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January 31, 2012
Author Archives: Staff Writer, YourSash.com
May 20, 2011
Dealing With Negativity In Greek Life (Fraternities & Sororities)
Today’s blog post covers the topic of negativity (full post here). The issue of negativity has been brought up many times before and while this specific post applies more directly to the business world, it’s easy to draw similar connections from the post and how it would play into affect in student organizations, fraternity, sororities and the Greek system in general. The post presents excellent points that when applied on a small or grand scale can increase the quality and happiness of your life.
The first reason why this is this post is so relevant to students is because of the close proximity one has with other members in an organization. In most Greek houses, the members live in the house, and if they live outside, often times this is also with other members. Speaking from personal experience, I lived in my fraternity house for 2 years and 2 summers of my 4 year college career. The post presents a similar scenario where the “negative” individual is a co-worker who essentially you would spend 8 hours a day / 40 hours a week with.
The second reason why you should read this post is because it presents a valuable concept, and that is one that focuses specifically on controlling your environments. In the work and real world, many people do not have the ability to choose their co-workers. If you’re involved in other non-profit organizations outside of work, often times these organizations have great members who you’ll get along with, and other times there will be a handful who you just can’t stand. Quitting then becomes an option, but if you quit in every scenario where you’re presented with difficult peers, you’ll never be able to succeed.
And lastly, the article itself is structured with seven tips, starting with the smallest and easiest solutions moving onwards to the most drastic ones. The roadmap to escalate a situation is extremely helpful and can be very useful to you in your student life or career.
We truly hope you enjoy the post as much as we do! Best of luck to those graduating this year and entering the “real world,” we know you’ll kick butt.
And lastly… if you’re graduating this June, make sure to order your sorority stoles or fraternity sashes before it’s too late!
May 18, 2011
Staying Focused
There’s a common saying that goes like this:
“Too many people think only about getting results. The key to success, however, is to focus on the specific task at hand and not to worry about results.”
I think this saying holds some validity because it shows the importance of focusing on both short term and long term goals. To a student, being a doctor might be the long term goal, but unless you focus and study for the biology misterm this upcoming Wednesday, that dream is just the more distant. By focusing on the present task at hand, it’s much easier to succeed on a day to day basis and achieve small steps towards your bigger goals in life.
I feel the quote also brings up an important aspect, which is to tackle one item at a time. From my personal experience, when overwhelmed with papers, finals, Greek events, and any other obligations, instead of multi-tasking it was more efficient for me to attempt to knock out one item from my to-do list before moving onto the next one. This then allowed me to focus on the present, and with the time given, accomplish things on a day to day basis.
How do you focus when finals come around?
May 17, 2011
Students & Budgeting
Budgeting has always been a tricky thing. In this economy, it’s even more tricky for recent college graduates. Everything from student loans, to leisure activities, to rent, and basic living expenses.
So how does one balance a budget? There isn’t a formula per say, but we did find a few blog posts we hope you’ll find helpful.
The first post comes from the GetRichSlowly Blog that talks about the building blogs that help create a better budget.
The second post comes from dumblittleman.com – While this one is not focused directly on budgeting, it focuses more on mental energy. With only x hours in a day, it’s important to focus on the things that are most important to you and to do them early and when you’re coherent.
Take a read and let us know what works for you!
May 15, 2011
Reasons To Pursue An Advanced Degree
Every year, tens of thousands of college students graduate and enter the “real world.” Of those who graduate, many graduate with bachelors or associates degree, but there are also those with graduate degrees as well. The value of an advanced degree is debatable. For many, an advanced degree isn’t an indicator of future success, but for others the added skills and knowledge one learns in a graduate program pays off significantly in their application of this to their work. There are many successful entrepreneurs without advanced degrees, and vice versa.
If you’re considering going for an advanced degree, make sure that you’re going for the right reasons. The cost of tuition and student loans have sky rocketed in the past years and it’s easy to overlook the dangers of taking on 5 or 6 digit debts.
Our Recommendation:
A) Consider the career path(s) – What options with your advanced degree provide you with after graduating? How do you know this is the right career path you want? What if you don’t end up liking it?
B) Consider an internship. So you’re thinking of going into law? Try a summer internship at a law office to get a feel for the industry.
C) Choose your program wisely. It’s easy to get pulled into a brand name school, but it’s just as important to factor in your experience there, how much support will faculty provide you, does the school have a strong alumni network, how is the school ranked, what classes are offered, etc.
D) Don’t do it just because you’re parents want you to. Your parents probably do have your best interests at heart, but this is your decision, your career, and your life. Make sure the decision that you make is truly yours.
May 14, 2011
Are We Influenced By Our Surroundings?
There’s this saying that goes “We shape our buildings and afterward our buildings shape us.”
Truth be told, I believe this quote means that we influence the environment around us and in turn the environment influences us. This is particularly true when it comes to Greek organizations such as fraternities and sororities.
I still remember my Freshmen year in college. I was fairly timid and shy, but it was after joining my fraternity, bonding with the brothers, growing as an individual, and being put into leadership positions where I broke out of my shell. My fraternity facilitated this process significantly. I learned from the upperclassmen, and before I knew it I was one of the upperclassmen!
The second reason why I feel this is true is because often times it’s the members of the organization that truly shape it, and in doing so create something bigger than they could have ever imagined. Countless houses across the nation run philanthropy events because it’s tradition, but after the members get involved with the philanthropy, they look for other ways to continue to give back to the community.
