Category Archives: Student Life

extracurricular activites, UT sports and other campus events, student organizations, recreation, etc.

Austin, Joel, MPA Council, MPAC, Student Life

MPAC in the Community

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One of the things I love to do is to volunteer. For me, there is nothing like giving back and helping make a better tomorrow, one little act at a time. Perhaps this may sound too ideal, esoteric, or even ethereal. However, I speak from experience because if not for people who have helped me along the way and paid it forward in their time, I would not be where I am today. So when I joined MPA Counciland learned that community service is one of its pillars, I could not have been happier to be part of such an organization.

At CAFB

In the past few weeks, MPAC has had two community service projects. The first one was with Capital Area Food Bank (CAFB), where we moved, organized, and sorted 6,500 pounds of food in about three hours. To put it in context, this is equal to 5,625 meals that the agency provides in Central Texas. CAFB works with several local agencies that help distribute the food to combat hunger in the region. I can’t believe how much food we sorted in the time we were there.  We worked in an assembly line and had an efficient process of packaging foods. When the agency coordinators announced the impact of our work, there was a sense of pride in the group, because we knew we made a difference.

MPAC at AAC

The second project we had was a visit to the Austin Animal Center (AAC). This was a fun job. How could it not be? We walked dogs every 15 to 20 minutes. From the small young dogs to the big and rowdy ones, we had a chance to take the dogs out for exercise and show them some affection. It was a good way for us to also get a work out and reduce stress levels in the process.

Austin Animal Center

I will not forget the last dog I walked, which was a German shepherd. She was big, strong, and energetic. At some point, it was hard to tell whether I was walking her or she was walking me. I had to tie the leash around my waist a few times for added support. Needless to say it was a funny sight. By the time we left AAC, we had mud everywhere from walking and playing with the dogs. It was a good experience and one that really put smiles on our faces.

One thing I really appreciate from these events is that it shows how MPAC is committed to social engagement. It is not just an organization that promotes accounting and the career opportunities therein. It is much more than that. When it started to rain during the past AAC event, the volunteer coordinators gave us the option to leave early. A fellow student turned to me though and said, “I’d like to help some more if I can.”

That’s the spirit of service and I could not even be more proud to have folks share the same passion when it comes to giving back. I’m definitely looking forward to the future projects we’ll have.

Academics, Student Life

Avoid Procrastinating by Cutting These 5 Time Sucks

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Mid-terms can be a major wake up call. It’s a perfect opportunity to re-evaluate your time management in relation to studying and/or making your life more efficient in order to have plenty of time to study. With that in mind, I present 5 things that are sucking up more time than you would probably realize.

iTunes Radio

I already know what you’re thinking. Some people believe they study better with music on and iTunes Radio is the newest fad with the new iOS7 released by Apple. Let’s be honest with ourselves, nobody retains as much information when listening to music in the background. You cannot be singing JT’s part of Holy Grail while memorizing your tax laws. JT may go great with everything but not with studying. Sometimes in the past I would use music as an incentive to get myself to sit down and study but that does not fly this year. So, if you can, I recommend turning off the radio, Spotify, iTunes, whatever, and focus in a quiet area when you study.

Snapchat

This app is probably my favorite pass time. If I could put professional snapchatter on my resume, I would. I am getting really good at creating works of art using the draw tool on Snapchat. And we all know that takes not just natural talent on my part but a whole lot of time and dedication. Not only does it take time for you to Snapchat people, but come on, people are gonna send us some back because we are all popular and probably send really awesome ones that people just have to respond to. With that being said, it is time to face the facts. Snapchat is one of the absolute biggest time wasters currently. I usually have conversations with my friends over snapchat versus texting these days. So shut off that phone and get to work!

Online TV

If you don’t watch Game of Thrones, you’re wrong. Just kidding. But I bet you do watch some kind of online television show because you were too busy to catch it on cable. Or maybe you are like me and you would rather spend money on Chipotle than on cable so you use your laptop to get your tv fix. Either way, beware of the addiction of online tv!!

