I am now several days (and two finals) closer to break! Just about 48 hours left on campus and I am beyond ready to go home! So far, finals week has been super boring for me, since I only have two and they're spread out, so one was this morning and one is Thursday afternoon. Stupid schedule, I know, so that's why I'm bored out of my mind and ready to escape.
The title of this post seems kinda sad in a way, but trust me, it really isn't. It's just that in the past few days, there have been some good things mixed in with some not-so-good things, so I thought I'd recap them with you and spare you more finals talk.
Bitter: Getting an incidence report for marijuana smell (which I have never used, BTW)
Sweet: Signing a lease for an apartment for next year
Yeah, so I woke up Friday morning to a blue card slipped under my door that said someone had smelled pot coming from my room. Little did I know that half the hall got the exact same warning because the RA couldn't pinpoint where it was coming from. I talked with her and obviously she knew I didn't do it, but I was basically freaking out all morning and wondering why it happened to me, when I wouldn't dream of doing drugs ever.
Bitter: Finding out I got a C on the stats final that my dad helped me with
Sweet: Getting a 99% on my newswriting final
Obviously, math is not my strong point, but this stats class was a requirement. My parents basically just said as long as I pass the class, I'm fine. I was kinda hoping to pull off a low B, but with this awful final score, I guess that won't be happening. I am really happy I got such a high score on my newswriting final, though!
Bitter: Having to come back to campus after a long weekend
Sweet: Getting to go home again in 2 days
Coming back to school after a weekend is always a let-down for me, but even more so after spending Friday evening through Monday afternoon at home, which is the longest ever! Plus it's so close to break that I almost felt like I was on break already, so it was a rude awakening to come back. But I'm so close to break, I can almost taste it!
Bitter: Still having one final (and packing, and cleaning, and...) ahead of me
Sweet: Being done with three finals,a project and an interview
Despite how much I'm looking forward to break, I was also dreading this week. Four long days of finals and an interview. But now I've just got one more final left, along with some last-minute things which aren't a huge deal. I'm just so ready to be home!
What's been bitter/sweet in your life lately?
Do any of you remember last year when I posted a few times about how far I was in to finals week? Ummmm yeah, I didn't think so, it's been basically a whole year since I last posted on a regular basis.
Basically, my first experience with college finals was hell to the acious and not because I bombed them or anything (I actually did quite well) but because the schedule was so whack. I originally had 4 finals on Thursday and one on Friday morning. Now, you know no one wants to still be on campus on Friday of finals week, let alone taking an actual final. In fact, my school only has two Friday morning times for finals, barely anyone has those times, and I was so lucky to get one of those. Thankfully it wasn't the 7:30 am one, but still. I was also a lucky duck (not!) with scoring 4 finals in the same day. While most of my friends were finished and headed home by Tuesday or Wednesday, I was stuck waiting around til Friday afternoon. Major bummer. Anyways, I was lucky enough to get one of the Thursday finals changed to Tuesday, so I only had 3 finals on Thursday, which was still a lot. Needless to say, I was super burned out by that night.
This year, my schedule is a lot better, at least in some ways. For one, I don't have any Friday finals. Sure, I'm still stuck here til Thursday afternoon, but that's one day less than last year! And I really only have 2 finals next week. I had no final in my PR class (but a stupid project that is now--thankfully--over with), my stats final is take-home and online (thank goodness!) and I did my newswriting one today. Why is it always the easiest one that we get out of the way first? Oh well, I'm way ahead of where I was last year at this time. So one down, 3 (ish) to go. I say 3 ish because the take-home one isn't like a traditional final. I know it will be super rough, but I will have my dad's help which is amazing. And I get to go home this weekend and escape the craziness that is the freshmen who live on my floor. Gosh, I can't wait for them to grow up. Of course, that'll be after I leave the dorms, of course.
I'm feeling way better about finals this time around, too. Sure, I am stressed about a couple of them, but overall I'm handling the stress in a good way.
