Working Towards Becoming an RD

When I came to Purdue no one really told me what studying Dietetics and Nutrition, Fitness & Health would be like. No one mentioned the countless hours studying, writing papers, reading scientific articles or applying for prestigious internships. As a senior, I am facing my hardest semester yet at Purdue. I thought the past 3 years of my life were challenging, but they can’t hold a candle to what I am learning now. I am not trying to scare people away from Dietetics, it is a great program and I really do enjoy learning about dietary recommendations, nutritional and physical assessments and how to work with a client one on one, but it can still be very overwhelming.

As a senior, I am applying for internships following my 4 years at Purdue. I am currently working on an application for the Coordinated Program and that is due next week. As I am filling out this application and writing my personal statement I am learning that I have come a long way since my freshman year of college. I miss the easier classes and more free time but I am so excited to get an internship either through the Coordinated Program (CPD) or the DPD program. I am most interested in the CPD program because it is close to home and my family, and would be less expensive than moving out of state. I never thought that I would want to stay in Indiana but now my life plans have changed and I am wanting to stay in this area for the time being. If I get into the CPD program I will be an intern for 3 semesters and will graduate in August 2010. That would push my graduation date back but I am ok with that. As long as I finally graduate that is all that matters in the grand scheme of things.

Upon completion of my internship through either the CPD or DPD programs I will then sit for the Registered Dietitian exam and upon passing that test I will become Anna Armstrong, RD. That means I can actually get a job in my field and start earning some money. It is a process to reach that final goal of obtaining the letters RD after my name, but I am excited to see where this path leads.

~ Anna

Life as a Teaching Assistant

Last fall, Ryan and I were asked to be “TA’s” for the HTM 101 course. HTM 101 is an entry level class for incoming HTM students that lasts for five weeks. Over the course of the five weeks the incoming students get an introduction to Purdue, tips on resume building, as well as tips on how to be successful at the career fair and the industry in general. As a TA you help teach the class as well as grade most of the papers. This is a great way to earn extra credits, or in some cases, some classes pay the students to be a TA. In our case, Ryan and I get 3 credit hours for a five week class.
This is a steal!
Josh

Recruitment

Wow! I cannot believe that I am beginning my senior year at Purdue. I never imagined it really would go by so fast! I love so many things about Purdue, from football games to rides on the boilermaker special.
One of my favorite times is recruitment season. As my fourth and final Purdue formal recruitment has just ended, I look back and remember what it was like as a freshman four years ago. I cannot believe it has gone by so fast. As an eager young freshman I had no idea what sorority life would mean for me. I recall being so nervous about every step of the recruitment process, but now it feels like second nature. Last Friday and Saturday we began with open houses, where each potential new member was able to tour every house with a total of sixteen rounds. Sunday included the 11 preference rounds that included a house slide show. This past weekend began on Sunday with the 7 preference rounds, which included the house skits. Monday concluded the recruitment process with the final and most important day. This day each potential new member visited a maximum of three houses with the conclusion to the day being the selection of their new home. This has been such an exciting chapter in my life and I will greatly miss the friends and memories after I leave.

Life as a Resident Assistant

Over the summer I received a call to be an RA at Harrison Hall and immediately I jumped on the offer. Being an RA you are expected to be “on duty” four nights a week. You may ask what does being on duty entail? Well basically you have to be in you in your room from 7:00 pm to 7:00 am. While you are on duty you must be available for your residents to answer questions and assist with other conflicts that may arise. You are also responsible for putting on programs relating to diversity, sports, and trips. So far we have done floor dinners, where your whole floor goes to a dining court, as well as intramural sports.

You also receive great benefits from Purdue. As an RA, Purdue pays for your room and board, as well in-state tuition. Being an out-of-state student, this helps greatly! My mom took the picture when I moved in; I wanted to look as intimidating as possible for my residents. I put that picture up on my bulletin board so when they arrived during Boiler Gold Rush they would see just how threatening I could look!

Life as a Resident Assistant

Over the summer I received a call to be an RA at Harrison Hall and immediately I jumped on the offer. Being an RA you are expected to be “on duty” four nights a week. You may ask what does being on duty entail? Well basically you have to be in you in your room from 7:00 pm to 7:00 am. While you are on duty you must be available for your residents to answer questions and assist with other conflicts that may arise. You are also responsible for putting on programs relating to diversity, sports, and trips. So far we have done floor dinners, where your whole floor goes to a dining court, as well as intramural sports.

