3 Things I Learned Halfway Through Spring Semester

I cannot believe how much I have grown since starting college - it has been an amazing adventure so far. So, in the format of a previous post, I want to share with you what more I have learned halfway through my second semester of college.

1) Other people can be shy too.

I used to think that I was the problem because I am shy and everyone else seemed to be extroverted. I thought this was why I seemed to have trouble making friends. Truth is, a lot of people are shy and they just have different ways of showing it. For myself, I just have to get past thinking about what other people think and just be me; after all, why do you want to be friends with people who don't accept you for you?

2) Participation matters.

If you can, try to answer as many questions in class as you are able. A lot of professors have a "participation grade" as part of your assignments/final grades. It also helps your professor to put a name to your face. When he or she is grading your exam, he may be more likely to take off points simply because you participate more than others and he "knows" you. My mom gave me this tip, and it has helped me alot (I got the highest participation grade in my Marketing Principles class). It's awkward for professors to have students that don't answer any questions, so they appreciate your input.

3) Try new things

New things may be scary at first, but if you don't try them, you'll never know what you're missing. Who knows, you may end up loving your school's marketing club or enjoying the company of fellow nerds in an anime club. If you don't put yourself out there, you won't learn. Often you can drop out of things if you don't like them, so don't feel obligated to commit to anything your first year of college and try out things, finding what you like. If you have space, take classes that aren't in your major, but interest you. You are here to learn, and that is not merely limited to your major.

Ok that's all for now. As you probably have figured out, I prefer to write short blog posts, because as a reader I prefer to read shorter blog posts.

Have a fantastic swanky day. (Or not.)

Late Library Dates

If you asked me where I spent most of my time this week I'd have to answer

I live there. Apparently I signed myself up for two closing shifts at the library this semester, I have no idea how I was not aware that I did this, but anyway the point is that I am working at the library 9pm-12am Wednesday and Thursday every week. With 8am classes everyday. Like I said, no idea what I was thinking or why I ended up with these shifts.

Yesterday I spent 11 1/2 hours total at the library: 10-12:30pm studying, then I worked 3-7, waited two hours and then worked 9-12. Basically this place is my home.

< Picture of my library.

I really love the library, so I don't have a problem really, except for that I need sleep. Which I am not getting. Like, I got 4 1/2 - 5 hours of sleep last night. Not cool or healthy. So I'm trying to go to bed earlier on days I don't work but this becomes a problem because my roommates stay up past midnight usually. Funny, because when I come home from the library to my dorm after I close they are in bed with all the lights off. (Which is funny because my roommate just asked me to leave the light on for her if I go to bed before she does.) Interesting.

Yeah whatever. I can't wait till next year when I can pick my roommates (actually that's a really dramatic thing but I'm not going to talk about that right now). To be honest I don't mind that I'm at the library so much because a lot of my friends hang out there, and I get to see people come and go.

Random fact: my friends (especially guys) like to make jokes about me shushing people in the library. It's getting quite old, and in fact I would like to smack one of them the next time they shush me at my circulation desk.

Here's to a New Semester

It's hard to believe that I'm already in my second semester at college. It feel like just yesterday I moved in on that ridiculously hot August day, and started down the road of academia. Now in my second semester, I have just finished my first week of classes, and praise the Lord it is Friday.

The first class I went to this semester was CCC (Created and Called for Community). Since I attend a Christian college, all the first-years have to take two classes related to the college's expectations and beliefs. Having took my First Year Seminar class in the fall, the next to follow is CCC. I could tell from the first day that it was going to be my least favorite class, it is full of ridiculous, unnecessary writing assignments that are going to take up a lot of my time, which I determined, is probably more than all my other classes put together. I cannot wait until I'm not a first-year anymore - the orientation stuff is getting really old and boring.

Besides CCC, I think that my other classes are going to go very well, and I'm looking forward to learning alot of stuff in my programming and web development classes. I really love to learn, just it needs to be focused on something of importance, not ill-patterned introductory first-year classes that have absolutely no significance and require too many stupid writing assignments.