Well hello there Blogger, long time no post. So I guess just a little update on ya girl here. I officially signed up for 2 classes during the DCP! I will be taking the collegiate Human Resources Management class as well as the Exploring Guest Services class! So that's really exciting. Other than that, I've just been trying to get through this semester and power through!
As my title says, I officially have 57 days until I check in at Vista Way! I'm so so so excited!! Once I get home for Winter Break, and I can really start packing up, I'm sure it'll feel even more real! Here's a list of things I still need to do before I go home for winter break:
__ Pack up for trip home for Thanksgiving Break
__ Make sign for College GameDay
__ Write group paper (yes, group paper) for Tourism class
__ Write final case study for International Business
__ Study for 2 finals
__ Pack up remainder of apartment
__ Renew driver's license
__ Get birthday present for my sister
And during Winter Break:
__ Go to the dentist/doctor for check-up
__ Sort through stuff to pack for Disney
__ Concert on Dec. 16th
__ Get a folder to put my vehicle registration/insurance/blank check for check-in
__ Go to Bulls game on Christmas Day
__ Gather SS card or Passport for check-in
__ Look at any summer internships I may want to apply for as an alternate to extending
__ Get my sunscreen ready cause I'm moving to Florida!
'Til next time!
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Thursday, November 6, 2014
Graduating On Time
So, today I thought I'd post about the idea of doing the Disney College Program and still graduating on time.
Now, this hasn't really been a concern of mine, as I felt that if I ever got accepted into the DCP, I would just push everything back a semester and graduate a bit later than before.
Now though, things are a bit different. I've been accepted into the program before, for Spring 2014, and back then I even felt like the way I just described. This time around though, it's been over 2 months since I've been accepted, and I still get those moments everyday where I just stop and think, "I'm going to Walt Disney World. I'm so excited! I can't believe it!"
The fact that I'm still feeling this way is definitely making me believe that it will be difficult to leave Orlando after my program. I certainly won't want to come back and finish school, let alone have it all pushed back a semester.
So I will be graduating on time (Spring 2016). Not a semester late, which was the original plan. To make this happen, I have to take classes for credit while I'm at Disney! I was just planning on taking the seminars, but I'm glad I'll get to experience the collegiate courses too.
I'm definitely willing to do what I have to in order to graduate on time, instead of pushing everything back a semester. It may be difficult, it may be a heavy workload, but it will be so worth it!
I do feel that Disney is where I'm supposed to be. Hopefully by the end of my CP, I'll have a better idea of where I fit. I want to use the College Program to network, so that when I graduate on time, I'll be able to start everything a bit sooner. I want to do a Professional Internship after I graduate, perhaps another College Program right after I graduate, and before a P.I. The more time I can spend with Disney, the better I'll know where I belong.
I know a lot of people say it's a struggle to graduate on time after doing the College Program. That's especially true for me. I'm basically doing 5 years worth of school in 3.5 so I can do the College Program without moving my graduation date and come out of school debt free. It's a struggle, but it's worth it for the Mouse.
'Til next time!
Now, this hasn't really been a concern of mine, as I felt that if I ever got accepted into the DCP, I would just push everything back a semester and graduate a bit later than before.
Now though, things are a bit different. I've been accepted into the program before, for Spring 2014, and back then I even felt like the way I just described. This time around though, it's been over 2 months since I've been accepted, and I still get those moments everyday where I just stop and think, "I'm going to Walt Disney World. I'm so excited! I can't believe it!"
The fact that I'm still feeling this way is definitely making me believe that it will be difficult to leave Orlando after my program. I certainly won't want to come back and finish school, let alone have it all pushed back a semester.
So I will be graduating on time (Spring 2016). Not a semester late, which was the original plan. To make this happen, I have to take classes for credit while I'm at Disney! I was just planning on taking the seminars, but I'm glad I'll get to experience the collegiate courses too.
I'm definitely willing to do what I have to in order to graduate on time, instead of pushing everything back a semester. It may be difficult, it may be a heavy workload, but it will be so worth it!
I do feel that Disney is where I'm supposed to be. Hopefully by the end of my CP, I'll have a better idea of where I fit. I want to use the College Program to network, so that when I graduate on time, I'll be able to start everything a bit sooner. I want to do a Professional Internship after I graduate, perhaps another College Program right after I graduate, and before a P.I. The more time I can spend with Disney, the better I'll know where I belong.
I know a lot of people say it's a struggle to graduate on time after doing the College Program. That's especially true for me. I'm basically doing 5 years worth of school in 3.5 so I can do the College Program without moving my graduation date and come out of school debt free. It's a struggle, but it's worth it for the Mouse.
'Til next time!
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Important Things to do on the Disney College Program
Considering how much I've researched the Disney College Program before I applied, I've heard more than anything, people wishing they would've done more with their time. I hope that I am not one of those people during my program. I am making this post to remind myself what I want to get out of the program to keep myself from missing out on all the opportunities during the College Program.
