Have you shadowed a professional to make sure this is the career you want? If not, its time to do it

Posted on March 29, 2019 by USG

Over spring break I had the awesome opportunity to shadow 2 physicians. I aspire to become a doctor, so getting to follow them around was truly breathtaking. I learned so much, and I cannot even tell you how many people I got to know. Experiences like this broaden connections and could some day lead to new positions and experiences.
Thanks to both doctors, I know that I really want to be a physician.

If you have not shadowed or worked with someone in a career you want to venture in, now is the time to test the water. This will allow you to make necessary changes should you change your mind. In my opinion it is good to change your mind now than in 3 years, where you have spent so much energy, time, and money.
Don’t say, “I did this all for nothing.” Even if you do not have time, find some or make some because this is your future. Don’t play around with your future.

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Networking and you

Posted on March 28, 2019 by Sumaira

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I am spending a lot of times looking for internship these days and I have to admit its quite a daunting task. USG career and Internship center (CSIC) has been playing an important role in helping me apply for various internships. In addition to that I had been attending networking events and also interviewing.  The networking events could be very intimidating. How to could a person create an impression on an industry professional in such a short time?

Some of the  that I found out are as follows.

  1. Dress sharp and dress for the occasion.
  2. Arrive on time, it helps you to integrate more into the event and join the festivities. Sometimes, they give out snacks before the event start.
  3. When meeting a professional give a good handshake. Make sure your handshake is firm and your body language shows confidence.
  4. You gotta talk confidently. Introduce yourself with self assurance, and give them some kind of background. Try to find common interests in the conversation. Ask questions that might interest both parties.
  5. Be calm and make eye contact. This will enable you to have more comfortable conversation with the other person.
  6.   Come prepared for the event. If there are panelist talking and you have to network with them later, try to find out what are their backgrounds. You don’t want to network with a professional who’s back ground you might not be interested in.
  7. Try to be honest of what you want. If you are looking for internship in a certain field or you have already applied, let  the perspective employer know about it. Also let them know about your skill sets during your conversation.
  8. Don’t forget to leave without connecting with them. Most of the networking events I have attended were with the industry professionals. They are always willing to give out their business cards. Don’t forget to ask them politely if you can add them to your LinkedIn account as well.
  9. If you’ve had a detailed conversation with somebody, always reach out to them and thank them later, with an email.

Above mentioned are some of the things that I have learned while networking. Please feel free to share in the comment section if you have any tips or any thing interesting that you might have encountered while you are networking.

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USG Got Talent 2019

Posted on March 27, 2019 by USG

The USG Got Talent show will be on April 3rd from 5-7PM in building II’s multi-purpose room. There will be food, there will be music, and there will be more food – seriously, they bring too much please come help us eat it all oh dear god why is there so much food help

In all seriousness, USG Got Talent started just last spring as a trial, and it went well enough that they’re doing it again. Come support your fellow students and faculty members, and enjoy a break from studying. Also, free food.

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Daily Design

Posted on March 26, 2019 by USG

In a way, I have always been envious of engineers and their ability to sketch, collaborate, and brainstorm a solution to problem x, y, or z. In my own classroom, I feel like I’ve spent the entire year implementing different class structures, teaching pedagogies, seating arrangements, and even personalities in order to do a better job at my….job.

We are a few days away from the end of 3rd quarter, and I’m still unhappy with the solutions I’ve developed to the same problems that have existed since I first got to know this group of kids.

On what feels the other side of the world, in my equity class on campus at USG, we are working on designing a solution for an equity-central problem in our classrooms. Before delving into this actual assignment, I was under the impression this assignment would go problem–>solution. Considering I’m in a STEM program, I should have known better, as we delved into design thinking.

Image result for design thinking process

One of the biggest steps, the one we just finished up with, is ideation. This is basically the brainstorming step. There’s a lot of ways to brainstorm, but I’ve found that taking the time to be more organized about it or creative in the way you brainstorm is incredibly helpful.

While I’m not quite finished with my end product to solve my classroom equity problem, I’ve been using ideation daily just to problem solve through small things at work or at home. Being able to draw a mind-map or do some reverse brainstorming has helped me decide how to structure a weekend that I want to fill with just about every activity. It has helped me figure out how to rearrange my classroom so that, finally, my students aren’t constantly talking. Instead of willy-nilly trying something out because “why not,” taking some extra time to map out all my ideas and choose the best one has proved to be worth it.

Your life is your own, and you are the one designing it. Why not apply some design strategies to your daily or weekly musings? While it’s not realistic for me to tell you to use this for all life’s solutions, for the big ones or for ones that you could spend more time thinking about, why not?

Here is a website filled with ideation strategies. While some of these are not really applicable outside of product design, much work well with any problem that needs a well-thought-out solution.

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From Spring Hues

Posted on March 25, 2019 by kirstenan98

eight_col_springWelcome back to USG! I hope everyone had a wonderful spring break with plenty of much needed rest. The break gives us a nice transition to the second half of the semester, a time where we can change our ways and habits that might not have worked before. For me, I have just finished my internship at a public accounting firm, and thus this break gave me the time to transition back into full student mode. It’s an abrupt change, but not all change is necessarily bad. Sometimes, a catalyst like a sudden change is what is needed to move on, and though I’ve loved the internship experience, it’s something I can look back on fondly now and move forward.

