Look! An update!

You know how I said I would be blogging more frequently and then disappeared for like 18 days? I have an excuse! I was totally planning on sitting down and blogging a couple weeks ago, but then we lost power for 19 hours. And I would’ve updated sometime during the rest of that weekend, but I started feeling sick. I think I just had a really bad head cold of something, but I pretty much spent both of those days in bed and doing homework. Then I had a crazy amount of Arabic work and then I was busy studying for my Art History midterm. After that I spent a few days at the Naval Academy attending the ALLIES Roundtable conference, and then the Arabic midterm came. Basically I’ve been super busy and I’m still only a college freshman trying to figure out how to manage my time.

The biggest thing I have to say about the last couple of weeks is that I’m finally settling into a rhythm. I’ve taken some midterms and gotten some papers back and have realized that I’m going to be okay. I feel like I can now confidently say that I can handle this whole college thing. I was definitely a little intimidated before coming here. I basically  over analyze everything and was worried, not just about adjusting to college life, but also how I would fit in academically. So I’m happy to report that I finally feel confident that I wasn’t admitted by mistake. The college life adjustment is working out fine too. I’ve found that most of my worrying is pretty pointless. Whenever I start getting a little unhappy about my lack of plans for the weekend, a ton of events start popping up and I suddenly have too much to do.

On a semi-related note, I’ve discovered that one of my favorite things to do in college is attend lectures given by various professional and leaders in their field. I’ve attended a lecture by a forensic geologist, one by a freelance journalist, and another by a former ambassador. I’m starting to learn that at Tufts there is no shortage of interesting people coming to campus all the time. It’s more than just interesting though. These people have had such amazing and dynamic lives. They’ve lived through and experienced so much. I make an effort to go to as many of them as I can because I find them so inspiring. I think they’re a great compliment to what I’m learning in my classes because hearing these people speak gives me the motivation I need to focus on my academics. It makes me want to do well in school so I have opportunities like theirs in the future.

Now I have to get to class so I can’t wrap this post up as well as I’d wanted. But I’m updating! And will continue to update in the future. I promise. (And this is not some boy who cried wolf thing, my time management skills have improved since mid-October.)

why I can’t stop blasting power ballads while walking to class

I’ve come to the realization that there is no way I’d be able to survive the weather here if it wasn’t for Journey. Seriously. Every time I know I have to go back outside I start to dread it, but the minute I turn on my ipod and Journey starts playing I start smiling. You wouldn’t think it was such a big deal, but when it’s 41 degrees outside (in the middle of October!) and I’m trying to beat the rain back to my dorm, it really does make a difference.

I know 41 may not be that cold to some of you, but I come from Texas.

In other news, sorry for the lack of updates. I had my first major college assignments due last week. But I’ve turned in all my essays! I don’t have anything to worry about until my Art History midterm in a couple weeks, and I’ve stored up plenty of things to say, so you’ll probably be seeing a lot of activity in this little part of the internet soon. I’m excited. I hope you are to. (I’m also very caffeinated currently, and I can’t get Don’t Stop Believing out of my head.)

Random question. Would it be totally weird if I ended all my posts with ’so it goes…’ The way Vonnegut often did? It probably would because I just wikipediad (I know this is not a real verb, but how do I spell it?) it and found out he used the phrase when referencing death. I’m kind of surprised I never made that connection when studying him in English last year.

After my last post, I got all nostalgic and looked through pictures of last year’s festival. I like this one a lot. Its got the festival (or part of it at least) and the skyline of my favorite city behind it. So I posted it in case any one was curious.

3 days, 8 stages, 130 bands

The Austin City Limits music festival is officially underway and I’m not there. Ever since I’ve gotten to campus, I’ve been telling everyone that will listen about ACL. I’m not even a huge music fan, but for some reason my attendance at last year’s festival made a huge impact on me. I still bring up random memories of the weekend with my friends all the time and find myself thinking about it quite often. It was honestly kind of a factor in the college process. Well, not really. But the whole time I was acutely aware of the fact that coming to Tufts would make attending ACL nearly impossible. It’s okay though, Tufts was worth it. And also, it’s a testament to how amazing this event is that I can still be so pumped about it even though I’m 2,000 miles away. I’m a tiny bit jealous, but mostly I’m just really excited for all my friends there. I’m looking forward to their videos and pictures (and phone calls during certain bands.) I’m glad the weather is nice, and that there’s grass to sit on instead of dirt! (Even though I don’t think it will last long.) I’m even happy for the tens of thousands of people I don’t even know who will get the chance to have such a fantastic weekend.

