Life as I know it
I hope everyone had an amazing Thanksgiving break!
Even though the next few weeks will be nothing but cramming for finals, I feel relieved that its almost over. I'm looking forward to starting fresh next semester, since I have an idea of what I need to do and how college works.
Enough about college though, who is excited for Christmas?! I am. :)
Christmas is my favorite holiday of the year, and I think this one will be a bit more special, since I am on my own and such now. I came home for thanksgiving break to a decorated house, and I was very happy. My mom has a thing for Christmas decorations, and every year we have a picture perfect Christmas tree, like the ones you see modeling in a store.
Its funny how things change after only a few months. While living on your own you get a better sense of what is a necessity rather that what you want. When thinking about what I want for Christmas, the first things that came to mind were more of necessities, like I want a coat, since I never needed one where Im from it never got cold enough for one. (Its still in the mid 80's here btw). I'm not really sure what else I want…
Hmmmmm…..
What do you guys want?
Defy Gravity and Keep Smiling,
Dawn
Even though the next few weeks will be nothing but cramming for finals, I feel relieved that its almost over. I'm looking forward to starting fresh next semester, since I have an idea of what I need to do and how college works.
Enough about college though, who is excited for Christmas?! I am. :)
Christmas is my favorite holiday of the year, and I think this one will be a bit more special, since I am on my own and such now. I came home for thanksgiving break to a decorated house, and I was very happy. My mom has a thing for Christmas decorations, and every year we have a picture perfect Christmas tree, like the ones you see modeling in a store.
Its funny how things change after only a few months. While living on your own you get a better sense of what is a necessity rather that what you want. When thinking about what I want for Christmas, the first things that came to mind were more of necessities, like I want a coat, since I never needed one where Im from it never got cold enough for one. (Its still in the mid 80's here btw). I'm not really sure what else I want…
Hmmmmm…..
What do you guys want?
Defy Gravity and Keep Smiling,
Dawn
In high school, I was never much of a partier. I went to quite a few parties throughout the years, but I never drank, and it was something that I was really proud of. When I left for college, I wasn't quite sure if my habits or feelings about parties would change. I can now say that my habits have not changed, and the party scene is much different in college. In college, parties are a common occurrence. At first, I found it outrageous that some of my friends were going out on a Tuesday night. It's been something that I have kind of grown used to though, any time is a good time for a party in college. When I was enjoying my last few weeks of summer vacation before leaving home I wasn't really sure if my choice to always stay sober would be accepted within my peers. My first college party I was relieved to find that many people didn't drink, and I made some good friends that night. Actually, it is something that is really respected by college students. I cant tell you how many times someone asks if I want a drink, I reply saying "No, I don't drink" and then they respond saying "wow, I really respect that", or something of the sort. I still wouldn't consider myself a partier. I'd prefer a movie, junk food, and some close friends in a room over a party any night. It's always nice to do something different once and a while, just always remember to say true to yourself and to not let anyone pressure you into something that makes you uncomfortable.
Defy Gravity and Keep Smiling,
Dawn
Defy Gravity and Keep Smiling,
Dawn
Okay, who else is absolutely stoked for Thanksgiving?!
I am so excited to go home. I can't wait to see my family and boyfriend, and to have real food for once. Oh, and also to be able to take a shower without shoes on :)
Its almost crunch time. Only a few more weeks until finals tests and projects are due, so of course, stress levels are high. Over this past semester, I've become better at keeping my life in order. Im learning how to successfully balance school, work, play, and my long distance relationship. I've become accustomed to doing everything at a certain time, and its really making my life easier, and less stressful. It also mentally prepares me for the days challenges. I know that I will be doing homework at a certain time, so I am expecting it, and therefore am not dreading it as much. This is the same for talking to my friends and family. I call my grandparents via web cam most days at 1:30 and that lasts for about half an hour, and I talk to other family and my boyfriend later at night. It also gives me things to look forward to. :)
You have to stay optimistic in order to survive at college. Appreciate the little things, and don't stress over silly things. If you don't stay positive, life at college will be miserable. So keep your head up gorgeous, people would kill to see you fall :)
Personally, things like countdowns and randomly singing and dancing around the dorm seem to keep me feeling better. You should try it sometime. :D
What do you do to stay positive?
