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At a large University such as Penn State there are many chances to get involved. Everywhere you turn there are different opportunities presented to you. When you walk into any major building on campus, the bulletin boards are canvassed with flyers of club meetings with enticing tag lines such as "meet new people," "free food," or "leadership positions available." Let's face it, who wouldn't want to meet new people, get free food and build their resume all at the same time?

Opportunities are presented to us in more than one way, through email list-servs, Facebook invites, tweets, flyers in our residence halls, and even through the traditional snail mail. These club opportunities range from doing philanthropy or community service, engaging in cultural conversations, spring break volunteer service trips, fighting social justice or mastering the social network. There is something for everyone to do. No person on this campus should feel left out. My advice for liberal arts majors is to find something that inspires you, support a cause, advocate for a social issue, and most importantly have fun. Participating in student organizations on campus is a great way to develop some specific skills. There are different committees within clubs that allow you to focus on a variety of your skills and interests. Committees range from public relations to community service to special events to education. Employers love to see that you are dedicated and have developed some type of skill within a student organization. It demonstrates your hard work and it helps to shows that you can be a productive, contributing member to a professional environment.

When I first arrived on campus I was overwhelmed at the many different extra-curricular activities in which I could participate. I learned quickly not to overextend myself by participating in too many clubs. Eventually, I narrowed down my list to several organizations, including: the Caribbean Student Association (CSA) and National Association for the Advance of Colored People (NAACP). It took me a semester to narrow down my choices but it was something that needed to be done. I soon realized it's not the number of clubs you are in, but the amount of work you contribute.

Another skill you gain by participating in student organizations is networking. Networking is a very important tool to have when considering a career post-graduation. Networking will help you reach your career goals, and build a network of colleagues within your field of work. When we think of networking most of the time we picture distinguished alumni, businessmen, businesswomen, or internship recruiters. One group of people we often leave out is actually our biggest network: our peers. That's right, I am talking about the students whom you interact with on a daily basis - from the girl who sits next to you in class to the kid you pass every weekend in the HUB. These students can also be great assets to your future career. I am not suggesting that you have to speak to random people all the time, but you might try to engage with members of your student organization. You may even find out that you both have similar interests and goals.

So the next time you are in Willard, Thomas, the library, the HUB or anywhere on campus where a flyer is plastered or the next time you see that tweet or Facebook invite, don't ignore them. Rather, take the opportunity to invest in your future. That one organization might open new doors and take you places you never thought you could go all because you took that chance; you took that opportunity to get involved.

For a list of student organizations to get involved with check out this website.

Summer 2011 is coming to an end and lately I have been reflecting on how I have made use of my time. It all began the week after finals with LeaderShape. As on-site coordinator, I had an amazing time coordinating events and helping to provide the best experience for a group of 65 PSU student leaders. A day after the end of the program, I attended the orientation for my internship at the Office of Attorney General, Bureau of Consumer Protection downtown. My internship ends this week and I am amazed at how much I have grown and learned in so little time. The staff is great and so are my co-interns, but most of all, I have valued the opportunity to have a direct impact on peoples' lives on a daily basis.

When I applied for the internship, I knew it would be a great opportunity for me to better understand the field and see if I could pursue this as a future career path. I remember messing up a phone call on the first day, stating that I was calling from the "Bureau of Consumer Consumption". I remember getting paper stuck in the fax machine because I did not remove the staple. Now I look at these things and laugh, but at the time I was traumatized. But I also remember closing my first complaint, which was a big deal to me because as "Mediators" our job is to bring the consumer and producer to a common ground. Sometimes neither party is satisfied, sometimes both parties are content, but either way, once our job is done and a file is closed, it feels like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders.

In between planning my future, developing my skills, and adding to my resume, I had to take some time off for family, so I went back home (Canada) where I attended my sister's commencement ceremony. I believe this is the first college graduation I have attended and it was inspiring to see what I am working towards. Seeing proud families and ambitious graduates added dry wood to the motivational fire in me that had been slightly dwindling overtime. It was a kind of wake-up call for me and it helped me to revisit and analyze my goals for my senior year. I watched honors students, proud of their accomplishments, walking across the stage confident in their abilities and I was inspired to always be the best at what I do, because it pays off.

After roughly a week and a half of family time, I was back in State College for Part II of my summer: LSAT prep. I came home to a box of Kaplan LSAT prep books at my doorstep and two days later, classes started. Right away, we took the diagnostic test to determine our incoming level of preparation. Although the classes are only held on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the homework in between class sessions is very time consuming. There is a lot of homework, a lot of reading, and a lot of thinking that has required me to go beyond my traditional pattern of thought. All of this has been a challenge, but I can proudly say that my score has increased in the last month by 8pts, so maybe there is hope!

