 |
Hello loyal readers! We've packed up and moved to a new domain! Continue to check me out at
http://scarletandgray.osu.edu/blogs/BuckeyesBlog/Caitlin/tabid/66/Default.aspx
See you there!
Very cool things I did on my 20th birthday:
1. Woke up at 5am.
2. Dealt with the usual chaos at work (cappuccino machine exploding powder everywhere, boss and student manager showing up three hours late, register printer not working, lunch shift being about 5 people short, you know, just another exciting morning…)
3. Debated so hardcore whether or not to go to anthro. Due to a finals week conflict, I arranged to take the final early and did so on Monday. Therefore, there was really no point of my attending class. However, since my prof. did me such a huge favor, I figured it’d be rude not to attend her class. Oh but it was raining and I was so sleepy from working that morning…
4. Drove a car for the first time in about a year, and definitely for the first time in the campus area ever, IN THE RAIN! My roommate trusted me enough to drive her to class and then drive home because she didn’t want to have to book it in the rain. It was a little scary backing out of out incredibly narrow parking space. Other than that though I guess it wasn’t too thrilling.
5. Walked to class in the rain. I decided to go after all. Man though, I would be perfectly alright with the world if it never rained again.
6. Got let out early by my professor, who 20 minutes into going over the material that was going to be on the exam, looked at me, simled, and said “Wait, you already know all this, you don’t have to be here. You can go home.” I don’t actually regret going though. I would have felt pretty awful for not going. So. It’s a non-issue.
7. Went to target and bought some summer essentials to celebrate the end of the quarter.
8. Ate my weight in funfetti with a few of my buds while catching up on some episodes of Charm School, Daisy of Love, and The Soup. I might actually be getting less grown-up as the years roll on.
9. Oh wait, just kidding. Then I went home and ironed.
10. Lamented the loss of my teenage and went to sleep
Let’s just say I’ve had more happenin’ birthdays. I blame the weather. But oh well, there’s always next year! And today was a good day. Done with classes, treated myself to some Chipotle, waiting for my Bonnaroo ticket to come in the mail, gonna take a nap, and then maybe mmaaaayyyyybbbeeeee start my five-page paper about kinship terms of the !Kung and the Inuit. But maybe not. It’s whatever. School’s over for the summer. For the most part. I do feel fifty-six times less stressed than I did at this time last week.
Ok bye!
Sometimes I wonder what my life would be like if instead of working 30 hours a week, I actually did something…
In all these things I’m minutely involved in during my time so far in college college, I get brief glimpses as to what my collegiate life could have been like if I had stuck with one or more attributes of my childhood/ highschool, or if I had just plain majored/ minored in something different. I took a music class fall quarter freshman year, and decided I wanted to minor in music. Changed my mind the following quarter. Took French and decided I wanted to minor in French. Changed my mind three classes later. Decided I wanted to minor in psych. Took psych this quarter and totally changed my mind. Even if I had stuck with those tiny things, my class load and peers would be different. And then there’s the things like, what if I had decided to major in music performance in the viola? Man the amount of time and effort that major would require…and what if I had kept with gymnastics and was able to be a student athlete? Another huge time/ energy investment.
So instead I just do little things to keep myself interested in the things I love without going into overdrive and starting to resent them, which is probably why I quit everything in the first place. It’s working very well. I’m in orchestra now, for instance, and I have to review two OSU music performances. Tonight I chose a bassoon recital for a student going for her doctorate. That’s pretty much what set this whole thing off I suppose. I can’t even imagine having the commitment that so many other people have. I also work in the art department for 6 hours a week, and even seeing those students just going about their daily lives is a whole nother world. The time and dedication that studios require…my roommate is an art major and she’s in studio 24/7 practically. My other friend is a dance major. All of these rigorous majors! I commend the people with that drive!
