Here We Go Again

Well, kids, it's gotten to be that time: school time.

Well, not entirely. I'm back at school, but classes don't start until next week. I moved in early because I'm cool like that. Or rather, I had to. As tempted as I am to use this blog entry to complain about how I don't really want to be back at school, I will resist. Nearly everyone I know has told me I need to be positive about this year, so I'm going to pretend like this is new years and make some resolutions/goals.

1. Be content

- Not necessarily always be happy, because that would be impossible and setting myself up for failure, but be content whatever my circumstances.

2. Make friends

- Because college would be a more enjoyable experience with one or two of those.

3. Don't fall too fast.

- Debacle last year. Don't want that to happen again.

4. Get involved.

- Because that will make #2 much easier.

5. Don't hate your roommate.

- Debacle last year. Don't want that to happen again.

The number one aspect of my life at college that needs improvement is my social life, hands down. The academic stuff is just fine. But if we were graded on our social lives, I would be failing out of college. I'm going to try to improve that. Maybe I won't get an A, but I'm shooting for a B. Here's my personal grading scale:

F: No new friends of any gender. Hate roommate and suitemates.

D: No new friends of any gender. Can tolerate and don't mind living with roommate and suitemates.

C: New girl friends (2 or more). Get along with roommate and suitemates.

B: New girl and guy friends (2 or more of each gender). Friends with roommate and get along with suitemates.

A: New girl and guy friends (4 or more of each gender). Friends with roommate and suitemates.

I think that's reasonable and attainable. Wish me luck!

The American Student's Playlist

I was in the iTunes store moments ago when I noticed an advertisement for Demi Lovato's playlist. I'll admit: even though I'm in college, I'm a huge Demi Lovato fan. As I browsed through her playlist, though, I have to confess I felt slightly worthless. It made me feel unimportant because I know for one thing iTunes would never ask me to construct a ten-song playlist for them, because no one knows who I am. For another thing, even if I were to somehow put my own ten-song playlist on iTunes, no one would care about my opinion on the songs. I'm a nobody, just a completely average college student. Then I remembered that I had this handy blog. Even though barely anyone reads it (if anyone at all), I'm going to post my own ten-song playlist here. I highly doubt my opinion will cause any sales increases for any particular artists, but I want my opinion to be heard. So here we go, my ten favorite songs and reasons for it:

(note: this only includes songs I actually own, not songs I like and don't own)

(note again: this is in alphabetical order because that's how my iTunes favorites playlist is organized)

1. Have You Ever: American Juniors -- I never get tired of this song. The lyrics are so emotional and the musical complements the emotion of the song so well. I love it.

2. October: Eric Whitacre -- I like band music like this. A lot. I played this song in high school, and when we played it the director told us how you can hear the leaves being blown across an open field under a gray sky. It's true. The music creates unbelievable imagery in this song. Some of Whitacre's music is kind of out there, a little too contemporary for my personal tastes, but this song is my all time favorite band song. It's so beautiful I want to cry.

3. Now or Never: High School Musical 3 Soundtrack -- I'm obsessed with high school basketball. That should explain this enough.

4. Slow Dancing in a Burning Room: John Mayer -- Credit goes to Wade Robson for introducing me to this song though So You Think You Can Dance season 4 with Katee and Josh's routine to this song. AMAZING. Again, the emotion as displayed through the lyrics and music is unparalleled. John Mayer has some great music, but this is probably my favorite song of his.

5. Before the Storm: Jonas Brothers feat. Miley Cyrus -- I don't know how you could not love this song. For one thing, it's such a personal look into the lives of two extremely famous teenagers that it makes you feel like you know them. For another thing, it's just a great song. Period. Lines, Vines, and Trying Times is the Jonas Brothers' best album so far in my opinion, and this is the best track on the album.

6. Simple Song: Miley Cyrus -- I love the message of this song. I often feel like we as Americans get so caught up in the go go go of our society, the need to keep moving, keep working, keep progressing, never slowing down, never stopping, just working working working until the day we fall over dead from exhaustion. I, for one, believe it's absolutely imperative that we slow down, disconnect, relax, and breathe. This song speaks to that.

7. Come Home: OneRepublic -- I know I'm beginning to sound redundant, but the emotion in this song is so incredible. The simple accompaniment works so well with this song. Plus, Ryan Tedder is a lyrical genius. I also love the fact that the album name came from a little line in the last song of the album. That's just so creative to me.

