Being Studious

Last year in the dorms, I lived in a very... academic setting.

Oh, who am I kidding? We were nerds. Due to the fact that there wasn't a lot to do, Sundays would be full on study days. The common room usually had everyone sitting around doing their homework, and many of us were getting a lot done. We pretty much had competitions to see who could get the most homework for the week done. Many of these times we would finish a whole week's worth of homework. Like I said, nerds.

Lately, I've been a lot less studious it seems. It's not to say I'm not getting my homework done- believe me, I am- but it's almost like my high school mentality wants to kick in again.

I suppose there are other reasons to my mentality change. Having to grocery shop, being away from a common study area, more social events in my life... Still, they're just excuses.

Another thing that might be affecting me is the lack of a support group. In the dorms, I could go out and study with others. Now, it's different. I'm in HUGE classes where I don't even see people I might know, and you have to actually make plans to meet for studying. I'll admit it- Even now into the second term, I still feel like I don't have a lot of friends. Sure I know people, but I don't know where I stand with people. I'm socially awkward to a fault, but that's a post for another day. The whole point is just another excuse.

Since I'm transferred here, I haven't done that much worse. I have done worse though, now that I look at it. At WOU, I got two A-s, three B+s, and one B. (I'm not including the summer classes) The rest were all As. Fall term, I got two As, and two B+s. Honestly though, if "worse" is a 3.5 GPA, I definitely think I'm okay.

Still, I don't want to slide. Being studious is what got me into this school. Being studious will help me get into the Journalism program (Though if is the GPA is 2.9 to get in, I still think I'm okay) Being studious can help me get scholarships. Hopefully.

And that's what I have to say about that! Another week begins. Let's make it a good one! Not sayin' this last week wasn't good, I just want another good week.

Were you studious in college? If you were, was it at the very beginning or near the end?

An Unexpected Trip Back

Here I am, officially home for the holidays!

Ha, well actually I'm not quite done yet. Still, I am currently sitting back in my bed at my parent's house (still my house, I'd like to say) typing this up. Then I'm going back down to school tomorrow morning... only to be back up here Wednesday. What is this madness? Let me explain.

In part of my "getting things together for study abroad" ventures, I needed to get a letter of recommendation from one of my professors at Western. Now, I like asking people for things in person much better than email so I decided that it would be a good idea to drive up to Western, the first time since I'd finished this summer. Her only office hours that I could go to were today. Besides, I was hoping I would be able to run into some friends while on my impromptu visit.
Good thing I did too, because I was able to get a transcript (also needed for the application) while I was over there. The transcript system online? Not good. Another example of liking to do things in person rather than online.

It's funny- even though I've missed WOU, I hadn't missed it as much until I stopped by again. A wave of memories flooded back into my mind, and I saw fun little things that I missed about it. One example was the giant versions of things project that the art students do. They make giant versions of whatever, and the projects decorate the lawn. My favorite that I saw this time was a giant electrical plug!

One of the craziest things I noticed? So many things are different! Alright, not so many things, but mainly the WUC! There's a whole other attachment added to it, and it feels weird!

Before I left, I was able to see one of my friends that goes there. She's as adorable as ever, which may sound weird since she towers over me. But she's just so innocent! Apparently everyone is really busy this year, including her many hours spent in the studio. I guess that makes sense, since most of the people I know over at WOU are upperclassmen. Then again, I've had a kind of busy term. What's the deal with this year? Eh.

By the time I was able to get my recommendation, it was already dark and pouring. Blergh. Not something I really wanted to drive 1.5 hours in. So I decided to just head back to my hometown and stay for the night. It works out nicely due to the fact that my earliest class is at noon tomorrow. Yes...
The only downside? I'm totally going to be pulling a "wear the clothes from the night before look", which sends out a good message.
I wish I had brought running clothes. My parents have a new treadmill, and it would be really nice to do my run indoors for once. Oh well.

