Time Is Ticking

Thanksgiving is this Thursday and I could not be any happier to go home and see all of my family and friends. UC has been good to me, but I think it is time to reconnect with the city that I know best in Gahanna, Ohio. Finals are approaching rather quickly and actually I am looking forward to getting them done. It might mean that I have to do some extra studying over Thanksgiving, but it all pays off in the end when you get the grades that you deserved for all your hard work. I believe that my English final will be my easiest because of how well I am doing in that class. Don't get me wrong, I am doing well in all my classes its just English stands out the most.

The food down here has not been the best, but it has got the job done so far. The thing I am looking forward to most when I get home is A change in what I eat. Thanksgiving dinner will be a blast I already know, but I am also looking forward to eating some quality fast food. On the brighter side, the University food services do a nice job in the hospitality part of their business. That leads to one aspect in which I like most about UC and that is the spirit of the people. Every worker seems to enjoy what they do making my experience even better then I thought.

This school year has gone by so fast and time is ticking until the end of the quarter, which is not too far away. Can't wait for Winter break!

Almost There, Almost There

Well, tonight I am blogging because I need a serious study break. I have been working so hard for my finals (which are tomorrow and monday) all day today. I can't believe that the term is over. It all flew by so quickly! I'm looking forward to the 6 week break where I will be able to concentrate on swimming and having fun! No school work, no library job--the thought of that is heavenly! However, I'm close, but not that close. I still have 2 finals blocking my path toward my personal "nirvana". Last week I was sick, and I did not do so well on my two tests in art history and calculus. This weekend will give me a chance to redeem my grades for those classes. The pressure is most definitely on! It's hard to concentrate even though everyone else has finals, too. I keep thinking about winter break and how I'm so close to the finish line, yet I'm still so far. Wish me luck on my tests, and I'll see you in 2010 when school resumes for winter term!

The Test Against Time

Thanksgiving is next week and I cannot wait! All I can think about is the food that I am going to eat and how good it is going to taste! But, I do know that staying focused on school has to continue to be my primary goal until break time happens. I took a math test today and felt that I did pretty well. I knew pretty much all of the material allowing me to answer all parts of every question with plenty of confidence. After the test, I was thinking about how college has made me a better student in math and as a whole with all my other subjects. I feel it is because I am using the way I study for math with all of my other classes. getting honor roll is one of my goals for this quarter.

On the social side, I went to the Men's first regular season basketball game tonight and had lots of fun. They almost lost which was a shock to alot of people watching, but they pulled it out in the end. I think that our basketball team needs to have a discussion with our football team and decide to try and go undefeated like our football team has done so far this year. I believe that will boost our university's reputation as being one of the top athletic college organizations in the nation. I am thinking that over the next ten years our school will transform into a athletic nation and be known for recognizing great sports teams. But all in all, I am fine with the university staying the way it is today. I guess you could call it the test against time.

Ok, NOW I'm Freaking Out...

I just finished another art history and calculus exam and neither went very well. Why are we taking these tests when finals are next week? It just seems so silly to me. School is really stressful at this moment. I mean, I have finals in a week, I have a research paper to write, and I have to get sleep. Apparently it's not healthy to not sleep... Too bad, because I feel there just aren't enough hours in the day to get all my work done. That may be why I am getting sick. Oh yes, I may be coming down with either the H1N1 or a cold. Only time will tell. I hope it's just the latter. Sorry for being so pessimistic. I am only thinking of school right now, though. I mean, I only have 3 more days of class left before I take my finals, and I am feeling unprepared. I think all the other freshmen here feel the same way. School has been so great so far--WHY IS IT SO STRESSFUL NOW? I guess that is why I chose this school--because of its rigorous academic pace. I underestimated how crazy the end of the term was going to be. Now I know for next term...

Thank You Thanksgiving

With Thanksgiving only about two weeks away, the timing for this break couldn't be any better. I have enjoyed myself down here and feel that I will continue to be successful if I keep thinking straight. I went to the football game again this past Saturday and it was sweet. We almost lost, but I am glad that the Bearcats pulled it off in the last quarter. I also went to the men's basketball game last Thursday and it was pretty good. Our team won and i feel that we can do somethings in the Big East this year. I am looking forward to going to as many games as I can so I can support the Cats. Overall, I have had good experinces with all the events that I have attened throughout the school year so far this year.

My schoolwork is going well and with half of the quarter almost already over, I am starting to study for some of my final exams. In most of my classes I do have an exam and I plan to be well prepared for them because I know they can have a big influence on my grade positively and negatively. I am hoping for the best and feel that if I go over certain topics with my professors for clarification then I will be in good shape. I am plan on scheduling my next quarter classes on Thursday morning and I like the way my schedule looks for the winter. I think i can be very successful and productive in the classes that I will be taking. In the mean time, like I said the timing for Thanksgiving break is perfect, it is going to be nice to be home considering the fact that I have not been there since the day I moved in. Thank you Thanksgiving!

Case Of The Cats

It is already November and I feel that I have done a lot in the past month in a half that I have been here. The schoolwork is starting to get a little bit harder, but i think that if I keep a positive mindset and fight through all of the work, I will be OK. The Basketball season is about to start and I am excited for the games to get going. The first Boys game is approaching rather quickly and I am thinking about getting my tickets here sometime this week. The air is starting to turn a little bit colder which is not a good thing for me, but that's what you get in Ohio. Luckily, I am in the southern part of the state so it will not be as cold as Columbus.

As the winter quarter comes to a close here in about the next month, I am already thinking about where i may want to live next year. The dorm halls that are right next to the one that I am living in right now are really nice. I am going to greatly consider staying in one of those next year. One negative to this decision is the expensive price that has to be payed. Also, I may consider living in a off campus house. I have seen some pretty good deals that I may be interested in. Overall, I am not going to stress out on housing because my education is more important right now. I plan to continue supporting the Bearcats, and develop a good case of the cats myself.

