Reflections of My Post-Grad Summer

It is officially the third week of August. In my mind, this means summer is pretty much over. It’s hard to believe that just a few months ago I was simultaneously excited about graduation and apprehensive about the future and starting life in the “real world.”

I’ve started thinking about everything I’ve accomplished this summer. I did, despite my worries, find a job and now I’m finally settling in at the office. I have even begun budgeting and saving my money, something I was dreading but somehow managed to handle. I’m successfully handling each project thrown at me and have already made lifelong friends at my office. I can happily say I’ve transitioned into the post-graduate world and conquered all the fears I had about whether I was ready.

Yet, I feel that something is missing, something I let slip by me in a way I never have before.

And then it hits me – I forgot to have fun this summer. I was so busy worrying about interviews, potential job offers, money, moving out of my college apartment, moving into my post-grad dwelling, money, meeting new people, too much responsibility, failing miserably, money, etc, etc, etc, that I somehow let summer slip away. Sadly, and despite everything I have managed to achieve these past few months, I have a nagging feeling of regret. How could I have let this happen? I love summer; why did I not realize it was moving so quickly?

I don’t think this feeling is uncommon; many people start working and forget how to do anything else. However, I vow to find a way to balance my work and personal lives so that I can actually go out and do the things I want to do. This doesn’t mean slacking off or using all those vacation days I just discovered I have. It simply means taking that list labeled “Things That Might Be Cool To Try” and actually making it happen.

- Haley

Cuil: The New Google?

In the past, several Life Before Nooners have talked about the influence of fast, convenient technology in the workplace and for personal use.  These discussions always seem to come back to the king of this genre: Google.

Now, a new search engine has been created that may, shockingly, give Google a run for its money.

It’s called Cuil (pronounced “cool”), which is an Irish word for knowledge. For the most part, it seems the reports find the title suitable.  Cuil, which claims to be “the world’s biggest search engine,” is apparently three times as big as the competition, including Google and Yahoo, and has an index of over 100 billion web pages.

Cuil results are listed in three columns, not one long list, and include both picture and text descriptions. The results also suggest possible alternatives to your search and ways to have more refined results, as do most search engines nowadays, but Cuil displays them as browsable tabs. This is supposed to make browsing easier than ever before (the Cuil Web site itself says that sometimes the Internet can be”too much”).  In addition, Cuil boasts that it has taken privacy to a whole new level, caring less about its users private information and more about what they need from a search engine.

Interestingly, many people involved in the creation of Cuil worked for Google until they decided to try something new.  There are still a few kinks in the system, as with any new technology, but clearly the Cuil team has the intelligence and knowledge necessary to create something people will love. Only time will tell if Cuil can gain as much momentum as Google has.  For the time being, it’s worth the effort just to test it out and see what you can make of it. Who knows, you may walk into the office in a few months and discover that “Cuilchatting” is the newest, hippest way of communicating.

- Haley

Confessions of a Caffeine Addict

I am a caffeine addict. I admit it. Ever since I started college I have “needed” caffeine to make it through classes, projects, internships and weekend fun.  The kick usually comes in the form of sugar-filled coffee (I’ll drink any kind… as long as there is enough junk in there to ensure it doesn’t taste like coffee) and soda products.  I haven’t sunk as low as energy drinks yet.

That being said, you can imagine my dilemma this past week when I had to choose between being significantly late for work or having my morning Caramel Macchiato. I thought about justifying my actions by entering the office and saying, “Well, I just can’t be productive without caffeine. So, I wasn’t really doing this for myself, but for the company.” Ridiculous right? Maybe, but to a true caffeine addict that’s a perfectly good excuse for being late to work.  We’ll find ourselves saying and doing ridiculous things to hide the truth.

I decided the time had come to take a stand. Someone had to stop the madness. I told myself I would drive past Dunkin’ Donuts, Starbucks and Wawa and arrive to work on time.  So I did. And you know what? I survived the day. Even better, I discovered I actually felt better without coffee. I know that coffee brewers all over the world will faint from this news, but it’s true. I discovered I don’t need caffeine as much as I thought.

So my tale of tragedy and tribulation ends on a somewhat happy note. I know I will still have an occasional cup of java or soda during work. And there will always be days where I need a little extra motivation in the morning. But I’m proud to say I broke through the chains that were binding me and convincing me I needed this drug called caffeine to make it through life.  Chalk it up as one for the good guys.

If you or someone you know is a caffeine addict, simply comment on this post and share your story. Remember that acceptance of a problem is the first step to resolving it.  And be strong. It is possible to lead a life without caffeine.

- Haley