Wine n’ Games Night

So we decided to have a wine and games night with a couple of our friends. This is a great idea if you’re looking for a chill but fun night in (without spending too much).

So the first thing were the glasses. Even though we’re college students, we both agreed that red solo cups need not be the staple for every college house party.
So we headed over to the dollar store and picked up some glasses. DJ, in true DIY fashion, decided to spruce up our glasses to give them that extra touch of class. You can see her step by step tutorial in our DIY section.

3 things I’ve learnt (that college classes didn’t teach me)

College has always been deemed the intellectual’s playground. It’s a place where young men and women go to be equipped with all the tools and knowledge needed to take on the real world. We sit in a classroom for 4 odd years while experts in our field of study thrust onto us a sea of information; half of which goes right over our heads. The other half goes into pages of notes; a quarter of which we would never review again. We then spend sleepless nights trying to cram the other quarter into our heads, an eighth of which actually shows up on the exam. So other than becoming expert exam-passers, what do we really learn while being in college?

As a recent graduate I decided to sit and evaluate my college career. I came up with 3 main things that I have learned, not from the pages of my textbook, but rather through my experiences as a college student. I actually came up with a lot more, but these three ring true across the board.

1.) You are much stronger than you think you are!

 Have you ever looked at someone and wondered how they got to be so strong and confident, and wished that you had that same tenacity? Often we are unaware that sometimes what we admire in others also reside within ourselves.

My freshman year in college, as a young Trinidadian, I was thrown head first into an overpowering maelstrom of American culture, warped education system and a struggle to maintain my identity. If you had told me then that I would be able to balance all of this and more; that I would learn how to immerse myself in this new culture without losing my Trinidadian identity; that I would spend sleepless nights with my head buried in an Engineering textbook and still have time to fulfill my duties in all my extracurriculars; that I would be okay with eating Ramen noodles two weeks straight because I had no money. If you told me all of this my freshman year I would have laughed in your face. I had no idea how strong I was. Truth is, most of us don’t. It’s usually when our backs are against a wall we’re forced to make a choice; surrender or fight. When we are faced with an army of obstacles, in that moment our strength surfaces, and we choose to fight.

2.) It’s not what you know, or who you know… it’s who knows YOU!

Regardless of how well you are able to memorize the facts and equations in your textbook if you are unable to create a name for yourself, voice your opinion, stand out in some way, then you’d be just another filled seat in a classroom. There’s a reason the idea of networking is pounded into our heads at college. It works! The goal however is not to build up a list of people you’ve met, it’s to build a network with people who remember having met YOU.

I learned this early on in my college career. In fact, I learned this my very first year. In high school I was never really the type of student to sit in the front row of class or ask/ answer a lot of questions, and my freshman year Intro to Biology class proved no different. I have always been an A student so naturally I was at the top of the class. I got the highest grade on every test during that semester (I’m not even kidding!!). How do I know this? Our professor would say what the highest grade was every time he returned our tests. At the beginning of the following semester I saw my Biology professor and I went to say hello. He gave me one of those looks of feigned recognition. Now I understand that you can’t possibly expect any professor to remember the faces of all the students he ever taught, but this caught me by surprise. I aced every one of his tests only a couple weeks ago! At that point I realized that it took more than just acing tests. I had to be proactive. I had to be someone worth remembering.

3.) Fake it till you make it… Confidence is key.

Confidence can take you far in college! Sometimes you really have to fake it till you make it. I’ve seen brilliant students not accessing their full potential because they did not have confidence in their views. Conversely, I’ve seen students with no credible or innovative ideas reach far because they were confident in themselves and their ideas. It’s important to find the balance. No one expects you to have it all together in college. Having confidence in your ideas and the ability to express those ideas is what gets your foot in the door.

I grew incrementally from reserved to confident over the course of my undergraduate career. I found that my reach, and my reward, grew far greater as I progressed from the former to the latter. As it grew, and consequently as my experiences grew, I no longer had to “fake it”. 

