So this last blog is supposed to be dedicated to my service site... again... really? Not a reflection on the semester and my plans for the future? Well, I think I will be writing those too, even if it is not required, because I like having lengthy blogs.
I was a mentor to a sixth grader at Hand Middle School this semester, and, no matter how much I complained, it was actually a fun experience. The thing I most enjoyed about it was the last day, and not because it was the last day (well, partly because of that), but because of what my mentee asked. She wanted to know if I was coming back next semester, and, if so, if I would have her again. Then she went on to say how much he had enjoyed it! (awww) I wasn't sure if she had enjoyed the experience, so it made me very happy to hear she had. Additionally, when I gave her a parting gift (a USC tshirt... I got her Bananagrams for next semester, since we would play it all the time) she gave me a hug. Basically, I felt warm and fuzzy inside. This also answers that question: yes, I plan to continue mentoring her next semester in order to fulfill my Capstone service requirements.
I feel like there is not much more to day, considering every single service-related blog has had the same exact prompt. Therefore, I am going to write about what I want to write! (You can stop now, if you so choose. =])
Anyway: This semester has been all right, all things considered. My grades remain in the A-range, and I am not feeling too stressed as the semester comes to a close. I hope to finish up my English and U101 exams by this weekend since they both just are to be handed in, and then I can spend time studying for Arabic and Philosophy. German I will do a little review, but that exam is on Friday and my last exam before that is Tuesday, so I have time. I figure by Thursday I should have a good idea of what all is expected of my next week. Awesome thought: this time next week I will be done with Arabic and Philosophy. YES!
Next semester I plan to get more involved with another club or two, but I also think a few of my courses will be harder, so I don't plan to overload myself with extracurricular activities. Really I just hope to expand my group of friends, which is currently quite small. However, for now I am not worrying about next semester--I only care about the upcoming break!
Also, I have a question: why does the rain always seem to start as soon I walk outside, get stronger when I am half way to my destination, and then dissipate soon after I arrive indoors? I swear it just plans for when my classes start and end and only rains then. It is annoying, but also just an observation. But I digress...
Anyway, to reflect specifically on U101:
Jimmie and Brent - Thank you for being such kind and approachable individuals; it definitely made the class better and the one-on-ones not entirely awkward. Even if I admit that I feel like 90% of what goes on in U101 seemed useless and I often complained to others (Monica) about the coursework, it truly was just me being over dramatic. It was a course that was the 'easy A' as it was advertised by my orientation leaders so long as you did what was required of you, which, all things considered, was not that much. I never dreaded your class because I knew it wasn't supposed to be a class to stress us out, and it was for our benefit. Ever since the beginning we were in an environment where we were free to voice our concerns and opinions and to become understanding of others. I liked getting to know my classmates, and I wish I knew some of them better. Anyway... Thanks again for the fun semester, and I am sure I will see you around campus throughout my time here as an undergrad (well, maybe not Brent, since you graduate this spring, yes? This is what I recall from yesterday).
Farewell!!
Holland
PS: I have not decided whether or not to continue this blog next semester... We'll see, but I really don't know why I would other than to document it for myself since I only have four followers. Plus, believe it or not, I like writing blogs. I don't feel judged when I write, so I say what I want to, and that is really nice. =]
29.11.10
Capstone Requirements Post......
So this is the second to last assigned blog post, which I wish I had done earlier because now it is a pain and I only vaguely remember some of the events I need to describe... Here goes nothing!
Capstone Social Event:
The only Capstone Social I attended this semester was the first Hot Cookie Friday. Now let's be honest: what could be better than FREE hot cookies and milk? Not much. I was going to go with Monica, but she was being slow that day so told me to go and that she would join me there later... mistake. I arrived, and it was awkward. Oh so awkward. I knew no one except Brewer, who seems to be the most active and popular person on campus who isn't Marcus Lattimore (for good reason--he is a nice guy), but, needless to say, I said no more than a few words to him before awkwardly floating around the rooms of the study shack looking for a familiar face. Did I mention the word 'awkward'? Anyway, eventually Caroline showed up with her roommate, and I stood with them. I had met Caroline at that Summer Reading Experience thing on the way there, and, ironically enough, she would also be in my U101 class! Despite the awkward experience, it would help her and me to become better friends (we would hang out after), and she is now probably one of my closest friends on campus. So, all in all, going to Hot Cookie Friday was probably a good thing. Maybe next semester we will try to get involved with those more... I just really hate being a wallflower. (Story of my life.)
Capstone Conversation:
I went to the Harlan Cohen (SP?) event, which counted as a conversation. I went with Monica and Caroline... and some other people. Anyway, when he started with a song I thought it was going to be a long night, but, luckily, I was wrong. He actually ended up being really funny, and I enjoyed my time. There's not much to say about this one, but I know I have to have this be over 150 words, so I will try. He still seemed like kind of an annoying guy, but his book(s) sounded interesting, though I also never bought one. Considering I was just a spectator to an informative comedy show and it was so long ago, I do not have much to say... Am I at 150 yet? I hope so. I am moving on even if I am not.
Capstone Cinema:
I attended the Capstone Cinema that was cosponsored by the 'ONE' organization, and I am glad I went. I went with Caroline and her roommate, and we saw a 45-ish minute documentary called The Lazarus Effect. It was very interesting, and I recommend to everyone, even though I almost cried. The only reason I held it together is because there were people around. Why did I almost cry, you ask? Well it is about the HIV/AIDS problem in Africa, focusing specifically on a health clinic in Lusaka, Zambia (also ironic: I have a friend there for a gap year right now!). It is highly informative and depressing due to the terrible things these people have to live through. Basically, it helps people to realize how much these people need medicine, which they can get for free through organizations (like ONE). One woman, who had AIDS herself and was exceptionally inspirational and important to the clinic, had lost all three of her young children to AIDS. Her story and the images of a four year old boy who was not responding well to the medication (he died soon after, according to the film) is what almost made me cry. However, the story is not all depressing, considering the amount of good the medical clinic is doing for the people of Africa. Their story is uplifting and gives hope that one day everyone with AIDS will have access to the proper medication.
Personal Challenge:
My personal challenge this semester was to maintain an 'A' in Arabic, which I have done as of right now (no clue what my final grade will be since I have yet to take the final), but I consider it an overall success. I know some people (namely Brent... not cool) would argue that this is not a personal challenge since I am a beast at languages (hello, my name is Holland, and I have an ego), but I think it legitimately was. Arabic is not German, and its alphabet is very, very different from ours. It has been much harder to start than German was since many of its sounds and grammatical rules are quite different. Also, there is no verb in Arabic that represents 'to be', which is a pain and makes translation hard sometimes. I understand that maybe it wasn't as challenging as I had first anticipated it to be, but it was, nonetheless, a challenge. If it makes it better, I promise to choose a better, harder challenge next semester, though I have no clue what it will be. I know I could try to become outgoing a meet people, but I am so freaking shy! I do plan to join some more organizations, and I might do this on my own. Perhaps that is a challenge enough in itself. :-)
OK. So... I have one more blog to do, but I will save it for tomorrow to help me avoid more homework (this one is helping me put off a massive German reading assignment).
Toodles!
Holland
Capstone Social Event:
The only Capstone Social I attended this semester was the first Hot Cookie Friday. Now let's be honest: what could be better than FREE hot cookies and milk? Not much. I was going to go with Monica, but she was being slow that day so told me to go and that she would join me there later... mistake. I arrived, and it was awkward. Oh so awkward. I knew no one except Brewer, who seems to be the most active and popular person on campus who isn't Marcus Lattimore (for good reason--he is a nice guy), but, needless to say, I said no more than a few words to him before awkwardly floating around the rooms of the study shack looking for a familiar face. Did I mention the word 'awkward'? Anyway, eventually Caroline showed up with her roommate, and I stood with them. I had met Caroline at that Summer Reading Experience thing on the way there, and, ironically enough, she would also be in my U101 class! Despite the awkward experience, it would help her and me to become better friends (we would hang out after), and she is now probably one of my closest friends on campus. So, all in all, going to Hot Cookie Friday was probably a good thing. Maybe next semester we will try to get involved with those more... I just really hate being a wallflower. (Story of my life.)
Capstone Conversation:
I went to the Harlan Cohen (SP?) event, which counted as a conversation. I went with Monica and Caroline... and some other people. Anyway, when he started with a song I thought it was going to be a long night, but, luckily, I was wrong. He actually ended up being really funny, and I enjoyed my time. There's not much to say about this one, but I know I have to have this be over 150 words, so I will try. He still seemed like kind of an annoying guy, but his book(s) sounded interesting, though I also never bought one. Considering I was just a spectator to an informative comedy show and it was so long ago, I do not have much to say... Am I at 150 yet? I hope so. I am moving on even if I am not.
Capstone Cinema:
I attended the Capstone Cinema that was cosponsored by the 'ONE' organization, and I am glad I went. I went with Caroline and her roommate, and we saw a 45-ish minute documentary called The Lazarus Effect. It was very interesting, and I recommend to everyone, even though I almost cried. The only reason I held it together is because there were people around. Why did I almost cry, you ask? Well it is about the HIV/AIDS problem in Africa, focusing specifically on a health clinic in Lusaka, Zambia (also ironic: I have a friend there for a gap year right now!). It is highly informative and depressing due to the terrible things these people have to live through. Basically, it helps people to realize how much these people need medicine, which they can get for free through organizations (like ONE). One woman, who had AIDS herself and was exceptionally inspirational and important to the clinic, had lost all three of her young children to AIDS. Her story and the images of a four year old boy who was not responding well to the medication (he died soon after, according to the film) is what almost made me cry. However, the story is not all depressing, considering the amount of good the medical clinic is doing for the people of Africa. Their story is uplifting and gives hope that one day everyone with AIDS will have access to the proper medication.
Personal Challenge:
My personal challenge this semester was to maintain an 'A' in Arabic, which I have done as of right now (no clue what my final grade will be since I have yet to take the final), but I consider it an overall success. I know some people (namely Brent... not cool) would argue that this is not a personal challenge since I am a beast at languages (hello, my name is Holland, and I have an ego), but I think it legitimately was. Arabic is not German, and its alphabet is very, very different from ours. It has been much harder to start than German was since many of its sounds and grammatical rules are quite different. Also, there is no verb in Arabic that represents 'to be', which is a pain and makes translation hard sometimes. I understand that maybe it wasn't as challenging as I had first anticipated it to be, but it was, nonetheless, a challenge. If it makes it better, I promise to choose a better, harder challenge next semester, though I have no clue what it will be. I know I could try to become outgoing a meet people, but I am so freaking shy! I do plan to join some more organizations, and I might do this on my own. Perhaps that is a challenge enough in itself. :-)
OK. So... I have one more blog to do, but I will save it for tomorrow to help me avoid more homework (this one is helping me put off a massive German reading assignment).
Toodles!
Holland
26.11.10
turkey
Considering I did not post this before Thanksgiving, I suppose I should just talk about what I did for Thanksgiving...
We went over to my aunt and uncle's house (on my father's side), as we do every year. While there we watch football, ate hors d'oeuvres and talk. It's quite wild, if you couldn't tell. I also tend to spend a good amount of time playing with the dogs (2 bichons). Of course the best part is the meal, which is always so very tasty. This year I had turkey, corn, mashed potatoes, a roll, and home made stuffing. There were other things like sweet potatoes and green beans, but I bypassed them. Then for desert, of course, I had pumpkin pie. There were other options, but I chose the best (obviously).
I always really enjoy Thanksgiving because we do not get to see my dad's side of the family very often. They are really friendly people, and I think they really enjoy getting to see us in order to catch up with us. Especially now since we are all either at college or working, there are a lot more new things going on in our lives, though mine is actually quite uneventful.
Now I'm just sad that the break is almost over. While at home I have yet to do school work other than these blogs, though I printed out some papers today, so I do plan to start working on it a little later. It's just such a pain knowing that there is only one week of school left, and yet I have an excessive amount of things to do. The good news: I will be getting ready to take the last of my exams before going home this time in 2 weeks... By the time I get back to school, I will only have 11 days there before I start heading back home for the holidays... glorious.
Ok well I suppose that is all!
Happy [belated] Thanksgiving!
Holland
We went over to my aunt and uncle's house (on my father's side), as we do every year. While there we watch football, ate hors d'oeuvres and talk. It's quite wild, if you couldn't tell. I also tend to spend a good amount of time playing with the dogs (2 bichons). Of course the best part is the meal, which is always so very tasty. This year I had turkey, corn, mashed potatoes, a roll, and home made stuffing. There were other things like sweet potatoes and green beans, but I bypassed them. Then for desert, of course, I had pumpkin pie. There were other options, but I chose the best (obviously).
I always really enjoy Thanksgiving because we do not get to see my dad's side of the family very often. They are really friendly people, and I think they really enjoy getting to see us in order to catch up with us. Especially now since we are all either at college or working, there are a lot more new things going on in our lives, though mine is actually quite uneventful.
Now I'm just sad that the break is almost over. While at home I have yet to do school work other than these blogs, though I printed out some papers today, so I do plan to start working on it a little later. It's just such a pain knowing that there is only one week of school left, and yet I have an excessive amount of things to do. The good news: I will be getting ready to take the last of my exams before going home this time in 2 weeks... By the time I get back to school, I will only have 11 days there before I start heading back home for the holidays... glorious.
Ok well I suppose that is all!
Happy [belated] Thanksgiving!
