Friday, December 31, 2010

Can I do them all?

A New Year calls for a New Post(s)


Highlights of the Year
Reviewing the Year Past
What 2011 means to me
New Years Resolutions


There are so many aspects of the New Year to talk about but what is it really? A fresh start or just another walk in the park called "Life"?  In my own personal opinion the upcoming year means the same that it meant last year, but that all depends on what it meant to you particularly. For me I would have to cover every single angle or at least try to....

Highlights of the Year

Graduating from the University of Florida with a Bachelors of Arts in Anthropology and Minor in Education.  I ended my collegiate career feeling free and renewing some friendships that had fallen apart, while letting other relationships fall complete to the wayside where they needed to be.
Then the very next day having a very special someone ask me to be their girlfriend, in the cutest way I have ever been asked. At the moment that this is being typed up we are going eight months strong and will continue to do so as long as possible. MJA is a great person.
I turned 21 years old and received my first teaching job at a preschool as the one year old teacher aka the Butterfly Class. For my 21st....my friends planned it all and made it great! I love you all for that! It was spectacular and that weekend my family perfect as well...Well my family would be a highlight of every year not just this one =)

Reviewing the Year Past
This year past

What 2011 means to me


New Years Resolutions


Thursday, July 29, 2010

Friendships

One of the most complex things in life that all living creatures have to deal with are relationships. It seems though that humans, Homo sapien sapiens have the most complex type of relationships that are on this planet. The one type of relationship that is most fascinating to me though is the friendship. 

There are a multitude of sayings and phrases that relate to friendship but none of them fully grasp the idea perfectly because each person looks at the bond differently. I may view a friendship to be a relationship that takes place between two people that are not related and create a bond that last a life time that does not have any type of intimacy, like dating. Whereas there are people who view friendship to have no boundaries at all. 

As defined by Dictionary.com Friendship
-noun
1.the state of being a friend; association as friends: to value a person's friendship.
2.a friendly relation or intimacy.
3.friendly feeling or disposition.

The issue at hand for most people is not defining a friendship but classifying the relationship into the proper categories. For me the first main category that a relationship is placed in is the "Reason, Season or Lifetime". A very common idea that has been passed around in chain mail through the years or the analogy of friendship being related to a tree. 

A problem that often comes up is the drift or the issue of there being time apart but in fact that is a good thing at times. See when people think of the saying "Time apart makes the heart grow founder", they often limit that to dating type relationships but in fact it has to do with all relationship types. When to people grow apart is allows for one of two things to happen and only one of two. There is the possibility that it shows that the friendship was not strong enough to begin with and that their relationship was only meant to last for a season or reason. Whereas there is the other case that it will show that the relationship is strong enough to withstand the distance and trials of time. These type of relationships are called "Lifetime" relationships. They last for that persons who life unless something very trying comes up that the relationship just cannot withstand.

When picking friends do not pick people the only compliment you in a way that you need but pick people that are there for you and care about you inside and out. Look for the person that barely knows you but can read you like a book and not care how you take it. Pick the person who is always honest with you but knows how to say so that you feelings are not completely crushed by the truth.  In life you must know who is really your friend because they want to be there FOR you and who is your friend because they want to use, manipulate or gain something FROM you. It is very hard but over time you will learn the difference and sometimes you will be blind sided but in the end you will come out with a hand full of friends that you love and they love you just the same or even more.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

You Live and You Learn

The absence.......


While I was growing up my father was not around and his absence, as expected, had an effect on my life in one way or another. Even though he has been absent I have learned some very valuable concepts from our relationship.

The first one was to cherish those who are in my life and to live life to the fullest with those people. A lot of times we will dwell on those who are not in our lives and why they are not there but all that does is keeps us from enjoying the time with those that are with us at the time. Why should it matter that someone is not there anymore, when they have removed them selves from the equation? If the person did not want to be around you or talk to you any longer then why does it bother you to point that those around you just aren't good enough for you to be happy with them? I am not saying that you should completely dismiss the fact that a person is not in your life but once you confront the feelings that you have with that issue of them not being there, you will come to realize that those in your life are way more valuable than those who have cropped themselves out of the picture.

