The Minor Details: Why I Dropped My 2nd Minor

I recently made a decision not to pursue a second minor for my undergraduate degree. After much debate, I decided against trying to cram 12 credits of upper-level advertising classes into my last semester. The issue is I need at least 124 credits total to graduate. With my major in integrative public relations and leadership minor combined, my total falls at 112.

Instead of enrolling in a semester of advertising classes, I decided to take the opportunity to pursue some areas I haven't had the chance to. I've always wanted to take a class in yoga, pottery or photojournalism. This spring, I'll finally be able to. My spring schedule is completely open--the only requirement is that I enroll in 12 credits. What a feeling...

Now trust me, as an overachiever, this has not been an easy choice for me. Some may consider this "the easy way out" or even the wrong decision. However, I'm confident that my knowledge, work experience, internships and extra curricular involvements speak volumes more than a second minor would.

The reason for this decision came about after I had a major wake-up call this summer. I realized I was heading into my senior year of college. People say college is the best four (or five) years of your life. I've already begun my final year and there are still so many things I want to experience as a college student. This is time that I will never get back. I have my entire life to work, but only one year left to enjoy the luxury of being a college student.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not looking to blow off my responsibilities. In fact, I think having a lighter class load will allow me to put forth more effort toward my involvements and passions. Not to mention I'll have a chance to experience things I've been putting off. For example, I finally stopped making excuses and joined the intramural tennis team.

I've really been making an attempt to take advantage of the little time I have left at CMU. After this year, my roommates and I will be going our separate ways and no one knows exactly where we'll end up. As college students, it's important to find the balance between responsibility and freedom. There will always be work to be done, but some opportunities won't come around more than once. Make the most of each and every day.

What do you think? Do people put too much emphasis on degree minors? Grads: Is there anything you wish you would've experienced during college that you never got around to?

Let Others Surprise You

Sorry it has been a while since my last post. With my senior year at CMU kicking off, I've been busy getting things on track. In addition to working on my honors senior capstone project and my leadership internship, I've been serving as president of CMU PRSSA (among other commitments).

One of the things I've learned through my leadership minor and experience is not to be afraid to let others lead. George S. Patton once said, "Don't tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results."

I really like this quote because it exemplifies the concept of delegation and the type of leadership philosophy I try to exemplify. I really am not a fan of micro-managing because I know I personally love having a little creative freedom.

I also think it is extremely important to demonstrate appreciation and value for the work of others. If you assign someone a task and you don't exactly like the results, don't just re-do it yourself. Go over it with the person and talk about your concerns so they can learn and improve upon the project while maintaining ownership of it. Similarly, if you ask for the input and opinions of others, don't just let them speak and then ignore what they said. Listen to their thoughts and give each serious consideration before making a final decision.

As president this year, I'm really hoping to shake things up a bit and get out of the mindset of "this is how it's been done in the past." I want to try new things and take our chapter to the next level.

So far, I've tried to just put my faith and encouragement into my executive board members and give them the tools they need to get their jobs done. I've been pretty pleased with the dedication and efforts the executive board has put forth thus far and I'm really excited to see where things will take us in the future...

Has anyone ever surprised you with their results? Do you have any tips for effective team leadership?