Sorry this is coming out a day late. I was super, super busy yesterday, from like 7:50 until 9:30, and by time I got home, I was too exhausted. ALSO, I left my computer on all yesterday afternoon unplugged, so I found it with 7% battery...SKILLS.
Now, the Weekly Roundup!
5 Best Things This Week:
1) Getting to go back to the Boys and Girls Club :]
2) Kicking ass on my Bio midterm and my Spanish oral exam
3) Hanging out with my APO family today!
4) Going to my first Knox football game (see 3)
5) Eating healthier (minus the cookie dough in my fridge I mean what?)
5 Worst Things This Week:
1) Studying over 10 hours for bio this week
2) Not getting a lot of sleep
3) Having a fundraiser yesterday with Blessings that NO ONE came to :[
4) Getting back a Spanish test with a less than stellar grade
5) Not getting to have a real meal in the Caf all of Tuesday
Most Embarrassing Moment This Week:
Apparently, Knox is a very hipster school. Which is generally fine, I guess. But apparently it doesn't fly that I wanted to go as a hipster for Halloween. Oh well, I can't find my hipster glasses, so last minute costume change y'all
Words of Wisdom:
Develop good study habits/time management. Soon, I will make a blog about different styles of studying, plus advice and personal stories. College is different because you have less classes, and they don't meet everyday, so how you study and get your hw done is going to change. Keep a look out for that blog! (I promise I will do it)
3 Most Essential Items This Week:
1) Study music. I can't listen to my favorite music AND study well, so now I have 50 minutes worth of thunderstorm/rain sounds on my iPod. Also, classical or anything instrumental is nice--just avoid lyrics :]
2) Post it Notes. I leave myself little reminders, or upbeat messages such as "You have this test! Whoo!! Go Celinda! You kick Bio ASS :] WHOOOO!!"
3) Carry-out. Knox has a system for carry out dinners, where you use a plastic carry out thing, and take out food from the Caf. When you are ready to take out again, you bring the old one in to be washed and grab a new one. Helpful for my busy week where I didn't have time to sit down for a meal, AND environmentally friendly.
Most Interesting Discovery This Week (SORRY I have been leaving this out recently! I didn't even notice!):
Academic: Our closest relative is a choanoflagellate!
Social: My Little Pony is the shiz here :D
Best Food Item in the Caf:
I've been digging the different kinds of chicken. He made chipotle chicken on Thursday, and it was really, really good :] For vegetarians, the cheese-stuffed shells have also been completing my life :D
Plans for the Weekend:
Well, the weekend has already started. I had a fundraiser yesterday (LOL), football game/hot drinks date with my APO family today, I also am going to Improv Club's comedy show tonight, then trick or treating, then frat parties. Tomorrow, I have APO :] So, busy, busy
Seven. Weeks. Hell. Yes.
Much Love,
Celinda
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Sunday, October 23, 2011
I Got Dem Midterm Blues
Stress.
Procrastination.
The middle or so of the term can be difficult. I started feeling it in like November at Uni. Here, I am feeling it now. We also just had parent's weekend, so I feel both stress and a bit of homesickness. The energy I was putting into my work has all but dissipated. I'm looking at this week with such lethargy, it's killing me. I have a bio midterm this Friday, plus just general homework is getting to me. I don't want to do ANYTHING. All I want to do is go home, and sleep. That's it. Blegh college sometimes.
Just like at Uni, it's okay to get the mid-term blues. School is getting intense, and overwhelming at times. It also doesn't seem to ever stop. Break seems so close, yet.so.far. This is often the time people will get sick from late nights and not drinking enough water and feeling stress. The same activities you had so much passion for a couple of weeks ago just seem like annoying obligations. With all this negative, it's hard to pull yourself up and get your "second wind" so to speak. Here, for me and for you, I present several things to get through midterm blues!
Sunshine Playlist: Oftentimes, the weather is getting cold and miserable, school is droning on, responsibilities are piling up, and all you want to do is sleep. Here is a sunshine playlist!
1) Pocketful of Sunshine, by Natasha Bedingfield http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gte3BoXKwP0&ob=av2e
2) Three Little Birds, by Bob Marley http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LanCLS_hIo4&feature=BFa&list=PLA26EBF71C4C43D13&lf=mh_lolz
3) Smile, by Uncle Kracker http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eskXnbVYr3Y&feature=mh_lolz&list=PLA26EBF71C4C43D13
4) Ac-cent-tchu-ate the Positive, by Aretha Franklin (cover) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IP9h40z0sk&feature=BFa&list=PLA26EBF71C4C43D13&lf=mh_lolz
5) You are my Sunshine http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rc2jsjnt-HY&feature=BFa&list=PLA26EBF71C4C43D13&lf=mh_lolz
6) Put Your Records On, by Corrine Bailey Rae http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkEeNpWMvgk&feature=BFa&list=PLA26EBF71C4C43D13&lf=mh_lolz
7) Here Comes the Sun, The Beatles http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6tV11acSRk&feature=BFa&list=PLA26EBF71C4C43D13&lf=mh_lolz
8) Wavin' Flag, by K'Naan http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amXeJrA-wDc&feature=BFa&list=PLA26EBF71C4C43D13&lf=mh_lolz
9) Walkin' On Sunshine, by Katrina and the Waves http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPUmE-tne5U&feature=BFa&list=PLA26EBF71C4C43D13&lf=mh_lolz
10) What a Wonderful World, by Louis Armstrong http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5TwT69i1lU&feature=BFa&list=PLA26EBF71C4C43D13&lf=mh_lolz
11) Hey Ya!, by Outkast http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWgvGjAhvIw&feature=BFa&list=PLA26EBF71C4C43D13&lf=mh_lolz
12) Joy and Pain, by Maze http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjGvsUwXnLY&feature=BFa&list=PLA26EBF71C4C43D13&lf=mh_lolz
Also, listening to favorite songs, songs you share with friends and significant others, and high energy songs are all great choices :]
Sugar List: Sometimes, we just need a little sweetness in our life, to make it better.