Secondly, holding a grudge only has an effect on me, which led to me learning that forgiveness and taking away a valuable lesson from every relationship is best. At the end of the day holding a grudge only hurts the person that is upset, because after a while the other person will move on and forget all about you and what they did to make you upset.

In addition, I have also learned not to dwell on the past and to move forward. For me the best way to move forward was through my education. A prime example is when I arrived at the University of Florida I was set on having a major in Mathematics and would not consider any other majors. My first semester was a flop, mean that I did not do well in the course work that was necessary in the field. And the following semester I did the same thing because I would dwell on my mistakes and did not try to see any other options. This had a major effect on my grade point average and it was an eye opener for me to move forward. It has led to my current passion and major of anthropology and education minor.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Dedication: PEP Squad


Whit. WhitWhit.
Smilez.  Princess Crunk.
Silly. Short. Intelligent. Sweet, Kindhearted.
Funny. Out-going. Female. Young. Baby face. LJ.
Short Stuff or Shorty.
UOMee. Eeyore.

All of these words, phrases and nicknames are just a few that people will use to describe me, but what are the nicknames missing?

Background information about me.
 Courteous Entry Level Living

On July 5, 1989 at 5:25am a new member to the Johnson family was born in Brooklyn, New York. An only child raised in a household with three spectacular women, Sylvia, Chandler and Maureen in Far Rockaway before moving to Florida at the age of five.   From the time I was born until now, at the age of 20 (soon to be 21!), I have learned so many things from my “PEP Squad”, “Special Crew” and every other person that has somehow been a part of my life.  I have always thought of myself as just being me but never really knew how to describe that to people. When I was younger, 17 years old and younger, I would say, “Whitney is my playful side and Lacoy is my serious- quiet side”. Once I entered college and came to some serious realizations, I can say that is not the case. There are little things about me that people will just never know and other aspects of my personality that are easy to find out. I am a nice person even though my friends and I joke that we are “jerks and proud of it”. I am a tidy person, love to eat and always willing to learn something new. The part about this that may make no sense though is, what does this rambling of thoughts have to do with anything?

The answer is that this time around I am not going to be talking about myself solely but more so talking about the blessings that have aided me in life to make me the individual I am today, Whitney Lacoy Johnson.

This is my Dedication to those who have been dedicated to me.

My PEP Squad


Throughout my life being raised in a household that had a diverse heritage, I was brought up to believe and have certain values and principles. Such as family, honesty, being a woman of integrity, respect, tolerance, being myself and religion are important aspect that my family has taught me.

The key figures in my life are my grandmother, mother and aunt which have all imparted different lessons that have created the foundation of who I am today. 

My mother, or as I love to call her “Mommy”, is S.P. Johnson. The epitome of class, and I am not saying this because she is my mom and “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree”. No my mom is one of the classiest women I know or have been honored to be in her presence for my lifetime. The funniest thing though is that all the things that I see in my mom, in terms of class, people will sometimes say it’s due to the fact she was born in England or that she is an exception to some rule but the fact is that my mom is just doing what she knows how to do best, being a woman.  My mother has taught me that without tolerance and understanding I will never be able to grow and fully experience what the world has to offer me. She has been there for me since day one. Even when I felt that she was being too hard on me or would NEVER understand me, she was always guaranteed to have my best interest at heart even when I didn't have my own best interest in mind. She is my protector and my safe-guard, my "Tootz" and my role-model that never seems to fail to amaze me or the people around her. Without her I would not be here today or a fourth of the person I am today. I am not only grateful to have her as my Mommy but I am blessed to have her there to watch out for me and love me like no one else ever could.

