The Beast

I worked for the Morton Arboretum last summer and that was the best job ever. The only problem was that they couldn't afford to keep me on staff this year, so I might really enjoy working outside again this summer. Those hours might work, if they allow me to take the two courses I was planning on taking at the community college in the morning. Thanks for the idea.

What exactly is the study of management information systems? A friend of mine got his degree in that and I have no idea of what he does, other than the fact that he could do a lot of computer science related things as well as technical support (he fixed my computer and could potentially re-do the whole PC to the point where it was nearly new).

I am returning home for the summer and while I did my research and applied for ten summer jobs, I was unable to get any calls back in regards to jobs. I have two interviews with jobs at Bed Bath and Beyond and Finish Line but I was curious if any of you have heard of any places hiring in Lisle, Downers Grove, Hinsdale, Naperville, Westmont or Woodridge. I am looking just to make some cash this summer and could just be looking for part-time employment to work nights and weekends throughout the week. I appreciate any suggestions, so far I have tried CVS, Bed Bath and Beyond, a few restaurants, Jewel, TCF Bank, Family Video, Finish line, Mongolian Barbeque, and Barnes and Noble.

Where do you all go to school and what are you majoring in?

QUOTE (maggsmaggs @ Apr 22, 2010 -> 03:29 PM) Wishing I had finals. No matter what you say in school about hating school and wanting the "real world" to begin, college is still way better. Even if you hate your classes, hate your roommate or whatever, you'll never have that freedom again where you go to class 2-3 hours a day and then can spend the rest of the day how you like it. I graduated in December and now my life from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. (leave for work, work, come back from work) is all taken up. Then you eat and all you want to do in the evening is nothing. College rocks, and I was one of the ones who couldn't wait to get out. I guess what I feel horrible about is that this private school is costing my parents quite a bit of money to attend, and while I'm getting A's and B's in my classes, I am not doing well in math, which could prolong my graduation and put further financial strains on my parents. I just want to get the BA because in all honesty, I fear failure (as in not graduating after I have started so well). Also, if I go to grad school, I want to be able to do well on the GRE so that I can get into the field that I think would be worth my time and effort (Guidance Counseling), and I'll need some math to get there.

Last year I went to a game by myself and was able to get the tickets that I really wanted (against Baltimore last year) by sitting ten rows behind home plate. It was interesting to see a game that close, and I doubt that I would have gotten tickets that close if I had gone with someone else. (Since most of my friends are in college and don't have money for $50 seats.) It kind of sucked not knowing anyone but it just so turned out that someone next to me was from around the area, in college and didn't have anyone to go with. Nice kid, just a bit weird how he told me about his girlfriend and where he worked while going to school. Oh well. All in all I believe it is socially acceptable and that it takes balls to go somewhere by yourself, i.e. a movie or a baseball game.

Happy Birthday!

I need 57 more points to get a B in my Accounting II class (talk about a mundane job), my History class is a joke (weekly online quizzes, if you show up to class you get maximum participation points and the exams are cake walks), my Management class is a doesn't give out many grades (I got a B+ on the midterm) and Marketing is a bunch of bull s*** too as the professor doesn't go over concepts before his gives examples about concepts. We have a group project due in two weeks along with a group paper (that I'll have to re-write on my own) and then a final exam. Though I know people in marketing and sales, I don't think I could do that for a living. That stuff would give me ulcers. The only class I'm really worried about is my math course because I have a 76 in the class and need a 65 to pass. I have my second exam today and I'm a bit nervous about it. So we'll see how I finish up the semester. If I could get 2 A's, 2 B's and 1 C (math) I would be thrilled. Then I could get through business stats and finance before graduating with a Business Management degree in December of 2011.

I got banned over there once after I had gotten suspended here. I don't even remember what I said, but they have some nazi moderators over there.

Wait, was there two outs and Hardy got picked off while Thome was up to the plate? What was the situation? Thome gets a single, Hardy races around from first two third? If so that is retarded.

Come on Jenks - prove to me that the White Sox can win a game.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Apr 11, 2010 -> 03:06 PM) If Pods hadn't had those 2-3 obvious baserunning gaffes that pissed everybody off, would we have done the right thing and signed him to a reasonable 2-year deal? Probably not, because everyone has some sort of Pods "hate," which means that he didn't deserve less money than Juan Pierre for his services. And then they say that the Sox don't need Jim Thome or Jermaine Dye back because Ozzie Guillen's small ball philosophy works, because they swear it.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Apr 11, 2010 -> 03:01 PM) I don't know why Sabermetrics has to rule everything. I'm sure the right thing to do was not let Mark pitch the eighth and he got out of it fine. There's got to be some stat somewhere that indicates Mark after 95 pitches sucks or something like that. Or most pitchers suck after 95. My eyes give me Pods over Juan. Agreed - my eyes prove that KW dropped the ball yet again. Too bad if I asked a question at SoxFest about it, he'd give me some stupid answer given to him by the PR department. And then I'd reply with a nice f-bomb directed at him. And then a woman in the crowd would say, "Oh no, won't somebody please think of the children?!"

