Eye on the Storm: The Official Undergraduate Admissions Blog of the National Leader in Experiential, Hands-on Learning

For eleven years, the SIFE team at Keuka College has been active in educating our local community. One of our longest running projects is our Global Economy Fair. This fair takes elementary children on a fun, interactive tour of the globe. SIFE members guide groups of young students to different “Nation Stations” where they learn about imports, exports, currency exchange rates, and other cultures. The students take notes on special passports that we have created for them. Their teachers later reinforce the material and see how much the students have learned.
This year we were fortunate enough to have our project sponsored by Syracuse Blue Print Company. We now have all new posters, making our project even more successful and sustainable.

Last week, our team had the opportunity to test out the new materials when we visited our 3rd and 5th grade friends at St. Michael’s elementary school in Penn Yan.

The crowd favorite seemed to be either Switzerland or South Africa. I, on the other hand, represented the fine country of Poland. I had to do a lot of preparation before the fair this year because realized that I was not too familiar with Poland myself – and I know how inquisitive 3rd graders can be. Nonetheless, we all were able to learn and have a great time. We plan on bringing the fair to two other local schools this year, amidst our other SIFE projects. This is just more proof that SIFE is more than just a business club.

I am probably telling my friends about Pierogies in this picture

Most high school students get their first glimpse of a prospective college campus via a brochure or Web site. When they visit the campus, what they saw isn’t always what they get. Then again, love at first sight is possible.

Keuka College held its annual Fall Open House Oct.15 and despite rainy weather, a record 150 high schoolers and their families made the trip to Keuka Park. Students had the opportunity to tour the campus and meet with professors, coaches, current students, admissions counselors, and financial aid representative.

This is important part of open house at any college, because these are the people you will be interacting with on a daily basis. So, it’s a good idea to get to know and make an impression on them because they will be sure to remember you when you come to school as a freshman. This is especially true at Keuka, where we never forget a face.

Open house is often the first opportunity for students to “try us on for size.” At Keuka, students and families checked out all of the student clubs and organizations on campus after enjoying a delicious meal in the Geiser Refectory. And speaking of food, my favorite part of open house actually happens at lunch time. I enjoy seeing the real-life interaction between students, something a college cannot recreate in a brochure.

When visiting a campus, you should try to imagine yourself living there. Look at all the posters around campus; really see what is going on. And, of course, the golden rule: ask as many questions as possible when on tour. How often do get the full attention of a current college student for an hour at 9 a.m. on a Saturday? Take advantage of it.

Ahh. This is both my favorite and least favorite question to answer. It is my favorite because I could talk about it for days, and therefore also my least favorite. SIFE has often had the reputation of being just a business club. Now comes the part where I squash all the rumors: SIFE is more than just a business club! There. SIFE is an acronym for Students In Free Enterprise.

(On of life’s harshest lessons: just because you know what an acronym stands for, does not necessarily mean that you understand it.)

SIFE is a worldwide organization with teams in over 40 countries. There are about 1000 teams in the United States. At Keuka College, you will find one of the 48 best teams in the country (results per 2009 national competition). The great thing about SIFE is that every team is different. I will tell you a little bit about what the Keuka SIFE team is all about.

Our team has around 62 members this year, and 16 projects. Essentially we have one goal: to make the world a better place, beginning with our own backyard of Yates County, NY. We have a variety of educational projects that we target to youth in our area. Our team spends time in local classrooms promoting the principles of Free Enterprise. Some of these include ethics, financial literacy and environmental sustainability among other things. Most people will agree that these are all issues where education is vital. You don’t have to be a business person to understand how to manage your money or be ethical. We are all consumers in the long run, right?

And of course our other main goal is to help local entrepreneurs succeed. We accomplish this by providing and marketing seminars, developing marketing plans for local businesses, and sharing what we learn in the classrooms with business owners. The relationship we have with local businesses benefits all parties involved. They are able to receive assistance from an outside source, and we as students get to take what we learn in the classroom and apply it in real life scenarios. Experiential Learning at its finest? I think so.

I wish I could tell you all of the advantages of being on a SIFE team, but they won’t let me write forever. But I can tell you that it is the most important part of my resume. I will be sure to update you more about what our team is doing this year.

I most often ask this question when its about 3am and I have a million things to do, but thankfully I am not alone. All over the world, there are college students who wonder if they can do it all – classes, sports, clubs, a job, etc. The sad thing is, we always seem to answer “no” to this dilemma. (I think this may just be because it is way too late for homework, and it everything seems to be piling up). I was thinking about this the other day at around 7pm, when I realized that I was enjoying some free time. Yes, even with all my classes, heavy involvement in clubs, being on the tennis team, and having three jobs, there was still some free time left! So it is possible – and not just for abnormally smart students! I, the average student, will attempt to give you some tips on how to do it all in college, and have some free time for xbox – or whatever you so chose.

* Time management, obviously, is key to success. But make sure you always set aside some time to relax and do something you enjoy. Do something active, or just hang out with some friends for a while. You will feel more rested, and the quality of your work will be better. It’s a good way to break up the monotony of school work.

* Write things down! Its proven that the brain can only remember about 5 things effectively, so if you write things down, that’s more room for important things – like remembering the name of a song, or remembering to turn off the oven after you use it.

* Designate a place or time (or both) that is reserved only for homework. This is also rather obvious, but definitely a must.

* Ask for help. Although many of us don’t really like to do it, it will make your life so much easier. I have learned this year that I cannot do it alone. I often communicate with my professors – they are a great resource outside of the classroom and they can give some pretty helpful recommendations, and often help put things into perspective.

* The Golden Rule of college. We all know it, but have a hard time with it – Don’t procrastinate! Its easy to say, hard to do. But eventually you will learn this lesson the hard way. Save yourself a lot of hassle, and set goals to get things done. And no, the day before does not count as a goal.

So that’s it. Sounds simple right? I know you will all figure these things out eventually, and I will admit that I learned it all the hard way – but at least I get to share it with you, and if I can do it anyone can.

     Okay. Okay. This blog has gone on long enough without a business major’s perspective on things. Business is one of the top 3 most popular majors at Keuka College you know, and of course the best (no bias whatsoever). During my college search I was quick to find that pretty much every college ever founded offers some sort of business program – so why did I pick Keuka College? Well, I will do my best to explain my decision to you, although it may take a few entries.

            I will start with the first reason. I came to an open house at Keuka when I was a high school senior. At the open house I got the opportunity to meet some of the professors from the business department. Now, I had met professors at other colleges, but there was something about this group of characters that really inspired me (man I hope they read this). All of my professors have valuable real world experience that they bring to the classroom. They are successful, yet down to earth. I can talk to them about anything, whether it be about my weekend plans or asking for help on a project I may have in another class. I will be the first to admit that they are a great asset to my education, even though sometimes they can be a pain!

          There are many other reasons why our Business Division is so great, and I will share more soon. Right now I gotta run – tennis practice starts in a bit!