Bring on Sophomore Year

And that time has officially come, finals week and summer. This last Friday at Warrior Day it hit me, as I was hanging out with my friends, that this was going to be one of the last school related memory of the year. Because a lot of my friends do not live here, this week is going to be the last time that I see them until next semester and it is finally becoming a surreal thing for me. Finals week does not have me stressing as much as I had anticipated so as of now I am just trying to make the most out of the last few days of school.

When I was in high school people told me that those would be the best four years of my life, but this year has topped all four years of high school combined. In college I met great people and made AMAZING friends, and along with it enough memories to last me a lifetime. College is defiantly a learning experience and while it is not always easy I would not change a single thing about it. Looking back at my first year at Stan, I can honestly say that I am proud of what I have accomplished on a school level and a personal one.

Looking forward, the one thing that I want to take with me next year is to make the most out of every moment because even the most seemingly insignificant moment can turn into an amazing memory. Things like the walks from my night class to my car and the study/ cramming sessions are all moments that I never thought could be important; but out of them some great memories were created. So bring on Sophomore year, I’m looking forward to it.

It's The Little Things

This weekend I went to go watch the play “Of Mice and Men” here at Stan, and I must say I really enjoyed it. I was cold and a bit uncomfortable and a little hard to see but overall it was a great experience. I guess you could say that we did not fully prepare for the play as there were four of us sharing two blankets but I think that it was fun we made the most out of it. The play itself was good, there were parts of the book that I did not quite remember so seeing it all play out in the manner that they did was great. I never took the time out of my week to go to the events and performances that were being put on, and that is something that I am going to try and do next semester.

Throughout this experience I came to realize that this is one of my greatest regrets; not taking the time to fully participate in school activities. I grew to realize now that the end of the year that it is the little things like the play that make college fun. I learned that the typical “college experience” is not one that I will get but I can still make the most out of my time here. When I talk to other people who have graduated they say that their worst regret was not participating, when you commute it is easy to get stuck into a routine. Coming to class then going home, and that is one thing that I do not want to regret doing when I look back.

Carnival Day

I usually find myself complaining that I never get to really enjoy that activities that Stanislaus has to offer, so when I heard that the Vista was having a carnival I decided to go. I heard “petting zoo” and “free food” and signed myself up real quick. I went with some of my friends and ended up having a really great day. The carnival itself was nothing like I had pictured but it was still pretty fun. The “petting zoo” was a few ponies, cute baby goats, ducks, and chickens; I’m not quite sure what I was expecting but the goats turned out to be the best part of the carnival. The carnival aspect of it all did fall a bit short given hat there were only like four games and the “fortune teller” was a fishbowl. Even thought the carnival did not necessarily meet my expectations I did realize that as long as I had my friends I could make the most out of any situation. All day I was laughing so hard that I could feel abs coming in. Another highlight is that we got some cute pictures in the process, our photo booth pictures were a fail but they definitely have some great memories attached to them.

Overall I had a great time at the carnival, spending time with my friends outside of class related activities was defiantly the kind of break that I needed. Now that the end of the semester is coming to a close I realized that I needed to take more time out of my days to just hang out and relax with friends. Mainly because those are the moments that will get me through the tough all nighters, knowing that at the end of the week I can just distress with people who will make the most out of any situation.

Finals Quickly Approaching

It is almost that time of the year again; finals and summer are quickly approaching again. Finals week, or finals in general, are super stressful to me, and to many others. Although they do signal a means to an end of the semester so that is a plus in my book. A few weeks of stress and no sleep for three months of sleeping in and staying out late, so it is worth it in the end. This semester quite a few of my finals are taking place before finals week so that means that I will be getting out of school a little earlier than I had anticipated! I am trying not to think about summer vacation a lot though because if not I will lose all focus in my academics. Recently I have found a new sense of motivation and productivity so I am not prepared to lose it now. This time of the year always seems to be the most stressful; registering for classes, trying to raise or maintain my grades, and mentally prepare myself for finals. I am not quite sure why but I seem to concentrate more at Starbucks than I do at my house so that is probably where I am going to be living during finals week. So yay, there goes all of my money! Anyway hopefully I can keep the momentum going and stay focused on my studies.  I must admit that I do feel a little bit more prepared for finals this time around so fingers crossed that I do not lose this mentality.

Where is your favorite place to study or how do you prepare for finals?

Different College Experiences

Recently I met up with one of my friends from high school who ended up going to Sacramento State for college. We began to talk about how college has been going for us and reminiscing on our high school years.  After a few minutes I realized that my college experience was not anything like hers. She said that she missed high school and how easy it was, that you were in a class for an entire year and that she missed how comfortable it was. I on the other hand enjoy taking new classes every semester, meeting new people, and the spontaneity of it all. I thought that her college experience would have been much more exciting and enjoyable for her given that she was living on her own now and had a newfound freedom. Although she has this new freedom I realized that going to Stan was one of the best decisions I could have made. I may not get the typical “college experience” but I have made a lot of great friends, memories, and many opportunities available to me. Since my friend has already taken out loans to pay for her housing the thought of studying abroad for her is almost nonexistent. My dream to study abroad is a little more tangible because I have not had to take out loans. Coming to college I was worried about running into people from my high school but that no longer crosses my mind. My friend may want to go back to high school but I on the other hand am happy to be in college.

What to Take Next Semester..

So it is almost time to pick my classes for fall semester of sophomore year and I’m not sure what classes to take. Aside from Bio 1010 and the lab that goes with it I am pretty unsure as to what classes I should take and with what teachers. I have learned from my mistakes and came to the realization that going to school everyday of the week and having multiple night classes is not the best option for me. Although I must say that I am not sure how well I would do taking an 8 am class given that I struggle to get up for my 9 am lifetime fitness class.

I know that I have to take a class to fulfill my art requirement but I do not consider myself to be very artistic; so if there are any suggestions as to what classes are a good idea to take I would greatly appreciate it. Since I am already asking for suggestions, are there any good teachers you recommend taking English 2000 or Communications 2300 with?  Now that I have to plan for my classes I am starting to realize that it is time to get my school life together. I can say with 100 percent certainty that college has been a great experience for me and the only way that I will continue to enjoy my time in college is if I figure out a way to better my school routine. I know that because I am going to be taking a science class, which I hate, and that I am trying to find a job that I must find a way to balance my time between school, hopefully work, and my social life. But I have a good feeling about sophomore year so bring it on.