"That Really Grinds My Gears!"

I was recently watching "Family Guy," and it was the episode where Peter becomes a news anchor in which he has a special every night "That Really Grinds My Gears!" In his special, he rants and raves about what is really bothering him, and his viewing audience, always ready to give the finger to their superiors and random annoyances, loves the special. That got me thinking about what really "grinds my gears." Right now, it is more than a random annoyance. It is something that no student should ever have to deal with when resulting from the plans of their superiors...DISORGANIZATION.

The architecture department, headed by our new fearless leader...our new chair (who sometimes makes me think he could not lead himself out of a paper bag)...has started a new series of critiques in which the entire school is doing their final reviews at the exact same time. The theory is that it will allow the entire school to collaborate with one another and really know what is going on. My problem is not with the theory. I think it could be very successful if executed well. However, that is not the case here.

The big problem is that the entire thing is incredibly disorganized. This resulted from the procrastination by the superiors to decide on the details and inform the students/professors, so that they knew what was going on. A final review deadline cannot be pushed up a week in the last two weeks of school. However, that is what has been done. Students have been bum rushing to the finish line and having to finish the race in half the time it would normally take. Can you imagine telling an Ethiopian the day he gets off the plane to run the Boston Marathon that he is going to have to run it twice as fast or else fail?! It would not be so bad if studio were not worth six hours of credit. This makes the difference between an A and a B and especially a C an incredible amount of weight!

Students have been put to the point where the pressure almost forces them to crack. You would not believe how many girls I have had to let cry on my shoulder this week because they cannot handle the stress. Guys have been throwing things and screaming at the top of their lungs out of frustration and rage at the whole ordeal. All I can say is that it is amazing what we students are forced to put up with in order to better make an attempt at approaching our career path. We are the ones paying for this, right?

Not only this, but I am forced to vent about this in my blog and not to someone who could do something about it because of my fear of the possible reprocussions. Whatever happened to safe outlets for discontent? All I know is THAT REALLY GRINDS MY GEARS!

Interviews and dislikes

After reading the article I am actually jealous of the people who have been through interviews like that. I've always thought the traditional interview process was too rigid and formal. I've also always thought that I am successful in interviews because I can present myself well, rather than being successful because of my skills and abilities. So, a creative process such as the one about playground equipment makes sense. It takes a psychological perspective to interviewing in combination to the face to face perspective.

I, however, do not agree that in all jobs everyone should get along. In creative environments, I've found even in school, people tend to do better when they have someone to compete with. Most of the time a person is not threatened competitively by someone they like. Yes, liking some people is important, but it is human nature to dislike some people. In the situations where it really matters, the dislike is generated from an inner jealousy of their abilities over yours. Annoying people, I do not believe, are a great downfall in the professional world because everyone has had to deal with "that guy" that no one likes their entire lives. This can be overcome by ignoring the problem. Strong dislikes generate competition.

Dual Coding Theory

When thinking about dual coding theory, the most prevalent examples I could come up with all included alcohol ads. One might think of Corona ads, where the beer is associated with the beach and therefore its refreshing taste. I've noticed that many organizations use sexual appeal to sell their product, whether it be targeted to men or women. Those generally targeted to men (Budweiser, Miller, Captain Morgan, etc.) tend to have a more illustrious look, while those to be marketed more toward women I feel have a more elegant look. The ad on the right is for Bailey's Irish Cream, and I think this is targeted to either sex but using the lust and attraction to associate the smooth elegance of the product. Using sex to sell is probably one of the most extreme ways to use dual coding theory, but seeing it that way makes it easier to understand the topic, I think.

Groupwork

I have had a lot of experience with groupwork in my major, so I've learned a lot about how to work out problems. Miscommunications happen inevitably in every group. You just have to work around them and not be afraid to do a little extra to make up for others when they do the wrong thing. You also have to know it is not always their fault, and there was a miscommunication of ideas. The only way to prevent this is to have someone manage all work while it is being done. Unfortunately, in a college environment, schedules just do not line up in a way that everyone can work at the exact same time. So, some precautions for time can be made to make sure that, although miscommunications happen, they are able to be fixed.

My group is very good about being punctual with their work. It makes it easy to spot mistakes quickly, so that the individual that made them can fix them rather than the person who spots them. Plus, my group is good about not letting criticism about mistakes bother them. If that were a problem one person would end up having to do all of the work, and that just does not happen in our group.

Honestly, I am worried about Phase 2. I am skeptical about how this many people all working on the same project will work out. I am confident in my group's ability to try to get the work done. However, I am worried about their technical ability toward creating a Web site. I know I have some experience and can learn these type of things quickly, but I do not know how the others in the group will fair. I suppose we will see.

