"Real College"

It is five o'clock in the morning so forgive me if I rant. Remember how much I loved college? Well that must have been  "fake" college where there were not many papers and there were not test covering a minimum of three chapters or quizzes every other day! College was a place to have discussions about "real" issues for the sake of learning not for just grades. That idea has officially ended and so does my stress free experience. I find myself getting more nervous taking college test than I ever did taking high school test. I find that my hands literally shake and my words are unclear for oral presentations. Nervousness just makes my cp worse as my body will tense up and my muscles will not work. If anyone has any suggestions on how to overcome this nervousness they would be appreciated. Enough about the bad parts of the college experience. There are many events outside the classroom that are intellectual stimulating. For example I went to a political discussion on campus with the guest speaker being a professor from Georgetown. Also the campus is hosting a lecture series or Christianity, Islam and Judaism that I plan to attend. This brings me to my next myth about community colleges. They do not have courses for extremely "gifted" students. This is a fallacy. My school has an honors program. Not only do students in this program have to take a minimum of four honors classes during their two years and maintain a 3.5 gpa: students must also complete a minimum of twelve hours of community service/cultural events per semester.  

Now for the infamies handicapped tirade of the week. Let us talk about an issue everyone has. Having to use the restroom. Yes even handicapped people have to use the restroom. You are probably thinking there are handicapped stalls what is the big deal. The stalls are great but they are much less effective if a person can not get into the bathroom. The doors are too heavy. Restrooms with handicapped stalls need to automatic doors to get both in and out of the restroom. One more thing if you are an abled bodied person and there are regular stalls available please do not use the handicapped stalls. Apparatus such as wheelchairs and walkers do not fit in regular stalls thus making it difficult or impossible for disabled people to use them. Ok that is enough complaining for one entry,

One more thing not but it is not a complaint. Not only has this week been different in the work load but it has also been different in the fact that there have been no major adventures at school. Of course it is only Thursday morning and adventures can happen at anytime because everyday is an adventure.

This whole clever post titling is getting harder each time...

I've been hit with a lot of work lately, but none if it has really been a drag. Except for the Postcolonial reading, which is still a bunch of intellectual nonsense as far as I'm concerned, all the work has been both challenging and interesting. For my World War 2 class I've been looking through old newspaper archives online, and reading about American sentiment leading up to the draft, and I've got to write a long paper about it, but it's still a fascinating subject. The same has been going for my Latin America class, which is definitely a more challenging class in terms of analysis and discussion, but being able to discuss topics like the ones we discuss in class is a great experience, something I never got to do in High School. I also had my advisor meeting, where my advisor (who is also my WWII teacher) talked to me about how things were going so far. I told him more or less the same things I've been posting in this blog. He also had a chance to read my first essay for his class, and while he had some constructive criticisms for me, he also said that I was a great writer, which is always good to hear.
This weekend a good number of people are heading home or to the city, and the same goes for the week after next, which is Yom Kippur/October break. A lot of people aren't as far away from home as I am, and I'm going to have to get used to being alone for good periods of time. It's not all bad though, plenty of people should still be around and there is always something to do. It's just that seeing that people are within a day's drive from the comforts of home really kind of sucks when I'm 25 hours away from home.
My friend, who was supposed to stay around for the semester left this morning for good. So much for that. Whatever, I'm having a good time.

Cancellations Don't Mean Canceling Adventures

There is one thing everyone needs to know about me. I am persistent. With that in mind it should be no surprise that I went back to the building next to the registrar to try and join the club that I had tried to join Friday. This time I had a plan. I would call the woman I was supposed to meet and have her meet me outside the building. When I called her she told me there was a ramp and that I could just come right in. Despite getting directions as to where the ramp was located I was unable to find it and had to get someone who worked in the building to show me where it was. Once I saw ramp I realized there was another problem. The ramp was one of the steepest I had ever seen. It was not going up that concerned but rather coming down. I did not think the brakes would provide enough traction to stop me before I hit the railing. I was able to join the club successfully but now for the challenge of getting down. I decided to hold the rail and walk backwards down the ramp while facing the walker and and pulling it down after me. It took me several minutes but my plan of getting down safely was very successful! 

