I may not wake up tomorrow.
Nobody has the promise of tomorrow, we aren't even guaranteed to make it to the end of the day. I made it to the end of October 13th, though I am still searching for an answer as to how.
I'm taking full advantage of the time I have today. In high school, I never wanted to look back and say, "I wish I did more." I have taken the same approach in college. It is taking its toll, I would be lying if I said it wasn't, but I am making it.
Every day is a new day. With every new day brings new challenges and a new schedule. My current schedule has a structure, but a very flexible one at that. This Tuesday is far different from last Tuesday's and will be even more different from next Tuesday's. I can't think too far ahead or I will go insane.
I love sticky notes and my wall calendar. They are keeping me straight and sane.
People ask me every day how I am balancing everything I'm doing (I'll get to that later). Yesterday, while at The Globe, one of our editors approached me genuinely concerned and curious about how I am doing. The senior told me that it was very strange and unusual for a sophomore to be doing as much as three seniors combined would be doing. She told me it is important to set aside 15 minutes every day week to eat ice cream and cry. Some days you can go without one or the other, but 15 minutes every day to yourself is important.
Ice cream is a great comfort food. My cries are few and far between, though the last time I cried was after the Pirates fell to the Cubs in the NL Wild Card Game. Before that, I can't remember the last time I cried. It's fine. But, I didn't have ice cream.
I am eating fine, despite not having time to sit down and enjoy a meal. I am usually eating on the go or while I'm working on something. Food is an important priority. I love it too much to set it aside or forget about it! There are some days where I have to skip lunch or hold off on dinner, but I make up for it later and am doing fine.
We are in the middle of October now and halfway through the first semester. Mondays and Tuesdays are almost impossible to manage, but I somehow do. Here's my weekly "schedule" kind of:
Monday:
9:40 - Writing Intensive English (Though it is more reading intensive)
11:20 - Spanish (Great classes to have back to back. El taco.)
1:00 - Meeting with Athletics boss
2:40 - The Globe pitch meeting
After the meeting, we begin layout and anything is possible.
6:00-9:00 - Sports Media and Marketing class (My favorite class with the most outside of class work)
9:00-? - Finishing layout. I can be there until 11, 12 or 1.
Tuesday:
7:00 - Give a final read and put last edits to the paper before sending to print
8:00 - Science (My professor is extremely condescending and not helpful)
9:40 - Psychology (Very interesting class with the sweetest old lady professor)
Sometime during those previous four hours - Create Player of the Week graphics
11:40 - Office hour in the Center for Sports Media & Marketing
1:00 - Live Production and Directing class (No outside work. Can't miss class, very fun and enjoyable)
Evening - Pioneer Sideline on U-View
or Point Park sports game-day coverage
Wednesday: (My lightest day)
9:40 - English
11:20 - Spanish
3:00 - One-hour radio show
THAT'S IT (In theory)
Thursday:
8:00 - Science
9:40 - Psychology
1:00 - Live Production and Directing class
Evening - Daybreak on U-View
or Point Park sports game-day coverage
Friday - Sunday:
Point Park sports game-day coverage, Rugby coverage, or anything else this place has me doing. There's always something different.
As you can see, Mondays and Tuesdays are hectic and long. It's exhausting. This past Tuesday, I went from my production class to a meeting with the Dean of Students about The Globe, ran Emily a drink from Starbucks up to her at Duquesne and attend the Penguins Red Carpet event outside CONSOL before their home opener (which they lost 3-2 to drop to 0-3 on the year). Immediately after that, I stopped at Hello Bistro, bought a $5 burger, and went straight to the gym to cover volleyball as I ate my burger. My boss was not at the game due to a family situation and we were light staffed. I did my best to do three people's jobs in under an hour and ensured a smooth and successful night. Watch my video recap of the game here which I had to do afterwards for an hour and a half. After that, I still managed to complete my Spanish and English homework while also studying for my Science final Thursday.