I'll keep updating all y'all (if anyone still reads...) throughout next week as I countdown to Christmas break! I'm sooooooo close :)
Does anyone here like group projects? I thought not. You might think it's kinda fun to collaborate with others, but once you're knee-deep in the project, you probably hate it at least a little bit.
Some group members are total slackers. Or they just try to dominate the entire project, and think anything you say is useless. Trying to coordinate meeting times with everyone can be a nightmare and more likely than not, by the time the project is due, at least a few people totally despise each other.
I was assigned a group project in my PR class back towards the end of October. At first, it seemed cool and not too stressful. I had gotten to pick my group members, and they were all girls I talked to in class every day. So we'd get along great, right? Not exactly. Once it came time to start meeting and working on the project, some snags came up on my end. They always wanted to meet at night--sometimes I'd have work right before and by the time I'd get back home, I was tired and hungry and had to work on homework, so nights were out of the question. Also, I have no car, so I was not about to haul my butt across campus in the dark and cold. I met with them once on a Sunday afternoon, but we didn't get much done. I've noticed that they claim that they've gotten a lot done at meetings, but obviously they weren't the ones I've been to. I've been to 3 (or 4 ish) so far and they've all devolved into just sitting around and not doing anything.
So why not do work outside of the meetings? Sounds fine to me, that way I'm not wasting my own time. But the group member claimed there wasn't much to do outside of meetings, and she passive-aggressively called out some members of the group for not always attending meetings. As far as I know, only 2 of the 6 of us have attended every meeting, so I'm not alone in my "ditching".
I met with them 2 more times, and felt like no one cared about my ideas. At this point, it's the end of the semester and I'm just done. So if they're not gonna listen to me, fine, I won't share any ideas. I dreaded going to the meetings, but I did anyway so no one could dock me points. Truth is, I feel like they're going to anyways. I think they secretly hate me and my partner, the girl I worked a lot with. We've both not been able to go to meetings, and we haven't done quite as much work as some of them, but only because our assigned part was pretty vague and hard to research. So...not our faults. Actually, I know they hate the other girl. They've said behind her back that she hasn't done any work, which isn't completely true. They've stuck up for my efforts somewhat, but who's to know what the heck they're saying about me when I'm not there? Girls can be so bitchy sometimes.
Okay but here's the thing--one (or really more like 2 or 3) group members have kinda taken control of the whole thing. I feel like 2 in particular are really anal, and don't want other people "screwing" them up. Fine, but then don't blame us if we aren't as big a part of the project. Plus, how about you actually listen to what other people have to say. Especially regarding meeting times. 6 members is a fairly large group--chances are, not everyone will be able to meet every time. I've tried saying I can't meet at night, but no one cares, and they still hate me for not making the meetings. I know everyone has a different class schedule, but cut people some slack. And, don't waste their time when they do go to the meeting. Sure, I love laughing about a funny story or swapping juicy gossip, but not when I took time out of my schedule to meet for some project. Save that for later.
Basically, I cannot wait for this semester to be over! Our presentation was today, and it went pretty well, but sadly, that's not the end of it (I wish). We might have to meet one more time to finalize the paper, because that's not due for a week. Oh gosh, just kill me now! Not really, but I'm so over working with these people. Not to mention, I'm so done with school in general and I'm kinda swamped this week. So if we don't meet in the morning or afternoon...well, tough luck for them, because I'm not meeting again at night just to regret wasting all that time. And if my grade suffers a little (because the peer evals are only one small part), then whatever. I've done well in the class so far, and I'm just done with trying to please people I'll probably never see again.
How about you--what do you think of group projects?