1) 69 cent ice cream cones from McDonalds
2) Oreos
3) Milanos (and other Pepperidge Farm deliciousness)
4) Cookie Dough
5) Ice cream, of your choice
6) Custard Cup (Be nostalgic. Get the Teddy Cup)
7) Chocolate
8) Halloween Candy (Halloween is in 8 days, it counts)
9) Bake something sweet!
10) Dairy Queen blizzards
Good Deeds: Sometimes, doing something good for others will pull yourself out of your pity party (not to say pity parties are bad! I have them all the time. But you have to get out them eventually)
1) Volunteer somewhere short term, like a soup kitchen, a Virginia Theater performance, cleaning a park or street, etc.
2) Make a gift, card, locker note, etc. for someone you know who is also super stressed
3) Give hugs, high fives, friendly handshakes, a wave, whatever your action of affection is :]
Healthy Outlets: Violence is not the answer. Here are some healthy ways to channel all the frustration, anger, sadness, or listlessness you might be feeling.
1) Go outside at night and stare at the stars.
2) Write some poetry or music.
3) Yell at an inanimate object.
4) Eat some sugar/healthy snack
5) Go for a quick run
6) Listen to some music
7) Call a friend/Talk to your parents or a sibling for ten minutes and spill all your angst
8) Drink some tea (stay away from coffee or soda, especially late at night)
9) Beat a pillow
10) Take a quick nap (hour tops)
Hope this helps some. And of course, I love listening to people, so if you ever feel like you can't talk to anyone in CU, remember you have a very understanding and very loving PCC here in G-Burg who would love to talk to you, if you need it :]
Much Love,
Celinda <3
Procrastination.
The middle or so of the term can be difficult. I started feeling it in like November at Uni. Here, I am feeling it now. We also just had parent's weekend, so I feel both stress and a bit of homesickness. The energy I was putting into my work has all but dissipated. I'm looking at this week with such lethargy, it's killing me. I have a bio midterm this Friday, plus just general homework is getting to me. I don't want to do ANYTHING. All I want to do is go home, and sleep. That's it. Blegh college sometimes.
Just like at Uni, it's okay to get the mid-term blues. School is getting intense, and overwhelming at times. It also doesn't seem to ever stop. Break seems so close, yet.so.far. This is often the time people will get sick from late nights and not drinking enough water and feeling stress. The same activities you had so much passion for a couple of weeks ago just seem like annoying obligations. With all this negative, it's hard to pull yourself up and get your "second wind" so to speak. Here, for me and for you, I present several things to get through midterm blues!
Sunshine Playlist: Oftentimes, the weather is getting cold and miserable, school is droning on, responsibilities are piling up, and all you want to do is sleep. Here is a sunshine playlist!
1) Pocketful of Sunshine, by Natasha Bedingfield http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gte3BoXKwP0&ob=av2e
2) Three Little Birds, by Bob Marley http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LanCLS_hIo4&feature=BFa&list=PLA26EBF71C4C43D13&lf=mh_lolz
3) Smile, by Uncle Kracker http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eskXnbVYr3Y&feature=mh_lolz&list=PLA26EBF71C4C43D13
4) Ac-cent-tchu-ate the Positive, by Aretha Franklin (cover) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IP9h40z0sk&feature=BFa&list=PLA26EBF71C4C43D13&lf=mh_lolz
5) You are my Sunshine http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rc2jsjnt-HY&feature=BFa&list=PLA26EBF71C4C43D13&lf=mh_lolz
6) Put Your Records On, by Corrine Bailey Rae http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkEeNpWMvgk&feature=BFa&list=PLA26EBF71C4C43D13&lf=mh_lolz
7) Here Comes the Sun, The Beatles http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6tV11acSRk&feature=BFa&list=PLA26EBF71C4C43D13&lf=mh_lolz
8) Wavin' Flag, by K'Naan http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amXeJrA-wDc&feature=BFa&list=PLA26EBF71C4C43D13&lf=mh_lolz
9) Walkin' On Sunshine, by Katrina and the Waves http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPUmE-tne5U&feature=BFa&list=PLA26EBF71C4C43D13&lf=mh_lolz
10) What a Wonderful World, by Louis Armstrong http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5TwT69i1lU&feature=BFa&list=PLA26EBF71C4C43D13&lf=mh_lolz
11) Hey Ya!, by Outkast http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWgvGjAhvIw&feature=BFa&list=PLA26EBF71C4C43D13&lf=mh_lolz
12) Joy and Pain, by Maze http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjGvsUwXnLY&feature=BFa&list=PLA26EBF71C4C43D13&lf=mh_lolz
Also, listening to favorite songs, songs you share with friends and significant others, and high energy songs are all great choices :]
Sugar List: Sometimes, we just need a little sweetness in our life, to make it better.
1) 69 cent ice cream cones from McDonalds
2) Oreos
3) Milanos (and other Pepperidge Farm deliciousness)
4) Cookie Dough
5) Ice cream, of your choice
6) Custard Cup (Be nostalgic. Get the Teddy Cup)
7) Chocolate
8) Halloween Candy (Halloween is in 8 days, it counts)
9) Bake something sweet!
10) Dairy Queen blizzards
Good Deeds: Sometimes, doing something good for others will pull yourself out of your pity party (not to say pity parties are bad! I have them all the time. But you have to get out them eventually)
1) Volunteer somewhere short term, like a soup kitchen, a Virginia Theater performance, cleaning a park or street, etc.