And finally, I found a job with PSU Lionline. It has been a greater experience than I expected so far. My co-workers and I even went to see Harry Potter together (AMAZING) and everyone seems to be passionate about the experience.  I will be taking a leave of absence in the fall to study abroad, but I will continue to work with PSU Lionline when I return to campus in the spring.

So much has happened this summer and I wish I could share it all. From ArtsFest to my birthday dinner to my experience as a student panelist for the College of the Liberal Arts' Spend a Summer Day program - it has all been amazing. Even the few spare moments I have had this summer have been productive. For example, in between Spend a Summer Day panel sessions, my friend Rachel and I came up with the brilliant idea to create a music video featuring some of the College's finest celebrities.

As my study abroad departure date draws nearer, it is gradually hitting me: I am going to England! I recently found out that Emma Watson (Hermione from Harry Potter) is going to be "studying abroad" at Oxford in the fall as well. Stay tuned for any pictures or posts because we will obviously become BFFs.  

But all of my summer activities end this week: my internship, my LSAT class, my job, Spend a Summer Day, even my lease. And it has been such an eventful and educational summer. I am not sure how I feel about it coming to an end. After the Summer Leadership Conference I will not set foot in State College again until January. I cannot imagine how it feels to graduate when I already feel this nostalgic about leaving Penn State for only a semester. At the end of the day, I'm taking the lessons learned from my experiences to create newer and better ones, so I can't complain.

Enjoy the rest of Your Summer!

Peace & Love Always 

In addition to Harry Potter and all the other great movies coming out this summer (2011), there are other opportunities that can help you more in life than casting spells ever will. Personally, I am still on the hunt for a summer internship. Here are a few options for those Liberal Arts undergraduates trying to plan their summers.

Of course you can enroll in summer classes to get some credits out of the way and even possibly graduate early. Make sure to check out a blog post on summer courses recently written by CLA Adviser Tracey Melnick. You can also find a job to save up some cash for next year. If you plan ahead, you might even be able to find yourself an internship. OR, you can participate in LeaderShape!

For those of you who are unfamiliar with LeaderShape - maybe you've seen the fliers but don't quite grasp the concept - I can explain a bit more about the program. I actually participated in LeaderShape and was the on-site coordinator last year. LeaderShape is a six day leadership program, the week after finals (May 8th-13th).  It takes place at the Hartman Center in Milroy PA, about 45 minutes outside State College. Students stay in cabins and are provided with three meals a day (and lots of snacks). Each year, approximately 60-70 Penn State student leaders participate in this program. Participants are broken up into "family clusters." Students work in these clusters to develop their leadership skills and discover the powerful leader within. Several team building, trust, and personality activities are played throughout the week after which students are encouraged to reflect on the lessons learned. This is an opportunity to network with other student leaders as well as Penn State faculty and staff who serve as cluster facilitators. To sum up the experience: with the exception of my allergies, everything was GREAT! It is, however, what you make of it. So if do not step outside of your comfort zone or choose not to interact with others, your time will not be well spent. The application deadline for this summer has passed, but keep this in mind for next summer.

The next opportunity I would like to discuss is Explore Law (future lawyers take note!). This program lasts roughly a week in the summer (this year, it is actually scheduled for the week after LeaderShape so you can potentially do both). Explore Law provides participants with the opportunity to go to the Dickinson School of Law and attend classes as if you were an actual law school student. The difference is that Explore Law participants get to meet with panelists consisting of practicing lawyers, judges, students, and the admissions board. Participants have to do some homework, but they will also receive help with writing skills and feedback on a mock LSAT essay. If you are wondering where you will live and what you will eat, no worries. This is a FREE program and you will be provided with housing and a meal plan. As a past participant, I can tell you that Michele Vollmer (the law school professor in charge of the program) is one of the nicest and most helpful people you will ever meet. I have learned so much about what to expect from law school and the legal profession and I have also been able to apply a lot of these concepts to my Political Science classes. The application process is not an easy one, and again, the deadline has passed for this year. But definitely think about applying in the future!

The last opportunity I would like to mention is the Penn State Summer Leadership Conference. I attended the one offered at PSU Berks two years ago. It was an amazing three days spent with Penn State student leaders from across the commonwealth. I am currently on the planning committee for this year's which will be taking place from August 8th-10th at PSU Erie. Visit the Commonwealth Summer Leadership website to register!  The registration deadline for this year is May 30.

