One Week Left

This holiday has been everything that I wanted it to be: a time to rest, spend time with my family, and catch up with my friends. Which means its going to be that much harder to go back in a week. During my first quarter of college, I didn't think much of life after Christmas break. If I could just make it that far, I would be alright. The month that I had off seemed like it would go by forever. However, with only seven days left of vacation, I have come to the realization that it will not. Suprisingly though, I am not really dreading going back. I am actually excited to see my friends and to get into the rythm of school again. One of the only things that I really don't miss is the food, and even that isn't too bad. Don't get me wrong though. I am ready to soak up this week and fully enjoy it. One of my goals for this break was to get better at ping-pong. There is a ping-pong table in my dorm and I decided that it was time that I was able to play without totally humiliating myself. I am proud to say that I have gotten significantly better and might even consider playing while other people are actually in the room and can witness my mistakes. So, in the end, when it comes time to go back, I guess it won't be that horrible.

Christmas

Isn't it weird how you spend an entire year looking forward to Christmas (or at least I do!) and it only takes 24 hours to pass by? It's kind of weird. This year, mine was spread out for two days, though it still passed suprisingly fast. The good thing is that now that the holiday is over, I have nothing to do but relax. I love Christmas shopping, but it is also a nice change to see my online banking account stay stable instead of taking plunge after plunge. And instead of wrapping gift after gift, I can put away the ones I recieved this year. I also find it hard to believe that it is almost time to go back to school. I will probably say this next week as well, considering I still have over a week before I go home, but this month went by so fast. It is hard to imagine getting back into my college routine. I have a feeling it is going to be harder than anticipated! But I am looking forward to seeing my college friends again. It is odd going from living down the hall from someone and seeing them at least once a day to not seeing them in three weeks. But that gives me something to look forward to as I face leaving good food and my own room in a mere 9 days!

Two Weeks Down

I was unpleasanlty surprised the other day when I realized that I am halfway done with my vacation. Needless to say, I was a little upset. Its not like I am dreading going back to college, I just love being home. However, I have partly reconciled myself by saying that I still have two weeks, but its not enough. For the past two weeks, I have had little urge to go back to my life at college. I know that if I leave reluctantly, things will not be that great once I get back. Don't get me wrong. When I was at college, I loved it. Now that I am back though, I am having a hard time missing it. However, the other day I was looking through old pictures and I found some of my friends and I making a gingerbread house in the dorm. Seeing my friends and remembering that night, I started to actually miss it. That was the first time that I thought: "Okay, I guess it might be nice to get back". I mean, I'm not going to make a countdown or anything, but when the time comes to go back, there is a good chance I will be ready. Until then though, I am all too happy to waste my days on reading, baking, and hanging out with friends.

Christmas Vacation

I officially love Christmas vacation. A lot of my friends are saying they are already ready to go back to school, but I have to disagree. How could I be ready to leave my leisurely schedule, home cooked food, and friends I haven't seen in months? Right now I am actually visiting my friend's apartment in Davis (she goes to school here). She lives in an apartment, which makes me so excited for next year. I can't wait until I move out of the dorms. Don't get me wrong, it is a wonderful experience, and I am so glad that I live there. But one year is long enough. I think it will be so much fun to be able to live with my friends, cook my own meals, and have my own room (or at least be able to pick my room mate!). So this trip is getting me very excited. Once I get back, I will return to waking up at 10:00, reading and watching movies all afternoon, and spending time with friends in the meantime. What a wonderful break!

Back Home

It is the most wonderful feeling knowing that I have a month off. That means no classes for four weeks, no homework, no early morning wake-ups. Most of all though, it means that I am home. Its not like Thanksgiving where I had to rush around, determined to see my friends, spend quality time with my family, and of course, eat at my favorite restautants. Instead, I have time to relax. To actually unpack my clothes, put everything in its old place, and just enjoy being home. I'll be honest. For me, this means reading on the couch with my sister for the majority of the day, getting up to have lunch and make an occasional trip into town. For the most part though, I am just soaking it up. I get to leave my room a mess and not worry what my roommate will think when she spots the dirty laundry on the floor. I get to spend half the day in my pajamas and not shower till noon. Once in a while, I will look up from what I am doing (most likely reading) and just soak the familiarity of home up. I know it might sound cliche, but really, this is the best Christmas gift ever. Just to be back.

Driving Home

Since I am now home for Christmas vacation, I don't have any new insights on college life. I would like to look back instead on events that happened a while ago. More specifically, I would like to reflect on driving home. My first trip home was the most entertaining by far. To get back from my school, I have to get on highway 101. Well, I had never driven the route before, so I made a very big mistake within 5 minutes of leaving the school. I got on highway 1 instead of 101. The problem was that I didn't notice my mistake until we were on the road for quite some time. A trip that should have taken four and a half hours took six instead. And instead of driving a simple and straight stretch of road, I spent at least two hours driving on hair pin turns right next to the ocean...at night. I feel confident in saying that that will never happen again. My second trip home was for Thanksgiving. That was made interesting by the fact that my sister had a fish bowl at her feet the whole time which was slightly too full, and that my fish was in a water bottle sitting in a cup holder. Thankfully, no one got that bottle mixed up with their own drink. I also had a carfull of people making sure I was going the right way, considering how disatrous our first trip was. Last Friday was my most recent trip home, and I am glad to say that it was nearly perfect. The one gliche was that I managed to get turned around (not lost!) only 30 minutes from my home. Overall though, it was a pretty successfull trip, and one that proves the saying "Practice makes perfect". I really think that the next time I drive home, my passengers will have nothing to complain about!

Finals Week

This last weekend and continuing to this week has been by far the most stressful time since I've been at school. Preparing for finals is so difficult just because you dont know exactly what is going to be on your tests. I hung out with my friends last Thursdasy night but stayed in the rest of the weekend which was a great decision. My roommate went out a couple nights this weekend and still hasn't really studied at all and now she is freaking out because she doesn't have time to review all the material that she needs. I took my French final yesterday and in the middle of it, started tearing up. I studied for probably 12 hours this weekend for it and it was so difficult. Then of course when I got out I called my mom and cried. (That's just me, I'm kind of a baby like that :) I had my English final this morning which was two papers and a presentation and I think my papers are great but my presentation was a little shorter than she wanted. I have math tomorrow which is probably going to be the hardest of them all and I'm going to study with my friend all tonight starting probably at three. The only one after that is Psychology which is on Friday and even though I got a D on that one test, I think I can pull through on the final. Then i get to go home for a month!! My best advice for finals week is to not go out the weekend before, drink a Red Bull if you need to and just study as long as you can.

The Packing Ordeal

Going home for Thanksgiving was no big deal. Pack your favorite shirts, a few pairs of jeans, a good book and you're done. However, it is a completly different for Christmas. This year my winter break lasts for four, wonderful weeks. Which is great. But is also means that if I forget something, I go without it for a month. So the big challenge these last few days has been to get everything in order and make sure that nothing is left behind. So far I have a full laundry bag, three medium sized bags, and around six small bags filled with clothes, books, shoes, and just stuff that I could not live without for a whole month. An example of that would be my Friends seasons and my favorite lotion. So the big question is: "Will it all fit?" I am one of three girls that are sharing very limited trunk space, so this is could become a real problem. I have a slight suspicion that my pink Adidas bag will end up on my lap. Of a bigger concern though is coming back. If I already have an overload of bags, bringing back Christmas gifts will be worse. However, for all of this worrying, I am SO excited to be leaving for home. I cannot wait for a whole month of doing nothing with my family and friends. It will be the first time since leaving home that I won't have to count down days until I go back to the dorms.