2) Make a gift, card, locker note, etc. for someone you know who is also super stressed
3) Give hugs, high fives, friendly handshakes, a wave, whatever your action of affection is :]
Healthy Outlets: Violence is not the answer. Here are some healthy ways to channel all the frustration, anger, sadness, or listlessness you might be feeling.
1) Go outside at night and stare at the stars.
2) Write some poetry or music.
3) Yell at an inanimate object.
4) Eat some sugar/healthy snack
5) Go for a quick run
6) Listen to some music
7) Call a friend/Talk to your parents or a sibling for ten minutes and spill all your angst
8) Drink some tea (stay away from coffee or soda, especially late at night)
9) Beat a pillow
10) Take a quick nap (hour tops)
Hope this helps some. And of course, I love listening to people, so if you ever feel like you can't talk to anyone in CU, remember you have a very understanding and very loving PCC here in G-Burg who would love to talk to you, if you need it :]
Much Love,
Celinda <3
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Guest Blog: Life at Parkland with Stef!
So, guess what??
Guest blog!! An amazing one at that :]
When I last saw my dearest Stefanie Senior, we were eating at Casablanca and talking about college. She had just started, and I was going to move in a couple of days. Just listening to her, she seemed to be having a blast. The question is, how is she now? Well read on and find out!
Guest blog!! An amazing one at that :]
When I last saw my dearest Stefanie Senior, we were eating at Casablanca and talking about college. She had just started, and I was going to move in a couple of days. Just listening to her, she seemed to be having a blast. The question is, how is she now? Well read on and find out!
ADVENTURES IN PARKLAND-LAND
EPISODE ONE: MIDTERM
Or, Things I Have Learned in Nine Weeks at Parkland
Here I am: Halfway through my first semester of college. First of all, what the hell happened to the last seven weeks? I mean, I shouldn’t have lost that much time between school, work, homework, rehearsals, auditions, light hangs/work days... never mind.
Anyway, back to the real focus of this article- things I’ve learned at Parkland (so far).
1. Nobody Gives a Shit Where You Went to School
In my first couple weeks at Parkland, I spent a lot of time recanting stories of high school (what else did I have to talk about?), which of course prompted the question, “Where did you go to high school?”
Now, coming from Uni, I was used to an environment where school became your label (“He’s Princeton, she’s WashU, he’s Harvard”, etc.), so I got a little nervous answering this question. I was worried that I might be excluded or teased for being from Uni: “Oh, do you think you’re better than us? You’re SOOOO smart!”
Guess what really happened?
“Where’d you go to high school?”
“Uni.”
“Oh, so you’re a smart kid?”
“Well...sure.”
“Oh, that’s cool. Wanna get some lunch?”
I mean, that’s pretty much it. Nobody really cared that I went to Uni. Nobody thought I had lowered my standards by coming to Parkland; nobody thought I was going to be condescending and rude, just because I went to a “smart-kid school”. The attitude was, (and is!) “Whatever, that’s high school; this is college.”
Go figure.
2. College is Some Serious Shit.
Coming from Uni, it’s really easy to assign values to everything- especially school subjects. It’s easy to say, “English doesn’t matter because I have Calculus to do,” or “I can do that tomorrow- I have to do this right now,” or “I’m pretty much only doing this because it looks good, not because I care about it.”
Even as a very dedicated theatre student, it was very easy to write something off as “It’s ‘just’ rehearsal,” or “It’s ‘just’ a high school show,” which is nice when you’re trying to keep yourself from going crazy, but not so nice if it’s something you actually have to take seriously.
Then, I got to Parkland. I’m still in the process of convincing myself that acting is a perfectly viable career option and not something I do for fun.
I suppose this is the long way of saying that nothing I’m doing in Parkland theatre and none of the people I’ve met and worked with in Parkland theatre make me feel like I’m wasting my time. My acting teacher never talks about acting as a “last resort career”; she tells us about her experience with professional acting and, without bullshitting us, gives us advice about how to make our potential acting careers the best they can be.
I don’t ever feel like I’m surrounded by people who don’t care. Unlike high school, there seems to be no such thing as caring “too much”. In fact, it frequently seems as though the most frustration and impatience is directed towards those students who don’t seem to care enough- which, for me, is rather refreshing.
3. Growing Up is Hard to Do...
There is nothing quite like watching yourself grow up. It’s very weird- it’s like having an out of body experience for which you are completely present. Since going to Parkland, I’ve had to do a fair amount of growing up. I got a job two weeks before school started, so now I’m making my own money and paying for my own things instead of having my mom pay for everything (most of the time, that’s nice, unless it’s things like car repair bills). Short of living on my own, I’m pretty autonomous: I have my own car and a completely separate schedule from my mom, who is also going to work and school at the same time. Our living situation sometimes seems like roommates rather than mother-daughter, because between work, school, rehearsals, and homework, not to mention attempting a social life, we hardly see each other.
I’m taking more charge of my life now, which is both nice and scary. And the future is sort of looming in on me in a similar “sounds-both-exciting-and-scary” kind of way.
But never fear! It isn’t all bad. Most of it is actually really fun- as long as you remember to enjoy it. Don’t ever, ever, EVER micromanage the fun out of your life. College and your own personal coming-of-age will both be fun experiences, if you let them.
These are three of the biggest things I’ve learned at Parkland, but they are by no means the only things. I learn new things every day at Parkland- things mechanical, technical, practical; but also things theoretical, hypothetical, existential, and everything in between. I’m fortunate enough to be surrounded by instructors and mentors both that I respect and that treat me with respect; to study with students who are just as passionate about their theatre education as I am about mine; and to have my friend circle filled with new and interesting people, all of whom force me to think and stretch my intellectual and professional capacity more than I could ever have believed.
And it’s only been 9 weeks.
Much Love,
Celinda (And Stef!!)
