Week 3? More like Week 26.

So, we are at getting ready to begin week four of classes. Not too bad right? I mean we are almost  halfway through the quarter. Wait, I forgot we don't have a 10 week schedule. We now have a 16 week schedule. Ridiculous. I can already tell you I miss the quarter system and this is why:

Week three agenda: Exam, Exam, Exam. 

Week four agenda: Exam. 

Class Monday through Friday and 12 more weeks of torturous exams. 

I really do like ONU, but this semester transition is really making me crazy. This may be do to the fact I haven't had a class since February, but I feel like the workload for semesters is a little much. This year, every class requires a large project. I know this is really going to help us get hands-on experience but I just don't know how one can handle large projects, exams, student organizations, quizzes and an internship all at the same time. I feel like this is impossible. The workload is too much and I am just ready to graduate. Ready to enter the working world and ready to get these ridiculous exams over with. 

I'm ready to say goodbye to ONU and I'm ready to move to the big city. Hello Columbus! 

Listening Only Makes You the Better Person.

After reading Marketing in the Groundswell, I now realize as a marketer listening is the best thing you can do to build a relationship with someone else. So many marketers do the research but get nothing in return because they didn't necessarily listen to what the customers had to say.

In one section of 'Listening to the Groundswell', they discussed ways to help you succeed better in listening to the groundswell. Here were the tips discussed:

1. Check how active your customers are with social technologies. (very true if you're marketing to an older generation.)

2. Start small, think big. I agree that market research and listening can get very expensive so start with one product to listen to and then work your way up.

3. Make sure your listening vendor has an experienced team to your effort. You don't want someone who can't listen monitoring your consumers. So, you need experienced marketers who know what consumers want and need.

4. Choose a senior person to interpret the information.  After extensive listening and compiling mass amounts of feedback, you'll want someone who can read the information you have attained and give feedback to your workers. So, making sure someone who has been with the company a long time should now the products and consumers well.

So, to be successful when listening to your consumers through social media practices one most take into consideration the consumers wants and need and the company must focus strongly on the information gathered. You can listen to someone all you want, but if you don't process this information that they are giving you your company will not be successful. Thus, losing loyal customers and sales.

So, Who Are You Again?

When you add a friend to a social media site you realize that this person is much different than you expected. Well, maybe it's because that friend isn't the same person online.

A recent blog posted on Mashable claims that when a person uses various social media sites such as Facebook or LinkedIn personalities tend to become tailored to that Web site. From personal experience I agree to an extent. My personality on Facebook and LinkedIn are totally different. Yet, that doesn't mean that I am a different person because of this. It just means I express my interests differently depending on which site I'm using. When on Facebook I express my personal interests to my friends and when on LinkedIn I express my professional interests to potential employers just like every other user using these sites. So yes, our personalities do change but they do change in every day life too depending on who you are around. So why does the article claim market researchers need to do extensive research on which social media outlets to use when targeting a certain market?

The blog also says that marketers aren't sure which medium to use when marketing a product to certain groups. Well, they are people too aren't they? They need to think about which medium they would use when expressing certain interests. Is the product more for professional settings, are there special interests groups on Facebook about the product or service, or would you think Twitter would be better to reach a larger market?

So basically, I think that you cannot say that this generation has multiple personalities due to the increased number of social media sites. We have always had multiple personalities in every day life situations. The way we talk to a stranger at the grocery is going to be different than when we're talking to our best friend. People change. It's human nature. We are the only ones who truly know ourself. Everyone else only gets a third of our story.

Too Hot for September.

So when did September in Ohio decide to have 98 degree weather?

The past couple days my roommate and I have been suffering from extreme sweating and sneezing  due to the fact that :

1. We have no air conditioning in our ancient house. 

2. We are on the second floor and we all know hot air rises. 

3. My fan is not strong enough to even make my room slightly cool. 

4. My allergies are ridiculous because the hot weather is making the pollen count severe. 

I really hope that the next few days will be cooler (70s would be perfect). I never thought living conditions could be so miserable until we moved into our house. The house itself is ok, but our windows are open at all times and I still don't feel this helps our situation at all. 

Whenever I take a shower I still feel sticky and gross. The steam in the bathroom adds a nice touch to this stickiness. Why is there so much steam? Well, in our bathroom we have a fan (except it's crappy) and the bathroom size itself is insanely small. You can brush your teeth and use the restroom at the same time. Yes, I know. Awkward. 

So, I would advise everyone before you purchase a house make sure you have air conditioning. Especially those with severe allergies like me. I can't stop sneezing and my eyes water profusely every night. This is not fun to wake up to each morning. You can't taste your food and you're miserable in your classes all day. So, for those college students considering buying/renting a house in the future remember one thing. Air conditioning will make you and your roommates lives so much better. My roommate and I had to find out the hard way. 

Only two more weeks!

Hectic week. 

I only have two weeks left on my college program with Disney and it has been one of the best experiences I've ever had. After living in the hot Florida weather and spieling movie lines to over 500 guests per day I have come to the realization that working with people and living in warm weather was meant for me. 

Now, I don't think I will be working at The Great Movie Ride my entire life, but could definitely see myself doing corporate work for Disney. I would really like to do event planning or HR work post graduation. 

This experience has taught me so much about what I want in life. I loved growing up in the country but the city is ten times better. 

I got a Mac. Thanks.

So, I have not blogged in over two months. Phew. This is due to the fact my Dell computer mysteriously crashed. Thankfully, I do not have to worry about this incident seeing that I have a new MacBook Pro. I am definitely enjoying this new piece of technology and can now get back to my regular routine.

Since I haven't blogged in forever this post is not about traveling, but a lessoned I learned these past couple months from distance. I have grown up in the country and in a small town my whole life. Living in this environment you get used to the same faces and people each day. Living in Orlando and working for Disney have changed my view on living in a comfortable country environment and made me realize there are so many people out here in this world. Don't just settle because you're expected to.

Thus, meeting new faces and living in a new place have made me realize Ohio is not where I should be. I need to be in a big city. With graduation rapidly approaching I am starting to realize what I truly want in life. To travel. To be free. But always remember I'll miss you.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

So, how did you celebrate Cinco de Mayo? My celebration of the fifth of May consisted of eating delicious Qdoba with ONU alumni, Steven Miller. This was my first time to this quick-service food chain, and I must say, it was quite delicious. I got the queso burrito and the queso cheese and hot sauce blended together was heaven. Living in Vista Way at Disney and not having a means of transportation limits what I can do in the Orlando area. So, eating quick-service Mexican was amazing! Thanks Steven for introducing me to this wonderful place.

Later on that night my roommate Christina and I ventured to Epcot. The park was not busy at all. So, as we walked the park, we thought it was only necessary to go to Mexico to celebrate their holiday. We road the Three Cabelleros boat ride and shopped around the Mexican stores. There was a very cute Donald Duck pinata that we saw at one of the kiosks. But, why would you buy a pinata when the purpose of a pinata is to break it? Hmm.

After our mini celebration we went to an English Pub and drank a Woodchuck Sweet Apple Cider. Delicious. Then after visiting England, I got a craving for one of my favorite foods in EVER: Chocolate. So we went to France and drank slushies and ate keish and chocolate croissants. After eating dinner, we decided to head home because we both had to work the next day, which is what I am about to do. I think it's going to be a wonderful day back at work.