End of Semester 5

Okay people, I know.  Those of you that actually read these so that you can keep up with me are a little bitter that I haven't posted in a long while, but it has been a BUSY semester.  I just wanted to share a number of moments this semester (in no particular order) that have been sufficiently awesome or made an impact.

1. After tirelessly planning our annual philanthropy event, Anchorsplash, with Delta Gamma, Veronica and I finished the event and managed to raise a sum of around $25,000 for Service for Sight.  It was easily one of the most stressful things I've ever done, but so worth it.

2. Kyleigh Hanes planned an awesome Lectureship and thanks to her, I was able to meet (and take a selfie) with Misty May-Treanor and let me tell you, she is one inspirational lady.

3. I accepted an internship with a political consulting firm this semester and absolutely loved it.  I met a number of awesome Oklahoma politicians, but the best part is that I enjoyed going to work because of the people I worked with.  Working with a bunch of liberals was refreshing because it made me feel like I was in DC again.  But seriously, what an incredible group.

4. I got to keep up with the Miracle Child that Delta Gamma sponsored in Soonerthon last year as well as keep up with her family and goodness, I can't help but absolutely adore the Rogers family.

5. I got even closer to my roommate of the last three years and she got to see me not only cry, but ugly cry for the first time ever; luckily, she accepted the fact that I hit my breaking point this semester between school and life and how busy I was and we'll be living together (FOURTH YEAR IN A ROW!!!) again next year. (Sorry for the picture Kristen, it's the only one I have...)

6. There's a bunch of other sub-lessons and half-important things that happened this semester so I'll just put them below in some bullet points because I don't have pictures of them..

• My favorite class all semester was Politics of Russia and I have a new found interest in the region.
• Studying abroad in Ecuador is a month away and I'm getting more and more excited as the time comes.
• I'm still obsessed with what I'm studying in school, but the best part is that I have loved every single one of my professors.
• French is hard, don't take it.
• Business cards or a LinkedIn connection are the best compliment you can get in the professional world.
• People have come and gone into and out of my life all semester.  You think you can't live without someone, but time passes and here you are, still kickin'.  Then the most unexpected people wander in and have another large impact.
• I have one incredible mother and a couple sets of incredible grandparents who look out for me and are the most supportive people around.  Despite pushing me to my limits, they do it because they care.
• 17 hours down, a position as philanthropy director within Delta Gamma, and an internship all completed through an incredible semester.

As you can tell, it was quite a semester.  I'm anxious to see what next semester has in store, as well as what next summer holds for me.  I read something kind of funny today that I thought was applicable to going to Ecuador next semester, it said:

"I'm in love with cities I've never been to and people I've never met."

On a lighter note, I'm hoping that this whole Life of Clegg blog is going to be a thing next semester in Ecuador so that you all can feel just as culture-shocked and confused as me; it's probably going to be pretty raw because I'll be panicking the first few weeks as I settle in.

OH!  Best part of the semester is that I've been able to keep up with so many people that I met in DC and have been continuously told that they can't wait to see me back.  Maybe I'll get paid this time around...

Until next time, y'all.

Great things never come from comfort zones.

The Greek System

It's been a while since I've had something that I felt like I could address in this that would connect with a large audience, so I haven't posted.

Not to mention, 17 hours is kicking my butt and I don't even have a social life anymore thanks to school.  That's okay, right?  I mean, I have the rest of my life to be social so maybe it'll be worth it in the long run.  NONETHELESS!  I have something exciting to address tonight.

THE GREEK SYSTEM.

I could compare the Greek system to that of Hillary Clinton.  Many believe that there are two extreme opinions about it--you love it or you hate it.  In my case, you love both of them but others have QUITE the different views.

The stereotypes of the Greek system is false--yes, there are a number of ignorant and sub-par brains that dwell inside of many of the fraternity and sorority houses, don't get me wrong.  But isn't that how it is everywhere?  I'd venture to say that the number of Greek students who are complete and total brainiacs severely outweighs those who are not.  

The stereotype that Greeks only care about other Greeks is also false--I have a number of friends who were never Greek, do not plan to go Greek, or just do not find the Greek system to be attractive at all. And you know what?  That's fine, I get it.

The stereotype that all Greek members are rich--you got it, false.  You would be surprised at how many students have taken out loans so that they can pay for their way through their fraternity/sorority.