Friday, October 21, 2011
Weekly Roundup 6
WHOA??
Six weeks??????????????????
5 Best Things This Week:
1) Preregistered for classes! School and Society, Elementary Spanish 2, and Judaism, Christianity, and Islam :D
2) No classes Wednesday! Whoo Fall Institute!
3) Philosophizing/dancing on park benches with Odessa
4) I got paid today!
5) I got to do a prospective lunch all by myself (I am all grown up)
5 Worst Things This Week:
1) I might get closed out of some of my classes, especially the School and Society class
2) I was super sick--my eyes were burning for two days straight
3) I saved all my homework for Thursday night
4) I haven't been doing APO stuff this week, including missing chapter
5) I couldn't go to the Boys and Girls Club on Tuesday because I didn't want to get them sick
Most Embarrassing Moment This Week:
Me in the Caf, always. Spilling food, forgetting silverware, squirting oranges, saying weird things, dancing, tripping, running into people. ALL OF IT.
Words of Wisdom:
Search for happiness, because there is so much sad in this world, we need to find the joys. Watch sunrises. Cuddle puppies. Fall in love. Laugh at bad jokes. Dance in the rain. Hug your friends. Discover your hidden talents. Do nothing. Do everything. Live your life, because there is so much that the world has to offer!
3 Most Essential Items This Week:
1) Cold medicine. I was suffering so badly, I was near tears
2) iPod. Love listening to music and dancing around the suite area. JBiebs is my homeboy :D
3) Hot tea. My throat hurt really bad this week, and also it helped keep me warm on blustery days!
Best Food Item This Week:
The chicken alfredo is a real winner, winner, chicken dinner :D
...
Shut up I'm tired :P
Plans For the Weekend:
It's Parent's Weekend!!! My mom and my sister are here, AS WE SPEAK. My dad and my stepmom are coming tomorrow. Fun weekend! Also, on the icky note, I have another bio midterm this coming Friday where I literally have to memorize like 50 phyla...
Much Love,
Celinda! (PS, I will try to blog more this coming week, sorry I was such a lazy bum...)
(PPS, We had Revathi Appreciation Day yesterday, where we pretty much celebrated Revathi's existence. While it was great celebrating her, it also brought us Uni kids together, which was amazing and beautiful :])
Six weeks??????????????????
5 Best Things This Week:
1) Preregistered for classes! School and Society, Elementary Spanish 2, and Judaism, Christianity, and Islam :D
2) No classes Wednesday! Whoo Fall Institute!
3) Philosophizing/dancing on park benches with Odessa
4) I got paid today!
5) I got to do a prospective lunch all by myself (I am all grown up)
5 Worst Things This Week:
1) I might get closed out of some of my classes, especially the School and Society class
2) I was super sick--my eyes were burning for two days straight
3) I saved all my homework for Thursday night
4) I haven't been doing APO stuff this week, including missing chapter
5) I couldn't go to the Boys and Girls Club on Tuesday because I didn't want to get them sick
Most Embarrassing Moment This Week:
Me in the Caf, always. Spilling food, forgetting silverware, squirting oranges, saying weird things, dancing, tripping, running into people. ALL OF IT.
Words of Wisdom:
Search for happiness, because there is so much sad in this world, we need to find the joys. Watch sunrises. Cuddle puppies. Fall in love. Laugh at bad jokes. Dance in the rain. Hug your friends. Discover your hidden talents. Do nothing. Do everything. Live your life, because there is so much that the world has to offer!
3 Most Essential Items This Week:
1) Cold medicine. I was suffering so badly, I was near tears
2) iPod. Love listening to music and dancing around the suite area. JBiebs is my homeboy :D
3) Hot tea. My throat hurt really bad this week, and also it helped keep me warm on blustery days!
Best Food Item This Week:
The chicken alfredo is a real winner, winner, chicken dinner :D
...
Shut up I'm tired :P
Plans For the Weekend:
It's Parent's Weekend!!! My mom and my sister are here, AS WE SPEAK. My dad and my stepmom are coming tomorrow. Fun weekend! Also, on the icky note, I have another bio midterm this coming Friday where I literally have to memorize like 50 phyla...
Much Love,
Celinda! (PS, I will try to blog more this coming week, sorry I was such a lazy bum...)
(PPS, We had Revathi Appreciation Day yesterday, where we pretty much celebrated Revathi's existence. While it was great celebrating her, it also brought us Uni kids together, which was amazing and beautiful :])
Friday, October 14, 2011
Weekly Roundup 5 (Halfway Done!)
Oh.My.GOSH.
I am officially halfway done with my first term here at Knox College! Mind=blown. And now the weekly roundup!
5 Best Things This Week:
1) I got an A- on my Biology midterm!
2) Laying out under the stars talking with my friend Odessa
3) Having a guy who works at the gaming store and does graphic design offer to make personalized bingo cards for Blessing's fundraiser for free :D
4) Having dinner with my Big (a current member who acts as a mentor/friend for a pledge) for APO, as well as receiving chocolate from her :]
5) Getting married on Wednesday!
5 Worst Things This Week:
1) Doing virtually no homework Wednesday, so I had a ton last night
2) I had an awful dream Sunday night, which brought up all these feeling on Monday. I was sobbing all throughout the day.
3) Spending a lot of my Dining Dollars this week
4) Feeling pressured to like a guy I can't even say two words to
5) Getting cravings for like ten different food items at ten different restaurants, none of which are found in Galesburg
Most Embarrassing Moment This Week:
I actually have no truly embarrassing things to share...Which is totally awesome!!
