The transition from virtual school to work could not have been more seamless. In a way, I definitely think that being accustomed to logging on every day and establishing some sort of routine while already working from home has helped with my new internship and balancing work and life. With that said, it definitely had some of its challenges, but everyone has already been so supportive of me and my wellbeing.
The biggest challenge is that, in the words of Dolly Parton, "I'm working nine to five" and it has already been a month so far. The post college life has already kicked into high gear and I know that I am very lucky to have had the opportunity to find a job right after graduating. The momentum is there and I am constantly learning and becoming more immersed in the work that Golin does. I think I've found a routine that works for me, but it's definitely going with the flow and finding the fun in every new day even if it's within the four walls of my bedroom.
Cultivating a Work Setting I Enjoy
There's something about having all of your ducks in a row at your desk that makes a work day feel much more productive and motivating. To me, I've always valued the power of interior design and what it does to your mentality, but also how putting together a space can entirely change your mood or mindset in what you want to achieve.
Building aesthetics that bring you joy, adding touches of personality that make you smile, or just swapping out an old pen for something a bit more sparkly is just the thrill of it all to me. I'm very proud of my cozy work corner and the mid-century touches I've added, including this new powder blue plush accent chair, these mini rattan shelves for my knick knacks, or this rad cheetah wall print I found. It all stimulates the creative brain cells and honestly who would want to work in a drab, grey cubicle over this?
Staying Organized and On Task
There's no doubt that working at home has risen the ultimate distractions: Cooper barging into my Zoom calls, lawn mowers out my window, or just the fact that my bed is two feet away from my desk have all tempted me to get up and just shut off work-mode. I've found it best for me to wake up early and get my day situated, rather than rolling right out of bed, and using a daily or hourly planner to segment my tasks and priorities for the day so I stay focused.
I know everyone has their own system, and mine consists of a few different planners, sticky notes, and online calendars, but I've found that having my schedule posted somewhere just helps me keep track and on task. There's always a spontaneous meeting or deadline here and there, but having my core tasks keeps me motivated and is always super satisfying to tear off at the end of a productive day. Setting reminders for meetings as well as using planning software such as Notion have been extremely helpful especially if you are someone who finds it overwhelming to keep track of everything you're doing remotely.
Taking Breaks & Prioritizing my Needs
We've all heard about Zoom fatigue and burnout, but now that everyone is pretty used to work-from-home, I think we can all get too ahead of ourselves with the "grind" and find it easier to make excuses to do more work than we need to be doing. Whether it's sitting there meeting after meeting, or just punching out deadlines left and right, we have lost very precious time to decompress and refresh during our days.
At least for those who still work at home, there are no mid day commutes, coffee runs, walking from board room to board room, you name it. I even miss sitting on the "L" and just listening to tunes before my next class. I've loved making summer Spotify playlists, walking my dog, or making an impromptu coffee run just to get out. I've also made it to local coffee shops and the library to just have a place to work. There's still whispers about whether or not we're going back into the office, but that won't be until the fall, so I've been really trying to switch up my days while at home and I think it is so key to just set yourself some time off. Even if it's five minutes to get some fresh air, it all makes a difference.
I just joined a gym this spring and have been the most consistent with it than I ever have been. Not just because it has a rooftop pool, but because my mental health has thrived from being able to release all of my pent up energy. I've felt so much better being able to at least get a run or lift in after a long work day. It definitely takes determination and discipline to do, but I reward myself with lazier weekends and yoga sessions.
They never really tell you how work life is until you're already in it and I realize that this is only the beginning step to my career. There is much more for me to learn, but the support, guidance, and appreciation I have been given keeps me humble and inspired to pursue this role to its fullest. I love my teams and have been welcomed with open arms, so maybe working from home for just a little while longer will be just fine :)
It's crazy to say that I'm already a week graduated from DePaul. When they tell you freshman year that time flies by in college, it never really dawns on you while you're cramming for exams until you submit your last project of college on a random Monday evening. After I *virtually* graduated last week, I was able to rejoice and relax with close family and friends for about two days until my internship at Golin started. So, I thought I would give everyone a little beginning of summer update.
