Monika 09/10

Oh My. Time Has Flown By!

So oh goodness. I'm so sorry.

So school has taken a hold of me and so has work. On top of that, I was sick for three weeks now. I wish I knew how that were possible, but it is and because of it, I've spent a lot of time sleeping and doing nothing.

So school...last semester 15 credit hours were not too much of a burden on me...yet now 14 credits is ridiculous in terms of course work. A key piece of advice I would give anyone...research the classes you're going to take. I don't mean finding out if the professor is mean or nice or if the exams are easy. I mean, figure out the courseload and how much homework you're going to have. It really helps knowing what you're getting yourself into.

 

I'm also really sorry for not posting a lot this past semester. I really do not want to go into details. It's just that a lot of things have happened in my life that have been crazy and I've spent a lot of time dealing with everything. Slowly things are getting better and I'm getting used to everything! I promise I'm back for good. :D

 

First Week of School :D

Oh my goodness.

So, the first week of school has come and gone and I'm now the second week. It's already been pretty interesting and fun. :)

My first class that I had was Natural Science 120. My professor (Professor Miller) is an awesome guy and defintely knows how to keep the class entertained. His lectures are interesting and he acts as if he's just having a regular conversation with the class. I think learning in this class is going to be relatively easy only because of how well he teaches. I have yet to go the lab for this, though. They start this week so I'm looking forward to that.

Even if you're a non-science major, you can find science classes that won't seem like a burden.

So! That's my Monday and Wednesday every week. I only have one class which is really great since that means I can go work the rest of the day. :)

Tuesdays and Thursdays are a lot more demanding on me and I can already tell it may cause me some amount of stress. I am pretty sure I can pull through! I'm a survivor. My first class of the day is Anthropology 101. This class is pretty basic. We have to read, take notes, and engage in class. I even get to use my laptop for class so that's awesome. Taking notes that way is a lot better for me since I can type quickly allowing me to get more information down. YAY!  ^.^
Following ANTH, I scurry up to the third floor of CASL and go into my COMM 330 class. It's a features writing class that I need for my major. My teacher, who informed us not to call him a professor but only address him as Mr. Fisk, is an interesting man. I am definitely jealous fo him for the fact that he worked for the New York Times. That happens to be my dream workplace seeing as I would like to be an editor. This class is more demanding. We always have to have a newspaper on us and once a week we have to write about an article that we find well written.
Last but not least, German! I have experience with that language from high school and that made me think that I would be well prepared for what this class had in store for me. Goodness, was I wrong. The moment the professor walks in, she automatically begins rattling off in German. I was not prepared for that. For what we have learned in two days took me weeks to learn back in high school. Not to say that I don't enjoy it, because I do. It's just a giant change in pace.  :)

How about something school related that is tons of fun?!  HOMECOMING!!!  <3
This year, I'm the co-chair of the Homecoming dance. This is a pretty big responsibility. Later on this week, I get to go to a giant warehouse filled with decorations and pick out, with fellow SAB members, decorations to cover Kochoff Hall. This year, the theme is Masquerade.  :)  The dance takes place on Friday, October 15th at 7 p.m. It will be a lot of fun and the entire week will be filled with great events. I'll elaborate as the time gets closer but here's the awesome flier for your enjoyment!

Until next time, enjoy what's left of this wonderful weather and take the time to explore campus.

 

Another Year Approaches.

Long time, no blog!

 

So this entire summer has gone by in a giant blur. That may be because all I did was work almost every single day, but still. I was hoping for it go by nicely and calmly. Oh well.  :)   I'm excited to go back to school.
Before I go on about what I'm going to be doing this semester (trust me, there's already tons in the planning stages), I want to go over some key points of my summer just to update you all. 

At the start of the summer, I acquired a job as a carhop at Sonic Drive-In. I worked six to seven days a week roller blading around delivering people their food and drinks. Working six hours a day and being active every single minute of those six hours was tough. My legs felt like they were going to give out every once in a while. I even managed to fall once because of a rock that was in my way.  :(   I won't sit here and blabber on about the tribulations of Sonic because I know that isn't what you read this blog for. 

Two months into that job, I got an offer to be an intern at an engineering company. Now, if you've read my blogs, I am a Communications Major. Engineering company eh? I thought it was going to be really weird, but accepting that offer was a great decision. I worked both jobs for a few weeks and ended up realizing working at Sonic was not worth it. I still work at the engineering company and will continue to do so part time once school starts up. :D  It's honestly an amazing job and the people I know now and hang out with make it so much better. 

