I think I can:
a) finish the five page argumentative research essay on "A Clockwork Orange" that I've undertaken to write in one day.
b) study for my Intro. to Literature quiz afterwards.
c) take a shower without falling asleep and drowning.
d) not go on facebook for the rest of the night.
e) get through tomorrow.
I know I can:
a) enjoy the weekend.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Procrastination
It happens to all of us.
There you sit. Your feet are firmly on the floor, your back is straight, your fingers arched gracefully above the keyboard. But nothing is happening, really. So here comes Facebook, MLIA, YouTube, BBC. Homework can wait a few hours, or at least until desperation sets in.
What am I currently procrastinating on?
Writing an article for the University Register. It's going to be about the aftermath of the Fort Hood shootings, which is actually a fairly interesting topic, but I just don't feel like writing at the moment. It doesn't help that I started rereading Gone With The Wind a few days ago, and am now having trouble putting it down.
My deadline is tomorrow at noon, so I do have time, I suppose.
What else is going on?
5:30 p.m. My dorm floor is having a pizza party/meeting
7:00 p.m. College Bowl meeting
9:13 p.m. Community Council meeting
10:00 p.m. Pirates of the Caribbean, the Musical meeting
Bed will hopefully follow shortly after Pirates.
Hmm what else?
I memorized an Emily Dickinson poem the other night. Memorizing poetry is something that is strangely easy for me. My grandpa gave me his book of poetry shortly before he died, and every so often I take it out and learn a poem or two. It usually only takes me about fifteen minutes, depending on the length of the poem. Anyway, here's the Emily Dickinson. It's short, but quite powerful, I think:
Not in Vain
If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain:
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.
There you sit. Your feet are firmly on the floor, your back is straight, your fingers arched gracefully above the keyboard. But nothing is happening, really. So here comes Facebook, MLIA, YouTube, BBC. Homework can wait a few hours, or at least until desperation sets in.
What am I currently procrastinating on?
Writing an article for the University Register. It's going to be about the aftermath of the Fort Hood shootings, which is actually a fairly interesting topic, but I just don't feel like writing at the moment. It doesn't help that I started rereading Gone With The Wind a few days ago, and am now having trouble putting it down.
My deadline is tomorrow at noon, so I do have time, I suppose.
What else is going on?
5:30 p.m. My dorm floor is having a pizza party/meeting
7:00 p.m. College Bowl meeting
9:13 p.m. Community Council meeting
10:00 p.m. Pirates of the Caribbean, the Musical meeting
Bed will hopefully follow shortly after Pirates.
Hmm what else?
I memorized an Emily Dickinson poem the other night. Memorizing poetry is something that is strangely easy for me. My grandpa gave me his book of poetry shortly before he died, and every so often I take it out and learn a poem or two. It usually only takes me about fifteen minutes, depending on the length of the poem. Anyway, here's the Emily Dickinson. It's short, but quite powerful, I think:
Not in Vain
If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain:
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Thorough
If you are one of those people who likes titles to be explained, here's the explanation for mine:
In middle school the word 'thorough' was a word we had to know for a spelling test. I don't remember if I spelled it correctly or not on the test, but I've since become rather fond of/fascinated with the word.
Thoughts:
1. Sierra needs to turn down her music. I don't know if she's hard of hearing or what, but when you can hear the bass resonating throughout the dorm, the music is too loud. Furthermore (yes, I'm still going), I would not mind my bleeding ears were it not for the fact that she has never struck me as a very friendly person.
2. When you are in your intro. to literature class and a student calls the main character in "The Necklace" a 'greedy bitch,' and the professor agrees, then you know life is good.
3 . I have to wake up at 3:30 a.m. tomorrow for a College Bowl meet at Carleton. While I am in no way a morning person, getting up so extremely early should be fairly interesting. Plus, I can sleep during the drive down.
4. I should get going on my research paper for College Writing. I chose to write about "A Clockwork Orange" and how the use of Nadsat (the crazy Russian slang language) serves to make the entire novel more sinister rather than to muffle the violent acts taking place within it. We'll see how it goes.
5. I was in the library the other day and I almost cried because I happened to walk through the fiction section. Why the almost-tears? Because I couldn't check out one book; I already have too much reading to do for my classes.
6. The fetuses the conservative Republicans spray painted all over campus actually look more like turkey vultures than unborn babies. Coincidence?
7. It's Friday the thirteenth. I'm waiting for something creepy to happen. And no, the mysterious lunch menu at Food Service doesn't count.
8. I should really get to class.
In middle school the word 'thorough' was a word we had to know for a spelling test. I don't remember if I spelled it correctly or not on the test, but I've since become rather fond of/fascinated with the word.
