A Recap of The List

Now that school is actually here, it just doesn't feel right. Alas, school starts tomorrow and a whole bunch of new is throwing itself at me. Once again, I'm just worried about waking up on time. The fear about classes has died down a little, but some of the big classes are making me freaked. Like Economics. Just a tad.

Since it is the first day of school tomorrow, I think it's time once again to bring out the list! The list that this blog originally started on, but now is pretty much a place for me to ramble on. See, there I go again. Back to the list, starting with:

1. Get a Degree.
Obviously I'm not there, but I feel like I'm moving closer and closer. I've been trying to apply for Pre-J status online, but it's not letting me. So there's that. However, I have classes that will work towards my hopeful major.

2. Not Gain the Dreaded Freshman Fifteen.
Yeah, I'm not a freshman anymore, but that doesn't mean I can't gain the freshman fifteen. Heck, I thought I might gain it this summer. My training has been kind of messing with my metabolism I think, but hopefully it will get back to normal.

3. Study Abroad.
Because I'm at a new school, my GPA won't get me studying abroad this year. Which is fine, since I was hoping to next year. I have to wonder how that will affect the classes I need to take. I asked the Journalism department advisor how likely it would be to graduate in 4 years, and she said very likely. How does studying abroad affect that though? I'm not quite sure.

4. Stay Out of Debt.
The average amount I've spent every month since October has been $179.20, and that's not including books. Oof! I have to pay for rent and groceries now, so it's time to start spending smarter. Then again, I don't know if that is as much as I think. Maybe I'm just frugal. (Or maybe I'm a crazy spender and just don't know it.)

5. Get Good Grades
I'm still a bit nervous about this, just because the teachers at WOU were so good. Another reason is because I've been hearing horror stories. I'll work as hard as I can, and just try to get the best grades I can possibly get.

6. Make Friends.
I've been talking about this one a lot. It's scary being a new kid in a town where people have already gotten to know their friends! However, I will not be a wallflower. I'll put myself out there, and I'm hoping to get involved! Yep indeedy! I sound like a camp counselor now...

7. Blog Every Day.
I've been pretty good at this one... for the most part. I officially missed one day, but other than that I've done a post for each day. I'm thinking about changing this one though, who knows? I mean, if I don't have anything to say, why post? My main goal will be to try to post about interesting things, and not complain. No one wants that!

I'm also going to throw a few mini goals in here for now, which might change up.

• Get Toned! I mentioned this before, and I'll admit I haven't been doing very well with it. (I have been doing pretty good with the less sweets though.) I'm hoping that after the race I'll kick my butt into gear and get some stuff toned up. They also offer non credit classes here at the rec center, so those might be fun to check out
• Get Involved! I tried to do this at Western, but I guess I could have tried harder. I know for a fact they have a running club here (running capital of the country), and I've heard you don't have to be the best to be a part of it. Sounds good!

That's it for now. Now let's get ready for tomorrow! (Self pep talk. Just what I do sometimes.)

Do you have any "new school year" goals? How are your current goals going?

Right Idea, Wrong Time and 10,000 Hours

My talent for having the right idea at the wrong time is at full power apparently.

Confused? Let me explain.

As you know, on Friday I went up to go get a textbook for my summer class. One of the two things I needed to get done while up there was that, and they just happened to be taking inventory.
"Well, you don't really need it yet. I mean, what are you going to do with it beforehand, look at it?" my sister told me.
"I guess you're right," I replied.

Hmm. Actually, I do need it. Looking over the syllabus, I noticed that we have homework due the first day of class. Hoo boy. That just means I have to get up there as soon as the bookstore opens, then finish the homework in the hour and a half before class. That's all I can do.

The second instance of the right idea at the wrong time happened today, when I went into town to go get books from my mom's business. I had the key... To her part of the building. Did I have a key to the entire building? No. Pish.

In other thought processes, I've been thinking about the 10,000 hours concept. The idea is that you need to spend at least 10,000 hours working on a skill to become an expert in it. Being very type A personality, I want to get a start on that as soon as possible. The only problem with that is I don't know what skill I'd like to develop.