The stereotype that in four years, the Greek system won't matter--COMPLETELY, UTTERLY, AND FULLY FALSE.  And I'm going to fill you in on why.

First of all, I have met most of my girl friends IN Delta Gamma.  It's pretty neat to be a part of a family with 300 chapter members, not to mention the number of members across the nation.  It comes in handy when you least expect it.  For instance, I had an internship in DC this summer and after I got the notification email, my first thought was "HOW ON EARTH AM I GOING TO FIND ANYWHERE TO LIVE?!"  Wanna know where I lived?  The DG house at GWU.  Wanna know how far I had to walk to work everyday in the "blistering DC humidity"?  Roughly a tenth of a mile.  That's pretty cool if you ask me.  I've seen recent graduates move to a completely new city or town and get in touch with DG alum so that they have a roommate or recommendations on doctors and schools in the districts.  

But so far, the coolest thing that I've gotten to do is network.  Yeah, nerdy, I'll take it.  I recently (September...but still recent, right?) accepted an internship with a political consulting firm and let me tell you, I have absolutely loved it.  Fun fact: all of the women that I work with were members of a Panhellenic chapter at their university.  But that's not even the coolest part--the coolest part is that I met a recent DG graduate who is interested in partially the same career path as me.  Do you know how hard it is to find a female that wants to work with international security efforts, diplomacy, or politics?  I'll let you in on a little something: VERY VERY VERY TOUGH.  We figured out that we are both DG's midway through these last few months and hit it off immediately; thanks to Alyssa, I have felt SO welcomed into my new internship, I have gotten to have conversations with a liberal inside the state of Oklahoma (a rarity, I tell ya), and I have gotten some of the best advice that I could possibly ask for regarding anything from college to future career goals--all because she realized I was a DG and asked me about it.  Although she is moving to China and I will be studying abroad next semester, I already told her that I will be creeping through her Facebook during her China adventures and yes, we even took a gamma picture.  

All in all, I never thought that I would love being Greek as much as I do, but here I am.  I never thought that I would fit in, be able to compete, or even be able to keep up with any of the girls but once again, here I am.

Delta Gamma really is for a lifetime and I cannot thank the organization enough for presenting me with so many opportunities, so I thought I'd put that out in the open for all of you to ponder upon.

Thanks to my sisters for loving me and supporting me and being my warrior in times of trouble.

For now, wish me luck as I continue to try to conquer school. 

1/2

There we go, counting down our time again.  Halfway through the semester, midterms, which means over halfway through my college career.  Life hits so hard and fast sometimes.

There hasn't been much going on at school.  Lots of applications, lots of tests and quizzes, papers and midterms, on top of interning.  I was sick all week though so I'm just recovering.  Dallas was a blast but I obviously came back exhausted and sick so I'm glad midterms were last week for me.  Luckily, I was able to eat a full meal today with my one of my favorite and busiest friends, Blessing.  We got to chatting and there are two things that were really weighing on my mind.

First: What do you want to do after college?

Okay, honestly, I've known for a long time and it's no secret to anyone who knows me where I want to be after I graduate.  So when someone looks at me and tells me that they are enrolled in college courses but don't know what they want to do, I am always a little more than confused.  But as a freshman or a sophomore, you're kind of allowed to not know--you have "time".  As a junior, I don't know about y'all, but for me I'm like okay time for you to pull your head out of your hiney and figure out where you're supposed to be.

Is it really that hard?  To decide where you're going to be after college?  It's really not even a decision, it's just wherever your little heart tells you to go; college isn't even on the radar for some of us and that's relatable--college isn't for everyone.  But quit wasting your time and money on something that you aren't even sure of or passionate about, you know?

Better yet, is it worth it to go through four years of college, studying something that's going to make you money but that you don't enjoy?  I don't get it.  Maybe that's just me though.

Second: Why do the nice ones always finish last?

I ask myself all the time, WHY DO I GET TRAMPLED ON ALL THE TIME?  WHY DOESN'T ANYONE APPRECIATE WHAT I DO?

