The Experience of Studying Abroad

My name is Vanessa Azemar and I’m a senior at Pine Manor College majoring in Business Management.

During my junior year, I decided to do a semester abroad which was one of the most amazing experiences in my life. The semester before, Pine Manor faculty worked diligently through the process with me so that everything would go smoothly. I ended up going to Köln; the English name is Cologne, and it’s the fourth largest city in Germany. Cologne is also popular for its big international crowds, where most of them are students studying abroad. It is one of the oldest cities in Germany, built by the Romans, the sightseeing is incredible. The city also holds the most extraordinary cathedral I have ever seen called the Dom. In addition to that. due to its location, I was able to travel in the surrounding cities and to visit other European countries as well. For a student budget, I was surprised to see how affordable the trips were.

While there, I attended the Cologne Business School at the University of Cologne. At first I was intimidated by the challenging classes, but I had so much fun during them, that I got used to the work load as the semester went on. Most of the classes I took were business related due to my minor in International Business. Much like Pine Manor, the classes were very diverse with students from various parts of the world. Thus attending class was like jumping into a pool of diversity, which made things much more interesting when talking about the relationship between culture and business. My study abroad also gave me the opportunity to do an internship. In the summer, I interned at Deutsche Welthungerhilfe (German for World Hunger Aid), a German nonprofit company and non-governmental aid agency that works in the field of Development Corporation and emergency relief aid.

My study abroad was an one-of-a-kind experience and best of all, it did not delay my graduation, as all of the credits were easily transferred toward my Pine Manor degree. Overall, my semester abroad was a remarkable experience and an educational ride which I  recommend to all Pine Manor students. It made me a more wellrounded student as it broadened my worldview and gave me a different perspective in life.

If I was able to do it, why shouldn’t you? 

Women Of Promise Competition

On March 2nd, 2013, over 20 women along with their parents, gathered at Pine Manor College to participate in this year’s Women of Promise Scholarship Competition. These are women who wish to attend PMC and hope that the scholarship will help them fulfill that dream. Each student read the story- When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine- from Jhumpa Lahiri’s Pulitzer Prize winning collection of short stories, Interpreter of Maladies. With its various themes of acculturation, globalization, and heritage, this beautiful and intriguing story resounded with the students’ own experience. After arriving at Pine Manor each student wrote an essay on the story and later participated in a seminar-style discussion with their peers and a member of the faculty. A Faculty Panel spoke to the parents about what happens in a PMC classroom, while our Student Ambassadors spoke to prospective students about their own experiences at PMC. The students and their parents also enjoyed a lunch surrounded by Pine Manor students and faculty, went on a campus tour, and concluded the day attending a brief dance performance by Karm Augustin and SeoYoung Shin, members of the PMC Dance Ensemble. The entire Pine Manor community gave them the warm welcome that is the hallmark of the College. The winners of the competition will be notified by March 15, 2013.

Shopping in Boston

In this post, Senait speaks about her interest in fashion and where she enjoys to go shopping in Boston.

Fashion has been a part of my life since childhood.  When I was around eight years old, I dragged my mother’s heels around the house and wished I would grow into them one day.  Just like an artist uses his/her painting to convey a message, I express myself through clothing.  How I dress has everything to do with how I feel that day.  I shop at Newbury Street because of its nice atmosphere and there are many different shops to visit.  Newbury Street is located in Boston and you can even get there by taking the T.  I shop at Forever 21 and H&M most of the time for my daily clothing. Colors and accessories add spice into my fashion style.  I also shop at the CambridgeSide Galleria in Cambridge. Everything you need within affordable price range is within reach at that mall.  Different occasions mean different outfits and there is an unspoken dress code regarding what to wear and not wear.  What you wear has to be appropriate for the occasion.  Fashion is like an animal, you have to tame it and gain control on what you’re presenting yourself in.  Feel confident in what you wear and walk with your head held high.  However, more importantly, you must feel comfortable in what you wear.  How you carry yourself says something about you but doesn’t reveal everything about you.  What you wear is more like introduction to who you are.  If you enjoy shopping, some of the places I recommend that you visit are Newbury Street, the mall at the Prudential Center, and the CambridgeSide Galleria.  Happy shopping!