My main goal after the program is to get a professional internship with Disney. My number one at the moment is the coveted Guest Relations P.I. I know it's super hard to get, but I like a challenge, so. I definitely want to find out more about it, talk to people who could give me advice, etc. Maybe see if I can talk to someone who did it and how they got it, if they liked it, and so on.
I know Disney offers workshops, often on resume building and cover letter writing, so I want to take advantage of that. These people who run the workshops know what Disney wants in a resume and cover letter. They could probably provide statistics for my particular role to help my resume stand out. Who better to go to for advice about what my P.I. application should look like than the people who run these workshops?
The classes I want to take during the DCP have a purpose behind them. I want to take the HR course and Marketing You because both will transfer for school credit. That makes it easier to graduate on time. I do want to take some seminars as well. Exploring Guest Service is my number one at the moment because they get guest speakers from all aspects of park and resort operations to talk about guest service, including- you guessed it-, guest relations. Networking with leaders in all the various departments would definitely help a girl out.
I really want my managers to know who I am and remember me! By doing a good job with my work, I'm sure that will help me out a lot! I'd love to get at least one Guest Service Fanatic card. That is a card you receive when someone notices you going out of your way to create magical moments and taking pride in your work. It's on my bucket list too!
If my managers know who I am, that may help me work my way up the ladder easier. I'd be able to get recommendations, references, etc. from them! I want to try and take on more responsibilities as the semester goes on. I've done a lot of money-handling and counting especially during my ticketing internship, and I'm sure that comes up working in merchandise.
I'd also love to pick up shifts in different parks, resorts, etc. I want to be able to experience the full range of lovely costumes and work environments! Plus, I think it'd be real cool to say I worked in all 4 parks.
I know the Hub offers a lot of cool opportunities if you know where to look. For example, walking tours of popular attractions, preview nights, etc. I want to take advantage of this as much as possible while I'm a Cast Member at Walt Disney World!
So, overall there's so much to do while I'm on the College Program, but I want to do as much of it as possible! I don't want to be the girl who sits in her apartment all day saying, "I'll do it tomorrow." I want to go out and seize all the opportunities that present themselves. I want to keep working for Disney, and to do that, I must be very proactive- and I will be.
'Til next time!
My main goal after the program is to get a professional internship with Disney. My number one at the moment is the coveted Guest Relations P.I. I know it's super hard to get, but I like a challenge, so. I definitely want to find out more about it, talk to people who could give me advice, etc. Maybe see if I can talk to someone who did it and how they got it, if they liked it, and so on.
I know Disney offers workshops, often on resume building and cover letter writing, so I want to take advantage of that. These people who run the workshops know what Disney wants in a resume and cover letter. They could probably provide statistics for my particular role to help my resume stand out. Who better to go to for advice about what my P.I. application should look like than the people who run these workshops?
The classes I want to take during the DCP have a purpose behind them. I want to take the HR course and Marketing You because both will transfer for school credit. That makes it easier to graduate on time. I do want to take some seminars as well. Exploring Guest Service is my number one at the moment because they get guest speakers from all aspects of park and resort operations to talk about guest service, including- you guessed it-, guest relations. Networking with leaders in all the various departments would definitely help a girl out.
I really want my managers to know who I am and remember me! By doing a good job with my work, I'm sure that will help me out a lot! I'd love to get at least one Guest Service Fanatic card. That is a card you receive when someone notices you going out of your way to create magical moments and taking pride in your work. It's on my bucket list too!
If my managers know who I am, that may help me work my way up the ladder easier. I'd be able to get recommendations, references, etc. from them! I want to try and take on more responsibilities as the semester goes on. I've done a lot of money-handling and counting especially during my ticketing internship, and I'm sure that comes up working in merchandise.
I'd also love to pick up shifts in different parks, resorts, etc. I want to be able to experience the full range of lovely costumes and work environments! Plus, I think it'd be real cool to say I worked in all 4 parks.
I know the Hub offers a lot of cool opportunities if you know where to look. For example, walking tours of popular attractions, preview nights, etc. I want to take advantage of this as much as possible while I'm a Cast Member at Walt Disney World!
So, overall there's so much to do while I'm on the College Program, but I want to do as much of it as possible! I don't want to be the girl who sits in her apartment all day saying, "I'll do it tomorrow." I want to go out and seize all the opportunities that present themselves. I want to keep working for Disney, and to do that, I must be very proactive- and I will be.
'Til next time!
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Update Time!
So, quick update here, folks. After all that runaround trying to figure out what to do with my scholarship, I was told that if I want to take classes through Disney, I'd need to actually use my scholarship. Womp, womp.
So now, I'll be 'un-deferring' my scholarship and taking my internship credit during the Spring semester so I can take a Disney class and transfer it for credit! I guess all the runaround was for nothing. Oh, well. Now I know to double and triple check everything from my university from now on.