I have an A or A- in each of my six classes right now. I have gotten at least a 94% on each midterm so far, pending the result from my science final. I somehow am not completely failing my six classes that I have not given as much time and energy to that I typically would. Why? I decided this semester to put a stronger emphasis on my work outside the classroom; work that will improve my skills, portfolio and resume, and that will actually help me towards my future. Maybe I'll have to understand Einstein's Theory of Relativity in this field someday, I don't know. Right now, I am prioritizing everything and that is helping me succeed in mostly everything. Here is everything I'm doing:
- Editor-Elect of The Globe (I will take over in January '16 and remain Chief through my first semester of Junior year.)
- Preparing for a brief trip to Atlanta later this month (more on that in a later post)
- Preparing for another Baseball Winter Meetings, this time in Nashville, Tenn.
- My weekly radio show (that's a lot of fun with a good friend of mine. More relaxing than stressful, but time consuming)
- Planning an event for the Honors Program mentors and mentees
- Reporting for Daybreak and Pioneer Sideline on U-View
- Working in the Athletic Department - takes up a lot of time. Game days take up 5-10 hours of time. But I'm producing solid content.
- Actively involved with the Center for Sports Media & Marketing - I'm helping our new Grad Assistant a lot this year with little things acting as her "right-hand man." The Center co-directors have been great to me and I want to do everything I can to help them and The Center. (We are all going to a free Penguin game Thursday)
- Thinking about and working on four different in-depth research papers
- The effects of psychological momentum on athletes and teams
- Stadium naming rights and their role in 21st century sports
- Broadcast rights fees - includes interviewing high-level executives at Turner Sports, Sports Business Journal, ESPN and the Blue Sky Agency
- Something about Butler for English, I'm not really sure about that one yet - why it's at the bottom of my list.
- Currently in discussion with the PBP voice of the Philadelphia 76ers
- Trying to stay sane
I'm managing. Somehow, I'm managing. And I still have time (a lot more than I thought I would, believe it or not) for friends.
I'm living.
I'm not sitting in my dorm room eating chips and playing Xbox all day. In fact, I'm rarely in the room other than when I'm sleeping, so I don't even see my roommates often.
I'm not guaranteed tomorrow, so why waste today?
15 minutes to myself every day is important. 15 minutes to write, nap, watch TV, think, or as my one editor suggested: eat ice cream and cry.
Because, why not?
Josh
Nobody has the promise of tomorrow, we aren't even guaranteed to make it to the end of the day. I made it to the end of October 13th, though I am still searching for an answer as to how.
I'm taking full advantage of the time I have today. In high school, I never wanted to look back and say, "I wish I did more." I have taken the same approach in college. It is taking its toll, I would be lying if I said it wasn't, but I am making it.
Every day is a new day. With every new day brings new challenges and a new schedule. My current schedule has a structure, but a very flexible one at that. This Tuesday is far different from last Tuesday's and will be even more different from next Tuesday's. I can't think too far ahead or I will go insane.
I love sticky notes and my wall calendar. They are keeping me straight and sane.
People ask me every day how I am balancing everything I'm doing (I'll get to that later). Yesterday, while at The Globe, one of our editors approached me genuinely concerned and curious about how I am doing. The senior told me that it was very strange and unusual for a sophomore to be doing as much as three seniors combined would be doing. She told me it is important to set aside 15 minutes every day week to eat ice cream and cry. Some days you can go without one or the other, but 15 minutes every day to yourself is important.
Ice cream is a great comfort food. My cries are few and far between, though the last time I cried was after the Pirates fell to the Cubs in the NL Wild Card Game. Before that, I can't remember the last time I cried. It's fine. But, I didn't have ice cream.
I am eating fine, despite not having time to sit down and enjoy a meal. I am usually eating on the go or while I'm working on something. Food is an important priority. I love it too much to set it aside or forget about it! There are some days where I have to skip lunch or hold off on dinner, but I make up for it later and am doing fine.
We are in the middle of October now and halfway through the first semester. Mondays and Tuesdays are almost impossible to manage, but I somehow do. Here's my weekly "schedule" kind of:
Monday:
9:40 - Writing Intensive English (Though it is more reading intensive)
11:20 - Spanish (Great classes to have back to back. El taco.)
1:00 - Meeting with Athletics boss
2:40 - The Globe pitch meeting
After the meeting, we begin layout and anything is possible.
