MU Honors Program: Student Blog

Let's talk business...

With Wall Street reeling, America uncertain, and people all over the country discussing what is happening to America’s definition of ‘democracy’ I feel it is a good time to talk business. Not just any business, but the business of working at Miami.

Now you may be saying to yourself, “Didn’t you just discuss the business school last week?” and it is true.

The business I want to discuss this week is work opportunities at Miami and some of the employment experiences I have had and others that I (thankfully) I have not had to experience. Hands down, the best (paid) position on campus is a drug dealer – just kidding – is an Honors Associate. And now, I will use comparisons to show you why:

1.    Food Service: Dirty, overworked, smelly, and boring are common words used to describe working in the food service industry (at least on the level you will at Miami). The other positive aspects are that you make no connections, and (I am not sure on this one) you do not get all the free food you would ever want (booo!).

2.    C(ampus) A(venue) B(uilding) – Problems with working at these administrative jobs: Every other student hates you. This is an exaggeration; the CAB work is similar to Honors work, except you are dealing with aspects of the school not directly linked to honors office.

3.    (Name the major) department – Not a terrible job; you get to rub elbows with profs; work is not too intense. Pay is not great. Overall I would place this job category in second place.

4.    Uptown, Sectioned off:
a.    Food Service: See above, with a different boss.
b.    Banks: They do not hire students, they take their money (Some of Oxford’s banks are better than others (I am not going to name the one I am thinking of, but be wary.)
c.    Bars: No one is Tom Cruise in Cocktail sadly. You do not walk into a bar at Miami and become a bartender. It just does not happen. Now, you will start off as a cleaner, server, or bouncer. Again each job needs sectioned:
i.    Cleaner: Think of a club. Then think of the toilets after a busy night. Then think of the person who has to clean that up: that’s you.
ii.    Server: Like other restaurant experiences, this opportunity can be both positive and negative. Good money, but if you are a girl you are ogled (which is not cool, by the way). Also the hours can be strenuous on school work and the work can be overly stressful.
iii.    Bouncer: the preferred choice of Fraternity members and other ‘socialites’ of Miami. This has perks and pains. The perks are that you become instantly popular and always know which bar you are going to when you go uptown. The pain is that everyone wants in as a twenty-one year old, and that gets you FIRED. Needless to say, it is a high turnover position.

5.    Resident Assistant: This is a pretty sweet gig. The positives of this program are: free housing (and a single) and pay on top of that (I love money WOOOOO!)! You also get to boss around other people (‘positively manage them’) and make sweet signs. Side note: you are on duty during some weekends, which kind of s.u.c.k.s.

6.    S.O.U.L: Stay at Miami for a month during summer to help with Summer Orientation. Some people love it, but it’s not my cup of tea.

7.    Other campus jobs: I recognize I missed some, i.e. people who work at the Rec, cleaning stables, tutor, etc. But I do not have experience with said jobs so I feel less-than-qualified to discuss them.

8.    The Honors Office: There are various aspects one can become in the office including SA, UA, HB, StA and BAMF. With all these positions, you learn a lot about being in the Honors program and are generally a resource for all other honors students. Past that, the jobs are differentiated as follows:
a.    Student Associate (SA): I am this! I do fun things like file things (homework), answer calls (homework), and field or direct honors questions (homework). Pay is higher than in dining halls, but lowest in the Honors office. One also gets to rub elbows with some pretty amazing (and connected people) and see people they know consistently.
b.    Undergraduate Associate (UA): much like a teaching assistant (TA), this person has taken a class and is now helping the professor to teach it to the next year. It’s a lot of work, but you get honors credit and a transcript notation. This is very good for ‘pre-thesis’ (since you have to have an advisor for your thesis) suck up points for students.
c.    Honors Blogger (HB): Awesome, you write and get paid for it. It doesn’t even matter if you are good. wHICH i obisuvoly ame.
d.    Student Advisor (AKA Bishop Fellow): I do not know too much about this, but I do know that you get paid well and it is more intensive that SA’s (two-one SA). You also advise prospective students and influence how the honors program runs. Very good on a résumé also.
e.    BAMF – me.

Well, this concludes my discussion of the various work positions available at Miami and I am hope it leads you to the right path. If next year, we see an influx of 1,800 applicants to the Honors student associate position I know my blogs are loved (as if anyone reads them). So “this is Johnny Rhythm, saying good night and God Bless!” –John Lennon (and my newly adapted good-bye catch phrase).

Sentiments on a Monday… posted on a Thursday.

Recommended Song right now: “Eleanor Rigby” Thrice Version
Choice Album: “Love” The Beatles

Here is the thing about classes being cancelled: It doesn’t happen.

Yet here I am, after an eleven-in-the-morning run, writing a blog because we do not have class. Score. Classes were cancelled today because of a horrendous wind storm (the lesser winds of a southern hurricane) that knocked out power for hours, took down trees all over campus, and generally made Sunday an interesting day. Am I complaining? Ha! Side note: I am deeply sorry for all the people who were affected by the Hurricane.

