Don't you just love midterms? They really bring out the best in everyone. Midterms allow us to see how people deal with stress. You've got those quiet, withdrawn individuals who spend more time in the library than anywhere else. There are those people who seem to think they are the only ones in the world with exams to study for and assignments to complete - they also believe complaining is their job and they strive to make sure everyone knows just how much stress they are under. Let's not forget about the angry people, muttering under their breath between classes and ferociously flipping blue-book pages during tests.
It doesn't matter how you deal with stress because we're all ultimately working towards one thing. The end goal of all this stress is Fall Break. Glorious Fall Break. That two day hiatus from class that might not seem like much to others but for students, it is the ticket to sanity.
For me, breaks are always perfectly timed with when I'm really starting to get sick of the whole school deal. I'm tired of coming back and finding that the door to Eagle Landing is broken (again) and I have to walk around to the other side. Yes, this is making a mountain out of a molehill, but when you're late for a meeting and you need to grab something from you're apartment, it's an annoyance. I'm tired of eating a naked burrito (no tortilla, por favor) every Monday and Wednesday at Seacobeck. Sure Friday breakfast sandwiches add a bit of variety to my lunchtime fare, but sometimes the biscuits are dry and as a biscuit-enthusiast this is incredibly upsetting I'm tired of setting my alarm early so I can complete a reading assignment before class only to hit snooze six times and annoy the heck out of my roommate. I'm even tired of logging onto Facebook to procrastinate doing homework - thank goodness I have blogs to follow and Pinterest to keep me distracted and unproductive! Now I'm sure you are tired of hearing me complain. This only strengthens my point - it's time for break, people so let's just power through the next two days! Good luck on your exams, assignments, etc. and I hope your Facebook newsfeed is more entertaining and distracting than mine.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Minor Details
On Sunday I bid a sad farewell to my math minor. After going back and forth for days about what to do about my courses this semester I finally came to a set decision. My math course just had to go. Dropping it meant I would not be able to fulfill the requirements for a math minor before graduation, but it also meant not taking six courses this semester/preserving at least some degree of sanity.
The thinking process I went through to get to my decision varied. There were moments of panic and irrationality where I questioned just what kind of impact not having a math minor would have on my life. Some thoughts I had were, "WHAT IF I CAN NEVER GET A JOB WITHOUT IT?!?", "WHAT IF I DECIDE I ACTUALLY DO WANT TO GO TO GRAD SCHOOL (I don't want to go, I mean, I really don't want to go) AND THEY WON'T ADMIT ME?!?", "WHAT IF THIS MEANS I'LL BECOME A LONELY OLD WOMAN WHOSE ONLY COMPANY IS CATS?!?" - I was not kidding when I said irrational...
And then there was a moment of clarity, dare I say an Oprah-worthy "aha!" moment - on second thought, I don't dare, it's great that Oprah gives away cars and stuff but sometimes she can be a bit much. Anyways, the point is, I will survive without a math minor. I will survive, find a job, go to grad school if I end up changing my mind, and hopefully I will not become a crazy old cat lady (I prefer dogs, so really there's a larger chance of me becoming a crazy old dog lady). I will survive and gosh darnit, I just might thrive!
The stress that came with my decision reminded me of my senior year of high school. Remember that time when every quiz/test/project/assignment appeared to be the most pivotal event of your life. College applications and the acceptance/rejection letters that followed really brought out the crazy in people. One of my teachers senior year gave us this advice, "Girls, just don't stress about it." Well that's helpful...not. Another teacher decided to postpone a lecture and share some words of wisdom. She reassured us that while high school is an important time in one's life, it is certainly not the most important time in one's life. She sympathized with the stress we were feeling but also reminded us that one assignment would not make or break our academic careers and although rejection letters can be real Debbie-Downers, one acceptance letter is really all you need. Basically she reminded us that there was more to life than a high school GPA - sometimes at an all-girls Catholic high school, you need to be reminded of the obvious. Guess whose advice made more of an impact?
So this weekend, when I was contemplating my future, I just tweaked my history teacher's advice and realized that my life will not be solely determined by the minor degree I earn, or fail to earn, during four years in college - as long as I complete my major, right Mom and Dad? Sure, it would be great if we could all "not stress" but, that's not feasible. Instead we can choose to step back and take a closer look at what truly matters - hint, it is not your high school GPA.
The thinking process I went through to get to my decision varied. There were moments of panic and irrationality where I questioned just what kind of impact not having a math minor would have on my life. Some thoughts I had were, "WHAT IF I CAN NEVER GET A JOB WITHOUT IT?!?", "WHAT IF I DECIDE I ACTUALLY DO WANT TO GO TO GRAD SCHOOL (I don't want to go, I mean, I really don't want to go) AND THEY WON'T ADMIT ME?!?", "WHAT IF THIS MEANS I'LL BECOME A LONELY OLD WOMAN WHOSE ONLY COMPANY IS CATS?!?" - I was not kidding when I said irrational...