6:00-9:00 - Sports Media and Marketing class (My favorite class with the most outside of class work)
9:00-? - Finishing layout. I can be there until 11, 12 or 1.
Tuesday:
7:00 - Give a final read and put last edits to the paper before sending to print8:00 - Science (My professor is extremely condescending and not helpful)
9:40 - Psychology (Very interesting class with the sweetest old lady professor)
Sometime during those previous four hours - Create Player of the Week graphics
11:40 - Office hour in the Center for Sports Media & Marketing
1:00 - Live Production and Directing class (No outside work. Can't miss class, very fun and enjoyable)
Evening - Pioneer Sideline on U-View
or Point Park sports game-day coverage
Wednesday: (My lightest day)
9:40 - English
11:20 - Spanish
3:00 - One-hour radio show
THAT'S IT (In theory)
Thursday:
8:00 - Science
9:40 - Psychology
1:00 - Live Production and Directing class
Evening - Daybreak on U-View
or Point Park sports game-day coverage
Friday - Sunday:
Point Park sports game-day coverage, Rugby coverage, or anything else this place has me doing. There's always something different.
As you can see, Mondays and Tuesdays are hectic and long. It's exhausting. This past Tuesday, I went from my production class to a meeting with the Dean of Students about The Globe, ran Emily a drink from Starbucks up to her at Duquesne and attend the Penguins Red Carpet event outside CONSOL before their home opener (which they lost 3-2 to drop to 0-3 on the year). Immediately after that, I stopped at Hello Bistro, bought a $5 burger, and went straight to the gym to cover volleyball as I ate my burger. My boss was not at the game due to a family situation and we were light staffed. I did my best to do three people's jobs in under an hour and ensured a smooth and successful night. Watch my video recap of the game here which I had to do afterwards for an hour and a half. After that, I still managed to complete my Spanish and English homework while also studying for my Science final Thursday.
I have an A or A- in each of my six classes right now. I have gotten at least a 94% on each midterm so far, pending the result from my science final. I somehow am not completely failing my six classes that I have not given as much time and energy to that I typically would. Why? I decided this semester to put a stronger emphasis on my work outside the classroom; work that will improve my skills, portfolio and resume, and that will actually help me towards my future. Maybe I'll have to understand Einstein's Theory of Relativity in this field someday, I don't know. Right now, I am prioritizing everything and that is helping me succeed in mostly everything. Here is everything I'm doing:
- Editor-Elect of The Globe (I will take over in January '16 and remain Chief through my first semester of Junior year.)
- Preparing for a brief trip to Atlanta later this month (more on that in a later post)
- Preparing for another Baseball Winter Meetings, this time in Nashville, Tenn.
- My weekly radio show (that's a lot of fun with a good friend of mine. More relaxing than stressful, but time consuming)
- Planning an event for the Honors Program mentors and mentees
- Reporting for Daybreak and Pioneer Sideline on U-View
- Working in the Athletic Department - takes up a lot of time. Game days take up 5-10 hours of time. But I'm producing solid content.
- Actively involved with the Center for Sports Media & Marketing - I'm helping our new Grad Assistant a lot this year with little things acting as her "right-hand man." The Center co-directors have been great to me and I want to do everything I can to help them and The Center. (We are all going to a free Penguin game Thursday)
- Thinking about and working on four different in-depth research papers
- The effects of psychological momentum on athletes and teams
- Stadium naming rights and their role in 21st century sports
- Broadcast rights fees - includes interviewing high-level executives at Turner Sports, Sports Business Journal, ESPN and the Blue Sky Agency
- Something about Butler for English, I'm not really sure about that one yet - why it's at the bottom of my list.
- Currently in discussion with the PBP voice of the Philadelphia 76ers
- Trying to stay sane
I'm managing. Somehow, I'm managing. And I still have time (a lot more than I thought I would, believe it or not) for friends.
I'm living.
I'm not sitting in my dorm room eating chips and playing Xbox all day. In fact, I'm rarely in the room other than when I'm sleeping, so I don't even see my roommates often.
I'm not guaranteed tomorrow, so why waste today?
15 minutes to myself every day is important. 15 minutes to write, nap, watch TV, think, or as my one editor suggested: eat ice cream and cry.
Because, why not?
Josh
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