Another wonderful aspect of college is that if a professor is sick or has an emergency and cancels class students get to go home. This is exactly what happened on Wednesday. Both my theatre and english classes were cancelled. Even when theatre is cancelled it still throws in some excitement. I saw a friend of mine who is in that class with me. Her and I decided to walk to class together. She took me in a different way than my normal route. I need to just stop taking shortcuts. I guess my friend did not realize I had trouble using stairs as you had to walk up steps to take her route. She looked perplexed when we reached them. I quickly grabbed the rail and walked up the steps, Unfortunately my friend had to carry the walker. It is heavy and awkward but she managed. It was not until we got up the steps and walked all the way to the classroom that there was a sign saying class was cancelled. This just proves that I do not need to have class to have an adventure because everyday is an adventure!

A Whole New World

Please note that I wrote these first few blogs weeks ago when I first learned that I would be doing this. I was very excited and couldn't wait to start. I have officially finished my first week of college and I loved it. For anyone who knows me this probably comes as a shock. There are so many advantages that I didn't even think of when I was in high school. Once professors are done teaching students are allowed to leave regardless of the time. Professors provide you with a syllabus for the entire semester the first day. This is great for someone like me who is pretty active as it allows me to complete the work when it is convenient for me. The most significant difference between college and high school is that I can go home between classes- provided of course that I have a ride. This makes my everyday pain much less severe.

The next myth that I want to disprove about attending community college is that it is grade 13 and you will know everyone. I was the girl that knew everyone in high school I knew every member of the class of 2008. I walked into my first college class and knew one person out of about twenty-five. I have about six people I went to school with in all of my classes combined. So don't think you won't have the opportunity to meet new people and create a new you.

I don't have any major adventure this week but I did have a few close calls. For example, I thought the elevator was broken and my class was on the third floor or when I walked into my theatre class and all the chairs were on risers. I also got lost and called my sister for directions. Despite these minor mishaps I managed to be on time for every class. Quite an accomplishment if I do say so myself. Now I have to go do some work remember everyday is an adventure.

So it Begins

So It Begins

When I was first asked to write a blog I was nervous. Why would anyone want to hear from me, a young handicapped woman who will be attending a community college? Then I realized this blog could be a good thing. For one thing I can use it to share some of the additional obstacles physically challenged students face when going off to college. Classes have not even started yet and already I have discovered my first myth and faced my first challenge. Myth number 1 it is easy to get to and from college. I live less then five minutes from the college and my sister is also a student there yet I am still having transportation difficulties. My sister and I have completely different schedules, both my parents are usually busy in the morning and I don't have a license. Boy we are certainly not in high school anymore where everyone started the same time and there were buses. I guess I will have to make friends fast.

Another reason I am going to need friends is because I am terrible on directions In fact, I have already been to the campus bookstore to ask for directions. When I went to orientation everyone met on the second floor. When we had to get our student id's we had to go to a different building. We were supposed to simply follow the advisors. there was one small problem...stairs.  I had to use the elevator which took me to a different location then the rest of the group. Of course this caused me to be lost and that is why I ended up in the bookstore asking for directions long before classes began.

If you follow my blog you will learn that these kinds of mishaps occur quite frequently in my life. In fact when I was away on my own for the first time for a month I created a shirt that said "everyday is an adventure." that is my motto for the coming year I hope you come along and enjoy the ride. 

Lost Continued Week of 9-12

I should have known when I signed up for theatre that I would have adventures. I did not realize I would have so many this early in the semester! I was late for my next theatre class because my ride hit construction on the way to my house. By the time I got on campus I was able to meet my sister and she agreed to walk me to class. She has the same class but she has it on Tuesday and Thursday. She told me she would take me in a side entrance that would get me there faster. Unfortunately, she did not know where we were. I can always count on my sister to add some excitement to my day! Got to love her! We spent several minutes going up and down ramps because the first door we tried was locked. Eventually we found my class and I was able to enjoy the film the class was watching.