I do love what I’m learning about though. I love anthropology. And I’m lucky it’s not the most overwhelming major. Every class I take in it is my next favourite aspect of the overall field. I never get bored! And I’m so glad! Because with all of these things that I’ve changed my mind about and dropped, anthropology is for sure one thing I’m sticking with.
And so I don’t get overwhelmed with the scholarly aspects of college, I’m going to keep taking classes like EDUPAES 158.10: Tumbling, and Dance 201.06: Hip-Hop, and whatever the next orchestra class I’m going to find myself in is…because it’s fun! and I don’t want to completely lose sight of the other things that college has to offer.
I’m not upset at all about my college choices. I love my job most of the time. I love my major. I just wonder a lot what it’s like to be the people I see come in and out of my life every day…
Anyways. Back to reading about the Ju/’hoansi Bushmen! Yay!
Despite waking up at 8:30 this morning, the time I normally leave for ballet, rushing around and not feeling intune with my body/ mind until about 2 hours later, I had a relatively productive day. Laid out for 5 hours, didn’t get too sunburned, socialized with some co-eds, actually got mass reading done, and applied for a summer job at the new Five Guys Burgers and Fries that just opened by the gateway. Granted, there are still a million and one duties I am shirking, but the fact that my week is half-over and I don’t feel like I’m drowning is an improvement. I’m going home on Thursday night to celebrate with my family both my birthday and my brother’s college graduation. And FINALLY go to a Sox game. Oh who can forget shopping ‘til I drop on Michigan Avenue. Pumped!
Buuuutttt the weekend’s not here yet. Tomorrow I have to give a ten-minute presentation on a dated article about the Crow Indian sundance ceremony. I also have to attend a bassoon recital for my orchestra class. I also have to NOT OVERSLEEP! And start getting my budget/ life sitch. figured out for the summer. Whatever.
Maybe the only thing that actually determines my mood is the weather…
Regardless, GO BUCKS!
What started out as a sore throat and the sniffles four days ago, rapidly morphed into a monster cough and a thousand psi of pressure behind my eyes and nose. In trying and failing to sleep last night, I decided to call off work this morning and actually go to the doctor. I haven’t “gone to the doctor” for anything other than routine check-ups, shots, etc., in a long time. I suppose “doctor” is a relative term in this context. Not having a primary care physician in Columbus, I elected to visit a no-appointment-necessary urgent care clinic in the area. After waiting for over an hour, I had a doctor listen to my breathing, look at my ears, nose, and throat, inform me that I didn’t have bronchitis (that was my fear), write me a doctor’s note and a prescription for some crazy cough syrup, and send me on my way.
This was all a new experience for me. I’ve never even had to fill a prescription before, let alone a twenty dollar one that my insurance didn’t cover for whatever reason. Furthermore, I didn’t plan on missing anthro AGAIN this week. But I did send my prof. an email apologizing, explaining the situation, and asking what we covered in class the last two days. Sigh.
I did love not waking up at 5 and going to work this morning though. And at least I don’t have bronchitis.
Ok time to study!
Stressed, surprise surprise.
Spiraling through Spring quarter, I find myself poised at the top of week seven, afraid to dive in. With three weeks left of school, it’s time to actually get my act together! I’ve been doing generally alright in my classes, but I just never feel like I’m really on top of my school work. This is mainly due to the fact that it’s spring quarter, and hanging out with my friends and enjoying the weather is always much more appealing than reading 38 pages of a case study in human ecology detailing the micro and macronutrient content of certain edible fauna found in the Ituri forest in Africa. Furthermore, the OUAB free concerts are this weekend, and I am going to both Clap Your Hands Say Yeah at the Newport and Dashboard Confessional at the LC. Can’t wait! Mainly I’m stressed because I’m going out and doing fun things instead of hermiting in my apartment and only doing homework and sleeping, which seemed to work so well last quarter. Coming up, I have a ten-minute anthro presentation to do on a 66-page article I have just started reading, various other 30+ page articles to read for the same class, constant reading in psych., and two books I’m supposed to be reading in addition to all my anthro stuff that I will be writing a 5-page term paper on at the end of May. To add insult to injury, I have to find time to attend and review two OSU concert performances for my orchestra class. Ahh! Lastly, my scheduling window opens on Wednesday morning and I’ve given little thought as to what I should be taking autumn quarter…yikes.
