Another Internship Good-Bye...

Six months ago I began my internship at Cashman & Associates… and this past Monday was my last day.

First of all, I want to say thank you to everyone at the company and of course, my amazing supervisor Dana Lombardo. Over the past months I have learned such a great deal about public relations, special events and working with the media in Philadelphia. I’m appreciative for the opportunity and the chance to meet some really talented people. From every employee to my fellow interns, some of whom have become my good friends, I’m grateful to have got to know everyone.

So what did I learn from it all? So very much, indeed. Everything from maintaining client recaps, clipping hundreds of media hits and of course writing various materials including updating press kits materials, to media advisories, press releases, event postings and more.

Considering it all, what would I recommend for future interns? I’ll let them fend for themselves. Just kidding! I’ll offer a few light-hearted tips.

-Master the tech!
Whether it is computers, copy machines, fax machines or printers. Get ready to try and figure them out. Every office is different and the technology can be challenging at times. There are always tricks and tips, so don’t be afraid to ask other interns for help, especially if you can’t figure it out. Nothing’s worse than taking 30 minutes to make 5 copies, but don’t worry you’ll get it eventually.

-Always have your cell!
I don’t mean carry your cell phone with you around the office or text, or answer calls while you’re working… What I mean is, when you’re out running errands it’s important to have your phone with you. In case you have a question or something comes up while you’re out, you can easily call the office.

-Clean your car!
This is just to avoid silly embarrassment. You might have to drive, drop off or pick up a co-worker somewhere and there’s nothing worse than explaining that your car might not be the best choice for transportation at that moment (because there’s left-over or tons of wrappers and trajavascript:void(0)sh in the back seat). So try to keep it sort of clean at least.

That’s all for now. Gooooood luck!

Looking Back On A Great Intership

Today was the last day of my internship at the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau. I absolutely LOVED it there, but it had to end eventually. As I was having my "good-bye, good-luck and thank-you" lunch with my boss and two other people that I helped out through the semester, we talked about my three months at the PCVB.

I was asked what I liked the most, what I liked the least, what I learned, etc. Then they asked me what I would tell an incoming intern to be prepared for. That one definitely got me, but after I thought about it for a few seconds, I think I had it. We all know that writing is key and we've heard it so many times before. But it's so true! You definitely need to know how to write well. But not only do you need to know how to write well, you need to know what audience you're writing for. I learned how to tweak my writing for different audiences, and I know it will help me in my future!

I had a great time at the PCVB. I made some great professional relationships, became friends with the other interns, gained great PR contacts, and learned SO MUCH!

It is so important to get internship experience. It should be a requirement, because the work you do there is so different from the textbook and classroom.

Swine Flu Going Social?

This morning I was reading my Bulldog Reporter e-mail when I saw a headline that got my attention: "Buzz About Swine Flu Spikes Big Online: CDC Posts Updates as Bloggers and Twitterers Spring Into Action." Since I have been reading articles about the swine flu like crazy the last few days, I immediately clicked on this article.

The article said that the words swine flu had been present in 2% of all Tweets on Twitter, the swine flu Wikipedia page was updated more than 60 times in one hour and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has been updating its website frequently as well.

This article was of interest to me not only because of my growing concern for a possible swine flu pandemic, (I'm leaving for Europe in 23 days and I'm hoping that won't be affected!) but because of the growing impact social media has on our lives. Bloggers and Twitter users are quickly becoming the first people to break news. People don't even have to watch TV or read newspapers anymore. Just go to your favorite social media website and get your news there!

What do you think about the capabilities of Twitter users and bloggers to release breaking news? Do you go to Twitter or blogs for news before other types of media?

PRowl Public Relations/PRSSA Fundraising

It's tough being a student organization.

We do receive some money from Temple University, but for the most part, we fundraise heavily throughout the school year to raise money for our chapter and firm.

Last year, we held comedy shows and an open mic/spoken word event. This year, we have held several cupcake sales (yes, just cupcakes...they are quite a popular item!).

On Wednesday, Temple University celebrated Spring Fling, an all day event where student organizations set up tables outside on campus and fundraise and promote their organizations. There are moon bounces, free food, and bands playing all day long.

For the last few years, our PRSSA chapter has been quite successful in selling pina coloda and strawberry daiquiri flavored smoothies. This year was no different. The weather wasn't ideal, but we still had a great day.

Me (Incoming PRSSA president) and Olivia (PRowl PR fundraising liasion, and incoming PRSSA fundraising director) in front of our lovely PRSSA banner at Spring Fling.

PRSSA members manning the Spring Fling table. Mary, on the very left is our current fundraising director, and has done a great job raising money for our organization this year.

For all of you students out there, how does your PRSSA chapter (or any organization for that matter) fundraise? We'd love to try out some new events and ideas next year!