Holland
23.11.10
Greetings from Bethlehem, PA!! pt. 2
So I arrived back home last night, and I am very happy to be here. Though it is much colder here (by, like... 30+ degrees), I am enjoying myself. My other brother comes home tonight, and then we will have a full house! I haven't seen him or my brothers' friends since August, so I am excited to see them again. I find it hard to believe that I will be home again in 2.5-ish weeks, marking the end of the semester. That fact will make going back to USC much easier, though I do not look forward to all the work I have to do in between now and then.
ANYWAY, to the prompt!: To live sustainably, to me, is to live a lifestyle that has little to no effect on the environment. Honestly, I probably don't like that sustainable of a lifestyle, but I am also not ridiculous. I recycle and try to reuse things a few times before throwing them away (even plastic cutlery), but I also let the water run as I brush my teeth, and I take somewhat lengthy showers (though not very long compared to those of my suitemates..... they don't know this blog exists, so I feel safe saying this).
To be more sustainable I would probably take shorter showers, not let the water run, and be more stringent when it comes to recycling. I think most of my light bulbs at school and home are the environmentally friendly ones... I don't drive, so a car is not the issue. Luckily I like walking, and it's not too cold in SC, so I don't freeze like I do at home. I feel like a bike would be helpful, but I don't know how to ride them (WHAT?!), and, whenever my friends have tried to teach me, I fail miserably... I attribute this to the fact that I am positive I am going to fall off and that I have zero tolerance to pain, so I am very afraid of bike riding.
Today my mom and I went to Target, and I ended up buying a lot of Christmas decorations for our dorm room. I plan to leave most of it up all year because I love Christmas. At home I have Christmas window decals on my bedroom windows all year round. (Originally this was because I was too lazy to take them down, but now they are an integral part of my room!)
Yes, well, I guess this is it for now. I am going to go relax and continue to procrastinate!
Gute Nacht!
Holland
ANYWAY, to the prompt!: To live sustainably, to me, is to live a lifestyle that has little to no effect on the environment. Honestly, I probably don't like that sustainable of a lifestyle, but I am also not ridiculous. I recycle and try to reuse things a few times before throwing them away (even plastic cutlery), but I also let the water run as I brush my teeth, and I take somewhat lengthy showers (though not very long compared to those of my suitemates..... they don't know this blog exists, so I feel safe saying this).
To be more sustainable I would probably take shorter showers, not let the water run, and be more stringent when it comes to recycling. I think most of my light bulbs at school and home are the environmentally friendly ones... I don't drive, so a car is not the issue. Luckily I like walking, and it's not too cold in SC, so I don't freeze like I do at home. I feel like a bike would be helpful, but I don't know how to ride them (WHAT?!), and, whenever my friends have tried to teach me, I fail miserably... I attribute this to the fact that I am positive I am going to fall off and that I have zero tolerance to pain, so I am very afraid of bike riding.
Today my mom and I went to Target, and I ended up buying a lot of Christmas decorations for our dorm room. I plan to leave most of it up all year because I love Christmas. At home I have Christmas window decals on my bedroom windows all year round. (Originally this was because I was too lazy to take them down, but now they are an integral part of my room!)
Yes, well, I guess this is it for now. I am going to go relax and continue to procrastinate!
Gute Nacht!
Holland
17.11.10
You're my third least favorite child.
Growing up, I can't really recall there having been one particular profession I was ever stuck upon. For a little while I was into archaeology, but then I realized that is a career with very little future unless you are the next Howard Carter (I'm not). I still love and will always love ancient history, but, outside of teaching it, I don't see much I could do with it. Even so, I have found a new passion over the last few years that I currently have my sights on: LANGUAGES! Sadly, next semester I have had to give up Arabic due to scheduling, but I hope to pick it back up one day (sophomore year, hopefully). I am considering being ridiculous and looking into Rosetta Stone, but we'll see. Nonetheless, I plan to keep up with what I learned this semester and to look further into the book in an attempt to teach myself bits and pieces. (I say that now, but come next semester, I doubt this happens. Maybe if I am motivated I will do it over Christmas and the summer.)
If I ever get the chance to, I would also like to start another language, in addition to Arabic, that is based on a less complicated alphabet... and by that, I mean the Latin alphabet. I know we offer Swahili, and before you judge me too much, think about it: how many people outside of Africa speak Swahili? How useful could someone in America who speaks Swahili be to organizations/businesses with ties to Africa? The UN? Pretty darn useful. :-) I was also thinking French. I would say Russian (Cyrillic alphabet, I know), but I heard their grammar is even more intense than German grammar, and that is intense in its own right.
In the next 3.5 years I would gladly participate in an internship, considering the importance of networking. I know I have all intentions of obtaining a Master's degree, and I am actually thinking that, if I enjoy studying abroad in Germany for a year, then I will try to get my Master's degree over there. Having a degree from a German university makes getting a job with a German-based company/institution easier, or so I have been told by Lena (my good friend in Schwäbisch Gmünd... good luck pronouncing that one!!). One of my considerations is to get a teaching degree to teach English as a foreign language, and, considering I don't speak Spanish, I doubt such a degree would be very useful for me in the US. That is fine with me, though, because I have no intentions of staying permanently!
I thought the presentation today was very informative, and I definitely feel a lot more comfortable going into the Career Center during my time here as an undergraduate to help find internships, write a résumé, and look for a future job. I suppose the most informative part of it was just showing us where the Career Center is and allowing us to see how approachable the staff seems to be. It also made us aware of how many resources they have, which aren't strictly dedicated to finding a job after graduating your senior year, which, for some reason, I tended to think was the main purpose of the Career Center.
This time in 5 days I will be at home. I am pumped. While at home I plan to relax, see some friends, and eat turkey (in addition to writing this U101 paper and doing other homework). Mostly just turkey. And pumpkin pie. I. Love. Pumpkin. Pie. (And all things pumpkin.) I also plan to spend plenty of time bothering (not really--I consider them friends, and I think they think the same of me... At least, I hope so!) my brothers and their friends. As mentioned in a previous blog--I believe the one about traditions--I spend more time with my brothers and their friends than with my own friends. Though I only have 2 brothers, I feel like I have at least 5, and that is fine with me.
I will dedicate more time to Turkey Day when the time comes. There are two blog assignments for next week, and one is strictly Thanksgiving, so I don't want to elaborate too much here and leave myself with nothing to write about in a week from now... from chilly, Christmas-y Bethlehem, PA.
I should go read, because I have a lot of reading due for tomorrow, but I bet, when I post this, I read it and check for typos and then either listen to more music or watch 'Arrested Development' on Hulu. (Did you know they have all 3 seasons available in their entirety?? Crazy. Also, I tried to find a good AD quote for the title of this blog, but many of them are inappropriate... The one I chose is from Lucille #1.)
Adios!
Holland
If I ever get the chance to, I would also like to start another language, in addition to Arabic, that is based on a less complicated alphabet... and by that, I mean the Latin alphabet. I know we offer Swahili, and before you judge me too much, think about it: how many people outside of Africa speak Swahili? How useful could someone in America who speaks Swahili be to organizations/businesses with ties to Africa? The UN? Pretty darn useful. :-) I was also thinking French. I would say Russian (Cyrillic alphabet, I know), but I heard their grammar is even more intense than German grammar, and that is intense in its own right.
In the next 3.5 years I would gladly participate in an internship, considering the importance of networking. I know I have all intentions of obtaining a Master's degree, and I am actually thinking that, if I enjoy studying abroad in Germany for a year, then I will try to get my Master's degree over there. Having a degree from a German university makes getting a job with a German-based company/institution easier, or so I have been told by Lena (my good friend in Schwäbisch Gmünd... good luck pronouncing that one!!). One of my considerations is to get a teaching degree to teach English as a foreign language, and, considering I don't speak Spanish, I doubt such a degree would be very useful for me in the US. That is fine with me, though, because I have no intentions of staying permanently!
I thought the presentation today was very informative, and I definitely feel a lot more comfortable going into the Career Center during my time here as an undergraduate to help find internships, write a résumé, and look for a future job. I suppose the most informative part of it was just showing us where the Career Center is and allowing us to see how approachable the staff seems to be. It also made us aware of how many resources they have, which aren't strictly dedicated to finding a job after graduating your senior year, which, for some reason, I tended to think was the main purpose of the Career Center.
This time in 5 days I will be at home. I am pumped. While at home I plan to relax, see some friends, and eat turkey (in addition to writing this U101 paper and doing other homework). Mostly just turkey. And pumpkin pie. I. Love. Pumpkin. Pie. (And all things pumpkin.) I also plan to spend plenty of time bothering (not really--I consider them friends, and I think they think the same of me... At least, I hope so!) my brothers and their friends. As mentioned in a previous blog--I believe the one about traditions--I spend more time with my brothers and their friends than with my own friends. Though I only have 2 brothers, I feel like I have at least 5, and that is fine with me.
I will dedicate more time to Turkey Day when the time comes. There are two blog assignments for next week, and one is strictly Thanksgiving, so I don't want to elaborate too much here and leave myself with nothing to write about in a week from now... from chilly, Christmas-y Bethlehem, PA.
I should go read, because I have a lot of reading due for tomorrow, but I bet, when I post this, I read it and check for typos and then either listen to more music or watch 'Arrested Development' on Hulu. (Did you know they have all 3 seasons available in their entirety?? Crazy. Also, I tried to find a good AD quote for the title of this blog, but many of them are inappropriate... The one I chose is from Lucille #1.)
Adios!
Holland
15.11.10
money, money, money, moneyyy (money!) [like the song]
Am I financially responsible? I would have to say yes. I love money. I love spending money. I love thinking about spending money. But do I spend money as frivolously as I would like? Nope. I don't prepare budgets or cling to my bank statements--in fact, I know roughly how much is there, but I could not tell you the actual dollar amount off hand. I have a credit card, but that is because of its convenience when traveling overseas, and it allows me to easily buy plane tickets since now I have to fly home a few times a year. I know I have a limit per month on my credit card, and only once have I even come close to it. Why? Thanksgiving plane tickets. (Thank you, US Airways, for making the exact same flight over double what I paid to fly home in October...)
Another nice thing is that my mom keeps me accountable. (Not that she really has to.) I hate dealing with bank people, so to make life convenient, she is also listed on all my bank accounts and even has the right to write checks for me so that I do not have to be at home to pay off the credit card bills. If I were to start spending money left in right, my mom would definitely approach me about it and let me know that I was starting to get ridiculous in my spending habits. I like to think I am the middle ground of the three sibling when it comes to money: one brother buys nothing, the other buys lots, and I buy some, but not often and not in excess. My largest expenses are on travel, but that is most definitely worth it!
When I get my bachelor's degree I hope to be $0.00 in debt. Unfortunately (and I mean unfortunately originally I had 'luckily' there, but I quickly realized my mistake, because it is not lucky at all) this was made possible, and, so long as don't but 10 cars, I will be able to go debt free for the next 3.5 years, with or without my scholarship (preferably with--my scholarship is what gives me the freedom to travel). For this reason, it is very likely that I will graduate without any student loan debts. However, I do have intentions of getting at least a master's degree, so then I will probably acquire some debt. Hopefully I will be working by then, so the debts will be smaller than that of an undergraduate... hopefully.
Also: this time in one week I will be at home!!! SO HAPPY! This next week will be torture, and even Thanksgiving won't be as relaxing as possible because I will still have plenty of work to do over the vacation (including a U101 paper... Really, Jimmie and Brent? 'You can hand it in early.' ... what college student in their right mind is still completing any work early at the end of the semester? I know I for one no longer have any motivation to complete assignments well into the future; last minute is where it's at!).
Also also: Today was my last session of mentoring. I think my mentee was sad to see me go--she gave me a hug after I gave her my parting gift (a USC t-shirt!). I will probably still volunteer there next semester, though, and I will have her again. Even so, I am looking forward to having my Monday mid-day break back. :-)
OK... I should go to bed relatively soon because of my 9:30 class tomorrow.
Auf Wiedersehen!!!!
Holland
Another nice thing is that my mom keeps me accountable. (Not that she really has to.) I hate dealing with bank people, so to make life convenient, she is also listed on all my bank accounts and even has the right to write checks for me so that I do not have to be at home to pay off the credit card bills. If I were to start spending money left in right, my mom would definitely approach me about it and let me know that I was starting to get ridiculous in my spending habits. I like to think I am the middle ground of the three sibling when it comes to money: one brother buys nothing, the other buys lots, and I buy some, but not often and not in excess. My largest expenses are on travel, but that is most definitely worth it!
When I get my bachelor's degree I hope to be $0.00 in debt. Unfortunately (and I mean unfortunately originally I had 'luckily' there, but I quickly realized my mistake, because it is not lucky at all) this was made possible, and, so long as don't but 10 cars, I will be able to go debt free for the next 3.5 years, with or without my scholarship (preferably with--my scholarship is what gives me the freedom to travel). For this reason, it is very likely that I will graduate without any student loan debts. However, I do have intentions of getting at least a master's degree, so then I will probably acquire some debt. Hopefully I will be working by then, so the debts will be smaller than that of an undergraduate... hopefully.
Also: this time in one week I will be at home!!! SO HAPPY! This next week will be torture, and even Thanksgiving won't be as relaxing as possible because I will still have plenty of work to do over the vacation (including a U101 paper... Really, Jimmie and Brent? 'You can hand it in early.' ... what college student in their right mind is still completing any work early at the end of the semester? I know I for one no longer have any motivation to complete assignments well into the future; last minute is where it's at!).
Also also: Today was my last session of mentoring. I think my mentee was sad to see me go--she gave me a hug after I gave her my parting gift (a USC t-shirt!). I will probably still volunteer there next semester, though, and I will have her again. Even so, I am looking forward to having my Monday mid-day break back. :-)
OK... I should go to bed relatively soon because of my 9:30 class tomorrow.