Since I have extra time today, I feel like it is a good time to discuss the Farmer School of Business (FSB), the Honors Business Program (HBP), and what it means to be a business student. What I hope will eventually become apparent is that the FSB and HBP are both good programs to be involved with, but require careful planning because of their structural guidelines.

The Farmer School of Business is very good at making students who do care about their education (this idiot) turn prematurely gray and become quite versed in business IT before taking a real business class in their major. But I am not complaining really, I very much enjoy my business classes; I just feel the FSB could better track what courses students need to take. The FSB does offer quite a few really positive aspects that I have taken full advantage of, some these are:

-   Yearly lecture series with incredible people, CEOs, CFOs, and CIOs of many major corporations.

-   Strong dedication to undergrad education, meaning that the FSB really works to place students in positions out of college.

-   Incredible alum funding for academic study, research, and student run projects (a great example is CABO, Chinese-American Business Organization)

-   The FSB really does get students ready for real world business situations in a multitude of interests.

Now within the Farmer School of Business is the Honors Business Program, which is separate from the Honors program. This program is one that a student does not have to apply to, they are accepted shortly after being notified about the honors program (so don’t worry about applying). The program itself is structured so that an honors business student starts in a cohort as freshman and takes one (or two) honors business courses per semester. Students have to take BUS 101C, BUS 150C, MIS 235C, MGT 291C, ACC 222C, BLS 342C, a capstone course (there are two choices), and a colloquium course. These courses are generally more intense studies, but also much more in-depth and interesting.

In my short tenure as an honors business student I have come across a couple things that are really nice about the program. These are: BUS 101C is incredible if you put the time in; in BUS 150C you get to rub elbows with some deans of the business school; finally, it goes on your degree. I also hear BLS 342C is a pretty amazing class because the current professor for that course (Dr. Herron) is an incredibly good professor.  All of these aspects of the HBP are nice, but honestly their needs to be some flexibility in the courses one has to take.

Well, this ends my discussion of the FSB and HBP. This wasn’t my most interesting blog ever, but it was informative for Honors business students and that was my goal. So, peace.

Too Serious...

你 好 fellow bloggers:

Realizing that my last blog was MUCH too serious (It had a point), I decided this week to just throw some comments on paper and see how it comes out:

1.      Shoes vs. Sandals – seriously, sandals are God-like inventions. They are shoes that are culturally acceptable and you don’t have to lace them. AWESOME. But word to the wise, getting to class is usually about 30% slower with sandals on, so adjust accordingly. Also, you never yell Nike! After running away from officers of the law in sandals (that’s what they tell me anyways).
2.      Dolphins vs. Sharks – Dolphins, hands down. Yeah, sharks have teeth and made Steven Spielberg rich, but dolphins are BAes. Straight up. They are the second most intelligent animal on Earth and can do damage with their snouts. I don’t know about you but I feel a head butt always works better than a bite in time of conflict.
3.      Belltower vs. Scott Dining Hall – This is a really, really, really tough one. On one hand you can get steak, tacos, pasta, salad, and quasi-Asian food (I actually had a Chinese student make my meal for me the other day, that’s a first) at Bell Tower. Bell Tower also has a late night walk through and is more accessible on weekends. Scott dining hall though, has the (hands down) best hot subs, burgers, wraps, and smoothies on campus. So if pressed to make a decision, I go quality over accessibility and say Scott is the best dining hall on campus.

But enough of vs. battles. Let’s talk squirrels. I will say this about the squirrels on campus: they have got personality. I guess when you don’t have to worry about whether you are going to be attacked or not, life becomes a lot more dull (why we should reinstitute the Gladiator system). Because life is sooo blasé for the campus squirrels, I have actually caught them sitting there (for extended time periods) watching me. I feel like they are judging me. Sometimes by themselves and other times in groups, they sit there, heads cocked to the side, staring at me. It’s unnerving.

But enough about squirrels…

Another interesting facet of my life is that I started conditioning for the Oxford State-to-State half marathon this morning. What I like about the STS is that it is a community event that is both fun and grueling, with a great crowd cheering you on (and they have post run massages). As such, I will partake in that endeavor the 28th of this month (and of course keep everyone posted). The point I am trying to make by bringing up the STS is running on campus. The student populous sees campus runners as both highly commendable individuals and as downright annoyances. If you are a runner, this means you are in better shape and that is good thing for Miami students. If you are a runner who decides an eleven AM run is a good idea during the school week, you are universally hated by every other student walking to class. The looks you receive from your peers truly are scathing. It's an amazing phenomenon. So my recommendation is to either use the Rec (open 7-11 everyday) or run at times when you are least likely to piss others off. I personally am a morning running. It's a little cold but you feel amazing the rest of the day. Well, since my random musings have calmed down and I am incredibly busy this week (yah for teachers who overload students in the first three weeks!) I am just going to say one last thing:

BAM! And that’s it.

Thanks Emeril.

再 见！

Deciding Schools...

