Scrape the Sky

Camras Interview Weekend

2010-01-26T14:01:00.000-06:00

When I think of February, I think of Valentine's Day! However, here at IIT, we also think of Camras Interview Weekend. This is a time when invited students come to IIT to interview with a professor in their intended department for a full-tuition scholarship. So, this post is specifically for the students coming to IIT in a few weeks...

What to bring:
Nice clothes for your interview, normal clothes for hanging out with current students, toothbrush/toothpaste/shampoo/etc (PLEASE!), pillow/blanket (a teddy bear if you need), phone/phone charger (calling Mom and Dad is important), camera (for Facebook, of course), WARM HEAVY COAT, etc.

What to NOT bring:
Anything illegal (that would just be silly!), GIANT suitcases (really - it happens and is unncessary... you are here for about 48 hours), anxiety (of course you might be nervous, but it's going to be ok!), etc.

What to plan on doing:
Have an interview sometime between Thursday and Saturday, be assisted by a very organized Admission Staff, hang out with current students, get lots of information about IIT, eat good food, see some of the wonderful city of Chicago, endure freezing cold weather (hopefully you won't have to do that), and best of all - meet me!!!!

So, for those that are coming - I look forward to meeting you! For those that are still juniors in high school or younger, apply as early as possible next year so that you can be eligible for this scholarship. I am a current Camras Scholar, and I am very thankful for it!

As for what Camras Scholars do once we get to IIT in the fall, the list is endless. First of all, we have meetings once every other week. At these meetings we discuss ways to give back to IIT and our surrounding neighborhood. We are encouraged to get involved with service activities and leadership positions on campus. There are also several opportunities for us to get involved in undergraduate research if that is what we are interested in.

So, you should hear the result of the interview a few weeks afterward. Best of luck, and we look forward to opening our home to you!

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Back to School

2010-01-12T16:33:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was the first day of class for the semester. After completing 5 classes, no homework has been assigned - couldn't have a better start to the semester!!

Something that happens at the beginning of each semester is the picking up of U-Passes. The U-Pass is a card that gives students unlimited accesss to all CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) for the duration of the semester. We pay for it in our fees, and it is worth every penny. It costs $96 each semester this year. Right now it costs $86 for a 30-day unlimited pass on CTA, so this is quite the money saver!

You might be wondering how easy it is to get around the city using CTA. I am originally from Ozark, MO so I do not have a car here at IIT. I haven't needed one, so I figured I would just use the U-Pass I automatically buy each semester anyway. Let me just tell you, the CTA is SO easy! The CTA consists of trains and buses. We have very easy access to both here at IIT's Main Campus. The green line runs straight through the middle of our campus. You can check out a picture of it here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/36452196@N04/3404043834/. The red line is just a few blocks away. We also have the #29 bus that goes along State Street to Navy Pier running right through the middle of our campus.

So, the next time you are in Chicago, just hop on a train or bus and head down to IIT. It will cost you a few bucks, but just think - once you're a student here, it's a whole lot cheaper!!!!

You can find more information about the CTA at www.transitchicago.com

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It's been a while

2009-12-15T15:56:00.000-06:00

So, in the past month or so a lot has happened. The big things that stick out in my head are Thanksgiving break, IPRO Day, and finals. Oh yeah, I can't forget about registering for classes next semester. I'm on track for taking another 18 credit hours. Ugh! I'm getting used to it so that's good.

As for Thanksgiving, I was able to go home! I left the day before Thanksgiving and arrived in my house at about 3 am Thanksgiving Day. After spending some time with family on Thursday, I got up very early to go shopping on Friday! It's a family tradition, and it's something I look forward to every year! As for school stuff, I worked on a brochure for my IPRO over Thanksgiving. It turned out very nice, so I was proud of the time I spent on it! This brings me to IPRO Day - the Friday after Thanksgiving.

IPRO Day is not a day of rest. Teams arrive in Hermann Hall at about 8 am and don't leave until around 4:30 pm. It makes for a long day, but an exciting long day! I was very happy with my team's performance. Our presentation went well, and the times we spent talking with judges at our table were very effective. Unfortunately we didn't place in the competition, but we were very satisfied (as were our professors). The next week was FINALS WEEK...

Usually I don't mind finals week too much. It's typically a time filled with relaxed studying. Since you don't have class to attend, you can study for a few hours and take a break and come back to it when you want. This semester was a little different for me since I had so many finals. I didn't have as much leisure time as normal, but it was still a decent finals week. My last final was on Friday so I've been 5/8 of the way done with my college career for about 4 days now!!

I'm going home on Thursday. In the mean time, I am enjoying the city and relaxing with friends. Yes, I am working some hours here and there, but it's not too bad. The weather is kinda chilly, but I should just be thankful it took so much time to get that way. We had a very mild fall so that was nice!

