Taking on Chicago

I Owe What?!

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 23:51:00 -0500

I’m still in shock from last night after my dad sat me down to go over my student loan budget. In college, it didn’t occur to me that all my spending would eventually be paid back—by me. My tuition, sorority payments, rents for my apartment, meals, books, and other expenses I told myself were magically being paid by my parents to make me feel better, were all paid for by loans. And boy, did my expenses add up!

I now realize I had no concept of money. Even holding part time jobs and babysitting many nights and weekends during college, I saved almost no money and spent it on things I thought I needed at the time— an outfit for a sorority exchange to dress as my favorite movie character, or a new top to wear that weekend. While it seemed like a necessary purchase at the time, I look back and see it was all irrational spending.

There are few regrets I have about my college years, but one would definitely be better money management. Had I known that I would be repaying all the money I spent in college, I would have definitely made better spending decisions and started saving as soon as I started working.

I now see why many students opt for community college before transferring to a 4-year university. Sure, you may miss out on the full campus experience, but the thousands of dollars a semester you save definitely has its advantages.

As a college graduate, I feel luckier than most to have gotten a paid, summer internship after graduating. But as my loans kick in next month, I’m beginning to feel the pressures of making and saving money. From here on out, money will always play a factor in my spending decisions. While this is quite depressing, I’m glad to learn this realization now and hope to make better financial decisions in the future. Oh, the joys of growing up…

Details: Glee's Christmas album

Sun, 06 Nov 2011 19:41:24 -0500

Details: Glee's Christmas album:

Now that Halloween has come and gone, it is absolutely appropriate to get excited about Christmas music! Details about Glee’s Christmas album, including a preview of “All I want for Christmas.” Last year’s Glee album did not disappoint— looking forward to this one!

New Grad Life

Sat, 05 Nov 2011 12:16:00 -0400

“I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.” - Thomas Jefferson

Monday Motivation

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 22:16:00 -0400

Earlier today, when I sat down at a table in the library to continue my job hunt, I looked up to find a collage hanging right above my head. “The City Speaks,” by Jennifer Lockwood, is made of newspaper and magazine clippings of some of the great sites, shops, streets and businesses that make up Chicago. I absolutely fell in love with it and want to hang it in my future Chicago apartment! I couldn’t help but smile and use it as my inspiration for getting things done for the day.

Crossing my fingers that this was a good luck sign as I have two job interviews in the city this week.

Here’s a closer look at the collage:

An Austin Powers Sighting

Sun, 23 Oct 2011 20:36:00 -0400

“A playful path is the shortest road to happiness.”

I should have known it would turn out to be quite an adventurous night when we mistook a grand opening event’s shuttle bus for a cab. As all six of my friends and I pile into this van, we noticed something was up. At first we thought we were on Cash Cab, but were slightly disappointed when we discovered he was a shuttle driver for Mini of Chicago, and that we would be going to their grand opening event. Our disappointment subsided, however, when he told us their grand opening event came with complimentary food, drinks and live music. Since we had a few hours to spare, we all looked at each other and said, “Why not!?”

The next few hours consisted of us “riding” in a car with Austin Powers, singing and dancing to a Beatles tribute band, and taking full advantage of the free buffet (which was delicious!) And let’s not forget that we got to admire awesome, expensive Mini Coopers while we were there. Oh how I love a spontaneous, random night!

The Job Application Process

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 17:40:00 -0400

“There are always two choices. Two paths to take. One is easy. And its only reward is that it’s easy.”

I have come to one conclusion this week: job applying is quite overwhelming. Even with locking myself at the library to focus all week, I’ve noticed how long I’ve been spending on each application. While this is one of the drawbacks of job applying (learning that the process is slower than you thought), that’s also how it should be.

