2014-05-12 Graduation Guide

The Daily Titan congratulates all 2014 graduates and their families!

Photograph courtesy of: Richard Veyna

GRAD GUIDE

PAGE 2

THE DAILY TITAN

MAY 12, 2014 MONDAY

MICHAEL CHEN / Daily Titan Amal Rockn, 19, a communications major at Cal State Fullerton, was raised in a Middle-Eastern, Muslim home, and was determined to graduate early. She plans on attending grad school and hopes to start a career soon.

Graduating college as a teenager

Aspiring CSUF journalist hopes to land a job in Egypt AMAL ROCKN Daily Titan

Being raised in a Middle-Eastern, Muslim home may have contributed to my competitive, determined and goal-oriented mindset, but there were also other factors in my need to be successful.

Throughout my academic life, I felt that I did not fit in with the others in my age group, neither academically or mentally. I

always excelled in school and pushed myself further in order to graduate early.

During my sophomore year, my parents and I decided to try homeschooling in order to try to finish high school earlier, but my counselor saved me and told me about the California High School Exit Exam.

This exam can be taken by any high school student during last semester of sophomore year and beyond. It is a basic English and math exam that illustrates proficiency in these areas needed to move on to college.

The only downside was that I would have to attend community college first, which was my plan anyway. I took the exam and passed when I was 15.

In my first two years of college, I finished all of my general education requirements and knew from the beginning the only school I wanted to attend was Cal State Fullerton.

I transferred to CSUF as a journalism major and sought to learn all that I could during my two years here.

Many people have told me that it is impossible to graduate college in four years with

over-population, a struggling economy and maintaining a part-time job, but I managed to find a way. It has all been worth it in the end.

I am finally graduating at the age of 19, and although it feels like I’ve been in college forever, my time at CSUF seems to have gone by so fast.

Although I will be turning 20 during the summer, it feels good to say that I have finished college as a “teen.”

Like most others, I would say I am extremely burnt out and senioritis is killing me as I come closer to graduation. However, I

don’t want to stop moving; I want to continue working in an effort to reach my goal as a successful journalist abroad.

I plan on moving back to Egypt to work as an international journalist and help my country with the knowledge and skills I have gained in America.

I was raised in California my entire life, but my desire to become a traveling journalist pushes me to work in a hot spot such as Egypt.

I have been told that I am an inspiration to others because of my hard work and determination, but I always look up to

more successful, influential, self-encompassing individuals who have changed the world or changed themselves by becoming a better.

It is important to know who you are and what you are capable of in order to succeed in your goals and life.

I found my passion, interest and skill sets at a young age, but it is never too late to start your journey and seek your goals.

I still have a lot ahead of me: a career, grad school and family, but I plan on getting the most out of the life I have been given as we only have one.

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s n o i t a l u t a r g n o !

C s e t a u d a r G Thank you all for being

a part of something bigger and for those going on to

bigger and better things Congratulations & Good Luck

“If you can imagine it, you can achieve it.

If you can dream it, you can become it.”

-William Arthur Ward

asi.fullerton.edu follow us @asicsuf

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MAY 12, 2014 MONDAY

CSUF alums reflect on postgraduate life Ian Wheeler graduated in May 2013 and immediately began working as a trainee reporter

After leaving the Daily Titan in 2013, Alvan Ung became a freelance designer in Orange County

IAN WHEELER For the Daily Titan

ALVAN UNG For the Daily Titan

In spring 2013, I was technically a student.

But I was over it. I sat through my classes sometimes, but my mind was always elsewhere. Maybe I thought I had outgrown them, but I was distracted, mostly by work and the celebrations that go with turning the page on college. I was bracing for the coming changes.

I would miss my routine of irregularity, the random day-to-day that came with college, especially while working for this student newspaper. I met most of my closest friends at the Daily Titan, and I would miss seeing them for 10 to 12 hours a day.

I still see most of them regularly, but it’s just not the same as when we were all stuck on campus together. There’s often catching up to do.

How’s work? Oh, you know, the usual. You? Same it’s whatever.

But for some reason, post-grad careers shorten the day. A year ago, I could do work and class, staying up till 5 a.m. each morning having consumed nothing but Red Bull and Del Taco. Maybe I’d get a couple hours of sleep under a desk before my first class, or maybe just down another Red Bull.