Especially when the weather is getting warmer after spring break, there’s so many things I’ve been wanting to do! Warm weather can give us the itch to move around and about, and lately I’ve been thinking of volunteer work, tutoring, or just spending quality time outside to gather my thoughts and realize where I’ve come in life. Soon I’ll be a senior, and it’s incredible how we come to USG nervous and not necessarily knowing our own paths – But when you become a senior suddenly there are students younger than you, nervous just like the way we were. The cycle continues, and life passes us by quicker than we may want it to, but that too is a change that should be welcome and help us to move forward.

The second half of the semester gives us the opportunity to change, and I hope everyone has been able to find out what worked for them and what hasn’t. This break gave me a chance to breathe and motivate me to rush to the finish line with hard work and effort, and I believe everyone can do it too! Good luck to everyone the rest of the semester, warm weather and flowers blooming await us.

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Spring Break Flew!

Posted on March 24, 2019 by USG

Spring break flew and so did I. This spring break I actually went to San Diego for the second year in a row! This time was a bit different. I stayed 6 nights and 7 days in an Airbnb just outside of the city. I had more time to explore. More time to explore. More time to try new food. And more time to make new memories.

You didn’t think I could go too long without having another post about food, right?! So here it is a food blog: San Diego style. I had Italian from Little Italy, brunch (a few times), and Mexican (the majority of the time). I feel like each meal I had tasted different some way, somehow.

Here is a look of my brunch plates: one was El Benedicto and the other is called Snooze Spuds Deluxe. El Benedicto comes with grilled carne asada and pico de gallo with eggs benedict. The Snooze Spuds Deluxe has hash browns with melted cheese over top and your choice of toppings and style of eggs!

El Benedicto

Snooze Spuds Deluxe

The Mexican spot that I need to rave about is called Puesto. This is located in downtown San Diego. My friends and I ordered Esquite which was a dip made of Grilled corn, chile, lime, queso cotija, and sour cream. Then the main dish came out which were tacos. I ordered filet mignon, carnitas, and shrimp tacos. All I have to say is: BOMB.COM

Esquite
Left to right: filet mignon, carnitas, shrimp tacos

Finally, one of the most beautiful little towns in San Diego: Little Italy. The restaurant is called Davanti Enoteca and it’s a tapas styled cuisine. I had only heard of that with Spanish or Mediterranean restaurants. So to hear that it was being done at an Italian spot. It was so exciting! We got calamari, margherita pizza, spaghetti and meatballs, and paccheri e salsiccia.


paccheri e salsiccia

All in all, the food was nothing short of amazing! I hope you all enjoyed your spring break because I sure did. Like always, ‘til next time! 🙂

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Ditch the Shortcut

Posted on March 19, 2019 by USG

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A few weeks ago, I was driving into my driveway and a cardboard box I had put outside for recycling had blown into the driveway. I debated getting out of the car to move it out of the way, but decided instead to push it forward with the car. During the ‘pushing’, it got stuck under the car wedged underneath the wheel. I spent the next 15 minutes getting it out from under the car while managing to rip the sweater I was wearing. If I would have just gotten out of the car in the first place and moved the box, I could have avoided losing time and relinquishing the sweater to the ‘wear at home’ pile.

How often in life do we try to take shortcuts only to find out that the job does not get done well and we spend more time than originally planned to fix it? In Justin Snellman’s article empty-toilet-paper-roll“The Dangers of Taking Shortcuts”, he says that life gets better when you don’t cut corners. You just feel better and have a more positive outlook. He tells the story about going into the bathroom at work and there was toilet paper on the ground and none in the holder. He cleaned up the paper and put a new roll in the dispenser. It would have been easy to leave the mess for the next person. No one was watching and there was no prize for doing what he did. What he did do is make the environment a little better for the other people who used the bathroom. He goes on to explain that doing things when no one if watching IS the point. “How we do the small things is a reflection of how we do big things. And how we interact with small situations (be they people, circumstances or places) will directly impact our lives here on planet Earth.”

Our lives are simply the summation of all the little things that we do each day. For me, one of the worst feelings is living each day knowing I could have done more. When we take the easy way or shortcut, we are short selling others but more importantly, short selling ourselves. I love the saying “An arrow can only be shot forward by pulling backwards.” So remember to take the time to avoid the shortcuts when you are planning a term paper, procrastinating a task you really don’t want to do, or simply moving that pesky box off of the driveway. Now to find a replacement for my favorite sweater. Sigh…

Painted in Waterlogue

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Stress Management

Posted on March 18, 2019 by USG

Stress is very common, especially among students. Some have coping mechanisms to help them through stressful times, but often others do not possess this skill. Stress is everywhere, but how you deal with it depends on you. The most common factor that stresses people out is change especially when they are unpleasant, such as financial setback, failing a course, and so forth. Unfortunately, when stress levels are elevated, it could cause physical signs, such as headaches, difficulty sleeping, and difficulty concentrating (WebMD). Prolong stress could also lead to serious health issues like heart-related problems, depression, and high blood pressure. I have seen the impact that stress could have on people especially with my friends and family so I made it my goal to deal with it in a healthy way. In general, people deal with stress differently, but I thought I would share some healthy ways to deal with stress and provide you with some resources.

