Steph

No Turning Back Now…

Posted on May 18, 2012 by Stephanie

Something that is kind of hard for me to believe (even though I know it’s true), is that I’m done with college. I finished the year pretty much like I finish every other year: by taking finals, hanging out with my friends, and then moving out of Alpha Phi. This year I only made a few changes, which were staying around Indy for about a week longer than usual, and graduating (of course). But now, I’m back to where I always end up when I’m done with school… at home on my couch. I love hanging out at home because it’s really relaxing for me, but this time around, it all feels rather strange.

Exactly a month from today, I start my real life job. This means that I have a month to enjoy my freedom before I work for basically the rest of my life. (This sounds like I’m not looking forward to it – but don’t worry, I am really excited to start my new job.) What I’m not looking forward to though, is the fact that I will never get a summer vacation again, and a spring break, and a Christmas vacation. I will have actual vacation days that I can take whenever I would like (which I’m sure will be nice), but I think I will miss having built in breaks a couple times a year.

Since I only have a month left of complete and utter freedom – I’m going to try to make the most of it. This means sleeping in, doing nothing all day long, visiting friends, and crafting as much as possible. It’s kind of confusing to think that living up my free time will include both doing absolutely nothing and doing all kinds of stuff, but I guess that’s the beauty of it….right? Best of all, I will be doing no homework or studying of ANY kind. That was by far the best part about packing to come home – I didn’t bring any books or any of my binders, and it was wonderful. So this, I guess, is what it feels like to be a graduate. And, it’s not too bad…I’m kind of a fan.

Tagged: alpha phi, career, crafting, graduation, jobs, real life, senior year | Leave a comment

It’s official – I’m done!

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Stephanie

Today was the last day of finals, for my last semester in college…a day that I never thought would actually be here. Granted, I did finish my finals on Friday night, but since then I have been hanging around campus working on other things and still being rather productive. This is what my final finals week looked like:

Monday – I finished classes, went to work, and gathered my thoughts and got my life back together after Meghan’s wedding. It took awhile to figure out what the rest of my week would need to look like to get everything done.
Tuesday – It was our reading day, and I spent it studying for my only test final (in International Marketing) the next day.
Wednesday – I studied all morning, took my last test (EVER), and then went to work at my internship. That night, I worked my tail off on my Personal Marketing Portfolio for my Marketing Management & Strategy class.
Thursday – I worked more on my Portfolio, taught myself how to use Illustrator (with the help of my friend Michael) for the design part of my Portfolio, and went to an IndyHub event for the BBA. Working on my Portfolio was pretty intense…I even used two computers simultaneously, one for writing the content, the other for designing the layout. Impressive, huh?
When one computer just doesn't cut it....
Friday – I worked at the BBA, and wrote my final paper (EVER). Of course, I couldn’t decide what to write it on, and I actually started over from scratch after I had written almost half. It’s a wonder that I got it done on time – but I did….which is all that matters.

Now that finals are over, all that I have left to do is work at the BBA and graduate. It’s a beautiful thing. Not having class commitments, or any school commitments – absolutely amazing. It might be nice if I wasn’t working too, but I really don’t know if I could handle that, or if I would know what to do with myself. Most likely, I would go stir crazy a day into it. So, I’m finishing out my college career the way I have spent every other year, by staying busy….and trying to enjoy every minute. I have a few blogs left before I sign off for good – so be sure to check back to see what I have to say before I officially leave campus.

Tagged: BBA, Butler Business Accelerator, computer, finals, marketing, senior year, studying, wedding | 2 Comments

My last hurrah…. Senior Week.

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Stephanie

The time that I’ve been dreading all semester is here….and everyone is moving out. Tomorrow is the last day of finals, so it feels like there are 5 people on campus, and all of those people are studying, which really stinks for the rest of us. It just doesn’t feel like Butler anymore, but I am excited for the very last part of my college career…Senior Week.

Senior Week is one of those things that not everyone knows about. Only the seniors participate, obviously, and then they all graduate so they aren’t around to tell the underclassmen what happens during the week. There is a senior class council that plans events for the whole week, like going to a Pacers game, having inflatables and other fun things on the mall, and taking trips to Broad Ripple and other places around Indy. It’s also a great time because it is just what we have always wanted – to be on campus, all together, without school. Yeah, it only lasts for 3 days…but that’s something, right?

