Still Standing After Sophomore Slump

TRUTH! source

It wasn't until the end of this semester when I was sitting in the Career Center's office reflecting on every tough decision I had this spring that I realized I was going through the sophomore slump.

Family, friends, academics, career--these all became connected points of pain and progress throughout the year. However, when I think about it, this time of frustration and subsequent self-reflection can hit anyone at anytime--freshman, junior, or senior year. So whether you have gone through the slump and survived, are going through it now, or feel you may never have to, I hope you find some part of this blog post as helpful!

So what is sophomore slump, anyway?

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Most people would say that sophomore slump occurs this year because, for most, it's the first year when reality hits. There's a kind of shiny newness to freshman year that makes everything seem amazing--the new people you meet, the new organizations you join, and maybe a new way you present yourself offers a lot of hope and excitement for the future.

While I'm not saying that all of these things occur to every freshman, there is a level of excitement, hope, and almost a relief that "it's only freshman year"--most freshman aren't expected to have the best GPA, figured out their major, or have an internship at this point.

In that case, what makes sophomore year so pivotal is that some harsh realizations may be setting in. Consider these scenarios:

• You and your friends aren't getting along the same way that you did freshman year
• You're gaining more responsibility in the clubs/organizations you're involved with
• You're regretting some grades you received or classes you took freshman year
• There's more pressure to do something impressive over the summer
• You thought that you'd feel at home on campus by now
• You're confused about your major
• You realize that after this year, you're half-way through college

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Sorry if I bummed you out there, but these are all things that I've grappled with this year and what many sophomores I've spoken to have dealt with to some degree. As you become more critical of your choices, including who you've chosen to spend your time with and what you've chosen to spend your time doing, it's completely understandable to feel frustrated, sad, or anxious during the year, making it harder for you to work on the problems that are affecting you.

However, these realizations can also be inspiring. After this year, I've been forced to ask myself: what do I want from myself, my friends, and my college experience?

But now, I think it's time to apply this to the career world. During the midst of all this confusion, frustration, and realization, how can you make sure that your professional growth doesn't overwhelm you but empowers you?

Learning to say no

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This was a tough one. As a perpetual "nice person," it's always been difficult for me to turn down an opportunity or say "no" to someone who needed me. However, when thinking about my career decisions in the context of "What do I want from my college experience? Will this really help me and make me happy?" I had to learn to be a little selfish and do what's best for me. Learning to say "no" is a really important skill to help you prioritize what's important and make sure you're not spending time on things/people that maybe aren't worth it.

I needed to put myself and enjoying my time as a higher priority than it normally was if I wanted to continue being involved and working hard.

What makes you happy?

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For me, this is the same way of asking "what are your priorities?" but thinking about it this way helps me way more.

Part of how I learned to finally say no to some things going on in my life was when I asked myself "Am I happy with my college experience right now?" And honestly, between classes, jobs, and being a part of two publications, people definitely weren't seeing a lot of my happy side. With only two years left a Tufts, I decided that I needed to put myself and enjoying my time as higher priorities than they'd normally be, if I wanted to continue being involved and working hard. If anything, sophomore slump taught me that what I really wanted from college was a balance, and I could achieve it if I was a little easier on myself.

There's more than one way to get to where you want to be

THIS may have to be a priority...and I'm okay with that! source

Again, that pesky, threatening realization that I'MHALFWAYDONEWITHCOLLEGEAHHHHH! (*regains composure for beloved readers*)

It's really tempting at this point to keep going on the path that you know will get you from point A to point B--whether that means continuing a major you're bored of, being involved in organizations you want to get out of, or moving up in clubs that you feel hurt more than help you.

However, remember that you always have an opportunity to say no or prioritize what makes you happy, and if that means trying something new, doing something unexpected, or taking a step back--do it! It's not too late to make a DETOUR and take a new course of action. There are so many ways to get that dream job or internship--and in the end, it's important to figure out your own path, and not one that you feel pressured into.