Now, I can’t function without at least eight hours of sleep. I put on my first-job 15, then lost 20 pounds due to stress. I can’t hang like I used to.

I suppose it’s that I don’t want to screw up in the “real world.” More than ever, my productivity matters for reasons beyond my own education.

But I’m still learning, especially at work.

I started my current job as a reporter a week after I graduated –– no pause in a shaky industry. Six months in, I was getting used to what was expected of me,

I’ve only graduated two years ago and already, I’m writing an article for my former employer about my post-graduation life.

Here’s the thing: I’m not qualified to tell you anything about post-grad life.

That’s not even a thing you need to qualify for.

Being a graduate is just a title given to you without any requirement of activity beyond having completed college. No upkeep is required to retain the title.

But graduating was, for me, the single greatest way to deal with stress.

In college, I was a constant swirling ball of stress, and I handled that stress extremely poorly (i.e., with booze and Del Taco.)

That stress was infinite and permanent. It followed me out of the classroom in the form of endless homework, group projects, online tests and the farfetched idea of studying three hours for every hour of classwork you’re taking.

It never left me alone, constantly invading my dreams and telling me to wake up because I’d forgotten to submit my essay to Turnitin.com before midnight.

And there’s all the other things I had to do while working at the Daily Titan, which just made things worse. It wasn’t healthy for those newspaper deadlines to always feel like I was about to witness the end of the world, nor was it healthy to gulp down enough Red Bulls for me to forget the concept of sleep because I had to finish the homework I couldn’t do during newspaper production.

But graduating alleviated me of all that stress.

No more school. No more all-nighters. No more homework to bother me

ROBERT HUSKEY / Daily Titan Ian Wheeler, 23, began working as a trainee reporter after working at the Daily Titan for two years.

though my boss reminded make me. me that I still had a long I’ll stick with the “real way to go. Pick up the pace, world” crash course –– he said. I doubled my out- I’ve easily learned more put within a week. in hands-on job settings Sure, throw a challenge than in the classroom. my way, then watch me As shot glasses clinked meet and exat end-of-seceed your exparMore than ever, mester pectations. ties, I felt No professor my productivity the weight of the impendat Cal State matters ing concluFullerton sion of this taught me to for reasons chapter of my try to be exceptional, beyond my own life. It was a good feeling but I’m sure education.

–– heavy and I learned it necessa r y, there –– in the newsroom, not the but with that sense of loss that often obscures new classroom.

Sometimes I feel like go- beginnings.

A year ago, I walked ing back to campus to sit in a class and learn. Not across a stage in front of take a quiz, not take notes my friends and family and that will be completely was handed a piece of paunhelpful while studying per that says I’m educatfor a midterm, just learn. ed. Not yet.

I’ll always be a student But then I remember how sleepy droning professors –– always learning.

CONGRATULATIONS GRADS!

READY TO BUY A HOME OR SELL YOUR PROPERTY?

ROBERT HUSKEY / Daily Titan Alvan Ung, 24, graduated in May 2013. He is currently working as a freelance designer at the Orange County Register.

after leaving the confines of Cal State Fullerton. I finally escaped the overbearing stress that hung over me daily. It was like I finally found the light switch and I could turn off my stress.

I won’t lie: post-grad life isn’t a cakewalk. It’s just not as overbearing as college ever was. Stress is stress, sure, but at least post-grad stress doesn’t hang over you all day.

If I have a terrible day at work, well, that sucks.

I can go home and completely unwind by watching more Netflix than a regular human being should on a Tuesday night while eating whatever I happened to grab from the fridge on the way to my room. Then the next day of work is a new day, with new things to stress me out that I can leave behind at the end of the

day.

The fact that I can dichotomize the hours of my day between my job at the Orange County Register, as well as my social and home lives, has been a boon to my stupid little existence. Student life doesn’t stay neatly in its own compartment because, for better or worse, it consumes your whole life.

But I can’t end on that note, so let me leave you with this: embrace all that stress. Enjoy every second that you’re pulling your hair out over something, because it probably means that you care, and if you care enough, you’ll probably land yourself with a cool job.

Then you’ll get to write your own article about how you’re a graduate enjoying your post-grad life.