My grandmother, C.E.Johnson, has taught me that inner strength and willpower will allow me to accomplish anything that I set my mind to or seems impossible.  My grandma's birthday is 10 days after mine, meaning that we are both Cancers, what that means? I don't think it honestly means much other than we are awesome! But in all seriousness there is not much to say about my grandma, other than I  find her to be perfect. She is my "angel without wings" that always gives me the strength to push on when I have no motivation what so ever. When I feel as if there is no way that anything is going to make a turn around or that for some reason the world is against me, I know that in my corner of the boxing match, W.L.J. vs Life, she is there coaching me. And to think that she has raised my mom and aunt is just unbelievable! One woman has single handedly aided in the creation of perfection or near perfection, if you want to be difficult and disagree with me. 

My aunt, M.P.Johnson or "Dudette", throughout the years and most recently has given me in site to a multitude of subjects. She instills the fact that I need to always view an issue from more than one angle in order for the solution to be the best one and that listening is better than speaking at times. Most recently though my aunt has taught me that, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going," because even with her busy job and things that are going on in her life, she hasn't allowed it to stop her. Through her I have learned that although times may seem rough and you want to give, quitting is never honestly an option.  


Definition of a Johnson Woman


A woman of honor, understanding and class.
A woman wise enough to know when to face a clash. 
A woman who can stand on her own.
A woman who is with family & rarely alone.
A woman of strength.
A woman that's kind.
A woman with natural beauty that will always shine.


A Johnson woman won't cry over spillt milk or fight over a man. 
She will keep her cool when times get hard.
She’ll never turn her back on a person in need.
This is a Johnson woman, yes in deed. 


She works toward her future, while living in the present 
and learning from her past struggles that are now left behind.
Every Johnson woman has her own personal strength
 that make up for any flaws a person could ever find. 


No one can compare or even dare try,
because a Johnson woman is beyond perfection
or super fly.


A woman that only can be found in a dream or fairytale,
is summarized in one name,
found one in family,
created one dynasty.
Johnson,
need I say more than it is a name to truly adore.
  Courteous Eltiste-kaiser

Saturday, May 1, 2010

What's Next?

University of Florida- May 1, 2010 & beyond


You go from birth to high school graduation and you can plan everything more or less to what you want it to be. You can plan out what schools you will be eligible for by working extremely hard and setting that to be you goal. You start applying for scholarships and remaining at the top of your high school graduation class. Then once you walk that stage and leave it to enter a whole new theater. When you enter college things change, people change...basically everything changes. Not for the worst or the best, they just change and each change brings new experiences and emotions.

As people go through life though they think that they can plan what is their life is going to be like down to the very last second. Boy are those people in for the rudest awakening once they hit their last semester in college. Nothing truly goes as planned while you are in college, let alone in life. When your last semester comes around there are so many things that you want to do that you haven't, people and places that you will never see while you are still an undergraduate at whatever university was graced with your presence. The only thing I want you to remember from this WHOLE  article is that you are never to be discouraged that your life does not follow the "perfect" plan that you or someone else has mapped out for your life


From personal experience my whole life up until college went more or less as planned, which is a great thing. I had some slip ups that I won't get into but college is a taste of the real world...or not! Look the truth is once you graduate from college that is when it all begins. 


So let the fun begin. All you can do it try to make the best out of everything and when it comes down to it....no matter how bad it seems, it's actually really GREAT....like being a FLORIDA GATOR!

Friday, March 26, 2010

Dating Rules

What are the rules of dating?



A question that has plagued the dating world for years, but the perfect set of rules have yet to surface or descend from the heavens to be written on stone.

Every magazine and television show can tell you a set of rules to follow. but they all seem to come up (fall?) short. The rules that you once followed in high school no longer apply once you hit the college arena, and once you hit the "real world" the rules are bound to change once again.

So then, what are “MY dating rules?”


I have come to the conclusion that the rules of dating should be based on basic human interaction, or in better words, they should cover all relationships.