Interview Reflection

On Monday, I had my mock interview with Angie. I feel that personal interviews are one thing that I have always been good at, so I was confident going into the interview. I think that calmed my nerves and only allowed me to think better for better answers.

The interview went as normal as most job interviews I've had in the past went. I was pleased with the interview actually because it makes me more confident that I can do well in a real interview for my career in the future.

The biggest surprise of the interview was the depth of the questions asked by Angie. I have to say I was very impressed that she actually seemed to have done some research on the job. This was good because it made the mock interview more realistic and makes me feel even better about future real ones.

Chicago

Last week I went to Chicago with architecture. It was kind of a combo trip in that it was half supposed to be for school and half supposed to be for fun.

It started off rocky, though, because they cancelled our flight that was supposed to take off at 7:30 AM. They didn't have any other flights to put us on until 2:30 PM. So, we were at the airport too many hours early and had no choice but to wait there all day. We convinced them to put us on standby on a 1:00 PM flight. Luckily, the last two seats on the plane were still available, so we got to leave a little early.

However, once we got there it was tons of fun. I ate LOTS of pizza. There was this one place that made pizza pot pie. It was one of the most delicious things I've ever had. Part of the trip was spent doing tours of the notable architecture around (Unity Temple, IIT, Frank Lloyd Wright's home/studio, etc.). The other part of the trip was like being a kid again. I went to Navy Pier and rode the ferris wheel, went to see Transformers in IMAX, and went to the zoo, the aquarium, and the natural history museum. One of the coolest things I did was get cocktails on the 96th floor of the John Hancock tower.

Overall, I had a great time. To be honest, though, I like New York a little better than Chicago. I didn't like that Chicago was such a cab city. Other than that though, it was awesome.

Hip Hop

I wanted to write about Gerald's presentation on the development of hip-hop because it stuck in my mind a bit. I've always been interested in history of modern music styles including hip-hop, punk rock, grunge rock, and metal. His power-point was made well, and I liked looking at all of the images he put up to go with the information.

What I liked most about Gerald's presentation was the personal flavor he put on it. He gave us his opinion on the genre today and in the past. Also, letting us read his personal lyrics and hearing his own rhyme was real cool, especially since I know him to be a somewhat private person.

21st Birthday

Given the chance to write a blog about anything this week, I wanted to write about something especially special that happened for me this weekend. I turned 21.

Friday was absolute and utter madness. Downtown Clemson was filled with alumni and students alike, and there was no way I could prepare for the night my friends had in store for me. As soon as I walk in to 356 for the first time as a 21 year old I was greeted not with happy birthday wishes...but greeted with shots. I suppose that is the happy birthday wish for a new 21 year old...the alcohol which welcomes them into American adulthood and beverage legality. Needless to say the 35 or so of my friends that showed up throughout the night had a hay day ensuring that it would be a night for me to remember...or not.

Growing up I only had two real birthday parties. Real exciting right? Well, that is okay with me because I think it made this birthday stand out even more. Not only was I given a plethora of drinks without ever spending a dime, but I also was given two cakes (one cookie cake and one yellow cake...my favorites). I will be getting fat on those for the rest of the week, and I assure you that I will thoroughly enjoy it.

I think the only thing funnier than the pictures I have seen from the night is the fact that Bob was unable to recover the day after my birthday, and I, who was definitely in rare form that night, woke up feeling wonderful, completely lacking a hangover.

Perhaps this is not the most professional of topics, but I thought someone might enjoy it. I wish I could turn 21 all over again next year.

Downplaying Job Hopping

I read an article on how to downplay job hopping on your resume. This article caught my eye because I have had many jobs for short periods of time due to school and demands on my schedule beyond the importance of part-time jobs. I have always wondered if these circumstances would affect my selection for a job. I have been worried that my work history might appear as though I have a low commitment to my job.

This article tells you to downplay these short work periods in several ways on your resume. It tells you to summarize yourself as well as your employment experience, focus on skills over tenure, and emphasize increases in responsibility so that it appears that your work changes were worth it.

I appreciated this article because its tips did sound like they would be a creative rewording of something that could perhaps give you a disadvantage in the job selection process. However, I am not sure how much it actually applies to me after reading it. I feel like it was meant more for those who are changing jobs within their career field as opposed to insignificant part-time jobs as a teenager. Thinking this way makes me wonder if my own job hopping will truly have an effect on my career or not.

