of Google. We need to be able to critically examine real life situations. We need to be able to communicate in ways other than text, emails, or social networking. Whatever happened to a handshake and face-to-face conversation?

Even though technology makes our lives easier and more comfortable, I firmly believe that we must retain some skills from a time when these options were not available. These skills may make you a more rounded person with abilities that others from our generation might not have. And this could separate you from the crowd.

Red Dawn

A very unfortunate thing happened last year…this was the passing of Patrick Swayze. Yesterday, while grocery shopping at Wal-Mart I happened across a DVD collection titled “The Patrick Swayze Collection.” How could I possibly pass up the opportunity to own a piece of cinema history. There were three movies in the collection; “Young Blood,” “Red Dawn,” and “Road House.” Naturally, that night I had to watch one of these great movies with my roomies. We selected to watch Red Dawn. In this movie communists attack the United States. They take over much of the western side of the U.S. The attackers are stopped in the Rocky Mountains. The movie follows the story of high schoolers who fight the invading soldiers. My roommates and I got into a discussion of whether or not we would respond in the same way. 

Sinking

Days like today remind me how much work and responsibility college requires. Today was the day when the homework was piled before me and though I was working as hard as I could, nothing seemed to be done. The pile of homework seems to stay the same size as the amount of hours spent on it begins to rack up. I'm sure you know the feelings of helplessness and futility associated with these days.

Gradually, I began to calm down and really look at what I had accomplished. I noticed that I had not realized just how much was really done. The realization caused me to see that I wasn't hopelessly floundering about. The pile of homework did not seem so large and I new that it would not be a problem to finish it.

photo credit: 
www.orgs.bucknell.edu/res_halls/RTK/KRSS/K3/homework.gif

Feel So Small

Have you ever felt alone? I'm sure we've all felt that way at one point, but not now, right? College is supposed to be the time of our lives, the time we spend with our closest friends before we have to grow up and become adults.

But what about the people that sit by themselves in the dining centers or in classrooms? Do you ever reach out to them, or do you stay content with your group of friends? Reach out to someone who looks like they could use a friend. It's not that hard - really it's not. What you think is a small gesture might make a world of difference to someone. College is the time to spend with our friends, but it's also the time to make new friends.

starting over

photo credit: alone_by_buaiansayapanomali.jpg

Our Elders

I'm sure you know an elderly person. A grandparent, a great-aunt or uncle, a godparent. And of course we love our grandparents! They send us money on our birthdays, take us out to eat and maybe you even got to stay with them when you were younger and your parents were out of town. Sure they're old, but they're family! Now imagine your sweet Nana all alone in a nursing home, with no one ever coming to visit her. Not such a happy thought, huh? I've worked in a care facility for 3 years. It's sad to say, but there are situations like this. Residents have asked me, Well, when is my son going to come see me?, or, Could you come after your shift and talk with me? We all need to realize all the wisdom and love that is just sitting there in nursing homes. Maybe you even know someone who lives in a facility. Take time and go visit them. You will be surprised at what you learn from the elderly. They are the individuals who worked so hard to make this a place we all want to live. They paved the way for our futures. Everyone wants to feel as if they belong with someone. Maybe you can visit that lonely elder and make this an extra special holiday season for them.

Did You Know

Imagine how much information has changed since this video

has been posted. This video reminds me that we are not just

competing against people in our own country. We are

competing with the world in the new global economy. Cs may
get degrees, but do they merit a career?

To read more about the Did You Know? video series:
The Huffington Post 11-24-09 
Dangerously Irrelevant 11-24-09

Updated video: Did You Know? 4.0

Hometown Pride

I come from a small community, where I have lived all my life, until I made the transition to a large college town. The culture is so very different from what I've grown up with. In my hometown everybody greets everybody. You can't walk down the sidewalk in the uptown district and not say "Hi" to people you meet. The streets are kept clean and swept. Flowers are planted in the park in the summer. There is a Christmas parade the last weekend in November. The town just radiates "Welcome." When I moved to a college town I was surprised at the change. People look at the ground as they walk around campus, nobody greets anybody. The parking lots and streets are littered with broken glass and fast food wrappers. People make a community. We can work to make where we live more like home.

Loads of Information

Have you ever felt like you just completed an Ironman Triathlon or walked to class in a blizzard? Well that's what it may feel like cramming for finals. Thanksgiving break is coming up and although you may just want to take a week off, studying now will make the final three weeks easier to handle.

In addition to studying for shorter periods, taking breaks, and joining a study group, now might be the time to ask your boss for some extra time off. If you feel like you're in overdrive make a commitment to get a full night's sleep, eat healthy meals, and exercise to reduce stress and boost your immune system.

cindy.c

Lately, in order to keep from forgetting the things I need to get through my day, I've been making a list of things that need to be loaded in my car before leaving. For the first time ever, I couldn't fit it all in. Between backpack, food, and assignments, I literally ran out of free space in my 80's luxury car.

So, with feet hanging out my window, cramming something else to the roof, a question came to me. If it won't all fit in my car, why is it in my life? Or, why am I trying to fit it all in my life in the first place? Is there a point at which I've packed too much into my day and car at the same time? Have I finally reached beyond what my Chrysler New Yorker, or free time, will tolerate?

I still don't know. But, tomorrow, I'm cleaning out my car just in case.

Random Acts

Students walking around campus with earphones in, music blaring, completely oblivious to their surroundings.

There are some everyday heroes out there. Bus drivers that hit the breaks for people who cross the street and look later, pedestrians that will reach out and stop another pedestrian before they get hit, or the bikers and skaters that sound out "on your left" to let someone know they're coming up behind them.