On to more exciting things. Roommates!! I've officially locked in my apartment! It'll be a 6 person apartment, and we're basically avoiding bunk beds. None of us want to deal with that! One of my best friends at school, Rebecca, just got into the program last week!! Everyone say yay! And she got my move-in day. Everyone say double yay!! She also applied for some professional internships, so if she gets one, she'll be heading back to California where she's originally from, but if not, we'll be rooming together at Didney Worl!
We are trying to figure out exactly how we want to rank our housing preferences in DORMS when the time comes. So far, I think we have Patterson, Chatham, Vista, then the Commons for a 3 BR, 6 person apartment. Beyond that, we'll just have to rank the others accordingly, but I think Patterson looks like the best option.
Patterson is the same price as Chatham, but it seems like it's a bit more spacious. Rebecca and I are of the mentality that we'd rather live/sleep in the quieter areas, because we can always go someplace that's a bit more lively if we want to hang out. So Patterson's reputation as the 'Retirement Home' does not phase us.
We're gonna be staying at the Art of Animation the night before check-in and go to Downtown Disney for dinner the day before. We've been making reservations for the hotel, dinner then as well as throughout our program... It is feeling SO real!
I was at work today looking up reservation times for dinner, and I literally just had a "Holy Crap" moment. I will be living at Walt Disney World for five months. I can have breakfast with Cinderella and visit the Hollywood Tower Hotel whenever I want to. It just felt so surreal until now. Now it feels so close! I'm down to 77 days. It's still a ways away but a lot closer than the 120 I started with!
I've already begun packing up my room in preparation of moving to Disney. I have to pack my entire apartment up and I've lived here for about a year and a half so I've accumulated a lot of things. I'm separating things into Disney or Home boxes so it's a long process. But this is also helping me pass time until I go home!
I have 3 weeks until Thanksgiving break. After that week, we get back to school and it's Dead Week. After that, Finals Week. When I think about it like that, I know the rest of this semester will fly by. Then I'll be home with family and friends, celebrating the holidays, hopefully doing a Chicago DCP meetup, etc.
Then I'll be moving to Orlando for the greatest semester of my life. I am so incredibly blessed and grateful for this opportunity, and I know I want to make the most of it. I'm planning on doing a post soon about what kinds of things I'd like to do during my program and what I'm going to take advantage of while I'm down there.
'Til next time!
So now, I'll be 'un-deferring' my scholarship and taking my internship credit during the Spring semester so I can take a Disney class and transfer it for credit! I guess all the runaround was for nothing. Oh, well. Now I know to double and triple check everything from my university from now on.
On to more exciting things. Roommates!! I've officially locked in my apartment! It'll be a 6 person apartment, and we're basically avoiding bunk beds. None of us want to deal with that! One of my best friends at school, Rebecca, just got into the program last week!! Everyone say yay! And she got my move-in day. Everyone say double yay!! She also applied for some professional internships, so if she gets one, she'll be heading back to California where she's originally from, but if not, we'll be rooming together at Didney Worl!
We are trying to figure out exactly how we want to rank our housing preferences in DORMS when the time comes. So far, I think we have Patterson, Chatham, Vista, then the Commons for a 3 BR, 6 person apartment. Beyond that, we'll just have to rank the others accordingly, but I think Patterson looks like the best option.
Patterson is the same price as Chatham, but it seems like it's a bit more spacious. Rebecca and I are of the mentality that we'd rather live/sleep in the quieter areas, because we can always go someplace that's a bit more lively if we want to hang out. So Patterson's reputation as the 'Retirement Home' does not phase us.
We're gonna be staying at the Art of Animation the night before check-in and go to Downtown Disney for dinner the day before. We've been making reservations for the hotel, dinner then as well as throughout our program... It is feeling SO real!
I was at work today looking up reservation times for dinner, and I literally just had a "Holy Crap" moment. I will be living at Walt Disney World for five months. I can have breakfast with Cinderella and visit the Hollywood Tower Hotel whenever I want to. It just felt so surreal until now. Now it feels so close! I'm down to 77 days. It's still a ways away but a lot closer than the 120 I started with!
I've already begun packing up my room in preparation of moving to Disney. I have to pack my entire apartment up and I've lived here for about a year and a half so I've accumulated a lot of things. I'm separating things into Disney or Home boxes so it's a long process. But this is also helping me pass time until I go home!
I have 3 weeks until Thanksgiving break. After that week, we get back to school and it's Dead Week. After that, Finals Week. When I think about it like that, I know the rest of this semester will fly by. Then I'll be home with family and friends, celebrating the holidays, hopefully doing a Chicago DCP meetup, etc.
Then I'll be moving to Orlando for the greatest semester of my life. I am so incredibly blessed and grateful for this opportunity, and I know I want to make the most of it. I'm planning on doing a post soon about what kinds of things I'd like to do during my program and what I'm going to take advantage of while I'm down there.
'Til next time!
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