Auf Wiedersehen!!!!
Holland
10.11.10
Let's Talk About Stress
There are a lot of things that cause stress my life, ranging from minimal to unbearable (especially in the past). I would say that, as the semester slowly begins to wind down, it's mostly the fact that professors/instructors are piling on the tests/quizzes/assignments as they realize that they are crunched for time. Even so, I am not too stressed. The things I am most worried about is having all of my English papers done/revised in time to hand in my portfolio, and for them to be as good as possible. I have gone in to talk to Steve already about my first paper, and I hope to finish editing that before Thanksgiving (yeah... right), so that all I have to worry about after that is my other paper we have gotten back that needs to be revised (there will also be a third paper, but it will not be back in our possession by then, and the fourth paper will have no option of being revised).
As for other things that stress me out: the fact that we have been here for three months, and I feel like everyone has multitudes of friendships/close friendships, and I really feel like I have no one individual here to whom I feel a lasting connection. Outside of the classroom, I hang out with Caroline and then another group from the 7th floor, with whom I only have a connection because of Monica. Apparently I can't make friends on my own. I'm making "friends" (to use the word liberally) in classes and at tennis, but I have yet to meet any of them outside of the classroom (excluding the one Arabic study session way back in September set up by the instructor at Thomas Cooper). I would say 'all in due time', but it's starting to get annoying. I feel like unnamed persons judge me because of the fact that I frequent my dorm room and can't easily approach people. It's called being shy, world. I like to think I'm actually quite talkative... once you approach me, of course. :-)
There is an innumerable amount of things that stress me out, but I don't think I should spill out all of the [sometimes traumatic] experiences of my past, that I definitely think play a role in making me so shy and self-conscious. (For the record: I was not abused in any fashion as a child, and I have a very loving home life as well as a few very good friends, who are also like family to me. I realize that what I typed before this note sounds a bit suspicious, so I felt compelled to add this little note.)
To deal with my stress, I make sure I get enough sleep (though today I was utterly exhausted to the point of almost feeling sick. I got at least 7 hours of sleep, though, so I have no idea where it came from... it did go away eventually). Additionally, I make sure that I am allowed the downtime I so crave to do things like watch shows (HULU!), listen to music, go to the gym, and, of course, update my U101 blog. For example: I complete a homework assignment, and instead of moving on to the next one, I reward myself by watching the most recent episode of Modern Family (love it) or going on Facebook and creeping on my friends, who seem to be having a much more awesome time are college than I am. (I keep mentioning this. I am such a 'Debbie Downer', to reference SNL and Maggie, who also refers to me as a Negative Nancy... My friends are awesome. Also, to write in the way in which I think, have I mentioned Maggie before? She and I have been best friends since the 7th grade, and my life would be excessively lame without her. She was prom queen. She's the cool friend, and I am the lame sidekick who most people probably don't know [think Batman and Robin. Does anyone really care about Robin? No. Also TO and Chad Ochocinco... we aren't obnoxious Bengals players, but they did call themselves Batman and Robin... I am Ocho--talented, but not as successful. I've gotten off track]. But seriously, she is like my sister and is most definitely a part of my family. Also, she seems to be having a good time are college. k.)
Also, I have to admit, I was taught those breathing/imagery techniques before when Bert brought up in class today. They are helpful when it comes to getting my heart rate down and focusing my mind on other things. I also find it helpful to just vent, usually to my mom. She is probably the only person who has seen the full extent of the roller coaster that has been me since age ten. Even Maggie hasn't seen/probably couldn't imagine my lowest lows (ages 14-16), and I wouldn't have wanted to subject her to that. If you think I am talking around something... I most definitely am. Maybe one day I will feel free to post it here. Maybe my last blog assigned. Go out with a bang! (That will also probably anticlimactic.)
My final coping method is like my last blog post. I find listening to readings of my favorite poems (British, of course) is so soothing. It can probably be attributed to the awesomeness of the British accent mixed with exceptionally thoughtful words. (Mostly the accent.) It distracts me from the stressful thing and transports me to a place where I am able to focus purely on existence. (Hi, my name is Holland, and I am trying to sound thoughtful, but instead sound like a total douche bag... Can I say 'douche bag' in this blog? I guess I'll find out.) I also love classical music (just ask Monica). I don't listen to it all the time, but it never disappoints me when I do.
Surprisingly, the only stressful thing about my service site is the fact that I have to walk there, and the thought of having to walk back up Barnwell Street always dampens my spirits (if that rain hadn't done that enough already). Once I am there, my mentee and I have formed a rhythm, and we fall back into it: checklist, talk about weekend/week, find out if she has finally finished the 4th Twilight book* (she hasn't), and play Bananagrams.
This entry has gotten far too long.
Ciao!!
Negative Nancy
*I do not like Twilight, but I do admit to having read the books. I am ashamed, for they are anything but literature. I have no intentions of poisoning myself with the terribleness that is the movie series (which will never be Harry Potter**, no matter how much it wants to be).
**I am not obsessed with Harry Potter (Books>Movies), but I would say I am intrigued by some of its ideas. Ravenclaw.
As for other things that stress me out: the fact that we have been here for three months, and I feel like everyone has multitudes of friendships/close friendships, and I really feel like I have no one individual here to whom I feel a lasting connection. Outside of the classroom, I hang out with Caroline and then another group from the 7th floor, with whom I only have a connection because of Monica. Apparently I can't make friends on my own. I'm making "friends" (to use the word liberally) in classes and at tennis, but I have yet to meet any of them outside of the classroom (excluding the one Arabic study session way back in September set up by the instructor at Thomas Cooper). I would say 'all in due time', but it's starting to get annoying. I feel like unnamed persons judge me because of the fact that I frequent my dorm room and can't easily approach people. It's called being shy, world. I like to think I'm actually quite talkative... once you approach me, of course. :-)
There is an innumerable amount of things that stress me out, but I don't think I should spill out all of the [sometimes traumatic] experiences of my past, that I definitely think play a role in making me so shy and self-conscious. (For the record: I was not abused in any fashion as a child, and I have a very loving home life as well as a few very good friends, who are also like family to me. I realize that what I typed before this note sounds a bit suspicious, so I felt compelled to add this little note.)
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| Maggie and me in Strasbourg, France |
Also, I have to admit, I was taught those breathing/imagery techniques before when Bert brought up in class today. They are helpful when it comes to getting my heart rate down and focusing my mind on other things. I also find it helpful to just vent, usually to my mom. She is probably the only person who has seen the full extent of the roller coaster that has been me since age ten. Even Maggie hasn't seen/probably couldn't imagine my lowest lows (ages 14-16), and I wouldn't have wanted to subject her to that. If you think I am talking around something... I most definitely am. Maybe one day I will feel free to post it here. Maybe my last blog assigned. Go out with a bang! (That will also probably anticlimactic.)
My final coping method is like my last blog post. I find listening to readings of my favorite poems (British, of course) is so soothing. It can probably be attributed to the awesomeness of the British accent mixed with exceptionally thoughtful words. (Mostly the accent.) It distracts me from the stressful thing and transports me to a place where I am able to focus purely on existence. (Hi, my name is Holland, and I am trying to sound thoughtful, but instead sound like a total douche bag... Can I say 'douche bag' in this blog? I guess I'll find out.) I also love classical music (just ask Monica). I don't listen to it all the time, but it never disappoints me when I do.
Surprisingly, the only stressful thing about my service site is the fact that I have to walk there, and the thought of having to walk back up Barnwell Street always dampens my spirits (if that rain hadn't done that enough already). Once I am there, my mentee and I have formed a rhythm, and we fall back into it: checklist, talk about weekend/week, find out if she has finally finished the 4th Twilight book* (she hasn't), and play Bananagrams.
This entry has gotten far too long.
Ciao!!
Negative Nancy
*I do not like Twilight, but I do admit to having read the books. I am ashamed, for they are anything but literature. I have no intentions of poisoning myself with the terribleness that is the movie series (which will never be Harry Potter**, no matter how much it wants to be).
**I am not obsessed with Harry Potter (Books>Movies), but I would say I am intrigued by some of its ideas. Ravenclaw.
8.11.10
Thou wast not born for death, immortal Bird!
The title is totally unrelated to the assignment, but I am currently sitting and listening to recordings of poetry on Youtube/the BBC... I love the poetry of Keats and Shelley with a passion, and I plan to buy a book of it soon (perhaps also an audio recording? it is soothing to listen to).
I think that, overall, I have managed my time efficiently--all of my assignment's have been handed in on time, and I have maintained good grades. I admit that while the semester is drawing to a close I have become less and less motivated, and yet the assignments seem to be getting piled on top of each other one after another, as if the professors/instructors expect me to be as eager as I was in the beginning of the semester. False.
If life were ideal, I suppose not much would change because I do have a lot of free time, but in that free time I often feel stressed because I know that I have plenty of assignments still to do/coming. It should be made known to professors that students have more than just one class per semester to deal with! Some of them don't seem to recognize this.
I suppose there is not much I could do to change this, considering the assignments I am given are not assigned by me. Therefore, I am going to push through the next few weeks, even if it means assignments completed at the last minute. Today and tomorrow are going to be very stressful, but I hope that, after these days, I can relax in some form and not worry, but this will probably not be the case. Oh well. This time in two weeks I will be home!! That is motivation enough.
Yes well, I suppose this will be another short blog since I ought to soon go to bed since I have a 9:30 class tomorrow.
Adieu! adieu! thy plaintive anthem fades
Past the near meadows, over the still stream,
Up the hill-side; and now 'tis buried deep
In the next valley-glades:
Was it a vision, or a waking dream?
Fled is that music:--Do I wake or sleep?
- John Keats, Ode to a Nightingale
Adieu! =] (I wish I were a great poet! It's an obsession.)
Holland
I think that, overall, I have managed my time efficiently--all of my assignment's have been handed in on time, and I have maintained good grades. I admit that while the semester is drawing to a close I have become less and less motivated, and yet the assignments seem to be getting piled on top of each other one after another, as if the professors/instructors expect me to be as eager as I was in the beginning of the semester. False.
If life were ideal, I suppose not much would change because I do have a lot of free time, but in that free time I often feel stressed because I know that I have plenty of assignments still to do/coming. It should be made known to professors that students have more than just one class per semester to deal with! Some of them don't seem to recognize this.
I suppose there is not much I could do to change this, considering the assignments I am given are not assigned by me. Therefore, I am going to push through the next few weeks, even if it means assignments completed at the last minute. Today and tomorrow are going to be very stressful, but I hope that, after these days, I can relax in some form and not worry, but this will probably not be the case. Oh well. This time in two weeks I will be home!! That is motivation enough.
Yes well, I suppose this will be another short blog since I ought to soon go to bed since I have a 9:30 class tomorrow.
Adieu! adieu! thy plaintive anthem fades
Past the near meadows, over the still stream,
Up the hill-side; and now 'tis buried deep
In the next valley-glades:
Was it a vision, or a waking dream?
Fled is that music:--Do I wake or sleep?
- John Keats, Ode to a Nightingale
Adieu! =] (I wish I were a great poet! It's an obsession.)
Holland
4.11.10
health
I definitely would consider myself healthy overall. I don't necessary always eat the healthiest, but I also go to the gym every day (unless I have tennis), and I don't eat too much if I'm not hungry. My habits since coming here have definitely become healthier because, when I am at home, I do not work out nearly as much, but I must admit that I probably also have been eating a bit more. Nonetheless, I am not gaining weight, and I am, therefore, very happy.
I have formed a few new friendships, and I hope they support me and my success. I also know that my professors support my success, otherwise they would not be professors. However, from my peers it's not like I am getting a lot of 'try your hardest, be your best' motivation. That still comes from my mom. My professors makes themselves available to all students via office hours and appointments, and I feel like they have confidence in me since my grades have been so good (so far). I have appointments with two different instructors next week: first with Steve to talk about revising my papers and the second with Dr. Strehl (not currently a profess or mine) to talk about the Wittenberg summer study abroad program. I don't think I will have any problems getting into the program, but she will have more details about costs/housing and the like.
I dislike having short blog posts, and I am not sure if this one has met the 150+ word requirement yet, but I have nothing else to discuss. My neighbors in Bethlehem got a new puppy, and my mom sent me a picture... It's not related, but I will share its cuteness with the world...
Holland
I have formed a few new friendships, and I hope they support me and my success. I also know that my professors support my success, otherwise they would not be professors. However, from my peers it's not like I am getting a lot of 'try your hardest, be your best' motivation. That still comes from my mom. My professors makes themselves available to all students via office hours and appointments, and I feel like they have confidence in me since my grades have been so good (so far). I have appointments with two different instructors next week: first with Steve to talk about revising my papers and the second with Dr. Strehl (not currently a profess or mine) to talk about the Wittenberg summer study abroad program. I don't think I will have any problems getting into the program, but she will have more details about costs/housing and the like.
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| Its a husky & golden retriever mix. |
I dislike having short blog posts, and I am not sure if this one has met the 150+ word requirement yet, but I have nothing else to discuss. My neighbors in Bethlehem got a new puppy, and my mom sent me a picture... It's not related, but I will share its cuteness with the world...
Holland
2.11.10
oh. my. god.
When it comes to defining the difference between religion and spirituality, I find it hard to do, but I think such a difference was best stated in class on Monday. Spirituality is an inner feeling of connection, whether it's to a higher power, nature, or something else, while religion is seeks to explain spirituality in a structured form. In this way the two are related, but not exactly the same. However, while spirituality can exist without religion, religion cannot exist without spirituality.
