Two posts in one day?!?! I must be crazy.
But, this one will be short. It's just sort of a status update really. Remember when I said to take care of yourself? Well, make sure you are surrounded by people who do the same. I am currently sucking down hot tea surrounded by fruit, trying to convince myself to go to bed. My roommate and suitemate were tossing bronchitis back and forth for the past month and a half, and now I think my last suitemate and I are finally succumbing to it in the crossfire. But that's what they get; they have terrible eating habits, terrible sleep patterns, and generally don't live well.
I even cleaned out our room and scrubbed the bathroom when they were really picking up in illness. There was bleach and lysol everywhere. The whole suite smelled anti-bacterial, and there was going to be no way I could get sick. If I'm sick during spring break, someone is going to die. I have midterms this week, I can't afford to be sick. For the love of all that is holy, if you live with other people, be courteous, watch your health. Maintaining yourself helps keep them happy. Because if I have bronchitis too, all hell is going to break loose.
So, if you don't hear from me soon, it's probably because when I'm not in class or doing homework, I'm sleeping. Because sleep and tea are always the best remedies. Let's just hope I can make a speedy recovery.
Saturday, March 2, 2013
All right. Haven't posted in like two weeks, but I was insanely busy.
I have had three exams, a paper, an interview, and plenty of little things in between to keep me preoccupied. First off, the interview. It was to be a housing assistant, live in the dorms and keep an eye on the freshman sort of thing. I thought the interview went well. But I guess so did 500 other people. Yeah, I didn't realize how many people had applied. So, in the end, I didn't get the job. Now I have to figure out away to pay for another year of school. Hooray, universe, anything else you want to throw at me while I'm down?
Exams, let's not talk about them. They've all been those ones where you look at them, think 'I've got this, this makes so much sense!' and then they are returned with red marks everywhere. Ouch. And apparently studying doesn't work, because the problem is I'm not clever. I can do the math, I can do the theory. What I can't do is look at a problem and instantly know I have to manipulate it, turn it inside out, and then sprinkle it with fairy dust, look at it through an x-ray lense, and then it will be workable. You can't study to be clever.
And so, with this post, I am going to recount all the things I have done wrong in regards to school, and what I should have done instead. This is in hope that anyone reading this who is heading to college, still struggling with college, or even still in high school, because I'm coming to realize that as different as they are, college and high school can be pretty darn similar in terms of how to play the game.
1. DON'T PROCRASTINATE. This has been beat into the heads of everyone ever since we've started school. Heck, there are quotes and sayings throughout history about it. "Don't put off till tomorrow what can be done today" sound familiar? And guess what? They're absolutely right. There are times when I can be a day or two ahead of my workload, but it never lasts long. If you have free time, do your work. Force yourself. Once you start it, your brain makes you anxious until it is finished. It's like looking at a blank page before writing. It's easier to continue once the page has been started.
2. Eat right, and on time. If you eat junk, you will feel like junk. There were some nights when I would just grab a burger because it was there and quick. It was faster than waiting for a healthy deli sandwich or taking the time to make a salad. And those nights, and the morning after, I felt terrible. Tired, sluggish, uncomfortable. Also, don't skip eating. I don't mean eat constantly, just when you're hungry and make sure you're keeping fueled up. Take care of yourself.
3. Use your resources. I can't even begin to list off tutoring opportunities offered by my school. Online, study center, professor office hours, the list goes on and on. They are there for a reason. The lectures and text book are good and all, but sometimes you need that extra oomph to understand, or just one more explanation. People learn in different ways, find out what works for you.
4. Enjoy yourself. It doesn't have to be all work and no play, you just have to know where to draw the line. And sometimes, when you have to be clever with homework, doing something fun and creative can get your brain pumping. You're in college, a new environment, explore it a little. Go to that little ice cream parlor down the street for floats with friends. Explore the nightlife, if that's your cup of tea. This goes with taking care of yourself. Having fun recharges your batteries for those nights when you have to write a physics lab and it takes you 6 hours.
Let me know if you've learned anything else, or want more details on something. these are just my own personal mistakes I've learned from. But they were good lessons, and you can't get anywhere without a few knocks now and then.
I have had three exams, a paper, an interview, and plenty of little things in between to keep me preoccupied. First off, the interview. It was to be a housing assistant, live in the dorms and keep an eye on the freshman sort of thing. I thought the interview went well. But I guess so did 500 other people. Yeah, I didn't realize how many people had applied. So, in the end, I didn't get the job. Now I have to figure out away to pay for another year of school. Hooray, universe, anything else you want to throw at me while I'm down?
Exams, let's not talk about them. They've all been those ones where you look at them, think 'I've got this, this makes so much sense!' and then they are returned with red marks everywhere. Ouch. And apparently studying doesn't work, because the problem is I'm not clever. I can do the math, I can do the theory. What I can't do is look at a problem and instantly know I have to manipulate it, turn it inside out, and then sprinkle it with fairy dust, look at it through an x-ray lense, and then it will be workable. You can't study to be clever.
And so, with this post, I am going to recount all the things I have done wrong in regards to school, and what I should have done instead. This is in hope that anyone reading this who is heading to college, still struggling with college, or even still in high school, because I'm coming to realize that as different as they are, college and high school can be pretty darn similar in terms of how to play the game.
1. DON'T PROCRASTINATE. This has been beat into the heads of everyone ever since we've started school. Heck, there are quotes and sayings throughout history about it. "Don't put off till tomorrow what can be done today" sound familiar? And guess what? They're absolutely right. There are times when I can be a day or two ahead of my workload, but it never lasts long. If you have free time, do your work. Force yourself. Once you start it, your brain makes you anxious until it is finished. It's like looking at a blank page before writing. It's easier to continue once the page has been started.
2. Eat right, and on time. If you eat junk, you will feel like junk. There were some nights when I would just grab a burger because it was there and quick. It was faster than waiting for a healthy deli sandwich or taking the time to make a salad. And those nights, and the morning after, I felt terrible. Tired, sluggish, uncomfortable. Also, don't skip eating. I don't mean eat constantly, just when you're hungry and make sure you're keeping fueled up. Take care of yourself.
3. Use your resources. I can't even begin to list off tutoring opportunities offered by my school. Online, study center, professor office hours, the list goes on and on. They are there for a reason. The lectures and text book are good and all, but sometimes you need that extra oomph to understand, or just one more explanation. People learn in different ways, find out what works for you.
4. Enjoy yourself. It doesn't have to be all work and no play, you just have to know where to draw the line. And sometimes, when you have to be clever with homework, doing something fun and creative can get your brain pumping. You're in college, a new environment, explore it a little. Go to that little ice cream parlor down the street for floats with friends. Explore the nightlife, if that's your cup of tea. This goes with taking care of yourself. Having fun recharges your batteries for those nights when you have to write a physics lab and it takes you 6 hours.
Let me know if you've learned anything else, or want more details on something. these are just my own personal mistakes I've learned from. But they were good lessons, and you can't get anywhere without a few knocks now and then.
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