You also receive great benefits from Purdue. As an RA, Purdue pays for your room and board, as well in-state tuition. Being an out-of-state student, this helps greatly! My mom took the picture when I moved in; I wanted to look as intimidating as possible for my residents. I put that picture up on my bulletin board so when they arrived during Boiler Gold Rush they would see just how threatening I could look!

"That Girl" part 1.

Statue of Liberty

Hey! Welcome prospective students and new ambassadors! I’m Ashley, and I am currently in my third year of studies as a Fashion Design major. This year I traveled to New York City to attend the Fashion Institute of Technology for their one year Design AAS degree program. For those who are unfamiliar with this program – Purdue lets you take courses at FIT that transfer to third yr equivalent classes at Purdue, obtain an Associate’s from FIT, and then return your senior year to finish your Bachelor’s requirements.

Manhattan skyline from Jersey

After taking May-mester courses and an internship in Indianapolis this summer, I adjusted to being displaced and living independently, so the move went very well. I am currently living with 3 freshmen, all in different majors here at FIT, in an apartment-style dorm: we have two bedrooms, one bath, and a kitchen/dining area. I previously thought the space would be significantly smaller than normal, since it is in fact NYC, but it’s actually larger than I expected! I will post pictures once we purchase everything we need for the apartment and get it cleaned up a bit.

Night in the city from atop the Empire State Building

We’ve had a week of orientation activities full of things to do and sights to see around the city. My parents, who have never toured NYC, stayed until Wednesday, and we visited sites as far north as Central Park and the Trump Tower in Uptown to the Financial District in Downtown. [Shown is a view from the top of the Empire State Building.] Tomorrow a couple of girls and I are headed to Brooklyn to find a Target, see some boutiques, and get some really good pizza.

Times Square

Classes begin on Monday and I’m preparing myself for no life haha. But I’m going to love it, that I’m for sure of. I’ve signed up for Fashion Week and have purchased a couple of concert tickets, so I plan on still enjoying what the city has to offer alongside working non-stop.

The Fashion District

I’ll try and blog as much as possible. In the meantime, I hope everyone back at Purdue has a great fall semester. I’ll miss all the tailgating and games on Saturdays – Go Boilers!!

Summer Adventures of 2009

Washington, D.C. May 16th – 21st

My first trip of the summer was to Washington, D.C. for the 2009 Leadership Honors Boot Camp. I went there on a full scholarship sponsored by AAFCS (American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences) because of my national involvement with the organization. I went there having no idea what to expect. I was under the assumption that it was going to be a regular conference with many students from around the nation there. I met my roommate who was from Texas A&M and we figured out that we both had family and consumer sciences majors. So we figured this conference was for those leaders in different FCS fields. While, preparing for the first day of the conference, we walk into a room in a Hilton Suites Hotel to find 11 other students there.

This was a conference like I never had been to in my life. There were a total of 14 students there age ranges from college freshman to a graduate student, and we came from all over the nation. One student was from Washington State, a couple from Texas, a few from Kansas, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Georgia, and of course Indiana! This week-long conference helped me build new leadership skills and helped me understand more about my own personal skills and how they can be useful in a team-building atmosphere.

We did business all day and partied at night. We did things from playing Frisbee next to the Washington Monument to visiting the Holocaust Museum. We went out to eat at amazing places like Sequoia (which is right off of the Potomac River) and the Old Ebb Bar and Grill across the street from the White House. We visited Georgetown University and even went on a night tour of the monuments, riding in style, in a Cadillac Escalade Limo.

AAFCS Conference June 24th- 28th
Knoxville, Tennessee

This was quite a wonderful adventure for me. AAFCS stands for the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences. I was a national officer last year and this year I was installed to not only be the Chair (President) for the Student Unit nationwide, but I also was inducted onto the Board of Directors for this organization. This is quite a responsibility, but I am up and ready and super excited for this upcoming year.

Here are some pictures taken at this meeting. The student unit (who are mostly comprised of graduate and undergraduate students) sold tattoos at this meeting to help raise money for one of the funds they have for this centennial celebration. We raised over $1,400 dollars!!

AAFCS celebrated it’s 100th birthday at the conference in Knoxville! How exciting to be a part of something that is in its 100th year of existence!

--Larissa