If you haven’t learned this by now, I hope my advice will help. Take your time and carefully craft each cover letter to fit the company and the job you are applying for. While I have only applied to a limited number of positions this week, I have submitted cover letters and applications that show I have spent time researching the company and position I’m applying for. I know a lot of students who are eager to get a job, so they submit a mass, generic cover letter and resume to dozens of companies. That only wastes a great opportunity to showcase how you are the best applicant for the job, and I can only assume that job employers notice it is generic and don’t even bother looking at your resume.

This will mean that in a day, you may only get a chance to apply to 3-4 places because it takes an hour or two drafting a thoughtful cover letter. I can honestly say that the cover letters I have spent time personalizing to fit the company’s tone, as well as the position, are the applications I have gotten positive feedback from.

So, my final advice is to take the time to personalize your applications. If you are applying online, remember that there are hundreds, maybe even thousands of applicants as your competition. Don’t do yourself a disservice by wasting your opportunity by not taking the time to apply. You only get one chance to impress job employers… make it count.

Wordless Wednesday

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 20:23:00 -0400

(Taken on my walk in the city on Monday via Instagram)

Game Day: Stripe the Stadium

Sat, 15 Oct 2011 17:16:38 -0400

Game Day: Stripe the Stadium:

I love college football Saturdays! I Wish I could be down in Champaign for this game.

“And what it all comes down to, is that...

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 23:07:00 -0400

“And what it all comes down to, is that everything’s going to be fine, fine, fine. ‘Cause I’ve got one hand in my pocket and the other one is giving a high five.”- Alanis Morissette

It felt great being back in the city today! I’ve had less opportunities to make my way downtown, so I definitely took advantage of the day despite the gloomy weather. I had a job interview in Lincoln Park that went well, and because of that, treated myself to a day in downtown Evanston afterwards—great shopping and dining area. I highly recommend checking out Francesca’s; they have fantastic dresses and accessories that are very reasonably priced. Check out their website: http://www.francescascollections.com/

Anyways, I was feeling nostalgic and am currently blasting Alanis Morissette (side note: she was the first cassette tape my sister and I bought…I had to have been 7 or 8 years old!) Surprisingly enough, the Hand in My Pocket lyrics have provided me with some comfort during the job application process this week. To my fellow friends and recent grads currently in the job applying process, keep your head up, and download this song—it’s a good one!

Wordless Wednesday

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 16:18:00 -0400

“There are few things pure in this world anymore, and home is one of the few.”- OAR

(Connect with me on the Instagram App. Username: lwisnie3)

Illini Camaraderie

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 22:30:00 -0400

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”- Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

As my first blog post, I find it fitting quoting Ferris Bueller and reminiscing about college and how life has drastically changed since graduating in May. After all, this blog serves as my way to document my transition from college to real-world, and what a transition it has been!

I didn’t realize how great college was until I graduated and moved back home for a few months. I don’t want to say I took my time at Illinois for granted, because I loved being there, but I do have a new sense of pride and appreciation for my school that I didn’t have as an undergrad. I can confidently say that what I miss most about college is the camaraderie that being an Illini entailed.

For starters, everyone was on the same page as me. I was surrounded by 40,000 other students who were all relatively the same age and held vastly similar interests and daily routines. In the small bubble of campus town, I walked amongst peers that I shared a lot in common with. Whether it be having the same major or professor, holding a part time job on campus, being in a relationship, being in a sorority, or just enjoying the same campus bar or restaurant, I found it so easy to relate to and share a connection with nearly everyone I met in college. Now, it’s harder to establish that level of comfort knowing 90% of the people you run into are not in the same boat as you are anymore. Now, many college grads start jobs where they are the youngest at their company, live at home with their parents, and spend time with childhood friends who may not share the same professional goals as fellow classmates from college.

Life is all about adjusting to changes, and I’ve come a long way since my initial shock of transitioning out of college and moving back home in May. As the title of my blog suggests, I will eventually find the camaraderie I lost after graduating when I eventually move to Chicago and share similarities with other city newbies — as entry level, broke, Chicagoans, taking on Chicago.