Month: October 2012

With Halloween weekend upon us it is only natural for people to want to party. It is the one time of the where you are allowed to party as hard as you want without having people really judge you. However, once Halloween is over, you can’t exactly show up half naked to parties and get “shit housed”. So I complied a list of the top 15 no no’s I have noticed while partying at the notorious UMass Amherst, better know as Zoomass. Even though we will all be guilty of something on this list at one point just don’t be the kid known committing party fouls left and right. #FreeClyde

1. Blacking out once in a while isn’t smart but it happens to the best of us. Dont black out at every party though. Then you’re an idiot

2. Don’t hit on every girl you see… No one likes that kid.

3. Don’t brag about how much you can drink. No one cares.

4. Don’t be that kid getting way too into beer pong. It’s not a real sport.

5. Save the dramatics for your house.

6. Don’t talk to your ex if he or she is at the party. Your going to have a bad time.

7. Don’t pick fights, especially with the people who live at the house. It doesn’t make you cool.

8. Don’t wear the same outfit 2 nights in a row. People notice.

9. If the cops come to the party and it’s not your house, don’t be a hero and try and argue with them. Just leave.

10. Don’t go up to people who you’ve met once and tell them your life story.

11. Don’t be that person crying at the party. Just step outside or go home.

12. Don’t forget to put on deodorant. No one wants to talk to someone who smells.

13. Don’t overdo it with the cologne. I don’t need to feel like I’m walking into an abercrombie and fitch store.

14. If you need to wingman/wingwoman, do NOT go in and “steal” the person your friend was gunning for. That is just grimy.

15. Don’t be the first one who wants to go home. Stop being lame.

For your listening pleasure….

Every single day, we have dozens of interactions with the people around us. Whether it be with friends, professors, colleagues, etc., in every conversation there is the potential to learn something- if you can catch it, that is. Personally, I go into every interaction with a plan, and that plan is to find out as much as possible about the other person without saying much about myself. That way, I am maximizing the amount I’m able to pick up about the other person without giving anything up myself.

You may be wondering, why do I do this?. The answer is simple; I want to learn more about you. I already know everything about myself so why waste my time talking about it? Rather, I am going to ask tons of questions and just listen the whole time. Incidentally, this is also a great way to make friends, as people really value a person with great listening skills.

Why not contribute to the conversation and talk about myself though? The way I see it, the less everyone knows about me the better. You will never see me complaining about anything in my personal life through social media, nor see me spilling my heart to an acquaintance at the bar. As a person who is in shape, there are a lot of pre-conceived notions about me, one of them being that I am a “meat head”. Go right ahead and think that… It doesn’t bother me at all. Frankly, I enjoy it, as it gives me a bit of an advantage. I would prefer most people underestimate me so I can surprise them with my capabilities and potential rather than have them already realize these things. As stated in Sun Tzu’s The Art of War, “In any battle the element of surprise can provide an overwhelming advantage”. In the battle to find a job upon graduation, I plan on using this element to its’ fullest.

So what is there to gain with implementing this strategy?

1.You learn everything about the people around you
2.The people around you like and trust you because you are a great listener
3.Nothing has been revealed about yourself

I love using the analogy of a poker game to explain this a bit clearer: Poker is a very easy game to win when you know the cards everyone around you is holding. Poker is even easier to win when no one knows the cards you have. The only time you show your cards in poker is when you win the game, and I have a long way to go until my cards are on the table.

Lets not forget we were given 1 mouth and 2 ears for a reason. So listen up and always say less than necessary.