And then there was a moment of clarity, dare I say an Oprah-worthy "aha!" moment - on second thought, I don't dare, it's great that Oprah gives away cars and stuff but sometimes she can be a bit much. Anyways, the point is, I will survive without a math minor. I will survive, find a job, go to grad school if I end up changing my mind, and hopefully I will not become a crazy old cat lady (I prefer dogs, so really there's a larger chance of me becoming a crazy old dog lady). I will survive and gosh darnit, I just might thrive!
The stress that came with my decision reminded me of my senior year of high school. Remember that time when every quiz/test/project/assignment appeared to be the most pivotal event of your life. College applications and the acceptance/rejection letters that followed really brought out the crazy in people. One of my teachers senior year gave us this advice, "Girls, just don't stress about it." Well that's helpful...not. Another teacher decided to postpone a lecture and share some words of wisdom. She reassured us that while high school is an important time in one's life, it is certainly not the most important time in one's life. She sympathized with the stress we were feeling but also reminded us that one assignment would not make or break our academic careers and although rejection letters can be real Debbie-Downers, one acceptance letter is really all you need. Basically she reminded us that there was more to life than a high school GPA - sometimes at an all-girls Catholic high school, you need to be reminded of the obvious. Guess whose advice made more of an impact?
So this weekend, when I was contemplating my future, I just tweaked my history teacher's advice and realized that my life will not be solely determined by the minor degree I earn, or fail to earn, during four years in college - as long as I complete my major, right Mom and Dad? Sure, it would be great if we could all "not stress" but, that's not feasible. Instead we can choose to step back and take a closer look at what truly matters - hint, it is not your high school GPA.
Monday, August 29, 2011
That's the Way the (Fortune) Cookie Crumbles
Tonight, my fortune cookie at dinner read, "It's time to break out of your routine and try something new." Maybe my fortune cookie was trying to say, "Hey, why don't you snap out of this routine of having a blog but not posting to it, you ninny!"
So here I am, posting after a long hiatus. Blogging is a great thing to do if you're procrastinating school work, not if you're enjoying the dog days of summer. There must be something about the dim light of a college dorm room that gets my creative juices flowing and my blog posts a-typin'.
Tomorrow is the first day of classes for my senior year of college - woot woot. Is it weird that for the past three years, I've worn the same tank top on the first day of classes. Freshman year I planned my outfit and the shirt was relatively new. Sophomore year I think it was just a strange coincidence. Then Junior year rolled around and it just seemed silly to wear something else. So yes, I've worn the same shirt all three years and tomorrow should be no different, right? But what about this fortune cookie message? Those things are always right, just ignore the occasional grammar error. Is it time to change my routine and switch up my "first day of class" outfit?
While this fortune cookie might appear to be fitting for the start of a new school year, I honestly think it would be more appropriate a few months from now - when exams are over and my diploma is in my hand. Then it will really be time for a new routine. I'll join a group of new graduates trying to figure out where their life is headed and if it's actually the direction they want to go in. It will be scary and exciting, filled with challenges and rewarding experiences. The routine of college will shift (hopefully) into the routine of full-time jobs and a whole new set of responsibilities. Next year will be all about trying something new.
That being said, for now I choose to ignore my little fortune cookie scrap of wisdom. I like routines and habits and schedules. I like being organized and knowing what is coming next. I especially like my favorite blue tank top and yes, it will make an appearance on my first day of classes.
So here I am, posting after a long hiatus. Blogging is a great thing to do if you're procrastinating school work, not if you're enjoying the dog days of summer. There must be something about the dim light of a college dorm room that gets my creative juices flowing and my blog posts a-typin'.
Tomorrow is the first day of classes for my senior year of college - woot woot. Is it weird that for the past three years, I've worn the same tank top on the first day of classes. Freshman year I planned my outfit and the shirt was relatively new. Sophomore year I think it was just a strange coincidence. Then Junior year rolled around and it just seemed silly to wear something else. So yes, I've worn the same shirt all three years and tomorrow should be no different, right? But what about this fortune cookie message? Those things are always right, just ignore the occasional grammar error. Is it time to change my routine and switch up my "first day of class" outfit?
While this fortune cookie might appear to be fitting for the start of a new school year, I honestly think it would be more appropriate a few months from now - when exams are over and my diploma is in my hand. Then it will really be time for a new routine. I'll join a group of new graduates trying to figure out where their life is headed and if it's actually the direction they want to go in. It will be scary and exciting, filled with challenges and rewarding experiences. The routine of college will shift (hopefully) into the routine of full-time jobs and a whole new set of responsibilities. Next year will be all about trying something new.
That being said, for now I choose to ignore my little fortune cookie scrap of wisdom. I like routines and habits and schedules. I like being organized and knowing what is coming next. I especially like my favorite blue tank top and yes, it will make an appearance on my first day of classes.
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