Defy Gravity and Keep Smiling,
Dawn
Monday, November 17, 2008
In high school, I thought I did a good job preparing myself for college. I took as many advanced classes that I could and I was involved in sports, clubs, and also managed to have a job. I thought adapting to a busy schedule was going to be the biggest challenge in college, but now that I am a college student living the college life, I realize that's not the greatest challenge.
The greatest challenge in college is learning to live on your own, manage your own classes, homework, a job, transportation, laundry, cleaning, food and other commitments and social life. While living at home, you take things like laundry and having easy access to food for granted, but in college, it is all up to you. Another think that takes some getting used to is the amount of free time you suddenly have. It is really easy to use your free time in the wrong ways. Taking a 5 hour nap isn't the best choice when you have hours upon hours of homework due the next morning...
In college, many students don't realize little things like this until it is too late. In high school, if you do really bad on a paper or a test it is very possible that you can bounce back, and still pass the class with an A. But in college, if you mess up early, there is little chance you can bounce back, and if you can, it will be a struggle. You have to stay strong and focused every day, or your GPA will suffer :(
What worries you about college?
Defy Gravity and Keep smiling,
Dawn
Monday, November 10, 2008
Hey from UA :)
So, feeling really stupid, we decided to head back to the dorm and change into a normal outfit. We went back, got ready, and went back. When we got there the place was packed, like sardine packed. There was lots of dancing, and Andre Nickatina was there and he performed. Every once and a while some weird guy would come up behind me and start dancing with me, but I would then purposely start dancing to the wrong beat until they would go away, and it worked everytime :D
Oh, advice:
Frats are discusting. Especially the floors. Im not exaggerating, the entire floor was covered in cans, bottles and beer. Dont wear your nicest or favorite shoes, my favorite black ballet flats learned the hard way. :(
Anyway, it was a fun night out with the girls :) Im looking forward to more theme parties!
Whats your favorite type of theme party?
Defy Gravity and Keep Smiling,
Dawn
So things have been pretty good here, but I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving.
Last week I registered for my classes! I have all the classes I want, with NO class on fridays and my classes on monday dont start until 4 PM, and end at 5, So i pretty much have a 4 day weekend every week! Ahhh... the benefits of college. :)
So on Saturday I went to my first Frat Party, and it was insane. A funny thing happened that night... Well the theme of the party was "Swampwater" and you are supposed to dress up like "Trailer Trash". So my 5 friends and myself get dressed up in these ridiculous outfits, with crazy hair and horrible makeup and we set off on our journey to the frat (which was about a mile away and it was FREEZING outside). So we are almost there and we call a friend to see if they are there yet and thats when we get the devastating news.... no one is dressed up. :-|
So, feeling really stupid, we decided to head back to the dorm and change into a normal outfit. We went back, got ready, and went back. When we got there the place was packed, like sardine packed. There was lots of dancing, and Andre Nickatina was there and he performed. Every once and a while some weird guy would come up behind me and start dancing with me, but I would then purposely start dancing to the wrong beat until they would go away, and it worked everytime :D
Oh, advice:
Frats are discusting. Especially the floors. Im not exaggerating, the entire floor was covered in cans, bottles and beer. Dont wear your nicest or favorite shoes, my favorite black ballet flats learned the hard way. :(
Anyway, it was a fun night out with the girls :) Im looking forward to more theme parties!
Whats your favorite type of theme party?
Defy Gravity and Keep Smiling,
Dawn
From Madison, age 14:
Hey guys! I was just wondering how soon you started planning for college in
high school. Was there anything you wish you would have done to better
prepare yourself? And how much do your high school years affect college?