Finals Week

Well, here I am in the middle of finals. Somehow, it feels as if I am as prepared as I will ever be, yet not nearly prepared enough. My desk looks like a bomb went off inside it; there are dirty dishes, old math tests, dozens of sticky notes, and a half-empty milanos bag, My head is starting to feel as if it is in the same sense of disarray as my desk. I have already completed two written finals and one oral exam, and I have two left. My first final, a Politcal Science course, wasn't too bad. I took the class over the internet, so my professor organized the exam so that all of the questions were from material presented online. My Spainsh exam, which I took this morning, could have gone better, but since I am horrible at Spanish, I will be pleased with a B. And my oral exam in Spanish was what I expect all oral exams to be: terrifying. What makes it even harder to concentrate is that all around me people are packing up to go home (my roommate included). This, needless to say, is slightly depresseing. Because I have late finals, I can't go home until the very end of the week. My mantra has become "four more days" then "three more days" and now "two more days". I'm so close! Let's just say that I wasn't a fan of high school finals, but I would trade them any day for these.

Finals

So I can officially say that I am done with classes for a month. Three finals and I am home free. I will be honest and say it is a wonderful feeling to know that I will never have to take a speech class again. However, it is sad to think that the people that I met in my classes will not be in my courses next quarter. Its strange how much of a routine my classes have become. Almost a way to get closer to the people around me. Nevertheless, there are a few classes that I will not be missing. This last week has been extremely stressful for me, as I had a group project in my speech class that I presented today. Unfortunately, I discovered that group projects aren't much better in college than they are in high school. A few people will continue to do the majority of the work. Sadly, one of those people is me. No matter how much I may hate how little my group members do, I will always strive for that A, even if that means I do more than my share of the work. But all that frustration and stress is behind me. Why? Simply because I am done with the class, except for a multiple choice test that is sayed to be moderately easy. After that final, I will be headed home for a whole month. I have never had that much time off for Christmas, and intend to enjoy it to the fullest. That includes sleeping late, reading countless romantic novels, and eating a ridiculous amount of sweets. For once I won't be counting down the days until I have to go back to the dorms. I will truly be able to relax with my friends and family. I shouldn't get too far ahead of myself though. I still have those three finals to think of...

A Lack of Holiday Spirit

When I left home after Thanksgiving and returned to the dorm, I was under the impression that, although I was at school again, I would not lose the holiday spirit. After all, I have enough Thanksgiving left overs in my minifridge that I could have a second Thanksgiving, Christmas music is already on the radio, and I have under two weeks of school before I leave for winter break. What I wasn't thinking about was what those last two weeks of school entailed. The day after I got back on campus I had my first final, tomorrow I am giving my last speech in Communications, and then I have to start studying for my three remaining finals. Unfortunately, several of my professors are still assigning their usual amount of work, so that work load has not slowed down. I am feeling mildly stressed and am lacking some holiday spirit. Fortunately though, I only have 8 more days of this. So this year, instead of a count down for Christmas, mine is merely for Christmas Break.

Thanksgiving Break

Thanksgiving break was such a great time. It was so nice to get back and see my family and friends. One of my friends had a party one of the first nights back and there were probably 30 or 40 people there and it was a blast to hang out with everyone again. It was SO nice not to have to wear shoes in the shower, have a dry towel everyday, and eat homemade food. My dad is getting married, which I am really excited about so we spent time with his fiancee and her kids as well. Thanksgiving day is always fun. We go to my dad's side for an early dinner and then later to my mom's side just to hang out. I was excited to get back to school but at the same time I know finals are coming up in two weeks and I am NOT looking forward to them. I have three finals and two papers due that week, but after that I'm home for just over a month. I got back last night and found out today that I got an A on my math test which was something nice to come back to! This week will consist of tons of studying for my finals and hopefully a fun weekend!

Corie the Fish

I come from a big pet family. Growing up, my sister and I always had a new animal, whether it was a hamster or a horse. Most importantly, I have always had dogs, and it is just recently, here at college, that I have experienced life without animals. The only pet we are allowed in the dorms are fish. So, naturally, about a month after I moved in, I bought a beta fish. Her name is Corie and she sits right next to my computer. She isn't very entertaining, and I am not particularly attached to her, but still, she's my fish. So when I asked my dad how I should bring her home for vacaction, and he laughed and told me he doubted she would still be alive, I was obviously a little upset. Talk about a lack of faith. It can't be too hard to keep these fish alive; betas are supposed to live for several years! So, after much planning, I decided to bring her home for Thanksgiving break and leave her there so that at Christmas, when I had a lot more luggage, I wouldn't have to worry about her. This is how I found myself, an 18 year old attending one of California's top ranked universities, sitting at my desk grinding a hole in a water bottle for 15minutes. My plan is to put her in the water bottle, put the water bottle in the cup holder, and bring her home. It will be interesting, to say the least. I am starting to see that freshman year of college is a year of firsts. First time living with a complete stranger, first time eating waffles at 11:00 at night, and first time transporting a fish in a water bottle.

Difficult Week

This last week was really hard. One of my friends has cancer and isn't doing well. He's going through chemo right now but keeps getting infections and a really high fever. His girlfriend is one of my best friends and it's so hard for me to see her be away from him during this time because they go to schools in different states. She has been having such a difficult time with it and I just wish there was something I could do. Along with that, there were some issues with my family that took place and as close as I am to my family, it was horrible not to be home during those times. These issues have gotten a little better, but still I cannot wait to go home and be with everyone. Chelsie left yesterday, and called me today saying she was bored already because not many people were home yet but I still wish I could've gone with her because I am only going to be home for about five days. I've been talking to my parents everyday, sometimes a couple times a day which has been helping, but there has definitely been a feeling of helplessness over the last week. I also got a D on a Psychology test which didn't help anything either. Overall, I'm doing fairly well in school but these few tests that have gone poorly have been hard for me to cope with. Hopefully Thanksgiving break will be really fun and relaxing!

Naps

Naps- something that I thought I would always hate. I don’t know what it is about them, but I used to hate the idea of them. During my senior year however, I started to realize the benefit of a small, half an hour nap in the middle of my day. By no means did I take one every day, or every week for that matter. But once in a while, when I was just plain exhausted, I just couldn’t resist the temptation. Now however, they are my lifeline. My first thought when I wake up is, “Okay, you can do this Caitlin. At 11:30 you get your nap.” Its pretty sad, I’ll admit it. But when I am going to sleep at midnight or later and waking up at seven in the morning, I find it essential. (I know that lots of people get less sleep than that and are fine, but I am a wimp. I need my sleep.) It has become my habit to take an hour nap everyday after my history class, and it’s beautiful. I would have to say it is one of my favorite hobbies. There is one danger in these afternoon snoozes. Yesterday when taking my nap I ended up sleeping, not for one hour, but for two, meaning that I wasted a good part of my afternoon. My excuse for it is that if I slept that long, I must have really needed it. I’m not sure how true that is, but it sounds pretty good to me. So now, I think I will end this, do a little homework, and maybe take my nap.