As for myself, I am not committed to any one religion or belief system, though I was raised [for a time] within the Lutheran Church. When I was younger (until around age 10) I wasn't very religious, but I did believe in God and the teachings of the Bible. Due to events that have transpired since that time, I have personally found God to be a hard concept to believe in. I do not pray or attend religious services (unless invited to do so [eg: host family goes to church, I tag along]), but I am not opposed to them either. I understand how people can use religion for good, and I find the different belief systems of the world very interesting. While some see religion as a powerful thing looking only to benefit itself, I am not in any way, shape, or form opposed to organized religion--I just choose not to believe in one. Additionally, I do not denounce the exist of a God or God[s] because I cannot prove one way or another (though I do find many aspects of science highly convincing). If God is real, I am sure He is understanding of those who choose not to believe in Him.
I also feel like religion had a great reason to come about: morality. However, I do not feel that, in the modern day, one needs to be religious to have morals. I like to think I have strong principles, and I stick to them because of who I am, not because I fear the wrath of some higher power should I not abide by certain rules.
Again, if there is a God, I would have to side with Brandon in saying that, as individuals, God likely does not have a deep connection with all of us. I know Leigh-Ann said she feels she has a 'relationship with Christ', and I definitely believe she feels she does, but I just find that a hard thing to imagine. I could elaborate, but I do not think I will--religion is just too touchy, and I do not wish to make any enemies via blogging!! Just know I respect this view entirely, but I just can't fathom it personally.
If I had to say one thing about religion that bothers me is hypocrisy, and I mean this for every religion. As far as I know, religions are supposed to teach tolerance and acceptance, and yet I know people (no names being named) who seem to reject others or degrade them because they happen to believe in a different God/question the existence of God. They consider themselves children of God and devout Christians, and yet do not seem open to accepting (or, at the very least, respecting) the views of others. That is something I do not understand and find ridiculously frustrating.
As for how the South reflects religion, I would say just look to our class on Monday:
Three students spoke, two from the North (Pennsylvania and New York, respectively) and one form the South. Guess who was devoted to religion and guess who seemed to question it... The student from the South felt very strongly about her religion while the other two identified themselves as agnostic and deist, which believes God exists, but that He is not involved in our day-to-day endeavors. To say that this was unexpected would be a lie. The South seems to be much more, I don't want to say 'open', but concerned with religion, and that is obvious on a daily basis. Coming from Pennsylvania, I was not used to seeing such a huge influence by religion upon the lives of the people, nor was I prepared for how devoted/how much time the people seem to give to their religion. It does not bother me, but it is just different.
Yes well... I have work to do for tomorrow and Thursday, so I ought to be going!
Toodles!
Holland
As for myself, I am not committed to any one religion or belief system, though I was raised [for a time] within the Lutheran Church. When I was younger (until around age 10) I wasn't very religious, but I did believe in God and the teachings of the Bible. Due to events that have transpired since that time, I have personally found God to be a hard concept to believe in. I do not pray or attend religious services (unless invited to do so [eg: host family goes to church, I tag along]), but I am not opposed to them either. I understand how people can use religion for good, and I find the different belief systems of the world very interesting. While some see religion as a powerful thing looking only to benefit itself, I am not in any way, shape, or form opposed to organized religion--I just choose not to believe in one. Additionally, I do not denounce the exist of a God or God[s] because I cannot prove one way or another (though I do find many aspects of science highly convincing). If God is real, I am sure He is understanding of those who choose not to believe in Him.
I also feel like religion had a great reason to come about: morality. However, I do not feel that, in the modern day, one needs to be religious to have morals. I like to think I have strong principles, and I stick to them because of who I am, not because I fear the wrath of some higher power should I not abide by certain rules.
Again, if there is a God, I would have to side with Brandon in saying that, as individuals, God likely does not have a deep connection with all of us. I know Leigh-Ann said she feels she has a 'relationship with Christ', and I definitely believe she feels she does, but I just find that a hard thing to imagine. I could elaborate, but I do not think I will--religion is just too touchy, and I do not wish to make any enemies via blogging!! Just know I respect this view entirely, but I just can't fathom it personally.
If I had to say one thing about religion that bothers me is hypocrisy, and I mean this for every religion. As far as I know, religions are supposed to teach tolerance and acceptance, and yet I know people (no names being named) who seem to reject others or degrade them because they happen to believe in a different God/question the existence of God. They consider themselves children of God and devout Christians, and yet do not seem open to accepting (or, at the very least, respecting) the views of others. That is something I do not understand and find ridiculously frustrating.
As for how the South reflects religion, I would say just look to our class on Monday:
Three students spoke, two from the North (Pennsylvania and New York, respectively) and one form the South. Guess who was devoted to religion and guess who seemed to question it... The student from the South felt very strongly about her religion while the other two identified themselves as agnostic and deist, which believes God exists, but that He is not involved in our day-to-day endeavors. To say that this was unexpected would be a lie. The South seems to be much more, I don't want to say 'open', but concerned with religion, and that is obvious on a daily basis. Coming from Pennsylvania, I was not used to seeing such a huge influence by religion upon the lives of the people, nor was I prepared for how devoted/how much time the people seem to give to their religion. It does not bother me, but it is just different.
Yes well... I have work to do for tomorrow and Thursday, so I ought to be going!
Toodles!
Holland
29.10.10
Study Abroad
So I just realized it is Friday and I have forgotten to do my second blog!! Anyway...
I feel like, at this point, it is obvious that I have all intentions of studying abroad (most likely in my Junior year). I have always had an interest in languages and different cultures, and this seems like the perfect to be able to experience such things first hand. As many people realize, after college such opportunities to travel just don't come around very often (under the assumption that you don't work in a job requiring extensive travel), and therefore now is the ideal time to have the experience of a lifetime. Along the way you benefit not only academically, but also in the sense of experience and an expansion of friendships with people from all across the globe.
Being a German major, my likely place for study abroad will be Germany--more specifically, Bamberg (if I do the program through USC). I have been to Bamberg before, and I could definitely see myself there. There are also programs offered that aren't run by USC but are recognized by USC in cities like Lüneburg and Berlin. I could also go to Austria through other programs, which seem to take place exclusively in either Salzburg or Vienna. I would be happy with all of these options.
If I were not to go to a German speaking country, I would want to go to either Australia/New Zealand or Iceland. Those are places that I greatly desire to see. However, as a German major, I doubt these are the best options. As for why I would want to go to those places, though: Australia and New Zealand seem self explanatory--they are beautiful countries with both urban and natural attractions and are well known for their welcoming people. Iceland may seem a bit odd, but I think it would be very cool to go there (oh, I am so punny). Just do a Google image search of Iceland, and I think it speaks for itself. Many different landscapes are all squeezed onto this sparsely populated (outside of Reykjavík) and ever changing island, making the entire place a natural wonder. If I had to choose one place to go that I had never been to before, Iceland would be the place.
Now on to my service site. So far, so good, I guess. There are only 3 meeting left, which is kind of nice, except I don't feel like we got much done. Overall I understand the goal of the program, but I feel like it's ineffective with so few meetings over such a short amount of time. Forty-five minutes once a week for eight weeks is not a lot of time to get much accomplished, and, being honest, I'm not sure if I am helping my girl or not. We were told we were going to get lists of assignments, tests, and grades, and, as far as I know, no one has gotten them yet. At this point it would be too late, but it would have been helpful early on so that I could know if my mentee was always telling the truth (though I do think she is trustworthy, and I choose to believe her).
Tonight is the tennis club's doubles charity tournament for the JDRF, so I will be there tonight. We are supposed to dress up, but I lack anything remotely like a costume, so I am sure I will just wear my normal stuff. Lame. I was thinking of using a Jim Halpert idea from The Office, but I'm not sure if people would get the reference so I won't.
Byeee!!
Holland
I feel like, at this point, it is obvious that I have all intentions of studying abroad (most likely in my Junior year). I have always had an interest in languages and different cultures, and this seems like the perfect to be able to experience such things first hand. As many people realize, after college such opportunities to travel just don't come around very often (under the assumption that you don't work in a job requiring extensive travel), and therefore now is the ideal time to have the experience of a lifetime. Along the way you benefit not only academically, but also in the sense of experience and an expansion of friendships with people from all across the globe.
Being a German major, my likely place for study abroad will be Germany--more specifically, Bamberg (if I do the program through USC). I have been to Bamberg before, and I could definitely see myself there. There are also programs offered that aren't run by USC but are recognized by USC in cities like Lüneburg and Berlin. I could also go to Austria through other programs, which seem to take place exclusively in either Salzburg or Vienna. I would be happy with all of these options.
If I were not to go to a German speaking country, I would want to go to either Australia/New Zealand or Iceland. Those are places that I greatly desire to see. However, as a German major, I doubt these are the best options. As for why I would want to go to those places, though: Australia and New Zealand seem self explanatory--they are beautiful countries with both urban and natural attractions and are well known for their welcoming people. Iceland may seem a bit odd, but I think it would be very cool to go there (oh, I am so punny). Just do a Google image search of Iceland, and I think it speaks for itself. Many different landscapes are all squeezed onto this sparsely populated (outside of Reykjavík) and ever changing island, making the entire place a natural wonder. If I had to choose one place to go that I had never been to before, Iceland would be the place.
Now on to my service site. So far, so good, I guess. There are only 3 meeting left, which is kind of nice, except I don't feel like we got much done. Overall I understand the goal of the program, but I feel like it's ineffective with so few meetings over such a short amount of time. Forty-five minutes once a week for eight weeks is not a lot of time to get much accomplished, and, being honest, I'm not sure if I am helping my girl or not. We were told we were going to get lists of assignments, tests, and grades, and, as far as I know, no one has gotten them yet. At this point it would be too late, but it would have been helpful early on so that I could know if my mentee was always telling the truth (though I do think she is trustworthy, and I choose to believe her).
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| Bookface |
Byeee!!
Holland
26.10.10
Leadership
To me leadership is when someone decides to take responsibility for something and then guides those who decide to join them along the way. Sometimes leaders are chosen and other times they are people who step up to a challenge that no one else was willing to take on. As for if I have ever been a leader, I suppose I have to say yes because I was the vice president of a club in my high school, but it didn't do much, so it wasn't a lot of work at all. Generally, I don't like leading people because I hate telling people what they have to do (I'm a people pleaser), but I like certain aspects of it such as planning.
Over time I would hope to maybe have a leadership position within an on campus organization, and, for right now, I feel like that would be possible with the tennis club. I have been going to every practice, and the leaders know who I am, so I feel like that is a possibility.
Sadly now I have answered all of the things asked in the prompt, and I am not sure what else I could write, unlike in my last post. I see the next blog topic, though, and I am very excited for that one--it is something I love talking about. I hate having short blog posts, so I am going to ramble a bit before I end this.
I feel like there was something I wanted to blog about over the last few days and was like 'I will add it to my next blog', but I cannot for the life of me remember it, so I guess it will not be posted. It's a shame because I'm sure it was brilliant.
This isn't it, but it just popped in my mind: I am contemplating continuing this blog even after the course is over, though I'm not sure if it would be worth it since I'm pretty sure that you (Jimmie/Brent) and my mom are the only people reading this. Maybe after the semester ends and if I decide to continue I will share the link with more people.
Yes well... I guess that is all for now!
Holland
WAIT I think I remember:
It was my schedule for next semester! I went to advising, and, assuming I get my ideal schedule, I will have no classes on Fridays. (This had better happen.) Sadly, I had to drop Arabic because it interfered with stuff and is a very stressful class because I dedicate so much time to it, but I know I can always pick it back up, and I have the DVDs and book were I to be so ambitious as to try teaching myself.
This is what my schedule would look like:
GERM 420, TTH, 9:30-10:45
ENVR 101: TTH, 2:00-3:15
ENVR 101L: W, 10:10-12:10
ENG 102: MW, 4:00-5:15 (This may change depending on when my current English teacher is teaching.)
HIST 104: TTH, 12:30-1:45
PHIL 102: MW 2:30-3:45
My German class would be Medieval German Literature, which is not offered every semester, so I am excited and really hoping I will get into that class.
OK.. Now that is all.
One last thing: Is it me or is the font slightly smaller? I have no clue what I did, and it is bothering me.
OK. End.
One last thing: Is it me or is the font slightly smaller? I have no clue what I did, and it is bothering me.
OK. End.
22.10.10
Diversity Day
Having gone to a pretty diverse high school back in Pennsylvania, I came into USC with a pretty good knowledge of what it means to be diverse. I thought/think of a place as diverse if two or more (usually more) cultures exist there. Obviously the greater the range of cultures present, the more diverse the place/school/institution is. Since coming to USC I would say that my definition has not changed. The only difference here is that I hear multiple foreign languages on a daily basis, not just Spanish.
At Hand Middle School I would say I experience diversity in the sense of the girl I work with is of another ethnicity (she is African American), but the school itself does not seem very diverse in its population; I would say probably at least 70% or more of the kids are also African American. However other than having a different ethnicity, I would not say our interactions are in any way 'diverse' in nature because my mentee and I are not very different. She has some different interests and does karate, but she also is very similar to my sixth grade self in the sense of personality and music interests.