Hey guys! I was just wondering how soon you started planning for college in
high school. Was there anything you wish you would have done to better
prepare yourself? And how much do your high school years affect college?
Good morning everyone :)
Well, I knew from a young age that I wanted and was expected to go to college. I started thinking about college my freshman year of high school, and I personally believe that is the time you really have to start thinking about it. When I say start thinking about it, I don't necessarily mean find the college you want to go to, but prepare for your future. Don't slack off your freshman year... challenge yourself and work really hard to get good grades. Take honors classes, AP classes, join clubs, play sports, but don't overwork yourself. Form good study habits early. Trust me, its really a challenge to change these habits later in time. In college, if you want an A in a class, you are expected to study 3 hours for every 1 unit. For example, my spanish class is a 4 credit class (meaning we meet 4 hours a week), therefore I should study for about 12 hours if I want an A. It's hard to believe, but it true. :(
I started college searching late in my freshman year, and by my sophomore year, I had narrowed it down to a group of schools. It's really kind of fun to college search. I still do it from time to time, just because I like to see what other campuses are like. My favorite college search engines are CollegeBoard, FastWeb and especially SparkNotes.
I really wish I would have taken high school more seriously. My freshman and sophomore year I got A's and B's and one C, and when I realized that my grades were more important it was too late. I just slacked off in classes that would have been an easy A if I actually paid attention to it, but I didnt, and had to suffer in the end. For me, my grades were important because I wanted to be in the Honors College here at the University of Arizona, which required a minimum of a 3.8 high school gpa, and because of my lovely C and few B's, I ended high school with a 3.72 gpa. Sure, its a decent gpa, but it wasnt high enough for my personal standards.
Another thing I recommend is to start taking your ACTs and SATs as soon as you can (early junior year, or even late sophomore year) so you have plenty more times to take it if you aren't happy with your score. :)
HIgh school affects college greatly, but its not ALL about grades. Colleges like well rounded students, who could carry a full class load, play sports and participate in some clubs. So find something you like doing. I was very active in National Honors Society, and Rotary's Interact club, as well as cheerleading and a job.
OH! One more thing...
In high school I was invited to a program called National Youth Leadership Forum (NYLF) of Medicine, and I decided to go, and it was one of the best experiences of my life. I learned so much and I made so many friends that I still talk to today (and that was nearly 3 years ago!). Don't let the few thousand dollar charge scare you away, write to organizations, clubs, and other businesses around your city. I did this and with the help of the Kiwanis Club of the Colorado River, Elks Lodge, Womens Council, Elks Auxiliary, WARMC Auxiliary, Joyce Lyon, Don and Martha Pryor, Cathy and Janet Stubblefield, LJ and Lois Little, Jan Ward, Dr. Price, the Legacy Foundation, and family. It was the experience of a lifetime, and I owe it to these people and organizations for that experience. And best of all, it looks REALLY good on a college application. :)
Good luck!
Defy Gravity and Keep Smiling,
Dawn
procrastination [pro⋅cras⋅ti⋅nate]:
–verb (used without object)
to defer action; delay: to procrastinate until an opportunity is lost.
See Also: Facebook, Myspace.
Ha :)
We are all guilty. You can't say you haven't, because you'd be lying.
In college, procrastination seems to creep up on you more often than before. You have a lot more free time and if you don't manage your time wisely, Starbucks coffee and all nighters will become much more familiar to you. I am proud to admit that I have NOT had a full all nighter yet, but I am extremely guilty of frequent procrastination. School work in college are much more time consuming, so you just cant put things off until last minute. Facebook and Myspace are huge contributers to my personal procrastination, and its really hard to break the habit of doing homework with facebook or myspace being in a window behind it.
