The Key to Success is Wishing You Could Do It All Over Again

I can't believe I'm writing this, but I'm currently in the middle of my last week of classes as an undergraduate student at Fordham.  Even though graduation is still a few weeks away, it seems like the ceremony is just a formality--this is really the end of college as I know it.  I started my freshman year at Fordham as a quiet and shy 17-year-old who had never had a real job before, but was sure of what she eventually would want to do with her life.  As I finish up my last couple of final papers, I'm much more outgoing (but still shy if I'm being completely honest) and basically completely unsure of what I eventually want to do with my life.   Even though that scares me a little bit, I have this feeling that somehow everything will work out and I will end up wherever I'm supposed to be.  This time of year obviously has me feeling pretty nostalgic, so here's what I would tell my freshman year-self if I could...

Orrrrrr don't.  That would probably make you more calm actually.

1. Don't Create Your Dreams Based on What Makes You Seem the Most Successful: Success doesn't equal going to law school, medical school, or business school.  Work on becoming the best at what you love to do, not what people in your life would love for you to do.  Everyone else will get over you not following their expectations for you, but you will never get over not making yourself happy with your career.  Listen to what Mom says for once and remember that "If you love what you're doing, you'll never work a day in your life."

All those Latin classes and you still don't know what these words mean?

2. You're Not as Smart as You Think: Just because you were good at Spanish in high school DOES NOT mean that you should take Latin first semester of freshman year.  Sometimes, it's best to just stick with what you know.  And research classes before signing up for them.  Latin is very hard and no amount of office hours will help you get above a C.  Just stop.  Everyone from home who thinks you're a genius because your schedule consists of computer science, "faith and critical reasoning," Latin, Composition, and political science will be far less impressed when they see your G.P.A.

You should have studied on Eddie's more too.

3. You're Smarter (and Stronger) Than You Think: Just because you got a C on your first exam in college and can't seem to get the hang of Latin doesn't mean you're an idiot.  You got accepted to college for a reason, and that reason was not so that everyone could watch you fail and then make fun of you for it.  Use the resources available to you and don't have too much pride.  Eventually, you'll find yourself getting A's again, you just have to learn how to write all over again.  And even though it's cliché, you really are stronger than you think too. 

4. Go to the Gym and Take Care of Your Body: Napping for 4 hours every day may seem therapeutic and healthy, but that's actually a sign that something's very wrong with your body.  Eat some veggies and hit the gym once in a while.  Losing weight before college doesn't mean that you can literally just sit on your butt for the next four years.  It won't make you feel good, and it definitely won't make you look good. 

Nope, it doesn't!

5. Just Because You're Legally an "Adult" Now Doesn't Mean That Everyone will Suddenly Stop Acting Childish: Having friends is great, don't get me wrong, but it doesn't mean that they're going to be your friends forever.  And that's okay.  Stay as removed from the drama as possible and remember that people don't always act the same way they do when you first meet as they do when you've known them for a year.  Take some time to learn about people, and don't forget about those friends that you only see once or twice a semester, because they can end up being your very best friends of all.  Always remember those who are there for you when nobody else seems to be.

An Intern-al Investigation

When I was in high school and in the process of deciding which college to go to, I was absolutely positive that I was destined to be a lawyer when I got older.  I grew up hearing my parents tell me I would be an excellent attorney due to my loves of reading and writing, as well as my even stronger passion for arguing and debating.   I chose to go to Fordham largely because of it's excellent Pre-Law program and the reputation that came with being a Fordham graduate.  I found a roommate to live with during my Freshman year that had the same aspirations as I did, and I basically saw myself as the next Elle Woods (except less glamorous). 
Obviously, my plans changed.  I quickly learned that becoming a lawyer was going to be much more difficult than I imagined, and that unemployment after law school was most likely going to be my reality.  I decided to create a much more stable future for myself by becoming a Communications major and pursuing a career in the entertainment industry.  Yes, you read that right.
Even though becoming a successful lawyer would have made me substantially more wealthy than my current path will probably make me, working in television has given me internship opportunities that make nearly everyone I know jealous.  I might be living with my parents until I'm middle-aged, but my internships have given me some pretty nice non-monetary perks.  This semester, I'm interning at WABC-7 in the Operations and Production departments.  I absolutely love my internship, so here are the aspects that make me kind of okay with waking up at 5am.

This happened on my first day of work.  Those are grasshopper tacos.

