Advising Anyone?

Academic advisers. I had my first face to face meeting with mine this week. We had talked over the phone over the summer to analyze my schedule for first semester, but I'd met her before yesterday. I took everybody's advice and came with questions prepared. Well, question, singular. It was, generally, "Can you help me to get all my core requirements sorted out so I can get busy taking classes I'm interested in?" Her answer? "Yes!" Luckily, I took quite a few APs in highschool so a lot of my core requirements are already fulfilled (I knew all that work had to count for something!).

So, I know what you're thinking, "it's so early to be thinking about classes for next semester". Au contraire, mon frere. If you actually care what classes you take, and I assume most people do, then it's best to get on it really early. She told me that registration starts on November 9 but that I should try to plan out my schedule before then so I can have a good chance of getting in to those classes that I really want, but might fill up quickly with upperclassmen. She also told me to pad my schedule. Basically put like 20 hours on my schedule at first, then feel out the classes and drop the ones I hate. Sounds good to me. The real problem will be narrowing the list down to 9 classes in the first place. Being "undecided" I basically have the whole course list to choose from. Overwhelming? Sure. Awesome? Definitely. 

Daunting Discussion

Since I'm not really interested in math and science lots of my classes are liberal arts based. I have lots of classes that involve discussion and require you to participate in order to get a good grade. I don't know how many people in high school take classes like this, but I know I didn't. Participation was encouraged, but ultimately optional. I've got a history class which isn't discussion based, but does have discussion days after we've read certain texts or books. Then there's a seminar class on ancient books like the Odyssey, Plato's Republic, the Quran and other texts like that. Then I have a sort of religious philosophy class that questions religion's role in western liberalism.

Anyway whether you are a liberal arts freak like me or whether you are totally of the science/math persuasion you're most likely going to have some discussion based classes. Point is, it's daunting, especially when there are upperclassmen in the class with you making actual logical arguments; it's hard to feel like what you say will make any sense. I feel like it takes me too long to muster up courage to say anything because by the time I do the discussion has changed direction. I mean I notice there are other freshmen in the classes who are obviously braver than me, and then there are other people who never speak.I guess I'm kind of in the middle but more on the quieter side.

I hope that by being in these classes I'll hear lots of good arguments from my peers, rather than just from the teacher, and at the same time learn to form good arguments and not be afraid to say em OUT LOUD and before the discussion changes subject. Yeah...I'm learning! 

Later....

5th floor predicament

I feel like lately I've been hanging out with the same few people I know from my floor. They are definitely cool people (or else why would I hang out with them?), but I just haven't been meeting many new people this week. I eat lunch and dinner with them, go to the gym, and study and hang out all with pretty much the same group of people. It's too easy to just get complacent and not make a conscious effort to put your hand out and introduce yourself when you feel like you've already got friends. Plus it's just all too convenient, when you are going to the dining hall just knock on some doors, and somebody's bound to be home and hungry enough to come with. But tonight is trivia game night in one of the common rooms....perfect opportunity to do some serious socializing. But only after I'm done with all my homework!!!

Posters and Granola Bars

You know what's fun? Dorms are fun. My dorm (or at least my side of it) looks like me. Well, you know, I mean it doesn't really actually look like me, but I've got my posters up (Miles Davis and The Beatles and some vintage French Liquor poster) and my cork boards with my important stuff tacked up (schedule, post its, club flyers, restaurant coupons, etc). Then there are my pictures of friends and travels and home and stuff...then the desk which is sort of a smattering of everything work related. Then the shelves, filled with everything from baskets of cookies and granola bars (for late night study sessions, or any other time) to books, to some mugs and a hat, and of course that indispensable item, THE ALARM CLOCK. And of course lots of other less interesting things. But  I think my decision to bring just the bare bones of the room adding to it as I go was a good idea. I feel like I'm giving it my personality as I find cool things to tack up and accumulate stuff to clutter my desk with. Just another beauty of dorm life...decorating according to your tastes and you're tastes only.

Weekend in the common room

Thank goodness for 3 day weekends. They are so much better suited to life than two day weekends. One day for fun on the town, one day for fun on campus and one final day for catching up on all that homework you've been putting off for the whole of last week. I actually had time this weekend for some serious hanging out...and what's great about college is there's always someone there to hang out with. People Everywhere. One minute you'll be getting really into an intense game of taboo...the next minute you'll be  seriously discussing the roots of the current dilemma of education in this country (this exact situation happened tonight actually). People aren't as reluctant to discuss serious things as they were in high school and it makes for some really good discussion when people just say what they think. I think I've pretty much got the recipe down for a college common room: Start out with 2 parts childish fun (board games and bags of chips) add 2 parts intelligent conversation (fair and open-minded work best) mix well and enjoy. 

Sink or Swim

Well week two has been intense. Kind of like week one, I guess. College life is so different from life at home. I mean for one, you're not AT home, so that makes a huge difference. This one girl on my floor decided that she'd rather be at home so she packed her things and headed back to Texas yesterday leaving her poor roommate all alone (she's been hanging out in our room a lot since then). But she's an exception, most people are loving it. Deciding when to eat, when to study, what clubs to join, what to do at night, and what classes to take. All the decisions are almost overwhelming. Normally I would definitely feel like "DECISION-MAKING OVERLOAD", but I'm too glad that I'm getting to make all these cool choices that I haven't even thought about how many there are! 

Speaking of decisions....the dining hall. I don't know if anyone reading this likes food as much as I do, but if you're out there let me tell you the temptation is overwhelming. Smorgasbord. Really. I have to really work not to eat breakfast for dinner every night. It's an exercise in will power every day. I'm determined not to let that ominous freshman 15 catch up with me though, and I'm taking precautionary measures like going to the Rec center...and playing racquet ball. That burns calories, right? Of course it does! I just discovered this amazing sport and it's quickly becoming a favorite.

So we can't forget about the homework. Yea. Lots of reading just like they said there would be (whoever they is). Me, personally, I don't mind reading. Especially if its a book/textbook about something I'm interested in, but some of my floor mates are getting a rude awakening regarding study habits, if you know what I mean. Freshman year here is like freshman year in high-school when it comes to starting off on the right foot academically... it's sink or swim time.