To beat procrastination, I use a planner. When I have things written out in one spot I see how much I really have to do, Im more likely to do it. Crossing things off of a huge list makes me feel good :) you should try it sometime! Also, another thing I do is (if I can) turn off my wireless connection, so I cant sneek on to myspace or facebook. But if you cant, use a reward system. Make promises to yourself. "For every page of this essay I write I get 10 minutes facebook/myspace time"
If you can stick with it, it really works! :)
Good luck all my fellow procrastinators
Defy Gravity and Keep Smiling,
Dawn
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Hey Guys-
This blog is going to be a little bit different, but I think it needs to be said and heard. College life is amazing and parties are fun, but people really need to set boundaries and actually follow them. Its really kind of sad. It's crazy how quickly people can change, and how fast friendships can be destroyed. These past few months have been quite the roller-coaster ride. In the beginning of the year, everyone in our hall would get together, have pool tournaments, watch movies, throw dance parties at 3 AM, and we all had a great time. But now there are small cliques of people, and most people hate each other. It's really sad when you think about it, and its even worse when you realize that the majority of these friendships were destroyed because of alcohol or hooking up. :/
So, here is my advice to everyone...
Find people you can truly count on and trust. Don't be pressured by your new friends to become someone you are not. Listen to what your mind and heart is telling you, and if that causes you to lose some friendships then so be it. Losing friendships is much better than losing yourself and don't be afraid to make a new group of friends, just keep your eyes open and your heart close. In the end all you've got is you, so don't lose sight of YOUR dreams and YOUR aspirations.
Aside from college drama, I was very excited to go home this past weekend! I spent the weekend with my family and my boyfriend, Randy. It was an amazing weekend filled with many memories. Im looking forward to going home for Thanksgiving and Christmas, but for now its time to focus on school.
Defy Gravity and Keep Smiling,
Dawn
Seriously… Stressed out is an understatement. Between Spanish essays, Biology lab write ups, math tests, realizing I need to go to tutoring, personal finance online discussions, essays about the economy, 3 hour labs at 8 am, Spanish tests, work, cheer practice, football games, Spanish worksheets, biology lectures, biology discussions 3 times a week, club meetings, volunteer hours, laundry, MCAT planning, schedule making, and packing to visit home, I barley have time to breathe.
So I learned something extremely helpful last night. There are so many tutoring sources that are FREE around campus. I always thought the classes and stuff cost money, so I never really considered them. But yesterday I was studying for a Spanish test and I was reading an email sent by my teacher, and it said "Spanish 102 Exam prep, Monday 630 in the tutoring resource library" so I clicked on the link and I found a list of a lot of classes, that have weekly, and even nightly drop in tutoring! Why didn't I realize this 2 months ago?! Really, every one of you guys in college have to see if your school has something like this, because it just saved my life, and my GPA. :)
I get to go home this weekend. I am VERY excited! I get to see my family and my boyfriend, and I get to go see my kids at the Boys and Girls Club and also a home high school football game. This weekend sounds like paradise, I cant wait.
Have a happy and safe Halloween everyone!
Defy Gravity and Keep Smiling,
Dawn
So I learned something extremely helpful last night. There are so many tutoring sources that are FREE around campus. I always thought the classes and stuff cost money, so I never really considered them. But yesterday I was studying for a Spanish test and I was reading an email sent by my teacher, and it said "Spanish 102 Exam prep, Monday 630 in the tutoring resource library" so I clicked on the link and I found a list of a lot of classes, that have weekly, and even nightly drop in tutoring! Why didn't I realize this 2 months ago?! Really, every one of you guys in college have to see if your school has something like this, because it just saved my life, and my GPA. :)
I get to go home this weekend. I am VERY excited! I get to see my family and my boyfriend, and I get to go see my kids at the Boys and Girls Club and also a home high school football game. This weekend sounds like paradise, I cant wait.
Have a happy and safe Halloween everyone!
Defy Gravity and Keep Smiling,
Dawn