I haven’t been looking forward to this week until now, because I didn’t want all of my underclassmen friends to leave. But, turns out, they had to. I couldn’t stop them. My two junior roommates, Brooke & Katie, moved out over the last few days, along with about 65 other girls in my house. So now all of Alpha Phi is empty, and I guess that all there is to do is enjoy this next week. I’m pretty lucky, since I get to spend it with our entire class, and we are a ton of fun as it is. I just decided that even though I’m super bummed that my time here is almost over, I can’t do anything about it (since I didn’t fail any of my classes…yet), so I might as well just have the best week ever. Here goes!

The Alpha Phi Senior Pledge Class

Tagged: alpha phi, college, college life, moving out, senior week, senior year, seniors | 1 Comment

Senior Year Wedding Bells…

Posted on May 6, 2012 by Stephanie

Last Sunday, my friend Meghan got married. It was an absolutely beautiful day, and it was both the beginning and end of so many things.

It was part of the end of us all being together – all the time. I’ve been best friends with Meghan, Lauren, and Liz for the last 3 years… and even when we don’t live together… we are either next door or just down the street. But now, Meghan lives in Michigan, and soon Lauren will live in Bloomington, and Liz will live in New York. So this was the first step toward that…and I’m not quite sure if I’m ready to let them all go yet. Just because I love them so much.

It was the beginning of Meghan and Sean’s life together. They’ve been together forever, and they’re perfect for each other. It was just so sweet to be able to share their special day with them…because they’ve been together ever since I have been friends with Meghan. They’re great, and I love them both.

It was the beginning of the time when all of our friends will start getting married. While we were waiting to walk down the aisle, I looked out into the crowd and saw so many of our friends and people that we know. This is when I realized that I’m not young anymore…and instead of going to weddings for family and people that we don’t really know, now we will be going to weddings for our friends. It’s just a strange and sort of surreal feeling….but it’s kind of exciting at the same time.

Being a bridesmaid in a wedding the weekend before finals is the perfect way to procrastinate studying…or doing anything productive at all….while having an absolutely great time. When we got back to campus after the wedding it was like we had been in entirely different world for a week… which we had. We got to hang out with great people, be dressed up, and celebrate an awesome day with an amazing couple! Here are a few more photos…

Tagged: finals, friends, growing up, moving, real life, senior year, wedding | 1 Comment

A Day in the Life…for the last time.

Posted on March 29, 2012 by Stephanie

Every semester, I write a blog about my daily schedule. And now, since I graduate in a little bit over a month…this is my last one. Another big change is that this is the most relaxed semester I have ever had, so don’t be alarmed by the large amounts of free time (they aren’t really that large…I just think having any free time at all is outrageous). So, I present to you, my final daily schedule post…in the form of my typical Tuesday.

7:00 a.m. (or whenever I get the motivation to get up) – Wake up and get ready for the day
8:00 a.m. – Administrative Policy
9:15 a.m. – First Starbucks visit of the day…usually to get some intense caffeine
9:35 a.m. – International Marketing
11:00 a.m. – Leadership & Decision Making
12:15 p.m. – Lunch at Alpha Phi
1:00 p.m. – Back to Starbucks…where I chat with people for as long as possible
2:00 p.m (ish) – I start studying
3:50 p.m. – Consumer Behavior
5:05 p.m. – Dinner at Alpha Phi
6:00 p.m. – Debrief from my day…and chill in my room
7:00 p.m. – Butler University Student Foundation meeting
8:00 p.m. – Back to my room for studying
9:00 p.m. – If I have the motivation…I go work out.
10:00 p.m. – I go back to my room and study/hang out
12:30 a.m. (ish….usually later) – I fall asleep

It might seem like a pretty full day…but for me it is perfect. I have time to be social, to hang out, to do homework, and to go to class. And best of all, there is time for at least two visits to Starbucks. It’s pretty much my second home these days….and I love it. Sometimes…during my breaks I even see our own campus celebrities…Blue and Trip. They’re basically the two best dogs/mascots ever…and they are oh so photogenic. I only got photos of Trip though the other day…sorry Blue!