Getting Ready

I am starting to get very ready for the holidays. Not just because I am craving mash potatoes and pumpkin pie (which I am), but also because I am craving time at home. I have only gone home once, and have seen my parents twice since I moved in, but they were for such short periods that I wouldn't call them restful. When I went home I felt as if I had to see as many people, and go to as many of my favorite places, as possible. I can't wait to be home long enough to actually relax. The time my parents came up here was much of the same thing. It was last weekend for Parent's Weekend, so I wanted to show them around and introduce them to people. Because of that I didn't have much down time with them. I have 4 weeks off for Christmas Break, and I am so excited for that. I am excited for the little things, like sitting on a couch (something I didn't even realize I would miss), talking with my friends for hours, and playing a few, very competitive, games of rummy with my dad. And plus, by that time my first quarter, and first finals, will be over. That is something to look forward to!

Stress Stress Stress

Well my math test went just as I suspected, I got a big 52 out of 100; not so pleased. But I do get to retake it in a few weeks so hopefully it will go better then. School has been pretty stressful this past week, I had a couple tests and a paper due. Things are kinda coming to an end though, I have a week until I go home for Thanksgiving and then once I get back I have two weeks then finals already! I'm scared to death about finals. I have three papers due in English, my Math test will be really hard, French will be rough and Psychology isn't going to be easy either. I enrolled into my classes for next semester though, I can't wait to start fresh again. That's a stressful thing to do though, picking out classes. It's hard because there's a lot to choose from and especially if you don't know what your major is, it can get complicated. Things around campus have been exciting though because our football team is ranked in the top 5 and our basketball team is also undefeated so far. Buying tickets to sporting events is definitely something I would encourage people to do. Even if you're going to a smaller school, it'd still be fun to get involved and have a lot of school spirit because that's all people talk about sometimes. I don't have much going on this next week, academic-wise so hopefully it'll be a little less stressful!

Parent's Weekend

I am so excited for this weekend. It is Parents' Weekend, so my parents and my friend's family are coming down to visit. Because it is a long weekend, lots of people are going home also. Which means that almost everyone in my dorm will either be with their families or home. So when I show my parents around the campus, its pretty much going to look like I don't have any friends. Oh well. There isn't much I can do about that. I have been looking forward to this weekend for a long time though. I can't wait to show my parents my new little world, from where I eat to my classes to my dorm room. My sister and I having been planning all the things that we should do with them. Besides showing them the campus, I want them to see all the great things that make the town so wonderful. First I want to take them to the pumkin patch, where there is a corn maze and homemade pastries and fudge. I am also considering taking them to the drive-in movie theater one night for a late showing of "Stardust". This weekend I have a mission: to prove to my friend (who is coming down as well) that my school is the university to choose. She is a senior this year and is deciding between this college and two others. So, I want her to see everything that is wonderful about the school. Unfortunately, the school is VERY different on the weekends, as everyone is either off camus or in the dorms sleeping. However, that just makes my mission more of a challenge.
Sadly though, life doesn't stop for parent visits. I still have a huge speech due on Tuesday, which I am going to try to finish before they come. I also have a take-home test in Spanish and vast amounts of reading for history. That's okay though. Everyone is coming down Saturday and I am convinced that I can get everything done tomorrow. So, I hope everyone has a great, long weekend!

Registration

The time has come again; today is my day to resgister for my winter classes. And as much as it is exciting, it is also pretty stressfull. As far back as last week I started playing around with different classes, seeing what I needed and what would fit with what. I also made several rules. I was not taking a class on friday and I was not having a morning class every morning. Naturally, this restricted my schedule slightly. Finally though, I found the perfect schedule. No morning classes, good teachers, and perfect times. The problem was that I then had to wait my turn to register. And as I was waiting, I was able to watch all of these perfect classes fill up. That is when I started to get stressed. So last night, the night before I registered, I came up with an entirely new schedule, one that was slightly less perfect but entirely more practicle. I am now planning on taking a world history class, Spanish 2, oceanography, and a class on the economy of the middle east, which should be interesting. So keep your fingers crossed and pray that my second schedule does not fill up before 3:00 today!

Halloween Week

This last week at school was crazy. I never knew Halloween could be such a big deal. There was an infinite number of parties the weekend before and Wednesday night was crazy busy everywhere we went. One of my friends had a party on Saturday which was a blast and Wednesday we just went to a club and got all dressed up. On Saturday I was the tin man from the Wizard of Oz and Wednesday I was a cowgirl. Other than that the week was pretty low key except I think I may have failed my first test on Friday. Not a good feeling! It was my math test and I thought I had the material down but the test was nothing like what we did in our review so I'm kinda bummed about that.
Only two weeks until I go home! I'm really excited to see all my high school friends and family, and it was so nice last time to sleep in my own bed. We started a new tradition on Sundays, me and 3 of my friends are having movie day. Every sunday we're going to go to the theater or if there's nothing good out, we're going to rent one. It's kind of nice to have something planned on weekends because I think I've said before, but weekend days can get kind of long. Well I'll see how I did on my test on Wednesday, so cross your fingers!

Getting Down to Buisness

So far, college hasn't seemed too challenging. Sure I have to study, and once in a while I am disappointed by a grade I got, but for the most part it has been okay. Until now that is. Honestly, I didn't mean for it to get like this. My Communications class has been pretty laid back all quarter until last week, where I realized that I have a research paper due on Tuesday, a persuasive speech due on Thursday, and a group project due the week after Thanksgiving. I bet you can guess what I am doing this weekend. I will be hole up in my room for most of Friday, Saturday, and depressing as it might sound, probably Sunday as well. My advice is to stay on top of things. To actually USE that planner that you buy at the beginning of every year. If you are anything like me, the planner usually stays empty at the bottom of your backpack. Well, I got mine out yesterday, even though it is a little late. The plus side of this is, I have discovered how to use the library. Yesterday I went and found six books to help me on my research paper. You have no idea how intellectual I felt as I brought those books back to my dorm. I also learned how to use the library's website, which is actually quite wonderful. I can look up everything I need to without even leaving my room.
However, as I stay in my room, the world is sadly going to keep on turning. A few girls are going down to the beach to shop and then going to the school's rodeo. But I guess that just means that I will think before I procrastinate again.

Loving College

I love college. I love my schedule, my dorm room, the great friends I am making. But most of all, I just love how people can be themselves. Tonight my dorm hosted an Open Mic Night, where people could just go up to the mic and sing, read poetry, play an instruent, or anything else they wanted. Now in high school, this would never work. A few "band geeks" would show up and play, and no one would be there to watch them. No one would dream of reading poetry, much less some they had written. But tonight was different. A few people got up to sing and play the guitar. A music major sang an aria she was learning for class, an RA sang harmony to Amazing Grace. One guy even read his poetry off of his Mac. It was great. There is no cool kid in college. If you like who you are and are confident in yourself, you are cool. If you drink, you are definitely not alone. But if you don't, you will find that a vast majority of students will respect your decision. If you are an athlete, good for you. But being an artist, a musician, or just plain smart is great as well. I really think that there are few places as accepting as a college campus. Which brings me back to my first point: I love it here.

Halloween

This is the first time that I have celebrated a holiday away from my family. Sure it might just be Halloween, but it still counts for something. Over the last few weeks, my roommate and I have been collecting candy for goodie bags and I even bought a cute Halloween bowl at Ross to put the extras in. Yesterday we both made our bags, and although she got hers' done twice as fast and she put twice the amount of candy in hers, I must say that mine are cuter. The combination of the two is great. This is my roommate's favorite holiday, so we have a bloody spider web up (gross, I know) and a few other decorations. After thinking about decorations though, it was time to think of what to do on the actual day. What CAN a college student do on Halloween night to have fun without partying? That was the real dilemma. Several girls and I decided that we would dress up and go downtown to collect candy from the local buisnesses. Afterwards I think we will bake some sugar cookies and decorate them (of course) and then watch some corny Halloween movie...like Young Frankenstien. So yeah. Not exactly the plan for most freshmen in the dorms, but thats okay. Today I went costume shopping, which was interesting. After passing many pirate costumes and revealing dresses, I found the perfect one. I am being an owl. I will not go into full detail about it, but it is pretty spectacular. So...I am pretty excited for this coming week and the holiday. On Wednesday the college gives out free food and stuff to people that dress up during the day, but I don't know if I am brave enough. We'll see. So, to end this, Happy Halloween!

