Name: Kelly Lynn Sorenson
Home Town: Brighton, MI
Major: Advertising
Graduation Year: 2008
Favorite thing about Command Transportation in 5 words for less: The energetic environment
Spartan Spotlight: Ashley Raymond, Kraft Internship
January 12, 2010 Leave a Comment
Name: Ashley Raymond
Home Town: Pinconning, MI
Major: Supply Chain Management
Graduation Date: May 2010
Company: Kraft Foods
Position: Summer Intern in the Customer Service & Logistics – Log Ops Development Group
Favorite thing about Kraft internship in 5 worlds or less: The people that work there!
Ashley’s E-mail: raymon62@gmail.com
Note: If you would like to be highlighted in the Spartan Spotlight blog series, contact the CASH team at spotlight@cashforcareers.com
HOW TO Study Effectively During Finals
December 11, 2009 1 Comment
Effective Studying
Find a good study area
Having a good study area can make a huge difference to how well you learn. Your study area should be: well lit, quiet, as away from noises & people as you can get. Depending on where you live & who you live with it might be better to study at the library. If you know you get distracted around a lot of people, reserve a room at one of the libraries. Finally, make sure your desk/table is clean & organized – it will help you concentrate on studying & learning, not trying to find information.
To do lists
Make a to do list before each study session. Breaking tasks down into small, manageable tasks will make it less overwhelming. And we all love the feeling of crossing off things we’ve completed, it will keep your motivation up. You can manage your tasks rememberthemilk.com & sync it with gmail, iPhone, droid, etc.
Find out about the exam
Find out what format the exam will take i.e. Are the questions in essay, short answer or multiple choice format? Is the exam open book or closed book? All professors go over this, but if you missed that class e-mail an acquaintance & ask. (But please, don’t email the entire class through the Angel system, it’s extremely annoying & a sidenote…profs can read message sent to the class through Angel. Think a little.)
Study groups
Forming a studying group can be a helpful way to revise your notes and work through past exam questions (it can also help you feel supported, keep you motivated and focused). If you have questions about your work, a study group may be a good place to have them answered. Ask your teacher if they know of anyone else interested in studying with other people. Again, you can reserve a room for your study group.
Switch the phone (& fbook notifications) off!
If you find that you are being distracted by your phone going off, it might help to put put it on silent (not vibrate) or just turn it off. Vmail was invented for a reason. & turning off your facebook notifications for a few days (or if you’re on gmail filter them to a skip the inbox & archive so you can go back & look at once finals are over). Everyone knows it’s finals time, your friends will understand. – this is super hard, especially for those of us addicted to our Crackberry (including me) or iPhone, but it will truly help.
Wallpaper your pad
Write down key concepts you have to learn on post-its maybe with examples. Post these up all around your apt/dorm/house. Eg – by your bed, on the bathroom mirror, along the side of your tv, on your Wii…wherever! It helps with remembering things like equations, quotes and foreign languages.
Take regular breaks
Getting up, moving around & away from your desk at least every 50 minutes for 10 minutes makes you concentrate and learn better. If you use gmail, there’s a lab for that: E-mail Addict.
MOST IMPORTANTLY…GET SOME SLEEP
No, seriously. U.S. researchers have directly linked higher grades with getting adequate sleep. (study) You will do better on your exams if you adequate sleep the night before. Lack of sleep impairs motor skills, causes higher stress levels, depression, anxiety.
I learned this from an article in Ing Magazine: Sleepless in East Lansing. “If you are stumbling around when tired, your body is in the same state of mind as if you had had one to many drinks. Conclusion from the article: using an all-nighter to remedy educationally unproductive periods, such as parties, Facebook, or “study group” meetings at the bar, greatly hinders your body’s performance the next day.” So Spartans, get some sleep.
Adapted from: Exam time: Hints for effective studying
5 Best (& Free) iPhone Apps for College Students
November 5, 2009 Leave a Comment
Most students own an iPhone, Blackberry, or some phone of smart phone. The latest craze about these phones is the ability to run apps on them. I compiled a list of the best iPhone ap
ps for students. The best thing about the list is all the apps are FREE!
1) Career Builder – Offers the full capabilities of the career builder web site.
2) LinkedIn – Leverage your professional network on the go.
3) BigWords – Allows users to compare price of textbooks being sold online.
4) Evernote – One stop shop for note taking. Allows you to create text, photo, and voice notes
5) myHomework – Helps students stay organized by creating a calendar of assignments and when they’re due. Assignments are color coded, so you’ll know when due dates are coming and when they’re late.
Have another iPhone app that you feel has helped you as a student? Post it in the comments and let other students know about it so they can benefit too!
Internship Profile: Nicole Herrington “It Could Happen to You”
October 6, 2009 Leave a Comment
“IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU” INTERNSHIP PROFILE
Name: Nicole Herrington
Major: Finance and International Business
Degree: Bachelor of Arts
Graduation Date: May 2010
Company: Shell Oil
Location: Houston, TX
Internship Position: Financial Analyst Intern
1. Why is an internship important?
Internship is important as it is a huge resume builder and gives you experience and insight to an industry you could be working in.
2. What was the one most significant thing that you gained from your experience?
Knowledge about the oil industry and working with managers of a Fortune 1 company
3. What was your biggest challenge?
Technical Skills
4. What type of networking did you do?
I was involved in several of the Shell networks as wells as the Shell intramural sports teams. Both of these venues along with Intern events and job shadowing allowed me to interact with a variety of people in different roles to learn more about the company.
5. What did you do to get the most out of your internship?
Had high expectations for my projects and was very proactive about managing my work and requesting more work.
6. Why would you recommend an internship experience to other students?
It gives you a real life experience in a position/at a company you could work at after graduation. You get to improve your skills with value-added projects, build your network, and make some cash!
7. Did you move to another city and what did you think about that experience?
I moved to Houston, TX – It was extremely hot, but it was a great experience, and I highly recommend it! The people were very welcoming, and the city was clean, modern, and there was a lot to see in Texas.
8. What was your typical day like?
There were usually 1-2 meetings that either I set up with people or team/company-wide, most days meetings would take up at least 2 hours of my day, and then I mainly worked on my main projects – a Risk Analysis Assessment, Budget Reconciliations, and a Wells Reporting Automation.
MORE CANDID QUESTIONS:
1. What did you like or dislike about the city/area you worked?
Really enjoyed the Galleria area of Houston- upscale and centrally located. However, there was a good amount of traffic in the evenings.
2. What types of extra circular activities were available in the area?
Shell offers volleyball, softball, and football teams and a variety of other networks and events. Many gyms in the area, and outdoor activities at Memorial Park.
3. Did you work with other interns? If yes, did you spend time with them outside of work?
Not directly, but I had lunch with them several times a week. A few times we did spend time together outside of work.
4. Did the company organize events for the interns?
YES! Took a trip to New Orleans fully paid for, Astros baseball games, and they also planned a trip to float down a giant lazy river.
5. Describe your relationship with your mentor/supervisor.
Maintained daily contact to update him on my daily activities and findings and the status of my projects.
6. What type of relocation assistance, housing or bonuses did you receive?
Monetary relocation assistance and a rental car!
7. What did you like or didn’t you like about your experience?
Thought it was a great experience! The people/culture were great, pay was very good, city was nice, projects were interesting – nothing to complain about!
8. What do you wish you would have known before the internship started?
There are 2 Shell locations in Houston – one downtown and one in the West side of Houston. Both are nice and there are definitely perks to each.
If you would like to be profiled in the “It could happen to you” section, please contact Eric Benman at benmaner@msu.edu