Oh geez. It sounds like I'm talking about majors. Similar though, isn't it?

What's your 10,000 hour skill?

So About That Big News...

Remember how a few days ago I was talking about some exciting news? Well, I do have some news, and I personally believe that it's quite exciting.

The web cam and I? Do not get along.

I'm transferring to U of O next year.

I know that I go to a wonderful school, but I know it's not for me. The thing about my school is that because it's pretty small, there aren't a lot of options available for majors. And with the major that I'm now 95% positive that I want to go into, it's not available over here. I could go for another major here, but I don't think I'd be happy going for the majors here. They are terribly specialized in the main majors that they offer here, which is good. However, if you're not going for one of their main majors, you don't get much attention.

Another reason that I wanted to transfer is because the environment around here isn't for me. This is a beautiful campus, and the classes are fantastic. As for the weekends, there's not much going on. People usually drive home, or to Corvallis, or Eugene. If you do end up staying here, it's very lonely. Walking around is eerily quiet, like a ghost town situation. I'd like to be at a place where I could be in the action. I wouldn't have to drive pretty much back home. I know that a lot of people her go home for the weekends. I can't stand it.

This hasn't been a sudden decision. I've thought about it long and hard. This is what I want to do. All of my family members have been saying to me, "Oh, you're going to the same school as your sister! I bet you're excited about that." Honestly? That was almost a con. When starting school, I wanted to go somewhere that I could call my own, not my sister's school, or whatever. That was part of the appeal of WOU, it was going to be my school. Now, I'm okay that it'll be my school. I guess that it's my sister's school, but we'll have different parts of it be our school. My favorite places won't be her favorite places, and my classrooms that remind me of classes close to my heart will be different from hers. It may be her school, but I'll make it my special school.

Transferring is scary, but it's what I want to do. Some of the classes I've taken don't transfer as nicely, but I'll figure it out. (Some feel like a complete waste.)

I'll always love WOU. But I'm ready to love UO.

All of my family knows now, but I don't think anyone here knows officially that I'm transferring. How on earth do you break that news?

In other news, I've got to stop with the random dozing off! I think that this is why it's better for me to have more classes, because I've just been so lazy! It could just be this week though... Productiveness, full speed ahead!

Have you ever thought about transferring? What did you decided on, and how did you decide on doing it?

Late Night Surprises and The Amount of Time to Graduate

What an interesting start to the day I had! I bet that no one out there had one like I did (unless they live in the same dorms), unless it involved:

• Loud noises
• 3AM
• Cold morning

If somehow you came to the conclusion that my dorm's fire alarm went off at three, then you are absolutely right! Ain't that a hoot.

I guess it wasn't so bad, but really? Not super fun to be woken up randomly in the middle of the night by shrieking alarms to dash out into the cold with no shoes.

I'm starting to get to a solid idea of what I want to study, but realizing just what I want to study is getting kind of scary. It's not that I'm scared of the subject (though it will take a lot of hard work), but it's what's required in classes. I have come to the conclusion that despite trying to get a lot of classes done, I still might end up taking five years to graduate.

 That scares the heck outta me.

Really, I know it shouldn't scare me. Maybe I don't feel scared, but it makes me feel shamed. Y'see, at the beginning of the year I participated in a class that stumbled upon the discussion of Generation Y, or my generation. In the class we talked about how Generation Y is taking longer to graduate, becoming more dependent on parents, moving back in with parents more often, and not as hard working. I don't want to diss my generation, but a lot of the time I feel like I don't quite fit the picture. I know that I'm a lot more dependent on my parents than I should be, but I try to be as independent as possible.
This kind of goes back to my fears I suppose. There are so many intelligent people out there, it's intimidating. I've read blogs of people who have graduated college early, I've heard stories where people get amazing scores on everything they do. I want people to look at me that way, you know? I want people to think, "Oh, what a great job she's done." Did I mention I'm hella narcissistic? Because I am. I crave attention, I can't help it.

Yeah. That's what's on my mind. Now it's time to take a shower. Late night Zumba!

How do you feel about how many years it takes to graduate?

Not One to Wait

"Just like the sands in a hourglass... These are the days of our lives."