I highly recommend all of these programs. And as I previously mentioned, they are what you make of them. The key term here is networking. You will at the very least gain a significant amount of helpful contacts from these programs. I hope that you make the most of your summer. Although the semester is almost over, take some time to research potential options to make your summer as productive as possible!

PEACE & LOVE ALWAYS. Stay Motivated. Stay Positive.

Everyone says "junior year is your hardest year," and you know what? Everyone is right. This is because junior year does not only include taking classes and trying to get good grades. Junior year also includes: looking for internships, building your resume, fulfilling academic requirements, taking 400 level classes, acing them (in some cases), getting a job and in my particular case, transitioning to the University Park campus while also planning a study abroad program.

I feel like something about the system does not let freshmen and sophomores, especially at the commonwealth campuses, know about the resources available to them. When I look back at my last two years at Penn State, I realize I was eligible to have applied for the Honors College earlier, I did not know I could study abroad, and the list goes on. I am aware that the University Park campus provides many opportunities for its students. But, it would have been great to have been aware of them beforehand. As a result, I found myself rushing to complete study abroad applications while trying to balance my academic and extra-curricular workload.

After running around like a headless chicken in January to complete my application, I finally received word that I was accepted into Oxford University to study abroad. As happy as I am about this now, I cannot so quickly forget how much easier things would have been had I known about these resources earlier. Perhaps I could have begun planning for this experience in my freshman year at the commonwealth campus I attended. Following the acceptance you would think everything has been fine and dandy, rainbows and ponies, but think again. There has been paper work up to my neck as I try to apply for scholarships, secure more letters of recommendation, etc. In addition to that, I continue to be very active in the organizations I am involved with on campus. I am also beginning to think about preparing for and taking my LSATs, finding a summer internship (which I am still working on), and shutting an eyelid for at least an hour a night. I am taking four Political Science classes, three of which are 400 level, one writing intensive by academic standards, another simply writing intensive by my standards (scholarly essays due weekly). And let's not forget the unexpected: my wisdom teeth chose to come in recently, so I'll need to be taking those out soon and that will keep me off my feet for a bit. (As if I wasn't short on time as it was).

I have elaborated on this series of time-consuming and stressful issues going on in my life not as a means of scaring any freshmen or sophomores reading this, or to just vent online, but I want to emphasize the importance of planning ahead, asking questions and taking advantage of your resources. I am lucky that my credits allow me to study abroad next semester, but you cannot base your career on luck. I find it very necessary to talk to professors and staff around campus about the opportunities PSU has to offer. There are counselors, advisers and a number of people in the Career Services building to help plan your future. There are even more resources available in the Student Affairs office in the HUB to help you get involved, see if you qualify for scholarships, etc. I have heard seniors say they wish they had begun thinking of applying to Law School in their junior year. I cannot imagine how rushed they must feel trying to figure everything out in their senior year and I would not want to be in their shoes.

Junior year can be smooth-sailing if you either a.) plan ahead or b.) leave everything for your senior year. My suggestion would obviously be the former. Though after reading the first two paragraphs of this blog entry it may seem like I am taking on too much this year (and I just may be!) I would rather deal with these issues sooner than later. I would rather take my 400-levels now and find a balance between all my other obligations. So to my fellow juniors going through what I am going through: "This too shall pass." And to my dear freshmen and sophomores: Plan ahead!  And finally to my noble seniors: Good luck to you in everything you do. You are almost at the finish line!

Every year I make New Year's Resolutions and every year I break them. But I keep making them and you may wonder, why? To err is human. I know I will not follow through with all my resolutions, but at the same time, it is a form of guidance for my daily life. Although I may not attain all my goals by December 31st every year, in the midst of my struggle, mistakes, flaws and all, I keep trying. And to me, that is worth it.

I like to think of myself as a neo- perfectionist. People tend to think of a "perfectionist" as someone who always wants everything to be exactly in order and just right. That is why I added "neo" to the term. I do not need to get straight A's at the end of every semester and wear a crease-free shirt to class every morning. I know I am not perfect.  But, I like to think that since no one is perfect, nobody can perfectly define the word. Thus, the idea of "perfect" is subject to interpretation, so that everyone can be perfect in their own way. I work hard to meet my personal definition of perfection, because I know that if I maximize my potential on a daily basis, though I may not attain perfection, I can come pretty darn close.

With all this philosophizing out of the way, I hereby present to you my 2011 New Year's Resolutions:

1.) Do my best.