Words of Wisdom:
It's okay to be sad. I had sadness that was really different from homesickness. I just had a really hard day. And that's okay. Life can be hard sometimes. Things can go wrong, you can get bad grades, you can get into a fight, you can have a bunch of feelings just well up in you, anything. Surround yourself with good people, chocolate, music, writing, yelling at the sky, running, whatever you do to channel all that emotion. Sadness is just as natural to the human condition as happiness is, and it is NOT less legitimate. And, if you see someone sad, reach out to them. Get them a little treat, a little note, take them out and about, be their shoulder to cry on, JUST BE THERE. The only way we can make it through hard times is if we reach out to each other and help each other out.
3 Most Essential Items This Week:
1) Thick Sweaters. It got super cold, so it's nice to have a big sweater to snuggle in. It also poured the other day, and my sweater captured all the moisture and kept me dry!
2) Coffee. A couple late nights. A couple bio classes where I would not have survived without my coffee. Enough said, moving on.
3) Skype. I have been skyping my lovely friends from Uni High this week, and it's been super useful to keep in contact!
Best Food Item in the Caf:
Granola, with craisins and sliced banana in it. It's super healthy, sweet, filling, and delicious :D
Plans for the Weekend:
REVISING. I have a final draft a paper due Monday. EEK. I also have to catch up on my biology reading blegh. Socially, I have an APO alumni party tomorrow, then an APO pledge meeting Sunday, followed by the chapter meeting. Super APOness this weekend.
And that concludes HALF A TERM at Knox College! WHOOT WHOOT!
Muchos Love,
Celinda :D
I am officially halfway done with my first term here at Knox College! Mind=blown. And now the weekly roundup!
5 Best Things This Week:
1) I got an A- on my Biology midterm!
2) Laying out under the stars talking with my friend Odessa
3) Having a guy who works at the gaming store and does graphic design offer to make personalized bingo cards for Blessing's fundraiser for free :D
4) Having dinner with my Big (a current member who acts as a mentor/friend for a pledge) for APO, as well as receiving chocolate from her :]
5) Getting married on Wednesday!
5 Worst Things This Week:
1) Doing virtually no homework Wednesday, so I had a ton last night
2) I had an awful dream Sunday night, which brought up all these feeling on Monday. I was sobbing all throughout the day.
3) Spending a lot of my Dining Dollars this week
4) Feeling pressured to like a guy I can't even say two words to
5) Getting cravings for like ten different food items at ten different restaurants, none of which are found in Galesburg
Most Embarrassing Moment This Week:
I actually have no truly embarrassing things to share...Which is totally awesome!!
Words of Wisdom:
It's okay to be sad. I had sadness that was really different from homesickness. I just had a really hard day. And that's okay. Life can be hard sometimes. Things can go wrong, you can get bad grades, you can get into a fight, you can have a bunch of feelings just well up in you, anything. Surround yourself with good people, chocolate, music, writing, yelling at the sky, running, whatever you do to channel all that emotion. Sadness is just as natural to the human condition as happiness is, and it is NOT less legitimate. And, if you see someone sad, reach out to them. Get them a little treat, a little note, take them out and about, be their shoulder to cry on, JUST BE THERE. The only way we can make it through hard times is if we reach out to each other and help each other out.
3 Most Essential Items This Week:
1) Thick Sweaters. It got super cold, so it's nice to have a big sweater to snuggle in. It also poured the other day, and my sweater captured all the moisture and kept me dry!
2) Coffee. A couple late nights. A couple bio classes where I would not have survived without my coffee. Enough said, moving on.
3) Skype. I have been skyping my lovely friends from Uni High this week, and it's been super useful to keep in contact!
Best Food Item in the Caf:
Granola, with craisins and sliced banana in it. It's super healthy, sweet, filling, and delicious :D
Plans for the Weekend:
REVISING. I have a final draft a paper due Monday. EEK. I also have to catch up on my biology reading blegh. Socially, I have an APO alumni party tomorrow, then an APO pledge meeting Sunday, followed by the chapter meeting. Super APOness this weekend.
And that concludes HALF A TERM at Knox College! WHOOT WHOOT!
Muchos Love,
Celinda :D
Friday, October 7, 2011
Weekly Roundup 4 (A Whole Month!)
Wow! I have been here over a month, and in classes for a month. Time is going by so fast. And since I am on a ten week trimester system, I am 40% done with my term.
HOW DID THAT HAPPEN??
Anyways, here is the weekly roundup!
5 Best Things This Week:
1) I kicked ass on my Spanish Exam today
2) I joined a new club called Blessings in a Backpack. Basically, they fill backpacks with food for kids who don't get enough to eat over the weekend, so they have food in their belly when school starts again on Monday.
3) I got back a bunch of labs and found that I have an A average
4) I overcame (mostly...) my issues with talking to college guys
5) I helped my friend move dorms and got to eat pizza
5 Worst Things This Week:
1) I had a 3 hour bio lab in the woods, where I had to wear jeans on a hot day so I wouldn't be affected by the poison ivy
2) I had an 8 hour dehydration headache, even with drinking as many liquids as I could
3) I got up at 6:45 yesterday (Um. Ew.)
4) I've been half-assing my APO involvement.
5) I was declined at the ATM because I was too poor to take both my money and pay the ATM fee.
Most Embarrassing Moment:
At Blessings, I barely said a word because I was too shy around a certain person. It sucks, because I like talking and being friendly, but I can actually be unbearably shy sometimes...
Words of Wisdom:
Take care of yourself. My senior year, my mom took me to see my doctor because I kept getting sick like every three weeks. I was tested for mono, hepatitis, anemia, all those things that cause fatigue and sickness. Well, I had a clean bill of health, so the doctor just diagnosed me with "Being a Uni Student". I kid you not. Now I am in college and I am in charge of myself and my well-being. It can be easy to get carried away with trying to be involved in everything, to try to go to every party, to finish all your homework, that you can burn yourself out. Remember to slow down, to say no to things if you feel stretched thin, and get some sleep. Drink plenty of liquids, go outside and lie on the grass, and accept the fact that no one can do it all.