My Visit Home

Last weekend was my first trip home since I moved in here, and it was so nice! I hadn't realized how much I missed everything. It was so weird to come back and find everything, or nearly everything, just as I had left it. One of the things I enjoyed most was having dogs again. I have 4 of them, so it was weird going from a ton of animals to none. Another thing I enjoyed was a regular shower. I can not explain how good it feels to shower without flip flops after 6 weeks of doing so. Eating home cooked food was another highlight. My campus has a pretty good campus dining system, with plenty of choices and different places to eat. Despite that, I grew tired of the food within my first 3 weeks here. Once I was home, a part of me really didn't want to come back. It was so nice to be back in my comfort zone, to have space to spread out, and just to be in my own bed again. But when I got back on campus, I was suprised that I felt similar to how I did when I got home. I was back to what had become normal to me, back to all my new friends and new surrondings that are starting to feel less and less new. I have to say the one definite drawback of being back on campus is the pile of work stacked up on my desk!

Homesick

This last week was kind of rough. I didn't have hardly any homework all week and no tests or papers, maybe the easiest week here so far. But when I don't have much to do I start to get bored and then I get homesick. I was O.K. for the first few days but around Wednesday is when I started to get a little sad. Thursday and Friday night were a lot of fun, I just went out with some friends to a couple of parites but when Saturday rolled around, there was hardly anything to do. I think I've said this before, but weekends here are kind of hard, especially without a car. If you had a car you could go shopping, out to eat, or whatever you want but without one you're pretty much stranded at the dorms and especially as it starts to get colder, there's hardly anything to do. So this Saturday my friend Jackie and I sat and watched Friends and slept pretty much all day until we went out Saturday night and we did the same thing on Sunday before we went to a movie later on. My mom called me on Sunday and we had a long talk about this and she made me feel a little better, but there's still part of me that wonders how happy I am here. I think i like it a lot but there are sometimes where I'm just not sure. My mom thinks I should get involved more, like with intramurals or a church or something but none of my friends are involved and I don't really want to just go out and play a sport on my own. Plus I think it's a little too late to do a fall sport. I would work if I could, to keep me busy, but all jobs on campus are filled, but even if they weren't I wouldn't really want to work on campus I don't think, and again since I don't have a car I can't have a normal job. Hopefully I'll find more things to do and get involved in as the weeks go on!

Midterms and Group Projects

Today I had my first ever college midterm. It was for my history class and, since that is my major, wasn't too painful. I was surprised when my professor gave us a number of essay questions that might appear on the test and actually seemed to genuinely care how we did on the exam. I think that part of this is going to a university that really does try to have smaller classroom sizes. To go on a tangent, my senior year of high school I really wanted a huge university where I would just be a face in the crowd. But I have found that it makes a difference when your professor knows your name and you are able to recognize at least one face on campus wherever you go. Back to the midterm though, it wasn't nearly as terrifying as I thought. Today I also got started on a group project that I am doing in my communications class. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to pick our groups. One guy in my group told us that he really didn't want to work to hard on the project and then proceeded to watch youtube videos of the Colbert Report while the rest of the group worked. Well, at least he is upfront and honest. I can tell though that this is definetly going to be a learning experience and I am going to have to speak up for myself and the rest of the group. Yikes. I am ending the week by going home for the weekend. I am SO excited. I can't wait to see my dogs, sleep in my own bed, and spend time with my parents. I am leaving tonight (actually I am leaving as soon as I get done writing this) and will be home by either midnight or one. So...to end this, I have had a great week and am heading into an even greater finish.

Random Thoughts

This has been a very typical afternoon. I have, in my reluctance to start writing my speech, have looked at everyone's photos on facebook, eaten a blueberry muffin, gone to the gym, and even done my long overdue laundary. As I have mentioned before, procrastination is a wide spread problem in college. But after I didn't collapse in the middle of my first speech, I am feeling much less anxious about this one. I am also getting excited for Thursday. After class, my sister and I, along with two friends from high school, are making the trip home. I am so excited to see my parents and friends again! And although it is a 4 1/2 hour drive, I am sure that it will be worth it. It is wierd how you can be so ready to get away, but at the same time, can't wait to get back.
Last weekend I was at a retreat for a club I am in, so this will be my second weekend away from the dorms. And although I have only known my friends here for a month, I miss them a lot when I am gone. When people come back, they always say that they feel as if they missed out on everything, which is exactly how I felt when I came back last Sunday. Living in the dorms, although it is akward and uncomfortable at times, is such a great experience, one that you can't help but bond over with the girls (or guys) you are living with. So once I am back here after my visit home, I think it will be my parent's turn to come see me, not the other way around!

Fall Break

A lot of people had mid-terms before we left for fall break, but mine weren't exactly "mid-terms'' since I have more than two tests in each class. But I did have tests in three classes and a paper due all on Tuesday and Wednesday so Monday and Tuesday night were both pretty intense with studying. All three tests, French, Pschology, and Math but I think my paper went well. I won't know about any of them until the end of the week though. I left for home on Wednesday after my first class. My friend Krista and I rode with her roommate and her roommate's friend. Those girls were a little strange and we could tell right away that it was going to be a long car ride, especially since they weren't driving us all the way home because they were headed to a town that was about three hours away from mine, so my dad had to pick us up in the middle. Overall the ride took about ten hours when it takes seven to go straight to my home town. The next night I stayed with one of my friends at her school, who I haven't seen in two months. It was so much fun and so nice to see her, except that night we found out that one of my friends has cancer again, so that put a little damper on the night. The next day I hung out with my dad for most of the day and went to dinner with his side of the family, and it was great to see them. My mom and I watched a movie that night and just hung out. The next day my dad and I went to a football game with his best friend and his family, whom I haven't seen since my graduation party last summer. It was my mom's birthday on Thursday but since I was with my friend, my mom and I went out to dinner Saturady night to celebrate and already on Sunday it was time to leave. The trip home was great, and very much needed but it went by too fast. I don't think it's because I'm unhappy here at school but I just hadn't been home in two months and it was nice to be back at my own house. This week shouldn't be too bad since I had a lot of tests last week. But I'm already looking forward to the weekend!

