Generative Research

YouThere

What I can’t live without:

Telephone: I used a “go phone” last fall when I studied abroad for 5 months, and that helped me realize I can live without a smartphone. However, I still talk to my parents every day, make and coordinate plans, talk to friends who live far away, and coordinate for work which I need a telephone to do.

Tennis shoes: I have played sports or worked out for as long as I can remember, and it has become a crucial part of my lifestyle. I still play IMs, and the last two semesters I have taken volleyball at UT. I also prefer walking over any other mode of transportation (I only drive or take the bus if I have to) so tennis shoes come in handy.

Water bottle/water: This isn’t supposed to be sarcastic (obviously none of us can actually live without water). I drink abnormally high amounts of water (I typically go through at least 4 refills at restaurants) and I rarely don’t have a water bottle with me. Forgetting my water bottle when I go somewhere is almost worse than forgetting an essay that is due.

People I have something important in common with: I am very extroverted, and I love being around other people. When I was nervous to study abroad with no one I knew, I received the advice that “even if the only thing you have in common with others is that you are all studying abroad, that will be enough.” He was right, and I made some of my best friends on that trip based out of us having one thing in common and building a relationship and sharing experiences off of that.

Music: I use music in two ways. One, I teach fitness classes where my routines are synched to the music, so the BPM (beats per minute) tracks are somewhat of a necessity. Two, I just enjoy listening to music whether it is to relax me, excite me, or something in between.

Stories/Insight: If I could have any profession in the world, I would probably be a professional student and take classes at universities all over the world. I enjoy learning new knowledge and insights, and I particularly enjoy others view points and experiences. I included a drawing of my kindle because it can access scholastic articles and cases, or books and magazines I read for fun like Time or The Hunger Games.

What I care about:

Camp Champions: I was a counselor/camper for 14 years at Camp Champions, and it is a huge part of my past and present.  I made some of my best friends at camp, and my time and roles there have been very defining of many of my values and personality. 

Greek Yogurt: I am always in the mood for greek yogurt. It is so high in protein and healthy, and the brand I labeled, Siggy’s, has fantastic flavors. I can eat any time of the day, and I don't think I will ever get tired of it. 

Sun/warm weather: Summer is easily my favorite season, and I oddly love getting into a hot car when its over a hundred degrees just because I like the so much more than the cold. I grew up going to a camp on the lake and later taught ski and wake boarding lessons there, so hot sunny days are some of my best memories.

Digital Ecosystem

key: the thicker the line the more I use it

Web Search: I am constantly searching online for the class schedule at Core Power Yoga, online shopping all over the place, looking up company information, and searching everything in between. I use it because access to basically all information is at my fingertips. I also have a smartphone and a laptop so it is rare that I can’t find the information I need with just the click of a button whenever I need/want to.

Twitter, Facebook, etc.: I use Facebook the most to keep up with friends and often to communicate with groups either scholastically or in extra curriculars. Though people post a lot of worthlessness, sometimes I can learn from the information on my newsfeed as well as my twitter feed. On twitter particularly, I follow companies or brands I am interested in.

Nation TV broadcast website apps: I don’t really visit their websites, but I have BBC News, NBC News, FOX News, NPR, etc. apps on my phone that send me notifications regularly. This keeps me informed of headlines, and if I am interested I will read more into the subject. The apps are very easy to use and accessible with my iPhone.

WeekdayUsing 

Journey Map

Accepted to UT

Blair comes from a family of Aggies. Her grandparents taught at A&M and her parents attended the university, so when her older sister enrolled in UT, the family was less than pleased. However, this didn’t bother Blair one bit, and like her older sister, Blair headed to Austin to wear burnt orange and become the second longhorn in the family.

Throughout high school, Blair was naturally good at school and didn’t have to try excessively in her classes. She made top 10%, and therefore was automatically accepted to The University of Texas at Austin, and then was also accepted to the McCombs school of business. She was very excited about this for a couple of reasons. One, McCombs had a prestigious reputation, and many people she knew, including her older sister didn’t get into the business school, so she was proud to have been accepted. Secondly, since she wasn’t really sure exactly what she wanted to major in, she way happy to be in business due to the variety of successful opportunities the business school offered. 