The New Job!
I haven't officially introduced Golin, but for those of you who may not be familiar, they are a progressive PR agency in the heart of the Hancock tower. Their biggest client is McDonald's, although there are countless others such as Wal-mart (their newest and what I've been working on), Crayola, José Cuervo, and Allstate to name a few others.
As an insight and analytics intern, and during this six month virtual internship, I will be cross functionally working with the strategic planning and analytics team to do trend reporting and social listening to inform the best insights and observations on all brands they are currently working on. I have been welcomed with open arms and I cannot wait to learn from the best in the industry!
Summer Happenings...
While my internship is going on, I have been able to make the most of my summer evenings: heading downtown to local beaches, celebrating with some Top Golf, reconnecting with school friends, eating good food (mostly pizza), going on late night drives, and taking spontaneous weekend getaway trips. Having a lot of places open, especially roof top bars and being able to go to Cub's games, has made this summer already feel like we are back to normal. It's made me realize just how good it has been and how grateful I should be with the people I have around me.
This summer I actually have a couple of trips planned. The first being our annual summer camping trip up north in Petoskey, Michigan. Since I will be working, it won't be our usual ten day excursion, but we will still be able to celebrate my dad's birthday weekend up there and I'm so excited to get back to the lake—our happy place. With that, I will also be visiting my old college roommate up in Detroit, so I will be making all of the rounds up north this month!
I've made it a goal to visit as many national parks in my lifetime, and I'm so excited to be able to head out west to the Yosemite later this summer with the fam (and because camping isn't enough outdoors for us!). My dad has really been the planner for this, as it was his dream to visit, so we'll make the most of it for a week and hopefully not get eaten by bears LOL. As far as that, those are my big summer plans and this new chapter has me feeling excited and ready to learn. I will definitely be soaking it all up (including that vitamin D) and making the most of these long summer days ahead.
Words cannot describe what graduating after the peak of a global pandemic is like but above every challenge we have faced this year—we did it. I remember the first day of freshman year and navigating the mundane college struggles like living with two roommates in the same room, trying to figure out the "L" system, spending all of my hours in the John T. Richardson library, or fighting over space in the mini fridge.
It all seems very surreal in the moment. Flash forward four years with a virtual commencement underway and finishing online classes on a random weekday, I can proudly say that DePaul has prepared me for what's to come.
On June 12th, I will be graduating Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. in Public Relations and Advertising, with minors in Spanish and Environmental Studies. I always knew that I wanted to major in communications, and this blog was actually an inspiration for pursuing it. As well as, my love for immersing myself in a language and a life long passion for the outdoors, I knew I could make the most of my studies at DePaul and discover more about myself and what inspired me to engage and have a strong tenacity to learn as much as I could.
I have always loved being creative, writing, and brainstorming new ways to bring stories to life. Little did I know that I would be able to lead not one but two on-campus organizations, Her Campus DePaul and DePaul PRSSA, study abroad in Europe, and get to help other writers during my time at DePaul as a peer writing tutor. I have many thanks to give to my family, friends, colleagues, professors, and those who have constantly supported me to pursue and challenge my creativity, but also my drive to lead and build community during my time in college.
I've hit some roadblocks along the way, but it was nothing that I couldn't handle with a little help from my support systems that were crucial during these formative years. I know everybody is going to experience college differently, but I wouldn't change anything about my experiences at DePaul.
As a new chapter begins for me as I become an Insight and Analytics Intern at Golin, a progressive public relations agency in the heart of the Hancock Tower, I will take with me everything that DePaul has taught me and more. I have admired Golin for their commitment to social purpose and environmental, social, and governance, which is where I hope to pursue transformative work that challenges the narrative and creates lasting change within our communities.
In sum, whatever your journey may be—graduating college or just deciding if college is right for you—I think one thing will always remain a constant:
Stay true to yourself and continue to persist in your goals no matter what.
Thank you, DePaul <3
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