3 posts tagged “series”
so i've fallen a little bit behind and am having to combine topics three and four.
my most sincere apologies!
LEARNED
. girls can be fun: i definitely did not learn this freshman year that year it was very strongly reinforced that girls are evil vicious monsters. this has been learned slowly and tentatively and has come to fruition this past summer and school years. it's actually a blast.
.the internet is vital: coming into college i was an infrequent internet user at best. now i get antsy if i'm without internet connection for more than 3 days. it's sad but good i think. the internet has helped me keep in touch with people and it's also helped me learn more about my addiction to cute.
. drink water!: i swear, because i have avoided soda all four years i haven't gained much weight. yeah i've gotten "softer" but i haven't blimped out because i drink a lot of water (and don't eat a lot of pizza)
. go to class: as lame and repetitive as it sounds, going to class automatically makes you more likely to get the grades you want. evening classes have been my savior.
. get involved: i never really got super involved in college but i have been a part of groups for short periods of time and they have been really fun. not only do you get to interact with people who are usually awesome you are also driven to be better at time management and therefore get more stuff done! hurrah for win-win situations!
. libraries: they are your best friend. they have textbooks for free and they are probably the quietest place on campus with an internet connection (well the third floor is anyway).
. flattery: you have to learn to play the game. it sucks but you gotta.
FORGOT
. sweatpants: in an environment where it's socially acceptable to wear sweatpants around all day it's going to be hard to break the habit. they're so comfy! but they do no favors for your figure or other's perception of you.
. reading for fun: hey sometimes you can just pick up a book and have time to read/enjoy it. four years of college have made this all but a distant memory. i am definitely looking forward to reading again.
. how to work ahead: why do work now when i could go out to a party/watch fresh prince reruns/take a nap and then stay up all night tomorrow to finish it?
. an eating schedule: granted my family isn't too big on these either but we at least have a sense of when each meal should be eaten. here at school i've found myself eating "breakfast" at 2 in the afternoon and having dinner closer to 11pm.
. paying for food etc: i never have to use cash if i don't want to here at Tech. every monetary exchange can be done with my hokie passport or can be charged to my account. it's going to be weird to have to use actual moneys to get what i want when i want it.
i can't think of anything else at the moment.
jeff threw a pretty sweet martini party on the 5th i shall leave you with a few of the pictures from my flickr:
- The Wind: there is nothing worse than having to fight your way across the frigid, blustery drillfield at 9am. NOTHING.
- ResLife: while there were some great parts about being an RA (mainly the people I met through it) ResLife was really frustrating. ridiculous amounts of paperwork, politics, manipulative people, outdated rules and rude/belligerent residents (usually only if they had been drinking).
- Annoying People: of course you find these everywhere but for some reason there seems to be a much higher concentration in college. usually it's the people who think they are better thanyou (either because of their GPA or their taste in music or their drive whatever). or the people who ask the most ridiculous, repetitive questions in class. "so I know you already mentioned this but blah blah blah" HEY if they already mentioned it....don't ask about it again. dumb.
- I-81: well pretty much the whole drive to Blacksburg, but the I-81 stretch was always particularly awful. it's long and full of 18wheelers that pass you at breakneck speeds. no good. no good at all.
- Organic Chemistry Lab: for this one credit lab I would routinely stay up until 4am trying to figure out the pre-lab and still not be able to do all of it. this class was hell. the woman who ran it is pure evil. every time I see her I have to restrain myself from throwing rocks at her.
- Not having a Kitchen: I know it's my fault for living in the residence halls all four years but not having a kitchen has been killer. i cannot wait to be able to cook for myself!!
- The Cow Smell: so we have cows on campus here at Tech, not wandering around mind you but still their pastures are part of campus. on some lucky mornings you would wake up and the smell of cow manure would be permeating the surrounding air...mmmm.
[I'll most likely add more to this list as well...enjoy!]
curtis did this last year and it turned out really well so i'm going to follow in his footsteps. an entry for every day of the week until graduation.
so to start it off, all the things i've loved about college.
*Blacksburg: at first I was a little afraid I wouldn't be able to get used to the small town atmosphere here, but I have learned to love it. being able to walk everywhere is wonderful, not to mention all the great independent stores and restaurants (Gillies, Bollo's, HomeBody etc.).
*New People: at a school of 27,000 undergrads it's almost impossible to not meet new people. and it's really fun when you meet awesome and fun new people.
*Summer 2006: last summer I stayed here to be a summer school RA and take some classes to ensure I could graduate on time. I was sort of uncertain that it would be fun at all but it was probably one of the best experiences I've ever had. I met two of my favorite girls ever and had fun running around a nearly deserted Blacksburg.
*Vintage Cellar: with free wine and beer tasting on the weekends and amazing closeouts vintage cellar has quickly become a favorite place since my 21st birthday. most of the people who work there are very knowledgeable about the wines and I always walk out of there with a great wine.
*Limits: college is where you learn your limits, not just your limits for alcohol consumption but also your personal limits. I've learned a lot about myself and about how much I'm willing to put up with from other people. I've learned how to stand up for myself and how to pick my battles.
*Hokie Football: I was in marching band all four years of high school and when i got to college i couldn't tell you what a down was. not only did I learn a lot about football, I also got this amazing sense of what it means to be a Hokie. going to football games as a freshman was almost magical, being in such a huge stadium packed full of roaring fans is exhilarating. and the best part is the fun doesn't stop; I never want to stop going to games here at Lane.
*Marching Virginians: although I was only in it for one year it was a great experience. I had a blast dancing the Hokie Poke on the field and screaming at the opposing team when they got too close to our seats. what else lets you shake your butt at a packed stadium?
*Inspired Teachers: nothing is better than being excited to go to class. I've had some amazing teachers who have taught me how to think critically about society and things that I routinely take for granted. learning has been fun for the most part.
*Going to school in a castle: Tech looks like a castle, as one of my teachers told me "if Radford ever attacked us, they'd be screwed." we have archers windows and gargoyles! it's pretty fun to walk across the drillfield on a misty morning towards Burruss...i feel like I'm at Hogwarts (especially if there is music playing from Burruss.)
*No sleep schedule to speak of: it's totally fine if you stay up all night and take a five hour nap during the day when you're in college. No one even bats an eye, actually people think you're weird if you go to sleep before midnight and wake up before noon.
*No dresscode: I love wearing sweatpants and t-shirts. I only have to dress up like once a month for interviews or meetings. it's lovely.
That's all I have for now, but check back...I'll probably be updating these for a while.