So now that I have finished answering the prompt, I will go off on a bit of a tangent, but it's not that much of a tangent because it is related to the topic. I feel like the question of whether or not we view diversity as important could have been added to this prompt to allow for a longer blog post, and that is what I am going to address now!! (You can stop here, if you wish, for grading purposes. =])
I view diversity as not necessarily being important, but rather helpful. I'm not going to lie and say I had a very diverse group of friends in high school, because I most definitely didn't. However, I am still very interested in different cultures/languages/religions despite not having much interaction with people of other ethnic backgrounds. Religion is the only thing that made my group of friends diverse in any way, shape, or form. I am friends with people from religious backgrounds from many branches of Christianity as well as those who are Jewish or Muslim. Additionally, I have friends who do not believe in any religion at all. However, religion isn't as often talked about in Pennsylvania as it seems to be in South Carolina, so it really has no role when it comes to making friends; it's more something you learn later after you have met the person.
I say that diversity is helpful because it can allow someone to learn about different cultures themselves without having to base their opinions off of what their parents or peers say. Additionally, it opens them up to the idea that other cultures exist and that no one is superior to the others. However, diversity, as seen in America, can lead to almost a lack of culture. I would even go as far as to argue that because America was such a melting pot it hurt its ability to create a distinct culture. (That's not to say I can't list things that are attributed specifically to America, but, as a whole, I would be hard pressed to define American culture.) Especially having spent long periods of time in Germany, I could definitely come up with a summary of its culture as a whole nation and also regionally (though, admittedly, they had a head start by over 2,000 years... Even so, Mexico--a country younger than the US--has a definable culture, so time may not be the issue).
I could go on about how diversity is both helpful and harmful to culture, but for now I see no need to.
Auf Wiederlesen!!
Holland
At Hand Middle School I would say I experience diversity in the sense of the girl I work with is of another ethnicity (she is African American), but the school itself does not seem very diverse in its population; I would say probably at least 70% or more of the kids are also African American. However other than having a different ethnicity, I would not say our interactions are in any way 'diverse' in nature because my mentee and I are not very different. She has some different interests and does karate, but she also is very similar to my sixth grade self in the sense of personality and music interests.
So now that I have finished answering the prompt, I will go off on a bit of a tangent, but it's not that much of a tangent because it is related to the topic. I feel like the question of whether or not we view diversity as important could have been added to this prompt to allow for a longer blog post, and that is what I am going to address now!! (You can stop here, if you wish, for grading purposes. =])
I view diversity as not necessarily being important, but rather helpful. I'm not going to lie and say I had a very diverse group of friends in high school, because I most definitely didn't. However, I am still very interested in different cultures/languages/religions despite not having much interaction with people of other ethnic backgrounds. Religion is the only thing that made my group of friends diverse in any way, shape, or form. I am friends with people from religious backgrounds from many branches of Christianity as well as those who are Jewish or Muslim. Additionally, I have friends who do not believe in any religion at all. However, religion isn't as often talked about in Pennsylvania as it seems to be in South Carolina, so it really has no role when it comes to making friends; it's more something you learn later after you have met the person.
I say that diversity is helpful because it can allow someone to learn about different cultures themselves without having to base their opinions off of what their parents or peers say. Additionally, it opens them up to the idea that other cultures exist and that no one is superior to the others. However, diversity, as seen in America, can lead to almost a lack of culture. I would even go as far as to argue that because America was such a melting pot it hurt its ability to create a distinct culture. (That's not to say I can't list things that are attributed specifically to America, but, as a whole, I would be hard pressed to define American culture.) Especially having spent long periods of time in Germany, I could definitely come up with a summary of its culture as a whole nation and also regionally (though, admittedly, they had a head start by over 2,000 years... Even so, Mexico--a country younger than the US--has a definable culture, so time may not be the issue).
I could go on about how diversity is both helpful and harmful to culture, but for now I see no need to.
Auf Wiederlesen!!
Holland
19.10.10
Traditions
Off the top of my head I cannot think of a single Carolina Tradition in which I have taken part. I doubt going to a football game counts because that is, like, a universal tradition of colleges and universities. It would probably be smart of me to get out Transitions and remind myself of the traditions, but I am not currently doing so. I know of traditions, like the Tiger Burn and Ring Ceremony, but it's not time for the Clemson game (and I won't be here for it anyway), and I am not eligible for the Ring Ceremony yet.
As for my favorite tradition, I am not sure. Every year since 8th or 9th grade at the end of the school year my friends and I have had celebratory picnics at the Rose Garden in Bethlehem, but I'm not sure if this is a favorite tradition of mine, it's just one that comes to mind when I think of my friends. I enjoy holiday traditions like putting up the Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving (even if my mom wants to downsize to a smaller tree... I refuse to let her). I love Christmas music in general and the 'traditional' foods that are abundant in the Holiday season between Thanksgiving and New Years.
My favorite traditions probably are my family ones. I love that every Christmas Eve my mom cooks a big dinner (sometimes I help, but mostly I sit in front of the oven with a Santa hat on, waiting for the indicator to pop up to show that turkey is finished) and we all eat together and, afterward, the kids (all 3 of us) each get to open a gift, which is chosen by another sibling. Being with my family is something I really enjoy (no matter how much I may wish to deny it), and I love when we are all at home and dong things together. When we are home, you're more likely to find me in my brothers' room with them than my own.
I also enjoy Thanksgiving because it is the one holiday traditionally spent with my father's side of the family, whom I otherwise don't see very often. They are also very important to me, and it always makes me happy to see them. They are quite different from my mother's side, who I see regularly, but in a good way. Also, they are good cooks/bakers, which is always a plus.
A new tradition was recently started by my aunt, and we have done it 3 or 4 times since it start back in the Spring (including when I was home for fall break). My mom's side of the family, my best friend Maggie, and I go to my aunt and uncle's house for dinner and then we play on their Wii together. We do both sports and Rockband, and it is hilarious--especially when my grandparents try. Though it is a new tradition, I hope it continues on in the future because it is a lot of fun!
Well I have to leave for class in about fifteen minutes, so I should start packing up.
Ciao!!!
Holland
As for my favorite tradition, I am not sure. Every year since 8th or 9th grade at the end of the school year my friends and I have had celebratory picnics at the Rose Garden in Bethlehem, but I'm not sure if this is a favorite tradition of mine, it's just one that comes to mind when I think of my friends. I enjoy holiday traditions like putting up the Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving (even if my mom wants to downsize to a smaller tree... I refuse to let her). I love Christmas music in general and the 'traditional' foods that are abundant in the Holiday season between Thanksgiving and New Years.
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| Stocker Family Christmas Tree 2008 |
I also enjoy Thanksgiving because it is the one holiday traditionally spent with my father's side of the family, whom I otherwise don't see very often. They are also very important to me, and it always makes me happy to see them. They are quite different from my mother's side, who I see regularly, but in a good way. Also, they are good cooks/bakers, which is always a plus.
A new tradition was recently started by my aunt, and we have done it 3 or 4 times since it start back in the Spring (including when I was home for fall break). My mom's side of the family, my best friend Maggie, and I go to my aunt and uncle's house for dinner and then we play on their Wii together. We do both sports and Rockband, and it is hilarious--especially when my grandparents try. Though it is a new tradition, I hope it continues on in the future because it is a lot of fun!
Well I have to leave for class in about fifteen minutes, so I should start packing up.
Ciao!!!
Holland
14.10.10
Greetings from Bethlehem, PA!!
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| Springhouse Bethlehem, PA Feb. 2008 |
On Sunday I will fly back to Columbia. My flight leaves from Philly at 3:35 PM. Currently I do not have a ride back to Capstone, but I hope someone at the airport can help me find a taxi. I'm pretty nervous about this, but I doubt it will actually be a problem.
In regards to Brent's presentation on Wednesday: I don't know if I learned much of anything, considering most every health course I've ever taken and AlcoholEdu covered all of these topics. Also, I haven't had any experiences at USC so far that were related to alcohol in any way, shape or form, and I plan to keep it that way. I have heard stories from people about other people who have gotten into trouble with alcohol, but that is about as wild as my college experience gets.
My advising session is on the twentieth of October, and I have some ideas of what I want to take next semester. I plan to continue with German, to finish my math credits with another logic course, and to finish my English credits with English 102 (maybe with Steve again, if I can manage it!). That leaves two empty spots. Right now I have three options I am considering:
- Continue with Arabic.
- Start with a Linguistics course (for my minor).
- Start my required science course (probably will be Anthropology, but I also want to see what other options there are).
Yes well, I am off!!
Holland
11.10.10
Service and Research
So it is 10:18 PM, and I just thought of writing the blog now before I forget (again)... glorious.
So far my experiences at my service site have been so-so. While the program itself seems a bit unorganized and strict (in some ways), I have also been paired with a really great young girl, who is getting good grades and has organization skills perhaps even better than my own. I know I am supposed to rearrange all of her things to fit the program's system, but I have not done that. Her current system is working for her, and I see no need to change it. She is excessively organized and keeps track of her assignments and grades in her various day planners. If she begins to struggle, maybe her organization can be looked into; however, for now, she seems to be perfectly well organized and prepared for school. I actually question why she is in the program, but I won't complain--I like having a relatively easy mentee!!
As for my own strengths, I feel that I make myself easy to talk to when we are in the program, and I am able to relate to my mentee's situation. When we look at her homework I see why she could struggle, and then I proceed to tell her some of my own strategies for completing assignments to the best of my ability (e.g.: looking at the questions first so that I know what to look out for while reading the text). We worked on a worksheet about the Egyptian and Kush Empires... Now I am no expert in either of them, but we walked through the readings and completed some of the questions due later on in the week.
I have yet to volunteer somewhere else this semester, but maybe I will if I can find time in why schedule, which I should be able to do. I know there is a charity tournament on the 29th with the Tennis Club to benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, which I am considering participating in. I have a friend with type 1 diabetes, and this would be a great opportunity to contribute to a cause to which I have a connection. (Of course, even if I didn't know someone, I would still participate!)
In terms of the presentation today, it definitely made me a lot more interested in the idea of undergraduate research, even if I have no clue whatsoever what I would research. I love Brit Lit (poetry in particular) and everything German, but I do not know how to pair the two. I would love to travel internationally, but I feel like a lot of my research interests would be culture-based, so language could be a barrier if I went somewhere outside the English and German speaking world. (I would really love to do something in the Middle East or South America [or the rest of Asia or Africa or Europe or Oceania or Antarctica], but I don't know what...) I also love photography, so maybe I could so something like 'a culture in photos' or multiple different cultures. hmmhmhmm.. I'm just brainstorming here, but that is actually really awesome sounding. I just have so many questions about how it would work! Maybe I will email the Office of Undergraduate Research. For now I will probably just wait to talk to my advisor on the 20th.
I should go to bed soon, considering I have a 9:30 class tomorrow. Lamelamelamelamelame.
Auf Wiedersehen!!
Holland
So far my experiences at my service site have been so-so. While the program itself seems a bit unorganized and strict (in some ways), I have also been paired with a really great young girl, who is getting good grades and has organization skills perhaps even better than my own. I know I am supposed to rearrange all of her things to fit the program's system, but I have not done that. Her current system is working for her, and I see no need to change it. She is excessively organized and keeps track of her assignments and grades in her various day planners. If she begins to struggle, maybe her organization can be looked into; however, for now, she seems to be perfectly well organized and prepared for school. I actually question why she is in the program, but I won't complain--I like having a relatively easy mentee!!
As for my own strengths, I feel that I make myself easy to talk to when we are in the program, and I am able to relate to my mentee's situation. When we look at her homework I see why she could struggle, and then I proceed to tell her some of my own strategies for completing assignments to the best of my ability (e.g.: looking at the questions first so that I know what to look out for while reading the text). We worked on a worksheet about the Egyptian and Kush Empires... Now I am no expert in either of them, but we walked through the readings and completed some of the questions due later on in the week.
I have yet to volunteer somewhere else this semester, but maybe I will if I can find time in why schedule, which I should be able to do. I know there is a charity tournament on the 29th with the Tennis Club to benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, which I am considering participating in. I have a friend with type 1 diabetes, and this would be a great opportunity to contribute to a cause to which I have a connection. (Of course, even if I didn't know someone, I would still participate!)
In terms of the presentation today, it definitely made me a lot more interested in the idea of undergraduate research, even if I have no clue whatsoever what I would research. I love Brit Lit (poetry in particular) and everything German, but I do not know how to pair the two. I would love to travel internationally, but I feel like a lot of my research interests would be culture-based, so language could be a barrier if I went somewhere outside the English and German speaking world. (I would really love to do something in the Middle East or South America [or the rest of Asia or Africa or Europe or Oceania or Antarctica], but I don't know what...) I also love photography, so maybe I could so something like 'a culture in photos' or multiple different cultures. hmmhmhmm.. I'm just brainstorming here, but that is actually really awesome sounding. I just have so many questions about how it would work! Maybe I will email the Office of Undergraduate Research. For now I will probably just wait to talk to my advisor on the 20th.
I should go to bed soon, considering I have a 9:30 class tomorrow. Lamelamelamelamelame.
Auf Wiedersehen!!
Holland
6.10.10
I am done with 1/16(ish) of my college career.
Firstly, I would just like to thank you (Jimmie/Brent) for accidentally forgetting to schedule two blogs for this week. I really appreciate it. :-)
Anyway, now that the semester is approximately halfway done (WHAT?!), the time has come to reflect on my experiences so far.