State of the Black Student Summit

This weekend the JNT team had the pleasure of attending an event hosted by the FAMU SGA; The State of the Black Student Summit. A yearly event that takes place in the spring, the Summit includes week long events and presentations ranging from financial security after graduation to breaking into the entertainment industry as a college student. The culmination of these events is a dynamic panel discussion hosted in Al Lawson Gym with a bevy of interesting and influential members. This year’s panel included Carmen Ulrich, Arther Wylie, Dr. Jacquelyn Del Rosario, Marc Williams, Devin Robinson (aka Egypt), Omar Tyree, Eve Wright, Dr. Marc Lamont Hill, and the big ticket seller, JOHN LEGEND. Together they covered plenty of important topics that are all apart of the black student experience.

Another aspect of the summit was the interactions with the student body. Not only did the event begin with a video presentation featuring FAMU students, but attendees were also encouraged to submit questions via Twitter for the panel to answer. Any student that attended could say that they did learn and grasp something completely real and influential during that panel. It was clear that these people really wanted to reach out to the audience and make a difference. Each panelist was confident in their strengths and weaknesses and they exhibited characteristics which truly embodied the summit’s theme: Black Excellence.

The topics of conversation ran from starting a business in college, networking, relationships during and after college, the education system and many more. Of course there were some comedic moments; Omar Tyree and Jacquelyn Rosario discussing women who “give up the cookies” early on in a relationship. There were also some hard hitting statements, one of which was the effect of having a black president. Mr. Tyree responded by stating that a black president used to be a joke but now that it has happened we (black people) needed to be more inspired to do better.

The discussion brought to the forefront some of the most important problems facing black students  today, which included their lack of acceptance, inadequate knowledge of who they were, and retention in schools. The issue of how were communicated, especially through social media, was also addressed. It was a general consensus of the panel that that students needed to be mindful not only of what they posted on the internet, but also who was looking at them online and the image they portrayed.

The experience was truly a fun and edifying one, and though we didn’t get any autographs 😦 the true benefit of the event has inspired JNT to start a series documenting the State of the Black Student, coming soon.

If you could do it all over… (College Edition)

Whenever we come to the end of a chapter in our lives, many of us tend to look back on all the experiences that got us to that point. Some of us are filled with regret, others simply accept their mistakes and move on, while some, very few, did absolutely nothing wrong and have led perfect lives.

So here I am, standing on the threshold of an uncertain future, and inevitably I begin to re-think my entire college career. What would I have done differently if given the chance? This intrigued me so much that I decided to do a poll about it to see what others thought as well. The most popular responses (and how to avoid them) are below:

I wish I had…

5. Made better relationship decisions

I think this hits home for everyone. Whether it be friends, boyfriends or girlfriends, we look back and think it was a colossal waste of time. Although we acknowledge that everyone is in our lives for a reason and a season, we must admit that some people are just plain toxic and the quicker they are gone the better. Spend time with people who uplift you. Ladies, if everything that comes out of his mouth is a harsh criticism that he deems a “joke” he’s not uplifting you. Guys if all she does is complain that you aren’t doing anything with your life when you know you’re working hard, she’s not uplifting you. If all your friends do is laugh when you tell them your dreams, they are not uplifting you. Sometimes we find ourselves nursing a broken relationship oblivious to the fact that life and opportunities are passing us by. Any relationship that forces you to choose between it and your friends, family or education is not worth having. Remove the weeds in your life that leach and stifle your growth. 

4. Had better study habits/ a better academic record

We go to college to get a degree. Plain and simple. We lose sight of that so many times. We get distracted by relationships, clubs, greek life, partying etc. I’ve spoken to a few alumni that have returned as recruiters for their company and one thing they tell me each time is how important a solid GPA is. Regardless of how well spoken and well rounded you are, if you are below a certain threshold it is difficult to make it very far with some companies. As a Chemical Engineering student, in my research of companies in my field such at Chevron, Shell and BP, having a GPA below 3.5 will not even get you an interview. Sadly most of this knowledge becomes apparent when we are seniors and we’re looking for jobs or graduate schools. Suddenly that decision to go partying all weekend before your finals in sophomore year seem like an insanely stupid idea. Remember why you’re here. Make time for fun, but remember that its your education that’ll take you furthest.

