Day 18: Goal posters

W1

Today we had a Professional Communications Day with KPMG. We had fun activities and I learned new things. At the end of the day, KMPG gave us doughnuts (all week long I’ve been eating doughnuts!! I think I’m going to need new jeans by the end of the month) and a hoodie. My professor was right, all of these companies are trying to win us over with free clothing apparel and food -and because we are poor college students I think is actually working 🙂 I promise, I’ve never had so many BYU t-shirts/notebooks/pens/cups/gym bags before. I get a new freebie from a different company pretty much every day. I think I can get used to it 😉

Today I also had the opportunity to hear from Amy Rees Anderson. She is such an inspiration! She has this cool theory about posters that she shares with the audience every time she speaks. You can read more about it here. This is the second time that I get to hear from Amy and on both occasions I’ve left the room feeling empowered and inspired. The good thing… she has a blog!! So now I get to feel this way everyday! How amazing is that? Go check it out!

xx,
Diana

Day 17: Celebrations of knowledge

T1

“Let’s not think of them as tests, but rather as celebrations of knowledge.” When our professor said that I just couldn’t contain my laughter (which actually came out a little bit louder than I’d have wanted… very unusual). Isn’t this the funniest thing you’ve ever heard? I think it is.

Today we played a game to review AIS concepts in preparation for our upcoming tests. The team with the highest score in each round would get candy. The team with the lowest score would receive candy too. Our professor said that he’d throw the candy our way. I just didn’t think he would do exactly that. He literally threw the candy up in the air and we had to either catch it or dodge it. It was ridiculously funny!

I went home with a lot of candy 🙂 sadly, it wasn’t because our team’s high performance in the class. We were the team with the lowest scores for a few rounds. Our scores were not alarmingly low, just a couple of mistakes here and there -we may or may not have forgotten to review the chapters before class (there’s only so many hours in a day, right?). The worst part, we enjoyed the treats. They were really delicious!

Late study-group nights, more doughnuts (my jeans won’t be very happy about this), more meetings, and plenty of things to do, that’s my day in a nutshell. In spite of all the things I have to do, I love my major more and more with every passing day (I’ll reexamine this statement after next week is over).

Xx,
Diana

Day 16: “I brought doughnuts!”

M

Doughnuts… that’s just the best way to start your day! (Who’s with me?) Today our Audit professor brought warm and fresh doughnuts to class. I guess that summarizes my day. It. was. great.

Next week we have our first round of official accounting tests (well, the other many tests I’ve taken were also official… this just feels official-er) 😉 Of course the tension is building up and I’m feeling already lost. I’ve been trying to get a head start on my studying, but it’s just so much information. I’m actually glad that over the weekend I got some extra HW done because otherwise I would be so overwhelmed.

Today was a relatively calm day. I was in the library all day because I had so much reading to do (and because I forgot to take my apartment keys with me haha). The weather has been great (so I wear skirts to school) 🙂 Last week it was cloudy and rainy, but not this week. The sun is up and shinning and the leaves on the trees are already changing of color! I just love fall season! and pumpkin cookies.

Hugs,
Diana

P.S. Have you noticed how passionate I am about food? I wonder why I can’t feel the same way about exercise 🙂

P.S.S. Do you want to watch a funny video? Well, it might just be funny for accountants. I don’t know. Just watch it. CPA! CPA!

Day 14: Waren case // Socially-awkward workshop // Faculty dinner

T

The Waren case was due today!! After three weeks of working on it, I finally got to turn it in, yay!!! I guess I’ve not been very clear as to what exactly the Waren case is. This is the case of a company that sells sporting supplies. We were given a set of documents (invoices, purchase orders, deposit slips, [fake] checks, and all the documentation that real companies use) and a list of transactions that occurred over the month of December. We had to record, adjust, close, and process all the transactions of the business cycle for this company. From filling in the prenumbered documents to creating the post-balance trial. I know it might not sound like a difficult thing to do, but it is. It really is. Even so, nothing beats the sense of accomplishment you get when your numbers match… I’m telling you, life is beautiful and bright and promising 🙂 Unfortunately, you also get to experience the other side of the coin when your numbers don’t match (and this is the side I’m on most of the time haha).