I mean, I know what I have to do. Just suck it up and deal. That is why I am anti-socialling to the max until at least Thursday of this week. It doesn’t help, though, that the White Sox are playing the Indians, and I am finally able to catch a few games on TV. Distracting. Finally, I’m either actually sick or some combination of working way too much this weekend and sleeping way too little, has me losing my voice and completely exhausted all the time. I JUST WANT TO SLEEP!
But alas, I will just brew some more tea, get comfy in my bed with my computer, and power through. I always manage somehow. The end is in sight, and before I know it, I’ll be dancing through summer with my friends and my festivals and my relief at having made it half way through college. Wow. But until then, I will try to be more…put together! In all aspects!
Ok, GO BUCKS?
Ah yes, the sun is shining, the bells are tolling, the coeds are milling about, and I’M NOT AT WORK! Normally I work 6a-3p on Fridays because I don’t have class. “Normally” is a relative term here as I have yet to actually work that complete shift this entire quarter. I digress. Point is, I didn’t go to work to day, sucked it up and dealt with the consequences (can’t do it again without getting fired…) and now here I am in the oval writing a blog because it’s the most gorgeous day of 2009 without a doubt.. Seriously. Get outside. Now. It’s amazing.
I brought my psych book and my anthro book just so I can pretend that I’m going to do my readings, but the general ambiance is so distracting! I really just want to lay here and soak up some quality rays with my friends, alllllll daaaaaayyyyyyy llllloooooonnnngggggg.
At home in the Chi it’s probably about 50 degrees and cloudy, with the wind blowing coldly off the lake. This is why I love Ohio.
GO PLAY!
I don’t know where the first two weeks of school have gone. Somehow, this quarter has been stressing me out to the max. Figuring out my daily routine and what all I have to take care of each different day of the week took way too long to do, and now I’m behind in both my classes. And I haven’t written a blog in awhile, even though there’s been plenty to talk about. So here is a brief synopsis of all the events in my life:
Work is less fun than it used to be. For some reason, I’m having more trouble getting up to go to work three days a week now than I did waking up at 5am Monday-Friday in the dead of winter last quarter. Also, most of my work friends have gotten different jobs. Really, I know it’s time to move on, I just wish ANYWHERE was hiring.
My anthro. class is proving to be about as challenging as I had anticipated. There’s no textbook for the class, so all of our readings are taken from very dense, very scientific case studies and scholarly articles. I have been having a lot of trouble finding the motivation to truck through all the material, and therefore I am in a constant state of scrambling to just get the stupid stuff read. I do like the class discussions we have though, and I am trying very hard not to be overwhelmed by all the older, and seemingly-wiser students in my class. I just sit in the front and pretend that they don't exist...
Psychology, on the other hand, isn’t so bad. Besides the fact that my lecture is two hours and eighteen minutes long (!), it’s a very tolerable class. Introductory material to any course is usually the easiest to digest. For whatever reason though, I am still always falling behind in my reading. You’d think that since I don’t have any other homework due for my classes, it’d be easier for me to stay on track. God it’s horrible. I really need to buckle down. The other thing with this psych class is that all the students are required to participate in 7 hours of research experiments. That doesn’t seem like that many, but since the experiments are usually only offered in half-hour increments, it’s hard to fit them into my schedule just-so. I’m not too worried about this class though, in general.
So I figured that my ballet class would be a ton of fun and easy and relaxing. Not exactly. I don’t hate it, it’s just more difficult than I might have bargained for. I’m generally an in-shape individual, but I’m not flexible AT ALL, nor am I graceful. I love dancing, but memorizing sequences and then making them look pretty is basically something I fail at. It doesn’t help that there’s 40 people in the class, making individual attention basically non-existent. Other than that, it is good muscle-toning exercise. And only participation counts for our grade so…easy A. I hope.