3. Been more involved on campus

If I had a nickel for each time I heard this line then…. well…. I’d have a lot of nickels. We get stuck in either of 2 things; getting solely enveloped in academics so we build no relationships other than late night rendezvous with textbooks; or partying so much that more bartenders than professors know your name. College is where you create yourself. Explore different avenues and decide which is best for you. Join more than one student organization, volunteer, take a real interest in your university and what affects it. At the end of our college career many of us find ourselves looking back and realizing that other than our GPA there isn’t much else to put on our resumes. It’s always best to take initiative, regardless of where you are.

2. Chosen another major/ college

Unfortunately this is the plight of many college seniors/ graduates (more than we’d like to admit). Bottom line, do what makes you happy! I know that this sounds cliche (and if you’re anything like me, just that fact would make you want to stop reading) but it’s reality. Many of us spend 4 or more years toiling through a major simply because our parents want us to, or because we think its the safer choice. At the end of the day we are the ones stuck living the life based on the choices we make. So choose what makes your life worth living! Now its all well and good to have this optimistic point of view, but let’s be realistic for a moment. I admit that sometimes you may find yourself in a position where doing what you want may not necessarily be feasible. Let’s face it, if you could go to art school in Paris and make a good living by painting portraits on the bank of the river Seine why wouldn’t you?! We have to play the cards we’re dealt. If changing your major/ college is absolutely out of the question, then find an outlet to express yourself. Those close to me know that I am an artist trapped inside of an engineer’s body. Engineering, though intriguing, is not what makes my heart skip a beat. I have however been able to find a balance through art as a hobby. I am constantly sketching and painting (well I do it in the free time when engineering isn’t trying to suck out my soul). The fact is, finding a way to make your situation work in a way that makes you most happy is definitely worth the effort.

1. Savored my college experience more

This was the most popular response. Always make the most of each moment you have. Dream big, take more risks and always make some time to let your hair down and party. We’re all in such a rush to graduate/ get a job/ go to graduate school/ make some money, whatever it may be. We are so consumed with running toward our destination of “Success” that we forget to savor our present moment. Those older than I have often told me that college would be the highlight of my life. I’ve always thought that that was such a depressing outlook on my future, but nonetheless it forced me to be a bit more appreciative of my present. So slow down! Enjoy the scenery while you’re on your journey.

Home is where your classes are..

I love my university. Honestly, truly, sincerely adore my institution of learning, Florida A&M University. Despite any and all adversities, FAMU and its students continue to rise above and beyond world expectation and do great things for themselves and others. Granted some people at FAMU are not my favorite but that’s the same with any organization anywhere so I don’t put too much stock in that.

 
 What does bother me is how out of place I feel when I walk along my campus. Its not my
freshman year and of course I’ve seen things come and go; new buildings, bigger shows, even new directors and deans. But it almost feels like there’s a block in place; I can’t reach my university like I used to. When I look around at its open spaces filled with trees and plagues and buildings proclaiming the history that I’m currently apart of all I can feel is a vague fascination, like its not really pertaining to me. As an engineering student, we are like the kids shipped off the boarding school; sent away to do something with yourself and benefit the overall prestige of the family without being underfoot all the time. And coming home after all that time is a culture shock. I know instinctively that this is my home, but the people, the sights, the feelings that were originally there seem to have diminished or faded into memory.Everything seemed so much brighter and different before, and I just feel so out of place of the day to day that all I want is to go back to my new home.

Its disconcerting to find yourself disconnected with anything much less a whole university. I mean, when I graduate my diploma will say Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, my cap and gown will be in the school colors, and I’ll stand with everyone else and sing the Alma Mater (If I remember it…Yikes) but all in all, is this my school? Do I feel the same way I did when I first walked onto the highest of seven hills? And an even bigger question, does my university feel the same way about me? I don’t feel as appreciated as the business students, or journalism; I barely even get the same privileges and responsibilities. When I have  a problem I don’t go to my university, I just wait on my college (mostly dominated by FSU) to handle it for me. Why do I have to have an FSU card to get into a college that’s supposed to be 50/50? Why do I need an FSU ID and email? And where is my home university when people scratch off their name from the engineering sign or when the only places that you see our logo are bathrooms and cafeterias?

I think home can very well be where the heart is, but hearts can drift apart. I love my university, its people, and its history but maybe its not home anymore.