Tagged: alpha phi, butler blue II, classes, marketing, senior year, Starbucks, trip, Tuesday | 1 Comment

BREAKING NEWS: I officially have senioritis.

Posted on March 22, 2012 by Stephanie

Yesterday I thought I felt it starting…and today…I knew it was for real. Some people started having senioritis last semester, and I knew that it would hit me eventually…but I didn’t expect it to hit me like a ton of bricks. I had homework and other things to do last night, but all I wanted to do was socialize and wander. Then, once that feeling left….I was exhausted and I fell asleep on the table where I was studying. This morning I woke up at 8:05 a.m. when my class started at 8:00 a.m., which was the first time I have overslept all semester. I made it through my morning classes somehow without coffee, but by this afternoon….I was a lost cause. I spent 2 hours in Starbucks trying to take notes on my reading for my last class of the day, but even the smallest things kept distracting me (maybe it was because I was in Starbucks). Then I went to my last class, and just felt completely dead and lethargic….so I’m pretty sure that this is it….I truly do have senioritis.

I always told myself that I would never have it….but I do. It’s nearly impossible to get up the motivation to do anything other than go hang out with someone, go to Starbucks, or to get food. And the worst part is…I’m slap happy 75% of the time. This gets pretty exhausting…so I have enlisted the help of my dear friend Starbucks to get me through the next 6 weeks or so. Today, I was double fisting my Starbucks, with a venti water in one hand and a tall blonde roast coffee in the other…and yes, both were completely necessary. So I can only hope that I find the money somewhere to feed this massive caffeine addiction that I feel coming on….because the next few weeks are going to be rough.

Tagged: coffee, homework, senior year, senioritis, sleep, Starbucks | Leave a comment

Things I will miss about college…

Posted on March 3, 2012 by Stephanie

I know that I have been very nostalgic lately with my blogs about how I changed from Freshman year to Senior year, Alpha Phi’s Initiation, and just about being in a sorority in general…but I am going to just continue this little train of memories. So, I present to you…the less conventional things that I will miss about college.

Studying on Sunday afternoons

I don’t do this every Sunday, but sometimes after church, one of my sorority sisters (Bre) and I will head to the McAllister’s by our church…and spend almost the entire afternoon there. We study, have lunch, catch up on life, and most importantly….we drink as much tea as humanly possible. My favorite part though is just going and people watching…which usually means that not much studying actually takes place.

Crafting

I know that I will still be able to craft once I graduate…but I love crafting in college. I craft for Alpha Phi, for friends, for my room…basically for everything. I love it…especially since I get to make fun things like this….

Shenanigans

A few weeks ago, I found this creepy clown doll in our shower. It was placed there by a few of my sorority sisters, and this is not the first occurrence of something of this nature in my house. Yes, it’s creepy…but I do love it.

Going to games in Hinkle as a student

I haven’t been to a ton of games at Hinkle in the past few years, but my freshman year I went to every single game since I was on the Dance Team. There’s just something special about watching games there, and even though I can still come after I graduate, I’ll still miss going as a legit student.

: My parents and I on Alpha Phi’s Dad’s Day

Tagged: alpha phi, basketball, butler basketball, hinkle, nostalgia, senior year, shenanigans, studying | Leave a comment

Learning how to study…as a second semester senior.

Posted on February 16, 2012 by Stephanie

For all of my 4 years at Butler, I have had the same study schedule. Procrastinate, procrastinate some more, and then study hardcore for a few days before the test.

: Procrastination at its finest….

Usually, I am so busy that this is just how I have to schedule out my life, but now, in my final semester at Butler….things are changing. Not only am I not nearly as busy this semester, but I am taking a class that is completely revolutionizing my study schedule, so for the first time in my life…I am studying when I should.