That is all. Applying this resolution to every aspect of my life will make me a better person and enable me to excel to the best of my abilities. When you think about it, what more can I do than my very best? If I put my all into my grades and get a 3.9 GPA, which is not the "perfect" 4.0, what can I do? If I do my best to hit the gym daily, but don't catch my Zz's one night and need to sleep in and skip the gym, what can I do? I refuse to drag a beat down body to the gym and fall asleep in all my classes that day in the name of perfection. Or to cheat on an exam worth 10% of my grade, risking 100% of my grade, in the name of perfection.

With that said, I am not going to sit here and tell you that my resolutions include: Get a 4.0 GPA; Work out every morning; Read more of the books my dad keeps getting me; etc. This long list can be summarized by the simple and somewhat overused cliché: "I will do my best." Think about this phrase in relation to you in your everyday life and it will not be so cliché. What if we woke up every morning asking ourselves, "How can I do my best today?," "How can I maximize my potential?" The phrase, then, would not be just another amongst the many that we hear. It will become one of the few we actually implement.

I want to be the best Joyce T. Chuinkam I can be in the year 2011, and if I fall short, so be it, as long as I tried. By God's grace, I still have many more years to try again. Why don't you challenge yourself to be the best _______(Insert your name here) you can be this year 2011 and save yourself the time, paper and ink with the unrealistic resolutions! Catch yourself dozing off in class and ask yourself "Is this the best me?" Catch yourself jogging passed an elderly person struggling to cross the street and question yourself again. When there is juicy gossip going around, before you chime in with your two-cents, make sure that is the best you that you are putting forward.  If it isn't, stop there before you break your new year's resolution.

And finally faithful readers, when you do break your resolution (note that I said when because we are all human and we all make mistakes), remember that not all hope is lost; it doesn't all go down the drain from there. If you put a heavier emphasis on the word "try" instead of the word "success," 2011 just may be a little more satisfying than 2010.

PS: I just saw this commercial,during the break and although it was a Barbie commercial, it said "Fall in love with the best image of yourself." And I thought of this post I had drafted and needed to include it. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR and BEST WISHES TO ALL!

PEACE & LOVE ALWAYS. Stay Motivated. Stay Positive.

I started my Penn State education at the York campus, one of the university's 19 commonwealth campuses, after graduating Columbia International College, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. It was my first time back in America since I left New York in 1997 and I knew as many people at the Penn State campus as I knew in America as a whole: none. For the first couple of weeks as a freshman, I limited myself to the comfort of my bedroom, where I did homework and spent countless hours on Skype, talking to family and friends - people I felt comfortable with, whom I could be myself around and did not have to worry about awkward moments. Although people who know me would describe me as: loud, crazy and possibly and extrovert, I am also very "observant" (I refuse to use the term shy) around crowds I am unfamiliar with. For this reason, I usually have a hard time adjusting to change. One thing that saved me during my transition from high school to PSU York and from PSU York to my transition this semester at PSU University Park is campus involvement!

At York, I began to meet new people and learn more about the Penn State culture as soon as I joined the Student Government Association (SGA). By joining THON, the modeling club, the dance crew, the Black Student Union and several other organizations on campus, I was able to quickly find myself and bond with others like me. This led me to join other clubs on campus my sophomore year, such as Lion Ambassadors, which acquainted me with a lot of staff around campus. It was almost like being "popular" in high school, but without the drama. I learned that I do not have to be a people-pleaser to be a people person and with that mindset, I grew more as a person than I ever thought possible in two years.

I was finally finding myself at York, doing what I love, getting to know everybody on campus, and participating in almost every organization on campus through the SGA. Then came University Park....with thousands of students, over 800 organizations, hundreds of faculty and staff, and just one me. It was like freshman year all over again, except this time I knew what to do: Get Involved. It is so easy to lose yourself in a school so big and a city so crowded, where everyone seems too busy to even breathe and professors are always on the go. It is so easy to think "no one will notice," or "no one will care," or "I am just one in a million," but it is importance to remember that every drop makes the ocean.

I had convinced myself I would never make as big an impact as I did at PSU York, and even if I did, nobody will notice, but then I decided to try anyway. I wanted to take on this challenge to see how much I could do in a limited amount of time and to turn this distant super-campus into the warm 1800-student campus I was used to.

Today I am happy and have made progress. I have not achieved my goal yet, but I look back at where I was 4 months ago and I'm proud of how far I have come. All the self-improvement and the relationships I have built on campus have come as a direct or indirect result of my involvement. If there was one thing I could tell any freshman today, it would be: GET INVOLVED. If there was one thing I could tell any transition student today, it would be: GET INVOLVED. It is the best thing I have done for myself at Penn State, and I am sure there are many who can say the same.