For our second block we had a ‘Professional development workshop’. Before we left the classroom our professor said “Oh! Is the socially-awkward workshop happening today?” I was intrigued because I didn’t know what she meant by that. Little did I know… The name was actually perfect for the workshop. Let me explain; some recruiters have pointed out that BYU students are socially awkward, bright and smart but awkward. Those of us who didn’t grow up in Utah understand perfectly what the recruiters mean. So in an attempt to teach us to not be awkward (haha I’m 99.99% sure this workshop only happens in Utah), we talked about women in the workplace, minorities, drinking (the elephant in the room), and other situations that happen in the real world (and by real world I mean everywhere but Utah). There were some very interesting (to say it nicely) comments and points of view. I couldn’t help but think of this e-card 🙂 Oh! I don’t want to forget, our professor played this video for us. We only watched segments of it in class, but later I went back and watched the whole thing (it’s a one-hour video but it’s so worth it!) Anyways, I think I agree, sometimes ignorances is bliss.

In the evening our professor invited us, as well as other professors, over to her home for dinner. I mean, she invited her students to her home so we could talk and get to know each other better. I’m sure our professors had so many other things to do but they chose to spend their evenings with us. I just can’t believe how incredibly kind the accounting faculty is! Our professors answered our questions, gave us advice, and told us that we were now “part of the family”. I know it sounds very cheesy but they said it in such a transparent and truthful way that in that very moment I just knew things were going to work out. I remember how just a few months ago I was lying in my bed sleepless and restless, but now, for the first time in many months, I’m hopeful.

xx,
Diana

Day 13: PES Opening social

W

Wednesday of PES! Today we had our opening social, my first official activity as part of its executive committee (thus the proudly-wearing-my-PES-t-shirt face). We had a scavenger hunt as the first activity and then we separated into groups so we could play different games. We had several different prizes for those who finished the scavenger hunt, like t-shirts, water bottles, BYU frisbees, and PES sunglasses. The opening social was very successful. A lot of new inducted students showed up and I got to meet a lot of them. There were some students that have been in the society for a while now and it was also exciting getting to know them too. We all had fun together. So okay, quick story about the poster. I was given the assignment of creating a couple of posters for the activity. I’ve been working like crazy on the Waren case (that’s due tomorrow!) so I had to make them very late at night. Today when I got to the office, people were really impressed… I was like… are you serious?! I mean, am I the only one that see the shaky handwriting? Anyone? 😛

I was all day in school running from building to building, checking things off from my endless to-do list. I also had my first Family History workshop and it was very hard to stay awake. It was a good thing that because it was the first one it only took 30 minutes. It’s been raining here so I’m thinking that’s the reason why I am nodding off in my clases. Oh Diana… you’ll pay in a couple of weeks… you’ll see!

It was a busy and rewarding day. It just made my day when students stopped by to say “your game was the best!” or  “I loved the activity! Thank you!” They truly made my day. And I just remembered that I still need to send some PES documents to our advisor. I think that’d be my cue to say goodbye. Night-night!

Xx,
Diana
W3W2W6

W5

Day 12: Mexico’s Independence Day!

T

Today was Mexico’s Independence Day! It is on days like these that I get homesick. I wish I were in Mexico eating ALL the delicious food we have. But it is also on days like these that I realize how lucky I am to be here. To be honest, I’ve also come to love this beautiful country.

Today was also one of those days when everything just happens. I hit my head when I was trying to get inside the car (see how clumsy I am?). I had a headache afterwards but nothing serious. I dropped my phone and now it was a small crack inside the screen. I dropped my thermo and broke the lid. I got some sad sad news. I guess I’ve had better days.