Orchestra….is…..probably my easiest class. Somehow, uncharacteristically, there are more violas than there are any other section. The music isn’t too challenging, and the atmosphere is generally pretty relaxing. I like it. I have nothing bad to say about it.
Finally, my miscellaneous activities over the last two weeks have included going to two concerts, Eoto at Scarlet and Grey, and Alert New London at The Basement, working out sort of when I have time, watching a lot of Rock of Love Bus, jamming in my apartment to Of Montreal basically 24 hours a day, enjoying the weather when it lets me, spending waaaayyyyyyy more money than I should be.
But alas, back to….trying to force myself to read for psychology. I am going home this weekend for the Death Cab/ Cold War Kids/ Ra Ra Riot concert. And for some home cookin’. So that will be fun. That’s all though.
Yay spring!
Here on this gloomy Sunday/ eve of spring quarter, I am thinking positive! I am looking forward to this quarter, but I’m also surprised how quickly it snuck up on me. So in order to not fart around and let an expectedly good quarter slip by, here are 10 things I’m trying to accomplish/ focus on over these next 11 or so weeks.
1. Get a new job. (In this economy? Are you kidding me?) This is proving more impossible than I imagined. I literally walked up and down High St. all afternoon asking every store if they were hiring. The most optimistic response I got was “Maybe in a few weeks, but feel free to fill out an application.” Groan.
2. Work out 4 times a week. With ballet class two mornings a week, this shouldn’t be too difficult.
3. On that note, get my bike back into riding condition. I’ve been meaning to do this forever. I need a new chain. I need to clean my bike hardcore.
4. Continuing the fitness trend, speedskate! I speedskated for one year in highschool, and I would love to pick it back up. There’s a club that practices at the ice rink at Easton. I brought my skates back with me after spring break. However, like my bike, they are in dire need of maintenance.
5. Attend all my classes. I say it every quarter. But with only 13 credit hours and no class on Friday, there’s really no excuse this time.
6. Get all A’s. No math or science. ‘Nough said.
7. Spend mass time in the oval. Everything I would be doing at home in the winter (homework, reading, napping, socializing) can now be done outdoors in the sun with my peers!
8. Make new friends but keep the old?
9. Never be sad.
10. Try new things/ make no excuses/ take no prisoners. (jk on that last one).
Wish me luck!
And GO BUCKS!
"...wasted more time than I had to lose when I woke up this morning..." - Rocky Votolato
I’m pretty much your average college student when it comes to academics. I get all my homework done on time. I go to class 99% of the time. I study a lot (the night before tests). But one thing that I’ve never been is a procrastinator. Dreading doing an assignment is so much worse than just doing it.
Which is why I hate my life right now! I have a lousy English paper due tomorrow on a book I only just finished this afternoon. I have barely looked at the prompt, let alone brainstormed ideas. I am days behind my normal self. And then, adding insult to injury, instead of coming home from class and getting down to business, I ate dinner, watched the most recent episode of The Biggest Loser, and took a three hour nap.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just woke up, and I have still made zero progress. Furthermore, since I get up at 5 o’clock every morning, this is practically my bedtime. Groan. Yet here I am, writing a blog instead of buckling down and just getting the darn thing done so I can go back to sleep.
I hate college. Can’t wait for this week to be over. Because as if that wasn’t enough, I have webwork and paper homework in math due tomorrow, 50 pages to read for anthro, and four chapters of The Watchmen to read for English (just because it’s an awesome comic doesn’t mean I’m going to be able to stay awake to read it….)
Whatever. I dug myself into this hole. It’s not that big of a deal. And now it’s time to shut up and get to work. Wish me luck!
|
|
About ChiTownNut
Recent Posts
Archives
RSS Feed
Ohio State Bloggers
|
|
|