To the prospective Students and random bloggers:

Being the third child, I was blessed and cursed. Blessed because all the mistakes my brothers made growing up gave me a chance to learn from them, and not repeat their stupidity. Often times I was referred to as the “golden child,” not because of any divine power (though I have always suspected) but because of my uncanny ability to skirt parental danger. At the same time I was cursed. Yes, since sixth grade every “family vacation” mysteriously turned into a showcase for some “perfect” university tucked away in the middle of nowhere. Though my memory is less-than perfect about some things, I can vividly remember being dragged from campus-to-campus, and from state-to-state, and the whole time I thought one thing: I am not doing this when I decide colleges.
     So when it was time for me to pick a university to attend, my decision was a lot simpler, or maybe I was just better at avoiding “vacation.” My contention was that since my brothers had already done the research for me, why repeat their work? At the same, my mother, the wonderful woman she is, realized this was not the best option. So, with bitter son, off she went traversing around state and private schools from New York to D.C. In the “College ’06-’07 Tour” (as I like to call it) I had the privilege of seeing such diverse schools as Ohio Northern University, Cornell College, Ithaca College, Georgetown University, American University, and Miami University.
    Let me just put this on the floor, Miami was not my first choice. The Majesty of Georgetown, the beauty of Ithaca (I <3 the Finger Lakes), or the intellectual prowess of Cornell all enthralled me. Honestly though, these schools topped the list of a high school student who had absolutely, positively NO IDEA what he wanted. I knew I “kinda” thought business was a good idea because business people make money, “right?” I knew I knew I certainly did not want to be anything medical or scientific because science was “sorta” my antithesis at the time (A.K.A. I had to work harder in science classes than not at all). I also knew I did not want to play college level athletics (too much of a time commitment) and I did not want huge college debts (wow, revolutionary!). With these clear goals and initiatives in mind, I knew what I wanted! Not.
    The next step in the process then became research. I felt that my ideal school was close enough that I could get home pretty easily, without being too close to my parents (or more appropriately, my parents being too close to me – love you mom, dad). At the same time, rejection scared me at such premier schools as Cornell or Georgetown, nor did I want to pay exorbitant amounts of money for those schools. So I settled my wanderlust gaze on three schools: American University (my presumptive first choice), Ithaca College, and Miami University. Each of these schools I visited numerous times in different scenes (academic, social, and advisory), applied to every scholarship possible (specifically the Harrison scholarship is a pain… but that will be another blog), and talked with as many people as they let me (I told you I was an honors student). When my financial aid packets came in I found that American University was in a price range above what I had anticipated, while Ithaca and Miami both gave me comprehensive and generous offers (wooooooo I love money!!!), and then there were two.
    The decision then became what I wanted more. Both schools were academically strong (Miami more so), both offered international business programs, and both genuinely seemed to want me as a student. What it finally came down to was two determining factors: Campus-wide ideological mindset (a big deal for me) and, sad to say, my want to please the people around me. Ithaca had a strong liberal bias, which really suited my hippesque attitude (hug a tree, man), while Miami was known to be a conservative WASP school (stereotypes rule!). Yet, Miami was where my elder brother (Alum ’08) was attending and was only two hours from my girlfriend’s presumptive college choice. So, with all the wrong reasons in mind, I chose my college.
    When I first stated that I was cursed and blessed, I did not lie. My college decision is another example of part of my life that has been a curse and a blessing for me. Looking at the process and my decision now I realize I am cursed because forever will it haunt me that my final decision of school was made because of my want to appease others. Yet, I am also blessed in my college decision because out of ruin can come something beautiful (not talking about myself). I haphazardly threw myself into Miami University that I was not ready for, nor did I really want to attend. But the beauty of life is that right now I am sitting here on a Sunday morning in my boxers finishing this first blog and looking outside at the beautiful campus that lies before and I am glad I chose Miami. This is the first time I have actually said this since I have come to Miami, but the university offers such an incredible array of options, possibilities, and starts that I am truly thankful that a bad decision allowed me to be a part of such a prestigious and wonderful University.

In this first blog post, I have mostly just discussed my personal journey through the college selection process because it really is the beginning of my adult life (high school gets you prepared for zippo, or at least mine did). My hopes are that this blog can be related to for most college students and for those of you still deciding, that this blog has helped to display the fact that the decision really is ALL YOURS. It is your responsibility and if you fail, it is your fault. But hey, we all make mistakes. We all choose poorly and sometimes that decision works out beautifully. So if one thing can be taken away from my first blog (and this is especially true for Honors students), there is no correct answer and there is no perfect university. Your best possibility is to go into each prospective school with as open as a mind as possible, realize that who you are in four years, two years, or even a year is going to look nothing like you do at that moment (figuratively, and sometimes literally) and ask yourself, “Can I see myself enjoying four years here?” Because that’s what it boils down to; it is not what your parents want, it is not what your significant others want, it is what you feel will give you the enjoyment you are paying for and will enable you to grow as a person (side note: Education can also be enjoyable, I am not talking about a school’s party scene). So take a chance, make a mistake, and keep mind to the fact that a curse can turn into a blessing.

Adios

p.s. It really is a good idea to check out multiple schools, mom (as usual) is right.