And lastly, it’s hard if not impossible to not be influenced by your surroundings. If you have great friends who cook, it’s likely you’ll pick up that habit. If most of your friends eat junk food or fast food, it’s likely you’ll fall into this as well, or if a lot of your friends go to the gym, you’ll probably tag along as well. The people, things, and environment we choose to associate with as a whole often times make us who we are.
If you haven’t already, be sure to order your greek stoles before it’s too late!
May 13, 2011
Selecting Your First Job Out Of College?
Choosing your first job out of college is a tricky task. On the one hand, today’s economy doesn’t necessarily provide the most open doors into those “dream jobs.” Holding out for that dream offer may cost you just as great of opportunities in the mean time. Many graduates instead intern for free at companies, take time off to travel, or choose to go to grad school because that opportunities just aren’t there.
The challenge then becomes how to pay off student loans. With interest beginning to acrrue just a few months after graduation, the reality of the real world can be scary for many.
As as career seaker fresh out of college, what’s most important to you? Is it the pay, the prestige of the company, the experience, the room for growth or something else? Our advice to job seekers would be to:
First, use more than craigslist. Don’t stop at craigslist, monster.com or any of the other online job boards. Tap into your network, ask your parents to ask their friends, ask your relatives. You’d be surprised how by asking people if they know anyone hiring how often they do!
Another tip is to not be cocky. It’s great that you graduated from college with a 4.0 and Honors, but there are also thousands of other great students who just graduated this year as well. Be honest in your interviews, and be yourself. Talk about how you’ll be a great fit for the company and what makes you stand out from the other candidates. Don’t just focus on your GPA or degree, but the things outside of your resume that you’d bring to the table.
And lastly, start sooner than later. Beef up your resume now, send out some cover letters. Don’t wait until after graduation like 80% of your classmates will. Take the jump early, even if it’s just a few weeks. This will give you an edge, and any advantage is good!
May 12, 2011
How Has Technology Changed Your Chapter?
It’s funny to think that when I was in college, Friendster and then Myspce were the big boys. And by big boys, I am referring to the major social networks. It wasn’t until about senior year when thefacebook, or now “facebook” really made a big push, opened to colleges nationwide and started to gain market share. In the same way that Facebook has connected the world, it feels like this technology has also alienated people and made people less social.
First, Facebook changed the entire process of rush for many fraternities and sororities across the nation. With Facebook, it was now possible to engage with potential rushees even before rush began. It was easy to build that connection through “friending” them and learn more about them quickly as well as inform them of upcoming events. The opposite side of this is of course that lost of a geniune connection. While you might be friends with someone on Facebook, how well do you really know them in real life? Or was it after a random party that you met once you added them and haven’t seen them since?
The second argument about how technology (specifically facebook) has made us less social is that a lot of people just don’t talk in person any more. Instead of picking up a phone and hearing the voice of a long lost friend or relative, we often resort to technology… facebook wall posts, SMS, email. Wall posts have replaced birthday cards and hand written invitations replaced by event invites.
How has technology changed your technology?
May 11, 2011
Working With Your Brothers & Sisters
Fraternities and sororities present unique leadership opportunities. On the one hand, they offer the ability for members to take on leadership roles and responsibilities they have yet to try, and on ther other, present challenging dillemas where “unqualified” people may potentially be leading a project they have no idea how to complete.
In the business world, an old adage goes “Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do, and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.”
The saying is interesting in that by empowering people to go above and beyond, versus outlining the exact steps for them, people will be creative and will figure out a problem and how to solve it. I’m a firm believer in this methodology because of the following reasons.
The first reason is because there’s always room for improvement. If you have a current method of raising funds, or hosting your annual pancake breakfast, there’s probably always some room to improve it further. When not presented with a checklist or itemized to-do list, people get creative. They think of new ideas and oftentimes these new ideas can lead to innovation. That’s not to say you should reinvent the wheel each time, but when you provide little guidance, often times this is where people step up and shine.
Secondly, when you tell people how to do things, a lot of people shut off, or just do the bare minimums. These “steps” once checked off are not revisited and for many that extra step is never taken.
And lastly, sometimes failure is the strongest tool to learn from. When a person learns from their mistakes, they often grow stronger. When you’re providing a event or employee review, often times this feedback resonates with that person. Instead of telling them how to host the next philanthropy event, let them test out different ways they’d like to run it.
You’d be surprised.
May 11, 2011
What Was The Most Valuable Lesson You Learned In College?
You’d be surprised how often one hears this question. What was the most valuable thing you learned in college? Or what was your favorite course? While it’s easy to dismiss a class where you might have had a teacher who wasn’t the most fun to be around, it’s often these classes that you remember about the most years later.
What was the most valuable lesson I learned in college? It came in Junior year in my an upper division Communication course. Our class was completing a group project for a local charity, Direct Relief International, and it was from this experience that I really was able to see the value of communication and marketing, and how it tied into practical applications in the real world. The hands on experience in this course taught me things that simply reading in a book, I probably would not have absorbed.
The other most valuable lessons I’ve learned in college were from my fraternity. It was through my fraternity that I’ve met some of my closest and still closest brothers and friends. We struggled together, lived together, learned together, cooked (or tried to cook together), and grew together. It was from this experience that I truly felt the “college experience” that eventually prepared me for the real world.
Whether your most valuable lesson comes from a class or out side, it’s up to you how you apply it post graduation and the friends you choose to keep in touch with. To all the high school seniors graduating soon, make your college experience worth it!
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