I keep on having other ideas about what to write about, but instead lately I've been just talking about what's going on in my life... What a concept, a blog talking about what's going on in said blogger's life! Yeah, I don't know what I'm saying half of the time either.

Definitely feels like I'm on vacation... but still should go to bed before midnight, so I can wake up at nine. Yup.

Where was the last "place of your past" that you visited? How had things changed? Stayed the same?

Life As a Duck: Getting Accustomed to U of O

So, grump-a-lump Hannah is gone, and regular Hannah seems to have returned. Also, I need to stop with the third person crap. Ha, anywho...

There are times where I start to miss good ol' WOU. Mostly, it's for the people that I met there. I wonder if they miss me, or if they've moved on? Well, I still see people and think, "Oh that's So-and-so! Wait... Never mind."

However, I mention that first because in reality, I'm getting more and more accustomed to UofO. What do ya know, getting used to a place takes time! What a concept.

Here are just a few things that have made me appreciate this place:

There is always something going on. Today when riding over to an appointment, a commercial was being filmed with Puddles.

This is Puddles. He does Push ups.

Sure, it was just to send to alumni for the holidays, but there's always something to be entertained/interested by. Walking by the EMU? There's a person selling clothes there today. Oh look, there's a singing group performing. Seriously, I've seen some crazy things. Craziest probably being the zombie walk, which apparently happens every year. This year, they were the 99% at the same time. Weird mix? Indeed.

There are a lot more things to get involved with. At WOU, I tried to get into groups. I asked if they had a running club and they didn't. One of my friends and I tried to make a movie fan club type thing, but it didn't really work out. (We got information about forming a club too late.) Here on the other hand has plenty of things to get involved with, as you've heard me talk about. As for getting involved, that doesn't just mean clubs and intramural sports. There are more places to go, things to see, parties to attend. 'Tis a good thing.

Football is actually you know, a big deal here. Out of all of the sports to watch, I've talked about how I like to watch football. At WOU, I went to games quite a bit but it was kind of sad. There was no spirit section, most of the people in the stands were alumni, and our team was awful. It's cool when you get to a school that has the second loudest college football stadium in the nation. Plus, it doesn't hurt that the team is good.

Finally, it's cool to be at a place where almost everything has a little secret history to it. For instance, there's a weird guy who is always panning off his joke book in front of a bookstore on campus. Yeah, it's annoying like you would thing, but the other day I learned the story of Frog. That's what he's called. Apparently, he's been selling that joke book for decades, and he even was in a court case in the 70's debating if he was allowed to sell the books in the street like that. And apparently, he hella won that case. It's just weird little facts and tidbits that I keep learning that are quite interesting.

I'm sure there are other things that are making me like this town, but I'm not really sure what they are right now. Likewise, there are things that I'm still disliking or worried about. I'm terrified about grades, simply because I'm worried about being able to study abroad and getting into the J school here. Most of my classes are alright, but there are some... maybe it's just the classes, not the school. Probably. I think WOU just felt safer since the classes were smaller, meaning it was easier getting to know your professors and such. Then again, I'm a worrywart.

Gosh, I didn't do anything today... at least that's how it felt. I did make/go to some appointments, studied up on programs, just... I don't know. Should have worked on my essay more, but what can you do? I'll work on it more tomorrow. Besides, I've already looked at it for awhile.

What are some positives you can think of about the last place you moved to?

Random Thoughts, Art Displays and School Worries

My room mate never seems to turn the light on whenever she's in the room. If I turn on the light if I'm in the room before her, it's fine, but she never turns it on if she's in the room. I wonder why this is. I would say perhaps it's an emotional thing, but it could also be because she's lazy. I can not say.

I don't think I'm cool enough to be in my age group, or at least a college student. That is because I do not own a pair of TOMS. Perhaps something to invest in in the future? We'll see.

I've had two opposing dreams about the same test. In one of the dreams, I received a D on the test, and it was terrible. The other dream, I received 100%. Both of these ideas I knew were delusions, but I was still stressing until I got the test back today. I ended up doing quite well, but not that well.