A Typical Day

As I was thinking of what to write on this week, I realized that I have not yet just wrote about my typical day. Thinking about this, I knew that that is what I would have wanted to know as a junior or senior in high school. What really happens at college? To start off, I wake up at 7 o'clock in the morning Monday to Thursday. After daydreaming for a year that I wouldn't have an early class, this was quite a blow. However, I have somehow been able to manage. After my early Spanish class, I have an hour break before my history class. Going back to my dorm during this break would require that I go up a hill, something I am eager to avoid. I have instead been going to the library to work on homework during that hour. I thought that the library would be intimidating, but was surprised to find that I fit right in. To everyone esle, I was just one more person coming to study. To me however, I was the little freshman that was using their first college library. My history class ends at 11 o'clock, which is my last class on Mondays and Wednesdays. I usually celebrate by going to lunch on campus with some friends or even just making a sandwich in my room. Waking up at 7 am, I am still extremely tired by the time I get done with lunch. I have therefore started a habit of taking an hour nap after my meal. To some this might seem lazy, but getting seven or less hours of sleep per night just doesn't agree with me. After this I must admit that I waste a good portion of my time, thinking about homework but finding myself on facebook instead. I usually go to the gym on campus for a little, and then come back to study or hang out with friends in my dorm. Tuesdays and Thursdays I go back to class at 5pm and get out at 7pm. I was pretty bummed that I had a night class at first, but I actually don't mind it. I have gotten into the habit of going to dinner with other people from that class, since most of my friends have eaten by that time. This has allowed me to actually meet the people in my Communications class and feel more comfortable during those two hour lectures. After a dinner that isn't quite good, but not bad, I go back to my dorm, study, and spend the night hanging out with friends. Most of the time this includes movies, tv shows, or just talking. Once in a while I will find myself downtown, but not usually on school nights. So...there is my typical day. It is quite different from high school; being a much more relaxed and flexible schedule, and I definetly like it.

Time

It seems as if I have never had more or less time. What I mean by that is, on one side, I seem to have a ton of free time. But on the other, the time here seems to fly by so fast, and already I am almost through the week. People told me that time management was important in college, but I never paid them that much attention. I mean, I was the queen of time management in high school; as soon as I got home I would do my homework, completing that before anything else. Now though, it is much more difficult than that. The "queen of time management" is now rushing to get her paper written and struggling to find time to study her Spanish. I think part of the problem is my schedule. After an hour-long class that starts at 8:00 am, I don't have class again until the late afternoon. This gives me so much time to do whatever I need to do that I start putting it off, because I think I have more free time than I actually do. Secondly, it is hard to balance your social and academic lives. During orientation week, my most important task was to begin meeting people. When school started though, that had to move down on my priority list. But when you are living in a dorm with a ton of other girls, sometimes your social life starts to take time away from your academic one. Not necessarily in the form of partying, which I don't do, but simply in runs downtown and nights in front of the tv, watching the Office.
Although it is hard to balance, it is not impossible, and I am starting to get the hang of it. Yesterday I spent the majority of my day writing and rewriting my speech and studying my Spanish vocab, despite the many other things I would rather have been doing. So practice your time management in high school so that you might be able to apply some of it when you get to college.

8th week of school

This week was kind of slow school wise; I didn't have any tests, papers, major homework assignments or anything which was nice because I ended up getting really sick in the middle of the week. This was my second time being sick and having to miss class. I've learned that it's very helpful to email your teachers as soon as possible if you know you're going to miss class, at least my teachers appreciate it because then they know you're not just ditching. Missing Wednesday wasn't that big of a deal though, like I said because I didn't even have any homework assignments due that day. It becomes more challenging when you have to miss a test or a due date for something important because some professors won't let you retake the test or turn in a late paper. So Wednesday for me consisted of laying in my bed watching movies and many episodes of Friends. I started feeling better on Thursday which was nice because I had a very busy weekend. Saturday, our football team played one of our biggest rivals and my dad came in town and took Chelsie and I to the game, which was a blast. It was a great game and we ended up winning which made it ten times better. My friend Jackie's brother came in town Saturday so I hung out with them Saturday night. Today I've been studying most of the day. I have three tests and a paper due before I go back home Wednesday night, which isn't as bad as a lot of people. Most people have big mid-terms that count for a great percentage of their overall grade where mine are just normal tests. But still it's going to be an incredibly busy few days. Along with that I need to do my laundry before I leave. I'm trying to teach my roommate that if you clean your clothes, they won't smell and therefore make our room smell...we'll see how that works! I know I've been saying this for a while, but I can't wait to get home. I have a feeling these next three days will go by slow because that's all I can think about, just being in my own house with my own room and car will be so nice. Hopefully the seven hour drive will go by fast!

Tests

Before I came here, my main concerns for college weren't if I would pass my classes or if I would have good professors. I dwelt instead on what friends I would make and how I would find my niche in such a big university. However, now that I am here, academics has played quite a big part of my day-go figure. Although I only spend about two to four hours in class each day, I spend a good chunk of my extra time on homework and studying. In high school, I was in the top ten percent of my class and was used to being one of the most hard-working people in the classroom. However, it hit me today that the students in my classes in college are all just as smart, or smarter, than me. This fact wasn't the most cheering of all, but it has made me take my classes seriously and become more competitive with my grades. An eight out of ten would be an okay grade on a quiz if I knew that the people around me got the same thing. Yet when they are getting nine and tens, it pushes me to try harder.
Although I have had a numer of quizzes over the last few weeks, my first tests tool place this Tuesday. College tests have always seemed intimidating for me, and midterms and finals just seem impossible. Yet I was surprised to find that they were...okay. Bearable. My Spanish test wasn't this horrible thing that I was doomed to fail. It was all manageable material. I was surprised when I finished it to realize that I was actually confident that I passed. On Tuesday I also had to give my first speech. If your anything like me, that sounds terrifying. Giving a speech to a bunch of college students. Yet looking around my class, I realized that I was now one of those "college students" and although they were all just a smart as me, they were also just as nervous. It ended up that my first week of tests wasn't the nightmare that I thought it would be. Surprisingly, high school prepared me for what was coming ahead. Saying that, I can't wait for the weekend and the sleep that I am determined to get.

Getting Involved

I know it sounds cliche, but I am starting to see that getting involved on campus makes a huge difference. When I left high school, I also left behind some major responsibilities. I was no longer the president of my school's Service Club and no longer a leader of the Renaissance Program, and I loved it. When I got to college I didn't want to be in charge of anything. And now, even though I am not ready to head up a committee or start a new club, I am starting to get involved again. Some of the clubs I have been checking out are Campus Crusade for Christ and Beyond Shelter. At Campus Crusade, I am getting to know some great people and have refreshing times of fellowship. Next weekend I am even going on a retreat with them, a great way to get to know more people in the organiation. At Beyond Shelter, a club that reaches out to the homeless in the community, I have the opportunity to get involved in my new town, not just my school. Although these clubs are great ways to get involved and meet more people, many of the activities I have been doing don't involve joining a club. Last week my dorm hosted a Grey's Anatomy party with Mocktails (alchol free cocktails) for anyone who came. We have also had nights were 20-30 girls (sorry guys) have overtaken the common room and watched The Holiday and The Hills together. Yes, the shows and movies are great, but it is the sense of community that makes the night a great one. So if you were over extended in high school, or maybe have never tried to get involved on your campus before, I would encourage you to get involved in your college. Now, when I walk around campus, I don't just recognize people from the dorm I am living in or the classes I am taking. I am starting to meet people with the same interests and cares as me, making me feel much more connected to my school than I would feel otherwise.