My grandma and my aunt are obsessed with that show. The line always makes me smirk. Has nothing to do with my day, but I suppose it was something to break the ice.

We all have different ways of getting to our ending point. There are some out there who don't care how long something takes, but just go with the flow of the trip. Then there are others... like me.

I have the personality in which I'm always trying to finish things so I can see what's next. This is the main reason that exercises like Yoga don't work for me. Staying in a pose for how long? C'mon, what's the next step? This is a big reason why I like running. The faster I run, the sooner I get to my destination. Besides, then I'm also getting faster, which is nice no matter what type of person you are.

The reason this was on my mind was because of what I was doing this afternoon, while hanging out in the common area. I was organizing my required credits, seeing how many more I had left. I happily discovered that I could finish them up the fall term of my Sophomore year, (excluding the rest of the science to finish up the rest of that year). One of my hall mates said,
"But the sooner you get done, the sooner you'll have to figure out a major."

...Yeah. I've been thinking about that one too, but my 'let's get it done' attitude has been pushing in front.

I'm not impatient. I'll wait in lines calmly. However, I like to have that feeling of accomplishing something, you know?

Pish, I'll figure it out when the time comes. And if not? That's life!

Are you more of a go with the flow type or a finish it up ASAP type?

Advisors, Room mates, and Things I Have Learned from Fictional Characters

Now that all of that Superbowl fun is done, let's get on with the week, shall we?

Who watched the Superbowl out there, anyway? I asked around my hall and no one was watching it! How disappointing. Perhaps it's just because I enjoy football and the commercials. Seriously, even if you don't like football, you watch it for the commercials, right? Here's my favorite:

...That sounds a bit odd, watching television to see advertisements. Anywho.
Of course, I was a fool and forgot my camera, so no pictures of the festivities. I really ought to get better at that. Stories are more fun to read with pictures, aren't they?

I had a meeting with my advisor today to discuss majors, next term, and career paths. Also known as the advising hold appointment. I met with my "official" advisor, who was a nice guy. At first, I felt like he was just another one of the advisors who tell you just the basic details, but he was really able to go in-depth with me. He was... dare I say it? Helpful! That's not always the case.
The odd thing about making advising appointments and such is that I feel a lot more on top of things than other students. I've asked if other people had made their appointments, and some of them didn't even know it was time to do that yet. When showing my advisor all of the things I'd been thinking about, he even mentioned how ahead I was in studying up information on these things than other students. It just seems... odd. Aren't I supposed to be lax like other people my age? More power to me I guess.

When looking up classes to add next term, I decided I was just going to look at classes that sounded intriguing. One that caught my eye? C.S. Lewis and J.K. Rowling. OH MAN YES. Despite being a higher level, I talked to someone who knew the teacher, and that the only thing you need to do is read all of the books beforehand. Um, spring break by the pool? Entirely doable.

Speaking of books, Julie and Julia came into the library for me today. I know that it's very 2009, but I want to read it! Reading about cooking and food make me want to learn how to cook.

Before I forget, it's once again Monday and I'd like to include a Things I Have Learned From Fictional Characters. I'll make it short, since this post is already pretty long. Today's lesson comes from Goofy:

Don't be afraid to laugh at yourself. We all make mistakes, we all have times were we look... goofy. Do we freak out about it? No! I know that I've gotten pretty bad about things that aren't that large, and I've gotten better at not being so tense about it.

Okay, I lied. I do have one last thing to say. As you know, I've had some tension with my room mate. The thing is, one of the main reasons has been because we just hadn't been feeling like friends anymore. However, the last two days she seems like my good ol' pal again. It's nice. I mean, she even bought me a doughnut when she went to Portland!



Old Dirty Bastard. One of the most delicious doughnuts ever.

 How freaking nice is that? But it's not even the doughnut. It's nice to have my friend back.

And so I say adieu to you! Hope your evening is grand!

Was your advisor helpful in school? Or did you have to be more self-relient?

Running Late, Feeling Off About School and Other Things

Ugh. Today has been one off-kilter day for sure. Just one thing can do that to you, can't it?