3 Most Essential Items This Week:
1) Shorts. We had an Indian summer here in G-Burg. Pack a mixture of clothes, because weather can be tempermental. You can always look at the Farmers Almanac or weather services too, for the area that your college is in and pack accordingly.
2) Study Buddies. Studying with people can be so helpful, especially for classes that involve discussing concepts, languages, etc. I have a study buddy for Spanish!
3) Water Bottles. It's easy to get dehydrated in college because you're always going from building to building, or back to your dorm. Remember to drink liquids beyond the two or three times you are in the cafeteria per day. I have a aluminum water bottle that is really nice, and I fill it with water and put it in our room fridge :]
Best Food Item in the Caf:
I had the tiramisu this week. Enough said. Moving on, if moving on from such a beautiful experience is at all possible.
Plans for the Weekend:
Tonight, I am going on a mother-flipping Scavenger Hunt with APO!! Then tomorrow I am doing a prospective lunch (taking a potential applicant to lunch during their visit pretty much). In the afternoon I will be volunteering at a dinner from 3:45 until like...9:30. Sunday my suite and I are preparing for Halloween as a suite! So, busy, busy here in good ol' Galesburg.
And that's another week, brought to you by Celinda Davis!
HOW DID THAT HAPPEN??
Anyways, here is the weekly roundup!
5 Best Things This Week:
1) I kicked ass on my Spanish Exam today
2) I joined a new club called Blessings in a Backpack. Basically, they fill backpacks with food for kids who don't get enough to eat over the weekend, so they have food in their belly when school starts again on Monday.
3) I got back a bunch of labs and found that I have an A average
4) I overcame (mostly...) my issues with talking to college guys
5) I helped my friend move dorms and got to eat pizza
5 Worst Things This Week:
1) I had a 3 hour bio lab in the woods, where I had to wear jeans on a hot day so I wouldn't be affected by the poison ivy
2) I had an 8 hour dehydration headache, even with drinking as many liquids as I could
3) I got up at 6:45 yesterday (Um. Ew.)
4) I've been half-assing my APO involvement.
5) I was declined at the ATM because I was too poor to take both my money and pay the ATM fee.
Most Embarrassing Moment:
At Blessings, I barely said a word because I was too shy around a certain person. It sucks, because I like talking and being friendly, but I can actually be unbearably shy sometimes...
Words of Wisdom:
Take care of yourself. My senior year, my mom took me to see my doctor because I kept getting sick like every three weeks. I was tested for mono, hepatitis, anemia, all those things that cause fatigue and sickness. Well, I had a clean bill of health, so the doctor just diagnosed me with "Being a Uni Student". I kid you not. Now I am in college and I am in charge of myself and my well-being. It can be easy to get carried away with trying to be involved in everything, to try to go to every party, to finish all your homework, that you can burn yourself out. Remember to slow down, to say no to things if you feel stretched thin, and get some sleep. Drink plenty of liquids, go outside and lie on the grass, and accept the fact that no one can do it all.
3 Most Essential Items This Week:
1) Shorts. We had an Indian summer here in G-Burg. Pack a mixture of clothes, because weather can be tempermental. You can always look at the Farmers Almanac or weather services too, for the area that your college is in and pack accordingly.
2) Study Buddies. Studying with people can be so helpful, especially for classes that involve discussing concepts, languages, etc. I have a study buddy for Spanish!
3) Water Bottles. It's easy to get dehydrated in college because you're always going from building to building, or back to your dorm. Remember to drink liquids beyond the two or three times you are in the cafeteria per day. I have a aluminum water bottle that is really nice, and I fill it with water and put it in our room fridge :]
Best Food Item in the Caf:
I had the tiramisu this week. Enough said. Moving on, if moving on from such a beautiful experience is at all possible.
Plans for the Weekend:
Tonight, I am going on a mother-flipping Scavenger Hunt with APO!! Then tomorrow I am doing a prospective lunch (taking a potential applicant to lunch during their visit pretty much). In the afternoon I will be volunteering at a dinner from 3:45 until like...9:30. Sunday my suite and I are preparing for Halloween as a suite! So, busy, busy here in good ol' Galesburg.
And that's another week, brought to you by Celinda Davis!
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Silver and Gold
"Make new friends
But keep the old
One is silver
And the other is gold..."
At Uni High's Subbie Orientation, I met my class. I had come from a small, Montessori school, so I didn't know virtually anyone. At orientation, I met Heather, and I met Revathi, and I met Simone, and I met Seth, and I met a bunch of other people. On that warm August day, I was unaware of the beautiful friendships I would form over the five years. Now, for the first time in five years I am not surrounded by Uni kids, and I understand fully what those friendships mean to me. The friends I have make me laugh, cry, grow, overcome, and find the joy in my life. They changed me, for the better. Those friendships are golden, precious, and irreplaceable, and for that I am eternally grateful.
You can imagine now how terrifying coming to college was. Just like when I was twelve, I entered orientation, meeting people, not knowing of the friendships I was beginning to form. It's been a little over a month now, and I am making new friends. And these friendships are different. There are different jokes, different dramas, different things to cry over, and different obstacles. But they are new, shiny, and full of prospects. These are silver friendships.
When I was really little, my mother taught me an incredibly important lesson. The heart has an unlimited supply of love. When you meet a new person to love, that doesn't diminish the love for a previous person. I can give all the love in the world to my sister, and still have enough for Montessori friends, and family members, and Uni friends, and now Knox friends. Love is the gift that keeps on giving.
I LOVE the friends I am making at Knox. They are hilarious, and kind, and cool, and thoughtful, and interesting. I have great conversations with them. It's so amazing and I am so lucky that I get to meet cool people. Yet, that doesn't diminish the fact that I have beautiful, amazing friendships that started in the halls of Uni High. Those are friends I hope to keep forever, because they are hilarious, and kind, and cool, and thoughtful, and interesting as well.