7th Week

Another week went by faster than ever. It was fun, but kind of low key. Nights here seem really repetative to me; I come home from class, lay down to take a nap, wake up and work out, eat and then do homework and watch TV until about 11 or 12 when I'm really bored I just decide to go to sleep. They almost seem kind of lonely even though I'm with friends most of the time, hard to explain. I've been hanging out with this girl named Jackie a lot, she lives just down the hall from me. She has some friends that I've been hanging out with a lot, we hung out with them twice this weekend. They're older but I can definitely see them being in my close group of friends, which is comforting to have but that just means that not having a car is harder and harder because they all live in houses just off campus so we have to bum rides from them constantly.
My dad's coming down this next weekend to go to a football game with Chelsie and I. The game is an hour away and I have a friend that goes to the opposing school so that will be fun to see him. It seems like it's getting easier and easier to not talk to my parents every night, not that I don't want to but I just don't think about it as much as I used to. Also my sister and I have been talking a lot more, we didn't get along great in high school but now that we're both gone it's easier to talk and fun to hear what's going on with her.
My friends and I have also been trying to figure out spring break. I might end up going home because I'm not sure if I'll be able to go home another time in the spring, but if I don't I'll probably go see my sister with Chelsie. The kids I was talking about earlier are going to the Bahamas and invited us to go but it's close to a thousand dollars and I'm not thinking I want to spend that money, even though it woul be an amazing trip I'm sure. Saving money is a big thing in college. People always talk about how no one has any money in college and if you don't work, then that kind of becomes true. It's scary to see your bank account keep getting lower and lower but I've tried to come up with a budget of how much I'll spend per month and it seems to be working well. Well this next week and a half should be interesting because I'm sure I'll have a test in just about every class before fall break, so it should be busy!

Dorm Life

College dorms are like no other place on earth. I know this sounds quite dramatic, but it is true. Ten at night is early, twelve considered the beginning of nighttime, and by two in the morning (and later, trust me) the hall is still alive and energetic. Four o’clock brings the stragglers and by five the building is asleep. The next day when the world has been awake for five, six, seven hours, college students are just waking up. If you were to get up at seven on a weekend, the dorm halls would be abnormally silent except for the few athletes taking their morning jog.
Matters of importance and knowledge have also changed. Tonight, the big debate in my hall was whether to watch the premiere for Grey’s Anatomy or The Office. You would have thought that something of great importance had happened in the news by the commotion that it caused. It is common knowledge what streets are the big party ones and I have probably heard more about beer pong than any true sport. The standard of good food has dropped significantly, and going downtown is like entering a whole new world. Yet all this change has not made me more homesick, but less. I have been able to keep myself occupied and keep myself from dwelling too much on my hometown and my parents. This weekend I am looking forward to catching up on my sleep and catching up on my homework.

6th Week at School

Already six weeks into it, I can't believe it. I've already taken five tests, written a paper and had several homework assignments and it seems like the weeks keep going by faster and faster. Probably because Mondays and Tuesdays are normal but by the time Wednesday comes, you're about ready for the week to be over and the next day is Thursday which is basically the beginning of the weekend here, and weekends are the best. This past weekend I felt a little bit like a waste of life because I sat and overall watched around 15 hours of Grey's Anatomy...disgusting, I know. Chelsie, my friend Tiffany and I had planned that we were going to watch all three seasons before the fourth starts this week, and this weekend just seemed like the time to do it. Don't get me wrong, I went out both nights and had fun but during the day, it was straight to her room to watch episodes. We kind of realized it was okay though because it's not like there's a lot going on during the days anyway, especially since hardly any of my friends have cars, and let me tell you that can be very depressing at times. It's not impossible to live without a car, but if your parents let you, I definitely suggest it because there are times where we feel completely stranded, like right now I'm out of milk and therefore don't eat breakfast anymore :(.
I go home in two and a half weeks and cannot wait! It's not so much that I'm homesick, but I just can't wait to go back to my home town, see a couple friends that stayed there to go to school, and just bum around my house. My plan is to stay home the first night, stay with one of my friends the second, hang out at my cousin's house the third and just be with my parents the last day and night. Another reason I'm so anxious to go home is for the FOOD. I'm so incredibly sick of the food here, I can't even explain it. We now are walking 15 to 20 minutes all the way across campus just to eat different food, when we have a cafeteria right next door. And it's almost as if there is no solution to this problem; I'm stuck with this food for another seven months.

College Classes

As I enter my second week of classes at college, I realize how much more I enjoy my schedule now than I did in high school. Not only do I spend a mere 3 hours in class each day, I have fascinating and entertaining professors, challenging classmates, and a schedule that changes every other day. I remember last year I would wake up and just dread the upcoming day. No, I wasn't depressed, and it wasn't because my classes were absolutely horrible. I was just bored with my schedule. In college though, it is very different. I have different classes on Monday and Wednesday than I do on Tuesday and Thursday, something that helps diversify the week. I also have a three day weekend every weekend, which, needless to say, is wonderful. I am not saying that these classes are fantastically easy though. My communications class has me continually on edge, thinking about my upcoming speeches. In Spanish I am working at understanding what my professor (who speaks almost entirely in Spanish) is saying to the class, and in Math I am trying to remember the PreCalculus I took two years ago. During orientation week the university made a big deal about students studying 25-35 hours each week. At first I laughed at this amount, but once I estimated what I did last week and what I will be studying this week, I realized that I am studying close to 25 hours per week myself. So yes, I am enjoying my college schedule. I love that I don't spend six hours each day sitting in a classroom and that every day is not identical. But at the same time, these classes are more demanding than those I took in high school and are challenging me to be the best student I can be.

Thursdays

It hasn't taken long for me to realize that thursdays at my campus are a sort of celebration. The majority of students do not have classes on fridays, which is reason enough for this rush of excitement. After a long first week of school, I was ready for such a break from college. A definite strain has been over me this week, learning the temperments of my teachers, getting to know what they expect of me, and adjusting to college life. Unlike high school where I spent the majority of my time in class, I am only in a lecture for two to four hours a day. Unfortunately, this just means that more of my school time is done in my dorm room. I have had to learn how to study with the tv on, the radio on, and numerous other distractions. Needless to say, it was quite a relief to end the week. The way that students on my campus celebrate this closing of the week is not just through the usual frat parties and drunken nights. The town surrounding the campus is know as a college town and holds a very busy Farmers' Market every thursday night. So after my last class at 7pm, my friends and I took the bus downtown. It felt wonderful just to be reminded that there is a world outside of my campus. I have had to go through major readjustments this week, from learning how to study for my first quiz to learning how to block out MTV on the screen in front of me. I have had to realize that college is not just for social reasons and that I need to find a balance. Although this week was exhausting, it was also rewarding and memorable.

Dorm Life

What is the weirdest, most enjoyable, and most drastically different event that I have undergone in college so far? Dorm life. And although it is extremely different than life at home, I find that it is one of my favorite parts of college so far. I should preface this by saying 1) I get along with my roommate, which makes a huge difference, and 2) I am only living with one roommate, not two, like so many girls in my dorm. I think that the best thing you can do while living in the dorms is to keep your doors open. This way people will just drop in to say hello or to introduce themselves, especially during your first week at school. I have been blessed with a wonderful floor and have met so many great girls and guys this way. And although dorm life does have its downsides, they are usually less than the good. For example, sharing a bathroom with an entire floor of girls is difficult, but it makes it easy to meet eachother when you are brushing your teath or washing your face. You are sharing a small room with a complete stranger, but that stranger can turn out to be a pretty cool person or have some really great friends. I know that last year I could not imagine living in a dorm, with the lack of privacy and space, but it has been remarkably easy to adjust. So, don't be afraid of living in the dorms. Instead, get excited about it and make sure you get a place in your school's dorm next year!

