back to school musings.

There are so many deadlines around this time: summer internships, scholarships, and positions for next year. A lot on my to-do list for winter break involved finishing applications, and while I did start everything on my list, I didn't finish it. Oh, well. It's just a pain juggling readings for classes and doing applications so that I don't miss deadlines.

Did anyone make New Year's resolutions? When I talk about these with my friends, a lot of them scoff at the futility of my resolutions. Are you really going to run every week? Are you really going to get eight hours of sleep? Are you really going to be positive all the time? Realistically no, but having these resolutions puts me a step closer to my goal. Perhaps I will run every week, but probably will sleep at least six hours. I want to conserve money. I want to read more. I want to have a 4.0 GPA. My plan don't end with just making the goal, but I need to continue with steps. Wish me luck!

Haiti

It's on everyone's mind. The death of a UVa student. The news headlines. The disorganized aid. How do I help?

With all the groups around grounds rushing to get students, faculty, and staff involved, I wonder what I can do. Stephanie Strom gives us the answer with her article, "Teaching Americans What Haiti Needs: Money" (Nytimes.Com).

Ways to give aid have become easier and manifest themselves through different tools, revealing the power of social networking and texting. For example, you can text "HAITI" to "90999" to give $10 to the American Red Cross. This has led to $24 million for aid. Washington Post has a list of charities that collect donations. UVa has a website devoted to updates about the relief for Haiti.

Let us not be idle.

T-Minus 20 Hours

Recently, noise levels have gone up in my hall... As an RA, I need to enforce Quiet Hours. For those of you who don't know or haven't lived on Grounds since first year, during finals, there is a rule called Quiet Hours. Essentially, in dorms everyone needs a quiet atmosphere to study because the libraries are packed. Therefore, conversations in the hall should be a whisper, you cannot blast music in your room, and common areas are limited to quiet conversations. Penalties for violating quiet hours are pretty severe, with the first violation being a conversation with your Area Coordinator and a possible UJC trial. Yes, a UJC trial.

As an RA, I have informed my residents about this rule and I enforce it. It is a serious rule, and most people follow it, because everyone is studying hard for their finals. It makes sense, no? Well, recently my ressies have been very loud. Why? Because they're done.

I. Am. Jealous.

As a student, asking someone to quiet down because other people (including I) are studying and then finding out that the reason they are loud and happy is because they're done is a new low. (That was a long sentence!) Don't get me wrong, as an RA I will do it. As a student though, I am pretty miserably envious.

With my last final in T-minus 20 hours, I am ready to be out of here. I started last Monday with a History final, had two essays, a portfolio due, and will end tomorrow with three finals under my belt. I am ready to bounce!

continued: finals week

It has snowed (late I know). It has rained (Lighting of the Lawn). It has finally gotten cold, going below freezing until two in the afternoon. People have started sporting peacoats and northfaces, tugging hoods close to their face when the wind hits. Nevertheless, I decided to run in shorts and a long-sleeve shirt, not just because I'm cray cray but because I needed to hand in my essay. That's right! I finished that bad boy.

Because my brain is fried right now, I am going to point out some odd things that I've noticed through finals week.

1. The squirrels: They have gotten so large. They are still furiously searching for nuts, stuffing their faces, or madly burying them. The result is that they have ballooned. I believe that they are an indication of a heavy winter. Although it was cold last year, it was very mild. I believe that this winter will be one of the coldest, longest, and severe winters Virginia has seen in a while. Did I mention that it snowed and the snow stuck?

2. Open appointments at the Writing Center: It's finals week and that means at least three deadlines for papers. Usually the Writing Center is packed, and for good reason. For those of you wondering what the Writing Center is, check out their website. Those fantastic people there will help you begin your essay, touch up your grammar, and strengthen that argument. However, they can probably tell you that better than I can.

3. Students who wear raincoats without hoods and no umbrellas: Yes, your head will get wet. Your knapsack and your books might get soaked too.

proof of my procrastinating!

The Google Chrome browser for Macs came out! I probably could do a post on the supergiant of a company, Google, and how they're coming out with a Chrome Operating System (Chrome OS) as well as a browser and a new, newer email (see earlier post about Googlewave), and my, don't they look big now?

I need to write an essay that is two days past the deadline. Surprisingly, I am not stressed about that, but I just want it to be done! I am such a big procrastinator. My friend sent me an article called "The Disadvantages of Elite Institutions." It talks about how elite institutions give its students so many second chances, priming them for a world where extended deadlines, a support network, and guidelines are the norm. In contrast, universities such as Cleveland State ready its students for "lives with few second chances, no extensions, little support, narrow opportunity—lives of subordination, supervision, and control, lives of deadlines, not guidelines." (American Scholar) While that sounds like an advantage that elite institutions have, elite institutions give you a false sense of self-worth, ushers you into the upper-class and then "trains you for the life you will lead once you get there." In actuality, Mr. Deresiewicz talks about numerous disadvantages, the first of interestingly is you're "incapable of talking to people who aren’t like you." Just by that, University of Virginia would definitely fall under the category of "elite institutions." It is an interesting article, and if you are not bogged down with mandatory readings for classes, I would definitely recommend taking time to read William Deresiewicz's commentary.