3 weeks and counting

Ah, Fridays--the start of the weekend is finally here! I had a good week this week, and I'm so excited for Halloween! My classes have all been going well--successful drafts/papers, a decent Art History mid-term grade, and swimming has difficult, but I have been able to push through. It's getting a little nerve-wracking, though, because next Monday there will only be 3 weeks left of the term--15 days! Since my school is on a 10-week trimester schedule, things move very quickly here. There are finals exams and papers to think about and what classes to choose for winter term.

However, despite all this crazy school work, this weekend will be great! Tonight I have a blind date. It's this campus-wide event in which your roommate sets you up on a blind date. Both my roommate and I set up each other. I feel kind of bad because I don't know who her date is at all! My friend on the swim team and I were complaining about how neither of us could think of anyone to set our roommates up with, and then we realized we should just set our roommates up together! I hope everything goes well...

Halloween is tomorrow, and unfortunately we have a swim meet in the morning, so I can't sleep in. It will be an invite with some teams from our conference and we will be racing silly relays, not actual regulation swim meet events. This sounds like fun as long as I don't have to swim distance tomorrow!

All in all, we've been working hard here. It's time for a little fun this weekend! Wish me luck on my date :)

BCS Bearcats

The fact that there was no homecoming dance for the weekend was interesting, but besides that this past homecoming weekend was a big success! I had lots of fun and the Bearcats won the football game. Our national championship hopes are looking better and better. If they keep playing the way that they have been then i think they will atleast make it to a BCS Bowl. The University is filled with plenty of excitement and anticipation as the regular season continues to get closer to the end. I really do hope that all ends well with the football team because I do beliveve that it can only boost the continuously building reputation of the University and that will have a positive effect on the school as a whole.

My school work continues to get better as the weeks progress. I feel that i am becoming a better student. I have to give credit to my parents because all of the advice that they have given me, I have been using in the past couple weeks. My test scores have improved significantly and i think that is because i have been stidying more now than any other time in my life. Math is starting to come very easy to me which has boosted my confidence in become a stronger student overall. It is almost November and it feels like school just started weeks ago. The quarter is going by quick as the half way point has already past. I cant wait for the weekend though, because i get to cheer on Michigan and of course the BCS Bearcats!

I wish break could last longer... so I could finish my homework :(

Midterm break was this past weekend. I got one day off--Monday. This weekend was the most relaxing weekend I've had in a very long time, especially since there wasn't any swim practice. However, the days leading up to the break were so stressful.

Last Wednesday I had two midterm exams and a paper due. The paper wasn't so bad because I had been working on it all week, and Calculus wasn't too much to worry about because I have already taken a similar class, but Art History was a pain in the neck to study for! There were 55 pieces of art we had to memorize along with their dates, stylistic periods, artists, and region. Thankfully, I was able to cram it all into my brain before the test. Even if you feel like you know the subject well, the first exam is always scary. You never know what to expect for the first test. Well, thankfully, I was wrong about the Art History exam being the most terrifying thing ever, because I thought it went quite well. I guess we'll just have to see when we get the actual results on Wednesday.

Even though I had a really relaxing weekend, I have a TON of homework that I sort of pushed aside. I'm actually nervous about when I'm going to have time to finish it all. Nothing except my math homework is due tomorrow, but I have a paper due on Friday that I should probably continue working on. I have no idea how all this work piled up! It was midterms--no one gave MORE homework--but here I am scrambling to find time to do it all.

I guess the advice I'm going to give here is make sure you look ahead and prepare--for everything. I think I should have seen these assignments coming and saved some time in the weekend to work on them at least a little bit. Hope I learned my lesson...

Because Of The Bearcats

It has officially been over a month since I've moved in and time is flying by. I did pretty good on my first math test and feel that i am starting to become a better student mathematically with all of the help that i am getting from my support system. Also, all of my other classes are going great and i think i might end up with all A's hopefully. The library has realistically been one of my best friends and it has payed off in every academic way possible. The only thing i don't like about the Library here is that they charge you to print. In high school i used to print away, but with this some responsibility has been developed in my system so i cant complain too much.

On a social positive side, our football team is ranked 5th in the nation and everybody agrees that we have a good chance of making the national championship if we go undefeated. This weekend is the homecoming game against Louisville and i feel that we will win because they are not that good, but who knows, any given day anything can happen in the game of football. I will be there cheering on the Bearcats regardless of the outcome. It's the least i can do for what this school has given me so far in my college career, and that's plenty of good memories to harp on for life. My college life seems pretty complete. I have to say it's all because of the Bearcats.

Settling In Safely And Soundly

I have been living at The University of Cincinnati for about three weeks now and it continues to get better and better. I lately have been thinking about joining a fraternity, but i am not sure if that is the right choice for me. rush week was this past week and that it when all of the fraternities host activities to get freshman to join and hopefully persuade them to become a memeber of their home. I know that fatrnites can benefit people when it comes to jobs but i do not want this commitment to effect my school work in any way possible. I think that a very safe decision needs to be made if i do pick a frat to join, but i feel that all of the fraternities here have good intentions for their fellow members.

My school work has been really good. i believe that is because of the massive amount of time i have to study and do homework everyday due to the way my schedule has been made for this first quarter. my first collegiant test is this coming Wednesday, and i feel that i will be in perfect condition to succeed. My free time has also allowed me to make more friends each day and I think that has carved out opportunity for me to network. i have always been a sociable person but this university has allowed me to really branch out and meet a lot of diverse people that have enlivened my spirit. I am settling in safely and soundly.