Seeing my parents

This week went by very very fast. School went well, I found out I got a B on my French test and my Psychology test which I was really happy about! Also it was Chelsie's birthday so me and some girls got her a big gift certificate to Target and also took her out to eat at this Italian restaurant with probably ten girls. My roommate and I are still getting along except for one thing: our room SMELLS. I do my laundry once a week and my clothes smell good,but she never does laundry and her stuff smells so bad but she doesn't understand. There's a roommate contract that we just signed and it said something about hygene on it but I felt bad and didn't want to say anything so I just try to keep the window open as much as possible.
My parents came down for parents weekend like I said. It was great to see them! We saw Superbad on Friday night, which I thought would be very awkward to see with your parents but they ended up loving it so it was fun. Saturday we went to Kansas City because I had never been and we went to the Plaza to go shopping. Another great thing about having them here was the food! I finally got to get away from the dorm food and had steak, ribs and just normal food all weekend. Also staying in the hotel was great, I got to shower without shoes on for the first time in over a month and finally take a bath. Saturday night my dad and I went to the football game. It was a great night for a game, nice and cool and we had a lot of fun. Sunday was basically just eating and doing a Target run before they left. Now that they came, I dont feel homesick except I miss my sister and my younger cousins, it's been really hard not to see them but I will fall break! This week I have a math and french test to look forward to so it should be very busy with studying...once again!

WOW Week

After all my excitement and anxiety over college, it has finally come. Now, a week into it I can hardly believe it has only been six days since I moved in. At my university, the first week is called WOW Week, and is an orientation for all incoming students. Every freshman is put into a group of about fifteen kids, and is led by two WOW leaders. I was extremely nervous to see who would be in my group. Would they be people that I would enjoy spending my first week with, or would I not be able to connect with any of them? Thankfully, I have ended up loving my group and the people in it. We have gone hiking, to the beach, to the town’s farmers’ market and even made pancakes one morning at my leaders’ apartment. Every moment that I have away from my group I try to use making new friends. I am not naturally outgoing and so this is quite a task for me, but I have been able to find quite a few freshmen that I get along with and share my desperation for making friends. Over the last few days I have found the true art of meeting new people. I have discovered that the best way is to be painfully blunt and just go up to them and introduce yourself. Although this might be weird is most settings, it has become the norm on my campus. After the first hello, discussion topics include your major, what you plan to do with it, where you are living, and what classes you are taking. When you start to feel more comfortable with your company, it is time to move on to topics such as your roommate and their weird habits and funny stories about the few days you've had on campus. For those of you that don't have any problems making new friends, this info might not seem needed. However, I hope a few of you understand where I am coming from. All in all, this first week has been incredible, but it seems impossible that I will be spending the next nine months here. It almost feels like summer camp, but that will most likely stop with classes on Monday.

Moving In

How do I describe moving in to my dorm? It was so exciting and nerve racking at the same time, not to mention exhausting. When I got to the campus that morning there were already hundreds and thousands of students moving box upon box into their rooms. After going through this a few days ago, I feel that I can give you some advice for your own experience.
1. Find out if your residence hall has elevators. I am on the 3rd story, and my hall does not. My legs are still burning from all the stairs!
2. Don't kick your parents out right away. Let them help you set up and take you out to a meal or two. You will discover that most students are spending some last minute time with their families, which makes making friends move-in weekend a little difficult.
3. Bring storage boxes. The closets in most dorm rooms are not very spacious, and the same goes for the dressers. You will also need little containers to put miscellaneous items in.
4. Once you are moved in, meet the neighbors. My room mate and I went down the hall and introduced ourselves to everyone with their doors open, and it helped a lot. My floor is already starting to feel like a little community.
5. Leave your door open. People will stop in and say hello, which is a nice way to meet people.
6. Bring a fan if you dorm room does not have air conditioning. Mine does not, and my little fan had become a life saver!
7. Most importantly, be friendly. Everyone is going through the same thing as you, so this is a perfect time to make friends.

4th Week at School

Even though this last school week was only four days long, it seemed as though it lasted forever, not necessarily in a bad way but by two o'clock on Friday, I was ready to be done. I had my first French test which I was scared to death about. I still have no idea how I did, but I'm hoping ok because that's another difference between college and high school, you only have a few tests per semester and homework doesn't count for hardly any of your grade so you have to do well on those tests. I have my first Psychology test on Tuesday that I've been studying for, for the past week but on the first day my professor told us that 30% of kids fail his class, which wasn't all that comforting. Chelsie went out of town this weekend on this trip with a fraternity. I was invited to go but decided not to because I didn't know my date and I figured if he was weird, it could turn out to be a really bad weekend. She said it wasn't that bad,but I'm still glad I stayed here. I hung out with my roommate and this other girl on my floor most of the weekend and also met some new, really nice kids. We went over to their house Friday night and Saturday after our football game as well. That was the first game I've been to which could have been a lot of fun except it was about a thousand degrees out so we only stayed for a quarter. I'm really glad I hung out with these new people this weekend because believe it or not, it's still been a little difficult to meet good friends. I hang out with these four girls who I like but most of them are in sororities which takes up a lot of time and one of them kind of bugs me anyways, she makes fun of people a lot and everything always seems to be about her; I kind of feel like these are my temporary friends until I meet some that are like the ones I had back home. At my high school there were six of us that were best friends and it's been super hard not having them here. We're all spread out over the country and I miss them to death. It's weird because I feel like I haven't met anyone remotely like those girls and I'm not looking for replacements, just people that have similar characteristics that I really like and get along with. My homesickness has kind of gone away over the past few days. I'm still very excited to see my parents this next weekend but it's not needed like it was last week. I'll let you know how it goes!

The Count Down

This summer has inched by, the count down from college going from two months to two weeks at a snails pace. It is strange to realize that now I have only one day left before I leave for college, for the day never did seem like it would truly arrive. For so long the fall has seemed like another world away, one that would never actually come. However, tonight I am facing the truth that I only have two more nights in my bed (a fact that I would never mention to my mom). Though I had planned this time to be relaxing and comforting, it has turned out to be no such thing. My list of things to do is growing exponentially, and I am starting to realize how many details I have overlooked. Tomorrow my main goal is packing my clothes, which actually requires a moderate amount of planning. I have to make sure none of my favorite items are stowed away, unable for me to reach in the next few days. My wardrobe must be planned so that I don’t end up digging through all my boxes and bags for that favorite Gap t-shirt!
Over the last few days, I have continually gone over the plan for my move. I will arrive at the dorms in the morning, meet my room mate, unpack my basic things, and then say goodbye to my parents for the day. The rest of the day is a mystery to me. I hope to start making friends and get to know my room mate. The next morning I will show my parents my newly decorated room, have breakfast with them, and then say a tearful goodbye. I wish I could say that I wouldn’t cry, but I know myself well enough to be certain that I will. My only comfort is that my room mate seems close to her parents as well and will hopefully understand and sympathize with my red, swollen eyes. Although I have carefully drawn this plan for move-in weekend, I know that the next few days will fly by in a whirl of sadness, confusion, and excitement.

So Much Work

Now as I'm into my 4th week here, classes seem to keep getting harder and harder. At first I think I was so nervous that I did all of my homework immediately after class and didn't think about it again until the next day. Now as I'm starting to feel really settled in, it seems like there is so much more that I'd like to be doing than homework: SLEEPING, going over to my friends' dorms, watching TV, making a Target run, eating, working out, and the list goes on. So lately I've been putting my homework off until later in the day and it just makes it feel like I have so much more work to do. So one thing that I would advise anyone not to do is procrastinate! My roommate and I are getting along well, she's from a town that's just about a half hour away from mine back home, so we originally we had some mutual friends which was nice to have something in common. It almost seems that when one of us is in the room, the other isn't which makes it fairly easy. I'm starting to get sick of the food here already, which is bad. Apparently the dining hall that we always go to, that's closest to my dorm is the best food on campus. Not going to lie, it's pretty good food and there's a big variety, but after a while it seems like everything is the same. As for the boys we were hoping to meet, there are a few that we hung out with during the week, but no one that I think we'll stay friends with. Oh well, it'll happen eventually. This last weekend I went to visit a friend in a different state at his school, which was a lot of fun. That's one of the nice things about college, if I haven't said it already; the freedom! The last few days have really been the first time that I've felt homesick, which is surprising because I used to get homesick all the time, no matter where I was or who I was with. My parents are coming down in two weeks for Family Weekend though, so it will be great to see them! As I said, homework seems to be taking over my life, but hopefully this next week will be fun and exciting!