Thoughts:
1. Sierra needs to turn down her music. I don't know if she's hard of hearing or what, but when you can hear the bass resonating throughout the dorm, the music is too loud. Furthermore (yes, I'm still going), I would not mind my bleeding ears were it not for the fact that she has never struck me as a very friendly person.
2. When you are in your intro. to literature class and a student calls the main character in "The Necklace" a 'greedy bitch,' and the professor agrees, then you know life is good.
3 . I have to wake up at 3:30 a.m. tomorrow for a College Bowl meet at Carleton. While I am in no way a morning person, getting up so extremely early should be fairly interesting. Plus, I can sleep during the drive down.
4. I should get going on my research paper for College Writing. I chose to write about "A Clockwork Orange" and how the use of Nadsat (the crazy Russian slang language) serves to make the entire novel more sinister rather than to muffle the violent acts taking place within it. We'll see how it goes.
5. I was in the library the other day and I almost cried because I happened to walk through the fiction section. Why the almost-tears? Because I couldn't check out one book; I already have too much reading to do for my classes.
6. The fetuses the conservative Republicans spray painted all over campus actually look more like turkey vultures than unborn babies. Coincidence?
7. It's Friday the thirteenth. I'm waiting for something creepy to happen. And no, the mysterious lunch menu at Food Service doesn't count.
8. I should really get to class.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Current Events
It's been a good few weeks since I last blogged. And by 'good few weeks' I don't only mean the time period, but the good quality of the time period. That's right; college is still amazing. That's right; I did just use a semicolon (thanks, College Writing). Here's what's been going down since last I wrote:
1. I made MCSA (UMM's version of student council). To run, I had to submit a petition of reason to the school paper stating why I should be elected. And I got voted in! We had a meeting on Sunday, which I was a bit nervous about because all the upperclassman members were there as well as the new members. It was fine though; what a nice group! I'm just really excited to be part of it! I was in student council in middle school, but didn't even run in high school since I was new to the district and didn't think I'd make it.
2. I've been writing weekly articles for to University Register, which evidently makes me a staff writer. I've also been lucky enough to have my articles on the front page for every issue. This, however, may have more to do with the topic of my articles than the quality of my writing, though I hope it takes both into consideration.
3. I've made a lot of new friends. Pine Hall, my dorm, is the smallest underclassman hall on campus-only 80 people total, so we all know each other pretty well. We're currently working on making a movie entitled Pirates of the Caribbean, the Musical, for the annual UMM film festival. Ship scenes will be filmed in the pool.
I guess that's all I have to say for now. I've been so madly busy that it's hard to find time to sleep, let alone blog. Naps have become my best friend.
1. I made MCSA (UMM's version of student council). To run, I had to submit a petition of reason to the school paper stating why I should be elected. And I got voted in! We had a meeting on Sunday, which I was a bit nervous about because all the upperclassman members were there as well as the new members. It was fine though; what a nice group! I'm just really excited to be part of it! I was in student council in middle school, but didn't even run in high school since I was new to the district and didn't think I'd make it.
2. I've been writing weekly articles for to University Register, which evidently makes me a staff writer. I've also been lucky enough to have my articles on the front page for every issue. This, however, may have more to do with the topic of my articles than the quality of my writing, though I hope it takes both into consideration.
3. I've made a lot of new friends. Pine Hall, my dorm, is the smallest underclassman hall on campus-only 80 people total, so we all know each other pretty well. We're currently working on making a movie entitled Pirates of the Caribbean, the Musical, for the annual UMM film festival. Ship scenes will be filmed in the pool.
I guess that's all I have to say for now. I've been so madly busy that it's hard to find time to sleep, let alone blog. Naps have become my best friend.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Holly in Collegeland
I seriously adore college. No joke. After a few days of pondering, of wandering around campus, of sketching trees and listening to birds, I have come to this conclusion.
Here's why:
1. Freedom. You can pretty much do whatever you want (within reason, obviously). For example, if I want to go to the library, I don't have to ask permission to go to the library, nor do I have to provide an estimate of when I'll be back. And if, while at said library, I meet up with a friend and we decide to walk to Pamida, I don't need to call anyone to provide an update. I can just go. It's extremely nice.
2. The classes are absolutely amazing. Morris has really small class sizes. My largest one, U.S. history, has about 60 kids in it, which is one of the larger groups you'll find here. All of my other classes have 20 students or less. These size groups make for excellent discussions. Today in intro. to lit. we had an amazing discussion about some poems we had been told to read. I normally am not a huge fan of poetry, but for some reason I found it really fun and interesting to discuss it. In that class there are about 15 people, so everyone got a chance to speak and voice their opinion, which was really nice.