^ but that's selfish.  I don't need anything in return except some acknowledgement and the occasional TLC.  YEAH, there, I said it.  Me, Rachele Clegg.  I need some TLC; I have all this love to give (probably not obviously, and surprisingly to a lot of you) but when I need it reciprocated, I find myself in the middle of Area 51 or something.  But you know what?  That's a lot to ask for out of people anymore.  Common decency used to be a thing, but it's not anymore.  It's not a thing at all.  I catch myself getting jealous of other people's materialistic things, but then I recognize how miserable they are.  I'll take happiness over misery any day but sometimes, if I got a little lucky, I wouldn't mind a single bit.  The good news though?

Good people, bring out the good in people.      

You know what other excuse really grinds my gears?  Maybe I've mentioned it before, but the excuse of "I'm busy".  No, you're not busy.  You either just don't care or you have really crappy time management.  Yeah, I said that too.  If you're too "busy", you're probably one of those people that doesn't have to use a planner to even get your life organized.     

Bottom line: Figure your future out & be nicer because you never know what tomorrow's gonna bring. 

So I'll leave y'all with a quote that's kept me pushing through lately and maybe even a picture.

You were born with the ability to change someone's life, don't ever waste it.

-Lilly Pulitzer

In a month's time..

Sorry y'all.  It's been a month since I've posted so if you actually try to keep up with me...well, I have been posting pictures here and there on Facebook so that has to count for something.  In case you were wanting a small update and some food for thought though, I decided I needed a study break so buckle up.  We have 4 or 5 weeks worth of catching up to do, but I'll try to keep it concise.

I finished my application for the State Department for the summer so I'm pulling for something good to fall my way again.

I just finished a couple of other applications for the DoD and the DoJ. 

I'm currently trying to finish my application for the CLS program.

I got approved to study abroad in Quito, Ecuador.  Don't ask me about Quito because I don't know a single thing.  I'm thinking I might go in completely blind just so the trip is full of surprises.

ANCHORSPLASH IS OVER.  Veronica and I set a record--over $25,000 raised for Service for Sight.  I could not be more excited about it either.

Aside from that, I started my new internship with Tilley & Nichols consulting firm and I absolutely love it.  I've gotten to work with Joe Dorman a little bit and I have to say, the thought of the political world does still spark my interest.  We'll see though, I really enjoy the track I'm on so far.  Which leads me into my next topic.

Do you ever feel like you're in the wrong profession?  Or that you're studying the wrong profession?  It's not necessarily wrong because you don't love it--I love what I'm studying and both of my majors.  Sometimes though, I catch myself wondering if I'm in the wrong thing because I'm so good with people.  I know what most of you are thinking--Rachele...good with people?  Loud, obnoxious Rachele???  Yeah, me.  I have realized lately that I don't meet a stranger, and even when I do, I bet you I could have them telling me their life story in our first fifteen minutes of meeting.  I'm just that comfortable and trustworthy.  I'm good at my major because I bust my rear end to be good at it, but working with people is just natural to me.  

But over here in the real world (by real world, I mean everything within the confines of the University of Oklahoma) things have been rough.  When they tell you 17 hours might be kind of tough...boy they weren't kidding you.  It's the hardest thing I've ever done!  I really enjoy my classes, but each one is full of a TON of information.  I absolutely adore my professors but all of them know so much about their topic that sometimes it's hard for me to keep up with my notes in class.  I'm enjoying four midterms this week and it's the hardest thing I've ever had to try to keep up with.  Thankfully, my friend Troy has kept me on track with my studying by basically being my accountability partner and studying with me whenever I need him to.  What a wonderful thing, huh?  

Nonetheless, as good as I usually am at juggling a full schedule, this whole 17 hours, an internship, and a directorship with DG thing (which is basically over now that Anchorsplash is done) is NOT EASY.  I hit my breaking point last week.  Yeah...yeah it was pretty ugly.  It was like a ton of panic and anxiety hit me all at once--school work is hard to keep up with, I never have the energy to do anything "fun" or to even be that social anymore, and for the first time since I got to college, I got REALLY homesick.  So appreciate your parents, boys and girls, because I sure do miss my mom.  I'm lucky to be surrounded by a pretty great group of people here though.  Sunday dinners with my best friend Brandon give me a sense of routine and normalcy; Aves, Bake, and David provide the comic relief and when I need a listener, I bug Austin until he's free.  Not to mention, I always have Mel way out in Arkansas to listen to me too.  