4th Week

This weekend was homecoming! It was quite different than my high school's homecoming though. There is not quite the emphasis on sports here at my academically-rigorous small liberal arts college that there was back home. I had a swim meet that morning, so I missed the first quarter of the game. The game was very exciting, and we almost lost to our biggest rivals, but in the end, we prevailed 17-13!
That night, I there was a dance that started at 9, but truly got hoppin' at 11:30. I found it strange that there were hardly any parties that night! Most college students would want to celebrate all night long, but there were only a few parties that ended before midnight. I thought homecoming was going to be over-the-top wild, but here it is very low key.
Sunday night was a stressful night, as always. I usually try and get some homework done before Sunday night, just so I won't have piles and piles of work to do. Well, much to my dismay, I left everything until the last minute. This was a very stupid idea because I had to wake up at 6 the next morning for swimming practice.
It was tough on Monday morning to drag myself out of bed and bike to the Rec Center. The workout set the coaches had us do were so intense! After morning practice I raced back to my dorm for a quick shower, then breakfast, then class. It's going to be hard to get used to this new schedule.
I now have swimming every day of the week except Sunday. I have morning practices on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. College sports are very intense. I was only planning on swimming for fun, but it is a lot more work than I was prepared for. I hope I can keep up my studies as well as my swimming, because I really like the team and the coaches and all the new friends I've made.
It is now Wednesday, and midterms are coming up next week already! I can't believe I've made it this far! I hope I can figure out how to manage my schedule a littler more efficiently this week so I'll be prepared for all the work school and swimming have to offer.

The Freshman Feeling

Today is Monday and normally this is a day where I feel like my life is crashing down on me with stress, but college has given Monday a new name for my educational life. It is a day where most of my room and floor mates throughout the dorm go out and get active in some way possible. I really enjoy the fact that we do this because it has allowed me to become closer to a lot of people at the university and most importantly, it has given me the opportunity to meet people who are good students. Now if I need help with anything especially math, I can get it from one of my new friends as opposed to always walking to the tutor center or trying to help myself.
So far, The University of Cincinnati has been good to me. I am enjoying all of my classes and feel that the support from my professors has helped a lot in making my pivotal transition from high school to college a smooth one. The student body is real nice and everybody seems to be having a good time with very little issues. The social aspect has to be my favorite thing about the collegiate life. Outside of hanging with my dorm mates on Mondays, there are plenty of activities to participate in and most of them are free for anyone to join. I think that if I continue to stay positive about my school work and become more and more active as the year goes on, then my freshman year will be successful but who knows what my college future will hold from this day on? Guess I have to wait and just enjoy my freshman feeling for now.

3rd Week

Today is the Monday of the third week at college. It's always hard to get up on a Monday. I had an 8:30 class (writing seminar), a 9:50 class (intro to art history), and Calculus I (12:30). It's a pretty full day, but at least I don't have any classes tomorrow, just my job in the library! These past few weeks have been a rush!

Just two and a half weeks ago my mom and dad dropped me off at my dorm. I met my roommate, who I absolutely adore! The people on my floor have been really great, too. I have two Resident Advisors (RA's), a guy and a girl, who really look out for us newcomers. My neighbors are nice; I live next to two guys on one side and two girls on the other, both pairs are sophomores. Residential life has been interesting--I'm not used to walking into a bathroom with 8 other girls all trying to get ready in the morning! We get prizes if we leave our doors open, so my roommate and I often have random people from our floor just drop in! It's nice once in a while to have a study break.

I feel like that's all I do here is study. I don't remember the last book I read for fun. Art History is the killer, really, because we have 3 different books we have to read at the same time. Calc is hard, but I took the course in high school, so it's pretty much a review. The writing seminar has been great, and I'm really looking forward to improving my writing. However, I think I have had to write the most papers so far on my floor--3 papers in two weeks.

Although the homework is quite a load, and the academics are challenging, people here really know how to live it up on the weekends. Everyone goes out on Friday and Saturday night whether it is going to a party, attending a play in the little theater, or baking cookies at the Cookie House. There are fun things to do to please everyone. Even though I knew the campus was a "wet campus", the drinking scene is more pronounced than when I visited as a junior and senior in high school. It's pretty gross when someone who doesn't even live on your floor throws up in the hallway at 12:30 am. The college is pretty relaxed on drinking rules. They assume that if you are going to consume alcohol, you will be responsible about it. The RA's, campus security, and Student Wellness Advisors are there to help kids who have had too much to drink, not punish them.

I really love college so far! We'll see how I feel about those words closer to exam days!

Freshman Year: Stick a Fork in it It's Done

I am finally done. I emailed my last paper to my professor tonight. Four finals in one day was extremely exhausting. That is why I took a maximum of three classes per day next semester. I am taking World Civilization II, Public Speaking, Statistics, Microeconomics and US History II. Although, four finals was exhausting I must have done decent because I have earned two A's so far. Despite doing well I believe i learned even more important things this semester. College is collaborative, a person can't do it alone. College is hard work no matter where you go. Most importantly, I've learned that everyone "figures out how to manage." Everyone gets stressed but everyone survives. Some people realize college is not for them, others change their major and others have the time of their lives. No matter what everyone has adventures. I certainly had my share. This should not surprising because everyday is an adventure!

Finishing Touches

I can't believe finals are here. As of eight p.m. Tuesday I will finished with finals. I am sure everyone can guess what I have be doing for the past week. Studying, studying and studying some more. I have found that I have needed to work with others in order to have motivation. My friend and I sat together and wrote our ten page papers and I met a classmate in the library to study for my political science exam. This is necessary because most of my other friends are home from college and I feel like I am the only one that still has to do work. I am only really concerned with two exams: Spanish and Economics. They are my only cumlative exams. Also they are my two most difficult courses. My economics teacher did not tell us what chapters were on the exam until there was five minutes left in the class before the exam. Talk about a warning, I am just going to study as much as I can and when all else fails I am going to pick "c." The good thing is that no matter what happens, as of Tuesday night it is over. I am just  going to enjoy the adventure as everyday is an adventure! 