Come on, Junior year! source

In my first blog post, I talked about the etymology of a sophomore being "wise fool." I correctly predicted the difficulty of dealing with the unanswered questions that I would face this year. However, I didn't expect the excitement of being able to make my own decisions and forge my own path.

So thank you sophomore year for (painfully) teaching me these invaluable lessons. It's been a very eventful year not only thinking critically of myself and my decisions, but also being able to cover other students and professionals' success and advice as they navigate the career world. Now that I know that dealing with new decisions and different kinds of change will just be a part of life and moving forward with your career, I *think* I'm ready to take on more--JUNIOR YEAR: LET'S GO!

Thanks for readings!
Nina Joung
Class of 2018

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Getting journalism skills as a liberal arts student

"You know how I can tell a J-student [journalism student] and a Tufts student apart? In their cover letters, Tufts students will have a beautifully written cover letter, but the best part--the thing I want to know--will be at the very end. For J-school [journalism school] students, they always start with the important information. Always."

A Tufts alum and LA Times reporter told me and other prospective journalists this story at the Tufts On the Media career event. She made it to the journalism world with a liberal arts background, but she knows the pros and cons for both a liberal arts and a pre-professional education. As liberal arts students, many of us have a passion to change the world and a critical mind to learn about society. However, there are information gathering, technical news writing, and production skills that require more time and effort outside of the classroom.

Whether you're like me and knew you wanted to work in journalism since freshman year or you watched The Newsroom and found your calling, there are a lot of ways that Tufts can prep you for the career without offering a specific journalism major.

Learning by doing

Campus publications and media outlets are a great place to learn skills while creating content. However, prepare for your extracurricular life to take over at times...Most of my journalism and writing experience has come from writing for school publications like the Tufts Daily, Tufts Enigma and, of course, the Career Center! These different publications have given me a range of experiences from reporting to data journalism to social media writing. My opinion these days is that as a college student, you can never learn too many skills. It's always worth trying something out just to see what you like, what you don't like and what you may have a natural talent for. There are so many publications and different media outlets on campus--Tufts Podcast Network, TUTV and WMFO are all media outlets where you can gain hands-on experience.

Even though they will eat away at those hours in between classes, when you apply for internships, you'll be glad you have something to talk about when your employer asks about "experience" and something to submit when they request writing samples.

Will McAvoy dabbles in all types of media, too (source)

In the classroom

Even though we don't have a journalism major, you can still learn technical skills within the academic departments at Tufts. There are Journalism and Intermediate Journalism courses at Tufts. They're good for an introduction to journalism writing. The Film and Media Studies department has media practice classes like Filmmaking I, which can teach you the basics of shooting and editing. They work closely with the ExCollege to organize unique classes for journalism and media practice. This year there were classes on radio journalism and multi-platform journalism--both of which filled up before I could register (typical). But I'm not worried--each semester brings a new crop of creative journalism courses, so keep an eye out for the ExCollege course offerings for Fall 2016! 

Whenever you have time

If you haven't joined a media club on campus, you can still learn some technical skills and create cool pieces with the resources that Tufts offers through these online and on-campus spaces:

•      Lynda is an online, self-paced website that is free for all Tufts students, faculty and staff. Watch videos to learn Photoshop, video editing, social marketing techniques and even building your own website!
•      The Adobe Creative Cloud is available on university computers, or you can purchase it for your own computer use for $20! It includes fun things like Photoshop, Indesign (page layout/design), and Primiere (video editing). 
•      Tufts Digital Design Studio has lots of fun things to play with (I mean, learn with) like multimedia workstations for audio/visual and web publishing projects, recording rooms for producing audio narrations, and a green screen wall for filming!

How you feel after getting your digital skills down (source)

Use your liberal arts powers!

As a liberal arts student, don't doubt your powers and skills in the journalism world. John Ciampa, Tufts FMS Program Administrator, offers some words of inspiration:

"I think a liberal arts education can really inform the journalistic education because it's broadly based and conceptual. It's not enough to have practical skill. You need to know what to do with the information gathered and synthesize it and contextualize it for the reader to understand."