As unemotional as I used to be, I feel like this semester has turned me into a basket case.  I constantly catch myself being more and more irritable, losing my temper, and wanting to just tear up at the drop of a hat.  Sometimes keeping it together is harder than you think.  BUT THAT'S OKAY.  It is okay to have an off day every now and then.  Feelings are acceptable, they are not meant to be an embarrassing thing.  They are what makes us human--it is not a weakness.

Sigh.  That was a mouthful.  OU-saxeT is this weekend and I'm pumped.  But until then, I'll be studying my brains out.  

Until next time, y'all.

The best thing about the future is that it only comes one day at a time.

-Abraham Lincoln

Long Overdue

Alright, I haven't given up yet and that's the good news for this post.  It's the end of week four and I can't decide whether I should cry, curl up into the fetal position, hibernate, or laugh...and when I say laugh, I mean that I could probably compare this kind of laughter to laughing at a funeral, you know like laughing when you aren't supposed to but the situation is so awkward that you don't know what else to do.  Yeah.

I started working an internship at a political consulting firm and I love it.  I pretend like I'm Olivia Pope and it's wonderful.  The best part about the whole thing is that they are LIBERAL!  Goodness, I miss D.C.  But really...nostalgia from the liberals in D.C. because Oklahoma and...well, you get the point.

I'm learning though.  I have the coolest professors this year; I literally love all of them.  I'm also learning that as much as I think that I go through, there are a number of others who go through situations way worse than mine so there's no need to be emotional and irrational about it.

Anchorsplash is coming up and I personally, am SO SO SO READY.  I also just realized that I need to finish applying for a number of different things by like next week so these next two weeks are about to be packed.  Speaking of which, there's something that I just feel like I need to address.

Busy.  Everyone and their mother, is busy.  Hell, I'm busy.  But you know what?  Busy does not give you an excuse to be a crappy person.  Really, busy is not an excuse at all.  "Oh, yeah I haven't had time for you in two months because I've been busy."  

You wanna know how busy I'VE been?  No, you sure don't because you didn't ask.  You didn't ask because you don't care; busy is just an ugly excuse for "I don't care about you enough to give you the time of day".

End rant.  That's just something I've realized over these last few weeks, because luckily enough, my best friend goes to the U of A and at the end of a long day, still makes time for me.  My mom works 40+ hours a week and still makes time for me.  It's really great and my life isn't so bad.  I'm still trying to get into the groove of things here, but it seems like there's some new obstacle in my way every day.  I catch myself being so exhausted that I can't wait to get in bed at the end of the day, but once I'm in bed, I get so anxious about what I have to do the next day that I end up staying up all night worrying or trying to get something else done.  But thankfully, I have some really great friends that make it easy to call Norman home. 

College is hard--if you don't know what you want to do for the rest of your life, do not invest your money or time into attending college.  It will be a giant waste.  Thankfully enough, I love what I do.

To each his own, I suppose.  Shout out to my mom for sending me socks and a new headband today along with an awesome card to cheer me up.  It's pretty neat that she just knows when I'm in need.  In the meantime, say a prayer that I will survive this semester and leave with my sanity in tact; as always, I'll leave y'all with a little something that I have to constantly remind myself with every day.  

"When we are sure that we are on the

right road there is no need to plan our

journey too far ahead. No need to

burden ourselves with doubts and fears

as to the obstacles that may bar our 

progress. We cannot take more than 

one step at a time."

-Orison Swett Marden

  

Week 1 (COMPLETE)

I SURVIVED WEEK ONE OF MY JUNIOR YEAR OF COLLEGE!

So much happened this week that I can't even wrap my head around all of it.  I have either had the chance to sit down and catch up with people or I have run into them on campus.  I'm that girl that literally screams joy to see all of my friends back here on campus, but even on a campus like this, I have to keep in mind that not everyone feels so surrounded by love and support--somewhere so big can make you feel so small and that's tough.

17 hours.  I'm in 17 hours and classes are hard.  I'm in two different languages, one of which has required more patience and time than I ever intended to spend on it and I'm only on week 1.  French and Spanish together are just tough, but luckily I have enjoyed ALL of my professors so far.