The End is Near, Of This I'm Certain

One big assignment down, too many to go. The Spanish oral is done, but it did not go well. The good news is I now just have to sit in the class for the week and listen to other people present. The other good news is that my presentation for Macroeconomics is done so I do not have to do anything but listen in that class either. However I have no idea what is going to be on the final for that class so I have to ask him on Tuesday. We have only done one chapter since our midterm. Don't worry just because I don't have to do work for those two classes does not mean my last full week will not be super busy. I have to read 150 pages for my political science class, take an exam and write a paper by the 18th. What professor makes you hand a paper in after the semester is over? I guess professors can do whatever they want in college. I also have to write two papers for English by the 11th, one of which is a ten page research paper. In addition to all of the work I have to do I meet with a transfer advisor tomorrow.  This means I have to make decisions on my future and we all know how good I am with that... not. This week is certainly going to be an adventure. That is not surprising though as everyday is an adventure!

Nothing Left to Do, Except Do It

Three weeks. How hard or stressful can that be? I have known for a while that this semester was going to be tough in terms of getting the grades I would like. I knew it would come down to the end in almost every class and guess what I was right. As of Thursday 1230 one of my toughest and biggest assignments will be over. It is a ten minute Spanish presentation. I chose to go first. I hope that was a good decision. I actually think it was because I cannot stress over it anymore. I have done that for weeks. Once that is over all I have left is a final for that class. I still have quite a few assignments for my English class and at least one more major assignment in all my classes. Sometimes I wonder how I am going to cram all that information into my head.

  Speaking of stressing for weeks, I must register for classes tomorrow. I spoke to an advisor and she recommended I speak with a transfer advisor. She thinks it is in my best interest to transfer after next semester. If I  do that then picking my classes is pretty simple as I only have five left until I complete my associates degree. The message of the week is that no matter what happens the sun will always rise tomorrow and worrying will not change that. For this reason there is nothing left for me to do except finish and try and enjoy the adventure because everyday is an adventure.

The End is Nigh

The end of the school year has come on rather sudden. I'll be done with classes on Thursday, and I've already finished the majority of my final papers, and all that's really left is a few revisions before I'm entirely finished with this semester. Then, after that it's just a matter of figuring out where to store some things and what stuff I need to send home before I pack up and head home for the summer. It'll be nice to finish things up here, and be able to relax for a few months - though I'll definitely have to get a job when I get home.
My friends and I figured out where we'll be living next semester. While many soon-to-be-second-year students try to move out of the dorms and into the campus houses, we decided that process - a tedious, week-long auction inexplicably referred to as a lottery - would warrant more stress than it was worth, especially when the odds of actually ending up in a house are very slim for a group made up entirely of first-years. So, we instead opted to "buy" rooms in the dorm I'm currently living in, where my friend will be the intern (the closest thing this school has to an RA). Though we'll have to put up with another year of the dreaded cafeteria food, staying in the dorms will be nice, especially since they're much closer to the academic buildings than the houses. The strange thing about our arrangement, however, is that in our group of 8, 3 of us may not be returning here next year, and they won't have actually figured out if they were accepted into their transfer schools until mid-May, a few weeks after school is out. So, far all I know, the day I leave could be the last time I see those guys, and from the way they talk about transferring, it sounds pretty likely. I know this school is not for everyone, so it's understandable that they're leaving, but I hope I get to see these guys after this year.

One Problem Many Solutions

If you ask any college student what his/her biggest problem is with under a month of classes left I guarantee ninety five percent will give you the same answer: STRESS. It is inevitable regardless of the college you go to, the major your in, or what year you are. Over the past week I have observed numerous coping strategies. They include, but are certainly not limited to, yelling at everyone you see, not speaking to anyone, consuming enormous amounts of junk food and coffee, crying, and my personal favorite threatening to drop out. However the good news is that I am still enrolled and that I have figured out what I want to do with my life. I want to be a judge. Anyone who knows me is probably yelling, duh, you have wanted to do that since you were eight years old and it is about time you realized it.  In my defense it only took me a year at college to figure it out which is pretty good if I do say so myself.  The next question is whether I want to finish at community after next semester or do another full year. I guess I have to figure that out soon since I have to pick my classes at the end of April. Although it thrills me that the semester is ending it also worries me that I only have three weeks left to finish all of my work. I might have to combine all of the coping strategies mentioned above to make it with my sanity or maybe I will just take it day by day and remember that everyday is an adventure!

Figuring it out

I registered for next fall's classes, and it turned out much better than I thought it was. Though I was initially frustrated that there was hardly any classes that fit what I was planning on doing, I talked with my advisor and he pointed me in the right direction, and showed me a bunch of classes that will complement my planned course of study. As of right now, I'm registered for a class on Writing Childhood, which is a combination of writing and child psychology; Staging America, which is about contemporary American playwriting; Cultural Citizenship, which is about power systems in American media; and Antisemitism, which is about exactly what the class title suggests. All these classes should help me figure out the writing/history angle of what I plan on studying. It was just a matter of knowing where to look to find what I wanted.
I finished one of my finals for this semester already, and when I finished that presentation I realized how near I was to the end of the semester, and moreover, the end of my first year of college. Of course, I've still got two more major papers to put together and some revisons to do as well, but I've got less than three weeks left of this. As much as I love it here, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to getting done here and going home.

Decisions Decisions

There is a line in one of my favorite songs that goes "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end."  As I complete my last month of my freshmen year I have found this lyric to be very true. I have to pick my classes for next semester within the next few weeks. Although I have decided to remain at community college until at least next spring I am not any closer to deciding what to major in. In fact I am more confused now then ever before. This is causing issues as I do not know what classes to take next semester. I like so many things, but love nothing. I am also good at many things, but great at none. The good thing is that I know a lot of people who feel this way so at least I am not alone. Every week I want to do something different or double major. One idea ends and the next begins.

