During these boring times, my roommates and I have struggled to find things to do in our free time. We have played various card games, watched Netflix shows, and spent time in our backyard playing games. However, a recent roommate favorite has been the game "Quiplash".
Quiplash is a game that simply requires a computer and everyone to use their phones. It is similar to Kahoot, but it asks funny prompts for the player to fill-out. For example, each round you answer two fill-in-the blank questions. You are given 90 seconds to fill-out your answers and submit them on your phone. After the round is over, the rest of the players pick their favorite answers to each fill-in the blank answer.
This game allows for a lot of creativity and quite frankly, it can get out of control. Answers range from cute and adorable to perverse and distasteful. Below are some of the answers that led to some fits of uncontrollable laughter:
1. The best thing about going to prison:
Answer: They have toilet paper.
2. The best way to catch a leprechaun:
Answer: Mouse Traps
3. "Knock, knock." "Who's there?" _________.
Answer: Just me. I wish I had friends.
This game has provided a great source of laughter and happiness during social distancing. If you are looking for a fun way to interact with friends during quarantine, you can set up this game whether you are in-person or not! I would highly recommend it!
https://www.jackboxgames.com/quiplash/
Tuesday, April 28, 2020
5 Things I've Learned this Semester - Laughter
As the semester comes to a close, it is always nice to remember some of the key takeaways from your courses. Below are five of the biggest takeaways I had from this course:
1. Laughter is contagious
2. Laughter can be an effective way to win people over and make them like you. (Chancellor Boschini)
3. Comedy is truth and pain. (The Comic Toolbox)
4. Laughter is the best medicine
5. Tickling becomes less relevant the older you get (Robert Provine)
1. Laughter is contagious
2. Laughter can be an effective way to win people over and make them like you. (Chancellor Boschini)
3. Comedy is truth and pain. (The Comic Toolbox)
4. Laughter is the best medicine
5. Tickling becomes less relevant the older you get (Robert Provine)
Friday, April 24, 2020
Why am I a double major? - FR III Learning Experience
When I came into college, I was planning on majoring
in accounting. Both of my parents are were accountants in their careers and
witnessed the success in their careers. I believe that accounting is logical,
but not exciting. I do not necessarily wake up every day and hope that I can do
journal entries or solve an accounting problem. I ended up deciding to add a
finance major to my education because I had room in my class schedule and I
wanted to explore other areas of business that interested me.
I ended up pursuing finance internships throughout my
TCU experience and will be pursuing finance after I graduate. However, I ended
up keeping my accounting major. One of the upper-division accounting classes is
Financial Reporting III. Financial Reporting III is the hardest course I have
taken in my entire life. We are presented a difficult case regarding a company
and have to find Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) that justifies the
logic for applying certain accounting standards to the scenario.
Accounting code is incredibly difficult to understand
and apply. I have spent around 20-30 hours a week on this class for the past 4
weeks. The workload is almost unbearable. The teacher is incredibly difficult
and gives out quite harsh grades. However, I think that I have learned the most
from the course and it has dramatically improved my critical thinking ability.
Unlike other courses, our grade is a result of our
ability to apply information and not memorize information. Although I may never
remember what ASC 842-10-25-2 says, I have learned to critically think about
how businesses operate and how to properly apply accounting code. I believe
that these critical thinking skills will play a pivotal role in the future of
my career, even though my career is not headed in the accounting direction. I
believe that the countless hours spent in this class have been worth it as I
have been pushed academically, improved my writing, and refined my critical
thinking skills.
Senior Sendoff - Self-Reflective Learning Experience
At the end of every year, my fraternity has a ritual of doing “Senior Sendoffs.” These sendoffs are an opportunity for seniors to talk in front of the entire chapter about their Beta experience, TCU experience, or any life lessons that they think are worth sharing with the chapter. Unfortunately, COVID-19 has prevented these senior sendoffs from occurring. Instead of doing a Zoom meeting with 180 college guys, the president decided to do video sendoffs. Although the platform is not the same, it still allows the seniors to address the chapter.