I have had 8:00 am classes almost every day since the beginning of the school year. Today, I woke up for the first time late. Yeah. I managed to get to class only a minute or two late, but it still was late. And of course it was one of those classes where participation counts as attendance. Of course. Just did not put my head in a good place for the rest of the day, you know?

I'm not sure how I've been feeling about my school lately. Yes, I do happen to mention that quite a bit, but my distaste for this school is growing and growing. The thing is, it's not the classes that are bothering me. The area is beginning to bore me. I don't connect with people here. There's no excitement! I suppose that could be said for everywhere, and everywhere is going to become boring after awhile. But this town literally is boring. As for the people, I feel like I don't have things in common with anyone here. Others go to bible studies, it's not what I'm interested in. The only other issue with this school happens to be my major, which I don't think any of the field here are really what I'm interested in. Plus, that's a bit bigger than social life.

On a strange positive note, lately I've been feeling really pretty. Despite feeling the lack of people wishing to be social, I've been feeling like I look pretty. Even in blah clothing. This is kind of big for me, because I feel like my face looks weird a lot. Yes, my mom says I'm pretty, but sometimes it doesn't do it for ya. But yeah. The funny thing is, I'm pretty sure I'm not at my skinniest I've been, but I feel prettier. That's kind of a nice feeling.

I think my room mate just likes to push my buttons. She posted a clipping from the front of The Oregonian with a picture with the heading Aw, Burned. She does realize I like the ducks, right? Yes, I know she's probably a beaver, but c'mon. It's your state. Then again, she's also got a giant poster of this hanging on the wall:


Yes, this is lil Wayne. He stares at me in my bed. Do not appreciate.

 This is a recent thing that has been put on the wall. Yet, I still dislike the newspaper clipping more. Huh.

I apologize for the seriously long and negitive post! I try to stay positive, but today I just wasn't in that mode. I'll try to be happier tomorrow! Like I said, a long off-kilter day.

What was the last time you were late?

Quirky Habits and Finding Out Things for Yourself

Ah... Today was such a chill day, it felt good to relax after a chaotic week. Slept in, aw yeah.

Since I've been thinking about my major again, I've started noticing odd things that I enjoy/do everyday. Oddly enough, I think I like writing notes when they're not for class. My special "What are you going to do with your life" notebook is basically notes and lists jotted down. Things like information on dates, requirements for programs, and financial plans. Maybe it's not so weird, but it seems a little odd to me.

Yes, lately I've also been writing down my outfits. Just 'cause.

The other habits I noticed were with clothes. I never thought about how much I enjoy clothes. I love putting outfits together and going out into the world in them. One of the first things I notice about people? Their outfits. I scope out something about one person's outfit and think, "Ooh, that's cute!" If I'm staring at a person, this tends to be the reason why. This makes me wonder if I should think about something with fashion, but I'm not sure how good I am with brands. Just because I enjoy clothes does it mean a career? I enjoy a lot of things, clothes are just part of it. I know that peoples' style does make me want to live in the city more. People in small towns dress boringly.

I've been considering maybe if I want to transfer, as I believe I've said before. Sure, there are many things I like about here, but I'm starting to feel like there's less and less I'm excited about here as well. I've been studying up on information on other school, and if I'm seriously considering transferring, I'd better start deciding soon. Some people are so lucky to know what they're doing. I wonder who else is as lost as me?

The last thing I've been doing lately is I've stopped letting what other people think I would be good at be my deciding point. That may sound odd, but let me explain. Do you ever see a person walking down the street and think, "I bet that person is a *insert career here*?" Of course you have, but my room mate thinks she's the only one who does. For me, if she didn't know me, she thinks I'd be a teacher or a nurse. Usually I'd think, "Maybe those would be what I should be." But now, I realize that's not me. I'm pretty squeamish, so I wouldn't be a good nurse. I've learned more and more that I would not make a good teacher. I've started to think more and more about how I work, and what careers fit me. Sounds simple, but humans are easily influence, ya know?

Well, what a mouthful, huh? I guess that's what happens when I get time to breath, I ramble. Other than that, ran 8 miles today and been extremely munchy all day. I'm going to go to midnight movies tonight!