Personally, I am involved with the organizations listed below, but I will definitely encourage people to get involved with any of the other hundreds on campus, including Greek life and Honors Societies!

• Council of Commonwealth Student Governments (CCSG): Where to start with this? You will see me talking about this in almost every blog I post, so no worries if you do not get the gist of it now. As I said in my previous post, it is made up of central staff (here at University Park) and the SGAs of all the 19 Commonwealth campuses.
• Students Engaging Students (SES): The name is pretty much self-explanatory, but I will go on to say that there will be recruitment for the spring semester! If any one likes to get peers involved, bond with great, motivated student leaders, and help out with community service projects, JOIN US! 
• Liberal Arts Undergraduate Council (LAUC): From the mentoring program to playing THON dodgeball together, this is one of my favorite orgs, because we know how and when to mix business with pleasure. We strive at having discussions after each meeting, to get our minds thinking critically about various issues. We have guest speakers come to our meetings, such as Dean Long, and we also sponsor events that benefit every student in the College of the Liberal Arts, such as the internship panel I spoke about in my previous blog.
  
• The National Political Science Honors Society (Pi Sigma Alpha): I recently got initiated, which I am very excited about, and we have a lot of great goals for the year. No spoiler alerts here because my lips are sealed!
  
• The Golden Key International Honors Society: I wish I could sit here any type that I am actively involved with this organization, but then I would be lying, so in order to avoid that, I will tell you that I have in fact attended a meeting and to say the least, you can expect great things of this group.
  
• Black Caucus: This organization aims to promote the positive and successful growth and development of black students at Penn State. For social purposes, it is a good idea to join a cultural group so that you are certain of one meeting a week where you know you can just sit back, relax and socialize with a good group!
  
• LeaderShape 2011: On-site coordinator. If you have never heard of LeaderShape, google it. If you don't want to, here is a summary: Best five days of your life. In simpler words, it is a leadership training program, unlike any other. Applications go live next semester, so KEEP AN EYE OUT!
  

This went a little longer than expected, but that is only because getting involved is such a big deal to me, I think every word on this page is necessary to prove that point.

PEACE & LOVE ALWAYS. Stay Motivated. Stay Positive.

Hi blog world!

I know I'm writing my first post late in the semester, but trust me, I have been super busy this fall. Anyway, excuses are irrelevant and I'm here now (jamming to Whitney Houston as I try to figure out what exactly I'm going to type).

Last week I went to an internship panel discussion at Career Services sponsored by the Liberal Arts Undergraduate Council (LAUC) and the College of the Liberal Arts. I found it  very informative. I knew I wanted to do another internship in addition to the one I did at Rep. DePasquale's office in York/Harrisuburg PA, but I wasn't sure what to do or how to do it. I spoke to some people after the meeting and believe it or not, it was my first time in the career and advising center! I learned I need to visit Career Services a lot more often, because they have a million (not to exaggerate) resources. Hopefully I will find a great paid summer internship here in State College related to my major, Political Science!

Also, this weekend was CCSG (Council of Commonwealth Student Governments) council weekend. This is when the SGAs of all 19 commonwealth campuses come up to University Park for a series of meetings aimed at bettering the Pennsylvania State University as a whole. It went amazingly well! I never realized how much more intimidating it is to run a meeting in front of a room full of people, instead of just being a member of the audience. But all went well. I have so much follow-up work to do that I should really be doing right now, but I would rather blog because I feel like I'm writing in my diary right now. (Not that I can keep a  diary, trust me, I've tried, but it gets too demanding).

Tomorrow is my Students Engaging Students meeting! I am so excited to go! I love when we do the Happy Quarters! Getting involved is such a breath of fresh air! Especially on a campus so big where almost everything is overwhelming! It's like a bowl of vanilla ice cream on warm fresh cookies after a good meal.  (Yes I just said that.I was at Red Lobster and the dessert was amazing).

Anyway, this is just my first post, more like a "testing". I'll try to blog every other Sunday night so you can grab a cup of hot chocolate, a Penn State snuggie, get cozy and read all the fantabulous things I have to say! As of now, I need to get my internship search going and head to bed early tonight. I have a long week ahead of me!

I hope from my little blurb here you got to know a little something about me! You will hopefully be hearing a lot more from me in the weeks to come.

PEACE & LOVE ALWAYS!

STAY POSITIVE. STAY MOTIVATED