Some seniors take this as an opportunity to reminisce on their best experiences. In contrast, others make it a little bit more seriously by providing advice or giving insight to the younger members of the chapter. I took the second approach as I feel like it is essential to invest in the younger members of the fraternity. Furthermore, I always took a lot away from the seniors that provided insight during their senior sendoff.
I enjoyed the exercise of thinking about the best advice I could provide to younger members of the fraternity. I believe I learned a lot about myself and realized that the college experience went by quickly, but I do think that I learned a lot over the years. Below is the transcript of my senior sendoff that I recorded in a video to be presented to my fraternity.
Hi guys, this is Ben Warren roll number 261. For those of you who may not know me as well, I served on exec for three terms. I was the secretary, president, and vice president of communications. Beta has meant a lot to me over the years. I have always looked forward to giving my senior sendoff in person, but a video sent to the chapter is a close second. Today, I want to share some of the best lessons I have learned and things I wish I knew when I was younger. None of these concepts are life-changing, but I think they played a massive role in my development over the years.
1. Live a purpose-driven life
Although it may be difficult, finding your purpose and what motivates you will bring so much happiness into your life. You may not be the best at whatever you are doing, but don’t let anyone outwork you. An anonymous quote that I live by is, “If you’re not thinking about it in the shower, you don’t want it bad enough.” Live a life with purpose and do something worth doing.
2. Find a mentor
I have learned so much from people that are older than me. By reaching out to people that are in my career field, I have learned what life is like in the various industries I may try to pursue. As soon as you find someone, ask them outstanding questions, and figure out what makes them tick. I found a mentor at my first internship. I still had a quote from one of my mentor meetings in 2018:
“Some things matter, others don’t Happiness is knowing the difference.”
Although the quote is somewhat simplistic, looking at life through this lens allows you to take a step back and observe what is essential in life.
3. Learn to love the process
Often, we as humans get so caught up on the outcome. It is so much more worthwhile to focus on everything you can do at the current moment. Live in the moment and soak up every second. You will end up where you are supposed to end up. Everything indeed does happen for a reason. Learn to love the grind, whether it be with school, work, friendships, or a relationship. Here are two quotes by Gary V. I like to reference when I think about learning to love the process:
“Nobody has anything to complain about.”
“You can’t complain about something if you don’t put the work in.”
4. Time
College goes by so fast. Everyone will tell you this. You only have so much time before this crazy experience is over. Everybody has time. No matter how busy you are or what you are up to, everyone has time. It truly is just a matter of priorities. If someone says they don’t have time for you, then they just don’t prioritize you. It's not fair to you or fair of them. Do your best to make time for others and to invest in others. One of my favorite quotes by Steve Jobs is this:
“It’s really clear that the most precious resource we have is time.” – Steve Jobs
5. Learn to find peace in the unknown
Sometimes you will not get that internship. Sometimes you will not get into that program. Sometimes you will not get that relationship you want. Life can feel slightly out of your control at times. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but everything does happen for a reason.
Best of luck, everyone. I hope to stay in touch. With that, this is Ben Warren roll number 261 signing off.
Some seniors take this as an opportunity to reminisce on their best experiences. In contrast, others make it a little bit more seriously by providing advice or giving insight to the younger members of the chapter. I took the second approach as I feel like it is essential to invest in the younger members of the fraternity. Furthermore, I always took a lot away from the seniors that provided insight during their senior sendoff.
I enjoyed the exercise of thinking about the best advice I could provide to younger members of the fraternity. I believe I learned a lot about myself and realized that the college experience went by quickly, but I do think that I learned a lot over the years. Below is the transcript of my senior sendoff that I recorded in a video to be presented to my fraternity.
Hi guys, this is Ben Warren roll number 261. For those of you who may not know me as well, I served on exec for three terms. I was the secretary, president, and vice president of communications. Beta has meant a lot to me over the years. I have always looked forward to giving my senior sendoff in person, but a video sent to the chapter is a close second. Today, I want to share some of the best lessons I have learned and things I wish I knew when I was younger. None of these concepts are life-changing, but I think they played a massive role in my development over the years.