Senait

Here’s a snapshot of the Newbury St sign.  The stores closer to the Hynes Convention Center T stop tend to be more affordable compared to the stores near the Arlington T stop, where you will find more shops high end designers.

This is one of my favorite stores I like to shop at for my daily clothing.

Madewell is located near Forever 21 and you can get a discount if you show your student ID each time you shop there.

Meet a Gator: Natasha

Hi All!  In this post, a new PMC student blogger, Natasha, shares her thoughts on balancing multiple sports with her schoolwork.

I am from a small town in Illinois and came to Pine Manor because I was asked to play soccer.  While being recruited for soccer I was told about the other sports PMC offers and was told many students play more than one sport.  At that point I had decided to come and play soccer and lacrosse, what ended up happening was I played soccer, then joined the volleyball team for the end of their season, then played basketball, and finished off the year with a sport I had never played before, lacrosse, and loved it.

Throughout this time, as you can imagine, I had to work hard, not just on the field but in the classroom as well.  Your first year of college is probably the most important.  It is where you figure out just how much time you need to dedicate to whatever you need to do, like homework.  So playing a sport in the fall was a challenge in itself.  I struggled a little, as I am sure many do.  By the end of the first semester, I found myself with a 3.5 grade point average.  This also gave me the chance to take advantage of an incentive, a free class for a GPA of 3.5 and above.

Starting second semester I was taking 5 classes, one of which was an honors writing class, and still playing basketball and getting ready to play lacrosse, which I fell in love with.  Still on top of the world I proceeded to work my hardest, lose some sleep, and still not miss a beat.  I finished my first year of college with about a 3.45 GPA and the Gator Pride Award.

Coming into my sophomore year I was extremely confident and determined.  I set a goal for myself to get my cumulative GPA to a 3.5 and then to maintain it till I graduate, while still playing every sport I can.  I finished first semester with a 3.47 GPA and well on my way to my goal focused solely on my academics.

Then, halfway through softball season I was asked to join the team, yet another sport I had never played. I accepted and never looked back.  I fell in love with yet another sport and never gave up even though it is tough to learn a new sport in the middle of a season.  At the end of this year I received the Coach’s Award and my goal of a 3.5 GPA.

Natasha

This is a snapshot of me after I punted the ball to a teammate upfield.

In this picture, I am making a save against Anna Maria College

Join us for “College for a day” at PMC!

Hi Everyone!

Pine Manor College will be hosting an event called “College for a day” on Tuesday, June 26, 2012 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.  If you will be a high school junior or senior this fall, we invite you to visit the campus and learn more about a day in the life of a college student.

During your visit, you can participate in a seminar that has been specially designed for this event.  You will also get to have lunch in the dining hall and get to know other high school students.  After lunch, you will get to enjoy a guided tour of the campus.

Here are some of the seminars that will be offered that day:

Biology: Feeding Baker’s Yeast & You.  Is Sugar Just Sugar?

• This lab will explore the ability of live yeast cells to utilize different sugars as a source of energy.

Art: Accentuate the Negative (Space, that is)

• This workshop focuses on “Negative Space”, a term artists use to describe the space around an object.  Using charcoal, we explore a new way to “see” that will greatly improve your drawing skills.

Poetry: Let’s All Talk at Once!  Using Many Voices to Understand a Poem.

• We won’t really all talk at once, but you do get to interrupt the teacher as we combine our voices and insights to create a rich oral commentary on a poem.

Computer Studies: The Best Deals on the Web – Are you sure about that?

• “Informational” sites like Feline Reactions to Bearded Men and Octopus in a Tree and Flabkiller Weight Loss.  Something for everyone!

Psychology: No Lie!