8. All Over You: The Spill Canvas -- It usually takes me awhile to really, really love a song. I fell in love with this song the first time I heard it on the radio. I can relate to this song so much it feels like it's my life story.

9. Sí, Te Amo: Taxi Amarillo -- I download the Canción de la Semana every week on iTunes in a futile effort to make myself understand Spanish. I speak Spanish, but I'm not fluent, and my hope is that exposing myself to music in Spanish will help with that. So far I've been pretty unsuccessful, but oh well. However, every now and again iTunes puts out a real gem, and this certainly was one of them. Easily my favorite Canción de la Semana. The melody, the lyrics, (the fact that I understand it), everything about this song is so beautiful and wonderful. Me encanta :)

10. Crazier: Taylor Swift -- If anyone ever does a waltz to this song, I just might die of happiness. This song is so beautiful and full of love that you can't help but smile when you hear it. I know a lot of the SYTYCD choreographers are too purist to do a good waltz to a Taylor Swift song, but I still have hope.

So there you have it, my playlist. Like I said, I don't know if this will turn anyone on to any particular song or artist they might not have listened to in the first place, but it's worth a shot. If you happen to read this and find a new favorite song because of this, a comment would mean the world to me. Or even a little profile view. It's quick, anonymous, and makes me feel good about myself because I know someone has read my blog, and that makes me happy.

Workaholic

Yesterday, a thought occurred to me:

Why is not working frowned upon?

I don't mean unemployment. I don't mean laziness. I mean, why is it that whenever I'm standing around at work because there's nothing to do, I get told to do some totally worthless, unnecessary job? Why is it that when at my volunteer job this week, whenever I finish my task I'm sent out to help in a place that doesn't need me and normally I end up standing around doing nothing in a different place? What's so wrong with being still for a moment?

I've come to the conclusion that people are afflicted with workism (if alcoholism creates alcoholics, then workaholics must have workism. Get it?). We're obsessed with movement, progress, accomplishment. We need to work work work, produce produce produce, only resting for absolutely no more than 8 hours at night. Our entire lives our consumed with work. And I, for one, think that is wrong. I don't believe humans were created to work from the second they were born to the second they die. I believe humanity is supposed to take time to smell the roses. Take time to enjoy the world we live in, the life we've been given. Slow down and notice what's around us and stop being so preoccupied with getting things done.

So I'm taking a one-woman stand against workism. I'm not going to always look for a job to do. That's not to say that I'll ignore the work I have to do. When I have work that needs to be done, I'll do it. But when work is finished, I'm not going to go out of my way to find something else to do. I'm going to enjoy my fleeting youth, I'm going to appreciate the life I've been given. I hope someone will find this post and agree with me, and maybe even join me.

Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

I'm going to start looking bipolar in this blog if I'm not careful. Laughing until I cry in one post, crying from anger in the next.

Reason Why Today Sucked #1:

Mondays are my day to work. I'm supposed to work from 9-3. I get up at 7:15 to do this. Today at 8:15, my boss calls and says she doesn't want me to come in until 10. That means the best I can get is 5 hours. Then, per usual, work slowed down around 2, so I got sent home at 2:15. That means, after taxes, I earned a whopping $27 today. It wouldn't be a big deal if I were working just to have some extra cash. But that's not why I'm working. I'm a college student. I need this money so I can eat next year. Literally. That, and actually afford my education. I can't have my nearly nonexistent hours cut, because I desperately need every cent I can get.

Reason Why Today Sucked #2:

After wandering around the library for an hour, trying to find any book that sounded halfway interesting (I couldn't), there was a train I had to wait for on the way home. I guess in the grand scope of things, that's not really so bad, but it was a bit of an annoyance.

Reason Why Today Sucked #3:

When I got home, I found out that the roommate troubles I've had are going to be compounded for the fifth time. Last year I endured not one, not two, but THREE--yes, count 'em, three--roommates from Hell, which, in my opinion, is three more than anyone should have to deal with and at least two more than anyone should expect to deal with. So there's roommate trouble one, two, and three. Roommate trouble four came when the girl I was planning to live with next year dropped out of my college. But housing told me they found someone to put me with, and it would all be good. Roommate trouble five came today when housing told me that since my ex-almost-roommate just told them today that she won't be returning next fall, the original student they were going to put me with has been housed somewhere else.

*explodes*

I just don't understand why our housing department seems to hate me when I did nothing to them. I'm sick of being punished for things I have no control over, and I'm sick of living with people who I hate and who hate me. Is it really so much to ask for a decent person to live with that I can get along with and maybe even be friends with?

