2nd Semester at U of I

Hello everyone,

I thought that I would just take a few moments to update everyone on what I have been doing for the past couple of months. To say the least, it certainly has been a busy semester so far.

On the academic side of things, I am taking 5 classes. I am just beginning to start some of my business core classes. Right now, I am taking Accountancy 1, Economic Statistics, and Microeconomics. These three classes are part of the the business core curriculum; so all business students must take these classes. These classes are not super interesting, but I do find them enjoyable and very applicable. I am also taking two general education classes in Social Psychology and World Religions. For all of my academic classes, midterms are finally over, so that is quite the relief.

Outside of the classroom, I working hard to get involved. Both this semester and next fall semester I will be the Vice President of Job Placement for Finance Club. Basically, I am responsible for handling the mock interviews and the resume critiques for the members of Finance Club. Working with Finance Club has been a great experience, and I hope to add to the club in my upcoming years at U of I. In addition to Finance Club, I have also started working on a project for Illinois Business Consulting. Right now, I am working on a team that is made up of 7 students ranging from PhD's & MBA's to undergraduates like myself. Our specific project involves helping a specialized gas company introduce a product into a new market. I am extremely excited to be gaining some experience working with real businesses in the community.

And now for the fun stuff! A few weeks back BJ, Matt, and Jakey all came down to Champaign for an Illini basketball game. We started the day by having lunch at Firehaus, and then we made it over to Assembly Hall for the game. Unfortunaltey, the Illini came up short as they were defeated by Minnesota (and thus explains why Minnesota is in the NCAA tournament, and not the Illini). Even so, we had a great time. After the basketball game, we took a tour around campus, seeing such landmarks as the Business Instructional Facility (BIF), Foellinger Auditorium (or just the Auditorium for the pre 1985 alumni), the Illini Union, and the ARC. To sum up, it was a great time, and I look forward to many more visitors in the future!

Well, last, but certainly not least, is the fact that tomorrow signals the start of my Spring Break. It is a much needed break, and I look forward to catching up with everyone over the next week or so!

I hope everyone is well,

Love, Daniel