Fun stuff about my summer in short sentences:

1. I finally went to the Detroit Zoo for the first time.
2. I finally spent the night over someone else's house. (BIG ACCOMPLISHMENT!)
3. I became closer to my best friend and it's awesome!
4. I've been to a club for the first time ever!
5. I've tried beef jerky (that was just today). (I've never had it before.)
6. I went on a really adorable picnic and it was appreciated.  :D
7. I explored the Ann Arbor campus and discovered amazing buildings.

That's been my summer in a very very short nutshell. Now how about school! I have been registered for my classes since before summer even began.  :)  Fourteen credit hours with class all five days of the week. My firs two semesters, I've never had class on a Friday so this will be weird. Want to see my schedule? Great! *if you don't, I'm sorry*
I love my Mondays and Wednesdays because those are the days that I get to work at the engineering company. :D  I get to be done with class so early on in the day that I'm way too happy about it.

Guys, it's awesome to be back and by the end of this week or start of next, there will be another blog talking about all the things that I will be a part of this semester. New positions on orgs and everything!

Another thing, for all the incoming freshman, take it easy your first year. It's tough getting used to the colleg level. I know I'm still having some problems adjusting to being on my own in terms of knowing when things are due and how to schedule my time so everything gets done. This semester will be filled with more learning and new experiences and I'm really excited for it. Hopefully, I meet some new people and have a great time this semester!

Aftermath of Elections

Oops. I thought I had posted this, but it ended up being saved in a draft. Gah! I'm so so sorry.  :(

Elections. Elections. Elections. My oh my. Never have I been involved in something that has ever been this heated. Maize and Blue versus University Student Advocates.

So the start of the week was pretty epic. Monday morning involved putting up flyers as usual and getting pumped up for the days ahead. Tuesday was even more amazing since the Maize and Blue Crew met up in the evening to paint cars, get t-shirts, listen to music, hang out, and paint the rock. If I could find a picture of the rock painted, I would. I'm having difficulties though. Sleep was not number one on my to-do list

Wednesday and Thursday were days that almost make me at a loss for words. Campaigning for twelve hours straight both days absolutely takes a giant toll on you. By the end of the day, I was ridiculously tired and almost could not stand. Talking to dozens of people definitely takes a lot of self confidence since a lot of time, you do get rejected. However, it was worth it knowing that at least a certain amount of people voted for the party I was campaigning for.

Waiting for the results of the election was crazy and tremendously pain-staking. It took a week for the results to be posted and everyone waited with anticipation. The U.S.A. party won by a little over 70 votes. There are now a few Maize and Blue party members in as senators. It was a good run and I cannot wait to get back at it next year.  :)

Election Week!!!

This past Friday was Mock Rock for Greek Week. It was my first attendance to Mock Rock and I absolutely loved it. Two sororities and two fraternities participated. The winners were Phi Mu and Delta Sigma Phi. Tau Kappa Epsilon did an amazing job and Delta Phi Epsilon had an entertaining performance. To watch their performances, go to Mock Rock 2010. These are videos on Youtube of all the performances including the emcee's. :)  You will laugh. There's no doubt in my mind of that one.

That was a fun start to my weekend since after that, I hung out with my best friend and then spent time with a special someone. :)  Great Friday night. However, the rest of this weekend involves getting to the grindstone. This semester is slowly coming to an end and it is becoming one hectic journey.

Here's a break down of everything I have to get done before Wednesday. There's a meeting on Sunday for the Maize and Blue Party which I have already informed you all that I'm campaigning for them. I have an exam on Monday in my Political Science class and a quiz in my Music Theory class. I have two papers to write which are both due on Wednesday. Also, before Wednesday, I have to get my t-shirt for the elections so I can put my own spin on it.

That's the first half of week in a nutshell. Sadly, there's still three more papers I have to write and exams I still have to take. College can be crazy sometimes especially when you're part of a lot of organizations, taking 15 credit hours, and still managing to work and hang out with a lot of friends. Hopefully, once election time comes around, I'll be happy and hyper and ready to get things rolling.

Speaking of Student Government Elections...the voting begins at 9 am Wednesday and continues until 9pm. The same goes for Thursday. This is the one time that I would ever condone skipping classes. Well, the only reason I say that is because that's what I will be doing Wednesday and Thursday. It is for a very important cause though. These elections will determine the students that will help make things happen at UMD. Cast your vote because every single vote does count. Vote Maize and Blue. With our party, things will get done.  :)

I'll be back by the end of next week with results! And updates regarding everything else. :)  
 

Rainy Day

So last week was crazy busy. As a freshman, I was more than excited to attend Global Fest. Every year, cultural organizations on campus come together to celebrate their diversity. There was a lot of free food and entertainment for students and faculty to enjoy. It was amazing! The variety of food was excellent and the entertainment was superb. The line of students and faculty went around Kochoff Halls and even extended into the UC. The event went spectacular and definitely brought the university together, even if it was just for one day.

