A New Semester Begins - Filled with Challenges, Hopes, and Jobs at a Coin Shop

For all of our faithful weblog readers, you know that every year around this time everyone around here gets stretched a little thin, due to our staff’s return to school. All of the Southgate girls attend the University of Nevada, Reno, and as of August 25, 2008, we hit the ground running as we started the Fall 2008 semester. Read on to learn more as the four of us reflect on how this change in schedule alters our lives.

A New Semester Begins—Filled with Challenges, Hopes, and Jobs at a Coin Shop

As the senior staff member here at Southgate, I (Maya) will lead off:

Personally, I am taking a full load of 15 credits (or 5 classes), and am about half-way through my path to a bachelor’s degree in Finance.

Maya’s new semester plan

Previously, I had only taken 4 classes each semester, with no summer school. However, when my parents and I calculated the time it would take for me to graduate, I decided that it wouldn’t be too difficult to add another class to my load each semester and perhaps graduate a little earlier. I’ll still be a late-graduate as per the 4-year timeline a degree normally takes, but considering the fact that I live on my own (not on campus) and am working part time at this little coin shop, I decided I can accept the fact that I will be a little late.

As for this semester, I definitely was able to hit the ground running. I was prepared and eager to start classes, and was also aware that I would no longer have any free time until around the middle of December. For my own aid I even color-coordinated my daily planner so I can easily see what’s due in what class. (This is nerdy, I know, but I’ve done it before and the end certainly justifies the means.)

Even though I’m on a set path to a degree, and don’t think that I’m going to change it, I still have no idea what’s to come after college. I just know that it will be a fun ride, and that when I look back on it years from now, I’ll remember that Southgate Coins played a large part in my college-experience.

Now, here are Crystal’s thoughts on the dawn of a new semester:

Crystal comments about her semester

Well, Maya certainly has the right idea for starting a semester. I really wish I could say it’s the same for me. I have to say I was not ready for the semester to start. Proof of this was my ticket to Burning Man. Oh yeah, Burning Man starts the very first week that school starts (August 25 – September 1), and I have to say, I was eagerly running towards Black Rock City to join in the Burning Man festivities. It was a fun week of being with family and friends, enjoying art, fire, and of course, the lovely desert heat and the sand storms.

Then, after my fun-filled week, it was time to face reality again and go to school to see what I missed during that first week. Well, as it turns out, the first week is VERY important. I had already missed a quiz in one class and a couple of homework assignments in a few others. On top of that, I was the last to pick my country and topics for a few of my classes. So all of the popular countries were taken. Oh well, I’ll get caught up in school in no time. I’m a fairly good student and I work very hard throughout the year, so I think it was okay for me to miss a few days in the beginning.

Although school was a little tough getting back into, I think I fell right back into the work routine here at Southgate Coins just nicely. I was happy, and a little surprised, that I seemed to have retained most of what I’d learned on my job—I even remembered what day and time to be at work (ha, ha).

Seriously, it was so nice to return to Southgate Coins after being gone for a week and a half and know that I was missed and that everyone was glad I was back. What a great feeling. Thanks everyone.

And now it’s time for Emma to pipe in (for the very first time!):

Emma will see how her heavy schedules does

Well, I haven’t color-coded anything and I for sure didn’t miss the first week of school! However…I was a little crazy this semester and enrolled in eight classes, yes I said eight! I had to split the classes up between UNR and TMCC, because I started feeling like I was never going to graduate, and I’m playing catch-up this semester since I switched my major from Criminal Justice/Pre-Law to Elementary Education a year ago (much better choice!) Since changing my major, I’m no longer on the 4-year plan, but hopefully I’ll be finishing up by December of 2010—keep your fingers crossed for me!

My course load is going to keep me very busy this year, probably leaving me with just enough time to breathe, and of course work at Southgate Coins! It’s so nice to come to work feeling as though you’re really wanted, and luckily for me, Southgate Coins is very flexible with schedules, and somehow they can make my limited number of available work hours work for them! Thanks guys!

Lastly, here’s our newest Southgate staff member, Miss Brittany:

Well, let me first just start of by saying that I’m completely excited to be a part of the Southgate team. I feel that I’m really going to love it here. This is my third day on the job (as of 9-10-08) as well as my first contribution to a weblog. Aren’t you all excited? I know I am.

New to the area and hoping to succeed

This fall semester shall be an interesting one. I’m taking 5 courses, which is 15 credits. I’m a Business Management major at the University of Nevada, Reno. I’m 19 years old and I’m a junior in college. I graduated high school with 47 college credits already completed. Therefore, I was lucky and got a great head start on my career. Although I did change my major once already from Pre-vet to business, I think this is where I want to be.

The situation that I’m in is very new to me. I just got my own apartment and I’m living on my own with my three pets. I just started this wonderful new job at Southgate, and I am a full-time student. I’m glad to say that everything will work out for the best. I’m so proud of myself for being able to do all of this. I expect to graduate in 2010.

You know the saying, “When one door closes one more opens.” Well, I finally have something to relate that to. This is the beginning of a great semester and an even better start for my adult life.

This is Maya back again, and I want to say thanks girls for sharing your thoughts about school and work.

We’ve got a busy quarter ahead of us and it will correlate with the coming holiday shopping season. Between school and work, our lives should be running at full speed.

-Maya, Crystal, Emma, and Brittany