Cohort/Chicago

 

A year ago if you asked me where I was going to go for graduate school I would have probably said Minneapolis, MN. I was looking into doing an internship for IBM and General Mills in case I didn't get into any programs. It came between U of M HRM or Chicago.  At the end of the day I picked Chicago! Luckily, Carolyn-- one of my good friends from high school was also wanting to move to Chicago so we made the leap to the big city together. It made the transition a whole lot easier, I am so thankful to have a good friend in a big city. I wont lie, when I first came to Roosevelt--I HATED it! Although you are constantly surrounded by millions of people everyday, you still feel alone. When I looked around the room at my cohort, I felt that no one was like me. I wondered if I would ever make friends from my classes. After a couple of months I started doing discussion groups with some of my cohort. I feel that through the struggle of studying Personnel Psychology I became closer with my classmates. As you can see from the picture--I have made some good friends here! :o)

Shopping before class? OOPS!On another note, I love living in Chicago! It was the best decision to move here! Whenever I leave and come back, i get so happy. I think I am a BIG city person & Minneapolis, although nice--is a completely different culture than Chicago and is a lot smaller. It does get me in trouble sometimes living in Chicago. Imagine, when I have time before class, I am steps away from my favorite shops. But at the end of the day, I don't imagine myself anywhere but here.

Luckily, the week is flying by! I have so much to do & very little time. The consulting challenge is on Thursday morning i have a 12-14 paper due and presentation on the paper on Monday! Once I get those two things out of the way a huge weight will be lifted off my shoulders!I will say one thing though, it may sound really cliche but, follow your dreams. No matter how big or how far fetched someone ELSE thinks they are! If i would of listened to petty professors, I wouldn't be where I am today. Be your biggest fan and motivator. Speed bumps should also be a motivator. It may sound weird, but I like going through difficult times, it shapes you. It allows you to see your true strengths & to me, that is remarkable. Take these works and implement it in your own life. Challenge yourself. Write it down--take a moment--reflect.

Well, time for me to relax and get ready to work tomorrow. I hope everyone is staying warm! It's snowing here in Chicago <3

Ashley*

Back to school mode

I am so glad that i got a full week off for thanks giving break! I got to see a lot of my friends and relax for a little bit. Unfortunately, I did have to spend time preparing for exams and papers. It's crazy to think that I am almost done with my first semester of graduate school! Three semesters left until I can have that Masters degree! This semester and a few of my colleagues have been working on a "consulting challenge". Personally, I want to become a consultant so this experience will hopefully benefit me in the long run. Our team received data on fictitious construction company and we were asked to interpret the data and try and figure out what went wrong in the company and what strategies we would use. On Thursday, my team has to present in front of professors and other members at Roosevelt. I am a little anxious and excited for the presentation! I will know the results this weekend, so I'll be sure to make another blog about that! This semester I also decided to become a mentor for undergraduate Psychology majors. I really enjoy helping others figure out their classes and giving academic advice so I thought this would be the perfect fit. It's amazing to see people who have the same interest as me. I think Psychology is such a fascinating major. There are so many different subtypes to go into. I wonder where I would be today if I did not have a focus on Industrial Organizational Psychology? As I begin to wrap up my first semester I started to reflect back on the first few weeks. I remember calling my boyfriend and telling him i would most certainly have a 4.0 and classes would be a piece of cake. About 3 weeks later I called him with veryyyy different thoughts--haha. One thing is for certain, no matter how many speed bumps I encounter a long the way, I try not to get discouraged. Everyone is waiting for you to slip up, and yes you may slip up a long the way. But it's more important how you pick yourself back up during difficult times. My professor in my undergrad told me If i never feel like quitting--you are crazy. You are always going to wonder, is graduate school right for me? Did i make the right decision? You will see your friends getting married and moving on with their lives, but never give up, even if you feel like you want to. Whenever I reach a speed bump I think of that quote and I get back up. On that note, I have a final exam tomorrow-- I better get back to studying! Enjoy your day--wherever you may be.... *Ashley

Eat Pray Love

Right now I'm reading the book Eat Pray Love. I am about half way done and so far I really enjoy it! I would put this in my "Inspiration" category. If you are looking for a little inspiration in your life, I would recommend reading this. I won't lie, it is a little lengthy! But I love to get on the train open the book and get lost in the stories.

Tanzania

I would like to give recognition to my friend Meagan. She is currently in Tanzania educating children in Africa on specific Health issues. She is in the Peace Corps for two years. It takes great courage to do something like this. I truly believe it takes a strong individual to step out of their shell and adapt to a new like and a new culture--I know she is touching the lives of many people over there! I am very proud of you Meagan! Nimekumiss sana<3

Rev Run

 "Do something nice for someone today! The people who do things that count are usually the ones who are not counting".

Rev Run has some truly inspiring quotes--from time to time I will share some of my favorites....

Dialect Bias in Job Selection

Have you ever wondered if ones dialect or accent influences hire ability?  A  survey done by the General Accounting Office of the US found that accented job applicants were treated unfairly 31% more times than unaccented job applicants(IMPACT). I find that to be crazy!Right now I am working on a proposal for class that I hope to implement at Roosevelt University. I have a more complex study that I hope to use for a thesis proposal. We will see how it goes!

Welcome!

My name is Ashley and welcome to my blog! Back in the day i was an avid blogger. I simply enjoyed making inspirational quotes and making updates about my life. I even presented my blog to my classmates. Fast forward 7 years later..here I am again but things have drastically CHANGED since then.Currently, I am living my dream & studying Industrial/Organizational Psychology at Roosevelt University. I have always wanted to go to graduate school. I had several speed bumps on my journey to get where I wanted to be. Honestly, most of the professors I spoke with stressed the idea that graduate school was too difficult and advised me not to go.On the other hand, my personal academic advisor saw something different than all the others. He was extremely confident that I would get in, and that I would be successful. He was right! Well, I got in. But hopefully I will be successful. :D Anyways, I want to use this blog as an escape! On the days when the going gets tough..or when I feel inspired..whatever it may be..it will be here. Some things may not be of interest to everyone, but that's okay. Today I was feeling inspired. I hope to share a little of my life with you. My only hope is that I can reach out to some of you, in whatever way it may be. Enjoy <3

Also shout out to my little sister Allyson, who helped me make this!