 Another aspect in which I am not alone in is being stressed. Everyone I talk to says they have so much work to do in the next few weeks and they have no idea how they are going to get it done. I have five projects and five finals to take. If there is one skill I am going to master by the end of the semester it will be time management. One project or test ends and another begins. Despite the confusion and the stress I feel I have grown tremendously this semester. I am not stuck to a plan. I am exploring options and I am finally starting to realize that once college is over I am in the working world forever so I should take my time and find out what I love. That is what I have decided. I will take each day as it comes and enjoy each adventure as everyday is an adventure.  

Next Semester...

They've posted the course listing for next fall's semester, and while a few classes sound interesting, the things I was planning on studying are fairly underrepresented. My advisor had told me to take certain classes this year with a variety of different professors in the writing department, but its looking like two of them won't be teaching any classes at all next year, another will only be teaching classes for first years and students working on their final project, and another is only teaching one class that I'll be able to take. Since I have the opportunity to be taking courses at other schools in the area though, I've looked into what they have to offer. There are a few courses that sound really interesting, but registering for them won't be as easy, as the other schools put a priority on their own students before they let students from other schools take their classes. The most frustrating thing about this though is that I had a pretty solid idea of what I wanted to study for the next two years, and not only are those professors not going to being teaching course I'll be able to take, but there are scarcely any courses anywhere that relate to what I want to study. Since it's going to be by second year and I'll be finished with my first-year requirements, I'll have the opportunity to take just about any class that I think will fit my self-designed path. But it looks like its going to be tough finding enough courses that really fit what I want to do next year without taking a few peripheral classes. I do have the opportunity, however, to do an Independent Study. I'm not quite sure how I go about arranging that, but if I can come up with a reasonable subject to study independently, I may be able to do that.

Just Keep Going

This week has been pretty ordinary. Lots of work, and lack of sleep.  Tests, tutoring and writing papers. There were a few highlights. All but one of the entrances to the main building was closed. That made getting in and out a bit of a challenge. I walked up the winding ramp and it was not until I got all the way to the top that I realized it was closed. Also the email system at my school is down. This usually would not be a problem, except that I am having problem registering for my English department exam. It is an exam that all students in composition 2 must take. I tried calling the number, but that only connected me to the testing center and said nothing about the department exam. Then I decided to email the head of the english department. Then I found out the email didn't work.  Thankfully, next week will be better. I do not have any classes on Monday or Wednesday. Monday is supposed to be designated to research. Wednesday is cancelled, but class is meeting on Friday. After next week I will have one month to go and I am so excited. i just keep telling myself that everyday I go is one less that I have to go. Just keep going and enjoy the adventure! 

Ready Set Go

Last week was spring break and boy was it nice! However I do not think that sixteen hours in the car and four sled hockey games in three days is exactly what my body needed to rejuvenate. I am extremely stiff and exhausted so motivating myself to  go to class has not been easy. Not only that but I have a feeling these next five weeks are going to be very hectic. I still have ten and a half hours of community service to do for my Spanish class, three research papers to write and final exams.  Not to mention the fact I have to decide if I want to transfer next spring or if I will wait till Fall 2010 and the decision has to be made soon. 

Despite the fact that the next five weeks will probably be stressful I am looking forward to them. They will certainly be full of adventure and I just keep telling myself that once five weeks is over I am off for almost three months. It has been a long semester but I am coming to the home stretch and I just keep reminding myself of two things. What does not kill me makes me stronger and everyday is an adventure, just hold on tight and enjoy the ride. 

Spring Break

Over past week I had my spring break. I wasn't up for two full days of travel, nor was I really up for spending money somewhere else, so I stayed on campus. Campus was mostly empty, as most students are from the east coast and had a way of going home for ten days. Although some people were skeptical that I could make it that long without losing my mind or starving, I actually had a really nice time. I only had a few things assigned over the break, and with those aside, I had a lot of time to myself. That was nice, as the weeks prior to break had been particularly heavy on the workload, and I was in need of some time to relax. The cafeteria was closed, so I had to spend some money at the grocery store, but I was able to survive on peanut butter sandwiches, oranges, and licorice. I caught up on some novels and comics that I hadn't had time to read during the semester, as well as get back to work on personal projects that I hadn't worked on in a long while. I also made another trip to the nearby mountain I had climbed a couple weeks earlier and had a much easier time going up, as the ice had mostly melted and the temperature was still nice. The only major issue was that the buses only ran once in the morning and once in the afternoon, which meant that if I was to miss the bus, I would have been stranded in town. I wasn't up for that, or for spending that much time in town between the two bus rides, so I kept myself entertained on campus, or in the case of the mountain, with things within walking distance of campus.
Over break I also made arrangements for the end of the year with a friend of mine from home who goes to school in Vermont. Originally my parents and I had planned it that I would send all my things home via mail and keep some stuff in storage while I flew home. But my friend, as it turns out, will have a car by May, and he gets out of school only a week after I do. We'll instead be driving home from school, which should be cheaper and easier, and probably a lot better than the tedious process of waiting in airports and bus stations. For a while I felt like when we were making our plans that we were thinking a little to far ahead, but then I realized that I'm only 5 weeks away from the end of the school year, and this actually wasn't so far away. That said, however, these next five weeks will probably the toughest of the semester, as I'll have go through the arduous process of writing long final papers, and giving presentations.

Spring Break Doesn't Mean A Work Break

Spring break officially starts Monday, but since I don't have class on Friday mine starts early. It could not have come at better time either. This week has been full of professors squeezing in exams before break which translates to all work and no fun. The good thing is that I only had one that was cumulative. 

Although, many of professors were going on vacation they still were able to assign work. I have two chapters to read for political science, an oral evaluation that I have to write for Spanish and an English paper due the day I return. That does not even include long term assignments that I have to work on.