1. Live a purpose-driven life
Although it may be difficult, finding your purpose and what motivates you will bring so much happiness into your life. You may not be the best at whatever you are doing, but don’t let anyone outwork you. An anonymous quote that I live by is, “If you’re not thinking about it in the shower, you don’t want it bad enough.” Live a life with purpose and do something worth doing.
2. Find a mentor
I have learned so much from people that are older than me. By reaching out to people that are in my career field, I have learned what life is like in the various industries I may try to pursue. As soon as you find someone, ask them outstanding questions, and figure out what makes them tick. I found a mentor at my first internship. I still had a quote from one of my mentor meetings in 2018:
“Some things matter, others don’t Happiness is knowing the difference.”
Although the quote is somewhat simplistic, looking at life through this lens allows you to take a step back and observe what is essential in life.
3. Learn to love the process
Often, we as humans get so caught up on the outcome. It is so much more worthwhile to focus on everything you can do at the current moment. Live in the moment and soak up every second. You will end up where you are supposed to end up. Everything indeed does happen for a reason. Learn to love the grind, whether it be with school, work, friendships, or a relationship. Here are two quotes by Gary V. I like to reference when I think about learning to love the process:
“Nobody has anything to complain about.”
“You can’t complain about something if you don’t put the work in.”
4. Time
College goes by so fast. Everyone will tell you this. You only have so much time before this crazy experience is over. Everybody has time. No matter how busy you are or what you are up to, everyone has time. It truly is just a matter of priorities. If someone says they don’t have time for you, then they just don’t prioritize you. It's not fair to you or fair of them. Do your best to make time for others and to invest in others. One of my favorite quotes by Steve Jobs is this:
“It’s really clear that the most precious resource we have is time.” – Steve Jobs
5. Learn to find peace in the unknown
Sometimes you will not get that internship. Sometimes you will not get into that program. Sometimes you will not get that relationship you want. Life can feel slightly out of your control at times. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but everything does happen for a reason.
Best of luck, everyone. I hope to stay in touch. With that, this is Ben Warren roll number 261 signing off.
Social Distancing - Uncontrollable Laughter
One of my good friends had a birthday this past week, and she wanted to celebrate. Although the CDC has recommended minimizing the gatherings of people, she decided to have a small group of people at her house. We all stayed in her front yard and made sure to maintain appropriate distances from each other.
As the BBQ progressed, we began to discuss the fact that my house is currently fostering a kitten. Our kitten's name is Sprinkles. She is a feisty and somewhat needy kitten. She craves attention and affection. One of the attendees at the party had expressed interest in potentially adopting the kitten we were fostering. She began asking us questions about what kind of cat it was and what gender it was.
I promptly responded, "It's a girl."
She looked back at me with some hesitation and said: "I've just had a lot of trouble with girls in the past."
With which I promptly replied, "That makes two of us."
Everyone at the party started laughing uncontrollably. Fortunately, everyone at the barbecue was some of my good friends, and they have some background knowledge of my love life at TCU. To say the least, it has not been the most successful aspect of my TCU career. Although I wouldn't necessarily describe myself as "funny," I was proud of the reaction I caused with this witty comment.
The CDC may not be happy that there was a small gathering of people, but this social interaction made life feel somewhat normal again, even if it was just for a brief moment.
Thursday, April 9, 2020
Network = Net Worth
The power of human connection in the business world is unmatched. As simple as a short conversation with one employee at a company can lead to an interview at the firm of your dreams. Networking is one of the most important lessons I have learned over the past week.
Although I attempt to focus on living in the present, my head tends to focus on the future and what it holds. I currently have a job lined up starting in August and often find myself dreaming about the next steps. Where do I want to be in five years? What position do I want to have? Where do I want to live?
As a result of quarantine, I find myself planning out the future. You can't necessarily plan out your future, but you can make put yourself in a position to be the most successful at making those future plans possible.
During my Mergers & Acquisitions night class on Monday night, a guest speaker presented to our class. He is currently a managing partner at a boutique investment bank in Denver. He had an informative presentation and gave some insight into his firm. Since I am starting my career in the fall in investment banking, I decided to send him a follow-up email after the presentation. I mentioned that I was from Colorado and that I am starting my career in investment banking.