7 Tips To Surviving Finals

“I am so stressed,” is a common statement you will hear from college students as the semester comes to an end. The one thing making everyone feel this way is FINALS. It is inevitable that finals are coming and most of the time they are going to make or break your grade. The best thing to do before your finals is to be prepared and not be stressed. Here are some tips from The University of Pennsylvania on how to survive finals.

1. Don’t panic!

The first thing you should do is to check what the final is worth in each course. Remember, it is only one component of your final grade. If it is worth 20% or less, you probably won't be able to bring your final grade up or down by more than one grade level (e.g., B to B+), unless you perform extremely better or worse than you have on other exams and assignments during the semester.

2. Don’t be too relaxed!

On the other hand, you should try to do as well on the final as you possibly can. Furthermore, sometimes the final is a big part of your final grade (30% or more), in which case it is more likely to make a significant difference in your final average. It is better not to go into the final with the idea, "I just need to get x number of points to keep my B (or whatever it is) average." It may not be possible to calculate this accurately anyway, since teachers sometimes compute things like participation grades at the very end.

3. Make time for "renewing" activities.

This is NOT the time to stop exercising or doing other things that you find enjoyable. Pace yourself! You will study more effectively if you spread things out and take breaks. But watch the proportions here. Beware of doing 15 minutes of studying followed by a two-hour break to play a video game!

4. Use an effective study method.

The key to effective retention is repetition, and not overloading your brain (it can only absorb so much in an hour). Whatever you do, don’t do it all in one long cramming session. Which brings us to:

5. Get enough sleep.

Don’t pull an "all nighter." You will do better if you are rested, and cramming often leads to a superficial and confused knowledge of the material you have studied. There is a reason why sleep deprivation is used as torture. Failure to follow #4 and #5 can lead to writing nonsense on exams. Teachers often fall off their chairs laughing at some of the silly statements that appear on finals.

6. Resist the urge to party on "off" days.

Instead, if you have a break in your exam schedule, use it to get a head start on the exams coming up. This can be a time to catch up on missed reading, or to complete Step 1 of "Immediate Preparation" in my study method. REMEMBER: if you party, you will need to recover! And research has shown that people who engage in high-risk drinking deaden their cognitive skills (ability to recall and organize information, etc.)

7. When the exam is over, let it go!

Forget it! Move on to the next one, or go enjoy the break! If you do have major concerns, make an appointment to see your professor at a mutually convenient time.

This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations firm staff member, Samantha Sultzer. Follow her on Twitter: @samanthasultzer

Small Beginnings Become Big Bucks and Big Love

The year is 2003, and a few students at the University of Pennsylvania wonder what is missing in their lives (or in their stomachs). They then get the bright idea to bake cookies late at night and give them to their friends, with some milk of course. This may seem like a small act of kindness, but this is the act that turned a few college students with some cookies into a nation-wide baking machine. At the time, Seth Berkowitz had no idea his late-night milk and cookie delivery would become something that college students at over 19 universities would long for.

Although Insomnia Cookies may be relatively new to Temple University, its legendary love and respect has been a part of many college students lives for over six years. The truck that sits by the Student Center on Montgomery Street first came to us spring semester this year, and it did not take long for the the word to get around that something yummy was baking on the streets of campus. It's late-night delivery also did not take long to catch on with Temple students.

Beginning at 7 p.m. and until 2:30 a.m., anyone living between Diamond St. and Jefferson St., and 18th St. to 8th St. can order warm cookies to be delivered right to their door. The Insomnia Cookies creators believe that late night hours are the most important aspect of their success, because they understand college students' desire for good food that is not greasy or heavy during the late hours they are awake. Insomnia Cookies also offers great deals and promotions that can always be redeemed either at the truck or for delivery.

Working as part of the Insomnia Cookies marketing team for Temple University since the beginning of this semester has been an extremely beneficial experience. Knowing that this company began with just a few UPenn students who had a great idea and turned it into what is it
today, shows me that all of us are capable of anything we set our minds to. This company has proved that a small business can always have the possibility to bloom into an extremely successful profit-making machine. Insomnia Cookies is a now a big-time company with a small-time feel, and it has definitely been one of the best additions to Temple's campus.

Visit Insomnia Cookies today.

This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations firm staff member, Melissa Colelli. Follow her on Twitter: @m_colelli

Interview now for PRowl Public Relations!

Sorry for another announcement post, but last call for all of you PR students at Temple University thinking about interviewing for PRowl Public Relations!

At PRowl Public Relations, students are given opportunities to develop their strategic thinking and gain tactical practice. Members create and execute public relations campaigns, form valuable relationships with professionals in the Philadelphia area, apply their classroom knowledge to a real-world setting and prepare for life beyond graduation.

Interviews are being held until next Friday (a week from today), May 1. Interested? E-mail me, Jaime Scofield at jscofield@temple.edu!