Roommates

I spend a lot of time joking around with my roommates and talking about nonsense. It is really fun and I love my roommates, but I know deep down inside that I waste a lot of my time by chatting it up the night before my paper is due. I think you should always make time for your roommates, but also know when to tell them that you are busy. They will respect your time and will probably realize that they have stuff that needs to get done as well.

Facebook/Twitter

This is a tricky one. I know that Facebook and Twitter have become intertwined with classes because of Facebook groups, Google Docs, and Twitter polls. However, if you can somehow write down how much time you spend a week on Facebook and cut that in half, then you are in good shape. It is amazing how it has become a reflex to automatically go to Facebook first when you open your laptop. So block Facebook for a few hours so you can study. There are a lot of sites that have apps to do this. Twitter is addicting because you think you just want to read a couple tweets. I mean it takes two seconds to write a quick tweet so why do I even bother to put this on here, right? Wrong!! Twitter has way too many interesting stories, pictures, and jokes. Two seconds turns into thirty minutes. Remember, you do not have to delete your social media accounts. Just try to decrease your time per day on each site!

 Which type of procrastinator are you? (I am at least 4 of those!)

Academics, Student Life

Farewell Candy Crush

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So the first grades of the semester are officially in the books. After a rough week last week, we finally find out how we fared on those exams. While for some it is a time to celebrate, for me, it is a time to contemplate and make necessary changes. Needless to say, I have my work cut out for me for the rest of the semester. Not getting an A is upsetting and personally disappointing. When I got my exams back and saw it littered with red ink, I almost lost it. After a night of letting this sink in, I decided it is time to make some serious adjustments.

The first thing I did was to delete Candy Crush from my iPad. I think that it may just be the culprit. After reaching level 180, it’s time for me to say goodbye to such an awesome game. I’ll admit it took me a while to press X  in order to get rid of it, but I did it anyway. My friends can’t believe I was able to overcome such a challenge, because they know how hooked I was with it. However, the time and few dollars of investment didn’t yield any effective return in brain processing power.

I may have shed a tear when I deleted the app

But all joking aside, this post is more than just Candy Crush, as amazing as it is. This is about making changes, learning from mistakes, getting back up, re-prioritizing things, and shaking off the dust. As I talk to MPAs, I’m learning that we are all experiencing the same things. It is a tough, challenging, but very rewarding program and I frankly would rather be stretched like this than taking it easy, earning A’s all the time. This is not to rationalize mediocre performance. However, I would argue that in this journey, there are potholes and those who learn to avoid them moving forward will be better prepared for the many more challenges ahead.

So as I say goodbye to Candy Crush, I am also tweaking a few things like my daily routine, study habits, and organizational system. I am hoping this will make a difference on the second round of exams. For now, I am happy to learn from my mistakes, move on and work hard to excel. As a professor told me once:

“You may think you’re already a mile deep. Remember, you still have a few miles to go to make up lost ground.”

That’s exactly what I needed to hear.

Jonathan, Student Life

Festivals for the Rest of Y’alls!

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Flooding at ACLAustin is a vibrant city with a diverse population containing a myriad of interests.  As something of a cultural center of the country, we have a lot of interest for folks that don’t live here.  This has taken the form of the many, many, many festivals that occur during the year.

Of course, this post is inspired by the Austin City Limits Music Festival, having just wrapped up a waterlogged second weekend.  A lot of my classmates went to at least one of the weekends, but being something of a homebody that gets anxious in crowds, I tend to avoid big events like this.  But there are plenty of other festivals and events around Austin for which I do make time.  ACL and SXSW are great, but there’s so much more!

