You know you are a college student when you have a drinking name for everyday of the week!
Sunday Funday
Margarita Monday
Taco Tuesday
Wet Wednesday
Thirsty Thursday
TGIF
Sipping Saturday
Hopefully you are not celebrating every single drinking day but now you dont have an excuse for why you cant go out after work on a Wednesday ;) You are welcome!
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Thursday, April 12, 2012
We are part of the whole!
While studying for my Communication Theory class I began to realize a quality of myself. I find it very difficult to study minatenous material. A grade is not really a good enough reason to encourage me to activate my mind to absorb the material. As I was reading, and trying to focus, on a communication theory about Managerial communication I began to find myself applying the information to my everyday life. Voula!! I was in! My mind began to take the vocabulary terms in but only if I could apply them.
So what are you going to apply Managorial Communication theories too? Well I began to critic the managorial practices at my work. I am simply a waitress in a restaurant that has been around for 32+ years so what ground to I have to critic anything. OH WELL! I am going to critic anyways! :)
I started to realize, through my readings, that my restaurant is extremely outdated and, more specifically, the managorial style was extremly old fashioned. The owners still use fear and threats to manage the workers. For example, the owner came in the other day and, strolling around the restaurant, chuckles out, "this feels like a good day to fire someone"! How lame of a human and a terrible boss. These threats are not productive to the business and are even counterproductive because it makes the employees loose their sense of job security and puts them on edge.
So I am going to do something about it! I have decided to write up a report that I believe will point out some major errors of the business. Of course, I will put it in a very professional and noncritical way.
Suggestions:
1) update the computer systems
- This is something that I feel that I shouldnt have to point out to anyone. In part of the restaurant they literally have the original computer that they started with 32 years ago. Because there is no where to type specific order desires many errors happen in the restaurant. Of course, instead of taking responsiblity for the fact that the waiters and waitresses are having to work with faulty technology, the owners put the blame on the workers as personal errors. If a specific order comes in the waitress has to walk into the kitchen and directly tell the chef the specifics! How inefficient! It also alows so much room for human error!
2) Make a suggestion box
- Currently there is no way that a waitress or waiter can make any suggestions on the workplace. They obviously cant go to the owner for risk of being fired and so the problems simply stay in place and worked around. This is all to the detrement of the business of course because there are problems that they do not know about and therefore can never fix. The restaurant has so many workers that have worked in other, more modern restaurants, and therefore the restaurant has a wealth of knowledge right under their roof. Instead of having to take time and resources to research effective restaurant techniques they could simply tap into the knowledge that each worker posses. Seems so simple and yet ridiculously hard to express in a sensitive manner.
3) Make a simple restaurant newsletter every month or two.
-By the owners taking the time to explain new policies being put in place, new food items that will be coming into the restaurant and encouragment to employees to do the best job possible it will increase workers efficiency and decrease uncertaintly. I can not tell you how many times I have heard conflicting rules about how something should be done! By informing the workers the owners will increase satisfaction and, therefore, increase loyalty within the business.
These things are all off the top of my head and I plan to do a wealth of research on each suggestion before I type my final report, sit down with my manager and make these suggestions.
My family, of course, keeps asking me if I am afraid of the consequences of such actions. To this I say "yes". Of course I care about keeping my job but I am even more concerned about working for a company that continuously sees the workers as fault and not taking responsibility for their actions, or lack of actions. Bacon, a communication theorist, talks alot about seeing unfair treatment and making a stand against it. Paraphrased, he says that a person must see a problem and then have the courage to do something about it, no matter what the outcome. I am at a position in my life where I have the ability to make such a stand without fear of the consequences. If they fire me "oh well", they are not the only restaurant that I could work for. And even further, if they do fire me then my reservations will be confirmed. I would hate to work for a place that takes a suggestion so critically and continues to use ridiculous tactics to make a dollar.