• Lying is one of the most basic human behaviors, ad some would argue lying is sometimes acceptable if there is a good reason for it.  No one, however, likes to be on the receiving end of lying.  In this seminar, learn how forensic psychologists and police investigators can spot when a person is not being truthful.

Don’t these classes sound very interesting?  If you would like to attend the event, please RSVP here.

I hope to see you all on June 26th!
Julie

The Everyday Life While Riding on the T

Phalogne is back with a post about Boston’s subway system.  Enjoy!

The MBTA, also known as the T, is an underground subway system that is an electric passenger railway in common urban areas.  Subway systems are typically located in underground tunnels or on elevated rails above street level.  Paying to get on the T is as simple as ordering food from McDonald’s.  With a Charlie Card, you pay a flat rate and get a free transfer to local buses.  If you choose not to purchase a Charlie Card, you can pay cash-on-board, but that costs a little more money.  There are also weekly, monthly, and day passes available for purchase which is more convenient for daily train riders.

The Chestnut Hill stop off of the green D line is just minutes away from Pine Manor. Don’t worry about walking either because we have a shuttle bus that runs every 30 minutes during the school year going from the College to the T stop to the Chestnut Hill shopping center, and back to the school.  Isn’t that great?!

In Boston, many people rely on the MBTA for transportation services going both in and out of inner city locations such as Downtown Boston, Commonwealth Avenue, and Boylston Street.  The T is known as Boston’s fastest transit way of getting from one location to another.  There are five local subway lines that are used daily by many people: The Green Line, The Orange Line, the Blue Line, the Red Line and the Silver Line.  As I travel on each subway line frequently, I have come to the conclusion that the Green Line and Orange Line can be the most packed during the weekdays.  Many working professionals use public transportation to get to work and back home.  It’s a great way to save gas money.  Other people prefer not to take the T because it can get crowded during peak hours or there may be delays on various tracks.  The busiest times to catch the train packed with people trying to make it place to place on time is mainly during the early morning between 6:30AM-9AM and evenings when it is rush hour from 5:00PM-7:00PM.  From my personal experience, if you have to make it to a certain location by a certain time then leave a little earlier so you could make it your destination on time.  You don’t want to be the one who is stuck on a delayed train!

Whenever I travel on the T, the most common stop I get off as well as many people in Boston is Downtown Crossing.  This stop connects to all four of the local subway lines, which is why it is always crowded throughout the day with people trying to make it to their next destination.   For more information about the MBTA, please click here.  Now that I have given you a little taste of what the everyday subway life is like, I hope that you choose to plan wisely when traveling and have a safe ride on the MBTA!

Phalogne

Here is a picture of the Chestnut Hill T stop.  This stop is above ground.

This is the Green D line train.  The inbound train goes into Boston and the outbound train goes to the Riverside stop.

Putting Together a Learning Portfolio

Maysoon is back with another post!  In this post, Maysoon talks about putting together her sophomore portfolio.  You can even check out her portfolio!

Hello!

One of Pine Manor’s graduation requirements is for each student to submit a portfolio during her sophomore year at PMC.  This portfolio is the culmination of the first two years of our college life and it is a compilation of a student’s work in relation to a number of outcomes.  Students reflect on topics such as critical thinking, effective written communication, application of knowledge and creativity, and the arts.  There are ten outcomes in total and students are encouraged to cover a minimum of five.

When you get through the nitty-gritty, the sophomore portfolio is really about the student.  It’s about self-expression, what is meaningful to students in their lives and at Pine Manor and where we imagine ourselves in the future.  The portfolio can take any shape or form.  Students have created books, websites, Tumblr blogs, identity boxes, and much more.  My professor encouraged me to reflect on the parts of myself that speak to me the most.  My portfolio very much encompasses aspects of my life that I feel have influenced me most and contributed towards my identity.

Students work on their portfolios outside of class over the course of their fourth semester and then present them to their advisors, professors, and anyone else they wish to invite.  My own presentation was yesterday and it went well!  Since I hope to become a graphic designer in the future, I decided to code a website.  Feel free to visit my portfolio: mashafi.webs.com

Maysoon