It would be hard to pick a favorite memory, seeing as there are so many memories (both good and bad), or things that were not funny at the time, but are funny now. Perhaps the one memory that sticks out the most to me now is the day Monica, Coy, and I were called in to mentor when we weren't told we had to. At the time, I was not a happy camper, but now I find the experience to be hilarious. It was our first day with rain in ages, and, of course, we are called in... Did I mentioned we walk? I was on the computer and listening to music when Monica got the call. She told me 'We have to do go Hand.' 'Now?' 'Now.' We rushed out of the room and down to Greene St., where we waited for Coy to catch up with us. I forgot to change my shoes, so I was floundering in my flip flops as Monica set a ridiculous pace. My manual was out, and I read instructions and the day's plans out loud as we walked through Five Points and then through the residential neighborhood leading to the school. Upon our arrival, my feet were flecked with mud and my clothes were damp from the light mist that the rain had turned into, making an umbrella useless. Then we came back and met Sgt. Kenneth 'Help a Brotha Out!' Adams. Need I say more?
While at the time it was not a fond memory, now I feel like it is something I will always remember when I reflect upon my first semester in college. There have been other memories that I have made, but even now some of them are blurred and detached from any emotion in particular. (I just realized how I put the HMS experience above my first [and, so far, only] football game. Of course, football is not my sport of choice, so I guess it was less important to me than it is to most others.)
If I could do one thing over again, I would have to say I wouldn't mind redoing my first two weeks or so here. In a time when most people were making new friends and going out seemingly every night, I remained my little, shy self and had issues meeting others. In turn, I ended up spending a good amount of time in the room. The good news, however, is that I have joined some organizations and have made friends to go out with for meals or to go to the gym. Also, I have met people in my classes, and though I don't see them often outside of the classroom, I always say 'hello' when I pass them on campus. Also, I have found myself being more likely to ask people to do stuff than I was in high school. Maybe I am becoming more outgoing? God, I hope so!
Another thing that is important is my goals for the semester. So far, I would say that I am managing to complete them. My grades remain in the A range (I actually think I might have one B, but we will let that slide), and I have been making trips all the way to the gym (a workout in itself) every day when I don't have tennis. This has only been hindered once, and that was because of rain. I proclaimed it as my 'fat day', which is exactly what it sounds like: all food, little exercise. (I love fat days from time to time... So much. Food. <3 =]) As long as 'fat days' are few and far between, I see no problem with them.
So far I would say that I should keep functioning as I have been, perhaps getting more involved with friends from time to time. Overall, though, I am satisfied with my current situation. I admit I could probably dedicate a bit more time to my studying/readings as to put more effort into them, but so far I have yet to miss a class or assignment, and I am happy with the quality of my work.
Bis bald!
Holland
Anyway, now that the semester is approximately halfway done (WHAT?!), the time has come to reflect on my experiences so far.
It would be hard to pick a favorite memory, seeing as there are so many memories (both good and bad), or things that were not funny at the time, but are funny now. Perhaps the one memory that sticks out the most to me now is the day Monica, Coy, and I were called in to mentor when we weren't told we had to. At the time, I was not a happy camper, but now I find the experience to be hilarious. It was our first day with rain in ages, and, of course, we are called in... Did I mentioned we walk? I was on the computer and listening to music when Monica got the call. She told me 'We have to do go Hand.' 'Now?' 'Now.' We rushed out of the room and down to Greene St., where we waited for Coy to catch up with us. I forgot to change my shoes, so I was floundering in my flip flops as Monica set a ridiculous pace. My manual was out, and I read instructions and the day's plans out loud as we walked through Five Points and then through the residential neighborhood leading to the school. Upon our arrival, my feet were flecked with mud and my clothes were damp from the light mist that the rain had turned into, making an umbrella useless. Then we came back and met Sgt. Kenneth 'Help a Brotha Out!' Adams. Need I say more?
While at the time it was not a fond memory, now I feel like it is something I will always remember when I reflect upon my first semester in college. There have been other memories that I have made, but even now some of them are blurred and detached from any emotion in particular. (I just realized how I put the HMS experience above my first [and, so far, only] football game. Of course, football is not my sport of choice, so I guess it was less important to me than it is to most others.)
If I could do one thing over again, I would have to say I wouldn't mind redoing my first two weeks or so here. In a time when most people were making new friends and going out seemingly every night, I remained my little, shy self and had issues meeting others. In turn, I ended up spending a good amount of time in the room. The good news, however, is that I have joined some organizations and have made friends to go out with for meals or to go to the gym. Also, I have met people in my classes, and though I don't see them often outside of the classroom, I always say 'hello' when I pass them on campus. Also, I have found myself being more likely to ask people to do stuff than I was in high school. Maybe I am becoming more outgoing? God, I hope so!
Another thing that is important is my goals for the semester. So far, I would say that I am managing to complete them. My grades remain in the A range (I actually think I might have one B, but we will let that slide), and I have been making trips all the way to the gym (a workout in itself) every day when I don't have tennis. This has only been hindered once, and that was because of rain. I proclaimed it as my 'fat day', which is exactly what it sounds like: all food, little exercise. (I love fat days from time to time... So much. Food. <3 =]) As long as 'fat days' are few and far between, I see no problem with them.
So far I would say that I should keep functioning as I have been, perhaps getting more involved with friends from time to time. Overall, though, I am satisfied with my current situation. I admit I could probably dedicate a bit more time to my studying/readings as to put more effort into them, but so far I have yet to miss a class or assignment, and I am happy with the quality of my work.
Bis bald!
Holland
30.9.10
Brain Rules
Considering I didn't go to the Major and Information Fair, this blog entry will have to focus on Brain Rules by John Medina. So far I have only read the first of the two chapters that we are required to read, so this post will be updated later after I have finished them both. (I decided to start now just in case I would forget to post a blog by tomorrow!)
To be honest, I expected this book to be excessively boring and a tedious read, but so far I am mistaken. The first chapter is all about exercise's effect on the brain, which is a lot more interesting than I thought. It shows how exercise is not only healthy for your body, but also for your mind, greatly decreasing one's likelihood of getting certain diseases (e.g: Alzheimer's and age-induced dementia) and increasing one's ability to be able to think logically and clearly well into their nineties. Also, it is nice to know that it is never too late to start, and even the smallest amount of movement helps. Of course, Medina says ideally just thirty minutes of aerobic exercise two or three times a week is all that is required, which is not that hard to do.
Exercise is not only beneficial while one is aging, but also in the present. It helps get oxygen to the brain, and it has been proven that is helps younger people work and focus better. Medina mentions multiple studies on people, all of which proved that the more sedentary the worse the performance. He does admit, however, that tests on children are few and far between, but there is nothing to imply that those results would be any different...
Friday: 1. Oct.:
OK so I finished the reading. Definitely interesting, and I am still enjoying the book, but I also feel like you are not looking like a summary in this blog entry like I was starting to give above. Regardless, it's pretty interesting to learn (the theory) about how/why the human brain developed rather than our physical prowess.
Okey dokey. (Apparently I am still 4 years old.) I am done.
Holland
To be honest, I expected this book to be excessively boring and a tedious read, but so far I am mistaken. The first chapter is all about exercise's effect on the brain, which is a lot more interesting than I thought. It shows how exercise is not only healthy for your body, but also for your mind, greatly decreasing one's likelihood of getting certain diseases (e.g: Alzheimer's and age-induced dementia) and increasing one's ability to be able to think logically and clearly well into their nineties. Also, it is nice to know that it is never too late to start, and even the smallest amount of movement helps. Of course, Medina says ideally just thirty minutes of aerobic exercise two or three times a week is all that is required, which is not that hard to do.
Exercise is not only beneficial while one is aging, but also in the present. It helps get oxygen to the brain, and it has been proven that is helps younger people work and focus better. Medina mentions multiple studies on people, all of which proved that the more sedentary the worse the performance. He does admit, however, that tests on children are few and far between, but there is nothing to imply that those results would be any different...
Friday: 1. Oct.:
OK so I finished the reading. Definitely interesting, and I am still enjoying the book, but I also feel like you are not looking like a summary in this blog entry like I was starting to give above. Regardless, it's pretty interesting to learn (the theory) about how/why the human brain developed rather than our physical prowess.
Okey dokey. (Apparently I am still 4 years old.) I am done.
Holland
27.9.10
H.B.O.
As the midpoint of the semester is quickly approaching, I am pleased to be able to say that most of my classes are going well so far. I think of all the grades I've gotten, I've been disappointed with only two, and those were somewhat expected. I am on track to meet my goal of an 'A' in Arabic (at least, I think I am), and I am doing well in all of the rest of my classes.
It is hard for me to pick a favorite class because I like things about all of them. Maybe I will just list what I like about each class...
Arabic: I really like my classmates and the fact that our teacher is a native Arabic speaker (despite having the most convincing American accent in the history of American accents). Also, I love learning languages, and this one is definitely a challenge. We get a lot of homework, but, for the most part, I enjoy doing it.
Philosophy: ... I actually don't like much about this class. The teacher/professor (I can't remember if he is technically a 'professor') is nice.
U101: Hate it. ;-) I enjoy my classmates and our instructors, but I must admit our class seems to do more work than the other U101 sections. Not sure if that is a good or bad thing.
German: The professor is my advisor, so that is really nice. Plus she is awesome. I love German, and, like I said before, languages, so I will always love any language class. Also, for a German Lit. course, this class is really easy. I enjoy the reading selections and the light homework load.
English: Steve (the instructor) is hilarious. If someone else were teaching the class, I doubt it would be nearly as fun. For being a class about travel literature, the readings have been surprising monotonous and something I don't enjoy... This shocks me because of how much I love to travel. Maybe the other books will be better.
I have yet to get to know any of my professors really well (excluding the advising session during my orientation with Frau Ivory), but I emailed her about to OTL Reflection Paper assignment, so I will be doing this within the next two weeks.
Also... on a side note, 2 things:
1. Today's presentation: Sergeant Adams was hilarious, and it was definitely informative. I don't plan to have an issues with the police, and I hope I won't have to use them, but it is nice to know that they are there and are so approachable.
2. Mentoring: I admit I was annoyed about being called to go into Hand today without warning (especially since we walk and it was raining), but I am pleased to say that my mentee is very talkative and friendly, and I think we have a good amount of things in common. I look forward to getting to know her better and to help her with her struggles (Math seems to be her big problem).
That is all. =]]
Ciao!
Holland
It is hard for me to pick a favorite class because I like things about all of them. Maybe I will just list what I like about each class...
Arabic: I really like my classmates and the fact that our teacher is a native Arabic speaker (despite having the most convincing American accent in the history of American accents). Also, I love learning languages, and this one is definitely a challenge. We get a lot of homework, but, for the most part, I enjoy doing it.
Philosophy: ... I actually don't like much about this class. The teacher/professor (I can't remember if he is technically a 'professor') is nice.
U101: Hate it. ;-) I enjoy my classmates and our instructors, but I must admit our class seems to do more work than the other U101 sections. Not sure if that is a good or bad thing.
German: The professor is my advisor, so that is really nice. Plus she is awesome. I love German, and, like I said before, languages, so I will always love any language class. Also, for a German Lit. course, this class is really easy. I enjoy the reading selections and the light homework load.
English: Steve (the instructor) is hilarious. If someone else were teaching the class, I doubt it would be nearly as fun. For being a class about travel literature, the readings have been surprising monotonous and something I don't enjoy... This shocks me because of how much I love to travel. Maybe the other books will be better.
I have yet to get to know any of my professors really well (excluding the advising session during my orientation with Frau Ivory), but I emailed her about to OTL Reflection Paper assignment, so I will be doing this within the next two weeks.
Also... on a side note, 2 things:
1. Today's presentation: Sergeant Adams was hilarious, and it was definitely informative. I don't plan to have an issues with the police, and I hope I won't have to use them, but it is nice to know that they are there and are so approachable.
2. Mentoring: I admit I was annoyed about being called to go into Hand today without warning (especially since we walk and it was raining), but I am pleased to say that my mentee is very talkative and friendly, and I think we have a good amount of things in common. I look forward to getting to know her better and to help her with her struggles (Math seems to be her big problem).
That is all. =]]
Ciao!
Holland
22.9.10
So I got out of class an hour early...!
I had no clue that this University 101 class was based around Service Learning until I came to the first class, and, apparently, no one else did (thanks, advisors!). At the time I was a bit intimidated by the fact that I would, once again, have to do community service in order to meet the expectations of the course (just like in high school), and I admit that I still am. The best part about the class, though, is that it will fulfill all of my Capstone requirements for this semester! (I think... If not, I plan to go to stuff anyway).
When it comes to what I am excited for for mentoring, I am not sure. I like working with children, but I know that as a 6th grader one does not want to be treated like the child they still are. I'm excited to have an impact on someone's life, but I am also worried that I will just feel awkward, that I will forget something, or I will get the kid who is just as awkward as I was at that age.
I have worked with kids before, but not ones this age (eleven), so that is intimidating. Eleven year olds can have attitudes, but I suppose they are better than high school freshmen (I think most things are better than high school freshmen...). I hope that after a session or two we will become more comfortable around each other so that we can have a productive semester! (Perhaps year if I decide to continue in the program next semester for my required service.)
From this program I hope not only to pass on my knowledge to a young[er] person to let them know that everything will be OK, and middle school is really not that bad (my favorite schooling years, by far, if I am honest), but I also foresee myself benefiting from our interactions. I will re-experience, to some extent, the transition from elementary to middle school at the same time as going through my own transition from high school to college. Maybe by reminiscing upon my past experience I will be able to help myself in the present. Additionally, I will also gain knowledge when it comes to how to deal with sixth graders, which I am sure will be challenging and fun at the same time...
Tschüß!!