Despite this workload I have dedicated this weekend to pleasure reading. My mom bought me the last two books of the Twilight series last week. However she would not give them to me until spring break because she knew that I would be so engrossed in the books that I would not do anything else. She was right. I am also going on vacation to Buffalo next weekend to play sled hockey. This should be exactly what I need to rejuvenate my spirit and be ready for the second half of the semester and all the adventures it will surely bring! That does not surprise me as everyday is an adventure.    

Self-evaluations, round 2

Over this past weekend, I had to write my self-evaluations, as it is "mid-terms" for everyone who goes to a normal college. They went a lot smoother this time compared to last, mostly because I'm much more comfortable in the classes I'm taking this semester than last. I participate in discussion more often, and the work is also slightly less challenging. I can't quite pinpoint what the differences are - if its me, the class, or the professor - but generally this semester I've participated much more in the classroom. It's always been discussion-based, but this time around I find that I have a lot more to say. I think it's most likely because the topics this semester (journalism, fiction, sex/love) are much more relatable ground for me than last semester's (postcolonialism, Latin American politics, war).
In my fiction writing class I was surprised to see that my story wasn't ripped apart, and actually quite well liked. I think that's just generally how I get with my creative writing, when I'm not entirely satisfied with it I don't expect anyone to like it. But it went quite well, and I got loads of good feedback and ideas to help improve it as well.
My friends and I have been talking about how this semester is moving so much faster than last. We figured it has something to do with the fact that we're much more adjusted to our situation now than we were last time, and because there are actually fewer days this semester anyway. There are less than two months left of the year, and while last semester that felt like forever, this semester that amount of time feels short. It's going by pretty fast.
Due to some strange occurrence in the weather, all the snow around here has melted and its 50 degrees out. Two of my friends and I hiked a nearby mountain, something we had been meaning to do since the fall. While the view was obviously less colorful than it would be in October, it was still really cool to see the entire valley that we live in, as well as our college and the other colleges nearby. It also felt good to get out and off campus after a winter of staying inside and going to movies.

Exactly What I Needed

This week has been exactly what I needed. We had a snow day on Monday. Although I hate snow it was very nice to have a day off. It allowed me to get some necessary work done. Then on Tuesday I did not have to go to my night class until an hour after it started as the class had to take an exam that I took on Friday. Then I took a mental health day or I guess mental health night as I skipped my stress management class and went to the Phantoms game instead. It was a tough decision, but well worth it. To top it all off my Spanish class was cancelled on Thursday. It does not get any better then that. Not only has this week been great but I only have one more week until spring break!!! 

Don't think that just because I had fewer classes, I had fewer adventures. Don't ask me to explain how either of these adventures happened because I don't think I could do them again if I tried. I was riding in the elevator trying to put on my jacket. I finally got the jacket on and was waiting for the elevator to open. The door opened and I began trying to walk out of the elevator. As I tried to walk the collar of my jacket began getting tighter around my neck. it was then I realized that the pocket of my jacket was stuck on my walker handle. After about five minutes I was able to free my jacket and continue on with my day. Another day this week I was walking up the ramp to go outside. There are two mats on the ramp. Unfortunately my feet got tangled in the first mat. I looked like I was about to do a belly flop on the floor. My arms and walker were moving forward and my feet were far behind. The thing about my walker is that it has automatic locks on the wheels so that you cannot go backward. In most cases this is a good thing, but when your feet are stuck behind you the wheels make it almost impossible to regain your balance. Thankfully two gentlemen were walking behind me and helped me. I may be able to avoid classes but I can never avoid adventures because everyday is an advemture 

College Should be Cancelled Anytime the Temperature is Above Fifty

Where does the time go? Probably the same place my motivation went. Out the window. I wish I could go to two classes and dedicate my time and effort to them.  They are Political Science and English. All of my other classes seem pointless, especially math. The professor is a great guy, but his voice is so monotone it is a struggle just to stay awake. My friend meets me by the elevator every class and convinces me that I should go. His job is only going to get tougher as the weather gets nicer. There is a park right next to campus and I love taking afternoon naps in the sun. This park plus math plus nice weather equals a disaster waiting to happen in terms of my attendance. This of course is only in my dreams because I would feel so guilty if I cut class, but boy is it tempting. Just a quick story. Last week my stress management teacher told us to clear our desk. I put my books on the ground. This was a bad idea since I would forget my head if it was not attached to my body. I'm sure you can guess what happened. I forgot them. When I went back to class two days later to get them they were gone. When I went to class  this Wednesday I asked a student if she had picked them up as she was in the classroom after me. When she said she hadn't I figured the books were gone forever. Fifteen minutes into class a security guard came in the room. I figured he was coming to tell us class was cancelled since the professor still had not shown up. Instead he said "Is anyone in this class missing books?" I guess it was my lucky day since everything was exactly how I left it. For once I avoided an adventure rather then going on a wild goose chase to find the books. This is surprising as everyday is an adventure.

Science hasn't changed

For the first time all year, I found myself completely zoning out during class, and, of course, it was during my science class. I'm doing all my work in the class and doing my best to pay attention, but a college science class is still a science class, and it's still over my head. I know it could be a lot worse, and I'm glad my professor is very understanding of the fact that not everybody is as passionate about what he's teaching, but whenever he begins speaking in thicker jargon and only a few students in the room really follow what he's doing, I find it really hard to pay attention.
But aside from that part of that class, everything else is going fine. I gave my first presentation of the year (with a partner) and it went smoother than I could have imagined. I was clearly overprepared, and my partner and I were more than ready to talk past our 15 minute time allotment. For my fiction writing class tomorrow, my story is being workshopped, and I'm pretty nervous since I wasn't particularly proud of the story. I've never written in the third-person for fiction before, and I think the story clearly reflects that, so I hope the class goes easy on me.
A thing that has been nice about this semester is that, in the absence of many of my friends who have moved into different buildings, I'm meeting more people. It's nice to know that the friend-making process doesn't simply end after the first few weeks, and people are willing to branch out as the year goes by.