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Knowing the ins and outs of student loans Paying off debt early can help students save money Photo illustration by MARIAH CARRILLO / Daily Titan Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter are just a few useful websites that can help students network.

Best networking websites Technology can help students find jobs after college JOHNNY NAVARRETTE Daily Titan

Keeping in touch with family, friends and acquaintances is far easier today than it was a few years ago thanks to the emergence of different social networking platforms.

Networking serves different purposes, and each platform has its positives and negatives.

The best part about networking today are the many options we have to choose from.

Facebook is still by far the most used platform for networking, and while it has undergone changes over the past two years, users continue to use the website.

Facebook can be used as an online photo album, to play games, and most importantly, to stay in contact with friends and family.

Google Plus is another option that provides some interesting features that are not offered on Facebook.

One of the key differences of Google Plus is its ability to connect new people based

on topics of interests. While Facebook can be seen as a contact book of people you know, Google Plus allows you to connect with people based on what you have interest in and join “communities” and “circles” that best suit you.

A feature that is useful for networking is the ability to join “hangouts” and video chat with up to 10 friends or making a call from your computer.

If you are looking for more of a business minded platform that can help you connect to employers, LinkedIn is the best option out there.

After graduation, finding a job could potentially be one of the toughest, time consuming and stressful things.

The key to it all is networking with others, building relationships and eventually being presented with the right job offer as job opportunities often come about thanks to friends and family.

However, LinkedIn gives you the opportunity to build a network that allows employers to see what you have to offer as a potential employee.

On LinkedIn, you have the ability to search for jobs while also joining groups that interest you, giving you the latest updates within

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those interests. Facebook and Google Plus allow you to connect with friends and family, but on a more professional level.

An ever-growing platform is Twitter. When it first emerged in the social media scene in 2006, there was a lot of confusion about what it actually was.

It quickly became a platform for people to connect with not only friends and family, but connect with celebrities and athletes, allowing individuals to connect with people that we usually would not have the chance to do so.

Today, one of the more essential uses for Twitter is information consumption.

Reporters from all over the world have accounts and within seconds can get news out to their followers. Whether it is world news, entertainment, sports, or just tweets from their friends and family, Twitter provides individuals with the ability to connect what they want, when they want.

With an ever growing market in the social networking industry, a wide array of options are available depending on job seekers’ needs and aspirations.

GINA VAN STRATTEN Daily Titan

An inevitable effect of graduating college is how a student’s debt enters the repayment period.

The average annual tuition for in-state students at Cal State Fullerton is about $19,455, according to 20122013 Cappex statistics.

The idea of paying back loans can be intimidating, but there are plenty of options to graduate debt-free.

To begin, paying off student loans early is the best way to become debt-free earlier.

Paying off loans early can save students a large amount of money. For example, the longer it takes to pay off student loans, the more interest accumulates, resulting in more money to pay back.

Paying loans back a few years earlier means saving thousands of dollars.

Understanding the process for repayment of student loans can go a long way toward decreasing the amount of student debt accumulated.

A grace period is a set amount of time after graduation in which you don’t have to start loan repayment. This gives students time to be financially stable enough to begin repayment.

However, not all federal student loans have grace periods and for most loans interest accrues during the grace period.

Students may want to find

Photo illustration by MARIAH CARRILLO / Daily Titan Saving money and paying back loans a few years earlier can save graduating students thousands of dollars.

out the process that their loan servicer has in place for certain loans. Each loan servicer gives students several choices for repayment plans that are designed to meet the students’ needs.

Students can go to the federal aid website to determine which loans are paid to which department.

A useful option for students to pay back loans is through electronic bill pay.

Electronic bill pay can be automatic, so students will not forget to make a payment.

These automatic payments keep students on track with their payments, because missing one could send a student into default. If a student defaults on a loan, the status will be sent to the credit bureaus.

“The most common loan discounts include a 0.25 percent interest rate reduction for having your monthly loan payments direct debited from your bank account,” according to the FinAid website, which helps guide students about their loans.

Students can attempt to pay back more than their

monthly payment. By making more payments than required, loans will get paid back faster with less money out of students’ pockets.