This week is also a really busy week for me and for a significant amount of people throughout the university. Greek Week is this week so be prepared to have a lot of Greeks showing their pride on campus. The windows in the UC are painted and the events have been really entertaining. Even though I'm not part of the Greek system, I've been around for the events to support my friends who have competed. So far it has been a huge blast and I can't wait for Mock Rock on Friday.  :)

A large part of my week is also dedicated to campaigning for Student Government Elections. Those are being held March 31 and April 1. I'm campaigning for the Maize and Blue party and it's been going great. Waking up at 7 in the morning is a bit of a hassle since I'm not used to doing that. It was worth it though to know that students around campus have seen our writing on the chalkboards advertising for our party. Also,  flyers are being hung up every morning and the word is being spread about the Maize and Blue party constantly. Next week is going to be the most exciting since elections will begin. There's so much I'm looking forward to.

 

Now time for my own organization's events. Tomorrow (Wednesday), we will be holding a mini mixer for students on campus. It will be located in our office which is upstairs in the UC (room 2122). There will be food and disney movies being played. :)  You can't even tell me that Disney movies don't sound tempting. There will be an Italian soda bar as well as chocolate fondue. Also, there will be homemade nachos. Anyone is welcome to come spend some time with Student Activities Board and give your opinion on what kind of events should be held for students on campus. Opinions are wanted and who better to get them from than students? Exactly. :)   I'm not sure as to what Disney movies are going to be shown, but most Disney movies are great and hopefully people will start singing along. I know I will!

One more event! I swear. Thursday, starting at 1 and ending at 4, we will be showing Hangover. There will be soup and salad as well as a yogurt parfait bar. I don't know about anyone else, but I love my yogurt parfaits. The movie is one that will at least make you chuckle if not burst out in laughter, I would know since I've seen it twice already. :)  

Ah, I really should stop typing by now. I have two papers due next Wednesday and a group project that has to be done by the end of this week. I love being so involved on campus, but as always, my education comes first. It's a daunting task to get everything done on time, but all these events are making me want to make sure I'm done with school work so I can celebrate and have a good time.

Have a great week, everyone. :)

 

Week Following Spring Break

So Spring Break was not that exciting for me.  =(   I sat around my house, but did get to spend time with a few friends and got to reconnect with some friends from the past. So at least I can call it a success. =)

This week back from Spring Break has been really hectic, to be honest. It's hard to have a week off of school and then to come back only to remember that you have midterms that week. Wednesday was my Political Science midterm while Thursday involved my Music Theory midterm. Both were hard and I had to remember a lot of information. Majors and minors. Something about governments and blah. To top it all off, I just got a paper topic and I have another midterm on Monday. This time, it's for History. Hopefully, it's not going to be too bad as long as I study.

However, this week has been really amazing in terms of weather. When I say amazing, I mean I didn't even have to wear a coat! I was so happy. So I took some time out of my week and hung out on the Henry Ford Estate conveniently located behind UMD. It's still not as gorgeous as it is during late spring and all of summer and fall, but it still made my entire week so much better. Sitting by the waterfall makes me forget most of my worries. It's so peaceful and calm. I even saw a fish jump out of the water. 

 

This week ended with me sitting by the waterfall and enjoying the peace and quiet of nature. I even felt better about myself after I cleaned up some litter that I found laying around the estate. 

That's one thing that I adore about the Dearborn campus. There is a place to escape to when you want to be alone and left to your thoughts. The Henry Ford Estate, as my fellow bloggers have stated before, is gorgeous and so much fun to wander around. It gets me away from all the stress that college puts on me sometimes and makes everything worth the struggle. 

Woah, time flies.

Woah, a whole week and I haven't posted anything. That, to me, is a long time being away from here. A lot has happened in a week, more or less. Most of it has been great. Some of it, however, has been not so splendid.

Monday was finally the Valentine's Dinner/Movie event. With moving it around so much, I was glad that we had as great of an outcome that we did. We had students and staff show up and enjoy a lot of laughs watching The Ugly Truth. Spending the whole day running around getting everything set up for the event was all worth it once I saw everyone enjoying themselves. The centerpieces looked fantastic; if only I could upload pictures of them! I'm sure the moment I can, I'll update this post with the pictures. Sadly, while I was running around getting everything ready, something bad did occur. My ITouch got stolen during the day. Sadly, I have to recover it. I didn't think it would happen, but it did. It sucks, but I have to deal with it. Hopefully, it turns up! Bright side, I don't have anything distracting me during class now. Haha.