Plus, Hulu is streaming the festival live for the first time ever! Which according to twitter, might be annoying some of the people there. I guess they don’t appreciate having a long-arm camera waving around inches from their heads. But for me it’s great! I plan on watching it as much as possible this weekend. So me and the people in my wing (I finally set up my computer speakers and concerts are supposed to experienced loudly) will be able to feel a little like we’re there. Dr. Dog is on currently, they’re pretty good. And I like their stage design a lot.

I hate to get on the soapbox here, but for all of you high school seniors (or juniors or whoever) reading this, if I could give you one piece of advice it would be to take time to enjoy your lives. I know you may be stressed with college apps and school work, I remember how difficult it was to give up an entire weekend for this festival last year, but honestly, the memories you make at events like these are going to be so worth it. I personally believe that everyone should attend at least one music festival in their lives because it’s just such a unique experience, but that’s beside the point. If this isn’t your thing, find other events, shows, games, and performances to go to with your friends and make as many memories as possible before high school is over.

random self discovery

Over the past couple of days one of my weaknesses has become very clear to me. While sitting in my Intro to Peace and Justice Studies class, and my Intro to Philosophy class, and the ALLIES meeting, I realized that I have a serious problem getting my point across. Not to get too self congratulatory here, but I know that intellectually I fit in my classes. The points people bring up makes sense to me, and I don’t usually get too lost during the lectures. When it comes to contribute however, I sometimes have problems. Not all the time, I can often contribute well in these kinds of intellectual situations. However, there are times when I have valuable things to say, but the way I express my thoughts doesn’t seem very effective. Part of it is how I speak. It’s not like I speak with a country accent or sound like a Valley girl or anything, but I definitely don’t speak like a debater. When I’m not coming from that kind of standpoint with some crazy intellectual sounding way of talking, people tend to not take me nearly as seriously as the people who sound more put together, so I really have to be able to support my opinions. This is also slightly problematic because I don’t know a lot about recent history. There’s this gap, like the 90s and early 2000s, where my knowledge is pretty weak because it falls between the end of our learning in history classes and the age at which I was mature enough to pay attention and understand the news. For some reason this period of time has come up surprisingly often so I’m feeling slightly disadvantaged.

I’m really not upset about this though. The gap in my learning is easy to fix, I just need to do a little research (as soon as I find some time.) And as far as weaknesses go, this is a good one to be aware of in college. I have no doubt that these next four years will improve my ability to express myself in many types of situations. It’s a good challenge and I’m actually looking forward to actively trying to improve this aspect of myself. Plus it’s inspiring to be around people who can carry on these great discussions. Still, it was something I became aware of last week and I figured it was worth a post.

“You ever try and clean an actual slate? You always see what was on it before.”

Shameless plug here that has nothing to do with Tufts. Dollhouse is the best show on television. I just finished watching the season 2 premiere and I feel like I need to tell everyone I know that if you’re not watching it, you’re missing out. Joss Whedon (the show’s creator) is a genius at creating really amazing television. But if you haven’t liked his previous work, give this a chance. It’s a totally new type of project for him. This show is the most intelligent, enthralling, and entertaining thing on television.  Every piece of dialogue and every shot is so strategically placed that I’m constantly in awe. Tiny disclaimer though, if you start watching from the beginning (which is easy since there have only been 14 episodes), you have to get through the first 5 or 6 episodes for the show to really hit it’s stride. But it’s completely worth it.

learning new skills

Sorry for the long time between updates! I’ve been neglecting the internet way too much lately. Now that I’ve adjusted to this new college lifestyle,  promise I’ll be better!

Anyway, I’ve officially completed my first two weeks of college. (I love having no classes on Friday!) These past couple days were kind off stressful. My first Arabic quiz was on Thursday, and I had quite a bit of reading to keep up with for various classes. The material is all pretty interesting though so it wasn’t too bad.