They Told Me I Would Change My Mind

This week has been full of flashbacks. Surprise quizzes, moving students to the front of the room so they pay attention, me being quiet for two hours in order to prove a point... o wait that has never happened before and my personal favorite the conversations where people told me that I would change my mind about my career, a minimum of three times. I had always thought that people were wrong about the last one, especially since I had wanted to do something with the law since I could remember. It turns out I was wrong. I am taking a math class and the current chapter is logic. My professor is constantly saying how lawyers take numerous logic courses as it is the basis for their career. I hate it. I don't want to use complex, verbose language just to get what I want. I don't want to try to persuade people to agree with my point of view, but rather come together to find solutions to complex global problems in hopes of making other people's lives better. If anyone knows a career that fits these objectives please let me know. It looks like my college career will be full of work and adventure if I change my major. This is not surprising as everyday is an adventure!

Same as it ever was

At this point, I've resumed the same routine I had last semester, except perhaps with a little less writing. Looking back on my portfolios from last semester, I can't help but notice how heavy they are with paper, and when I look over my syllabuses for this semester it doesn't look like I'll match last semester's weight. When I compared the work I did last semester to what my friends were doing, both here and at other colleges, I also found that it was considerably more writing based than most, which I suppose might have been because I took 2 writing classes and two analysis-heavy classes. Though I may be getting small break from heavy writing, however, that doesn't mean that this semester will be a breeze. What I will have to do, that I've done little of previously, is give presentations. I don't have a lot of experience in giving presentations, so I'll probably pick up on that skill, or at least I hope I do.
The only other major change of this semester is adjusting to how often I see my friends. I had quite a few friends that were a year ahead of me, and when the new semester started, many of them moved into different housing that is both removed from the main area of campus and off the meal plan. Not that it is a major hassle, necessarily, since we all have phones and know where each other live, but spontaneously planned events have significantly decreased, mostly due to the fact that I don't see these people daily like I used to.

I Should Have Said No

Is it May 15th yet?  It certainly feels like it should be. This week has been full of school work, meetings and tutoring. I think the the most beneficial skill I could learn in college is how to say no. I have not been in college long enough, however because I could not say no to anything this week. I went in early to tutor someone in economics, attempted to help someone in Spanish and even tried to help my friend in physics. Anyone who knows me knows that I HATE physics and that it was the worst class I took prior to college Spanish. Those two are tied for my least favorite classes ever. I also told agreed to make a Black History Month pamphlet for the club I am president of. If Stress Management can work for me, it can work for anyone. I guess without the stress though life would be boring. That would not be good because everyday is an adventure! 

Where Have the Last Two Weeks Gone?

Sorry I have not written in so long. I have no idea where the time went. My sister warned me that Spring semester was more difficult than Fall semester. She was right. I feel like all I do is work and yet I am always behind. The sad part is that it is only two weeks into the semester. I do not know what I am going to do during midterms and finals. I have decided that I am going to live just for today and take it one day at a time. I heard this philosophy when I went to an NA meeting last night. Don't worry college has not driven me to drugs, I had to go for my stress management class. It was one of the most educational and emotional experiences of my life. I am so glad I went. It gave me a reality check. It was funny because I was nervous that people would be angry that I "intruded" on the meeting. I could not have been more wrong. It was the least judgmental environment I have ever been in. Everyone was so welcoming. 

Speaking of environments, that is probably the biggest adjustment I've had to deal with both in terms of the weather and social environment. It has been snowing frequently here and I've had to walk across campus with snow on the ground several times. As you can imagine snow and walkers do not mix especially for someone who is as clumsy as I am. My social environment has also changed. For most of my classes I have a new professor and new classmates and my classes are in different buildings. I feel like it is my first day of kindergarden again. If only the work were as easy as it was back then. With all these changes I will have to take it one day at a time and be ready for adventure, because everyday is an adventure!   

New Semester

New classes started on Thursday, and I've already dropped one class and registered for another. It was a class on Visual Culture, which was supposed to be kind of a prerequisite for film classes, but I knew from the instructor's introduction and reading the syllabus that there was no way I was going to enjoy it. I saw phrases like "representation in media" and the dreaded "postcolonialism," so I decided that it would be in my best interest to not endure the same nonsense as my Postcolonialism class last semester. I immediately dropped that class and registered for The History of Love and Dating in the US, which sounded much more interesting. I've only taken one class of it so far, and all we did was watch Woody Allen's "Annie Hall", which is one of my favorite movies. I glanced over the syllabus, and it seems like a far better class than the Visual Culture. I'm also in Journalism in Crisis, Writing Fiction About Families, and Local Food Systems. The first two are two topics I'm very interested in and I've already really enjoyed taking. The last one is simply a requirement fulfillment, but the professor seems great and the topic is more approachable science subject than, say, Human Gene Cloning. I'm liking how, compared to my last semester's beginning, this has been much less hectic. Starting last semester was tough because I was not only taking new classes, but adjusting to a new way of living entirely. Now that all I really have to worry about is new classes and buying books, I'm finding the transition much simpler. I also have a feeling that this semester will be considerably easier than the last one, in terms of the reading and writing I'll have to do. The jury's still out on Local Food Systems though - I've never been one for science, so I hope it won't be too complicated.

Did I earn this break?