If any of the seven internships I applied for (ESPN Radio 1000, 670 the Score (2 positions), Finishline, Bulls/Sox academy, UIC sports information department, Loyola sports information department), I would definitely work for free because I'm one of the few lucky ones who can financially afford to do so. In a way, it is possible, based on the hours that you intern to work part-time and gain experience throughout the week. The only other option that I would suggest to anyone is to just find a job related to something you are interested in doing on campus. For example, I work as an assistant for the sports information department and provide game recaps/record live statistics for the home baseball and softball games. Will I do this as a job? No, it is just something I have done to show to an employer, so that they know I have writing skills even though I am a business major. My point is that there are ways to get away with experience without having an internship on your record.

QUOTE (maggsmaggs @ Apr 10, 2010 -> 05:38 PM) It's one of those long connections: dad's best friend's brother-in-law is the agent/lawyer (he works full-time as an attorney with the sports agent stuff on the side). So once my dad told his friend that I was going to U. Illinois for law school, his friend told his brother-in-law and said I should send me resume because I wanted to use my law degree to work in sports. My undergrad was in journalism ironically from U. of Missouri, but I was thinking about a Master's in education somewhere. Northwestern said that the two biggest keys for acceptance are academic record (undergrad grades) and previous work experience in sports, whether that be full-time or internship. All in all, the application wasn't that bad, but I am kinda putting my eggs in one basket here with Northwestern b/c they don't require the GRE, so I haven't tried applying anywhere else where they might need the GRE. NIU has a sports management program, though they do require the GRE and aren't nearly as prestigious as NU. Mizzou is excellent for journalism and probably would allow you to bypass the rural areas and land you a great job. But who knows.

QUOTE (maggsmaggs @ Apr 9, 2010 -> 09:46 PM) It's called Kaufmann Sports Management Group and it was because of Illinois law connection at first because both agents went there. I am applying to Northwestern for the Sports Admin program with an emphasis on sports marketing/public relations, so I am hopeful that I will get accepted. I realized I couldn't be happy as a lawyer since I am big into working out and working crappy hours for something I wasn't passionate about was not going to work, so I had to switch career goals pretty quick. It's been a whirldwind past two months going from graduating college, planning on law school, then not knowing what I wanted to do, thinking maybe high school English teacher, then settling on sports marketing, and now trying for the Masters. How did you network with these people? What was your undergraduate degree in? I'll assume English because you need that qualification to teach high school English. What does it take to get accepted? I know that it is NU, and I'm not looking to go there. And I agree with you on working in something you aren't passionate about for long hours (and with journalism, it's low pay). Good luck with your Master's degree.

Fail.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Apr 10, 2010 -> 02:11 PM) Worth noting...the Twins key player/MVP was a #2 draft pick, and I don't remember the last time we drafted that highly. I don't understand how the draft works; why do the Sox get the number pick that they do? Is it based off of record like the other major leagues?

Podsednik > Pierre any day of the week. I don't care what anyone says. Come to think of it, have the White Sox ever thought of utilizing the Twins model of scouting and building up the farm system to build a decent team? It seems like Beckham is the only decent homegrown guy we've produced in the last five years.

QUOTE (Capn12 @ Apr 10, 2010 -> 01:59 PM) Jesus christ people, quit picking apart everything I say. Freddy, OUR 5th starter, pitched perfectly well, for OUR Chicago White Sox, where he is OUR 5th starter, and we didn't know what to expect. There, that defined well enough for you all? I expect f***ing winning baseball. What I am seeing right now is losing baseball - this "offense" that Guillen has a hard on for obviously isn't working. It seems like the Sox are still going to need to rely on the long ball to win. I can only hope that they dig up JD from his vacation spot and insert him into this sterile "offense."

Maggsmaggs, how did you get into working with the sports marketing firm? What is it called? Are you going to get a Master's in sport management or even a certificate from somewhere in sport management for your job?

I've heard from a few people that UPS pays your tuition if you work there for a certain amount of time in a co-op program. Not sure if that is true or not. Yesterday, I read this too and thought about how great it would be, making $74,000 doing this kind of work. But honestly I'd rather just get my degree and stumble into a career. Though that is something I wonder - what is the difference between a job and a career in soxtalk.com's viewpoint? You could also never get me to be a lawyer, but I would consider being a paralegal. Any job that consumes your life where you are working long hours for virtually nothing in return but money doesn't fit me. Similarly, long hours for $20K doesn't fit me either. Is there a happy medium between the two?

