One Year

One year ago, it seems like just a short time ago. One year ago I had a whole different life envisioned. One year ago I thought I would still be finishing my degree, still spending hours in the library, I thought that I would have just been wrapping up my final year as a university athlete, this time last year I even thought I would be preparing to apply for law school. Oh how things change, I am already done school, I am serving tables full-time to pay for that lovely education, I am volunteering now more than ever. And the most exciting, I just wrapped up my first year coaching university soccer for my Alma Matter.

Look how far I have come, in one year I feel I have grown up, I have changed my life, who knows if it has been for the better, years from now I am sure I will know that answer to that. However for right now I am just enjoying each day as it comes my way.

There is a whole different cast of characters in my life in the last year, the ones who mean the most have stuck it out, and the rest have fallen by the wayside. In the last year I have done many things that fill me with pride, many that fill me in embarrassment, many that fill me with happiness, but reflecting on the last year all I can think about is I wonder where I will be a year from now. Will I be saying the same thing, or will I be in the same place.

Here is to the next year in my life, and to the fact that my years will likely not be measured by Novembers and the end of soccer season, hopefully my life will be measured by biggest accomplishments, hopefully my life will evolve yet again and I will be just as proud of all of the things I have done.

Bring on the next 365!

Voicemails & Proud Moments

Yesterday was a day I was proud of beyond many I have had in my life. I survived what was to be my hardest semester, what were to be my toughest courses, and what became my most strenuous two weeks. I may not have done it with a ton of grace, or all kinds of dignity, but I did it. Yesterday I passed in my final marketing strategies paper, and I don’t think I ever felt more relieved.

I am not yet done my degree, but I see the light at the end of the tunnel, two arts electives stand between my degree and I. These courses I know will be a challenge for me, and I am looking forward to it. However I must admit when I finished my paper and submitted it yesterday I felt a weight lift off of my shoulders, I felt accomplished, and I felt proud.

Me being proud of myself is one thing, but I was shocked, I received a few voicemails and text messages from close friends, as well as from some unexpected people, and it really warmed my heart, and made the moment even sweeter. I know how cheesy that truly sounds but honestly that is how I felt, it was something so simple to do, and most did not even realize how much it meant to me. From people telling me to go enjoy a beer, and have a great day, to others telling me to take over the world.

I always knew I would do the whole university thing, I always new I would finish university, and enjoy every minute… or at least most minutes. It is just weird to think it is all coming to an end, and I really don’t know where I am going to end up next. It is nice to know I can finish what I start, and even nicer to know how many people believe in me.

No matter what is next, no matter the accomplishments, no matter the challenge, no matter the moment I have all the right people in my corner, and they are the people that keep me going, the people that make me want to be better.

Time Management

The workload the last three weeks has been stressful, however I shocked myself with how well I managed my time. I knew I was going to be busy, it was to be expected with my course load, and with the amount I had going on. It was like a call to action for the inner planner and time manager in me.

In prior years during exam crunch my time management skills have not been impeccable, and I certainly had a thing or two to learn. I knew what I was going to be up against this year, more specifically this week. As this week got closer and closer I really didn’t think I was going to be able to handle it gracefully, or get any sleep for that matter. Let me say this once, as I do not say it often, I was wrong. It only took me seven exam periods to learn how to properly manage this hectic time of year.

I made the most comprehensive plan I have ever made; I basically made a plan about my plan. I had productivity goals for the weeks leading up to this week. I survived long enough to make it to this week, now I have daily and hourly productivity goals in place. They were basically guidelines, not easy ones to meet; however I must admit thus far I have met every single one. It was difficult, but I really focused on my plan, I really focused on my work, and I had success. It has been a great feeling, and very satisfying to achieve this level of organization, goal setting, and productivity.

I know the week is far from over, and I still have a huge list of things to do; however if I stay motivated, and if I stay on track I should survive the remainder of my university degree. Although this was not a skill taught to me in a course, it is something I can take away from my university experience. Not everything I learned the last four years has been learned in a classroom. Here is to having a million more opportunities to learn, and here is to surviving the rest of my week so I can enjoy the first step to the rest of my life.