Established programs also help students with paying back their loans. The Nursing Education Loan Repayment Program gives repayment assistance to nurses and branches of the military offer programs for qualifying education loans. The Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program forgives a total of $17,500 on several loans for those who have been teaching for at least five years.

Tax deductions are set in place for those who earn $60,000 or less in a year.

Those who qualify can deduct up to $2,500 of student loans interest from their taxes.

Loans were set in place to help students go to college, and paying them back is their duty after graduation.

While paying off student loans and being debt free is a reward in itself, students can plan to travel or take on other hobbies once they completely pay off their student loans.

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Tips to writing a successful cover letter and resumé Cover letters help make a lasting first impression AMAL ROCKN Daily Titan

Some students have not been taught how to write a résumé or cover letter–the importance of how valuable of either is in terms of landing a job has not been stressed enough.

Before you start writing, it is important to know that a résumé and cover letter is a representation of who you are.

A résumé is your first professional handshake. It’s an introduction and advertisement of yourself, a document of achievements, a road map and an interview prompter.

The first step to writing a résumé is to look at professional samples and those of your friends, peers and family members. You can look at various types of résumés, but stay close to those within your particular career or field.

The important elements to include in your résumé are candidate data, an objective statement, qualifications summary, education, related coursework,

skills, experience, extracurricular activities, volunteer/internship work and references.

Since it is almost impossible to include all of this in one to two pages, you should identify the main elements that pertain to the company or job you are applying to and adjust or add onto them to appeal to the employer.

In order to have a successful résumé, you may need to create a general résumé and alter it to fit each company and position you apply for, so that you can focus your skills and achievements to what they are looking for.

But nowadays employers are looking for more than just a résumé. They want a well-written cover letter with it.

A cover letter is a professional piece of work that establishes your interest, achievements and ability to work for the company in which you are applying.

The tone of the cover letter is the most important aspect of its content, according to the Career Guide.

The letters should be kept formal, but they should always represent you and sound like you. Never copy a sample; only use it as a guide.

Laura Neal, an industry

specialist from the Cal State Fullerton Career Center, said a cover letter establishes your credibility.

It tells them what they need to know about you, why they should elect you, and demonstrates your writing skills.

The first step in perfecting a cover letter is writing the introduction. State how you heard about the job (referral from someone or a job listing), what caught your interest in the position, and what you have to offer that aligns with what they are looking for.

In the next paragraph, tell them why they should hire you in particular among all other applicants. Use an energetic tone and explain how your qualifications and skills match what they are looking for in a candidate.

Include all personal achievements that make you stand out.

If you were on the debate team, you can write something like “Competing with the CSUF debate team in the national debaters of Southern California, I believe my research and competitive communication skills would greatly contribute to the work that your company puts forth.”

The final step is to make a strong closing paragraph. The paragraph should include a recap of how you are the perfect fit for the position as well as a confident final statement that finalizes the entire letter.

This is where you close off your first impression, so make it stand out.

For part-time jobs and internships, Neal suggests including your availability in the final paragraph to show your flexibility and commitment.

To finalize the process, it is vital to proofread your résumé and cover letter multiple times and have others read it too.

This is your first impression, an illustration of yourself that explains who you are when you are not there to say it yourself.

For more information and sample cover letters and résumés, the Career Guide is available at the Career Center.

You may also make an appointment or walk in to meet with a counselor to go over your résumé and cover letter and receive feedback.

The Career Center remains free of charge and includes all services up to a year after your graduation date. After that, it is limited to those who are part of the Alumni Association.

Please contact with any questions. References from professors, coworkers, and employers available upon request.

Staying busy as a grad could actually be beneficial.

Graduates who efficiently use their time after graduation will have a greater chance of securany questions.

References ing their dream job than those who only send out a few applicaCHRISTINA NGUYEN tions hoping for the best.

