Summer's over, it couldn't last.

After 21 sessions: 21 6:55 briefings, 21 Classic fare breakfast muffins, 21 check-ins, 21 G-O-O-D MORNING!, 21 rotations, 21 Reitz lunches, 21 finding big Orange letters, 21 advisor meetings, 21 greetings to students/families and loved ones, 21 dinner rotations, 21 sayings of "UF's the one that I want", 21 late nights at Broward, 21 7:29 am running to debriefs, 21 looooong Day 2 campus tours at noon, 21 waiting in lines at Quiznos and having 10 minutes to eat, 21 teachings of "We are the boys" in the auditorium and 21 crazy unwinding de-briefs until at 5 pm -- WE ARE DONE! (until hidden session in the fall)

6,400 incoming students, 21 sessions, 38 staffers, 1 summer, 1 family.

PLUV is forever! <3

Catch of the day!

All summer long, I watched the staffers before me get selected to be catch of the day. I finally got chosen on the very last session!

I was so shocked to hear my name called on briefing that morning. Dalila said that I was chosen for the previous session. Whitney and I shared it for the last session, I got it on Day 1 and Whitney on Day 2.

I was so happy that I was chosen not only by Dalila, but from the rest of my staffers through the catch of the day notes. Our philosophy the whole summer has been to play, make their day, be present and choose your attitude. Based on what the staffers said about me, and the quality of my notes that I got, I got to wear the hat. The oh so famous fishy hat. I was so honored. I'm so glad I got to experience that.

Flashing back 3 years...

I feel like a Freshman again. From my first night in Gainesville-->to now, three years later, it has been a trip indeed.

In many ways, I am the same person. But in so many other ways, I have grown into someone that I could not even imagine becoming before. I remember being an incoming Freshman and scared as hell my first semester, but I was also excited. I was excited to start off with something new, something with so many possibilities.

My preview experience sort of prepared me for life at UF. Honestly, the only thing I really remember about my session is the skits, they seemed the most real. But I remember them to this day. It is so great to be able to have that impact on others just like I was so deeply impacted 3 years ago. I don't think that I can expect my students to remember me forever, but maybe for the rest of their career at UF. I hope they can see me as someone that helped their transition a little bit smoother, easier and meaningful.

2 more weeks.

^Michael a.k.a. Ilovechemistry@ufl.edu :)

Where has the time gone? We only have 4 sessions left. We have completed 18 sessions. That is 18 check-ins, 18 times of getting up at 6am (two days in a row) and 18 opportunities to change the lives of incoming freshmen and their families. I can't believe that it is almost over.

I can honestly say that I have given every day my all, even when I felt like I couldn't. I wanted to challenge myself to make every day count. It is so easy to get comfortable and say "oh I got this" and not think that students need you. But that't not the attitude we want, or have been stressed to have this whole summer. Because if you don't make yourself available or willing to grow, then you never will. These past few sessions have been really great and I feel like I have connected to my students.

I want to make these last 4 to be the best yet, small group or not. The people I am surrounded with, is my family during the summer, and I want to have only great memories.

3 doors down.

Living on the same floor that I did freshman year brings back a lot of memories. I was excited to know that I would be living at Broward again but I did not know that I would be on the same floor as my first year, let alone a couple doors down.

Seeing a freshman enter my room on their preview experience, brings back memories, smells, thoughts and feelings. We, as a staff, are so fortunate to have a living arrangement for the whole summer and it is somewhere in which I am familiar. It is so funny to hear the girls on my hall talking about the community bathrooms and how they can't stand it. I embraced the fact that it was a social residence hall. I wanted to meet fellow first years and new people in general. Now it's my chance to meet them all over again. =)

Feedback, feedback.

This past week was the last session in June and then the first session in July. We only have 6 sessions left, and everyone is feeling it. I can see the exhaustion mentally, physically and for me, emotionally as well. For the sake of finishing the sessions on a high note, I would have loved to meet with the Pro-staff for some individual feedback about how I am doing thus far in the summer.

I would like to know what my students are saying in their surveys, how I am looking with the families, and just my overall performance. I feel like I am giving it my 100% every time because if I did not, then I would feel bad for the rest of the staff to pick up my slack. And if I am not aware of the things that I am doing wrong, or the areas I need to improve on, then I cannot grow as a staffer and leader.

Hopefully, when Jaime comes back (she is very missed by the by) she will implement these policies. I want every person's preview experience to be the same from me, no matter what I am going through that day.