So, when you go to college, put on a big smile, introduce yourself to people, and keep your mind and your heart open to all the possible friendships you will make. Because those silver friendships you make in those four years in college will become golden someday too. And really, life is a little easier and a lot better when you have friends by your side :]
Much Love,
Celinda
But keep the old
One is silver
And the other is gold..."
At Uni High's Subbie Orientation, I met my class. I had come from a small, Montessori school, so I didn't know virtually anyone. At orientation, I met Heather, and I met Revathi, and I met Simone, and I met Seth, and I met a bunch of other people. On that warm August day, I was unaware of the beautiful friendships I would form over the five years. Now, for the first time in five years I am not surrounded by Uni kids, and I understand fully what those friendships mean to me. The friends I have make me laugh, cry, grow, overcome, and find the joy in my life. They changed me, for the better. Those friendships are golden, precious, and irreplaceable, and for that I am eternally grateful.
You can imagine now how terrifying coming to college was. Just like when I was twelve, I entered orientation, meeting people, not knowing of the friendships I was beginning to form. It's been a little over a month now, and I am making new friends. And these friendships are different. There are different jokes, different dramas, different things to cry over, and different obstacles. But they are new, shiny, and full of prospects. These are silver friendships.
When I was really little, my mother taught me an incredibly important lesson. The heart has an unlimited supply of love. When you meet a new person to love, that doesn't diminish the love for a previous person. I can give all the love in the world to my sister, and still have enough for Montessori friends, and family members, and Uni friends, and now Knox friends. Love is the gift that keeps on giving.
I LOVE the friends I am making at Knox. They are hilarious, and kind, and cool, and thoughtful, and interesting. I have great conversations with them. It's so amazing and I am so lucky that I get to meet cool people. Yet, that doesn't diminish the fact that I have beautiful, amazing friendships that started in the halls of Uni High. Those are friends I hope to keep forever, because they are hilarious, and kind, and cool, and thoughtful, and interesting as well.
So, when you go to college, put on a big smile, introduce yourself to people, and keep your mind and your heart open to all the possible friendships you will make. Because those silver friendships you make in those four years in college will become golden someday too. And really, life is a little easier and a lot better when you have friends by your side :]
Much Love,
Celinda
Monday, October 3, 2011
ZZZZZZZZZ: Sleep in College
Sleep in college is....weird.
That honestly is the best description for sleeping in college. You are either getting too much of it or too little of it. Also, you sleep at the most random times. Here I will break down the different sleeping styles found in college, and tips or tricks to balance it all out.
Going to bed past 11 is a common occurrence in college. You have tons of homework and a social life. On weekdays/Sundays, you will find people up past 12, 1, maybe as late as 3 or 4 trying to finish homework assignments or to study for a test. On Fridays and Saturdays, parties or get togethers can keep you out until the break of dawn (literally).
There are two reasons why a student might be up late doing HW:
1) They have a ton of homework, or a huge test
2) They started their homework around 9
The solution to both of them is time management. While it might suck to do work (Uni kids, you understand), sometimes you have to put it first. In fact, by putting work first, you are actually going to have more time and more fun when you get to hang out. Another thing is that when you go to college, your classes (most of the time) won't meet every day. So, often, you will have TWO days to finish an assignment. Don't get comfortable though. Divide up the work over those two days. For example, I will come home on a Monday afternoon from school. I will check to see if I have any Spanish homework, because that meets every day. Then I will either do my Biology or my FP homework, and whichever I don't do, I do on Tuesday. When I spread it out, college is easier than Uni in a lot of ways.
As for the weekend and partying, live and let live. Generally though, you might have to make a compromise so you can get homework done and get some sleep. You could go out on Friday and do some homework Saturday, or vice versa. You could do homework during the day and party all night. However, think about Uni and weekends. Doesn't it suck when Sunday night rolls around and you have all your homework? Don't let that behavior transfer to college. Spread the homework out! Doing a little everyday is SO much easier than doing it all in one night. Several of my suite mates have had to pull all-nighters Sunday because they didn't get their homework done, and that messed them up sleep wise for the entire week.
Naps
Remember in preschool when you didn't want to take a nap? Do you regret that so much? I do too. Here in college though, naps are incredibly common. At least half of my suite (myself included) have just taken a nap in the middle of the day or evening. Sometimes it's because a class gets canceled. Sometimes it's because you don't have homework. Sometimes (like me) it's because you're bored. Sometimes, it's because you're skipping classes (I'M NOT ENDORSING THAT BEHAVIOR).
Whatever the reason, here are some basic things to keep in mind:
1) Don't oversleep, especially on a weekday. By taking too long of a nap, you will actually mess up your sleep schedule by not going to bed later that night.
2) Don't take naps when you have a TON of homework. You will wake up, and the work will still be there. If you are tired and feel like you're falling asleep on the book, go take a five minute walk, drink some water, dance to some music, do yoga, lift some weights, anything but actually SLEEPING
Quiet Hour, Noise, and Standing Up to People:
Quiet hour on weekdays in my suite is 11 PM. That means if you are in the suite area, SHHH. If you are in your room, you generally want to keep quiet. This has been a sore point for me the past few weeks. See, I love sleep. And I don't know about other people, but I have to get up at either 8 or 7:30 everyday, depending on if I have Biology or work. I know, you're thinking, PSH Celinda, I get up at like 5 everyday, understand I hate mornings and I have to get up and get going by myself. So, I want to go to sleep around midnight, maybe a little earlier. Well, some people have giant, enviable social lives. They have people over, music blaring, screaming and laughing so that it just rings throughout the entire suite. And, that will last past the quiet hour. We had to have a suite meeting about it. When you go to college, you will have to become aware of the awful truth: you're living with a bunch of teenagers. To deal with this, there are several actions you can take:
1) Bring earplugs. If you can fall asleep to music, get sound proof headphones and fall asleep to your iPod.