Daily Titan A long gap of unemployment doesn’t necessarily have to negAfter years of projects, re- atively impact a candidate’s search, exams and papers, grad- chances if the time is used prouation can open up a world of ductively, according to Forbes. possibilities for all the newInstead of waiting for somefound free time that life pres- thing to happen, you can activeents. ly pursue a hobby or other interWhile a graduate’s open est, which could pay off in the schedule could be both liberat- end. ing and dauntingly unfamiliar, Many activities can help stuthe gap until a job is secured dents be productive while job

Volunteering and creating a blog are ways for Please contact with students to fill up time

searching. One of the best ways get to know you better and could media. to increase your chances of give you an extra edge over anWebsites, such as MeetUp. standing out among the crowd other candidate. com, connect people through is participating in volunteer While graduatesavailable are online forums and facilitate in from professors, coworkers, and most employers upon request. work. ready to move on from school, person interactions for profesNot only can it help you learn the possibility of continuing ed- sional or personal reasons. new ideas, but you can also be ucation is also an option.

This could also be a way to get exposed to different fields and Taking a few classes in your to know others in your field and network with people. spare time or pursuing a mas- a potential connection to your At the end of the day, the worst ter’s or doctorate degree could next job. that can happen is you do not get keep your skill set at its prime Although the period after a job. However, you may feel bet- and possibly improve your quali- graduation can bring a lot of ter knowing you helped others. fications for potential jobs in the uncertainty, some students can Another way to stay busy is by future. rest assured knowing that spare starting a professional blog. This In an era of growing techno- time can be useful. gives you an outlet and opportu- logical advancements, a student Job searching can be coupled nity to voice your expertise and can also take advantage of his with productive activities that knowledge in your field. It also or her free time to actively se- can give candidates a one-up on allows potential employers to cure connections through social the competition.

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who would like to become regular freelancers or involved in the production process.

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– 2014 –

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Dream job comes before graduation As a camp counselor, a student is able to assist disabled children GINA VAN STRATTEN Daily Titan

After graduation, some students go to the beach, take summer courses or search for jobs in their field of study. For Heidi Diaz, that search is over.

Diaz is a 23-year-old communicative disorders major at Cal State Fullerton and graduating this semester.

With graduation approaching, Diaz has lined up a job in her field of study.

Diaz is a counselor at a program in Crestline, California, which offers yearround camps for children and adults with developmental and physical disabilities, such as autism, ADHD, cerebral palsy and Down syndrome.

Diaz said as a camp counselor she helps the client have a traditional camp experience that may not be able to get somewhere else.

According to the camp’s website, Camp Paivika opened in 1947 as one of the first fully accessible camps in the United States. The camp operates in the San Bernardino National Forest.

“Camp days are filled with well-regulated, morning-to-night activities that are creatively adapted to enable fun and encourage participation,” according to Camp Paivika’s website.

She enjoys helping children and adults participate in fun and creative activities. The clients get to do face painting, go swimming and have themed activities. She also provides assistance to the clients if needed, including feeding and personal care.

Diaz said she really loves her major and is fortunate to have a job already lined up for after graduation. She said she just happened upon the position.

Her younger brother has Down syndrome and autism. She picked him up from Camp Paivika and it sparked her interest. She immediately realized she found what she wanted to do with her future. “(I) realized that was what I wanted to be doing,” Diaz said. “I have been doing it my whole life with him.”

Diaz said she grew up helping her brother. She realized that in addition to her courses at CSUF, she had already been learning valuable skills through assisting her brother. Diaz said her brother is her ultimate inspiration.

She also volunteers at Three Saddle Ranch. The ranch offers programs for children with disabilities. The children ride the horses as a form of physical therapy.

“For kids with muscular dystrophy who can’t walk, riding the horses mimics that walking movement and helps them experience that feeling,” Diaz said.

She said her major and working with her brother

Courtesy of Heidi Diaz Heidi Diaz, 23, a communicative disorders major at Cal State Fullerton, is a counselor at a program in Crestline, California. As a counselor, Diaz helps children and adults with developmental and physical disabilities, such as autism, ADHD, cerebral palsy and Down syndrome.

has taught her skills and techniques that will translate into her work at Camp Paivika. Her ultimate goal is to become a speech

therapist. She has been accepted into the speech therapy masters program at Chapman University.

Diaz said she is looking

forward to that next step in her education because she will receive further hands-on training in hospitals and schools.

For most graduating students who are currently job searching, sometimes luck plays a role. It definitely did in Diaz’s case.