I think that if they are well minded humans then they will see that my suggestions are simply for the best of the business and not for gaining personal power.
If you have any suggestions of how to proceed, please let me know.
Final thoughts: In the words of Ghandi, "Be the change you want to see in the world". We all have role to play in this world. We can start small, suggestions to a work place, but with this attitude leading us into every aspect of our lives we may one day find ourselves solving many of the worlds problems.
So what are you going to apply Managorial Communication theories too? Well I began to critic the managorial practices at my work. I am simply a waitress in a restaurant that has been around for 32+ years so what ground to I have to critic anything. OH WELL! I am going to critic anyways! :)
I started to realize, through my readings, that my restaurant is extremely outdated and, more specifically, the managorial style was extremly old fashioned. The owners still use fear and threats to manage the workers. For example, the owner came in the other day and, strolling around the restaurant, chuckles out, "this feels like a good day to fire someone"! How lame of a human and a terrible boss. These threats are not productive to the business and are even counterproductive because it makes the employees loose their sense of job security and puts them on edge.
So I am going to do something about it! I have decided to write up a report that I believe will point out some major errors of the business. Of course, I will put it in a very professional and noncritical way.
Suggestions:
1) update the computer systems
- This is something that I feel that I shouldnt have to point out to anyone. In part of the restaurant they literally have the original computer that they started with 32 years ago. Because there is no where to type specific order desires many errors happen in the restaurant. Of course, instead of taking responsiblity for the fact that the waiters and waitresses are having to work with faulty technology, the owners put the blame on the workers as personal errors. If a specific order comes in the waitress has to walk into the kitchen and directly tell the chef the specifics! How inefficient! It also alows so much room for human error!
2) Make a suggestion box
- Currently there is no way that a waitress or waiter can make any suggestions on the workplace. They obviously cant go to the owner for risk of being fired and so the problems simply stay in place and worked around. This is all to the detrement of the business of course because there are problems that they do not know about and therefore can never fix. The restaurant has so many workers that have worked in other, more modern restaurants, and therefore the restaurant has a wealth of knowledge right under their roof. Instead of having to take time and resources to research effective restaurant techniques they could simply tap into the knowledge that each worker posses. Seems so simple and yet ridiculously hard to express in a sensitive manner.
3) Make a simple restaurant newsletter every month or two.
-By the owners taking the time to explain new policies being put in place, new food items that will be coming into the restaurant and encouragment to employees to do the best job possible it will increase workers efficiency and decrease uncertaintly. I can not tell you how many times I have heard conflicting rules about how something should be done! By informing the workers the owners will increase satisfaction and, therefore, increase loyalty within the business.
These things are all off the top of my head and I plan to do a wealth of research on each suggestion before I type my final report, sit down with my manager and make these suggestions.
My family, of course, keeps asking me if I am afraid of the consequences of such actions. To this I say "yes". Of course I care about keeping my job but I am even more concerned about working for a company that continuously sees the workers as fault and not taking responsibility for their actions, or lack of actions. Bacon, a communication theorist, talks alot about seeing unfair treatment and making a stand against it. Paraphrased, he says that a person must see a problem and then have the courage to do something about it, no matter what the outcome. I am at a position in my life where I have the ability to make such a stand without fear of the consequences. If they fire me "oh well", they are not the only restaurant that I could work for. And even further, if they do fire me then my reservations will be confirmed. I would hate to work for a place that takes a suggestion so critically and continues to use ridiculous tactics to make a dollar.
I think that if they are well minded humans then they will see that my suggestions are simply for the best of the business and not for gaining personal power.
If you have any suggestions of how to proceed, please let me know.
Final thoughts: In the words of Ghandi, "Be the change you want to see in the world". We all have role to play in this world. We can start small, suggestions to a work place, but with this attitude leading us into every aspect of our lives we may one day find ourselves solving many of the worlds problems.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Running Away!
