I had to present my resume for one of my 300 level Business Coms. classes. Mom, don’t I look professional?
My outfit and French roll hair for the presentation
All Business
Familiar Fades…
I received in the mail just a few days ago a delightful yellow book full of maps and things to help me find my way around Liberty when I arrive. Most helpful so far was a map of Demoss, where three of my classes will be. I highlighted my classrooms or their rough vicinity and hope Lyndsey and I can find them when I get there August 19th.
Also in the packet was my schedule before orientation — the events I need to go to, like “Keeping it Safe” for women and the Chancellor’s Cookout at Williams Stadium.
On another note, I showed my sister around North Central, our community college, because she is taking classes there this fall. It was strange to walk through the buildings and remember all the fun times I had there — and I didn’t even take that many classes! The place is as big as Demoss at LU, but it still has a lot to offer, and I am glad my sister and her friends can take advantage of the opportunities there. The campus is pictured above.
I leave on Sunday for Harbor Point. When I get back on the 15th it will be the race to the wire to get down there… and then it all begins!
In the Mail
I was so relieved this morning when I sent out two manila envelopes addressed to Lynchburg, VA — one holding my application, background check, and finally completed resume; the other medical records. I am almost done!
Coming the other direction in the mail was a check from MBS Direct, the textbook company through which DLP students (now Liberty University Online) buy their books. If you keep them in good enough condition, you can mail them back free of charge and get a check from the company. I had forgotten to send back my Sociology and Psychology textbooks from last fall, and was glad to get some extra money for books this year.
Secondly came a nice pamphlet from LU for alumni across United States. Although I am not a graduate yet the pamphlet had sections on each decade of Liberty’s existence: the 70s, 80s, 90s, and 2000s. My dad and I found it interesting to read the historical progress of Dr. Falwell’s dream. I stuck it to the fridge to look at.
It’s a week till I move out of the house for 13 days as a live-in nanny, and then two days after I come home my mom and I head to Virginia. The excitement builds…
Resuming the Job Hunt
Going to LU hinges on my work ethic not only academically, but also physically. While my ambition is constantly in need of tweaking, I will say I have always enjoyed job-hunting. Most of my employment in the past (with the exception of my receptionist job and any writing gigs I obtained) have been seasonal, due to the tourist industry here in MI. Now I have an altogether new job hunt to start at LU, where I know no one, and no one knows me. I can’t state yet whether it will be more difficult to gain employment without connections, but I guess I will find out soon.
I spent all day today writing, re-writing, editing and formatting my resume. MSN Careers is now my best buddy! There were so many great tips in the “Resume and Cover Letter” section on tweaking your wording, formatting, and employment history to give a professional and articulate first impression.
I found especially helpful this article on “4 Things Your Resume Shouldn’t Be Wthout”. My former resume, which I was fairly proud of at the time, looked rather like a kindergartener’s transcript beside the well-organized samples on MSN. The article, along with a few others, helped me develop it into something I think employers will take the time to consider.
I am also constructing a portfolio of my writing and accomplishments to have with me in case the departments choose to schedule an interview. I found an amazing piece on constructing a writing portfolio on the DIY website “DIY Planner”. Here it is. I believe this will be a beneficial buffer to the resume and application, plus something that might provide some backup to experience listed on paper.
I highly recommend college students to check out MSN Careers for advice on getting jobs while you are still in school, but also on preparing for the jump after graduation. What you practice now may prove to be even more valuable then!
Registration Frustration
All the excitement of preparing to leave for college is still spinning around in my head. Mom and I went shopping the other day and found my bedspread, pillow, walking shoes, the valances and curtains, and a dorm fridge (that one was a steal! It worked out so well to get it used). However, the most important part of going to college — the reason one even goes — I am having trouble obtaining: my classes.
Because I already have 45 credits I thought it best to finish my AA degree before moving into my Bachelors’. The difficulty is that the Resident program does not have an AA of General Studies, and the Online program does (I was a former Online student). Thus, melding the two programs has been difficult for my advisor and myself. Just as we got it figured out, however, I was blocked from registration by a hold on my account.
“Missing High School transcript” glowed fluorescently off my computer screen as I glared at the red letters stating I couldn’t register for classes. I had already received three phone calls from LU telling me the classes were filling up. I ran through my files and discovered in the depths my old high school listing of grades, along with my diploma, and ran to the fax machine. The website gave me the number, but it wouldn’t go through… so I called, emailed, and just plain bugged the poor Registrar’s office till I am sure they didn’t want me registering for anything at all! After three days of fax attempts I went to The Office Shop and found out — glory be! — the fax number was wrong. How long was it going to take me to figure that out? Three days at least…
So it went through, but because it went through on a Friday, the office is closed over the weekend. So while I know what classes to register for, I sit here, lamenting the fact that I can’t. Monday may prove to be a happy day when I can!