As I’m sure some of you know, Gossip Girl returned on Monday. I watch a lot of television, and for me Gossip Girl is entertaining, but nothing special, so I was slightly taken by surprise by how big a deal it was with people here. Not everyone obviously, but there was definitely a lot of talk about it in my hall and with friends. I decided to join in the excitement and go watch the premiere at the Africana center. I wasn’t sure what it was going to be like. Besides the friend that invited me, I didn’t think I’d know many people there, but she ensured me that they had a really nice tv, and when it comes to a television watching event that’s really all that matters. It turns out they do have a really nice television. And after forcing myself to get used to watching tv on my laptop or the tiny television in my dorm, this was a more than welcome change. It also turns out that watching Gossip Girl in a social setting made the show way more fun. It was a pretty bizarre premiere, and provided plenty of topics to discuss during the commercials. There was a nice relaxed environment, all of us watching were really into it, and I had a great time.

In keeping with the entertainment themed nature of this post, I would like to share with the world my love for the Tufts Film Series. They play free movies every weekend in one of the lecture halls on campus. Last weekend I saw Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. (if you’re in the market for fun facts, it was Jason Statham’s first ever role.) One of my concerns about coming to college was the fact that I would probably not get to go to the theater nearly as often as I’d like. Luckily, Davis Square has a nice little theater only a few minutes from campus. I saw Inglorious Basterds there yesterday instead of finishing this post. But for all the times when I don’t feel like making the walk/taking the shuttle and paying for a movie, the Film Series serves as a fantastic alternative. One of the other really cool things about the Tufts Film Series is that they play their movies on legit 35 mm film reels, not just dvds. I went to the general interest meeting to join group last week and signed up to learn how to splice film. Training was really really interesting. I tend to learn much slower than most, so right now it still seems like there are a lot of things to keep track of and steps to remember, but I can’t wait to try it again.

What struck me the most about training was the fact that all of a sudden, only two weeks into the year, I’m learning a completely new skill. I’ve always had a passion for movies, but Tufts has provided me a way to do something about it. I can actually get involved and participate in the process. After attending the student activities fair, I think it’s safe to say that this is true for many different hobbies. Like photography? Join Exposure, get mentored by leaders in the field and go to foreign countries to improve your skills. Interested in the legal process? Become a judiciary advocate for students facing disciplinary actions by the university. There are less serious/academic options too. If you love food, join the culinary society and learn how to make it. Even if you’re simply passionate about Harry Potter you can join the society for that. I’m not sure what they do there, but I bet it’s fascinating.

I feel like people focus mostly on academics and a social life when they think about college, but there’s so much more. The clubs and organizations here provide students an active way to get involved in so many different fields. In many cases they give us an outlet to transform a random interest or passive hobby into something much more dynamic and tangible.

Observations on Orientation

I’m now officially a class of 2013 Jumbo. The Matriculation Ceremony made me so happy that I chose to go to a small(ish) private university instead of some huge state school. I love that the entire freshman class can actually sit together on the Quad or the President’s Lawn. And I loved that President Bacow used Bob Dylan’s ‘The Times they are A-Changin’ song in his speech. The past few days have been so full of meetings, panels, and events that I’ve hardly had a chance to check my email, let alone make a substantial update. The schedule’s finally calming down now, which is good because I just kept getting more behind on sleep.

Orientation is a very bizarre experience. It’s this period of really strange limbo between my old life and my new one. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad we have it. I understand the necessity of all the panels, and I’m glad we’re not just thrown into college and expected to know what we’re doing the minute we get there. But at the same time, I can’t say that I know what my life is going to be like. I won’t know that until I get into a more regular routine with classes. For some reason that seems weird to me.

Then there’s the whole socializing concept. When I remove myself from the situation I recognize the hilarity of 1,313 (look! 1,313 of us are graduating in ‘13! I think it’s awesome) freshmen trying to make friends in 5 days. But in the midst of it I find it more stressful than fun. I’m not good at small talk, I didn’t do a pre-orientation program, and no one else from my high school is going to Tufts. I’ve done the old, “Hi! Where are you from? What do you want to major in?” 30 second chat so many times, but I probably remember only a handful of the people I’ve talked to. This isn’t a complaint; it’s just an observation. I’ve been able to meet a ton of interesting people, and I’m glad I’m not too set in a circle so early in the term. I’m also thankful that it’s helped me become much more self reliant in a very short time. It’s a skill that I’ve always lacked. I know I’ll be making closer friends as time goes by.