The rest of the week was pretty uneventful. I actually kind of forget what happened the whole week, except for Wednesday. I doubt anyone who was where I was could forget that day. Tau Kappa Epsilon (TKE) held their first annual Date Auction. Ok, TKE is my favorite fraternity. Those boys are hilarious and tons of fun to be around. Once I knew they were having a date auction, I knew everyone was in for a good time. During the day of this event, I watched one of the members make the slideshow for the bios of the guys. Ohh, they were too funny. This auction was crazy and fun and the bidding got pretty intense. The highest bid was 101 dollars. I even did my share of bidding as well. I won my friend Shawn for 21 dollars. =)  It was just a good night overall. Those boys know how to make an event amazing. 

On a larger scale, today, we had another snow day. This amazed me, to be honest. Since we had this snow day, my exam that was supposed to be on Wednesday got moved to the Monday after break! I was so happy to hear this. Sadly, I have a long paper due this week and hopefully it's not due Tuesday or else I will not be sleeping at all. Eep! That's something I still have to get better at. I need to start staying on track. That's the one thing I don't like about this snow day. I had my whole day planned out effectively and then I found out I didn't have to go to school. I totally slept in crazy late so that ruined my whole plan. 

I feel as though I just keep on rambling. I suppose I just want to make up for not blogging last week. I still feel bad about that. I guess the whole point of this post is...

1. Don't just leave your stuff laying around, whether it's in an office or anywhere on campus. You never know if it's the last time you'll see it. (Not to put a damper on the school's image. This is just a fact to be known throughout any school campus, whether it's a high school or college.)

2. Get a kick out of school every now and then. Like the Date Auction for example, I didn't think it would be that much fun, but I loved every bit of it!

3. Keep on track. Trust me, once you get off track, it's a pain in the tush to get back on.

Have a wonderful week and I'll be back by the end of it to make up for last week.  =D

Snow Day!

As my fellow bloggers have already mentioned, today is a Snow Day! 

I really didn't think that UMD would even have one. However, we even had the school close down at 4 in the afternoon yesterday. I'm pretty sure I may have been the only person on campus that was really upset over this. Tuesday night was supposed to the Valentine's Dinner/Movie night. Sadly, because the school was closing, we had to move the event. Now, it's on Monday, the 15th, a day after Valentine's Day.

To me, this is going to be slightly weird because I'm going to dinner and a movie on Valentine's Day and now the day after I'll be doing the same thing. It's also upsetting to me because we had 80 roses delivered to us Tuesday afternoon and now they're just sitting in our office hopefully not dying. Those will now get passed around as SAB does promo for the dinner for the remainder of the week. Also, we have lots of delicious dark chocolate truffles to hand out. How do I know they're delicious? I may have sneaked one or two or seven. Ssshh.  =)

Tomorrow, Thursday, holds a very special event as well. Amnesty International along with other organizations on campus will be holding their annual Poetry Slam and Art Exhibit. This is going to be very exciting and fun. It begins at 6:30 in the evening and concludes at 9. I'm absolutely going and I can't wait to hear other's poetry and see great works of art.  =)

 

 

In other weather related news, I get to go skiing this weekend! I'm not sure whether my family is going to Alpine Valley or Boyne or Brighton, but wherever we go, I'm sure I'll love it. I also will get to go swimming in an indoor pool and when it's this cold outside; that's going to be amazing! We're doing this for my mom's birthday which is on the 13th. I really can't wait because we love cross-country skiing.

I hope everyone has a great weekend and an even better Valentine's Day!

Dinner and a Movie, Anyone?

So, as I stated in my previous entry, I was going to update you all on the goings of our Valentine's dinner/movie night. So let's get right to it!

 

 

Somethings have changed in the scheduling of this event. Instead of being held on Thursday the 11th, it's now going to be on Tuesday the 9th. It starts at 6pm and should go on until about 11pm. From about 6 to 7, dinner shall be held which does involve a pasta bar. After that, the movie shall begin! The move of choice is...The Ugly Truth. Be ready to enjoy some laughs with your friends at tables decorated by our awesome center pieces. 

Music will follow the movie so you can party hardy and dance the evening away. It's even more awesome because this event is not just for couples, it's for everyone!  =)

Of course, the main focus of my life is school. It's awesome to find a way to escape stress resulting from school and the homework that I have. Not to say that school is that stressful, but it has its moments. I feel good knowing that I have an organization or a couple to go to and have a lot of fun. Now, Dearborn is one the best places to go to when I'm not feeling to my best. For some, sports or hanging out works. For me, going to school and just accomplishing things for the student body works. 

Find something healthy and fun that helps you cope with the stress that school may sometimes put on you. It helps. =)  I promise.

Next entry, Poetry Slam and school life in general, of course.