He promptly replied, and we began a conversation about all the similarities we shared. He even offered to meet up before I head out to New York in the fall. As a passionate Colorado native, I have aspirations to make my way back to the beautiful state of Colorado. The power of a network enables you to go where you want to go. As I begin to think more about the future, I find myself being grateful for people in the business world that are willing to connect and discuss their experiences. There is so much to learn from mentors in the industry that you want to pursue. A simple email can get you connected with a person at the firm of your dreams.
Your net worth is only as valuable as your network.
Although I attempt to focus on living in the present, my head tends to focus on the future and what it holds. I currently have a job lined up starting in August and often find myself dreaming about the next steps. Where do I want to be in five years? What position do I want to have? Where do I want to live?
As a result of quarantine, I find myself planning out the future. You can't necessarily plan out your future, but you can make put yourself in a position to be the most successful at making those future plans possible.
During my Mergers & Acquisitions night class on Monday night, a guest speaker presented to our class. He is currently a managing partner at a boutique investment bank in Denver. He had an informative presentation and gave some insight into his firm. Since I am starting my career in the fall in investment banking, I decided to send him a follow-up email after the presentation. I mentioned that I was from Colorado and that I am starting my career in investment banking.
He promptly replied, and we began a conversation about all the similarities we shared. He even offered to meet up before I head out to New York in the fall. As a passionate Colorado native, I have aspirations to make my way back to the beautiful state of Colorado. The power of a network enables you to go where you want to go. As I begin to think more about the future, I find myself being grateful for people in the business world that are willing to connect and discuss their experiences. There is so much to learn from mentors in the industry that you want to pursue. A simple email can get you connected with a person at the firm of your dreams.
Your net worth is only as valuable as your network.
Closure
One of the most challenging concepts for humans and me, in general, is this concept of closure. The idea that all things come to an end for a reason and that there are events that take place or conversations that occur to facilitate closure. One thing that I have learned as a result of COVID-19 is that sometimes you don't always get closure. That was a tough pill for me to swallow.
TCU has been the greatest four years of my life. I met incredible people, I have learned, I landed some fun internships, and have some incredible memories. As a classic TCU fanboy, I was beyond excited for the second half of this semester. I was excited about the last goodbyes with classmates, friends, and teachers. I was excited about my final classes and the last ever final exams. I was excited about the senior sendoff events. I was excited about the closure, but that was taken away.
Does closure indeed exist? Is there always a reason that everything happens? To me, I believe that closure does exist and that everything does happen for a reason. Part of this is faith-based, and part of this is my faith in humanity. I think that we all, as humans, desperately seek comfort in times of unknowing. I have struggled to grasp the reality of never returning to TCU, seeing various people again, and being a "normal" TCU student still. The reality of this pandemic has been tough to grasp.
However, I do think that everything happens for a reason. For years, our society has been built on the idea that success only comes from being "busy" constantly. People are always "busy" and are going from one thing to the next. Although I pray for the health and safety of those infected, I believe that this is a unique opportunity in our lives to reflect and slow down.
Am I happy with where my life is? Am I doing what makes me happy? Am I supporting my local community? Am I staying in touch with friends and family? Am I taking things for granted? Am I complaining too much? Should I read more?
I have found myself trying to understand myself better and reflect on my life thus far. I think one of the most profound things I have noticed is that I need to stop complaining about the little things and not take things for granted. After this time of reflection at home, I have learned that I am truly so blessed and grateful. I have a loving family, incredible friends, and a job lined up after graduation. I attended an incredible school with great professors.
I find myself missing the classroom more and more each day. I never truly realized how much I enjoyed going to class, seeing my professors, and seeing my classmates. Although I may never get that closure that I always expected, I have closure knowing that we all need to be grateful for the little things.
No closure, no problem.
TCU has been the greatest four years of my life. I met incredible people, I have learned, I landed some fun internships, and have some incredible memories. As a classic TCU fanboy, I was beyond excited for the second half of this semester. I was excited about the last goodbyes with classmates, friends, and teachers. I was excited about my final classes and the last ever final exams. I was excited about the senior sendoff events. I was excited about the closure, but that was taken away.