Freshman Year

In her freshman year, she had a hard time adjusting to the college life. Her prioritization skills between school and fun were poor, and for the first time, her grades suffered. At this point, she was still mostly taking core requirements, so her actual major wasn’t yet much of a concern. She liked the business school and knew she was in the right place, but she had not yet decided what direction to go with her career.

In the spring, she took ACC311, the first accounting class. Though she didn’t like her professor very much, she was very good at the class, and got an A. This was slightly a surprise to her since she had always been more of a math/history person, and she began to consider it as her major. It was a bit of a process of elimination rather than a clear choice. She did well in accounting, but due to the MPA program offered, she preferred to go that route instead of just majoring in accounting. The MPA program was prestigious, and had a very clear career path and plan, which she liked. She also took MIS that semester which she didn’t really enjoy, so that was out. Lastly, though she hadn’t taken the course yet, she was intrigued by marketing. The main downfall however, was that she didn't really know what she would do with a marketing degree. Clearly in accounting, she would be an accountant. More specifically, in MPA, she would not only clearly be an accountant, but the process of finding a job was a streamlined and planned out. She really liked this aspect, especially since she was growing weary of not knowing what she wanted to do with her life.

Sophomore Year

In need of a job, at the beginning of sophomore year, an Accounting Assistant position opened up at the Education School. This job was perfect for a couple of reasons. Blair shared a car with her sister, so she ideally needed a job on campus because her sister had the car most of the time. The salary was competitive for a college job, and lastly, the work included QuickBooks, an important accounting program that would be useful in an accounting career. After filling out the extensive application which included 2 recommendation letters and references, Blair got the job, and started working 19 hours a week.

In the fall, she also took the second accounting class ACC312, and loved it. She had a fantastic professor, enjoyed the material, and once again received an A in the course. At this point, she had a few older friends who had begun the MPA program that fall, and Blair couldn’t help but be attracted to the prestige of the program.  To continue the process of elimination, she took marketing 337 that spring, and rarely attended class due to the dryness of the lectures. Though this didn’t eliminate marketing as a choice, she was interested in MPA she just didn’t really give it a second thought.

At the end of sophomore year, she applied and got into the MPA program. She was very excited for this and to have a direction for her degree to go in. Though, she also knew that getting in was easier than staying in, so that worried her.

Junior Year

At the beginning of junior year she was promoted to another office, which had its pros and cons. She got a pay raise, and was excited that someone had recommender her to move up in the office. However, now her job focus became much less accounting focus, which was somewhat of a let down. Since this upset her, she was more confident in he choice of the MPA program. In the fall she took her first MPA course, tax accounting, and it was the hardest class she had taken in college.

Her courses continued to be difficult, but that wasn’t their only common characteristic. She liked, admired, and aspired to be like her professors. They all led such great lives, styles, families, etc. and she wanted to build that for herself. These professors were role models to her, and a vision of what she could and would become one day.

In the spring, recruiting began, which was a double-edged sword. On one hand, she had a great time meeting the recruiters and partners, and had a lot of fun at the events. On the other side, between work and school, every weekday began at 8 am and ended at about 10pm, and that was before she even started homework. In the end, she found it worth it, but it was a lot of stress at the time. She knew that whichever firm she chose would likely be where she would spend the first few years, at least, of her career. Though this increased the stress level, she also liked it. She liked how perfectly paved the recruiting process was.  She had volunteered for the career fair sophomore year, and was overwhelmed by the companies and choices that were all over the place. But MPA wasn’t like that, she just had to follow the steps laid out for her. She knew she was going to go big four, so with four offers at the end of recruiting, picking one of four firms was the hardest choice she had to make. She knew the work would all be about the same, it was just the personality of the firm that mattered. At the end of the semester she confidently signed with KPMG.

Senior Year

Though only a few weeks in, she is happy with how her semester is going. She is still working, and has a good grasp on her classes. She is excited for her internship, and is confident in the major and career path that she has chosen.