It’s Summer Now What?

So it’s been a minute since my first post, but now that it’s summer, I have way more time on my hands to do the things I love such as writing. So you may wonder: What is a college student’s summer like? Well I’m glad you asked!

Every May I pack up from Howard and I make the trip back to Brooklyn. From then, the summer begins until its time to go back in August. This is the most anticipated time of the year for me because it means a nice break away from school work and all the stress that comes with it.  But eventually the chillin must be accompanied with some form of productivity.

Now that I’m older, I can’t join summer camps and go on trips to the park, museums, and do arts & crafts during the summer like I used to do when I was younger.  However, there are other fun ways for me to keep myself busy during the summer.

Working a summer job at a clothing store may not seem all that fun, but there are other things one can do to be active during the summer. I love magazines and writing and I was able to obtain an internship at Honeymag.com. Here is some advice so you can find that perfect summer opportunity.

1) Find opportunities that match your talents or hobbies- Doing things that you love to do, won’t seem like work because you have an interest in it.

2) Once you figure out what you like, use the internet to research opportunities- Google is a great search engine to use.

3) Ask your guidance counselors, teachers, family members, and others if they know any opportunities.- You never know, these people have connections in the community and may have an opportunity for you.

4) Follow through! – Make sure you take advantage of any opportunity you may come across. Don’t be afraid of a new experience or challenge, you never know what it may bring.

Here are some ideas:

Volunteer- Helping out in your community is a great way to build your resume.

Internships- Some are paid, some are not but they give you real world job experience while still being a student.

Camp Counselors- If you like younger children and don’t want to be inside all summer, this is the perfect opportunitity for you.

Explore!- Visit places in your city that you never visited or have not been to in a long time! Take advantage and learn something new about where you live.

Start your own business- Think of something that you think people may need and start your own business. You don’t have to be an adult to do it.

Helpful Links:

All Stars Project- http://www.allstars.org/content/youth_programs_application_2008.pdf

College Now- Free College Courses for High School Students -http://collegenow.cuny.edu/

New Youth Connections Summer Journalism Workshop for HS Students- http://www.youthcomm.org/PDF/NYC-Summer2009-app-web.pdf

HighFive- Discount Tickets for Plays and Museums in the city-http://www.highfivetix.org/Aspx/AboutHigh5/Default.aspx-

-Natelegé Whaley

I’m so glad I go to Howard U!!!

Hello Say It Loud! Readers…Let me kindly introduce myself. I’m Natelege Whaley, a Brooklyn native, and a sophomore print journalism major who attends Howard University. I have so many stories to tell about college life and how it has changed me for the better.

But I’ll just start out by describing life at HU. Howard University is a historically black college, located in NW Washington DC. There are students here from all parts of the country including California, Texas, Georgia, and of course NEW YORK! Also there are many international students from Africa and the Caribbean.  Some famous people that have attended include P. Diddy (Bad Boy Records) , Phylicia Rashad ( The Bill Cosby Show) , Taraji Henson (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), and Lance Gross (House of Payne), just to name a few.

Howard is also known for is it’s Homecoming. Homecoming is probably one of the most exciting times of the year on Howard’s campus. During this time, alumni come back to Howard to celebrate in school spirit with current Howard students. The week of Homecoming is filled with activities including The Gospel Show, Fashion Show, Comedy Show, R&B Concert, Mr. and Ms. Howard Pageant, Parade, Homecoming Game, and ending it with the Step Show. This year I had the opportunity to represent my dorm Slowe Hall, as Ms. Slowe, in the Homecoming Parade.

Even though Howard has a lot of fun activities, the reality is that you still have to do your work and find a balance. This is probably my biggest challenge thus far.

I am actively involved in 4 organizations on campus and I am also taking 17 credits, this semester.   Sometimes I feel drained. My biggest most challenging course right now is a course called ‘Reporting & Writing’. For this class  I am assigned to a particular area in DC, and I must report, write, and publish at least one article per week about issues in this area. All in all I am really trying my best with this class. My other classes are fairly manageable, however.

Trying to maintain school, extra-curricular activities, and just being young and having fun is hard. Now imagine having a boyfriend. I’m in a long distance relationship with my high school sweetheart. Things have worked out great so far, but I’ve honestly seen other couples’ relationships go under the waters as fast as my eyes could see. Bottom line is, if you don’t have a strong relationship before going away to school, then chances are your relationship probably won’t last.

Another thing I face at school is trying to stay healthy and fit. Ordering out, and late night snacking can cause one to gain weight quickly. So I try my best to cook. There is a kitchen in my dorm, so I’m able to save my money and buy groceries to prepare foods.

Dorm life is also fun…but I’m going to stop here with my parade about college. I  can’t put everything into one post. But throughout the time I am at Howard, I will definitely blog about my experiences and my challenges on SAY IT LOUD!.

Call it School Dayz 411. I basically got all of you covered with the inside on what really happens in college, not all the fluffed up stuff they tell you on college tours and in college brochures!

So return soon and I will love to take you all on my experience as a college student! : )