3. It's a great way to meet new people. I'm usually not super good at making new friends, but everyone's in the same boat when they go off to college-new, so it's easy to relate to everyone. All of the girls on my floor in Pine Hall are really nice, and we're already planning on doing different things together and making T-shirts.
Here's why:
1. Freedom. You can pretty much do whatever you want (within reason, obviously). For example, if I want to go to the library, I don't have to ask permission to go to the library, nor do I have to provide an estimate of when I'll be back. And if, while at said library, I meet up with a friend and we decide to walk to Pamida, I don't need to call anyone to provide an update. I can just go. It's extremely nice.
2. The classes are absolutely amazing. Morris has really small class sizes. My largest one, U.S. history, has about 60 kids in it, which is one of the larger groups you'll find here. All of my other classes have 20 students or less. These size groups make for excellent discussions. Today in intro. to lit. we had an amazing discussion about some poems we had been told to read. I normally am not a huge fan of poetry, but for some reason I found it really fun and interesting to discuss it. In that class there are about 15 people, so everyone got a chance to speak and voice their opinion, which was really nice.
3. It's a great way to meet new people. I'm usually not super good at making new friends, but everyone's in the same boat when they go off to college-new, so it's easy to relate to everyone. All of the girls on my floor in Pine Hall are really nice, and we're already planning on doing different things together and making T-shirts.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Holly Goes to College
I can't believe that I'm actually at college. I've been talking about it for years-I'm lucky, I guess, that there was never any doubt that I was going to attend college. But now that I'm here, it's difficult to grasp.
Today was just orientation-type things. Mom and Amy came along to help me move in (Dad is on a fishing trip, but promised to pick me up in May). They left fairly quickly, though, since they had another three hour drive back. In fact, they left so quickly that I didn't really get emotional about it at all. It made me think about the kids who are at the U, and how tempting that must be for them to just go home every weekend. I can't really do that easily.
I've talked to tons of people. I'm usually not super good at making friends, but all of us freshman are in the same boat, so it's easy to relate to and approach people. I'm in Pine Hall, which is coed by floor, and all the girls on my floor seem really nice. Right now as I'm typing our door is open and I can look into the room across the hall and see our neighbors puttering around.
My room still doesn't feel like home, despite all my posters and pictures and books everywhere, but I think it will eventually. As hard as it is to be away from my house and my family and friends, I think that I'm really going to like Morris.
In a few hours my whole floor is walking down to the Morris movie theater (thank goodness they have one) to see a free movie. It's G-Force, which isn't my first choice of movie, but still. It's free. And it should be a good chance to talk to a few more people.
How on God's Green Earth 30 girls will manage to share 2 showers is beyond me, however.
Today was just orientation-type things. Mom and Amy came along to help me move in (Dad is on a fishing trip, but promised to pick me up in May). They left fairly quickly, though, since they had another three hour drive back. In fact, they left so quickly that I didn't really get emotional about it at all. It made me think about the kids who are at the U, and how tempting that must be for them to just go home every weekend. I can't really do that easily.
I've talked to tons of people. I'm usually not super good at making friends, but all of us freshman are in the same boat, so it's easy to relate to and approach people. I'm in Pine Hall, which is coed by floor, and all the girls on my floor seem really nice. Right now as I'm typing our door is open and I can look into the room across the hall and see our neighbors puttering around.
My room still doesn't feel like home, despite all my posters and pictures and books everywhere, but I think it will eventually. As hard as it is to be away from my house and my family and friends, I think that I'm really going to like Morris.
In a few hours my whole floor is walking down to the Morris movie theater (thank goodness they have one) to see a free movie. It's G-Force, which isn't my first choice of movie, but still. It's free. And it should be a good chance to talk to a few more people.
How on God's Green Earth 30 girls will manage to share 2 showers is beyond me, however.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Sunday, Sunday (So Good to Me)
I leave for college on Sunday. Sunday. At about 7 a.m.
I work almost all day Saturday (it's the big Ki-Chi-Saga Days street sale at the drug store).
So that means...
Tomorrow is my last day to pack.
The problem is I haven't even started packing yet! Holy cow!
I have almost everything I need, I just need to put it together.
Hopefully I can accomplish this in a day.
Everybody pray.
Please.
Fin.
I work almost all day Saturday (it's the big Ki-Chi-Saga Days street sale at the drug store).
So that means...
Tomorrow is my last day to pack.
The problem is I haven't even started packing yet! Holy cow!
I have almost everything I need, I just need to put it together.
Hopefully I can accomplish this in a day.
Everybody pray.
Please.
Fin.
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