Switched-On :: Blog

As teenagers, job hunting may not seem to be your biggest concern right now. However, it may be a good idea to take up a summer job for job experience. Others, like me, might want a summer job to finance their education though. Personally, I’ve sent in applications to many different stores in hopes of finding a cashier job or something for some extra cash to save up for my education– and even that’s hard to find. What’s annoying is a lot of jobs want you to have experience before hiring you…but if everyone does that, then where do we get the experience? That’s my pet peeve with job hunting. Although summer seems to be the golden opportunity to work without the burdens of school, it seems to be very difficult to find a job that could either finance your future plans or help provide you with experience needed for future plans. How are you faring with finding a summer job?

- Vivian

Summer is here! Well, summer vacation is, though the weather says otherwise with still relatively cool weather for a Chicago summer. With the advancement in technology and increasingly hectic schedules of modern society, heading outdoors seems to be something not many would be considering. However, apparently I have been blessed with friends who think about going outdoors way more than I would like and there are already many outdoor adventures planned. Ultimate frisbee, capture the flag, random adventures at the park, and many more activities are on the list — all of which I do not consider myself good at. Although personally I would prefer to stay indoors and enjoy the air conditioning instead of embarrassing myself in those activities, I suppose it would not hurt to go out some time for a breath of fresh air. Perhaps you, too, would also consider going out for some fresh air? It would be beneficial for mental health, unless, of course, you decide to venture out on a gloomy day.

- Vivian

I hate bikes. Not just because I go so long without riding one that I actually forget how (yes, it is possible to forget, especially when you have horrible balance and a general fear of hitting the ground attached to a metal contraption). Not just because I live in a city where bikes can be a death sentence for slow cyclist. And certainly not because I’m a broke college student that cannot afford the time or money to contribute to bike riding. That said, there is one great thing that comes from having a bike, besides that little basket on front, bikes are a great source of clean power, exercise-inducing form of transportation. Bike-to-Work day is on the 21st and this is the opportunity to be green and burn off a couple calories. So if you have a bike, try ridding it to school or work for a day, maybe even a week. For those that bike riding isn’t necessarily an option, like it is 90 degrees outside and you have to wear a suit, then try starting a carpool because more is always merrier.

- Ruben