Dating is just a type of relationship and that is what a lot of people seem to forget as they enter a dating relationship. Even I sometime forget that simple fact. Instead of making specific rules to follow for dating or reading books that tell you how to find the "perfect mate,” why not look for a good friend first and see if that relationship could grow?

A lot of times we are attracted to a person and decide to just leap into a relationship and not think or ask the right questions, which I am guilty of also. So please don’t feel as if I am passing judgment. Once we are in the relationship, actually dating the person, that is when all the questions come to mind and all the problems begin.

If you are the type of person that follows very specific rules while dating then you have a problem because with each person those rules may either be null and void, need to be "tweaked" slightly, or in other cases you may find that you do not have a rule to fit that person at all. So then what? 

You would have to go find another magazine, book or television show to that has the “answers” for your problems, right?

Wrong, wrong and whole lot more of WRONG! What you would have to do is make it up on the spot and hope that it works from there. Now that does sound like a horrible thing, improvisation but it is not. If you think about it, our whole life is one big show with no script. So instead of following some strict “guiding principles to dating", why not have a set of generic rules.

There are certain rule that I follow, but at the same time have to realize that some of these rules get shot out the window with each guy I have ended up dating. It is not because “love is blind” but instead it is due to the fact the every person is unique. So instead, I created these rules that are in no special order that I personally follow.

#1. Don't date a relative.
I would never do this but it's a taboo that is very common in the western culture, called incest. I think that speaks for itself and was an easy rule to start off with. On a serious note though, there are health issues that have been documented with children who are born from incestuous relationships.  (The anthropologist in me put this rule here, sorry. Now to the more sensible rules.)

#2. Don't judge a book by its cover.
Yes it is a cliché, but it is one that is definitely accurate when it comes to passing judgments in general that are harmful to any future relationship. With that being said you must still remain cautious and instead of basing judgments solely on the way a person looks, why not base it on the first impression that a person makes.
The purpose of this list is to know what you are willing to tolerate in a relationship and what you will never put up with. This allows there to be less confusion during each dating experience. Once this list is created you will know if you will give every person you date a second chance if they cheat, or if they are looking at another girl walking by or leave him singing, Break Up by Mario. That is completely up to you but in the end it will relieve you of the burden of each relationship being completely different because you will have a generic set of standards that you hold each partner to. (Examples of items on the list would be reactions to cheating, hygiene, clothing, music, speech patterns, ethnicity, religion, etc.)

#4. Be willing to compromise.
Definition of Compromise courteous Merriam-webster
1 a settlement of differences by arbitration or by consent reached by mutual concessions b : something intermediate between or blending qualities of two different things
2  a concession to something derogatory or prejudicial 

Now everyone hates to compromise but that is just something we all have to do. Even though it means we do not completely get our way in a situation, but isn’t getting some of what we want better than getting nothing at all? I think so! But going back to #3, be sure that when you do compromise that you are not compromising things that go against your list, values or who you are as a whole.

 #5. Be a good listener.
“The rule of thumb is that it takes two to argue, so what part did you play in the break in friendship [relationship] if any? It is possible that you had no part and then may be some part. Do not become defensive when you hear the part you may have played but take a look if it is something you want to change or something you do not want to change. There are times there may be something you did not do as well or something you may have done but do not beat yourself up about it. Remember relationships are hard, not just love relationships but all relationships (boyfriend/girlfriend, father/son, etc).”- Advice from Maureen “Dudette” Johnson, Psychologist

#6. Know when to follow your gut and when to follow your heart.
This rule is not one that comes with a great deal of advice and will never be perfectly understood. But there are times when you just “know” something is not right and that you feel as if you want to reevaluate the situation. Never go against your gut, even though your heart may not want you to look at the details of the relationship again because there is some bad you may need to. Love grows in all relationships after a certain amount of time but there are different types of love (Love-Hate, Physical Love, Emotional Love, Can’t Live without You Love and the list goes on & on) that affect the heart. “Just because your heart is in it don’t mean you can win it”, and that is something that people often fail to realize.