January Term has ended, and the second semester has officially begun. My classes don't begin until Wednesday, but I turned in all my final work for my J-term class. I really enjoyed J-term - most of my friends were here, I got to take a class about movies, and I had tons of free time. The work I had to do for my class was pretty easy, and mostly enjoyable, so it hardly has even felt like school - which is why I hardly feel like this 5-day break I'm currently 3 days into was deserved. I'll take it, of course, and it's nice to have a little space between terms. And as nice as J-term was, it is also nice to have more of my friends arriving back on campus. This place is starting to feel like I did when I left, whereas J-term felt like some kind of condensed version of it. All my websites for my new classes are up, so I was able to check out the class lists and see who was taking the class with me, and quite a few of my friends will be taking some courses with me, which makes me even more excited about my new schedule, which is already looking more interesting than last semester, though I really enjoyed most of last semester. I'll have taken all of them by the end of the week, so I should have a good idea by then.

2nd Semester... Let the Adventures Continue

I think the motto for this semester is just keep walking! I have only gone to class two days and I am already exhausted.  On Wednesday I went to English and Stress Management. English was great. It is an honors class so I have the same professor as last semester and many of the same classmates. This made the atmosphere very relaxed and I was actually looking forward to the semester. Unfortunately, this feeling did not last long. That night I had Stress Management. That was my first mistake, taking a night class in a building I had never been to. I do not like walking on grass when I can see let alone at night when it is dark. Thankfully I made it to class on time without any major mishaps. It was once I got to class that the fun really began not! The professor was extremely nosey and he could not understand why my classmates or I had stress. Then he made us sit in a circle and introduce  ourselves. He was firing personal questions to everyone, but when he got to me the questions just kept coming. Why did I use a walker? What is CP? How did I feel about it? My personal favorite was when he said that I just needed to accept the disability. Let me just say that I think talking with a person who has a disability about his or her condition is a good thing. It is only through knowledge that we can learn acceptance. However do not ever tell a person how they should handle it, especially if you do not have a disability. To say I was angry is an understatement I think he plans on making me the class project. Thank goodness that class is only one day a week! Thursday came and although it was much more physically demanding it was less aggravating. I had to walk across campus twice and I only had fifteen minutes between classes. I had three classes in a row and my legs were very glad when I finally got home. I was quite proud of myself as I made it to all of my classes on time. I can tell that Tuesdays and Thursdays are not only going to be physically demanding, but also mentally. I have Macroeconomics and Spanish. As you already know from last semester Spanish is not my best subject. Economics seems challenging, but I hope to learn some things I can do to help reduce the current crisis.

Although these times are filled with crisis we did earn a victory in terms of one of our oldest conflicts: racism with the swearing in of Obama. On Friday the college had an assemble to honor Martin Luther King Jr. The speaker also knew Obama. The speaker spoke about both MLK's life and Obama's determination to be president. He mentioned how young both of these extraordinary men when they began their journeys. This gave me hope that I also can make a difference. This is why I am determined to just keep walking, working and pursuing adventure because everyday is an adventure.  

Under a Week to Go

I must say that even though this break was the longest break I have ever been given it is the first time I am not ready to go back. I feel like I am starting all over again. This is the worst part about community college. You don't have the same social opportunities to maintain friendships and you do not get as close to people because they are not just down the hall or across campus. The only good thing is that I have two of the same professors as last semester, meaning two less teaching styles I have to get accustomed to. I added another class to my schedule. I am now taking Stress Management on Wednesday nights. It has the potential to be the most beneficial class I ever take. This also means I take a different number of classes everyday. I have one on Monday, four on Tuesday, two on Wednesday, three on Thursday and, I am off on Friday. This will provide variation which should help me stay focused. This variation still seems very strange to me as I am still used to the high school schedule where I go to the same classes everyday.  I guess it is just another difference I will continue to adjust to. Variation also provides many opportunities for adventures which I should be accustomed to by now, as everyday is an adventure.  

January Term

I left Minnesota satisfied with break. I got to hang out with all my friends and see all my family, which was great. I was really looking forward to getting back to school, which was a feeling I wasn't expecting to have. What I wasn't looking forward to, however, was the day of travel ahead of me. My flight from Minneapolis to Boston was delayed 2 hours, which then put me on a later bus to school, so I ended up not arriving at campus until very late at night. As much as I hate that kind of travel, everything besides the delays worked out very smoothly, and I shouldn't really be complaining since I knew I would be getting involved in extensive travel days when I chose to go to school on the East coast. In the end though, it was just nice to be back on campus.
My January term course on Screenplay Analysis has been great. It meets every day for about 3-4 hours, and half of that time is spent watching movies. The other half we discuss the movie we viewed the previous class. It's great, because I watch and discuss movies anyway, and now I get credit for it.
Campus in January is a bit strange, since maybe half of the students take a January term class, so things are very laid back, and it is definitely much quieter. The fact that my class doesn't start until 1 p.m. is great as well, because it leaves me with more than enough free time to hang out with friends, read comics, watch more movies, and go into town. My only major complaint is that the bus system runs on a less frequent schedule during January, so getting into town is never a short thing - which can be a drag since it is getting cold here.

A New Year a New Me?

Happy holidays everyone. I hope everyone is enjoying their well deserved break. I know I am! This is the first time ever that I have gone on break and have not been able to do any school work, it is amazing! For those of you who are worried that I might take the entire month to relax, I assure you that my overachieving personality is still fully intact. I have been looking for places to transfer to and reading other people's opinions on my professors for next semester. Also, I have looked into summer courses. Some things do not change regardless of the year.  

I have found some time to relax. I have been doing lots of pleasure reading and have seen numerous friends from high school. Most of my friends have had a great college experience so far. I find several things interesting when comparing their college experience to mine. We have all established that finals week is by far one of the worst weeks of the year. Also we have learned that we would do anything to go back to the high school workload and finally that we do not know how we had gotten up by six-thirty during our younger days. The only major difference I have found between myself and those people who went away is our definition of home. All of my friends have been saying they cannot wait to go home as in back to school. They miss their independence and the people they have seen everyday for the past couple of months. I never thought that this transformation would happen so quickly. I guess we have all become used to our new lives and the adventures they hold. This should not be surprising though, because everyday is an adventure