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Apr 4, 2010 -> 09:13 PM) I always heard it was a terrible idea to move because of a girl (or guy, I imagine). Worst decision that I have ever made. I'm sure the sex was better with the girls I missed out on my freshman year.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Apr 4, 2010 -> 02:21 PM) Ross, just calm down and live in the moment. If you are just meeting a girl, you have no idea what is going to happen between you two. Calm down and enjoy yourself. Quit worrying about the future so much. Employment doesn't bring happiness, forcing yourself into a relationship won't bring happiness, and just following societies expectations of you won't bring happiness either. Do what makes you happy. Smoke a giant metaphorical joint, sit back, and watch the f***ing sunset as you relax. Everything will work itself out in the future (I know it's cliche, and I know you need some type of work, but seriously, you'll be fine). Go out and have fun and don't worry about dating girls. And honestly, if you get a little shy or scared or over-the-top affectionate because a girl is too hot, go for a 7 out of 10 rather than a 9 or 10 out of 10. I never had the self-confidence to approach a great looking girl when I was getting into the game, and I would make an ass out of myself somehow or another (I have a famous quote in freshman year when I was drunk...I was talking to a hot girl at a party, and she mentioned that she was single, and I said something along the lines of "oh you're single? Wanna date?" and I was dead serious). I always had a little crush on my current one, but how I actually met her was getting drunk and talking to her...we did that for like 2-3 straight weekends, and we eventually started hanging out sober, and then she gave me a massage, and then I told her I liked her and she told me she liked me, and then we kissed, and then we partied together, and we went on a walk and started making out, and we went back to my room and clothes started to come off...it goes on and on from there, but I eventually lose my virginity and get to the point I'm at. Just go out, have a good time, go to an afterbar with some friends, chill, relax, and be yourself. Have a good time, relax, be yourself, and live in the moment. What brings happiness? "Do what makes you happy." Too bad no major or career has made me happy. Ever since life has changed significantly, I have kind of just felt like something is missing. When I found out that my initial majors weren't what I expected, I really got worried and felt like I had no purpose in life. That all I had worked for wasn't for anything. And now I'm trying to use my gifts of being compassionate towards others or follow my passion of baseball and football by obtaining that degree towards business. If it doesn't work, then I want to help high school juniors and seniors make the right choices while they still have time to make the right decision. I love helping people, so that's my next plan, a Master's in School Psychology/Counseling Education. I think what would is to be able to live the life that I want, which is to come back to Chicago and be employed or live down there so that I can soak up the city and sports teams that I love while meeting someone and settling down there when the time comes. That is what I'm working towards because THAT is what will make me happy. Sure I go to school in the quad cities but I have a desire to come back home and work my way toward Chicago after graduation. I have gone out and "had fun" and absolutely can't stand the bars and I find that the things I do like going out to include sports. Maybe that will change when I have another semester at SAU under my belt and I can concentrate less on studies and more on the people there. At the moment, I'm working on a few, one that goes to Lewis and the other one that is down in Peoria. We'll see what happens. Once I find what "is a good time" to me and not just a blanket statement that applies to everyone, then I'll live in the moment. Till then, I think it is important to keep searching, keep searching and FIND IT. EDIT: Thoughts on "living in the moment." Surround yourself with people who make you feel good about yourself. (I'm getting there, not sure if the feeling is mutual all of the time.) Keep your eye on the prize – visualize the kind of life you want and never lose sight of it. (Yep, check, want to come back to the city.) Laugh every chance you possibly can – even if you have to fake it at first, until you remember how great it can feel. (I'm trying, it isn't always easy.)

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Apr 4, 2010 -> 12:45 PM) Just a few years ago you couldnt wait to get out of high school to get into college with more mature people where you can get your degree etc. Now you cant wait to get out of college and get a job and "find happiness". Whats the big hurry? Why do you have to skip straight from meeting someone out, directly to discussing what you want to do with your entire life with the girl you are just meeting out? If you would slow yourself down just a bit an look around, you would realize things arent nearly as bad as you think they are, and you wouldnt want to GTFO so bad. I don't believe that I was excited to go to college. I just wanted out of my high school because I didn't have a fun high school career. It has gotten better now but I still have the fear of failure in the back of my mind. Sometimes I wonder if I just love the city too much and just miss that atmosphere, too bad the schools are expensive. I discussed that with that one girl that one evening to get rid of her. I didn't have an interest in the friend I was passed over to. But anyway, go wite, go for it!