Laugh Until the Tears Fall Down Your Face

myparentsjoinedfacebook.com

I haven't laughed so hard in a really, really long time. Not necessarily because I lead some insanely depressing, horrible life or anything like that. The website is just that funny. Thank you, facebook gods, for keeping my parents and all adult relatives off facebook and in the real world where they belong. I don't want them in my cyberworld, thank you very much.

But seriously. Go to that website, because it will make your day. Maybe your week. Or your month. Or your year. Or your life, quite possibly.

Summer, Sweet Summer

It's just one of those perfect summer days today. I really don't think it could possibly be nicer. The sun is shining, the humidity is low, the temperature isn't too hot or too cold...I can't ask for much more than this.

It's a great day to be alive

I know the sun's still shinin' when I close my eyes

There's some hard times in the neighborhood,

but why can't every day be just this good?

I wish I could take credit for that, but I can't. Props to you Travis Tritt, or the writer of that song, for putting a day like today in words.

I think I'm a jaded college student. I wish for the innocence of freshmen. Even though I know it would inevitably lead to disappointment, I can't help but wish I could go back to school wide-eyed and full of wonder like they all will.

I just really hope this year is better than last year.

Anonymous profile viewer, I don't know who you are, but I want you to know that you've made my day. I absolutely love the fact that someone has viewed my profile, because that means someone has been to my blog, which means someone might have read it. That was what I wanted in the first place: for someone to come across this totally by accident and just read my musings. Now if you'd like to comment...*hint hint*

It's Been Too Long

Wow. I think someone has actually found my blog. At least I know I haven't viewed my profile 12 times, which means someone else has. So hello, anonymous reader. Nice to meet you. Thanks for validating my existence in the blogging world.

I think it's interesting how people presume they know everything. As I look at incoming freshmen, I can't help but shake my head. I know I was the exact same: I thought I knew it all. I honestly couldn't have been more wrong. There's so much more...all right, here I go, breaking my own rule. But it's necessary. Anyway, there's so much more to college than people, especially incoming freshmen, realize.

I guess you could think I'm jaded. The allure of college has worn off. It's not all butterflies and daisies and roses.

This is what incoming freshmen think college is:

Strolling around the quad through golden leaves, a slightly heavy backpack on your back, surrounded by your 38283938 new best friends that you met on Facebook. You go back to your dorm room where you hang out with your roommate--you went in blind, but you're going to be each other's maid of honor after graduation, you just know it! Classes happen, but there's so much more to college that you don't even really think about it too much. You party on the weekend because that's what college kids do. Cafeteria food is actually really good and good for you. All those horror stories that current college kids told you: bull. College is actually heaven on earth. They just did something wrong, you're sure of that. Nothing could ever be better than college.

This is what current college students know college is:

Powerwalking through the quad because it's 3 degrees outside and there's a 40 mph wind from the north pelting snow in your face. Your backpack may be heavy, but you're too numb to know. You arrive back at the cinderblock building you call home and find out your roommate from hell is still in bed, because (s)he takes two classes, and (s)he doesn't ever get up before noon, never mind the fact that you got up at 6:50 to make it to your 7:00 Organic Chemistry lab, because you're still pre-med, even though half of the other people who came into college pre-med have since changed their major to physical education. You go to the cafeteria and try to pick through the undercooked, over greasy, over fatted but still tasteless food to attempt to find something that might contain a vitamin or two. Then you go back to your room and get all of your books because your roommate is STILL asleep. You haul all of your things across the entire campus in the same 3 degree weather, get to the library, fire up your laptop, and out of habit get on Facebook, the only place where you actually have friends. You end up spending three hours on Facebook and get no homework done, which means you'll be up until 2 AM again finishing that orgo homework. And then you'll start all over again tomorrow.

I just wish I could scream at every single incoming college freshman: COLLEGE IS NOT PERFECT! ANYTHING WRONG WITH YOUR LIFE IN HIGH SCHOOL IS NOT GOING TO FIX ITSELF BECAUSE YOU MOVE AWAY FROM HOME.

College Class of 2013:

It's not your parents.

It's not your friends at home.

It's not your high school.

It's not your hometown.

It's not your boyfriend.

IT'S YOU.

YOU are the one responsible for your dissatisfaction in life. You're going to learn this the hard way when you run away to college and find that you're still just as unhappy as you were beforehand, except now you're homesick and overwhelmed and scared about the future even more than you were senior year, too. So until you figure out whatever it is about yourself that's making you miserable, you're not going to be any happier at college than you were at home.