To tweet or not to tweet? #tweetduh

    So today I was sitting at lunch and brainstorming how I was going to set up my outline for my senior project. My senior project is going to be a humorous, self-deprecating, creative nonfiction piece by the way! I was looking through an article that my advisor gave to me that was published in the Atlantic. The article titled "Contemporary Student Life" discusses the stress of college students. Um..Hi, ya think? Authors Fallows and Tierney state that a book written by Craig Brandon claims that America's schools are "alcohol-soaked, saturated, drug-infested campuses." Essentially saying that kids spend more time partying and going on Facebook than actually reading and studying. Yes, we do in fact spend hours on Facebook and a good amount of students take part in binge drinking on the weekends, but is this really what contributes to our stress? I doubt it. Social Media is a huge part of our generation and our incessant use of Twitter, Facebook and other sites is not necessarily such a bad thing. I hope to go into PR and Social Media after I graduate so personally, when I spend my time blogging and tweeting in my spare time I consider myself to be quite productive! We're stressed out from the pressure to find a decent job after we graduate, not from the distractions of social media. I mean granted I probably spend a little more time on Facebook than necessary when I could be doing my homework, but procrastination is a personal problem.
            I'm sure my parents spent just as much time procrastinating and binge drinking in their day, they just couldn't get thrown in the slammer as easily for doing it...thanks a lot Lindsay Lohan. But in all seriousness I think the school systems can address more pressing issues than the fact that we procrastinate doing our 10-page Hamlet essay in order to play Call of Duty or get on Facebook. Do you really think if we didn't have Facebook we'd be any more eager to write about the neurotic characters in Shakespeare? Probably not. Social Media has opened up a whole new world for marketing and for social networking giving us that many more options when we graduate. So even though we are the generation who can always be found with our cell phones attached to our hands, maybe we have technology to thank. Maybe in fact, we are more aware because information is constantly flowing and is more easily accessible. You can take the girl out of Facebook but you can't take the Facebook out of the girl, well in my case anyway :)

Here is the link to that article I was talking about..see what you think! Being a student sucks.

All good things must come to an end or must they?

       Yesterday was officially the first day of my last semester in college. I cannot even believe how fast it has gone! I can still remember my first night of college...bawling on the floor and wanting nothing more than to go home. I have come a long way! Sure, college has had its ups and downs. I have some regrets, but who doesn't? The point isn't to look back and regret those experiences but to learn from them. The most important thing I found in my time at Luther was the person that I want to be. Maybe I could have spent more time studying and made the Dean's List but this isn't what I'm going to take with me from college. I am going to take with me the friendships, the lessons I've learned, and more importantly: a changed me.

Here's my reaction to my last semester of college

       Our speaker at our high school graduation talked about the importance of leaving our comfort zone in the next chapter of our lives. This is exactly what I did! I went to a school that was three hours from home where I did not know a soul and I think I am a better person because of it. Not only will Luther have taught me how to write a proper business memo, and how in the H-E double hockey sticks to figure out what Shakespeare was really saying, but it taught me independence and gave me the confidence to go after my dreams (cheesy, but seriously). I went into college thinking I was going to be a Bio major and the next Dr. Dolittle and I am graduating with a degree in English and I Facebook and Tweet like it's my job. I literally want to do this for my job. Maybe expanding my knowledge of Twitter and Social Media isn't what someone would consider impressive knowledge to take with me but my experience at Luther helped me find this passion. Hopefully when I am someday tweeting about the Minnesota Wild or the Twins for my future job I will look back and thank Luther. Liberal Arts Colleges such as Luther are great because not only do they provide a well-rounded education but more importantly a well-rounded EXPERIENCE.
      In the end I have a lot to be thankful for because I went out of my comfort zone and this is only just the beginning. I think that's one of life's greatest lessons, sometimes you have to leave your comfort zone if you want to be great. Most importantly don't be afraid to take chances and just remember: Live and Learn.