Packing

I consider myself a fairly good packer. By that I mean, I know what I need to bring for a camping trip, a night at a friend's house, or a two-week long vacation. But what do I do when I need to pack up everything I want for an entire school year? First there is the clothes. As I start to separate the clothing I will and will not be bringing with me to school, I start to notice that the pile of clothes I am bringing is considerably larger than the one that is staying home. This does not bode well for extra closet space. Then there are the school supplies. Considering I am going to college to go to school, this category is, sadly, necessary. But as I have obviously never been to a college class, I do not have a good idea of what I will want. I can't decide between binders or notebooks, a laptop bag or backpack. Do I bring a scientific calculator, or go and buy a new graphing one? After the school supplies come everything else. And when I say everything, I am not exaggerating much. I need laundry soap and hampers, printers and ink cartridges, toothpaste and shampoo. I am bringing pictures, frames, posters, coffee cups, books, and purses. All the day to day items I always have at home I am relocating to a very small dorm room. I have 6 boxes crammed full of these items, plus one large storage box and a laundry hamper full of bedding. This seems to be too much and not enough, all at once. It will be interesting to see, in 4 days, if all my boxes even fit inside my room!

Room mates

August 21st doesn’t mean much to people that aren’t attending my college next year. But for those who are, this date will stick with us long after the dates for registration or open house have faded from our memories. On the morning of the 21st, I was introduced to my room mate. The introduction was short, only a web page containing her email address and her name, but it was enough. I started my search on Facebook, but eventually found her on Myspace. Someone who isn’t a college freshman in a dorm might call this creepy and think me a stalker, but in reality, I am just desperate. I crave the slightest hints about who I will share the next year with; whether she parties or not, if she’s into drugs and alcohol. Dreaded images of her passed out drunk flashed through my mind, but her actual site was much cleaner. I was relieved to find a picture of her and her dad as her profile picture. A girl that has her dad in her profile picture can’t be that bad, right? I sent her a strategic note that sounded cheerful and light, hoping that it wasn’t too obvious how long I had taken on the few lines. Some hours later, I got a reply, and we have been conversing since. I was surprised to discover how much we have in common. If someone were to judge on appearances, it would seem that we wouldn’t get along too well. She just doesn’t look like the kind of girl I would have hung out with in high school. However, we have been able to bond over shared interests in reading, TV shows, and the determination not to gain the “freshmen fifteen”. She seems really close to her family and seems even more nervous than me to be leaving home. The experience has really taught me not to judge on appearances, but to give the person some time to show who they are. As I go into the last week before I leave, it is a comforting to know that my room mate is someone that I can relate to and understand.

The "End Times"

For centuries people have been speculating about the end of the world. Will people stoically face their fate, conscious of how powerless they are to change it? Or will they dwell on the end, making it more painful than if they had accepted it? As an incoming college freshman, I feel I have some experience with this question. Although I know that the day I leave is not the earth's Armageddon, sometimes it seems as if it is my family's.
Prior to this week, I have spent as much time as humanly possible with my friends, soaking them up before we all go separate ways. But now, with only 10 days left, it seems to be my family's turn to soak me up. This entails going to movies and shopping with my mom, and taking the time to talk with my dad. It means sitting down as a family to talk, not just to watch the latest Blockbuster rental. Which is all good, except for the high emotions. I know that I will cry when my parents drop me off at school, that much is given. But I really don't want, or feel the need, to break down now. My parents, and especially my mom, are a different story. A tip for your future "End Times": Don't bring out old photos, show your parents how much you have packed, or mention exactly how many days you have left. Trust me, you don't want to make this any harder for yourself.
As difficult as these times are, there are some upsides. No one will tell you not to eat the cookie dough or to clean your room. You will realize what a great thing you have with your friends. And you will see that, contrary to what you previously believed, you will miss your family.

First Week at College

My first week here at Kansas went by faster than I could ever imagine. Saying goodbye to my parents was hard, but not like I thought it would be; once they left I started feeling like I was at camp. The whole sorority thing didn't work out. I started Fall Formal Recruitment (the recruitment process, also known as "rush") but it just didn't turn out like I had hoped so I quit a few days into it. One of my best friends is here with me and she quit as well so it made it easier. The day after I quit I started classes. The first days weren't bad, lots of syllabus reading and getting to know the classes, just like I expected. Like I said, this last week went by fast but it was also a lot of work; at least two and a half hours a day of homework which is more than I personally ever did in high school. Along with that, Chelsie, my friend who is here, and I decided that we're going to work out five times a week, Sunday through Thursday. So we've kind of made a routine: I'm done with class everyday by two, so then we immediately go to the library for a few hours, finish our homework and then go to the Rec Center to work out and after that who knows.
I'm sure it's because it's the first week here, but kids are going crazy and wanting to go out every night even during the week. The first day of school, which was a Thursday, I went out with some girls we met and it was fun but this last week I went out on Thursday as well and my only advice to whomever is reading this (not trying to sound like a mom) but honestly remember that SCHOOL is the reason you are at college...not only to party...especially on school nights.
Meeting friends hasn't been as easy as I thought it would be (I'm not trying to scare you, but it's just different than I expected.) I switched high schools my junior year and it was amazingly easy to meet people. I'm pretty outgoing and social and within a few weeks I had made best friends. I guess it's only been a week and a half here, but I'm not sure that the people we're hanging out with now are going to be my best friends for life, like everyone talks about. We've met some guys, but again none that I can picture myself hanging out with every weekend; therefore, our goal for the week is to find cool BOYS. I'll let you know how that goes next week!
Well that's pretty much all I have for now, I'm sure there will be some exciting stories next week :)

Two Weeks to Go

After graduation, a whole summer was spread out before me, acting as a buffer to the fear and apprehension that the coming year would bring. However, slowly that summer has shrunk, until nothing remains of it but two flimsy weeks. As these months have drawn to a close, my excitement has built, but so has my anxiety. Now is a time of waiting; of buying the last few forgotten necessities, of crossing my fingers and hoping for a good roommate. I have already registered for classes and am able to begin imagining the late nights that await me. Two days before my registration day, I began tracking my classes, feeling my stress level rise every time more people joined a class that I was planning to enroll in. I imagined myself stuck with the reject classes that ended at nine at night.
Thankfully, Cal Poly freshmen get first choice in classes their first quarter so I was able to get all the classes that I desired. I am wait listed for one, which in itself will be an experience. My biggest worry right now concerns my roommate. It overshadows the classes I plan to take and the friends I will be making. More than anything, I just want someone that I can relate to. I’m not asking to love them, just that we will tolerate one another. Unlike some schools that match roommates up by interests and priorities, the only commonality that my roommate and I are sure to share is that we don’t smoke. So for now, my time will be spent tying up loose ends; buying the last items on my numerous checklists, corresponding with my roommate, and soaking up my time with family and friends.