One of my favorite events is the annual Lone Star Vegetarian Chili Cook Off.  As I mentioned before, I do like my vegetarian food, and the veggie chili cook off is a great way to try something new.  There are plenty of types that will satisfy even a meat eater, and the variety of chilis there is really something cool.  It’s on Sunday, November 10th this year, and I’m looking to take some of my fellow MPAs with me when I go.

Here’s one I generally don’t get to attend, but wish I could:  the Austin Food and Wine Festival.  It brings in some all-star chefs with some great opportunities to try some delicious food.  Tickets are a bit pricey, but if you can go, I think you’ll be happy.  (You did know that Austin is home to a Top Chef, right?)  April 25-27, 2014.

I suppose you could say that I like word play, and Austin is home to the O.Henry Pun-Off each year.  For thirty-five years, the puns have been slung naming the best punner in Austin.  Expected in May, 2014.

The famous Sixth Street used to be called Pecan Street, and each year in early May, vendors and booths are set up for the Old Pecan Street Festival.  It’s a nice way to spend the afternoon checking out some fun crafts, and you get to see Sixth Street in the bright light of day for a change.  May 3-4, 2014.

This may be a bit self-aggrandizing, but I have to mention Austin’s biggest board game convention, Board Game Bash.  Organized by yours truly, it’s a fun weekend of games where you can meet the fantastic Austin gaming community.  August 1-3, 2014.

Our local alt-weekly, the Austin Chronicle, puts on the Austin Hot Sauce Festival each year in August.  It’s tough eating spicy salsas in the August heat, but it’s a pretty good time.  If you don’t love and appreciate salsa by the time you finish at UT, then you definitely didn’t get out enough.  Hit this one up to try a bunch at once.  August 24, 2014.

That’s a pretty good start.  It’s a bit food-heavy, I guess, but that’s what I like!  I didn’t mention other great events like FunFunFun Fest, FANtastic Fest, Trail of Lights, Eeyore’s Birthday Party, or any number of other things.  It’s well worth the research to look outside of campus and discover Austin at large.
In the interest of more puns, here’s another fiduciary funny:
What was the ice cream manufacturer’s primary financial concern?
Liquidity.
Career, Employment, Recruiting, Student Life

Recruiting and Finding One’s Match

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Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match
Find me a find, catch me a catch 
It’s all about the fit.

It is hard not to be reminded of this classic song as recruiting season heats up. Though Fiddler on the Roof was referring to a marital arrangement, I think the analogy still holds true with recruiting. At the end of the day, it is about how a candidate fits with the firm culture and whether a relationship can blossom. This is one thing that I have noticed employers emphasize more and more during interviews. The main question is whether our values and personality align with theirs.

I like to think about this exercise as a search for our perfect match. If only there was a Match.com or E-harmony website we can use to help us in this quest, recruiting can be much easier. One only has to look at the number of personality matches and boom we have a match and a 90% chance that the relationship would end up in a lifelong state of happiness. But, there is none.

What I am finding out is that as much as I am learning about future employers, I’m also realizing things about myself, my career goals, the kinds of people I want to work with, and my passion. Just like any serious relationships, I am looking for folks I like and whose company I enjoy. In short, I am looking for my perfect match.

I am reminded of an advice I heard in a career panel once. The question many students ask in deciding which firms to apply to is how the first few years are going to look like. The representative commented on how myopic this perspective is and how much better of a question it is to ask how one sees himself/herself in the firm in 5, 10, 15, 20 years. His point is that finding the right fit, the right people, and the right match to our values can make us happier in our careers in the long run. Putting all factors aside, the crux of the matter is whether chemistry exists between us and the firms or not.

What a relief it is to realize this! Passing an opportunity becomes not so much because of inadequacies but simply a difference in nature and there’s nothing wrong with that. Ultimately, we’re looking for the firm that complements us. This takes the stress of recruiting away and encourages us to simply be at ease with who we are. After all, our personality is our greatest asset and the best matchmaker we have. Now, that is something we can definitely sing about.