Never forget that ^^ (source)

Thanks for reading!

Nina Joung

Class of 2018

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What is Big Data? (taught by my favorite cartoons)

Managing big data is a big job! (source)

So, what is big data?

Me: Um......it's data...that's big......

Though not the most eloquent response, it's not wrong. Big data can mean different things to different people, and it varies across industries--some solely connect it to digital data while others don't want to forget the traditional form of data. This Forbes article really gets into the different types, but I'm going to go with a simpler answer: Big data essentially is a really large data set.

We keep hearing about big data whether you're talking about Facebook or the government. And part of that is because almost anything can be used as a data point--from something more subtle like the click of your mouse, to something more obvious like the census.

Why are we all so excited about big data? (source)

So if data has always been around, why are we hearing about it now?

Well, in case you haven't heard, there's this neat-o thing called The Internet, and if you want to be more specific to what's happening now, Web 2.0. With Web 2.0, we have a platform to share information (the Internet) and a bottom-up flow of information where web consumers can contribute more data points than ever before! (*Think about every Netflix show you've binged or movie you've watched and how that contributes to Netflix's recommendations for you...)

Okay, so how do companies use big data?

Again, using the simplest definition: Data is information. Information is knowledge, and knowledge powers many industries. Industries like media, healthcare, and education are all using big data to target audiences, have a stronger impact, and improve their practices. 

Big data can be used for a multitude of purposes, and almost any industry is going to be looking for someone who can demystify the data mines. I'd say that if you're interested in marketing or research, data analysis is definitely something you want up your sleeve--or something you will encounter nonetheless. Also, data journalism is a real buzz word right now, so having data analysis skills as a journalist wouldn't hurt either.

Definitely know what you're doing before playing around with data (source)

How can I get skills useful for data analysis?

For me, data analysis can be as simple as gathering survey responses and analyzing responses for trends, which is what the Tufts Trends project of Tufts Enigma is working on. Through this group, I've gained a lot of perspective on the way data can be used from learning about the Tufts community, to exploring Massachusetts's teen pregnancy stats and abortion access, to visualizing the word analytics of presidential addresses.

However, to avoid a totally shameless plug for this (great!) publication, I want to highlight other ways you can get familiarized with data both at Tufts and on your own:

• There are clubs on campus that use big data: While Tufts Enigma loves data, econ and consulting organizations like 180 Consulting do a lot with data analysis for their clients. Tufts Financial Group uses data analysis as well to focus on finance and investment.

• Practice using Excel: I know you've heard it a million times before, but I'm going to say it again: Excel is an extremely helpful tool across disciplines. You can learn from videos, websites, friends, enemies--however you can. There's a million resources out there!

• Intro to Statistics: I know, I know--it's not the most fun class, but knowing the basics will really help for jobs/projects that ask for knowledge in probability, estimations, regressions...(at this point, I don't even know what I'm writing...) There are stats classes that focus on specific social topics like Health Care and Child Development which would offer additional research and analytic skills on a topic that may interest you.

• Research with a professor: If a professor in your field of interest is working on a project, ask if you can be a research assistant. As an assistant, there will definitely be a lot of data entry and number crunching, so a learning opportunity for sure!

I hope this helped demystify big data a little bit. It seems like something that big businesses have a hold over, but in reality, big data's influence and hype comes from the fact that it can come from anywhere and be used by nearly anyone!

Analyzing big data
or goofing off on Facebook...?

Thanks for reading!
Nina Joung
Class of 2018

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Alumna Profile: New Experiences with Caitlin Friedensohn (A '08)

How many jobs do you think you'll have in a lifetime? Three? Five? Ten?

Try 12-15!

As young professionals get exposed to the work force, their personal interests can evolve and their desire to explore can grow, guiding them to different positions and industries in their professional life.

Someone who understands this is Caitlin Friedensohn, an economics major from Tufts class of 2008 currently working as a Marketing Manager at the Food Network. She's a strong proponent for trying new experiences in the professional world and making each experience--whether an internship or a job--worthwhile. She shares advice on this as well as on the value of interning and the proper way to reach out to alum!