Hey guys! Soooooo does anyone still read this blog? I kinda forgot about it after second semester of last year. There's a ridiculous amount I could recap on, but I'm not going to do that because it would take forever. It's been almost a year since I updated, so let's just move on to the present. Basically, I'm a sophomore now (wooooo!) and still in the dorms, but in a much nicer, newer one. I have the room all to myself--no more pesky roomie to deal with--and a bathroom that's shared with only 2 other girls. I'm livin' the dream life, no? Honestly, I really do wish I was living off-campus this year, and I wish I had a car, but I'm hoping those things will come next year. This year is a HUGE improvement over last, so I'm thankful for that.
Anyways, by the title of the post and the day on the calendar, I'm pretty sure you know what time I'm talking about--the end of the semester. A student's most dreaded and most looked-forward-to time of year. As usual, I'm counting down the days (and hours!) til I can escape school for a month-long break.
Tomorrow is the start of my last week of classes, and I just can't wait to get them over with. Unlike the last week of classes of the past, this one is chock-full of a lot of other stuff, namely a project presentation tomorrow and my first final on Thursday. Eeeeek! I'm actually just excited to get one out of the way--this year's finals week is a LOT less stressful than first semester of last year's. On Friday, I'm hoping to head home for an extended weekend, mostly so my dad can help me with my stats take home final. I am totally stressing about that one, but we'll see what goes down. I can't wait to go home, even if it's just for 3 days. It might seem weird, going home for 3 days, and then coming back to school for 3 days, and then going home again for a month. But whatever, I miss my family a lot (having your own room in a hall filled with immature freshman can get lonely and boring) and hopefully this mini-break will refresh me for my last couple of finals next week.
Hopefully, I'll remember to update you guys on what goes down this week and next. It should be pretty hectic, but that'll hopefully make time fly, right?
It's been 2011 for exactly a week now, and so far, it's been pretty good. Mostly uneventful, but that's always good, better than dealing with tough stuff for sure. I had a doctor's appointment earlier this week that I was dreading but it actually went well. The two shots hurt my arm for two days, though. I've played a lot of board games with my family. I went to lunch with my mom yesterday and shopping while my little sis was in school (her second day back) and I got my Starbucks fix a few days ago. So all's been well.
Except for a few regrets I have looking back at the past few weeks. I've been off for Christmas break for three weeks, with one more left :( I am really dreading going back, for one main reason: my roomie. All I know is I need out of that situation, and fast. I'm not sure I can survive 17 more weeks with her. If I had a single room, or a great roommate (or one who was never there), I think I could cope.
I regret not always cooperating with my family. I regret the petty fights with my sister. I regret not taking enough pictures on special events (Christmas, New Years, etc.) I regret not sledding as much as I could (but it's snowing again this weekend, so...). I regret not being as appreciative as I could be. I regret not seizing the moment. I regret saying "I'm bored". I regret taking the first part of my break for granted. I regret spending a lot of time on the computer. Most of all, I regret that time always flies when you're having fun--my break just flew by, and I wish I would have taken the time to slow down and appreciate even the boring moments. I'm not gonna get another long break with my family until spring break in 10 weeks.
I find myself wishing it was Christmas (can you believe it was only 2 weeks ago?) or New Years. But I know I can't turn back time. I'm making a promise to spend the rest of my break in a constructive way, so I won't have any more regrets.
I rang in the New Year last night by blowing cardboard horns outside when it was 0 degrees, screaming at the top of my lungs, making mini s'mores over a votive candle, tossing marshmallows into my dad's mouth (mostly unsuccessfully) and having an impromptu dance party. It was a pretty fun night, but I decided to hit the sack at 2 am, since I'd been up since 9 am on New Years Eve and I'd been pretty busy all day, going to a movie, dashing from store to store trying to find confetti poppers and grabbing a Starbucks. I even found time to slip on the floor at SuperTarget and land flat on my butt. Ouch!