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Commencment Guide

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STAGIN G SITE S

COMMENCEMENT SITE S

1A 1 Lawn located north of Titan Gymnasium SATURDAY/SUNDAY University Ceremony SATURDAY Mihaylo College of Business and Economics — Entertainment and Tourism/Entrepreneurship/Finance/MBA/Management SUNDAY Mihaylo College of Business and Economics — Accounting/ Economics/International Business/ISDS/Marketing/Masters Candidates

Track located north of Titan Gymnasium

SATURDAY/SUNDAY University Ceremony SATURDAY Mihaylo College of Business and Economics — Entertainment and Tourism/Entrepreneurship/Finance/MBA/Management

SUNDAY Mihaylo College of Business and Economics — Accounting/ Economics/International Business/ISDS/Marketing/Masters Candidates

2 Titan Stadium SATURDAY College of Communications — Communications SUNDAY HHD — Public Health/Health Science/Kinesiology

2A Roadway south of Titan Stadium SATURDAY College of Communications — Communications SUNDAY HHD — Public Health/Health Science/Kinesiology

3 Titan Gymnasium SATURDAY HHD — Human Services SUNDAY College of Education

3A South entrance of Titan Gymnasium SATURDAY HHD — Human Services SUNDAY College of Education

4 Tent on Gymnasium Drive, west of Tennis Courts SATURDAY College of the Arts SUNDAY HSS — Political Science/Public Administration/Criminal Justice

Tent on Gymnasium Drive, west of Tennis Courts 4

SATURDAY College of the Arts SUNDAY HSS — Political Science/Public Administration/Criminal Justice

5 West entrance of Titan Gymnasium SATURDAY HSS — Psychology SUNDAY HHD — Child and Adolescent Studies

5A North side of Titan Shops Bookstore SATURDAY HSS — Psychology SUNDAY HHD — Child and Adolescent Studies

6 Lawn west of Engineering Building SATURDAY College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics SUNDAY College of Engineering and Computer Science

6A Patio east of Engineering Building SATURDAY College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics SUNDAY College of Engineering and Computer Science

7 West entrance of Humanities Building SATURDAY HSS — History and European Studies SUNDAY HSS — English/Comparative Literature/Linguistics

7A Walkway south of Pollak Library SATURDAY HSS — History and European Studies SUNDAY HSS — English/Comparative Literature/Linguistics

8 Clayes Performing Arts Center, Little Theatre SATURDAY HHD — Social Work SUNDAY HSS —African American Studies/Asian-American Studies/ Chicana(o) Studies/Philosophy

8A Walkway south of Clayes Performing Arts Center SATURDAY HHD — Social Work SUNDAY HSS —African American Studies/Asian-American Studies/ Chicana(o) Studies/Philosophy

9 Titan Student Union, Portola Pavilion SATURDAY HSS — Anthropology/Environmental Studies/Geography SUNDAY HSS — Modern Languages/TESOL/Latin American Studies

9A North side of Titan Student Union by Portola Pavilion SATURDAY HSS — Anthropology/Environmental Studies/Geography SUNDAY HSS — Modern Languages/TESOL/Latin American Studies

10A Walkway west side of Pollak Library 10 Courtyard east of Titan Shops SATURDAY College of Communications — Radio-TV-Film SATURDAY College of Communications — Radio-TV-Film SUNDAY College of Communications — Human Communication Studies SUNDAY College of Communications — Human Communication Studies 11 Ruby Gerontology Center, M ackey Auditorium SUNDAY HSS — Gerontology

11A Ruby Gerontology Center, Room 17 SUNDAY HSS — Gerontology

12 Clayes Performing Arts Center, M eng Concert Hall SATURDAY HSS — American Studies and Comparative Religion SUNDAY HHD — Counseling

12A South of Visual Arts Building by waterfall SATURDAY HSS — American Studies and Comparative Religion SUNDAY HHD — Counseling

13 Tent in southwest Parking Lot A SATURDAY HHD— Nursing SUNDAY HSS — Sociology

13A Parking Lot A, southwest of Children’s Center SATURDAY HHD— Nursing SUNDAY HSS — Sociology

14 Tent in Ruby Gerontology parking lot SUNDAY HSS — Liberal Studies

14A Northside of Gastronome by Residence Halls SUNDAY HSS — Liberal Studies

15 Titan Student Union, Titan Theatre SATURDAY HSS — Women and Gender Studies

15A Loading dock, south of Titan Student Union SATURDAY HSS — Women and Gender Studies

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PAGE 12

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GRAD GUIDE

MAY 12, 2014 MONDAY

Reflecting on the good, bad and awkward times A student recalls how she had to overcome meeting new people TROI MCADORY Daily Titan

As the school year comes to a close, students who are graduating may begin to reflect on this past semester before diving into the long-awaited summer break.