I was pissed off. I let my mind rant about everything and anything. Suddenly and unexpectedly, I was aware of a couple of things, 1) I was choosing to be mad 2) I could change my attitude. In the past I would’ve been frustrated for the rest of the day. This time, however, I chose to let it go. I don’t know exactly what happened but in that moment I just knew that those things were not important at all. I’m so glad these thoughts came into my mind when I needed them the most. They changed the rest of my day.

“If life and its rushed pace and many stresses have made it difficult for you to feel like rejoicing, then perhaps now is a good time to refocus on what matters most.” -Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Hugs,

Diana

Day 11: NOT the perfect day to wear a skirt.

M2

Okay, so the weather in Utah has been surprisingly good up until now. Since these last two weeks were sunny and breezy I thought it was a good idea to wear a skirt to school. Wow Diana… so wrong!

Past midday, the clouds were starting to hide the sun behind them. The next thing I know is that the sky is falling to pieces. At some point it was hailing so hard that going outside a building could’ve been considered a safety hazard (okay, not really 🙂 ). Unfortunately, I had a PES meeting to go to and I had to leave the warmness of the library and go outside. Like I said, not the perfect day to wear a skirt.

By the end of the day I had a sore throat. I ignored because obviously that’s the way it’s going to get fixed. The worst part of it is that around 6 p.m. the sun came out again. And it was bright and strong!! Utah, I thought we were past the crazy weather changes… I guess not.

M

P.S. Please pay not attention to my hair. It was dripping wet at some point during the day 🙂

Hugs,

Diana

Week 2: Acc. Jr. Core

Day 6: Labor Day

Today it literally was Labor Day. For most people Labor Day is the holiday when they get together around a nice bonfire and eat s’mores and relax all day. For me… well, I went to work and then, for the rest of the day, I did homework. Surprise surprise.

Even so, it was a good day. I ate Chinese food with my sister… and I wasn’t reading any of my accounting books! We ran some errands we had pending and then we stayed home for the rest of the day.

Day 7: First Waren case deadline

Today we had to turn in the first part of the Waren case solution. We finished the first portion on Saturday, so it was all ready by the time we had to turn it in. It was kind of sad that all we got from those many hours of work was a signature. Oh wait! I guess we also got some knowledge too… well… maybe… Overall, it was a busy day… too many trips to too many places.

Day 8: Career Options day/Meet the Firms

From the moment I was told that on Wednesday we had Career Options day, I knew that day wouldn’t be an easy day. I mean, I’ve only been in the Jr. Core for two weeks and I’m supposed to figure out my future already? To my surprise, the conference was interesting and the panelists were great. I guess I’ve never wrapped my mind around the fact that accountants can work in any kind of industry. That’s one of the reasons I love my major.

On Wednesday we also had Meet the Firms. This is basically a Career fair for the Marriott School students. This fair was held at the Marriott Center and it was huge. It was also frightening. Jobs, decisions, future… I’m not ready yet. On the bright side, firms get really excited about BYU students.

W

Day 9: Just another day…

It was a ‘normal’ day but don’t get me wrong, I love normal days. The day was full of homework to do and of projects to work on. I think I left the library around 11:00 p.m. Like a said… it was a normal day.

Day 10: Wow! It’s only 1:30 p.m.

Okay… this is how pathetic my life is. On Friday I was super stocked that our group meeting ended at 1:30 p.m. And to top it off we weren’t meeting on Saturday. What?! SOOO HAPPYYYY!

I had plenty of reading to do, but when I went home, instead of starting my HW early, I decided to use my limited time perusing clothing catalogs. Thank you J.Crew, LOFT, and all of the really enchanting but very distracting other clothing stores that keep sending me mail! I wanted to feel guilty but it was a very well-deserved break.

F

Hugs,

Diana