A Typical Week at South for Me

In this week's blog, I will be giving you a glimpse into my week as a South student.

Moulton Tower view from the parking lot I use every day

Monday and Wednesday

Fortunately for me, this semester I don't have class until 11 a.m. all week. Usually I try to get up a few hours before so that I can work on homework and have breakfast before class. On MWF I have my web design class and French II.

Afterwards I go to work from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. And after work I'll come home, go to the gym, cook myself dinner and work on my online Marketing classwork.

If I have the free time, I'll watch TV, Netflix, or YouTube.

Learning to use CSS in Web Design class

My desk for Web Design and Media Planning classes

Tuesday and Thursday

 My Tuesdays and Thursdays are a bit longer than MWF. On these days, I have my Strategic Publication Design, Strategic Writing, and Media Planning classes until 3 p.m.

Afterwards I go to work from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. And after work I'll do the same routine as every other day.

Every other Thursday, I do have an American Advertising Federation Chapter meeting to go to after work.

Made myself a salad for dinner

Inspirational cup of tea every morning

Working on designing the back of a business card in Adobe InDesign for class

Friday

 On Friday, I have the same classes I do on Mondays and Wednesdays. The only difference for my Fridays is that I don't have to work. If I go home that weekend, I'll come back to my apartment and pack and clean after class. Then I'll head back to Mississippi for the weekend.

Friday nights I usually spend doing homework and spending time with my siblings.

This Friday, I stayed in Mobile for USA day the next day so I just cooked myself dinner and worked on my Web Design blog post.

Writing my weekly blog post for Web Design

Web design class blog prompt and weekly course material

Preparing turkey meatballs for dinner

Saturday 

Saturdays are pretty calm and relaxing for me. I'll occasionally go out with friends or my boyfriend, but usually I'll just take the day to relax and catch up on my shows. I also like to go for walks with my dog and siblings on Saturdays.

This Saturday we had USA Day, so I stayed in Mobile for the weekend.  Had so much fun Saturday! Lots of walking! I did go shopping at Ulta and Target later that day, but I was too entertained to take some pictures.

Almost 11K steps for USA day!

Sunday

 On Sundays I will usually go to church with my family, and then head back to Mobile for work at 5 p.m. After I get off work at 7 p.m., I'll come back to my apartment and get ready for the school week to begin again.

Since I stayed in Mobile this weekend, my Sunday was a little different. I went to church at 11 a.m., and then went to eat at my favorite Vietnamese restaurant. Then I went back to Target to shop some more because who doesn't love Target.

Went out for pho after church 

Spring rolls after church

-Paola

My Top 4 Places to Study and Relax on Campus

 Today I'll be discussing some of my go-to spots on campus to relax or catch up on work in between classes. I rarely get free time when I'm on campus, but on the rare chance I do these are some of my favorite places to go to.

1. Communication Building Library

I spend most of my time in the communication building. Nearly all of my classes are in that same building, so I always spend any free time between classes in the small upstairs library. There's couches and computers for people to work and study at.

2. Mitchell College of Business (MCOB)

 

As a marketing minor, I also spend a lot of time at MCOB. There is a library there as well that is really good for students to go study at. I also like to take a break in the seating area around the POD if I have any time in between my classes.

3. Student Center

My second most frequented place on campus is the Student Center. If I have long enough time in between classes I like to head to the student center and grab lunch and catch up on homework or just relax. It can get noisy at times, so when I need to be extra focused I'll head to my next option.

4. Marx Library

I will occasionally go to the Marx library to do homework or work on a project. There is a new group room on the first floor that is great place for students do their work. I also like to grab a table in the other floors.

-Paola

College Teaches You More than Just Academics

 

I've been in college since Fall of 2015. I'm about to graduate, and I definitely feel I have learned and matured so much in these last 4 years of college. Different experiences and circumstances brought on by college have shaped me into the person I am today, and there's a chance I wouldn't have learned all this if I hadn't moved away from home for college.

I've learned things about myself that high school Paola would not have expected 
All throughout my high school years, I thought I wanted to work in healthcare because I wanted to help others. After going through a whole year of Nursing school, I realized that I wasn't made to work in healthcare. I'm too sensitive and introverted to be a nurse. And that's okay!

I don't have to work in healthcare to help others. Anyone can help others in many different ways.

I've learned that life don't always come out the way you think.
I know it sounds cliche, but I always had this solid plan in my head of what kind of life and undergraduate career I would have. None of those plans came out the way I imagined.

In reality, I'm graduating a semester later than I thought I would with a degree in a field that I never even considered in high school. But, I've found that these experiences have helped me learn more about myself and what kind of person I want to be.

I've also learned that you should listen to yourself when it comes to important life decisions.
I knew after my first semester in Nursing school that I did not want to be a nurse. The only reason I stayed in the program one more semester is because everyone around me told me that I couldn't give up. "Everyone wants to quit nursing school at one point."