Holland
When it comes to what I am excited for for mentoring, I am not sure. I like working with children, but I know that as a 6th grader one does not want to be treated like the child they still are. I'm excited to have an impact on someone's life, but I am also worried that I will just feel awkward, that I will forget something, or I will get the kid who is just as awkward as I was at that age.
 | |
| Me in the 7th Grade... yup. (I couldn't find one from the 6th grade... =[[) |
From this program I hope not only to pass on my knowledge to a young[er] person to let them know that everything will be OK, and middle school is really not that bad (my favorite schooling years, by far, if I am honest), but I also foresee myself benefiting from our interactions. I will re-experience, to some extent, the transition from elementary to middle school at the same time as going through my own transition from high school to college. Maybe by reminiscing upon my past experience I will be able to help myself in the present. Additionally, I will also gain knowledge when it comes to how to deal with sixth graders, which I am sure will be challenging and fun at the same time...
Tschüß!!
Holland
20.9.10
U101 feat. Dr. Hickey
When it came to deciding where I was going to go to college, I had really narrowed it down to two options: George Mason and USC (and a school in London, but I heard that I got accepted after I had made my deposit... lameness.... except I'm glad to be at USC). I was really happy to get accepted to both, and at first, Mason was edging out USC: I was in love with the campus, it's near DC, my brother already went there, and I was even invited into Mason's Honors College! Mason: 4, USC: 0.
Then I came to USC and saw the campus. Mason: 4, USC: 1.
Then I got a scholarship from USC for a lot of money... GMU offered me nothing. Mason: 4, USC: 2.
Then I got invited into the Capstone Program (which I really, really wanted to get into). Mason: 4, USC: 3.
Then I realized that the campus would shudder to a halt at the threat of half an inch of snow... HA!: Mason: 4, USC: 4.
Finally, I got more emails and felt excessively wanted by USC. Oh, and Mason is a basketball school with a terrible football team while USC is a football school with a basketball team that beat Kentucky last year... Mason: 4, USC: 5.5. (I say '.5' because sports weren't really too big of a deciding factor. I am a tennis/soccer person, personally.)
People always asked me why I applied to USC... I literally have no clue and cannot remember why I ever was interested in the school. Now people ask me why I chose USC, and I definitely know the answer.
ANYWAY all of that was to show that Capstone was a large part of the reason as to why I came to USC. I had high expectations for the program, and I must say I enjoy it a lot. It was definitely nice to feel involved in something right away on campus. It's a program with the label of having the 'really smart kids', but, unlike the Honor's Residence, we are also known for having fun. Capstone forces me to get involved outside of academic activities without taking much time away from studying or homework. Also, did I mention the larger dorm rooms? I absolutely love that.
Most of my friends on campus come from Capstone, and I doubt I would have met them had I not decided to accept my invitation into the program. They are perhaps what I enjoy most about the program. The first social event I went to felt awkward, but it was there that I actually formed a stronger friendship with a few kids as we all stood around wondering '...how long do we have to stay?'. I'm sure next time we will go together and not have that awkward feeling.
My least favorite part of living in Capstone is that it has the... slowest... elevators... on... earth... But I can live with that. That's why they have the staircase.
Being honest, while I had high expectations for the program coming in, I am not entirely sure what those expectations were. I expected to make friends, live in an environment with a priority of doing well both academically and for others, and to have an overall enjoyable experience. I would have to say that, overall, those expectations have been met. Maybe I expected more things the all people are required to attend at one time? However, I am not complaining, because if that were the case, that would be one expectation I would be complaining about. I know there are certain things we have to do every semester, but I like having the ability to choose when I do them.
I suppose that is all for now!!
Holland
Then I came to USC and saw the campus. Mason: 4, USC: 1.
Then I got a scholarship from USC for a lot of money... GMU offered me nothing. Mason: 4, USC: 2.
Then I got invited into the Capstone Program (which I really, really wanted to get into). Mason: 4, USC: 3.
Then I realized that the campus would shudder to a halt at the threat of half an inch of snow... HA!: Mason: 4, USC: 4.
Finally, I got more emails and felt excessively wanted by USC. Oh, and Mason is a basketball school with a terrible football team while USC is a football school with a basketball team that beat Kentucky last year... Mason: 4, USC: 5.5. (I say '.5' because sports weren't really too big of a deciding factor. I am a tennis/soccer person, personally.)
People always asked me why I applied to USC... I literally have no clue and cannot remember why I ever was interested in the school. Now people ask me why I chose USC, and I definitely know the answer.
ANYWAY all of that was to show that Capstone was a large part of the reason as to why I came to USC. I had high expectations for the program, and I must say I enjoy it a lot. It was definitely nice to feel involved in something right away on campus. It's a program with the label of having the 'really smart kids', but, unlike the Honor's Residence, we are also known for having fun. Capstone forces me to get involved outside of academic activities without taking much time away from studying or homework. Also, did I mention the larger dorm rooms? I absolutely love that.
Most of my friends on campus come from Capstone, and I doubt I would have met them had I not decided to accept my invitation into the program. They are perhaps what I enjoy most about the program. The first social event I went to felt awkward, but it was there that I actually formed a stronger friendship with a few kids as we all stood around wondering '...how long do we have to stay?'. I'm sure next time we will go together and not have that awkward feeling.
My least favorite part of living in Capstone is that it has the... slowest... elevators... on... earth... But I can live with that. That's why they have the staircase.
Being honest, while I had high expectations for the program coming in, I am not entirely sure what those expectations were. I expected to make friends, live in an environment with a priority of doing well both academically and for others, and to have an overall enjoyable experience. I would have to say that, overall, those expectations have been met. Maybe I expected more things the all people are required to attend at one time? However, I am not complaining, because if that were the case, that would be one expectation I would be complaining about. I know there are certain things we have to do every semester, but I like having the ability to choose when I do them.
I suppose that is all for now!!
Holland
15.9.10
Pace Yourself...
Coming into college I knew that I was going to be responsible to making sure I got my assignments done. My professors weren't going to tell me if I was falling behind; it's up to me to know how well I am doing. All I have to say is so far, so good. Every once and a while I have gotten stressed out by an assignment because of its difficulty and not because I was falling behind. Surely this is the kind of stress I would rather deal with than realizing my 10 page paper on quantum mechanics that I forgot to do is due in an hour... That would be exceedingly stressful. I would probably cry.
On my Student Engagement Plan, which we henceforth shall refer to as SEP because I am too lazy to type it all out, I had the following goals (that I can recall):
Of the aforementioned goals, I suspect the hardest will be either starting a study group or working out 4-5 times a week. The study group will be hard because I am shy to the point that it is excessive. I have already talked about it with some of my Arabic classmates, but nothing as materialized as of 10:18 PM on September the 15th. Working out 4-5 times a week shouldn't be too hard, but as my schedule seems to be getting piled up with assignments, mentoring (k), and the occasional extra curricular activities, I don't know if I will always be able to find time. Maybe the goal should have 'when possible' added. The good news is that by being a member of the tennis club, that covers two days, and my roommate (Monica) is insane about keeping fit (and I mean this in a 'I wish I could be like that' way), so I'm sure she could help me in my endeavor to try to make working out a priority.
As for my 'Personal Challenge' it is going to be learning Arabic and getting an 'A' in the course (though a 'B+' is also acceptable). I chose this because I love learning languages, but had never tried one with a different writing system before. So far it is very challenging because it has many sounds that English (and German, for that matter) simply lacks, and there are many rules about when to write certain things certain ways. Did I mention that there are four different letters all representing different ways to pronounce what we write as 'th' in English? ...What? Similarly there is more than one letter to represent the English 'h' and 'd' and 't'... and others, I am pretty sure.
To accomplish the goal of an B+ or A grade, I will just keep doing what I am doing. I need to make sure I dedicate at least 2-3 hours to each assignment so that I can take my time to practice writing, listening, and pronouncing the new words. When there are quizzes (every Monday! ... lame), I need to continue to quiz myself on the vocab until I can go through the list multiple times in a row without any errors. As for tests (I have my first one on the 24th... AHH!!!) I am not sure yet since I am not positive of the layout and how the questions are formed (matching, multiple choice, listening, etc), but for now I plan to just review my copious notes and my vocab flashcards.
!!تصبح على خير
Holland
On my Student Engagement Plan, which we henceforth shall refer to as SEP because I am too lazy to type it all out, I had the following goals (that I can recall):
- Maintain at least a 3.6 GPA.
- Start a study group with classmates.
- Work out at least 4-5 times a week.
- ... something something something. (I will fill this in if I can remember.)
Of the aforementioned goals, I suspect the hardest will be either starting a study group or working out 4-5 times a week. The study group will be hard because I am shy to the point that it is excessive. I have already talked about it with some of my Arabic classmates, but nothing as materialized as of 10:18 PM on September the 15th. Working out 4-5 times a week shouldn't be too hard, but as my schedule seems to be getting piled up with assignments, mentoring (k), and the occasional extra curricular activities, I don't know if I will always be able to find time. Maybe the goal should have 'when possible' added. The good news is that by being a member of the tennis club, that covers two days, and my roommate (Monica) is insane about keeping fit (and I mean this in a 'I wish I could be like that' way), so I'm sure she could help me in my endeavor to try to make working out a priority.
As for my 'Personal Challenge' it is going to be learning Arabic and getting an 'A' in the course (though a 'B+' is also acceptable). I chose this because I love learning languages, but had never tried one with a different writing system before. So far it is very challenging because it has many sounds that English (and German, for that matter) simply lacks, and there are many rules about when to write certain things certain ways. Did I mention that there are four different letters all representing different ways to pronounce what we write as 'th' in English? ...What? Similarly there is more than one letter to represent the English 'h' and 'd' and 't'... and others, I am pretty sure.
To accomplish the goal of an B+ or A grade, I will just keep doing what I am doing. I need to make sure I dedicate at least 2-3 hours to each assignment so that I can take my time to practice writing, listening, and pronouncing the new words. When there are quizzes (every Monday! ... lame), I need to continue to quiz myself on the vocab until I can go through the list multiple times in a row without any errors. As for tests (I have my first one on the 24th... AHH!!!) I am not sure yet since I am not positive of the layout and how the questions are formed (matching, multiple choice, listening, etc), but for now I plan to just review my copious notes and my vocab flashcards.
!!تصبح على خير
Holland
13.9.10
It's Time for a Sam Young Intervention
LASSI... Sadly not nearly as fun as the dog.
Upon getting back my LASSI results, I was not disappointed. The two I disagree with the most were definitely 'anxiety' and 'attitude'. I scored a '40' in anxiety, which is all well and good, except I think I am MORE ANXIOUS than the score let on. However, such anxiety has not really hindered my ability to maintain good grades, so I am not concerned. More annoyingly, my attitude score was a dismal 20.. 20!!! If my desire for an education were really that low, I don't think I would pay thousands of dollars a year to get one. Yes well, I am not concerned in the least since Sam said most people complain about this one.
I don't have my scores in front of me, but I recall having a high motivation score (90 or 95?). I think this is obvious in my everyday life here on campus. I am organized (which is hard to believe when one looks at my desk). I prioritize my assignments and give the most study time to the things that I have the hardest time with (Arabic, followed by Arabic, with some more Arabic). I make sure the all of my assignments are done in full well before they are due, and then I try to go over them at least once before I have the class to make sure I am satisfied with my work. I admit, I am not as diligent as I should be at all times, but I know I definitely spend more time on classwork/studying than anything else during the school week.
As for changes I should make... I think I should learn to relax more and adopt the 'if I don't know it now, cramming for an hour will not help' strategy, since I definitely stress a lot in the hours before a test or quiz, and then I come out thinking 'wow... that was easier than I anticipated'. I have a huge fear of failure, and I expect nothing but the best out of myself. I suppose I should come to realize that I cannot and will not always get straight A's, and when I don't, it is OK. If I tried my absolute hardest all the time, I would always be exhausted, and I doubt I would get to enjoy the experience that is college.
The presentation today was definitely helpful, and I know that, if I feel stressed, the ACE office is just a parking lot away! I enjoyed Sam's (that was her name, right?) easygoing attitude, and the free Starbursts were definitely a plus.
Seeing as I have Arabic 4 times a week (whose idea was this?!), I should probably start my homework for tomorrow and study for our quiz!
Bis bald!!!
Holland
| LASSI ≠ Lassie |
I don't have my scores in front of me, but I recall having a high motivation score (90 or 95?). I think this is obvious in my everyday life here on campus. I am organized (which is hard to believe when one looks at my desk). I prioritize my assignments and give the most study time to the things that I have the hardest time with (Arabic, followed by Arabic, with some more Arabic). I make sure the all of my assignments are done in full well before they are due, and then I try to go over them at least once before I have the class to make sure I am satisfied with my work. I admit, I am not as diligent as I should be at all times, but I know I definitely spend more time on classwork/studying than anything else during the school week.
As for changes I should make... I think I should learn to relax more and adopt the 'if I don't know it now, cramming for an hour will not help' strategy, since I definitely stress a lot in the hours before a test or quiz, and then I come out thinking 'wow... that was easier than I anticipated'. I have a huge fear of failure, and I expect nothing but the best out of myself. I suppose I should come to realize that I cannot and will not always get straight A's, and when I don't, it is OK. If I tried my absolute hardest all the time, I would always be exhausted, and I doubt I would get to enjoy the experience that is college.
The presentation today was definitely helpful, and I know that, if I feel stressed, the ACE office is just a parking lot away! I enjoyed Sam's (that was her name, right?) easygoing attitude, and the free Starbursts were definitely a plus.
Seeing as I have Arabic 4 times a week (whose idea was this?!), I should probably start my homework for tomorrow and study for our quiz!
Bis bald!!!
