Katie's Blog

How Do You Manage Work Life-Balance After College? (Draft)

As the final year is wrapping up for college seniors Sergio is filled with excitement and eager to get to the finish line. He is used to balancing a full school load and a part-time job, but he knows the ultimate test is soon to come: going into the workforce. While juggling school and a job has given a taste of what to expect, nothing can prepare him for the reality of a full-time job. 

Soon seniors will face an abundance of challenges. The entry into the professional workforce in many cases will lead to the end of the flexibility that they have had up until this point. Being able to distinguish the lines between work and personal life, pursue job fulfillment, and prioritize their mental well being will be key in achieving a viable work-life balance. 

For many of them this will be the first time they will have to balance a full time job that does not allow the flexibility of a college schedule and their personal life. It will be a new experience for many new graduates to have to learn how to manage their personal lives after 5pm and on weekends. 

The adjustment period may be difficult after following a certain routine for so long. When asking senior, Caden Hester, about how he would manage his free time after college his response was, “I am looking forward to life after college but I am also going to set time aside for myself. A lot of people seem to lose joy in their jobs and I want to try my very best to not let that happen to me, and I think the best way will be finding time for me. There are also new jobs evolving everyday and a lot of those are remote which allow you to have more flexibility, but for now I will try my best to find a balance in between.”

Although, it isn’t always a straight path to get there. A vice president of another liberal arts school gives his advice to graduates and says, “This work-life balance has become more popular with this generation than it ever was in mine. It means different things to different people and really has a lot to do with the type of job you work. You can work a ton, but you still need to take care of yourself. Maybe for some people it’s finding time for the gym or reading a book. It’s important to find fun outside of your job, but also find things that bring you joy with your job.” 

Stacie Hayes Interview 

As the next graduating class is wrapping up their final year of school, they will soon find out how to manage their time accordingly. Finding time to take care of themselves has been a personal goal made by many and likely a new standard in today’s workplace. They will soon discover that mastering time management and self-care will be more than a goal, but crucial in today’s ever evolving world. 

Reverse Scavenger Hunt

A reverse scavenger hunt is giving something away to people rather than having to find a specific object. For this specific reverse scavenger hunt, I was handing out avenger fruit snacks. There was a variety of yummy snacks that we could choose, but I chose the avengers because they are one of my favorite movie series. I had originally thought that I would just put a sign on the box and let people grab them if they would like and just observe the interaction. Instead, I ended up going with the more traditional route and just attempted handing them out to people. I was curious to see how this experiment would go and how people would react to a stranger offering them food with no further explanation. 

I decided I would try to pass out as many fruit snacks as possible to the students in my next class. I started with the professor for the next class. His response to me was originally a “no”, and his immediate reaction that he gave me was suspicious and cautious. After asking him why he said “sure why not. I was going to say no because of the sugar, but then realized I was drinking coffee”. 

After that I tried to go with two students in my next class. I figured that maybe I would get better reactions from young college students instead. The first student I asked had a bit of a puzzled look on his face and then told me “no I ate too many snacks last night” and opted to not take one. The second student that I offered it to didn’t even hesitate and said “absolutely”. 

The majority of the people I asked said no originally but would soon later switch to a yes. It seemed like the crowd that was most likely to grab the fruit snacks were the students, while the staff seemed to be a bit more hesitant and confused by the offer. I figured that the students would be more likely to grab a snack, especially if they are in between classes maybe. That’s not to say that the students didn’t hesitate either though. 

Assignment 4

In an article from longreads, “What if the Robots Were Very Nice When They Took Over the World?” talks about the possibility of integrating AI into international relations. It mentions the challenges and benefits that could come from this. There are questions being raised on whether or not we are beginning to rely too on artificial intelligence. The benefits that could come from this is the potential of increased precision. 

This story doesn’t have traditional “characters” like a novel would, but in a more broad sense. The characters to be considered in this article would be AI technology itself that is starting to do human tasks. The policy makers that are responsible for posing the idea of integrating AI into international relations. These policy makers would be people such as government officials and policy makers. Lastly is experts that have raised their concerns about the use of AI for something this complex along with the risks and limitations for relying on technology. 

The article shows recurring themes of technology and diplomacy and ethical concerns. The article talks about the advancement of AI and the transformation process to be able to negotiate in international relations. Ethical concerns are raised in ways that AI may not be reliable or trustworthy with sensitive information. 