Dealing with Stress

  • Breathe – when we encounter a stressful situation, the first thing you should do is to stop and breath rather than panic. When you are calm, you can think clearly. Assess the situation and plan the solution.
  • Do something that makes you feel happy – For me, I stress bake and cook when I have a huge assignment that I have to finish. Taking on tasks that give you instant gratification could give you a great feeling. Below are some activities that some of my friends do to de-stress:
    • Play with their pet(s)
    • Play video games
    • Cook
    • Clean
    • Bake
    • Run
    • Bike
    • Listen to music
    • Paint
    • Draw
    • Spend time with friends and/or family

The point with dealing with stress is doing something that you like and give yourself some space to breathe. By doing something that you like to do or giving yourself a break, you allow yourself to have some space to think about solutions to help solve the stressful situation.

Luckily for you, as a student at USG, you have the Center for Counseling and Consultation (CCC). CCC have different programs from individual counseling to group counseling to self-enhancement session to career counseling. I personally recommend the counseling center because they helped me go through some tough times. They very helpful, friendly, and knowledgeable. Sometimes you just need someone to provide with you with a different perspective to help you think through somethings.  

Dealing with Stress Sources:
Stress Management
10 Tips to Manage Stress
4 Healthy Ways to Cope with Stress

Source: WebMD. (ND). Causes of Stress. Retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/causes-of-stress#2

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After Graduation, what else?

Posted on March 15, 2019 by USG

This is my last semester. I have no idea what I will be doing after I graduate. Sigh…the dreaded graduate.

“My last semester in my 4 year school-career”-just thinking of this scares me and makes me reevaluate my life and what I have been doing over the last four years. Looking back, it was full of studying, working, and striving to be the best, but now that I am closer to the end, I ask myself, “what now?.”

Sigh……what is the world waiting for me to do? Hmm…well, guess I have to find out for myself.

As for now, I’m going to decorate my graduation cap. Thanks for the ideas Anne. If you’re looking for ideas you can get some inspiration from Anne. Check out Anne’s blog here.

Have you thought about what you will be doing after your last semester? Or perhaps you are thinking about graduation first….regardless, think of the future.

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Let’s intern!

Posted on March 14, 2019 by Sumaira

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Spring break is approaching, but I am not kidding, when I am saying it’s been quite busy last couple of weeks. I will be graduating after fall semester and I want to do an internship. USG career and internship center(CISC)  had helped me immensely to prepare my resume. They also, help me with my cover letters, when I was applying for various internships. I also took ‘LinkedIn’ workshop last semester, where I was able to learn about how to setup your professional portfolio in social media. All of this preparation helped me to attend various networking event. If you are a University of Maryland College Park(UMCP) student and attending Universities at ShadyGrove (USG), you have an advantage of attending events that are held at main campus as well. A part of getting internship, to sign up for internship online course , which will enable an intern to get college credits.

UMCP have various programs at their career center for Undergrad students that would help students transition from college to work environment. For getting an internship experience I started with their ‘intern for a day’ program. The program helps students who never had a prior work in experience to get internship for one day in their perspective fields, with participating employers. Students can get a day experience, learn how it is to work in the industry of their choice. It also builds confidence and helps network, when you approach for an internship. The USG  campus CISC provides opportunities  for students to prepare for future job interviews  through their ‘big interview’ section on their website, where students are able to learn and practice their interview skills, weather they are interviewing for their job or internship. Upon registering, students can find out exactly what interviewers are looking for and learn how to anticipate and properly answer the toughest questions. Once the answers are planned and refined, students can use the practice tool to make their delivery confident and natural. The website has a built-in feedback tool to get objective analysis on the progress and mentors, professors, coaches, or friends.

While attending one of the networking events, organized by CISC, I got few offers to shadow from some of the professionals I met. Exited and intimidated by the idea of ‘shadowing’ I asked many of my peers, if they have done it before, but did not have any luck finding someone with  experience. Upon mentioning it at career center I found out that they started a new ‘virtual job shadow’ program, in which students can go and see how to shadow an industry professional. USG career and internship center also holds many events, which help students network with perspective employers.

To look for future internships opportunities there are many websites  like Indeed, Glassdoor and Linkedin, that can help students find internships and job opportunities. I have to admit that once I looked at all of them, it was overwhelming to make accounts and learn how to navigate through website all at once. The CISC has ‘career connector’ for this propose, as it enables students to find various job  and internship opportunities, on campus and off side.

Finding internships or jobs can be an intimidating process. As much as approaching graduation date can bring us joy, it can also set us with anxiety of finding our dream internship or job. USG is helping many students like me to find internships/jobs that are the right fit for them .I took advantage of many opportunities that USG and UMCP has to offer. For experience s that I had during networking and interviews? is another blog for another time! Maybe next time!

For now its spring break! Have a good break everyone!

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