Holland
8.9.10
Service Experiences
I will be the first to admit that, while I like volunteering, I do not look to do it in my free time. However, during my time in high school, I was required to do sixty hours of community service as well as a further ten hours per year for NHS. My favorite service experiences have always been those where I was working with children. For a year I assisted with a Daisy Girl Scout Troop once a week, monitoring and helping the kids with crafts. The girls were all between the ages of five and six, and I really enjoyed my time working with them.
Similarly, during the summer of 2008, I worked at a Bible Study Camp at a Methodist Church (I'm not Methodist, nor am I religious, but that is beside the point). My friend and I were assistants in the group that had children ages three to four. Of all of my experiences, this was my favorite. The children were hilarious, and by the end they really became attached to you. To this day my friend and I talk reminisce about this experience and all of the memorable moments we shared with the kids and advisors. We had planned to do this again in the years following, but, sadly, for the next two summers I would be in Germany, and, therefore, could not participate.
As for service connected to course, I would have to say that I honestly cannot remember a time that that has been the case, but my mind keeps telling me I am wrong. Should I remember, I will edit this post! :-)
It is a hope of mine to, one day, work with underprivileged children. One of the reasons I am starting with Arabic this year is in the hope to become fluent enough to go to one of the many nations where it is spoken-either in the Middle East or Africa-and to work there diplomatically (sadly, for diplomacy, German is not as necessary since many of them speak English!). However, while I am still a student and have seemingly endless opportunities to go places, I hope to travel to those aforementioned locations and either teach English or work on service projects... or both! Every year I find myself looking online at programs that I could travel with, and one of these days I am determined to do so! (I know recently-as in in the last 6 months-I found one that went to Morocco, and this really interested me.) There are also programs to places like Latin America, Asia, and Eastern Europe that lack a language requirement that I would love to do... One day!!
The time has come for me to end this blog and to go back to reading 'The Great Railway Bazaar'. For me this book is like torture, but I am persevering!
Tschüß!!
Holland
 | |
| Omar from the Bible Study, 2008 |
As for service connected to course, I would have to say that I honestly cannot remember a time that that has been the case, but my mind keeps telling me I am wrong. Should I remember, I will edit this post! :-)
It is a hope of mine to, one day, work with underprivileged children. One of the reasons I am starting with Arabic this year is in the hope to become fluent enough to go to one of the many nations where it is spoken-either in the Middle East or Africa-and to work there diplomatically (sadly, for diplomacy, German is not as necessary since many of them speak English!). However, while I am still a student and have seemingly endless opportunities to go places, I hope to travel to those aforementioned locations and either teach English or work on service projects... or both! Every year I find myself looking online at programs that I could travel with, and one of these days I am determined to do so! (I know recently-as in in the last 6 months-I found one that went to Morocco, and this really interested me.) There are also programs to places like Latin America, Asia, and Eastern Europe that lack a language requirement that I would love to do... One day!!
The time has come for me to end this blog and to go back to reading 'The Great Railway Bazaar'. For me this book is like torture, but I am persevering!
Tschüß!!
Holland
6.9.10
Labor Day
I, like everyone else, am thoroughly enjoying this Monday off for Labor Day. However, this day will not be all fun and games since I left plenty of school work to do for Tuesday. For English I was assigned over 100 pages to read, and I still have over 50 to go. My German homework is completed, but I have a big Arabic quiz to study for tomorrow. I am so nervous for this quiz. So many of the words are similar... Finally, I have to read a section in my Philosophy book for Wednesday, and I want to do that before I get more homework tomorrow. (I usually like to have things done well before they are due.)
September 6th is also my best friend's birthday. I have left her a few messages and called her at midnight to sing happy birthday. She goes to Goucher College... where? Exactly. haha It's a college with half the student body of my high school.
I also plan to watch a good amount of the US Open, as I have been. I love tennis, and as the tournament goes on, the matches get better. (Currently Monfils v. Gasquet)
Anyway, I suppose today's post will be a short one since I don't have anything interesting planned for my day off. I may be walking down to find the Columbia Tennis Center because club tennis has its first practice on Friday, and I don't want to risk being late because I got lost finding it.
Ciao!!
September 6th is also my best friend's birthday. I have left her a few messages and called her at midnight to sing happy birthday. She goes to Goucher College... where? Exactly. haha It's a college with half the student body of my high school.
I also plan to watch a good amount of the US Open, as I have been. I love tennis, and as the tournament goes on, the matches get better. (Currently Monfils v. Gasquet)
Anyway, I suppose today's post will be a short one since I don't have anything interesting planned for my day off. I may be walking down to find the Columbia Tennis Center because club tennis has its first practice on Friday, and I don't want to risk being late because I got lost finding it.
Ciao!!
1.9.10
Take Two
Today was the Student Organizations Fair on Greene St., which was pretty crowded. It was hard to see everything, and I know I missed some after talking to people later saying 'I wish there was *blank*' only to find out that they were there! Oh well, I found enough things to be satisfied.
Of all of the clubs, I knew going in that I was going to join the tennis club as a recreational player (maybe I will look into competitive in the future, but for now I want to make things easy on myself). Later tonight I will be going to the informational meeting, where I will pay the $35-ish fee to be a member for the semester. As for the other things, I was pretty glad to see they had both Relay for Life and Habitat for Humanity, both of which I signed up for and, once I get the email, hope to partake in. I also learned about this student-run online editorial (at least that it how it sounded) called Zeitgeist (time-ghost auf Deutsch!), which I think could be interesting and I might look into. Finally, there was some sort of business club that I came across. Not too sure how interested I am in this, but it is a possibility--especially if I were to add international business or something of the like as a double major.
Supposedly there is a German Club on campus, but I went on their "website", and they didn't seem to be super active. I looked for them down at the fair, but their display was nowhere to be found (perhaps there wasn't one?). Anyway, so instead of starting an organization, I would love to find out about that one and figure out what they really do, and if they are as inactive as I perceive them to be, I would hope to make them have a bigger impact on campus! My heritage is really important to me, and I would love that to be represented by what I am involved in on campus.
Also, as a side note, I love Leigh-Ann's idea of a Coloring Club, and I would definitely love to either help her get that started or at least join once it was created. It just seems like it would be such a relaxing and easy-going club...
Since I know this blog doesn't have to focus on the prompts, I am going to take this time to ramble about study abroad. Just thinking about it today made me really excited for the Study Abroad Fair on the 10th at the Russell House as well as for my own future potential to take part in such an awesome experience! When it came to looking for a college/university to attend, I made sure that wherever I went had a good study abroad program with plenty of options to choose from (though, honestly, I would go anywhere they sent me).
As a German major I am pretty much obligated to go to Germany to study abroad, and that is totally fine with me, seeing as I am in love with that country and have already been there for extended lengths of time, making me feel confident that I would feel comfortable to live there for a year. Since one can't study at Bamberg until they are a junior, I am very much interested in the summer programs run through the school. My German professor mentioned the Wittenberg Program, which would be about 5 weeks over the summer. I already asked for information regarding this. Also Capstone is going back to ECUADOR and also to JORDAN, both of which are places I would do almost anything to see. I can't think of any other time I would be able to go those places, so they are a definite consideration for me for one of the two Maymesters I spend as a Capstone Scholar.
I don't know what other summer programs are offered, and I suppose I will find that out on the tenth; however, I am also considering doing study abroad somewhere I have never been before--Australia/New Zealand in particular. (I would say South America, but I do not speak Spanish or Portuguese. =[[) Austria and the UK/Ireland are also really amazing options. I have done research already, and I look forward to doing more in the future.
Well, now, I know that this post was not particularly entertaining, but sometimes I really just love to ramble...
UNTIL NEXT TIME!
Holland
Of all of the clubs, I knew going in that I was going to join the tennis club as a recreational player (maybe I will look into competitive in the future, but for now I want to make things easy on myself). Later tonight I will be going to the informational meeting, where I will pay the $35-ish fee to be a member for the semester. As for the other things, I was pretty glad to see they had both Relay for Life and Habitat for Humanity, both of which I signed up for and, once I get the email, hope to partake in. I also learned about this student-run online editorial (at least that it how it sounded) called Zeitgeist (time-ghost auf Deutsch!), which I think could be interesting and I might look into. Finally, there was some sort of business club that I came across. Not too sure how interested I am in this, but it is a possibility--especially if I were to add international business or something of the like as a double major.
Supposedly there is a German Club on campus, but I went on their "website", and they didn't seem to be super active. I looked for them down at the fair, but their display was nowhere to be found (perhaps there wasn't one?). Anyway, so instead of starting an organization, I would love to find out about that one and figure out what they really do, and if they are as inactive as I perceive them to be, I would hope to make them have a bigger impact on campus! My heritage is really important to me, and I would love that to be represented by what I am involved in on campus.
Also, as a side note, I love Leigh-Ann's idea of a Coloring Club, and I would definitely love to either help her get that started or at least join once it was created. It just seems like it would be such a relaxing and easy-going club...
Since I know this blog doesn't have to focus on the prompts, I am going to take this time to ramble about study abroad. Just thinking about it today made me really excited for the Study Abroad Fair on the 10th at the Russell House as well as for my own future potential to take part in such an awesome experience! When it came to looking for a college/university to attend, I made sure that wherever I went had a good study abroad program with plenty of options to choose from (though, honestly, I would go anywhere they sent me).
As a German major I am pretty much obligated to go to Germany to study abroad, and that is totally fine with me, seeing as I am in love with that country and have already been there for extended lengths of time, making me feel confident that I would feel comfortable to live there for a year. Since one can't study at Bamberg until they are a junior, I am very much interested in the summer programs run through the school. My German professor mentioned the Wittenberg Program, which would be about 5 weeks over the summer. I already asked for information regarding this. Also Capstone is going back to ECUADOR and also to JORDAN, both of which are places I would do almost anything to see. I can't think of any other time I would be able to go those places, so they are a definite consideration for me for one of the two Maymesters I spend as a Capstone Scholar.
I don't know what other summer programs are offered, and I suppose I will find that out on the tenth; however, I am also considering doing study abroad somewhere I have never been before--Australia/New Zealand in particular. (I would say South America, but I do not speak Spanish or Portuguese. =[[) Austria and the UK/Ireland are also really amazing options. I have done research already, and I look forward to doing more in the future.
Well, now, I know that this post was not particularly entertaining, but sometimes I really just love to ramble...
UNTIL NEXT TIME!
Holland
30.8.10
Well, hello...
This is my first post in what is supposed to be a semester-long documentation of my transition to college. Hopefully this will go well! ANYWAY: To answer the prompt of what my expectations are for my time here at USC, I would say that they are probably similar to everyone else: to get a good education while making friends to last for the rest of my life. I also hope to expand my horizons beyond what I am already familiar and comfortable with and to partake in things I never would have in high school. It is a great wish of mine to become more outgoing and not to be intimidated by meeting new people (so far, I have not accomplished this, making college seem very much like my time in high school for the time being...).
So far I would say that my time at USC has been uneventful compared to that of some of the other freshmen I have met, but it is also only the third week here, so I am not too disappointed. I am not one to go partying, and I am super cautious when it comes to getting into situations that could affect me for the rest of my life (ie: going to a party with underage drinking where the cops come and bust everyone and arrest them and ruin their records forever... stuff like that, which everyone seems to be so eager to do). My greatest adventure was a midnight trip to IHOP with my roommate (Monica!) and three other kids. I know what you are thinking: she is so adventurous! ... I know, I know.
The most unexpected thing so far... THE HUGE BUGS! In Pennsylvania we have bugs, but not like this. I had never seen a cockroach in person before my move to South Carolina, and now those shiny, crunchy bugs are everywhere (alive and squished). Also the beetles and locusts. This is not OK with me. I suppose I just have to deal with it, though, since I'm pretty sure the bugs were here before I was and are here for the long term.
In all seriousness, though, I haven't really encountered anything yet that I would classify as a huge 'surprise' or as 'unexpected'. I've heard Southern people are friendly, but not everyone I've met has been super friendly (probably not Southerners, though, right?). Maybe I am surprised by the fact that my work load has not been overwhelming and my studying habits from high school have not failed me (yet). I have been performing well in classes and on the few quizzes and assignments I have had graded so far. So, in this case, I am surprised that I am not struggling too much.
That is all for now, I guess!
Holland
So far I would say that my time at USC has been uneventful compared to that of some of the other freshmen I have met, but it is also only the third week here, so I am not too disappointed. I am not one to go partying, and I am super cautious when it comes to getting into situations that could affect me for the rest of my life (ie: going to a party with underage drinking where the cops come and bust everyone and arrest them and ruin their records forever... stuff like that, which everyone seems to be so eager to do). My greatest adventure was a midnight trip to IHOP with my roommate (Monica!) and three other kids. I know what you are thinking: she is so adventurous! ... I know, I know.
The most unexpected thing so far... THE HUGE BUGS! In Pennsylvania we have bugs, but not like this. I had never seen a cockroach in person before my move to South Carolina, and now those shiny, crunchy bugs are everywhere (alive and squished). Also the beetles and locusts. This is not OK with me. I suppose I just have to deal with it, though, since I'm pretty sure the bugs were here before I was and are here for the long term.
In all seriousness, though, I haven't really encountered anything yet that I would classify as a huge 'surprise' or as 'unexpected'. I've heard Southern people are friendly, but not everyone I've met has been super friendly (probably not Southerners, though, right?). Maybe I am surprised by the fact that my work load has not been overwhelming and my studying habits from high school have not failed me (yet). I have been performing well in classes and on the few quizzes and assignments I have had graded so far. So, in this case, I am surprised that I am not struggling too much.
That is all for now, I guess!
Holland
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| Capstone! (This is actually from orientation in June.) |
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