2) If the noise is getting too intense, muster up some courage and knock on the door. Let them know you are trying to sleep or work (so you can sleep). The walls are notoriously thin in college though, so be prepared for their quiet to be still fairly audible.
3) If you don't want a confrontation (understandable) talk to your RA or the Campus Life Office about it. It can be completely anonymous and they're truly adults. Unlike college students, which are just overgrown teenagers.
You're Uni students, so you understand sleep deprivation. Sometimes, I get enough sleep and it's amazing and wonderful and joyful. Sometimes I get too little (like last night) and I am almost falling asleep in Biology. If that happens, coffee can be your friend (keep caffeine before 3, unless you're Rohit, in which case you can drink coffee at any time and have no consequences :] ). Generally though, I am getting more sleep in college than I did when I went to Uni. Which, is crazy. That might just be my college, or it might be me, or it might just be sheer luck. Keep these pointers in mind though, and you will get more sleep in college.
Much Love,
Celinda :]
That honestly is the best description for sleeping in college. You are either getting too much of it or too little of it. Also, you sleep at the most random times. Here I will break down the different sleeping styles found in college, and tips or tricks to balance it all out.
Going to bed past 11 is a common occurrence in college. You have tons of homework and a social life. On weekdays/Sundays, you will find people up past 12, 1, maybe as late as 3 or 4 trying to finish homework assignments or to study for a test. On Fridays and Saturdays, parties or get togethers can keep you out until the break of dawn (literally).
There are two reasons why a student might be up late doing HW:
1) They have a ton of homework, or a huge test
2) They started their homework around 9
The solution to both of them is time management. While it might suck to do work (Uni kids, you understand), sometimes you have to put it first. In fact, by putting work first, you are actually going to have more time and more fun when you get to hang out. Another thing is that when you go to college, your classes (most of the time) won't meet every day. So, often, you will have TWO days to finish an assignment. Don't get comfortable though. Divide up the work over those two days. For example, I will come home on a Monday afternoon from school. I will check to see if I have any Spanish homework, because that meets every day. Then I will either do my Biology or my FP homework, and whichever I don't do, I do on Tuesday. When I spread it out, college is easier than Uni in a lot of ways.
As for the weekend and partying, live and let live. Generally though, you might have to make a compromise so you can get homework done and get some sleep. You could go out on Friday and do some homework Saturday, or vice versa. You could do homework during the day and party all night. However, think about Uni and weekends. Doesn't it suck when Sunday night rolls around and you have all your homework? Don't let that behavior transfer to college. Spread the homework out! Doing a little everyday is SO much easier than doing it all in one night. Several of my suite mates have had to pull all-nighters Sunday because they didn't get their homework done, and that messed them up sleep wise for the entire week.
Naps
Remember in preschool when you didn't want to take a nap? Do you regret that so much? I do too. Here in college though, naps are incredibly common. At least half of my suite (myself included) have just taken a nap in the middle of the day or evening. Sometimes it's because a class gets canceled. Sometimes it's because you don't have homework. Sometimes (like me) it's because you're bored. Sometimes, it's because you're skipping classes (I'M NOT ENDORSING THAT BEHAVIOR).
Whatever the reason, here are some basic things to keep in mind:
1) Don't oversleep, especially on a weekday. By taking too long of a nap, you will actually mess up your sleep schedule by not going to bed later that night.
2) Don't take naps when you have a TON of homework. You will wake up, and the work will still be there. If you are tired and feel like you're falling asleep on the book, go take a five minute walk, drink some water, dance to some music, do yoga, lift some weights, anything but actually SLEEPING
Quiet Hour, Noise, and Standing Up to People:
Quiet hour on weekdays in my suite is 11 PM. That means if you are in the suite area, SHHH. If you are in your room, you generally want to keep quiet. This has been a sore point for me the past few weeks. See, I love sleep. And I don't know about other people, but I have to get up at either 8 or 7:30 everyday, depending on if I have Biology or work. I know, you're thinking, PSH Celinda, I get up at like 5 everyday, understand I hate mornings and I have to get up and get going by myself. So, I want to go to sleep around midnight, maybe a little earlier. Well, some people have giant, enviable social lives. They have people over, music blaring, screaming and laughing so that it just rings throughout the entire suite. And, that will last past the quiet hour. We had to have a suite meeting about it. When you go to college, you will have to become aware of the awful truth: you're living with a bunch of teenagers. To deal with this, there are several actions you can take:
1) Bring earplugs. If you can fall asleep to music, get sound proof headphones and fall asleep to your iPod.
2) If the noise is getting too intense, muster up some courage and knock on the door. Let them know you are trying to sleep or work (so you can sleep). The walls are notoriously thin in college though, so be prepared for their quiet to be still fairly audible.
3) If you don't want a confrontation (understandable) talk to your RA or the Campus Life Office about it. It can be completely anonymous and they're truly adults. Unlike college students, which are just overgrown teenagers.
You're Uni students, so you understand sleep deprivation. Sometimes, I get enough sleep and it's amazing and wonderful and joyful. Sometimes I get too little (like last night) and I am almost falling asleep in Biology. If that happens, coffee can be your friend (keep caffeine before 3, unless you're Rohit, in which case you can drink coffee at any time and have no consequences :] ). Generally though, I am getting more sleep in college than I did when I went to Uni. Which, is crazy. That might just be my college, or it might be me, or it might just be sheer luck. Keep these pointers in mind though, and you will get more sleep in college.
Much Love,
Celinda :]
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