I know you have thought about it! As a kid you may have even packed a suitcase filled with your most valuable possessions (i.e. your Lego starcraft fighter, your Pokemon cards, your favorite stuffed animal). When I decided to run away from home I was probably around 8 years old and I had just gotten in trouble for not cleaning my room. So I took out my suitcase and packed my valuables. My stuffed bunny rabbit "Big Mama", my priceless plastic beaded necklaces and a blanket was all I needed to survive in the world. I decided that I would save time and energy by using my roller blades as an escape vehicle. I would be long gone by the time my mom even noticed I was missing.
As I was packing up my mom came into the room telling me that lunch was ready. As she eyed my suitcase and my roller blades sitting by my bed I thought I was surely caught and that I would have to regroup and make my escape under darkness. To my surprise she sat down on the bed and asked me where I was going and what my plan was. She listened intently and was very supportive of my venture. What?! She wasn't going to stop me?! O.o At this I decided that it was best to eat lunch, to gain my strength for my trip of course, and then leave at my leisure. Of course, then I would need a nap after lunch in order to have energy to roller blade across the country... or at least to AmPm.
Needless to say, I ended up staying. I probably decided that my pets needed me and so I would sacrifice my freedom for the good of the household.
Of course we roll our eyes at our immaturity as children and pride ourselves on our intelligence as adults. However, one doesn't need to look too deeply to realize that being a "grown-up" is just code for "getting taller" and not necessarily leaving behind childish thoughts. Im not going to lie and say, "I haven't thought of running away after that point". In fact, I thought about it this morning. How great would it be to pack my bags, close my bank account and fly away to Costa Rica?!
I have it all planned out! You don't need a work visa to work in Costa Rica under 90 days (yes, I have actually done the research for it)! So I will take June, July and August to live in Central America. My bag of "valuables" will include my surfboard, bikini, flip flops and, of course, my blanket. I will probably work in a bar on the beach and surf during my breaks. If everything goes according to plan I will probably meet a dark skinned, light eyed, Costa Rican musician. Of course he surfs and writes poetry and will be stunned by my slow-motion entrance into the water. What could possibly go wrong?!!...
"Pencils down!" O.o snapped back into reality! I walk up to the professor and lay down my scantron and test. I feel okay about it mostly but who knows. Maybe I should have spent more time studying and less time looking up flight prices to Central America and information on work visas.
At all this I say, I am still a believer in spending time to dream! If you cant escape in real life than dream about your escape instead. Who knows?! Maybe one day it will come true! When life gets tough, whether you are 8 or 21, I don't think it is wrong to contemplate escape. What really matters, in the end, is whether you do or not. As you can see I am still here, still studying, still dreaming and doing the best I can with this part of my life. I would love to hear your escape plan as well! I know you have one ;)
Remember: The secret of happiness is not in doing what one likes, but in liking what one does. -Sir James Barrie
As I was packing up my mom came into the room telling me that lunch was ready. As she eyed my suitcase and my roller blades sitting by my bed I thought I was surely caught and that I would have to regroup and make my escape under darkness. To my surprise she sat down on the bed and asked me where I was going and what my plan was. She listened intently and was very supportive of my venture. What?! She wasn't going to stop me?! O.o At this I decided that it was best to eat lunch, to gain my strength for my trip of course, and then leave at my leisure. Of course, then I would need a nap after lunch in order to have energy to roller blade across the country... or at least to AmPm.
Needless to say, I ended up staying. I probably decided that my pets needed me and so I would sacrifice my freedom for the good of the household.
Of course we roll our eyes at our immaturity as children and pride ourselves on our intelligence as adults. However, one doesn't need to look too deeply to realize that being a "grown-up" is just code for "getting taller" and not necessarily leaving behind childish thoughts. Im not going to lie and say, "I haven't thought of running away after that point". In fact, I thought about it this morning. How great would it be to pack my bags, close my bank account and fly away to Costa Rica?!