Acing a Phone Interview

I decided to read this article because I am planning to acquire a job far away from home, which may make a face-to-face interview problematic. It was a helpful by describing four concise points that are important for succeeding in the phone interview.

It had some pretty surprising information, though. I was wondering why the number one phone distraction would be flushing toilets. Who goes to the bathroom while they are having a phone interview? I also did not understand why anyone would eat while they were having a phone interview.

I had never thought about preparing in advance and taking notes to use in an interview. I had always considered the fact that it is good to do your homework before any interview. But, that makes me think that there is a huge advantage to having a phone interview. It would be so much easier to sound credible and knowledgeable for the job. Also, I found it interesting that a follow-up letter is positive for a phone interview. I never thought it would be as formal as a face-to-face interview in that respect. I will definitely be able to use these hints to make a positive impact on a future interview.

There was not anything I particularly disagreed with. Although, I was concerned that it could be a large problem using a cell phone in the interview. I do not use a land line for anything, and I am aware that many do not use them at all, too. I understand that signal problems and such are not good for interview communication, but in the modern, technologically driven world, it seems that use of cell phones for all phone conversation is common. That made this tip somewhat disconcerting.

Ten Years

My life ten years from now. Wow. There is a lot to think about. At this age ten years is a long time. I read somewhere once that today's college age students' life choices change more than any other age including the first three years of their life. Me...I've always sort of known what I wanted to be. I am on the road to becoming that I suppose. So, ten years from now I will be 30 years old. I will hopefully be married and contemplating children, that is, if i do not have any already. I will finally be past the awkward internship/entry-level position and be heading toward the real development of my career as an architect. I am not sure exactly where the setting of my future life will be. That has yet to be decided. All I know is it will most likely be away from here. Not that I do not like this area, but I just feel like my career and life will be more exciting in a different type of place. I'd like to say that I know more of my wishes for the future. I guess particulars I do not usually plan in full. I sort of like to take the details of life as they happen. One thing I can say is that I am pretty certain I'll be happy with whatever happens. After all, if I weren't at least optimistic, how would I achieve any of my goals?

Web 2.0

Web 2.0 is the 2nd generation of the web. It is not so much a invention as it is an evolution. It refers to how all the different developments forged in the web have molded and changed communication, authorship, and identity. With things like Second Life and Wikipedia people can change their own identities, becoming new "false" identities (Second Life) or making up information about their own backgrounds to make them significant (Wikipedia), unavailable previously to modern life. This forces a learning curve on those wishing to enter the workforce. Workforce 2.0 has to be able to adapt to new developments almost retroactively. This allows someone to advance faster, making entry-level positions and technical expertise battle years of experience and hard work. Workforce 1.0 will have to learn to update to keep up with Workforce 2.0, or it will end up like old software...unusable. We will have to rethink everything because of this. Identities changing. Ownership becoming more and more public. The ability to change everything becoming more and more available. Where will the lines be drawn? If there are lines drawn, will new problems arise faster than these lines can keep up. What if we leave opportunity boundless? Web 2.0 changes business, dating, memories, identities, government, crime. How do we keep up?

The Particulars of Kyle

Hello, my name is Kyle. I am a senior majoring in architecture and minoring in business administration. I was born in Anderson, SC. Yes, I did not go far from home to go to college. Although I was looking at many other schools, I could not afford to go out of state. Plus, I was too lazy to fill out many applications. College has taught me much involving work ethics, however. While still lazy, it is only when I really have time to be lazy that it comes in effect. I have become extremely interested with architecture and the theories/practices behind design in general. I have always been an ambitious person who is eager to succeed in everything I do. Architecture is no exception. I am striving to be a famous architect one day. It may never happen, but I am not going to give up on that possibly irrational thought until I have been kicked so far down I can never get back up. Hopefully, that will never happen. I just want to make something (a building, a sculpture, a lamp) that is studied. If that does not happen, I plan to give back by teaching and writing. As I wrote earlier, I am extremely interested in design theory. I believe in furthering the discipline of design through experiments with aesthetics, materials, and rash change. If I become even a tiny bit successful, it would be insane not to write a book about it. How can anyone expand an idea without collaborating with others? In order to jump on this "train of success" I plan on graduating in May, moving to a big city (New York, Boston, San Francisco, etc.) and working for about two years while I mature personally and professionally, and then going to Graduate School for a Masters in Architecture. I plan on attending an Ivy League School such as MIT, Penn, Yale, or Columbia. Right now, however, I am working hard at school while still enjoying my life as a college student. I love Clemson and have many friends here. Growing up will be scary, but I'm to the point where I have to be ready for it, or, at least, pretend I am.