On the other hand, know that there are times that you are just scared of not knowing what the other person is thinking or truly feels about the relationship. That is okay, as long as you are doing what is right in the relationship and your feelings are “true” then you can only hope/pray for the best. If there are people telling you that you should not be with someone and they can’t give you a legitimate answer then you should go with your heart until your gut tells you otherwise.

#7. Date the person for them, not another reason (car, friends, etc.)
This is personally dedicated to ALL gold-diggers, which come in male and female form. If you get into a relationship with the sole intention of milking someone for all they are worth you may be taken on your own little personal horror ride. People don’t like to have their emotions played with and they detest someone who plays with their money even more. The consequences of your actions will vary greatly from person to person but there will be problems. And always remember even if you don’t get caught there is always Karma.  "Karma is a dish best served cold," R. Snow, DBHS Teacher.

#8. Don't be afraid to ask.
“Do you know their goals in life and [have] they made steps towards obtaining that goal? Do they share some of your morals and beliefs? You may not [have] all of the answers right away but that is what dating is all about and that can take place before. I am not saying this is not so for you & [who you are with] but keep this in mind for future reference.” - Advice from Maureen “Dudette” Johnson,Psychologist

#9. Don't rush it.
Getting into a relationship at any time can be considered too soon depending on whom you ask, so I am not going to give a time limit of how long to wait because I know I would probably always fail to follow that. I think that just taking time to get to know the person on a basic level, as a friend, is enough time to learn what you like and don’t like about a person.  If the person really wants to be with you or is that interested they can wait until you are comfortable but if they rush it you may want to question why. And always keep in mind, “if it is meant to be, it will be.”

#10. Don't make assumptions
This is one of the hardest things not to do in life, let alone in a relationship. I think that by default we all make assumptions about everything but really try not to, or if you do make the assumption don’t act on it. Due to previous relationships and experiences it is very common for people to use those past interactions in life to evaluate a current situation, that allows us to be saved from the same “heart-ache” but there is one problem, you are usually not dealing with the same person. Always keep in mind that different people do things for different reason. Although an ex may have snuck around for a week and later you found out they were cheating, your current partner could be sneaking around for a week trying to plan a surprise birthday party. Just an example but it does happen. Keep in mind that “assumptions make an ass out of you, not me.”

#11. Be happy.
There is no point in being in any relationship if it does not bring you joy. Make sure that the good outweighs the bad, that the hard times are short lived and the good moments are great & unforgettable. Also, keep in mind that you should be making the other person happy as well. Don’t nag them or always complain about the things they do wrong but try to point out what they do "right". Give uplifting advice, encouragement and support whenever it is needed or wanted. And everything that you do should be sincere and hopefully reciprocated.

Now please keep in mind, me giving you my rules is just something that can be referenced or used as examples. I want everyone to have his or her own set of basic dating rules. Go write your own rules already. What are you waiting for?

Let the dating begin!

If you feel that something was left off or that a rule was not valid then say so, it's called leaving a comment ;-)

Monday, March 22, 2010

Brought the "Set" Back


March 19, 2010

Turlington Plaza- University of Florida


When the 2007 Summer B Preview students walked around campus there was one major warning from the Preview Staffers and that was to beware of the "Set". "If necessary avoid it like the plague or you will be glued to one spot for the whole day and miss classes."

A year later the same location soon went from having a daily BUZZ to a soft hum that could not be differentiated from the rest of the University of Florida's campus life. And by the time the 2009-2010 academic year rolled around the "Set" no longer existed but instead was simply Turlington Plaza.

Courteous CLAS

One Friday during February it seemed as if Turlington Plaza would reclaim its rightful name amongst students as the "Set" when Black Student Union’s Black History Month Cabinet hosted "Reclaiming the Set". It seemed as if things were going to be like ‘the good old days’, with tons of people and nonstop fun but the illusion faded quickly.