So, that's a wrap-up for this semester. Another good one under my belt! Over Christmas break I plan on enjoying lots of time with family and friends! My family is going on a cruise in January, so I will post again when I get back to Chicago. I hope you have a great Christmas! Oh yeah, and a Happy New Year!!

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Life Recently

2009-10-16T11:27:00.003-05:00

Due to the lapsed time between now and my last post, I have lots of updates.

A few weeks ago, I volunteered at the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure. My sorority volunteers at this event each year. It's very empowering seeing thousands of women come together for a single cause and the possible achievements of that kind of effort.

More recently, I volunteered at the Chicago Marathon. This was my second Chicago Marathon to volunteer at. This year I was standing at about the 24.5 mile marker. It's awesome to see the determination of the runners. I have made it my goal to run a marathon eventually. If I start training now, maybe I won't be a volunteer at the Chicago Marathon next year!!

This leads me to this week...

Monday was Fall Break, so I went to the Willis Tower (formerly and forever-to-me the Sears Tower) and walked out on "the ledge". If you haven't seen what I'm talking about, go to the following website:
http://www.theskydeck.com/theledge.asp
It's AWESOME!! It's a weird feeling to be "floating" 103 stories above the ground. If you visit Chicago or live nearby, you should definitely pay the $14.95 to go up there. You won't regret it!

As for school, it has been busy all semester, but this week was definitely harder than the previous ones. I had the typical amount of homework that I have on any given week; however, I also had a midterm presentation and 2 exams. The presentation was for my IPRO (Interprofessional Research Opportunities). It went really well, so that was really exciting! Our team has been working very hard this semester, and it definitely showed on Tuesday night. As for the exams, they were ok - it's kind of hard to know how you did until you get them back.

On a much brighter side, I got an offer from Exelon Nuclear for an internship for next summer. I accepted it today and am looking forward to learning a lot there next summer. I am very thankful for the opportunities I have had and give IIT the credit for them. IIT is well known to potential employers, and it's a great benefit for me!

As for now, I need to catch up on sleep - but I'll probably do that later! I'll probably just relax tonight with a movie and knitting!! Yes, I knit!

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Life After College??

2009-09-18T10:53:00.000-05:00

There are a number of steps that IIT students typically take in order to secure job placement after college. IIT has a high placement rate with 92% of graduates accepting job offers or enrolling in further education within 6 months of graduation. Many students attend the Career Fair that IIT hosts each semester which can lead to job and internship offers.

Yesterday, IIT hosted another Career Fair right here on campus. There were over 50 companies waiting to talk to students and accept resumes. I was able to talk to 6 companies that I was interested in and left my resume with each of them. I was also able to set up an interview for next Wednesday with one company! The Career Fair is a really nice resource for students to be able to talk to prospective employers right here on campus.

Last summer I had an internship with Missouri Department of Transportation. I was able to live at home which was really nice! I did a lot of surveying as well as checking quantities for final plans. It was interesting to learn how the public sector works as far as Civil Engineering is concerned. This summer (I tend to plan ahead!) I am interested in getting an internship with a private firm to see how the private side of things work.

So, as you can see, IIT is not only interested in how we perform in this step of our professional lives, but also how we will get to the next!

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And So It Begins...

2009-09-11T14:28:00.000-05:00

As my third year here at IIT begins, I quickly remember the real meaning of the word "busy". Along with 18 credit hours of engineering courses, I am a Student Ambassador as well as a member of the Kappa Phi Delta sorority and other various student organizations on campus. As for the 18 credit hours, I'm taking 5 CAE (Civil/Architectural Engineering) classes and an IPRO. I'm so excited to finally be a junior in real classes! I've taken CAE classes, but it's nice to be finished with all the math and science courses. My IPRO deals with creating sustainable houses for rural Peru. I'm really looking forward to learning a lot in there! As for the Student Ambassador hat I often wear, it's been fun getting to know the new ambassadors and counselors. This is my 4th semester as a Student Ambassador, and I am looking forward to sharing with prospective students the numerous joys of IIT! I am Kitchen Manager this semester for Kappa, which is a nice change from House Manager. We inducted 19 new pledges last night! I have a new little sister, Nicole, that I am looking forward to getting to know better. The other student orgs: Campus Crusade for Christ, American Society of Civil Engineers, Camras, and National Society of Leadership and Success. Cru is going well - we have a few new people that joined us this semester, so that's exciting! The others haven't really started yet, but I'll keep you posted.

I think that's all for now. Another semester brings another packed schedule. The thing is, I thrive on being busy! I am looking forward to a weekend of relaxing - hopefully!!

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