 Deep inside, I already knew that I didn't want to be a nurse, but I decided to listen to everyone else instead of myself. That decision cost me quite a bit. If I had listened to myself from the beginning, I would have been much happier.

College teaches you so much more than just the classes you take. These four, five, six, or however many years help shape you into the person you're meant to become. It will be scary and frustrating at times, but in the end you'll realize how much this time has helped you grow.

-Paola

How to Make College Feel Like Home

Feeling homesick is an inevitable part of going somewhere far away from home for college. There are some tips and tricks that I've learned throughout the years to make myself feel better when I'm feeling down.

 1. Decorate your room with pictures and things that remind you of home. I have pictures hung around my room of my friends and family to make my room feel more homey. I also brought some items from home to put around my room.   


2. Keep busy! I know that when I'm busy with clubs and school activities I feel more excited about being at college. I rarely feel homesick anymore, but in my first year I would try to attend all the community events to make friends and just get out of my own head.


3. Explore and get to know your new city. I was so overwhelmed when I first came to Mobile. It is so much larger than my hometown, and we don't have half the stuff to do as Mobile. But I really enjoyed going out and exploring the city and finding all the places I would need. It really helps build your comfort when you know your environment.

4. Don't be afraid to talk to people in classes and make friends. Other people around you are looking for new friends too. You will feel comfort in getting to know the people you see every day.

5. Find a routine. I like to keep my weeks in a set routine. I know which days I'll do laundry, which days I'll go grocery shopping, and which days I can just relax and have free time.


Making college feel like home is important for your success as a student. It's all about getting used to your new life and enjoying the opportunity to change. You'll do much better when you feel comfortable where you are.

Soon enough you'll stop feeling like this little boy.

-Paola

New Semester, New Classes!

Spring semester just started here at South, and I am so excited to start my second to last semester here at South. Most of my classes are so exciting and I am ready for all the new experiences I'll get during this semester.

I think I am most excited for my Strategic Publication Design class. This class is a major requirement for my strategic communications degree and I'll learn how to use editing programs like Photoshop and Canva to create different graphics and designs. I'm really excited to learn how to use these programs. I consider myself a fairly creative and detailed person, and I enjoy creating these types of things.

I can't wait to see what's in store for me this semester!

-Paola

My Winter Break Plans

We are only a few days away from officially starting winter break here at South, and I am so excited for the chance to relax and spend time with friends and family during Christmas.

Christmas time for my family is very busy and lively. We have parties called posadas almost every day leading up to Christmas, and a lot of my family members have birthdays in these next few weeks. That means that there will be plenty of family parties to attend during this break. I actually have a huge wedding to go to this weekend after finals, so that will be a nice way to start my break.

I'm also excited to spend time with my friends and my boyfriend. They all live back home, so I don't get to see them very often, especially recently. I'm really excited to be able to have more free time to spend with my friends without stressing out about having deadlines and exams to worry about.

I'm also excited to go Christmas shopping for all my loved ones. I haven't had the chance to shop for anyone, but I can't wait to buy and wrap presents for everyone. I also have plans to go see the Christmas lights with my friends and boyfriend. There's a Christmas festival back home that always has really pretty displays, and we might come see the displays here in Mobile.

And Honestly, the most exciting thing about going home for Christmas will be not having to drive long distances for a while and having nice home-cooked food for every meal.

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season with their loved ones.

-Paola

Being a Communications Major!

Today I'll be sharing my experience as a communications major. I haven't been a communications major for very long. I actually left the nursing program last spring and have only been a communications major since summer 2018. So far, I do not regret my decision at all and have fallen in love with my new major. In this post, I'll be sharing some of my experiences as a communications major.

1. At USA you can select your major concentration and focus your curriculum in a specific area of communications.
 Students can concentration in strategic communications, which focuses on PR and advertising. That is my concentration, and I absolutely love it. Other concentrations include, journalism, digital cinema and television, and communication studies. Each concentration has unique courses in their curriculum.

2. As a Communications major, you do a lot of projects and presentations. 
Of course, this wouldn't be a communications degree if you didn't have to write papers and prepare presentations. Our assignments are always interesting though. Like today, I presented a group project in one of my classes, and we chose to rebrand the restaurant Applebee's for the project.

3. Classes always involve interesting discussions about current events
In most of my classes, we will spend time discussing current events as they relate to the topic at hand. I've been a part of discussions about so many different topics. It's so interesting to see how pervasive and relevant the field of communications is to society.

4. Even writing can be creative and fun. 
In fact, I'm currently working on writing a case study for my media ethics class on a crisis that cosmetics company faced earlier in the year. I love that I get to research about any topic that I want and still make it applicable to the field. 

5. You get to learn more about inner workings of advertising and public relations. 
Advertising and PR are much more complex than some people imagine. I've loved learning about all the different approaches to each field.

-Paola