Explore your career field!

Caitlin took a chance her sophomore year at Tufts. As an economics major, she decided to try a journalism course, and from there, she developed her love for marketing. After graduation, she's worked in marketing for ESPN, Hearst Magazine, and now Food Network. Especially for marketing where things are constantly evolving, Caitlin is always thinking about the future and finding ways to adapt.

"Be adaptable. Be open to new things. Don't have tunnel vision." ~Caitlin

The power of internships

Caitlin's internship experiences range in interests and responsibilities (some cool places include Boston Bruins, Arnold Worldwide, Boston Cannons). While Tufts offered Caitlin a great liberal arts education, she identifies that most of her professional experience came from internships.

“The actual work you'll be doing is boring--you have to earn the real work.” ~Caitlin

Caitlin encourages all interns to push through the "grunt-work" and take initiative for additional responsibilities. Even though we hear this advice all the time, Caitlin's experiences and success are a testament to her strong work ethic.

When talking to alumni 

As an alum, Caitlin has had many people approach her for career advice. As a busy professional, she can offer a few pieces of advice that respect the alum and help the student get the most from the interaction:

1. " I don't like the long email." No need to write an essay about why you love marketing. Caitlin prefers a brief e-mail describing what you need help with and what you're interested in. Life story not required.
2. "I also get a lot of people who reach out to me about somewhere I worked maybe five years ago." If you're going to ask this alum to take time to speak with you, you definitely want to respect their time and learn as much about the person beforehand. Don't waste your time or theirs asking questions that they wouldn't know the answers to anymore. 
3. "Be honest." Caitlin, along with other alumni, know when you're only reaching out for an internship or a job--no matter how you try to cover it. Just remember that these alum are more than just contacts--they're sources of knowledge and advice. When contacting alumni, ask honest questions, show genuine interest, and form a real relationship with them.  It will pay off in the end.

Now, let's eat!

Before I said good-bye to Caitlin, I had to ask her a final question: do you get to eat delicious food on the job?

Her response was nothing short of a dream:

"We get treated to anything from a fancy-style burger to a stuffed cupcake or a Fourth of July cake...There's a little bit of eating when you're here." ~Caitlin

The Food Network office has a test kitchen where all of the recipes that go into the Food Network Magazine are tested to make sure the readers can follow the recipes and get delicious results.

Hmm. Maybe I should consider a career change to the culinary industry.


Thanks for reading!
Nina Joung
Class of 2018
 

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What I learned in a week as a Wintern (illustrated through the season of Winter)

Hello, everybody! This is Nina back for semester two of career story telling and somewhat-sage advice!

I hope everyone had a great winter break with a lot of rest. As for me, I spent all but five days sitting on my couch recharging from the horrors that were finals.

For five days and five days only, I swapped my sweatpants for slacks, wedged myself onto the morning NYC subways, and hustled through Time Square for my Winternship at WNET.

Me transforming into "Intern-Mode" (source)

What's a Wintern?

Working during the wintertime is rough... (source)

If you're wondering, "What? Wintern? That's not a word!" You may be right--but it still exists!

The Winternship Program is a week-long internship run by the Tufts Film and Media Studies department. Interns apply and are selected for a role with a specific company where they are assigned a mentor - a vast majority being Tufts Alumni - and if you're savvy, some Winternships can turn into summer internships!

A Whole New Wintern-Wonderland!

Me going to my Winternship :) (source)

My Winternship was my first exposure to public broadcast media. As a print media gal, I hadn't considered the possibilities and intrigue of broadcast. It was a whole new way of storytelling that I had never considered.

But now, I'm looking into broadcast media for my summer internship--it's a new world of opportunities that I wouldn't be open to if I hadn't had my Winternship.

Of course, if things had gone the opposite direction where I end up not enjoying this industry . . . well, that's the beauty of a Winternship! It's a week-long experience - just enough to get a taste, but not long enough to have to make a major commitment.