Finally it was Friday. I only have one class so the day can not be too full of adventure right? WRONG! I decided to go searching for a building after class in order to sign up for a club I want to join. I did not know where the building was. Is anyone surprised by that? I figured it was early and I did not have anywhere to be so I decided to go on my own little campus tour. This brings me to my next myth about community colleges. They are much smaller than four year schools. I probably put two miles on my walker that day! Finally I saw a classmate of mine who had a map. He told me that the building I was looking for was right next to the registrar building. This frustrated me because I had been to the registrar building several times and I actually knew how to get there.  Then came the icing on the cake. When I arrived at the building the only entrance I saw was preceded by numerous steps.

This brings me to my handicapped tirade of the week. Like actors/actresses architects are clearly not handicapped. Let me give future architects advice on how to make buildings truly handicapped accessible. Make sure you make the ramp visible. Also if you put in handicapped parking spots make sure you put a ramp nearby! That brings me to the definition of accessible as it relates to ramps. The wheels get caught on every crack in the sidewalk and every lip on ramps. Even if it is just a small lip people in wheelchairs might need help getting across it. If something is "accessible" that should mean people with disabilities can complete the task independently ! That is enough venting for one week. I hope everyone had a good week and I will post another adventure soon because everyday is an adventure.

Lost.. the First of Many

I have to break this week up into two updates as I have had several adventures. Adventure #1. Trying to get on and off the stage for my theatre class. Apparently there are no real handicapped actors/actresses they must just be played by able bodied individuals but that is besides the point. I had gotten on the stage using a side entrance. The professor wanted my group to get off the stage and watch the other group perform. She told me there was another entrance that would allow me to get to the chairs without having to take the stairs. What she forgot to mention is that I had to go outside and around the building. Thank goodness that someone who is a theatre major came with me or I would probably still be looking for the entrance. 

Apparently, one adventure did not fill my adventure quota for that day thus we have adventure #2. I had to go to the financial aid office to straighten out a few issues. I have only been to the office  once before. When I came out of the office I was lost and only had a few minutes to get to my english class. Thankfully, my professor was walking across the street and I was able to catch up to him and he showed me where to go. Unfortunately, we had to go all the way to the other side of the building to use the elevator. I was exhausted by the end of that day. That day was certainly an adventure! Until the next one....

Truths about me

 Truths About Me

I have already discussed what I hope to accomplish with this blog. Now let me tell you what I know. I know I am: a perfectionist, overachiever, handicapped (sometimes I forget that tiny detail) independent, thus making is hard for me to ask for help, class president of my high school class (three years running) and last but not least valedictorian of my high school class. 

I also know that some of these qualities have helped me to already have earned 21 college credits. With this amount of credits it is possible for me to complete my two years at community college by next fall if I take a few winter and summer courses. that is my goal but let me not get too far ahead of myself. For my first semester I will be taking basic physiology, intermediate spanish, introduction to theatre,a world civics course, as my major is political science/government and an honors english course. I am not too concerned with any of  my classes because I don't have to take a math or science my two hardest subjects. I am more fearful of being in a new place where I don't know many of the students or teachers and they don't know me.  I do have class Monday through Friday though so I hope to get acclimated quickly. This schedule will also help keep my motto accurate. Everyday can and probably will be an adventure.

"Closure in representation naturalizes the meaning of an image." ...wait- what?

On Monday I got a nice little break when my Postcolonialism class was cancelled for the day.  It's definitely my least favorite class, but then again that's not saying a whole lot since I love my other 3 classes.  Today was complicated, since the book we were supposed to have read was not available at any of the local bookstores, and our professor had not put it on reserve anywhere.  So I found myself reading an online version of the book, which, as I found out today, was not even the right book.  So only three of the twelve students had read the book, and the discussion was far, far over my head, and somehow some of the students who hadn't read the book were also able to engage in the discussion very aptly.  At the end of class I talked to one of my classmates, who also finds the class very challenging.  It was nice to know that I'm not the only one in there who's frustrated at the abstract concepts and disorganization.