IRL

It used to be that everyone we knew was someone we had met in real life. At least that's what our parents, and most of our professors and bosses, tell us. Unlike the uphill-both-ways walks to school, though, these stories seem credible. And we certainly still do meet plenty of living, breathing people, and when we meet them we can even confirm the part about the breathing.

We meet people from all sorts of places. Some of them live in our residence hall, or apartment complex, or maybe just down the street. Others are in classes with us, or from work. Once in a while we might meet our best friend ever at a party, and if we have a great memory we will remember them within the next week. Some of them we even originally knew (gasp!) from the internet and have actually bothered to meet for real. The point is, anywhere we go, we can meet someone new.

When we meet people, though, we tend to make a little box in our head for them, remembering what they look like, maybe their favorite music or their sense of humor, and all of the other dirt we have dug up. Then we take this person's life story and put it in a pile with everyone else we met from the same place. One pile for roommates, a few for each class we're in, a small dust-bunny for people we've successfully dated, a landfill for people we've had less success with.

These piles, each a group of friends, tend to resist mixing. Somehow, even though most people do loads of different activities, it's weird to see overlap. The girl from chem lecture at a football game? The guy who shows up late to work every time at my concert? Does this mean they don't just disappear or power off when we're not around?

Even though it may be weird to see someone "out of place," it's good to realize that everyone leads real lives, not just us. And if we haven't had too much to do with each other so far, letting our piles of friends mix is a great way to find people with common interests.

Friends

Do you remember the time of rotary phones? What about the U.S. Postal Service? We used to use these services to stay in touch with friends and family, usually to plan times and places to meet up. Cell phones, email, social networking sites, etc. are really convenient ways to keep in contact with important people in our lives, but with these technologies so easily available, the part where we meet up and can actually see living breathing people is becoming a little like the rotary phone.

The reality is, we may have hundreds of contacts in our phone or on our Facebook, but there are hundreds of others right in front of us that we may not be seeing. New technology allows us to communicate more often, but when we're always hurrying through a text or writing a quick email, some of the fun of communicating and catching up with friends is lost.

Imagine how much more fun class would be if, instead of finding our seat and getting our phones out to text, we left them in our bags and talked to the person next to us. Pretty soon we'd have someone to sit by everyday, who we can borrow notes from when we miss class, and who knows, maybe we'll even hang out with them outside of class.

Our "friend list" doesn't have to be defined by who Facebook says is our friend. WE can decide that. Students in our classes don't just have to be other students. They can be our friends if we make it happen. People do actually exist, breathe, and eat outside of the digital realm!

NightOwl

Choices!

Everyday we are faced with hundreds of choices. Whether you realize it or not each choice you make influences what happens to you later that day, week, month, or year. Some choices may be simple like what to eat, what to do this weekend, or when to study. Other choices may affect the rest of your life.

Choosing a major is one of the biggest choices you will make in college. Your major can determine how long you'll be in college and what you'll do afterward.

Another huge choice is whether or not to drink. Once again, you're faced with the task of deciding what is best for you. Drinking is an individual choice that can have community consequences.

Only you can decide what to do or what not to do. We make choices everyday. They've defined our pasts and will determine our futures.

College is an amazing place.

There are a thousand ways to get involved, or not; hundreds of people to talk to, or not. Whether you're an introvert or extrovert your college experience has or will be affected by the people you come in contact with each day.

What so many may not realize until after they graduate is that the people are the memories you'll take from college. It's not the parties every weekend. It's the all-nighters with friends during finals week, your roommate talking you through a breakup, or the 2 am food run after your intramural broomball game.

Having a support system around you can make the road you're traveling a little smoother, a little clearer.

NightOwl

Perspective

I'm back on campus and this summer was an experience I could never have imagined. My expectations were shattered and everything I saw and did has affected me in a way I don't think I even realize yet.

I have spent three short months cleaning habitats, feeding giraffes, scrubbing rhinos, chasing ostriches, scratching tigers, and so much more. In three months I felt more at home than any place I have ever lived. I've learned so much about wildlife, park management, Arizona, and myself. I learned that I work hard and I don't mind getting dirty. I learned that I enjoy 110 degree weather and red rock sunsets. What I learned in those three months I could not have learned in 10 years of school. Even if your major doesn't require an internship or work experience, do it anyway. Go for what you want, because when it's right, the payoff could be more than you can imagine.

Leaving was tough, as will be my last semester at college. But I return to Iowa knowing that I have 20 more lifelong friends, that I was an important part of a team, and that I can handle most anything.

NightOwl

Lessons Learned

As my time interning this summer comes to an end, I'm glad to be able to reflect on what I've learned and what has changed. It can be nerve-racking to enter a situation like an internship, but it really is an invaluable experience.


One of the most important things I've figured out is that if you are willing to do any task, even just try it, you will earn the respect and appreciation of your coworkers and boss. Everyone knows that cleaning habitats - a.k.a. scooping poo - is part of the job description of an animal keeper. I've learned to love the time we clean because it gives me a chance to talk and laugh one-on-one with my coworkers. Complaining doesn't make the poo disappear faster, nor does it make you any friends in the workplace.

Another important thing I learned is to take initiative. The first few days are fine to just follow directions and get your bearings. Once you are comfortable, show them that you know what you're doing! I've received tons of thanks and compliments just by thinking a step ahead and making my coworkers' lives easier.

The most obvious part is simply work hard. Give 100%, 100% of the time. Make an effort to get to know the people you work with outside of the office and be a positive voice. People appreciate a good attitude, and everyone likes to have fun, so there's no reason not to!

NightOwl