Another semester ends...

I made it through exam week... without having any major breakdowns too! For my 4 exams, I studied as much as I could and know that I did the best I could. I probably ended with one B and the rest A's, which I think qualifies as a successful semester considering I had 18 hours.

There was a time when I would have cried when I received a B, but I'm proud to say that I've accepted this one. I used to think that having all A's was a must and it was the only way I can be successful in life. Well, I'm happy to say that I've grown up a little. The thing I've realized is, the grades don't matter, it's how you got them that matters. I can honestly say I did my best this semester, and that is what's important. I'm not so concerned about my GPA anymore, I mean as long as I keep it high enough to keep my scholarships, because I know that employers will only glance at it. The GPA is not why you get hired, your character is. An employer will hire you if they like you, see potential in you, believe you are a good fit for their company, and think you will be a great asset to them. So to all of you that are stressing about grades, remember that. Try your best and use this college experience to become a person your parents would be proud of... an honest, hardworking, and admirable person who always sets high goals and strives to reach them. Now this is not to say that I won't be stressing about grades anymore. Grades are important because they give me a goal to work for during school. As long as I keep striving for A's, I know my best work will come out. And whatever my best work earns, I will be happy with it.

There are more important things to be concerned with other than schoolwork. This was a successful semester in more ways than grades. I developed some amazing friendships and relationships. After being gone last spring, I realized how much I missed Clemson and what it means to me. I grew a lot closer with my roommates this semester because we finally got to spend some time together. I also got to experience Clemson with the friends I made in Italy, Marshall and Caitlin. I know they will become lifelong friends, because we shared a life-changing three months travelling through Europe together and now we can finish off college together. My group for this Business Writing class is worth mentioning here. Its amazing how we all just met this semester and yet we became friends so soon. And I can't go without mentioning Ryan. We went to high school together, but have never really spoken. Then, we end up in class together and in the same group and I get to find out how cool a guy he is. It's always nice to meet another Byrnes alumni, and even nicer to become friends with one. Thanks Ashley, Kim, and Ryan for making it a great semester! I also have to say thanks to Brandon here. Brandon kept me sane, kept me safe, and kept me happy. Clemson is an awesome place, but its even cooler experiencing the college life with someone special to you. He spoiled me and treated me like a queen and even though I don't deserve it, I definitely won't take it for granted. He may be from Maryland, but he is still a southern gentleman and a great boyfriend! The one thing I wish is that I could have spent more time with family. Busy semesters rarely lend enough time to go home and visit with your loved ones. Still, they also helped me through the semester by standing by me and always being a phone call away. It was extremely hard being back at Clemson without my sister there, and even harder knowing she was all the way in Virginia. However, I also have to thank her for letting me call her at anytime and get her advice on whatever I was feeling at the moment. My family has always been there and always will be, so they are, of course, the main reason it has been another successful semester.

So, thanks to everyone I mentioned, and didn't mention. I hope everyone had a great semester, as well. During this holiday season, spend time with your loved ones. Don't let a day go by without telling them you love them and thanking them for staying by you and helping you through life. Merry Christmas and remember the reason for the season!!!

Reflection

The semester is ending and I am sitting in my second to last Business Writing class ever. We have been given the assignment to reflect on this semester: the blog, the client-based project, the book, the assignments, etc. I have to say to begin that I've truly enjoyed this class. It has been one of my favorites at Clemson.

I am not going to lie, I hated having to think of some topic to blog about twice a week. Now that I'm finished, I am glad I did it. Blogging gave me a chance to vent a little, offer my point of view, thank other people, communicate with my group and client, and just basically get out some of my feelings. It was a great way to keep our client updated on our project, as well as keep my family and friends from home or wherever updated with things in my life. I talked to my mom the other day and she mentioned how much she enjoyed reading my blogs because it felt like she was right there with me. Also, I think it made our group closer and our relationship with Angie a lot closer. We learned more about each other than we normally would have and that enabled us to work much better together. The blog was really a great idea, although it was hard to keep up the entire semester. I think I may even continue this blog after this semester, but there will probably not be 2 posts a week anymore.

The other part of the class I enjoyed was the client-based project. I loved the fact that we were creating marketing ideas for the Red Cross that they will actually be using. I felt like it helped me learn more about business writing than by just reading a textbook and making up examples. At the end of class, I believe everyone in here felt like they made a difference. We are helping the Red Cross train people so that more lives can be saved from accidents and emergencies. Not many people can say they have done that just from a simple business writing class. In the future, even if the client is not the Red Cross, I still think having a client is a great way to motivate students to do their work, as well as get them excited about what they are doing.

The rest of the class almost got pushed into the background. I probably only read 1 or 2 chapters from the book and I really only used it to look at examples of resumes and cover letters. The book was good for that, but not much else. If there is a cheaper way to find great examples, I would suggest not even using a book. The portfolio I created was the one assignment that really mattered to me. I knew that learning how to do this will help me in the future. Like I said in one of my blogs, employers are now looking for more online portfolios to reduce paperwork and make the recruiting process a little more simple. So, the portfolio was very important for me and I am thankful that we had the chance to create a professional one.

This may be the last post about this class. So, to all my classmates, it's been great! To Angie, thanks for everything!!! I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and good luck on exams!