For me, New Years Eve is way more exciting than New Years Day. I always feel a little sad, leaving behind the old year and December. I can't really act like it's still the holiday season and January's not too exciting. Now I have to think about going back to school in 2 1/2 weeks and look forward to the obligatory dental/doctor appointments I have to squeeze in before back-to-school. I've always loved first semester better, because there are more breaks and holidays to enjoy. All there is second semester is spring break, Valentine's Day and Easter. Plus, by the time second semester rolls around, you just wanna get out of there for summer break.
So what's so great about a new year, anyway? 2010 wasn't half-bad for me, so I'm hoping 2011 is even better. But the thought of a whole year ahead of me is kinda overwhelming. What if a lot of bad stuff happens and makes it my worst year yet? What if everything changes by this time next year? What if I don't want to move on and be more mature? What if I just want to live in the moment? I don't often think about this stuff, but it definitely applies when the calendar changes.
Let's face it: I've had a really good winter break so far. I'm halfway into it and already dreading going back. I've really enjoyed playing board games with my family, hitting up Starbucks, shopping trips, Christmas lights and music, just getting back into the life I used to have before I started college. I still know Colorado Springs way better than Fort Collins (and it will probably always be that way) and I really like going to places I haven't been to since the summer.
I know spring semester won't be easy, but I'm hoping I'll be better-adjusted than I was fall semester and I can deal with any problems in a more mature way. I'm hoping 2011 is a great year, not necessarily better than 2010, but good in its own way. I hope I can make lots of memories and cherish every moment I spend with my family. Here's hoping you the same!
2010 was a pretty busy year for me. Of course, I did wayyyyy more than just 10 things, but I handpicked the best (or weirdest/most unusual) to round out my list of 10 Things I Did in 2010. Here they are!
10. I tried a Starbucks Frappuccino for the first time and I loved it. Yeah, I know I'm out fo the loop but I didn't realize you could order one without whipped cream and with skim milk instead of 2% (it's called a Light Frap). I fell in love with the Tall Mocha Light Frap back in September and since then I've come up with my own combos, including the very delicious Caramel Light Frap with 1 pump gingerbread syrup!
9. I survived my first college finals. The first ones are always the hardest, right? I hope that's true, because mine were much easier than I expected. And I ended up with two B's and three A's for my final grades!
8. I bought my own dinner at a restaurant. Sure, it was probably my parents money, but I was 2 1/2 hours away at Qdoba with a friend from my hall. So it still counts.
7. I returned something to a store only 10 minutes after I bought it. A little over a week ago, my sister and I went shopping and on a whim, I bought a pair of khaki pants that were 30% off. When we went to the next store, I found a few things I wanted way more, and since I didn't want to spend tons of money, I returned the pants after I bought the other stuff.
6. My debit card was denied at a store. Actually, the exact same store I returned my pants to, but a few months earlier. Apparently, the store wouldn't charge part of the purchase to my card and the remainder to another one so my mom had to pay for the entire thing!
5. I got my first manicure on my 18th birthday. I've always wanted a mani more than a pedi so my mom surprised me by driving all over town on my birthday and then finally stopping at a day spa where I got my mani. Of course, I got it in hot pink.
4. First time voting. I missed the big presidential election by two years but I still got to vote on important state issues. It made me feel like I was really making my voice heard.
3. I went to Phoenix over spring break. I loved every second of the trip back to my birth place, especially the fact that it was in the 70s and 80s there and snowing back home! The resort we stayed at was amazing, I loved the food and all the sights. The only disappointment was that the airport was much lamer than Denver International.
2. I graduated high school. OMG, was that a milestone or what? I felt like I would never graduate, but the moment came much sooner than I expected. I felt overwhelmed and proud at the same time.
1. I started college. This is probably an even bigger milestone than HS graduation. It's been quite a ride: exciting, annoying, boring, confusing...believe me, I've shed quite a few tears over the last few months but I wouldn't trade the experience for the world. I hope I'll be more prepared for what lies ahead next semester.
There you have it, my "top 10" achievements of this past year. Here's hoping that 2011 is full of even more memories and accomplishments.