I have been thoroughly enjoying the nighttime activities though. The hypnotist was fantastic. The comedy show was hilarious. Guess the Straight Person was awesome. Jumbo Idol was impressive. I loved the shows on the lawn the first night, and I think I’m becoming obsessed with a cappella. The next couple days are going to be tricky. There are too many options and I can’t decide what I want to do more. But can you tell I need to learn more/better adjectives?

Side note: I’m quite proud of that alliteration in the title of this post. I generally find it very difficult to come up with titles.

16 hours until Orientation

In the time since my last update, I’ve spent 30 hours on the road and covered about 2,000 miles. I spent some time with relatives, discovered that I hate toll booths and the confusing lanes that go with them, and decided that finding radio stations while driving across the country is a surprisingly difficult task.

But I’ve finally made it to Medford! I’m sitting in my hotel room watching The Skulls (which has both Joshua Jackson and Paul Walker, so I can’t help but find it wildly entertaining regardless of its actual quality as a movie) and making sure I know what to expect for Orientation tomorrow. My dad and I spent a while exploring the area. We ate lunch in Davis Square where I found a Chipotle, a fun little movie theater, and had a pretty good Gyro. These three things are all very important in my life so I consider our trip a success.

All throughout the summer, and especially these last couple days, everyone keeps asking if I’m “ready” for college. I guess that’s one of those questions where you’re expected to lie (or at least majorly simplify your answer) because how someone could casually respond to that question in the midst of small talk is beyond me. I’m tired of sticking with the simple “excited but nervous” answer so I’m going to attempt to do a better job here.

The simple answer is actually true. I am both excited and nervous, but the amount of each of these and the other emotions that go with it vary at times. Right now I’m mostly excited. I’m really looking forward to moving into my dorm, meeting my roommate, and finally getting to start college life. But I am nervous about the academic side. Like choosing my schedule and whether or not I should take the language placement exam. I’m also nervous because I don’t know anyone there. I’ve been trying to remember how I became friends with people in the last 18 years of my life, but I’ve realized that even though the people I’ve hung out with have changed, I haven’t had to find an entirely new group of friends since elementary school. I’m also a little overwhelmed by all the changes that come with college. I’m concerned that I’ll miss something important during Orientation and I don’t know how I’ll adapt to all the new responsibility I’m facing. I could go on, but at some point it just becomes too convoluted and confusing to explain.

Overall though, I do feel ready. I recognize the fact that any mistake I make in the upcoming weeks has probably been by someone before me and they probably turned out okay. I also know that I’m about to embark on a phase in my life that I’ve waited years for and that chances are I’ll find my footing. Tufts is going to provide me with some fantastic opportunities and even though I might be nervous about certain parts, I can’t wait to see where the next four years lead.

Tonight though, I plan on relaxing and enjoying my last few hours of laziness because I’ll be pretty busy starting tomorrow.

7 days until Orientation

I really wanted to write this post earlier in the day. Actually, I’ve wanted to write several posts here over the last couple days, but I can’t seem to find the time. I’ve been pretty busy in between hanging out with friends for the last time, packing, and cramming in a couple more hours of television watching (which is a crucial activity in my life. I say this with absolutely no sarcasm.) But I’m determined to write this post, even if it’s a somewhat shortened version.

I’m leaving Austin at 7:30 tomorrow morning. Orientation doesn’t start for a week, but we’re driving up to Massachusetts and visiting some family along the way so this is the last time I’ll be updating from my couch for quite a while. I’ve said bye to all my friends, I’m almost packed, and at this very second I’m feeling pretty good about what’s coming next.

I will say though, that I am pretty confident I’ve forgotten something that will turn out to be absolutely crucial to living in a dorm. And I’m concerned that I’ve forgotten to do some required task for Tufts. Like that I never signed some form or something and it’ll turn into a problem when I get to campus. I’ve decided that I’m going to just assume that I’m on top of things and not worry. So in the spirit of not worrying, I’m celebrating this little occasion in my life by watching the pilot of The West Wing. I’ll just finish packing tomorrow morning.