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!