I didn't have my Politics of Russia class this week because Dr. Goode has been researching in Siberia.  I'm as surprised as y'all are, I didn't realize that anyone willingly went to Siberia but I'm gonna go ahead and guess that he's an interesting man for doing so.  My classes require a lot of reading and patience and different languages.  Not many people are stupid enough to take 17 hours, but here I am.  On the brighter side of things, I had my study abroad meeting this week and my adviser is such a doll.  I can't wait to go abroad and she is just getting me more and more excited.  While I really wanted to go to Buenos Aires, it's looking like I'll be going to Ecuador.  It's half the price for a student exchange program there and it goes from the end of January to the end of April; needless to say that I'm scared to death but even more excited to jump in with both feet.

This week has just been really long and really weird.  If my weeks in DC had lasted this long, wooooo I would've been SO happy.

Meanwhile, here I am, still in college and still learning from my rookie mistakes.  Don't get me wrong y'all, I have some of the greatest friends in the world.  But sometimes, I lose patience with people in the way that I care about everyone--if I call you my friend, I care.  And sometimes it's tough to find the happy medium between "treat others how you want to be treated" and "treat others how they treat you".  I'm a doormat, but if I reciprocate that treatment, all hell breaks loose.  It's much more satisfying to be nice, but sometimes it's exhausting.  

On the brighter side, I got to know a few of my friends a little bit better this week and as I get deeper into my classes, I continue to find a new love for what I do and what I'm working towards.  

Anyway, as unorganized as that was, next week's post will be better...hopefully.  Until then, I'll leave y'all with an awesome piece of advice that an old family friend sent me before I left DC a few weeks ago.

"I'm convinced that the difference between those that succeed and those that do not, is their ability to never give up.  Find your passion and jump in with both feet."

-(Not actually anonymous but not releasing a name)  

Week 1

For starters, I just think blogging is healthy.  It's healthy because I am able to give those of you who feel distant from me some insight into what my life is like on a day to day basis, which makes me vulnerable.  Vulnerable to both welcome and unwelcome opinions, happy and unhappy thoughts, but most of all, it lets you all know that I am a normal human being, I make mistakes, but I am relatable.  

Anyway, this post is just kind of a short one.  School starts tomorrow so even though I'm dead tired, I stayed up to creep my class rosters.  17 hours of classes, y'all.  We'll see if I have any hair left on top of my head by the end of the semester. 

This weekend has been so great, getting back into the swing of things here in Norman.  There are few better feelings than the following two:

1.) The sense of belonging.  Don't get me wrong, home is wherever my mama is but it feels good to be back around people my age.

2.) Realizing that your friends missed you as much as you missed them.  It's wonderful.

As happy as I am to be back, I'm really dreading this whole week.  I love school and I'm pumped for classes but at the same time, classes are going to be difficult.  International Security & Spanish are gonna slowly drive me insane.  Between "The Politics of Russia" and "US-Middle East Relations 1945-Present", I also have beginning French (never spoken a lick of French in my life) and conversational Spanish (a class full of a bunch of kids that I don't know).  Oh, don't forget the best one yet--"The Evolution of Martyrdom in the Christian-Judeo Civilization".  

I caught myself stressing out today, more than once.  People's opinions can really get to you.  I mean, REALLY get to you.  Sticks and stones, blah blah but it's like a mental block.  Being constantly set out to prove people wrong is a tough mindset to stay in, but God bless if that's not where I'm at with about 90% of the people who think they have any sort of opinion about me.  Luckily, I was surrounded by almost all of my favorite people at some point or another this weekend.  After having lunch with Elise and returning to Sunday dinners with Brandon, it's nice to know I have a support group as awesome as those two, not to mention my roommate Kristen and Sasha, my triplet.  In the mean time, I was reminded that too much of anything is not a good thing and there is no such thing as too much "Tea Cafe".  So while I'm sitting here frantically filling out my planner full of things that need to be done or are expected to be done, I'm finding solace in the fact that I am halfway done with my college career.  After tomorrow, there will only be three more semesters of not knowing my professors or classmates or worrying about whether or not all the information in my planner is correct.  

Mondays are the longest day of the week for all of my classes so of course, tomorrow is unavoidable. Mondays man.  Let's just hope that this year is as rockin' as the past two years have been.  Oh and I miss DC dearly.

If you do what you need, you're surviving.  If you do what you want, you're living.

-Unknown