Alumni Connections

Don't be afraid to introduce yourself (source)

My Winternship at WNET was very "Tufts-y" since I was working around THREE Tufts alums! Not only that, but CEO/Founder Neil Shapiro is also a Jumbo! This is a company that has a lot of Jumbo Pride, and it was great to hear how these successful alumni used their Tufts education to get to where they are today.

Wintern Highlights

Just embrace the wonderfulness of Winternships! (source)

I don't think I would have gotten as interested in broadcast and public media during my five days at WNET if it wasn't for the awesome professionals who took the time to talk to me and answer all my questions.

In the span of five days, I got to work with a new person every day. I was meeting people in sound production, editing, social media, reporting and producing. It was great to hear from all the different voices that contribute to the success of a program.

While the Winternship Program gives you the opportunity to get involved with great organizations, it's up to you to make the most of it. Ask questions, volunteer for new experiences, introduce yourself to people.

It's kind of like being a tourist in a new place: Pretend like this is the only time you'll see these people and be in this place. Be eager, intrigued, and exercise your right to ask lots of questions--make the most of it! You may find that such a mentality will make you want to come back again...

Thanks for reading!
Nina Joung
Class of 2018

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Advice for your First Winter Break!

This is for the first years who have never had a Winter Break last more than two weeks. While upperclassmen discuss the Winternships they're doing or all the cool networking and applying they plan on doing, there's definitely a pressure to get some career stuff happening over the break.

Break will be here before you know it! (source)

As first-years (and second-years as well!), this is a good time to "prep" your career. You don't need to be out there working to work on your career development. Working on your career can be something you do from the comfort of your own couch this break!

Aww, the Career Center wants to see you, too! (source)

One resource that will be available to you over the break is the Career Center!  Here are a few ways you can work with them:

1. Have a virtual appointment* The Career Center is open to your questions and resume critiques throughout the winter break. You can call or email any of your questions, and Skype appointments are available as well. Just call so that you can get in contact with the proper person.
2. Have a Skype/phone mock interview* Not only is it important to practice how to conduct yourself during an interview, but there are specific things to practice during a Skype/phone interview as well! Here's some helpful tips on the different types of interviews from the Career Center website.
3. Come on in! If you're local, come say hi to the Career Center! It's a bit slower this time of year, so there is more availability for appointments. Again, just call beforehand.
4. Check up on our job/internship opportunities. Each day, employers are adding new opportunities for Tufts students for internship and job positions. Stay tuned!
5. Look through our resources! The Career Center website has sooo much to offer on its own, including the Winter Break Guides for each class year.   If you ever get tired of your Facebook newsfeed, try switching to the Career Center website! We have resources for internship search, job or fellowship search, tips for resumes and cover letters, and so much more <-- so many hyperlinks!! :D

(*You can make an appointment by calling: 617-627-3299)

Whenever you're done with...whatever it is you're doing...(source)

A lot of what you can accomplish career-wise over break won't take more than a couple spare hours a week. Whenever you find time between Netflix episodes, maybe sit at your hometown café and leisurely work on one or a few of these career necessities:

1. Create/Update your resume. This is especially important for freshman and sophomores who may not even have a resume. Without a resume you can't apply for a internship, and if you don't keep it updated, it could be a disaster trying to make changes right before a deadline!
2. Create a LinkedIn profile. In the similar vein of having a resume, LinkedIn is a great way to connect with professionals and get noticed by recruiters. 
3. Look for summer opportunities. Maybe the deadline is far away, but winter break is the perfect to start looking. Hopefully by next semester, you have a narrowed down list of opportunities that you can start applying for. And of course, you can bring this list to the Career Center for help on apps!
4. Look at the Alumni page.  Tufts Alum extend to all career fields, and rest assured, there's nothing people love more than talking about how they got to where they are today. Send out a few e-mails asking for informational interviews and see what happens. But don't be too sad if they don't respond--it is the holidays after all...