Does closure indeed exist? Is there always a reason that everything happens? To me, I believe that closure does exist and that everything does happen for a reason. Part of this is faith-based, and part of this is my faith in humanity. I think that we all, as humans, desperately seek comfort in times of unknowing. I have struggled to grasp the reality of never returning to TCU, seeing various people again, and being a "normal" TCU student still. The reality of this pandemic has been tough to grasp.
However, I do think that everything happens for a reason. For years, our society has been built on the idea that success only comes from being "busy" constantly. People are always "busy" and are going from one thing to the next. Although I pray for the health and safety of those infected, I believe that this is a unique opportunity in our lives to reflect and slow down.
Am I happy with where my life is? Am I doing what makes me happy? Am I supporting my local community? Am I staying in touch with friends and family? Am I taking things for granted? Am I complaining too much? Should I read more?
I have found myself trying to understand myself better and reflect on my life thus far. I think one of the most profound things I have noticed is that I need to stop complaining about the little things and not take things for granted. After this time of reflection at home, I have learned that I am truly so blessed and grateful. I have a loving family, incredible friends, and a job lined up after graduation. I attended an incredible school with great professors.
I find myself missing the classroom more and more each day. I never truly realized how much I enjoyed going to class, seeing my professors, and seeing my classmates. Although I may never get that closure that I always expected, I have closure knowing that we all need to be grateful for the little things.
No closure, no problem.
Top 5 Tips to be Funny
1. Laugh at Yourself
When you have the confidence to laugh at yourself, you welcome others to be confident to laugh at themselves. Self-depricating humor can be a great way to have others warm up to you.
2. Know your Audience
Certain types of humor may only make select groups of people laugh. Being aware of your audience allows you to best steer humor towards the proper audience to ensure there is the best possible reaction.
3. Watch Comedians
Comedians are professionals that are paid to make people laugh. By studying the timing and delivery of comedians, you may pick up on the most effective way to produce a funny story or a joke.
4. Sarcasm
I think that sarcasm is one of the most simplistic forms of humor. Sarcastic sentences can have as much of a humorous effect as a joke. Sarcasm is easy to apply to most situations, its just important to not overdo it.
5. Smile
Smiling, similar to laughter, can be quite contagious. Implementing a smile when telling a funny joke or story can encourage those listening to also smile, which may facilitate laughter.
When you have the confidence to laugh at yourself, you welcome others to be confident to laugh at themselves. Self-depricating humor can be a great way to have others warm up to you.
2. Know your Audience
Certain types of humor may only make select groups of people laugh. Being aware of your audience allows you to best steer humor towards the proper audience to ensure there is the best possible reaction.
3. Watch Comedians
Comedians are professionals that are paid to make people laugh. By studying the timing and delivery of comedians, you may pick up on the most effective way to produce a funny story or a joke.
4. Sarcasm
I think that sarcasm is one of the most simplistic forms of humor. Sarcastic sentences can have as much of a humorous effect as a joke. Sarcasm is easy to apply to most situations, its just important to not overdo it.
5. Smile
Smiling, similar to laughter, can be quite contagious. Implementing a smile when telling a funny joke or story can encourage those listening to also smile, which may facilitate laughter.
Phineas and Ferb - Favorite Childhood Cartoon
My favorite childhood cartoon was Phineas and Ferb. Although I enjoyed it as a child, as an adult today, I would not mind watching an episode. I think my favorite aspect of the show is its humor. The humor is quite witty and lasts throughout the series. For example, Ferb is one of the main characters and is known for rarely talking. However, when he does speak, he speaks in very few words and an English accent. Phineas is also frequently asked, "Aren't you a little too young to be doing that?" He always replies, "Yes, yes, I am." He then continues to do or build whatever he was doing. I think the background of the show is relatable. The idea that two brothers go on these crazy adventures during summer break is just a humorous and enjoyable concept. This show brings a smile to my face, and I think I would smile if I watched an episode of it today.
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