What are peculiar habits you have?

New Teachers, Considering Majors and a Lot of Work

Spanish has started to show me that this is going to be a busy term. Woowee.

Despite being a busy term due to Spanish homework every night, I think I'm gonna have some pretty cool classes this term. One of the ones was the costume class I mentioned yesterday, but my two new classes today seem quite interesting. I'm actually pretty excited for writing. It may be kind of hard, but the teacher seems pretty cool. One random thing I noticed is that his hair is screwed up big time. He did mention his barber didn't really understand the meaning of "take a little off the sides", but he needs to trim the baby mullet. Just sayin'.

Ouch. My bank account is crying right now, because there's not much left in there. I had to buy two more books today that weren't as much as my Spanish texts, but still managed to do some damage. I know that I earned money this summer for school but... geez, it hurts to see it disappear like that. Next year, I am seriously going to take advantage of the Internet for books.



Damn you Dos Mundos and your expensiveness!

 Because it's winter term, I've once again started seriously thinking about majors again. Right now, I'm not sure if I even want to stay here. There are so many pros and cons to this school, and both the pros and cons are big. And if I transfer, how will that affect my credits? My ability to travel abroad? That's why I'm starting to think about this again now. Now, I have a notebook (that I got for Christmas) dedicated to figuring out what I want to do and traveling abroad.



That's a pros and cons list of some majors. Yep.

 Yeah, I'm that intense. I thought that perhaps if I jot my ideas down, they may come clearer. I think next term I'm going to take simply classes that sound interesting to me. Yep. If they are required, that's cool but I just want to know what things I'll really like.

Other than homework, went on my first run back at campus again! I think it's official that treadmills are my enemy. I don't care how cold it is, running outside is the way to go.
Funny that even when I'm a bit messy in the room, my room mate still seems to top me in the messiness department. Makes me feel clean.

How do you organize your thoughts?

The Day After Thanksgiving

How was everyone's Thanksgiving? Also, did anyone participate in Black Friday shopping? Personally, I did not do some serious shopping, but I didn't know what to buy... I need to find out what I should get people for Christmas. Any who!

Lately I have become... stressed out. I have quite a few things due next week even though it's dead week, which worry me. That's not the only thing though.
In my English class, we've discussed that a tragic hero's greatest strength is their true weakness. Mine is my family. The thing is, I love my family. Sometimes, they drive me absolutely bonkers. I try to let it not stress me out so much, but I can't help it. When I try to say something, people will interject way before I have to finish a thought.There's no time to actually say what I'm thinking about.

Now, as you probably can tell, I'm talking about a specific instance. I was beginning to feel confident for my major. I  was feeling excited and like everything was starting to come together. I started to mention my ideas to everyone. Let's just say, not the best reactions. My uncle looked at me like I was a dumbass. I already know what my one cousin thinks. But the thing that my mom said just put me over the edge:

"Well, Communications is usually a major that you decided to pick when you've given up."

Yeah, really a fantastic feeling. I tried explaining why it was a good major, but no one would even let me talk. I can't stand it sometimes. No one really want to hear what you want to say, they just want to say their own opinions. Now I feel depressed about my major plans. I just want to have something solid in my life, you know? I'm so tired of people changing things, flaking out, all that jazz.

I get that yes, no one wants to read a blog entry that is just complaining but it's what is on my mind. It's also due to the face I'm feeling a little icky.

How do you guys deal with differences in family opinions?

Good News and Hibernation Weather

You know how I've been talking about the feeling of hibernation creeping upon campus? Today was one of those days that it made you want to stay inside even more. This is why:

Icky. Oregon's winter is officially happening. I love my Oregon, but... mrr.

Today something extremely exciting happened. I was drying my hair when my phone started ringing. I suspected it was my mom because she's the only person who tends to actually use their phone as a phone. Alas, it was an unknown number. When I answered it, it was someone named Nick. He was putting on a One Act play and the director of Picnic told him to call me. Apparently she thought I was good enough to suggest to this guy to put me in his One Act. I asked about an audition and he just replied, "No audition, I'm just gonna trust her on this." How cool is that?! I seriously did not expect something like that to happen. I'm meeting with him on Friday. We'll see where this goes, but OH MY GOSH! Seriously!

