Words of Wisdom

My Advice for Future CSers

• Find a church to worship at on Sundays. A church allows you to find a community outside of Chicago Semester and your internship. I attended the New Community Church in Logan Square (2840 W. Logan Blvd, 60647) several times and heard one of the best sermons of my life!
• Beware of scolding water! For Canterbury Apartment dwellers, create a battle strategy against the shower! Waking up in your morning shower at six o’clock in the morning is often painfully disrupted when scorching water beats on your back causing you to nearly break the shower curtain to escape its fury. A tip: if you feel the water pressure “spit,” even if you only think it spits, jump out of the way!
• Look for simple ways to bring in some extra cash. I petsat and housesat for a young woman in Ukrainian Village. It was an opportunity to see a different part of the city and make a little bit of money. You can learn about such openings on certain websites.
• Schedule an appointment to get your Comcast installed immediately! Comcast can take several weeks to install so make an appointment the moment you sign your lease.
• Take advantage of CS community events. They are more fun than you might think.
• Communicate with your supervisor. Let them know in your Internship Learning Contract what you seek to gain in your placement. Talk to your advisor about it. This is meant to be a learning experience… not just free labor!
• Don’t be nervous about transit in Chicago because you will figure it out and then think of a million ways to make it more efficient.
• You can catch a lot of sleep on the CTA…just always keep one ear open to listen for your stop. There were several times when I lay motionless as the doors opened at my destination, causing me to jump with a start and dash out, startling all the other commuters.
• There is a catch to the phrase, “Free Shots, No Cover” and the bouncers on Division don’t make good boyfriends, jk.
• Run along the lake when it’s warm out. The waves are awesome.
• Get a Solheim pass for the winter. The Solheim Center is Moody Bible Institute’s gym and through CS we have the opportunity to purchase a membership. I didn’t get one because I thought I’d never go… but I really regretted not having it as an option.
• Send Annie pictures for the final slideshow. It makes her very happy.
• Have fun with the Arts in the City course. Go to all the art events, contribute to discussion, and really think about the projects. There is a lot to be gained by that course.
• Become a CS monitor. Several nights a week the CS computer lab is open to students. I worked as a monitor on Tuesday nights, and loved it! Since classes are on Wednesdays, my Tuesday shift allowed me to get all my work done and make a little extra cash.
• Finally, meet friends that you will have for the rest of your life….awwww…