Some students only have the few months of summer before resuming the school routine, while others graduate to find their dream jobs.

Cynthia Colima, a health science major, dedicated the last six years to Cal State Fullerton. Over the years, she has made a wide variety of memories and experiences she will take with her as she graduates in May. Colima is graduating with a concentration in health promotion and disease prevention.

One day she plans to be a certified health education specialist and hopes to save money to help pay for graduate school.

“I plan to work for about a year … I want to attend Western University in Pomona and become an optometrist,” Colima said.

Like many incoming freshmen, Colima had no idea what she wanted to do.

“Since we are given

two years before declaring a major, I decided to just focus on getting all my general education courses done first,” she said.

Originally, she declared herself as a biology major after completing her general courses.

She did the required lower-division courses and realized she didn’t like biology as much as she thought. This was when she made the decision to switch to health science.

Colima said besides

“Being an on-campus employee gave me the opportunity to meet such wonderful people.”

CYNTHIA COLIMA Health science major

her academics, she has shared tons of laughs and memories.

One of her fondest experiences was when she fell in the Nutwood Parking Structure on her way to class.

“It was a rainy day and I had just found parking,” Colima said.

“I was running late to class … when I slipped and fell from the stairs on the fourth floor of the Nutwood Parking Structure,” Colima said.

She said it was the

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most embarrassing and painful moment.

Colima is going to miss the awkward ice-breakers professors make students participate in on the first day of class. She used to dread them because they made her so nervous.

“I use to get so nervous and always prayed that for some reason it skipped me,” she said. “But that never happened!”

Over the course of being a student at CSUF, Colima was given the opportunity to get her picture on the side of the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) buses that drive around campus.

Because of this, she had something interesting to say about herself without feeling nervous. Colima said she is going to miss telling people about that part of her life.

Although that part of school will be over, Colima said she will truly cherish the friendships she has made over the course of six years.

“Being an on-campus employee gave me the opportunity to meet such wonderful people,” she said. “Not only were they co-workers/ friends but I’ve learned to love them like family.”

She said her time at CSUF is an experience she will never forget because of the lifelong friends she has made and she is graduating in a major she loves.

Photo Illustration by MARIAH CARRILLO / Daily Titan

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GRAD GUIDE

MAY 12, 2014 MONDAY

ETHAN HAWKES / Daily Titan Kaley Williams, a communications major at Cal State Fullerton, is graduating this semester. She transfered to CSUF after completing her associate’s degree at a junior college.

A new perspective on finishing in four Student regrets rushing through her college experience KALEY WILLIAMS Daily Titan

At 21 years old, preparing to graduate college is both one of my proudest accomplishments and a complete, utter disappointment.

I wasn’t always this driven.

When I was in middle school, my parents divorced and I stopped caring about anything but my sadness.

I focused my time on completing enough work to barely get by and writing stories that would later end up destroyed in one of my darker moments.

I had nothing to believe in, so the days passed monotonously, and before I knew

it, I was somehow graduat- doing something, I found a ing high school. As I walked little more will to fight for across that chipped, wood- the girl I used to be. en stage, I glanced at my I opted to study English smiling parents in the audi- because I’ve loved to write ence and realfor as long as I I’m graduating can remember, ized just how royally I had in four years, just and I decided screwed my that I was golike I set out to ing to bust my life up.

I had no do, but looking butt to be done plans for colin four years. back now I see lege or a caI heard so reer. I didn’t that I could have many stories know what I of people getdone so much wanted to do ting stuck in and I was no- more if only I left junior college, where near and I decided myself the time that I wasn’t knowing who I wanted to be. going to be to do so.