A majority of people that were gathered were from other schools, visitors or alumni, not part of the current student population. Besides everyone knows that when it comes time for F.I.S.S. (Florida Invitational Set Show) weekend everyone will be present to either represent their organization or just to be a part of the festivities. With that being said, the question became when the crowd is all gone, what will happen to "Set" that was reclaimed?

The "Set", much like the carriage out of Cinderella, turned right back into a pumpkin. Oops, not a pumpkin but Turlington Plaza. Someone had to turn Turlington Plaza into the "Set" just one more time before the semester ended but that seemed to be a fantasy that would be impossible.
 Courteous Mainancewek Blog

Or was it? Who would turn Turlington Plaza into the "Set" again and how would they do it?

They did not need free food or giveaways, not a single gimmick was used to get everyone out there other than simple advertisement. The Zeta Phi Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated turned measly old Turlington Plaza back into the renowned "Set" with one event, the So Smooth Step Show.

The So Smooth Step Show started at 12:30pm with everyone crowding around the center of the “Set” to watch the talents of the Zeta Phi Chapter but there was a twist to the show that would leave the audience in a state of awe. With cameras ready for pictures and the video cameras recording it was time for the show to begin.

The show began with the Kappa’s performing a choreographed step and performance So Smooth  that it  showed everyone why they were present at the “Set” and not anywhere else.

As the music changed so did the scene and within a blink of an eye they were replaced by six of the newest Krimson Kourt, Inc. showing that they can be Smooth as well. The crowd cheered and there were some murmurs but that did not distract any of the ladies performing.




After a while though they were playful kicked off the stage so that the Kappa's could continue showing the University of Florida just how Smooth they are. Within moments though the performance went from a regular step show to an indirect advertisement for Guilty Konscience, with plates of whipped creamed being passed around and a dance segment that had the women in the audience going crazy.



Many tried but only one was successful. Who will be next to bring back the "Set"?

Saturday, March 13, 2010

A Man of Many Talents :Black History Month Guest Speaker Hill Harper

February 8, 2010

Grand Ballroom, Reitz Union


Anticipation has been mounting for him to arrive to the scene and everyone is anxious. People are about to attend an event that they normally would disregard as another boring ACCENT production but not this time. Twitter is a buzz with comments ranging from “I can’t wait” to “I normally would never attend a BHM event that wasn’t greek related but this will be my first”.  So who has the University of Florida students turning a new leaf and even the local community giddy?



Courtesy ModeOne

The author of three books, “CSI:NY” star and actor, Hill Harper. Over 700 hundred people gathered to listen to his wonders of wisdom, courage and advice. The audience was as diverse as the speaker himself, with an array of age groups and ethnicities filling the Grand Ballroom.  The show was presented by ACCENT and co-sponsored by Black History Month and the Black Graduate Student Organization for the 2010 Black History Month’s Guest Speaker. 

“Why is it that you all laughed when they said I was one of People’s Magazine 50 Sexiest People? […] That really hurt my feelings”, jokes Hill Harper once he gets on stage.

Harper was unlike any other speaker that the University of Florida had seen in years. His lecture was riddle with humor, advice and more than the spectators could have hoped for. After only three minutes of being on stage, Harper jumped down to be amongst the audience

“This is not going to be just me standing on stage giving a speech. This is going to be a conversation,” stated as Harper jumps off the stage into the audience.

While he walked amongst the crowd, he did not simply talk about himself or all the people that he knew but instead made sure that he interacted with the audience even if that meant “stepping on a few toes”.

“While he was walking he stepped on my shoe and touched my leg,” states Senior Alisha Lewis.

To ensure that the room was staying alert from the beginning of his the event he asked a vital question, “Who here has goals and dreams for your life? Raise your hand.”

Every hand rose without hesitation and while eyes scanned the room to be sure that each person had their hand risen.

Harper talked about his way of viewing life and how it can be used to lead to success. His view is that “being active architects for our own life” will lead to a more successful life.  The four fundamental parts of his view were related to being an architect and building an actual structure.