This semester I am taking Consumer Behavior, which is a Marketing class that I have wanted to take for basically the last two years. I finally was able to fit it in to my schedule, and I was pretty darn excited to finally get to take it. I had an idea of what I was getting myself into, because I had heard that the professor doesn’t run his class in a traditional way…at all. He doesn’t give any tests, but every day we flip a coin to determine if we will take a quiz, and we have oral quizzes every day no matter what. When you realize that your grade is completely dependent on you being prepared for each and every class….you step up really quick and make sure that you are prepared every day. Even though I might develop an ulcer before the end of the semester because of our daily quizzes, I am pretty sure that I have learned more in this class in only a month than I do in an entire semester. I know that I couldn’t handle my life if every single class was run this way, but it kind of makes me wonder how much more I would take away from each class if I studied like this for every class.

So the take away for today is…give studying the way you “should” a shot. Who knows….you might like it…or you might learn something. Either way, it’s a positive…right?

Tagged: consumer behavior, life skills, major, marketing, procrastinating, senior year, studying | 1 Comment

The Joys of Sorority Life…

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Stephanie

During Formal Recruitment, we all get to talk about our favorite things about our respective chapters over and over and over again. Then it ends, and we go back to real life…classes, work, and everything that exists outside of the house. The best part of the week is that you have the perfect chance to appreciate your sisters and everything that they do for you…and you bond like you’ve never bonded before. This year I had an absolutely great time getting to know some of our sophomores better, just hanging out with my roommates, and being with the girls 24/7. Since I have had a great couple of weeks in sorority life…I thought I would share some of my favorite things about being in a sorority with you…

Someone is always around to order food with you late at night, or to go with you to get something that can’t be delivered. There is nothing better than HotBox breadsticks while you’re studying, going to get McDonald’s when you really don’t need to, or going to BRICS two days in a row. And I am now officially craving each one of these….
Watching YouTube videos all night long, and then quoting them until you fall asleep. My room’s favorite video is Boys Will Be Girls, but others like Sassy Gay Friend and Jessica’s Daily Affirmation are always a close second…
Even though we all meet and get to know our new members, sometimes you don’t get to know a certain side of a person’s personality until you get the chance to really open up with them. I love getting to see how multi-faceted and amazing my sorority sisters are…and becoming so much closer with them in the process.
Just like my own sister and I, we might not always get along…but we always respect one another. We are all so different and so unique in our own way…but somehow the differences bring us closer together, and make us appreciate ourselves and each other more every day.

Of course, there are more things that I love about Alpha Phi and my sorority sisters, but I might just have to save those things for another blog.

Our Senior Class...

Tagged: alpha phi, greek life, recruitment, sisterhood, sorority, sorority life, YouTube | 1 Comment

Senior Year Update: Part I

Posted on December 8, 2011 by Stephanie

Today was the last day of classes for the Fall of 2011, aka my next to last semester as a college student. Thinking about this, and the finality of the whole situation, I decided to reminisce a bit…and look ahead to next semester.

First off…things I loved this semester….

Senior Wine Tasting

Each year, the senior class hosts a wine tasting for all seniors. Not everyone can go, but it’s still an awesome event where you get together with some really awesome people, and learn about wine. I really like wine, but I knew nothing about it before the night, so I really appreciated having the change to learn something while having fun with my friends. I had always heard that the senior wine tasting is one of the best nights during your time at Butler, and I totally agreed. We felt classy, smart, and very important the entire time, and it was a great way to take a break from an outrageously busy week.

Our table at the wine tasting....

Welcome Week

As always, I loved being an Orientation Guide during Welcome Week. Not only did I get to come back to Butler early, but I also was able to spend almost an entire week with some of my favorite people on campus. The entire week is spent showing your Butler spirit and trying to get other people to have fun….so naturally….you have fun doing it! I love Welcome Week so much that I wish that every week were Welcome Week…..

The Alpha Phi Orientation Guides...

Alpha Phi Semi-Formal…and everything else

Everything that we have done this year, from formal to Homecoming, has been somehow more special than every other time. First off, our entire pledge class is together for the first time in a long time (people have been studying abroad), so it is great just to have us all together again. And secondly, we know that this is the last time we will be really just hanging out all together, so we are just loving every minute and loving each other!

Some seniors before Alpha Phi semi-formal...

Tagged: alpha phi, fall, fall semester, Orientation, orientation guide, pledge class, semi formal, senior wine tasting, senior year, Welcome Week | 2 Comments

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