I was lost. part of that So I did what statistic. every lost, underachieving And I didn’t. college graduate did: I startI completed my associed going to junior college. ate’s degree in two years and It wasn’t ideal, but it I transferred to Cal State was something, and in the Fullerton. knowledge that I was finally Now, two years later, I’m

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ready to graduate CSUF with a degree in communications with a concentration in print journalism, and I’m extremely proud of how hard I worked to get here.

Graduating in four years is hard, especially when you transfer out of a junior college. Looking back, it feels as if the newfound drive I found hindered me rather than helped.

I feel as if I traveled from high school graduation to this moment without taking any time to enjoy it.

I never fully embraced the nonacademic side of college because I never had the time to. I didn’t join any clubs. I barely made friends. I didn’t attend any frat parties or wake up in any strange beds.

I didn’t join a sorority.

I’ve never done a keg stand.

I didn’t live in freshman

dorms. I didn’t participate in campus activities.

I’m graduating in four years, just like I set out to do, but looking back now I see that I could have done so much more if only I left myself the time to do so. I should have embraced my years in college instead of just rushing through them.

I don’t have any regrets, but now instead of rushing from point A to point B, I’m going to take my time.

I still don’t know exactly what I want to do with my life, nor do I know exactly who I want to be, but I do know that I’m beginning to figure it all out, and really, I couldn’t ask for anything more.

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MAY 12, 2014

MONDAY

GRAD GUIDE

PAGE 15

THE DAILY TITAN

How to have a successful interview

name unless you are invited to.

Sit down only until you are invited to do so and always be aware of your body language.

Do not talk too much or too fast.

It is okay to take pauses before you speak and be a good listener.

Tips for grads include being on time and looking presentable DENA HAMEDANI Daily Titan

The time and effort many students put into graduating college can be considered an incredible accomplishment.

After graduation, some students will put to use those planning and organization skills they have gained to have a successful job interview.

A job interview can be a challenging and nerve-racking experience, but preparation and practice can go a long way. Just like any first encounter, you do not want one person to dominate the conversation and ask all of the questions.

The conversation should be balanced enough for you to tell the hiring manager why you would be a great asset to the organization.

These are some tips to help you prove to your interviewer that you are the most qualified person for the position.

1. Be presentable Both men and women should wear a suit or more formal attire that fits well and is wrinkle free.

Avoid wearing perfume or cologne.

Scents appeal differently to everyone, so you do not want to trigger a possible allergic reaction from the hiring manager. Always make sure to wear deodorant, but again with a subtle scent.

6. Do not look at your watch or complain Block at least two hours of time for the interview.

Your schedule should be relatively clear on the day of the interview to avoid feeling rushed.

Never complain about your previous boss or company. When discussing previous jobs, put the emphasis on solutions and accomplishments.

If asked why you left your former company, put a positive spin on it.

7. Do money

Photo illustration by MARIAH CARRILLO / Daily Titan Asking for a potential employer’s business card can help make a lasting impression during an interview, as well as sending a thank you note.

2. Do your research and know who is interviewing you Always make sure to have the name of the person you are interviewing with memorized to avoid shuffling through notes.

Also, find out information about the company you are trying to work for to show interest.

3. Arrive on time, but not too early

You should arrive early, but try not get there more than 15 minutes before your scheduled interview time. If you find yourself arriving to the interview earlier than you thought, wait in your car until it is closer to your scheduled time.

4. Prepare for being interviewed as soon as you walk in the door and be ready for tough/easy questions

Expect to be escorted to meet with the hiring manager immediately upon arrival. Be prepared to answer both difficult and easy questions.

Challenging questions may include: What are your weaknesses?

What did you dislike about your last job?

How do you handle conflict with your colleagues?

Less difficult questions

that come up in job interviews: Tell me about yourself.

What are your strengths?

Why do you want to work here?

5.

Manage impressions

first

Smile as you greet the interviewer with a courtesy title. Also, shake hands with a firm, confident grip.

Do not use the person’s first

not

discuss

Unless the interviewer brings up the topic or you have been offered the job, it is best to hold off on discussions about money.

A job interview should focus on whether or not you are right for the position.

8. Get business cards from your interviewers and follow up Remember to ask for the business cards of all of the interviewers. Send the interviewer a thank you note saying that you appreciate the person taking the time to talk to you and tell others who interviewed you as well.

Once again, you’ve made us all proud. Congratulations!

We love you.

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