Survival Guide

     I know that coming to college can be scary.  But to survive the first semester, you will need a good computer, your books, a loud alarm clock, and an open mind.  Adjusting to a new life away from home may be very hard for some people but as long as you try to be nice and friendly, you will make friends easily because everybody is in the same boat as you.  Go to class and do your homework.  They say the greatest way to tell how well a high school student will do in college is their attendance record.  It is easy to snooze or turn off the alarm because your parents aren't there to wake you up, but if you go to class chances are you will end up with a much better grade than if you skip a lot.  You will write a lot, and I mean tons, of papers for college.  So that is why you need a good computer.  Adjustment to a brand new place, without your family there with you to support you,  is hard I am not going to lie, but if you have a positive attitude and try hard, it will work out.

Achievements before graduation

        There are many things I want to achieve before graduation.  As a goal oriented person I believe that I could achieve my top ten things if I put my mind to it.  The list of ten things I want to achieve before graduation are: receive a 4.0 one semester, get a job lined up, study abroad in a foreign country, do internships, get into good shape, travel the country, go to a Clemson versus South Carolina game, take a fitness class, meet the president, and join an intramural team.
     
        A couple other things like join a club, or join a sorority I have already done.  I have faith in myself to get those things done.  It may be hard to do all of those things, but I want to make the most of my college experience.  I think the more experiences you have the more memorable college will be.

Study Abroad

     If I could study abroad anywhere it would definitely be in Australia or Ireland.  I want to study possibly in Australia because my dad went there for a business trip once and said that it was one of the most adventurous and beautiful places he had ever been.  I want to possibly study in Ireland because I am half Irish and I have never been there and I have also heard it is beautiful.  Also they are both English speaking places which is also why I am considering them because I do not know how well I would do in a country that speaks a different language.
     If I studied abroad I would probably take history and art classes because that is what my advisor said I would probably do.  I have not looked much into it really, I need to do more research.  This is because I may want to do a maymester instead of a full semester, but I do not know yet.  For my major the advisors say a good time to study abroad would be second semester sophomore year or first semester junior year. I definitely want to study abroad because I believe it it is a great opportunity. Both my sisters studied abroad and said that it is definitely worth it and you will have the time of your life, plus when else are you going to get to go to a foreign country, take classes, and live there?

Career Research

         Now that I have done a bit of career research I am finding new and different things about the amount of careers need people that do visual communications.  Every company has some type of advertising usually and included in that will be the design or layout of pages, websites, logos, graphs, etc.  It is broad in what the actual definition is for a job that a visual communications major can get.
       
          The information I have found has really helped me realize that having this important skill as my major will potentially help me find a job.  And although the ultimate goal would be to work at a magazine, I could look for a job in other companies and I am not tied down to just one specific type of company.  I do see myself enjoying a career in this field I believe. I have not ever taken a visual communications class so I am hoping to love it, because I love the idea of it.
        

Stressors

       Some of the stresses of college can be very hard to handle but now that we have been here for a long time, it is easier to handle the stresses.  Mostly the stresses that I am dealing with are focusing on homework, and how hard the homework actually is.  There are so many distractions when one is trying to do homework like when all the people on my hall are trying to make conversation with me or when other people are talking and are being loud.  Sometimes it is difficult to deal with but I have ear plugs or tell people that I have to do homework.
        Homework can be very hard sometimes but if I stick through or try and get help from someone I can do it.  Stresses can be a hardship for kids in college but if your try hard you can handle it.  I am doing the best I can with all the distractions and different things going on, and I am doing ok so far.

Favorite Quote

My Favorite Quote is:

     “Life is short, break the rules, forgive quickly, kiss slowly, love truly, laugh uncontrollably, and never regret anything that made you smile. Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
― Mark Twain
     
      This quote has been my favorite quote for a long time.  Senior year of high school we had to pick our favorite quotes to post in the yearbook, and this one was mine.  The reason it is my favorite quote is because it is so inspirational and encouraging.  It is not directly about sailing like when you first read it you think it is.  It is just about taking chances in life and following your heart in what you want to do. 
     I try apply it to my life just by following what I want to do, and making my own decisions.  I think life is too short to be doing things that you don't want to do, and you have to take chances or risks that you think will pay off in the end.  And I try to remember not to take everything so seriously because then you will not enjoy your life.

Letter to me

Dear Future Rosalie,
   
        I hope that everything is going well for you in your life.  I hope that you are successful in everything your doing and that everything is going as planned.  I see myself in the future having a good job having to do with visual communications, possibly doing page layout at a magazine or company, and hopefully starting a family. I hope that you are keeping in touch with all your high school and college friends, and of course family.  As me now, I am aiming to keep up with my school work, making friends, and having fun. Although those are all important I expect the future me to keep doing well in college, focus on my studies and not get distracted, so I can get that good job that I want. I know college may get hard in the future but I know that I can accomplish what I need to do by just doing my best.  Nothing is impossible and all goals can be achieved if you work hard enough.

Love,
Rosalie