In other news, I got a flu shot tonight. My arm is super sore. This better go away by Weight Training on Friday.
It's also the last day I'm wearing my pedometer. I'll kind of miss the little thing. A little.

Hmm, not enough steps for the day yet

Lastly, I also met with someone in the Career Development Center today. I just wanted some help on figuring out where my passions should take me in way of a major. Meeting up with her was a little bit like talking to a therapist about your problems. It's not really that I didn't know what I should do, but saying it out loud to someone else made the ideas seem more clear. It's good to get a lot of different views. Something she said at the very end of our meeting was, "I can't wait to see where you are in six years." That is pretty neat.

Now is the time that I must continue working on my costume project... or whatever else I get distracted by.

What was the last exciting news that you received?

Interview with a Professor and Lack of Motivation

It's one of those weeks where it feels like it's gonna take forever, even though I know the weekend will sneak up on me. I wish it was sooner anyways.

I had a meeting with one of my professors today. Originally, I made the meeting so I could interview her for a project for FYE, but I also talked to her about my thesis. Talking to her ended up being a great thing, because she made me feel less guilty about not knowing what I want to do with my life yet. One of my interview questions had to do with what advice you would give a college student, and she mentioned this:
"You know, during graduation there's way too much pressure on students to automatically decide what they want with their life, with all of the asking of, 'What's your major?'. You should just explore everything, see college like a smorgasbord and try a little of everything."
This is exactly how I've been feeling as of late. It was nice hearing someone else thinks that way too.

The trip up to Seattle the other day made me realize that I really would enjoy a career that involves a lot of travel. I understand the downsides of not having a permanent spot, always being away from loved ones. It would stink since everyone needs people to be close to and family. However, I know that I would love it, and going through the process of traveling doesn't bother me. As I've gotten older, I've begun to crave new experiences like crazy, finding new worlds and such. I'll think about it.

Oh, today I was not feeling the running. I was thinking, "I don't want to do this, I don't want to!" But the other part of my brain was telling me, "You need to do this! You've signed up for that half marathon in January, and you need to train for it. No buts." And I did. And, as usual, I felt fantastic that I had run afterwards. I was super dehydrated, and had too much snot in my head, but I got it done. 4 miles in 40 minutes? Ten minute miles is good with me when at first I didn't even want to do it!
I didn't really think about this before, but the race says that you aren't allowed to have mp3 players during the run. This means I better start doing some runs without my trusty ipod... Truthfully, I run faster without music, but the run feels a lot longer. Better get over that! My Thursday run I'll run without it.

My aunt and grandma asked to take me out to lunch tomorrow. Don't know why, but it doesn't matter! She is one of my favorite aunts, and I adore my grandma.
I got my first follower today! But you probably already knew that, ha.
Birthday this Friday! Get excited.

What motivates you? What drives you?

"Major" Issues

Goodness gracious, I am tired. Alas, I have things that I need to get done! Ick.

My room mate's on-again off-again boyfriend stayed the night last night. They didn't do anything (I think) and were asleep before me. This was not pleasant when I discovered he was a mouth breather.

I woke up at 5 this morning, a good reason why I'm tired. I thought that it was later, and by the time I was all alert I realized my mistake.

This afternoon, I officially changed my major to "Exploratory". Ugh. This is a ridiculous way of saying Undecided. I'm still not sure what I want to do with my life. I know that I'm interested in maybe working in media, or with languages, traveling, organizing.... There are so many different things! The worse part is that I might not be going to the right college for what I want to do. I like this school. I like the environment, the campus, the class organization. I just got here! I'm pretty sure I'm staying to do my LACCs as well. We'll see what happens in life.

Today was my sister's birthday! I drove down to Eugene and back tonight for dinner, so that's why I'm doing this entry so late it seems. She turned 21 today! I drew her a picture today, even though it was a bit rushed due to time restraints. I think she liked it though!

Sis and her pal sippin' some cosmos

How did you decide on a major? Do you like what you chose?