I have it all planned out! You don't need a work visa to work in Costa Rica under 90 days (yes, I have actually done the research for it)! So I will take June, July and August to live in Central America. My bag of "valuables" will include my surfboard, bikini, flip flops and, of course, my blanket. I will probably work in a bar on the beach and surf during my breaks. If everything goes according to plan I will probably meet a dark skinned, light eyed, Costa Rican musician. Of course he surfs and writes poetry and will be stunned by my slow-motion entrance into the water. What could possibly go wrong?!!...
"Pencils down!" O.o snapped back into reality! I walk up to the professor and lay down my scantron and test. I feel okay about it mostly but who knows. Maybe I should have spent more time studying and less time looking up flight prices to Central America and information on work visas.
At all this I say, I am still a believer in spending time to dream! If you cant escape in real life than dream about your escape instead. Who knows?! Maybe one day it will come true! When life gets tough, whether you are 8 or 21, I don't think it is wrong to contemplate escape. What really matters, in the end, is whether you do or not. As you can see I am still here, still studying, still dreaming and doing the best I can with this part of my life. I would love to hear your escape plan as well! I know you have one ;)
Remember: The secret of happiness is not in doing what one likes, but in liking what one does. -Sir James Barrie
You know you are a college student when...
You know you are a college student when...
This simple little sentence has lead to many laughs between my sister and I. As I go through my day as a college student I find more and more bizarre and hilarious endings to this sentence. It works very well at making a stressful situation into a joke.
For example: You know you are a college student when... you walk out of the grocery store with milk and a 12-pack of TopRamen.
You know you are a college student when... you have a "favorite" thrift store... and the workers know you by name.
I have found that in the world of being a college student if I can simply laugh at the ridiculous situation that I have found myself in that I will save myself a lot of stress.
So this is what this blog is going to mostly be about- College, Life and the Ridiculous moments. I know that as College students we often think that we are alone. That no one could possibly understand how stressed we are or how much pressure is on us. We often times think that we are the only ones feeling like we are drowning under a sea of responsibility and expectations. I know I think this from time to time. However, we have to remember that our peers are putting there best faces forward as well. So even though it doesn't look like they are stressed or even worried about the upcoming test, they truly are.
This blog is NOT going to be a vent session or a whine fest, on the contrary, this blog is going to let readers, and myself, know that we are not alone and that we can even laugh at some of the ridiculous parts of our current lives.
I am going to talk about all the things that I love and that help me to enjoy this part of my life. If it helps you then awesome, if not then I hope that you will at least get a chuckle out of the invested time it took you to read my post.
Until then, let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
Peace!
This simple little sentence has lead to many laughs between my sister and I. As I go through my day as a college student I find more and more bizarre and hilarious endings to this sentence. It works very well at making a stressful situation into a joke.
For example: You know you are a college student when... you walk out of the grocery store with milk and a 12-pack of TopRamen.
You know you are a college student when... you have a "favorite" thrift store... and the workers know you by name.
I have found that in the world of being a college student if I can simply laugh at the ridiculous situation that I have found myself in that I will save myself a lot of stress.
So this is what this blog is going to mostly be about- College, Life and the Ridiculous moments. I know that as College students we often think that we are alone. That no one could possibly understand how stressed we are or how much pressure is on us. We often times think that we are the only ones feeling like we are drowning under a sea of responsibility and expectations. I know I think this from time to time. However, we have to remember that our peers are putting there best faces forward as well. So even though it doesn't look like they are stressed or even worried about the upcoming test, they truly are.
This blog is NOT going to be a vent session or a whine fest, on the contrary, this blog is going to let readers, and myself, know that we are not alone and that we can even laugh at some of the ridiculous parts of our current lives.
I am going to talk about all the things that I love and that help me to enjoy this part of my life. If it helps you then awesome, if not then I hope that you will at least get a chuckle out of the invested time it took you to read my post.
Until then, let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
Peace!
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