The first fundamental part of life that leads to success is for each person to have a “blueprint.” A blueprint is taking all the goals and ideas from in one’s mind and placing them on paper but doing so in pencil. After asking how many people actually had their goals written on paper it was clear that very few did.  Harper doesn’t believe in mistakes but instead believes that every action will lead to a “modification” in a person’s behavior. This is why it is important to write down goals, ideas and life plans in pencil that way when circumstances change a person can simply modify their plans rather than erasing them completely.

“You did something wrong, that’s not correct, it’s a mistake. Mistakes happen,” states Altina Fenelon after Harper states he doesn’t believe in mistakes. “I didn’t agree with everything he said but he does make some good points.”

Although everyone may not have agreed with every detail of what was said, it was clear that there was at least one part to benefit each person in the room as each person was neatly poised with pen and paper.

It’s important to have a “foundation” that is strong enough to support the goals and dreams a person is planning for.  The key parts of a “foundation” are family, money, education, faith and discipline. Without a strong foundation, everything else will fail. Each goal and dream needs a different foundation in order for it to succeed.

“Courage is one of my favorite words. With the root of the word being ‘cour’ meaning heart,” Harper states while discussing how “framework” is crucial to succeeding.

Framework” can be affected by a person’s environment, access to resources, and choices that a person makes. If that person has the courage to work against those odds, they will reach their full potential. Most people live within their heads but they need to stop living out of their heads and live with some ‘cour’. Once people stop doubting themselves and going with what they feel in their heart, they will then have the confidence necessary to strive toward what they wish to accomplish in life.

And finally every structure needs “doors”. Doors are there to let people in and out of a particular area, in this instance a person’s life. Although people may come into your life does not mean they are meant to stay there, which is similar to the idea of “Reason, Season and Lifetime Friendships”.

“… to let certain people into your life, a Personal Board of Directors.[…]Those are people who get you to courage. People to let out, who take you into head space and take you to F.E.A.R.(False Evidence Appearing Real).Those you let out I like to call them ‘Associates’”, explains Harper.

The people that are in your life and cause you to think instead of simply telling you what to do are the people that will allow a person to “get out of their head space and into their cour”. Those people are the ones that create a Personal Board of Directors because they give a person the needed courage and incite to do things that they would have never thought to be possible. On the other hand, there are people who do not create the same feeling, which are deemed “associates”. In actuality there are more categories for placing people than just those two but if people are placed into those two major categories it makes it easier to see how each person effects our lives.

Once his speech was over there was a question and answer session with a great deal of advice given, which was followed by a book signing for those interested. If a person did not have a copy of one of his books they were able to purchase Letters to a Young Brother, Letters to a Young Sister: Define Your Own Destiny or The Conversation: How Black Men and Women Can Build Loving, Trusting Relationships prior to watching Harper speak or afterward. The book signing line was full of eager students, faculty and those in the local community trying to meet Harper. He not only signed books but also spoke to each person individually and shook their hand. He would sign books and if asked take pictures.

 “I would rather fail at my life than succeed at someone else,” Hill Harper.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Free Preparation: Kaplan Edition

Kaplan is one of the best resources that p

Graduate School Preparation:
All of these links are great to use and will always be updated. They are free and a great resource please use them! It is also a great idea to find these companies that offer these exams and sign up for the newsletters or anything else that they offer to keep you informed.

Kaplan has several FREE online GRE exams that people can take. This is what I received in an email from them. If you go their website you would also be able to find this information.


Find out how you'll score on the GRE - without leaving home!

With Kaplan's Free Live Online GRE Practice Test, you can take a full-length practice
test from anywhere you have internet access!

Plus, after the test, we'll show you exclusive Kaplan strategies to help you increase your score.

Sign up today for one of our upcoming free Live Online GRE Practice Tests:


For more information about these events or to enroll in a course, call us at
1-800-KAP-TEST or visit kaptest.com/gre. We look forward to seeing you at
the next GRE Practice Test!

