Disclaimer: Anything written in this blog represents the opinions of the author, and no one else. Each blog is written lightly, and is not intended to offend any of the mentioned businesses, locations, students, or staff.

I was an extremely ill-prepared high school student my senior year. I decided to go to UMass Lowell on a whim and never looked back. Fortunately for me, this proved to be one of the best decisions I have made in my short lifetime.

As a senior, I never attended welcome days, preview days, or any informational sessions that UMass Lowell provided. Because of that, I had a whole lot more work to do as a freshman. I was a mess. I didn’t know what my dorm would look like, I had no idea who my roommates would be, on what campus most of my classes would be located, the size of the business school, if there was a tutoring center, etc. Because of this, my first semester freshman year of college consisted of a whole lot more running to class, emails to professors, and overall fending for myself that I was not emotionally prepared for at such a vulnerable time in my life.

This is a picture of me and my two friends who were generous enough to deal with the mess that I was and help me move in to school. This was taken in my freshman dorm on the ninth floor of Fox Hall!

I am so proud to say as a sophomore that WE ARE HERE FOR YOU! UMass Lowell and the Manning School of Business want to help you and share with you the resources available to help you.

One of our tools to help you is Fall Preview Day. Thank you to everyone who attended Fall Preview Day this past Saturday. It is so wonderful to see that you all are interested in being proactive about your future – unlike me at your age. It was a joy to meet all of you and I hope that I can continue to help you throughout your journey with the Manning School of Business. If you don’t remember who I am, I was the girl with the long blonde hair who wore a light blue button-up and spoke with the two other students about the Manning School of Business. If you don’t remember me still, I was the girl in front with the other speakers who sneezed in the middle of the presentation. I hope that helps!

Again, thank you all for joining us this Saturday. If you have any more questions, I encourage you to inquire through the MSB Facebook page (www.Faceook.com/UMLMSB) or through Twitter @UMassLowell_MSB. If it is a personal question, you can email me at Thalia_Chodat@student.uml.edu, the Coordinator of Student Success for the MSB Lisa Armstrong at Lisa_Armstrong@uml.edu, or the Associate Dean of the MSB at Frank_Andrews@uml.edu. Let us help you have a smooth freshman year!

Disclaimer: Anything written in this blog represents the opinions of the author, and no one else. Each blog is written lightly, and is not intended to offend any of the mentioned businesses, locations, students, or staff.

I’m a phony. Every time I accomplish something, I feel like it’s just a matter of time until someone calls me out on it. I stand in front of the audience and the first thing I wonder is can they tell I have no idea what I’m doing? In the back of my head there is always a voice telling me that I didn’t do it right, or that someone can tell that I wasn’t 100% sure how to do it, or that I simply did everything completely wrong. The guy in the corner just put his hand under his chin. Does that mean I said something wrong? I have no idea why, but this voice follows me everywhere, no matter how well I do on a project, interview, test, presentation, etc. Did she mean to write an A on this? I’m pretty sure she meant to erase the line on the right side and add an extra one on the top.

I have no idea what is wrong with me. Self-criticism always finds a way to flood my mind. The thing is I’m pretty sure that I’m not alone. I think that this is a normal feeling. Even the most confident people, feel phony. In order to simmer down the negativity, I have created a reminder list. I go through it before I hand in an assignment, or give a presentation. It includes the following steps:

1) Breathe. When your heart begins to race, stop and breathe until it slows down to a regular pace. It is impossible to feel confident when you can barely catch your breath.

2) Remind yourself that you do know what you’re doing. You did the work, right? So flaunt it.

3) Everyone messes up. We’re human, it’s in our nature. Being human is what makes you who you are. If anything, showing how human you are makes you more relatable and attractive to others.

The point is, you’re not the first person whose face gets red when they give a presentation – and neither am I. There’s a whole lot more in the world to be afraid of.

Disclaimer: Anything written in this blog represents the opinions of the author, and no one else. Each blog is written lightly, and is not intended to offend any of the mentioned businesses, locations, students, or staff.

I am experimenting with fonts today. In my Professional Communications class, we watched a video of a comedian speaking about the boredom of PowerPoint presentations. One of his comments was that those who use Times New Roman are boring, lazy, and don’t care enough to choose anything other than the default font.

My feelings were hurt when I heard this. I love Times New Roman. Times New Roman and I have a great relationship. It is always reliable and professional. I am beginning to think that I need to expand my boundaries though…

What font do you use? Do you think that using a more personalized font is less professional or does it make you more unique (therefore a more desirable student/employee)? Do you think it changes whether or not you are using it in regards to business? Comment on this post via Facebook and let me know what font you use and why!

Disclaimer: Anything written in this blog represents the opinions of the author, and no one else. Each blog is written lightly, and is not intended to offend any of the mentioned businesses, locations, students, or staff.

I was peacefully doing homework in between class when it happened. A student, who seemed about my age, was hollering to himself about his day. While the rest of us sat peacefully and respectively at our seats passing the time in between class, this student thought that he had the right to broadcast his experiences and thoughts throughout the hallway.

That was when I saw it. His phone was lying on the table beside him recording every word that came out of his mouth. Apparently, he was texting someone. He was multitasking just like everyone else in the hallway – in the most obnoxious way possible.

Technology is great. It has allowed us to advance in efficiency, in the science and medical worlds, and so many ways we would have never imagined just a few short years ago. At the same time as it helps us, it hinders us in just as many ways.

What technology do you believe we would be better without?

Disclaimer: Anything written in this blog represents the opinions of the author, and no one else. Each blog is written lightly, and is not intended to offend any of the mentioned businesses, locations, students, or staff.

Hello, all! I want to apologize for my disappearance this week. No matter much I love college, I will NEVER get used to weeks full of tests and stress, stress, stress.

To sum it up, I’m having the kind of week where I want to hug the person who made sticky notes and I feel like my pillow has become a long lost family member. Also, why is it that the weeks I need it the most, my brain decides to go on vacation? Do you ever feel like that? Anyways, I’m still alive!

Even more important, I have some wonderful news: Fox Boston will be broadcasting the morning news live from our home turf! On November 14, they will be at the Campus Recreation Center on East Campus from 6:00am-10:00am for a Campus Tour stop. Wake up early, show your support, spread the word, and wear blue! Go River Hawks!

Disclaimer: Anything written in this blog represents the opinions of the author, and no one else. Each blog is written lightly, and is not intended to offend any of the mentioned businesses, locations, students, or staff.

I’m sooo tired. I haven’t slept a wink… I’m so tired. My mind is on the blink… I feel like one of the Beatles today. I feel so much more tired on Fridays than on any other day of the week. Somehow, though, I wake up as soon as 5:00pm passes. It’s as if while I’m in class my eyes have bricks weighing them down and as soon as I walk out, the pressure is released.

How do you feel on Fridays? Do you have classes? Do you work? Both? Neither? Are you especially tired or more energized on Fridays? Do you enjoy the fact that most Business classes don’t meet on Fridays, or would you prefer it if they did? Share your thoughts with me and the Manning School of Business by commenting!