There are a lot of important things to get done around break (source)

Speaking of the holidays, remember: It's still break! You deserve to laze around and enjoy your time with friends, family, and probably TV. Here's a list of non-career activities that I suggest:

1. Do absolutely nothing for at least one full day
2. Watch Netflix all day and night until other people think I've died
3. Visit friends and family to reassure them that I'm alive
4. EAT HOMECOOKED FOOD!!
5. Read a book! 
6. Probably hug your dog/cat/gerbil/fish/pet rock (I have no pets--not even a pet rock, so I'm very jealous)

If you try to get a little bit of career work done each week, by the end of the break, you'll be surprised by what you bring to the Career Center next semester.

Get pumped for the holiday season! (source)

Enjoy your time at home! It's been great spreading Career Center cheer throughout this semester~~

Thanks for reading and see you in January!

Nina Joung

Class of 2018

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The Finals Stretch: What to prioritize and how to survive (as told by Disney princesses)

Hello! Hello! This is one of the most hectic weeks for most students on campus. Assignments, projects, and exams are racing towards us, but sooner than we think, we'll be back home again--hopefully snuggled up in our *own* room with Netflix playing guilt-free.

Sometimes I find that this little interval between Thanksgiving and Winter break can sometimes be made worse with the trip home. We go home to take a break from school and spend time with friends and family, but more often than we'd want, the ones we love end up freaking us out with questions like these: 

What do you want to major in? What do you want to do this summer? Are you studying abroad?? Or for seniors--How's the job hunt going?

While they mean well, these questions get thrown at us during the worst time of year: the two week scramble to finish up the semester is no time to concern yourself with these thoughts!

It'll be alright Cinderella...(source)

So what do you do when it literally feels like everything is happening at once??!!

Step 1: Chill

Sleep is a magical thing...just make sure to wake up (source)

I know it's easier said than done, but we all know we can't just not blink or sleep or eat for 40 hours and be okay for finals. Nicole Brooks wrote an awesome post about Self-Care for midterms, and the same definitely applies for now. 

Also, if you find that you're procrastinating, try not to spend more time freaking out about all your work: Stop. Pat yourself on the back for your "extra" self-care, and hit the books for a while. 

Step 2: Prioritize

Some things aren't worth paying attention to...(source)

All those questions that your Aunt asked you about summer plans and your intended major and what you want to do after graduation may have you thinking (but mostly freaking out) about your next steps. But please, repeat after me: Now is not the time!

While here at the Career Center we're happy to help students with summer internships, resumes, and job searching, school should come first. For the next two weeks, no job opportunity should be worth spreading yourself so thin. Finals period will come and go so quickly; you want to allocate your time wisely. For a majority of fields, job and internship opportunities are constantly coming up, especially second semester, and the Career Center is there all year--even during Winter Break*, but your final exams/assignments only come around once.
(*we'll talk about utilizing the Career Center during winter break in my next post!) 

Step 3: Focus

Without focus, things can turn into a mess...(source)

After you've figured out what needs to be done, now you just need the perfect study environment. There are a lot of ways to create the optimal environment--this is one good article--but here are just 3 takeaways:

1. Work in the environment best for you. If you're someone who needs quiet and alone time, don't say "yes" when your friends want to study together. Respect your own preferences, and your friends will too. Your GPA will thank you later.
2. Set reminders. There are so many things to keep track of this time of year, but don't use more of your precious brainspace! Use reminder apps to keep track of your tasks. Most Macs come with this reminder app, or you can download the reminder app Remember the Milk which works on any device.
3. Schedule break time. Self-care and focus go hand-in-hand. Avoid burning out by taking, the article suggests, "a brief five-minute break every 25 minutes but you should also plan larger breaks every 90 to 120 minutes." So, many get a snack in those five minutes or respond to those messages that you *hopefully* ignored. For the longer breaks, take a brief walk. I'd stay away from Netflix though...

Well, I hope this helps during the Finals Stretch. Remember: Don't overwhelm yourself with more than the imminent tasks in front of you. Just give it your all, because this final stretch will be over before you know it!

Dora is a Disney Princess in my eyes :) (source)

Thanks for reading!

Nina Joung

Class of 2018

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