Based on Hersey’s story to be “true” it should have factual information while also seeing the broader picture. In this story, I believe that I would consider this article to be true because it does focus on the important details and developments of AI and its plan for diplomacy, but it also focuses on expert opinions. It focuses on both what is factual and the bigger picture behind it. 

The escape of Zimmerman

In a recent article from the NYT, they talk about a recent escape from jail in Mississippi. A former employee of the DeSoto County Sheriff’s office, Ronnie Hunt, helped aid in the escape of inmate Joshua Zimmerman. Mr. Zimmerman was reported to be leaving in plain clothes with no shackles or handcuffs. After a 14 hour standoff between him and the police at a local Chicago seafood restaurant, Mr. Zimmerman was arrested. 

There are a variety of different stories that could come from this article. Not much detailed information was given which allows more directions to go with a story like this. Here are some more feature stories that could come out of this.

The Downfall of the Deputy. This story’s main focus could be about how the prior law enforcement worker is now an alleged criminal. Were there warning signs that could’ve prevented this? This story could cover his time at the DeSoto County Sheriff’s office and see if there were any red flags that may have risen from his time working there. 

Inside the Escape. A detailed investigation could take place on how Joshua Zimmerman was able to pull this escape off. It could also look into details of the security errors of why he was left alone unrestrained along with the help Mr. Hunt gave him. 

The Consequences of Their Own Actions. This feature could include interviews from people within the prison to security experts that can speak on how this could have been preventable. Along with what are the next steps to enhance the security in the courthouse. 

Inside the 14- Hour Standoff in Chicago. A detailed story about the 14 hour standoff that happened down the street from the DNC. This story could dive in to the challenges that law enforcement faced and the strategies they used and how they managed to arrest Mr. Zimmerman in a high stakes situation. 

The Role of the Media. This story could dive into the perception the media gave on this story. And how the public and media may have influenced the investigation and law enforcement responses. This could also include how the media went about reporting the escape and arrest of Joshua Zimmerman. 

All five of these new feature stories that could be used as a spinoff are all interesting in their own ways. For me, I think the feature story that I would do would be “Inside the Escape”. When I was reading this story the one recurring question of how he was able to escape kept popping up in my head. I think being able to go into more detail of the security system and the aid Mr. Hunt gave to Mr. Zimmerman would be beneficial to understand how he was able to get away with this. 

A story is…

A story is something that portrays specific events or experiences. There are a variety of different types of stories that can be told. Some may be fiction, or some may be based on real events. Every good story is consisted of characters and a well thought out plot. Following that, building the suspense will keep the reader engaged, so structuring your story well is important. Keeping a well structured story also applies to real events that have happened. It is important to remember to be telling a story and not just facts if it is a current or historic event.

I think stories are very beneficial to us, because although one of the main points of a story is to entertain and inform a specific audience, stories go much beyond just entertainment. We need stories for educational purposes, such as exposure to different cultures and traditions they share. It also boosts your cognitive thinking skills, and develop critical thinking skills while expanding your knowledge and vocabulary. Aside from the educational perks stories bring us, they also allow us to be inspired and to show off creativity. Every story has a message within it and those messages can be motivating to others to make a change or set a goal for themselves. Stories allow us to connect with one another and other experiences. I also believe stories can provide a sense of comfort to people. You typically read things you relate to, which can be beneficial to people.

What Makes a Story Enjoyable?

For me, a compelling story must be genuine and authentic. Although I think fiction has it’s perks to read as well, it encourages you to think more creatively, and that’s not for me. Stories that I can relate to are the ones that tend to grab my attention the most. This also is to be said about my personal writing. I tend to find myself exploring current or historical events. An example of this would be my love for true crime. It could be as minor as a gas station robbery or a more extreme case such as homicide, but I find myself gravitating towards true crime books, articles, or documentaries. These narratives grab my attention because of the real experiences, even if I may not be able to personally relate to every case. A story is something that is worth being heard. I hope this class allows me to dive deeper into my research skills while also providing information that is worth telling to the reader.

About me!

Hello! I am a junior at Morningside University. I am originally from Kenosha, WI, but am here majoring in Communications with a minor in psychology! My goal is to go into journalism or public relations after I graduate. My favorite things to do for fun is write or go out with friends!