Random thoughts that pass through my head like this make me think I should get a Twitter, because that's basically what it is, right? Then I go through the struggles of trying to think of a good name, and pass the idea by.

One thing that I'm definitely going to miss about this campus are the awesome art projects that the art students put outside of the art building from time to time.

Many of the things I have seen I would like to steal away for myself...

...but you knew that.

On the subject of schools, for I think the first time on Friday I became terrified of transferring schools. It could be possibly because of the feeling sick factors coming into play, but I think it's a lot more than that. For instance, I'm worried that I'm going to get lost all of the time. I'll be late to classes, and be locked out or something. Also, I've done quite well in school at WOU, but how am I going to do at U of O? With bigger classes, will they be a lot harder for me? Will I be completely forgotten in the classroom setting? I really don't think I'd like that. One of the bigger things that I should be worrying about is living arrangements, but I've been worrying more about getting projects for school done right now. Livin' in the moment I guess... except for those other worries.

It is Monday, so I guess the lesson for the day is... from Bridesmaids. That lesson is food poisoning is kind of like that, except maybe less graphic.
Yeah, don't have much in that subject. And I'm done talking about food poisoning now.

How do you deal with the fear of the unknown future?

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?

The First Official College Post

Hello everyone! This is my FIRST official post from school. Hooray! I hate that I wasn't able to post a honest to goodness post the other day, but I was without internet until very recently! Where else would we begin other than Sunday morning?




All of my things, before moved into the car

 It was a sunny day when I was moving in for the most part. I knew that my secret hoping and praying had paid off. I had never realized just how stressful it would be to move in. I thought, "Oh, I'll make sure that everything is very organized so that it will be a breeze." This of course was not the case. It's difficult for a person to move in by themselves yet it is extremely difficult moving in with the help of others. If you're like me, you have ideas where things should go, how they should look. Your way. The rest of the world does not think this way.



The van, stuffed with college things

This brings me to the first thing I have learned in college:

• 1. You can't unpack all in one day.

I wanted to, I really did. I live in the mindset of getting tasks done as quickly as possible to have time for other things. What are you going to do? Somewhere in the day there was lunch at a cute little cafe, but unpacking basically lasted until 5ish. I'll try to summarize the rest of the day; Met the hallmates, did a "meet and greet" that involved running up to someone and yelling your name as you ran to the next person, and then went to a welcoming party. This is where it gets interesting.
You know how I said I wanted to get away from the people of my old school, meet new people? My roomate is from my hometown. The party was held by the older sister of another girl from my school. All I can say is that it wasn't for me. I wanted to go. I wanted to stay in my dorm my very first night of college. I don't care if I get a million days here, I just have something about sentimental dates and such. That's when I did something stupid. I walked home. I know, it's one of the dumbest things you can do. All alone at night where you don't know where you are, and it's raining. It was like a bad movie. This made me realize I need to try to shift away from doing things with my roomie all of the time. Do things my own way right? I ended up even hanging out with some hallmate in the common area for awhile too.

There's so many things to say, but so little space to say it! This week is beginning to feel like that too. I learned about media at WOU, met a friend from another hall, heard a few speakers including the real life hitch, went to a dance, then got to this point. ...That really doesn't explain much, does it? I dislike having to compress everything into blurbs, but this is what happens when you have two days of running around like mad with lack of sleep.

I will work on my blogging skills. Perhaps I need to keep notes of my days? Does anyone keep notes of their days for their blogs? I just need to remember to take pictures. It's so hard to remember!

Tomorrow's post will be more blog-y! I'm still learning. (Also, I'm going to delete that last post.)

Starting something new in more ways than one

It's always tough to start something new. Not knowing where to start is always the hardest part, when you can't decide what sounds good, and what sounds completely stupid. That brings us here.

