Only read this with the Whoomp! song playing in the background (read the below over the lyrics). Otherwise it’s not as cool… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1V6T0lJc3dU

Lo-Po back again
All Hands Meeting with the Bluetooth SIG
Party on SIG Members and make some noise
Mike Fo’s in the house jump jump rejoice
Chris Pirollo over here
Brier Dudley over there
Wave your BBooks in the air shake your derriere

These SIG Members are getting busyyyyyy

Whoomp! Bluetooth SIG, Whoomp Bluetooth SIG!

HTC to HTC
Gonna show what High Speed is all about
Now its time for Nike guy to get on the mic
And brag about how he’s always right
PH lingered and wasn’t cool but he’s an ol’ fool who’s not cool
If Brier gets lost, gonna show him the way

Whoomp! Bluetooth SIG, Whoomp! Bluetooth SIG!

(The shackalacka stuff….and this part isn’t as cool, but whatever)

Don’t blink! Our hotels haunted
Seattle’s great lots of peeps to thank
Fish stank
Uh
Not like lady
Who asked for coffee on the AA
She got it spilt it all over jlo
A double O O M G oh my
As the dude in front reclined reclined
Whoomp there it is I’m done.

I could talk for hours about the great experiences I had at SXSWi, including the great keynote presentation by Evan Williams, an interesting session by the FCC, and my run-in with Pete Cashmore (I know, be jealous). But unfortunately, I’m going against one of the rules I’ve learned about creating short but sweet blog posts. So, in true social media form, I’ll ask that you to check out my Twitter profile and look at my history as I was live tweeting from the event. Oh! Be sure to check out some pictures I took from SXSW (below). Enjoy!

I had my first SXSW interactive experience this year and boy was it a good one. I’ve never seen so many Apple products in my whole life – and the overload of Timbuk2 messenger bags did not go unnoticed. Though I know it’s a bit late, I thought I would give a summary of my time at SXSWi by discussing some of my favorite sessions and lessons learned. It’s a three-part series – so be sure to check back!

Let’s start at my registration experience. I thought I would outsmart the crowd and get to the registration line about 30 minutes early to beat the rush – looks like everyone in Austin had that same idea. The line was insanely long (I tried to snag a photo but in true Jlo luck, the line started moving as soon as I steadied the camera on my phone). Despite the length, the registration line was well organized and moved rather quickly. I will say, one thing I love about Austin is the people, and that rang true with the SXSW workers and volunteers. They welcomed everyone with bright smiles and that eclectic attitude that makes Austinites to unique. As I gave my name to the registration clerk, he politely let me know that, “the real Jennifer Lopez would be at SXSW too.” I didn’t hold that against him – I guess there’s no easy way to react to my name. J Lesson learned: You can never be too early for a SXSWi line.

Citizen Journalism Brigade: Making Your Voice Matter: You’re probably wondering why this particular session interested me so much. First off, it was a small panel and audience, which made the session very personal and left lots of room for discussion. The session focused on personal bloggers and how they are beginning to shape the face of journalism by reporting news stories themselves, writing about them and developing a fan-base that people turn to – in some cases instead of traditional outlets. As you can imagine, there were a few journalists sitting in on the session and conversation got a little heated as they tried to defend their profession and all that it entails stating that most of these bloggers do not do the investigative research that journalists are known for and that reading about a story in the paper and then reporting on it on a personal blog is not journalism. The main defense of the bloggers was that they are getting this information to the masses in a quicker way, and although the facts may not always be 100% correct, people are hearing about stories as they happen. Lesson learned: Journalists enjoy their profession and are trying to protect it as the social media landscape evolves.

During my freshman year of college, I often wondered where I would be in the next 5 years. Well, here I am—working at a great job, with great people, for fun clients in a great city. How I got here can only be attributed to hard work, dedication, and a little stroke of luck. Nevertheless, I’m grateful.

It doesn’t seem to at the time, but college really does prepare you for the real world, as long as you’re open to it. Of course, working definitely comes with much more responsibility, but it was those years of hard work in school and internships that brought me to where I am today and made working seem to come naturally. I’ve listed out a few lessons I’ve learned in the classroom that have popped up in some of my real-world experiences. Enjoy.

Group Projects: Earlier this week, Julie and I completed our first successful presentation together, learning from each other while also sharing the stresses of meeting our deadline. It’s nice to work with someone who is just as motivated as I am to get the job done, where neither of us had to worry about pulling more weight than the other. This situation was all too familiar and reminded me of my PR Campaigns class, where my team and I created a PR campaign that was entered into the Bateman Case Study Competition. I forgot how many long hours, hard work, and great collaboration it takes to deliver a successful end result. Our team received Honorable Mention—but who’s bragging? J

Exams: The glory of the real world is that there are no more tests—in the literal form at least. However, we’re tested every day, in a different way. I studied hard for my exams, and made sure I always came out with the coveted A, but honestly didn’t see their importance until I ventured out on my own. Those exams in college were meant to enhance my critical thinking skills so that one day I could apply those skills without the help of a #2 pencil and a scantron. I’ve been tested every day since graduation— what’s the best answer to this question, how can I solve this problem with the resources that I have, who is the best contact to reach out to—all questions I’ve answered before and am still answering now. Sorry kids, the real world comes with tests—they just don’t contribute to your overall GPA anymore.

Homework: Ah, the infamous stresses of homework. I remember loathing professors who assigned homework over long weekends or term-papers over holidays. Then I remembered that I had weeks to write that 15-page research paper, but choosing to write it 3 days before seemed like the best idea at the time. I’ve learned from my many all-nighters and countless hours of homework that budgeting your time well is incredibly important and something that I’ve successfully applied to my real-world experiences. In truth, the working world doesn’t assign you homework—you assign it yourself. When days are busy, I still occasionally come home with work and that’s okay because I know that I’ve used my time wisely. In fact, I love having the option of knowing that if I need some extra time to meet a deadline outside of my 9-5, I have it. Let’s face it—college students are use to much worse: all nighters filled with bad food and strong coffee for an 8 a.m. test—not something I’d like to relive again.

Surprisingly, my transition from college to the real world happened smoothly, with few bumps and some great learning experiences. I wondered what I did to deserve such a great segue to the rest of my life and I realized that it wasn’t just that I deserved it—I was also well prepared.