Last Class… Bash?

Today was the last time I walked into class and took a seat as an undergraduate student at Mount Saint Vincent University, I do not know how to feel about this. I am very excited that school is coming to an end, that I get to spend my summer on the soccer field, that after four long years and a whole lot of work I am going to cross that finish line.  However there is a scary part to all of this. I am someone who has never really known my end goal, where I want to be or what I am going to end up doing.

With that being said I have always been someone who has forged a path, not always the one of least resistance, but I have made my way to where I am today. I made it here through sheer determination, hard work, some goal setting, and of course I made a ton of lists, and I made lists about those lists. I have always been someone who knows which step comes next, or which project I need to work on next, I am terrified as for the first time I do not know my next move, I feel like my life is so open ended. This could be a great thing for me or it might not be, that has yet to be determined. I am just anxious to find out what is going to happen to me next.

It is not that I am the student who counted the minutes until I got to leave university; I had a great time at The Mount, best four years I have had. I have met some incredible people, I have learned some pretty cool things, and I made some irreplaceable memories. I am grateful for every moment I have had, and every person who made my experience what it was. I am just looking forward to the road that lies ahead, I always seem to find a great adventure or a great experience in everything I choose to do. I am hoping this will be no different.

Four years have come and gone, I am happy I earned a piece of paper I can hang on my wall, but more importantly I am happy about the fact I earned a future, I made friends, I learned a lot about who I was, about who I could be. I had hilarious nights, and I had perfect days. I feel lucky and honoured that I had such a great time, and I am hoping that my future will bring just as many, if not more, good days and happy days than I have already had.

Group Work

Yesterday at school I was faced with a moral dilemma, I am a marketing and management student; therefore my entire education and course work is made up of group work. Typically I make sure to get myself in groups I know I can work well with. In this case I did just that, it was a great semester, I loved my group members, however one just seemed not to be as involved. I cannot really pass judgment on that as I am someone who most likely at point has been the exact same way everyone has their days, you just never really know what is going on with someone. However I do know this semester she was not really herself.

We get to the last class and we had to do group evaluations, now here came the tricky part, I had worked with her in the past and she had been great, she is a great person, how was I going to dock her marks?! Well it came down their the fact I needed to be honest, it was business, and in the real world no matter how much your boss or co-workers like you if you’re not doing your job you’re not going to get a good review. In the comments sections I was sure to be kind, but honest, I was proud of my self for doing the right thing, but I also felt crappy I had to do that to someone I liked so much. The worst part is she caught a glimpse of my review and saw that I did not grade her the same as the rest of the group.

I very well could have lied, given her a glowing review and not had to deal with hurting someone’s feelings. I doubt highly I would have been left feeling better as that would have meant I was not being honest, and I pride myself on the fact I am a very honest person. I guess making decisions like this are just part of growing up, they are part of having integrity, part of the real world, and they are part of doing business.

 

What do we have if we don’t have our integrity?

One More Left

Back to school, every year there seems to be very different feelings attached to this. When you are young summers feel so long, with no responsibilities or worries, it is undeniably fun and perfect. Running and biking through the neighborhood until the sun goes down, at which point the neighborhood children get together to play some kick the can, man hunt, or even a little hide and go seek in the dark. You dread heading back to school as the summer draws to a close.

When you hit high school, you have a job you have more responsibility. The only reason we then slightly look forward to school is so we can stop working so much, and start enjoying the company of a few bad influences aka our best friends and partners in crime. High school is more of a social experience than an educational experience. Getting back to school is not the part that is dreaded about the end of summer; it is the back to class part that is the un-enjoyable aspect.

Now that university has arrived, and almost passed me by I am undecided whether I actually dread coming back each September, or whether it is a welcome relief. On the plus side I get to cut my hours back at work, I get to reunite with all of my out of town friends, varsity soccer starts all over again (which is single handedly he best experience of my life) and I get back into a routine. However I dread the early morning wake-ups, I dread the classes that seem like an eternity, I dread the assignments, the lack of time in the day to get all my readings done, and the fact that it seems like I am