Good Will Hunting: University of Florida Edition

As a member of the Great Gator Nation I have to make sure that all the University of Florida students are taken care of. As I find resources that will be helpful for everyone in the Gator Nation, they will be posted here. I am more aware of certain resources than others since I am one person and only focused on two fields. What I am asking you to do is that if you find any other resources that may be helpful to people, please feel free to post them or the link as a comment. 

* Free GRE workshop from the University of Florida Teach Center (that's behind Broward dorms)
  • Monday-Thursday (1/25-28/10),5pm-7pm
  • Verbal: Mon and Wednes
  • Math: Tues and Thurs
  • Call 352-392-2010 to register and learn more
  • Sorry for the late notice but I didn't find out about it until late
More to come.....
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Florida Cooperative Extension Service/Graham Center for Public Service Internship Program

Students participating in this paid summer internship will work with County Extension faculty to deliver educational programming throughout the state of Florida. Each of Florida's sixty-seven counties has an Extension Office.  Program areas include: Agriculture, Natural Resources and Food; 4-H Youth Development; Individual and Family Development; Florida's Environment; Sustainable Landscapes and Sustainable Living.  Interns should be college juniors and seniors and have a 2.8 gpa.  Interns are not limited to a major in the College of Agriculture; the internship will also be of interest to those minoring in Public Leadership through the Graham Center for Public Service or potential minors.   The internship is forty hours a week for eight weeks and will pay $ 12. per hour.  For additional information and the application form go to http://extadmin.ifas.ufl.edu/internship_program.shtml   Application deadline is Feb. 26, 2010.  For additional information e-mail Dr. S. Dickison at doctord@ufl.edu or Dr. Keith Gouin at Keithg@ufl.edu

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Good Will Hunting: Job Resources pt.1

Hello everyone,

There are a lot of times that we are searching and just seem to not be able to make it to our destination. That is the case with a lot of job searches, we use resources that everyone seems to use but just can not get the break we need. Well here are some resources that are outside of that box.

Wachovia Career-Application is done online and you can pick you location(s) that you are applying for.
Has over 500 job openings! Use this one! -They have jobs for every field: Medicine, journalism, business, engineering, technical, education and even internships. All of these jobs are located in the state of Florida only but it covers all counties and cities.
Shands Jobs-Hospital jobs are not solely limited to the medical field, there are some postings for other positions.
City of Gainesville Jobs -Keep in mind that every city has a website that will usually list their job openings. Use every resource that is available to you.
Jobs on UF campus

Here are some other jobs that I found, a lot of these jobs are looking for student or expecting students to apply. Also these are jobs that I found to be of more interested to me or that I was qualified for, there are lots more out there that are not listed here.

* Tutor
Look into private tutoring, companies that offer tutoring or schools in the local area. A lot of times you can find jobs through different companies that do not require a commitment that takes up most of your day or time. You are usually able to work on your own schedule or able to work for a short period of time and still make a substantial amount of money
* Paid to wave!
  • Liberty Tax
  • If this is the same as my friend down south was telling me about, you get paid $8/hr to stand in a costume and wave or hold a sign...EASY MONEY!


    * Part time sales/leasing agent
    • send resume and cover letter along with availability to hr@trimarkproprties.com
    • Remember that if you work for a company that own property (apartments) you may be able to get a discount on your rent if your apartment is owned by that particular company.
    • Look into other properties, sometimes they will not advertise that there are openings but instead wait for people to simply walk in and ask.
    * Phone agents
    • 352-371-5888 ext. 111
    • The business name was not listed but it's the Clinton Group.
    • Can also apply online, with the corporate business that way if you are not in the Gainesville area you can still find a job.
    * Reggae Shack Cafe
    • Walk in and apply
    * Office Depot
    * Travel Agency
    • send resume and availability to bestontravelnet@gmail.com

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