Last night, a friend of mine went to the local movie theater and saw "Burn After Reading", which I recommend.  Getting there was a little bit of a hassle, as I have found the bus system to be.  As accustomed as I am to the small-town, middle-of-nowhere life, it's very different being at the mercy of a public transportation system that doesn't make many stops at my school, since it's further removed from the other colleges and stops in the area.

My friend who planned on dropping out has planned on staying at least until the end of the semester, as that would be an easier way to transfer credits and apply to another school with less hassle.  We'll see how he does until then.  

Everything Else

At this point I'm more or less settled into the college lifestyle. I've gotten into the swing of all my classes, and I've adapted to my schedule. My schedule is pretty accommodating to the workload. On Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, I don't have any work before 1pm, so if I manage to get up early enough I can get a lot of work done. That said, the workload can be pretty intense. I've already written two papers and read hundreds of pages of text. My advice right now would be to treat all your homework like a job, and get it all done as soon as possible. I've managed it all pretty well and I've still found myself with plenty of time to hang out with my friends.
It has also opened the door for all sorts of cool extracurricular activities. A few nights ago all the student groups set up tables in the cafeteria with information and sign-up sheets. I signed up to have a radio show, joined the comics collective, and even put myself on a list for potential elementary school tutors. We'll see how that goes, I'd like to do it but I'm not sure about transportation or how it will fall in with the rest of my schedule.
Along with that, A friend of mine came up with the idea for a Shakespeare and Pie Club, which is a group that gets together, eats pie, and reads and discusses Shakespeare. I've always had mixed feelings about Shakespeare, but adding pie into the mix makes joining that group a definite "yes".
As well as I've settled in, however, a friend of mine here has already made the decision to drop out. He doesn't feel like this is the right school for him, and I believe he is homesick as well as generally unprepared for college. He's going to go back home and get a full time job, and then maybe enter a community college next semester, and hopes to apply to different schools for next fall. I think that it was probably the right decision on his part, but its really put things in perspective here, in that I'm loving this school, and someone just as easily can't stand it.

Classes

I've now had at least one session in each of my classes. I'm really excited about two of them, excited to a lesser degree about another, and still undecided about the other. My World War II writing class and my Literary Journalism class are the classes I'm most excited about. They should, from what the syllabus and the professors have said, help me grow as a writer. I'll have the opportunity to write about World War II, which is my favorite period in US History, and 3 articles on the topic of my choice for my Jouralism class. My Life Stories from Latin America class sounds pretty fascinating, and it deals with a lot of the tumultuous government business that was going on during the Cold war, which I find very interesting. My fourth class, about Postcolonialism, I'm a little skeptical about. We'll be ready a lot of cool books and watching some great movies (The Battle of Algiers and Trainspotting), but right now it seems really disorganized and I still don't really know what Postcolonialisim is. Overall though, I'm looking forward to this semester.

(Dis)Orientation

Thursday through Monday was Freshman orientation, which was accurately described to me as "summer camp with homework in the distance". It's been exhausting in that we had events planned for us for the whole day, mostly varied forms of "mixer" games and speeches about drugs, sex, and community at school. The school's notorious drug culture has already shown its face, with incoming students bonding over conversations about pot. Every night howls and screams are heard in the distance, and you'd be hard-pressed to walk through the quad without walking through a cloud of smoke of various smells. I've managed to make friends with people without it being based on our enthusiasm for drug use, or our staunch opposition to it. We usually find ourselves wandering around campus, wondering aloud about where everyone else is, and then hearing stomping feet and tambourines coming towards us. While wandering around last night, we witnessed something that seemed to sum up The College pretty well: On the lawn near us, two people were practicing the violin together, playing beautiful music under the dim lights, while across from us in the quad a resounding holler went up that either meant someone had just chugged a ton of alcohol or taken the biggest hit of their life. (I'm assuming the latter) I'm already under the impression that a lot of these people are honestly spending $40,000+ a year just to do drugs. And plenty are here just to argue with drug users. I think this will settle down a bit now that returning students have arrived, and they aren't as excited by the no-parents-no-authority-let's do drugs concept as first year students are. The serious people are here now, and everyone who took this place to lightly has probably disappeared since last year.