1. Weekly Visits to "Live with Kelly and Michael": Every Tuesday, I have the privilege of going down to the Live! with Kelly and Michael studio to watch the show, and if I'm lucky, I get asked to help run errands and make sure the guests have everything they need.  For example, last week I was asked to find a bottle of Coca Cola for one of the guest's makeup artists.  It was 7:30am.  I love getting to hang around there though.  Even though asking guests for pictures or autographs is completely out of the question, I'll never forget getting to be in the same breathing space with celebs like Ryan Reynolds, Cameron Diaz, Anderson Cooper, and Chrissy Tiegan.  It's always the best part of my Tuesday.

Ryan Reynolds had us swooning. 

2. My Coworkers: For some reason, our intern program is completely filled with Fordham students.  That means I get to work with a lot of people I already knew from classes, but now I've had the chance to really get to know them and become friends.  It's also helpful that I can quietly freak out with those people when we see a celebrity and not be judged for it.

This special aired last night and was the first one that I watched live.

 

3. Seeing My Name In Television Credits: Even though nobody (including myself) pays any attention to television credits, I got surprisingly excited/emotional the first time I saw my name scroll down a TV screen.  Plus, my family thinks it's cool.  They also think that it's airing nationally (even though only people in the tri-state area can see it) but that's okay.

Queen Lupita

4. Production Assistance: One of my favorite days at ABC was when one of my Producers came into my office and said "Hey, can you be ready in 10 minutes to go on an interview with me?  We have to film with Lupita Nyong'o" and I basically lost my mind.  My job at that shoot was to take pictures (while not distracting Lupita) and make sure we didn't go over our designated time limit.  Getting to go on amazing shoots like that make any of the "boring" intern tasks I have to do all worth it.

Yes, this man is my boss.

5. My Supervisors: It's always nerve-wracking to start a new job or internship and try to please your bosses, especially when you're working in an industry where there are 1000 other people that would jump at the chance to take your place if you ever mess up.  However, my bosses at ABC couldn't be any more friendly and welcoming.  They also make it a point to sit me down once in a while and teach me about the industry, which is something that not too many supervisors have time to do.  They're also just really funny people, which I appreciate.

Apples to App(les)

A lot of people like to define Millennials by our obsessions with technology.  According to our generational stereotype, we are never able to completely "unplug" because we are constantly on our computers, iPads, tablets, iPods, and iPhones, and sometimes we use all of those things at once.  I would argue that this isn't a "Millennial" phenomenon.  It's a 2016 phenomenon.  I, for one, pride myself in not bringing my phone to the table at family dinners unless there's an emergency, and I know many people my age who try to do the same.  On the other hand, my middle-aged family members are the ones who seem to never be able to get off the phone and just live in the moment (or whatever we're supposed to be doing at those dinners).  However, I will admit that I have fallen victim to many of the viral iPhone apps (I'm looking at you, "Tiny Wings") that I play during my internship commute.  Here are a few of the apps that had me hooked for an extended period of time.


1. Two Dots: "Two Dots" is my one of my current go-to games and I've noticed that there's an underground obsessed following of Two Dots players that doesn't talk about the game unless they just happen to see someone playing.  Then they go crazy.  I actually have a friend who will leave her apartment late to go to social events just because she's finishing out her five lives on the game.  I started playing it last year when I was in Italy (the game doesn't require an internet connection, which is super helpful) and finished the game.  Since then, they've added hundreds of more levels, which reignited my love for the app. 

2. Temple Run: Okay, so I'm pretty sure that we all had at least a brief love affair with the insanity that is Temple Run.  The greatest (and most addicting) part about it is that there aren't any "life" limits, so you can literally sit and play the games for hours without realizing any time has passed.  There's also really catchy (and really annoying) background music for the game that gets stuck in your head.  My only issue with Temple Run is that it makes me very stressed because there aren't any breaks!  The Temple Run era was not a very zen time in my life.





3. Family Feud: I'm not sure if this app is also on iPhones, but I've been playing it on my Kindle Fire since I got the thing.  The only flaw with the app is that it doesn't come with Steve Harvey.  That being said, I never get bored playing, and I really like that it keeps my mind active.  At this point, who doesn't love family feud?!?







4. 94%:  This is another app that has current presence on my phone.  It's kind of like Family Feud, but without the three strikes rule, which is great.  I also like that the app's developers are constantly adding new levels to the game, so you're never really finished playing.  Again, it's great if you don't have any other obligations in life that involve looking up from your phone screen.








5. Candy Crush: How could I make a list involving addicting apps without talking about Candy Crush?!?  At this point, I've deleted the app because I couldn't pass any of the levels anymore, but somehow my middle-aged family members continue to send me requests for the app on Facebook.  I really need that to stop.  Regardless, the Candy Crush era was great because it brought a solo-app to social media.  I totally judged people based on how many times they sent me lives vs. how many times they asked me for lives.  And today, EVERYONE on the subway plays Candy Crush.  They just don't talk about it anymore.