That right there was a sad attempt at an introduction for my blog here. Hey, my name is Hannah and this is my newly created blog. A little information that you'll need to know about me is:

• I am an Oregonian girl who has gone to school with the same people for thirteen years.
• I am about to start my first year of college at Western Oregon University.
• I'm ready for something new.

I'm creating this blog around the theme of College life, but I don't want it to be just a blog about college. I will write about my life, and there will be a slight journal element to it. However! I am going to write about what I learn while in school, little facts that I think are useful, and other little college based info.
There are a few things that I hope to accomplish while in college. These things are:

• Get a degree (That's kind of a duh one, but it had to be said.)
• Not gain the dreaded Freshman Fifteen.
• Travel abroad during my Junior year of college
• Stay out of debt
• Keep my grades up
• Make friends
• Post a blog entry everyday

Will all of these things happen exactly how I plan them? I have no idea! No one knows what the future holds, and I am no exception to that rule. These are just things that I just want to happen.

1.Get a degree
This may seem pretty obvious since I am going to college, but I personally think it goes a bit deeper than that. Many people go to college and never finish. Right now, I'm not even sure what my major will be. At the moment I'm planning to have a double major in English and Spanish but I don't know for sure.

2. Not gain the dreaded Freshman Fifteen
People worry about weight all the time in our world today. Whether it's someone being aneorexic or growing obesity rates, we are always thinking about the size someone is. I've seen the rollercoaster of emotion from a scale going up and down, but not necessarily for me. I've seen how stressful changing sizes can be which is why I want to try to maintain my weight. I will try to make good choices and eat right. I also don't believe the freshmen fifteen is gained solely in the freshmen year. I think that it can happen at anytime, so this is more of a life rule: Try to maintain myself through good eating and excersize.

3. Travel abroad during my Junior year of college
I really hope I can do this, but I know I have to do some things to try and get there. I need to make sure to keep my grades up and save money. Sounds easy on paper, but life is funny. I would like to travel to Great Britain or Madrid. (I'm leaning more towards the U.K.)

4. Stay out of debt
Again, sounds nice on paper. Alas, I don't know what will happen even in one month. The best way to go about it is to spend wisely and budget as well as I possibly can.

5. Keep my grades up
I'm going to college only for an education, right? HA! It's not just about the classes and lectures, it's about a new step in your life. In high school my grades were average, and I've realized that I need to focus. This doesn't mean I plan on being a shut in who only studies though. Which brings us to...

6. Make friends
I've gone to school with the same people from K through 12. My friends are dear to me, but as we've all gotten older I've discovered that we have begun to drift apart. I have very different interests then my friends, and that's all I really have to say about it right now. I want to see what kinds of people are out in the "real" world.

7. Post a blog entry everyday
I'm going to start up this little habit on my unofficial first day of college, this Sunday. This is something I WANT to happen, but I don't know how that will work. For instance, what if I don't have internet? I can try for now. Even if it's a little post, it'll be something. I won't make the rest of my posts as long as this one either.

These are things that I hope my blog will help me follow. It's scary trying something new, but it's always better to try then spend your whole life wondering "What if?"

The last thing that I would like to mention in this daunting blog post is the name of this blog. For about a week, I was trying to think of a clever name. This is not an easy task for me. I am terrible at thinking of names. I tested out different song titles that I thought sounded witty that apparently others thought were witty as well, seeing as they were unavaliable. Finally this evening the perfect name clicked in my brain. I Read It In A Book Somewhere. This is basically my way of life. I am always trying to give wise information that I read in magazine articles, books, whatever I find. "I read in a magazine that you should eat near a window in the morning so your body reacts to the natural light of day" or "In my 'How to study for college book' it says you should spend 40 hours as a student".  See what I mean? It may sound silly to you, but it feels kind of special to me.

I hope that all of you who happen to read my blog enjoy it. Don't worry, this is going to be my longest post! (I think.) Now it's time for me to go to bed, even though they say you shouldn't go to bed right after using the computer. (See what I mean?) I'll see you all on Sunday!