(no subject)
It's good to be a nerd. :P I usually don't flaunt it, but this week has just been going really well for me. I got a 25/25 on my autism brief for intro to argumentation (I actually thought I was going to fail because my position wasn't controversial enough), an 88% on my european history exam (complete with a check and two squiggly lines! [more on that later]), and then I got a 100/112 on my music history exam... class average of 60 or so...
I'm proud of myself. I'm working hard to do well in my classes, and it's definitely paying off. I knew that classes would be different from Alma, but it's not really that they're all that much easier. I liked the classes that I took at Alma, don't get me wrong... but the atmosphere here is different. The students aren't quite as stuck up, the teachers have fun (like Dr. P, who told me yesterday that "I'm just a transfer, they can ship me back..." and then laughed about it), and it's just a more relaxed atmosphere.
And yes, I said that Alma students are stuck up. Not necessarily in a bad way (although some are), but it's definitely something that I've noticed with both HHS and Alma. HHS almost brainwashes their students into thinking that they're better than everyone else is. True in academics (because of the whole blue ribbon thing), and athletics (hello class C state girls basketball champions), and music (at least, we used to be, but visions on that were also slightly skewed). Yes, HHS is a very good school, and I'm happy with the education that I received from there. But I don't know how much I liked the big head that I walked away with from it. There were plenty of other schools in the Copper Country, but Houghton was always the best. Or so we thought.
Same at Alma. It's an amazing school. There are no graduate students teaching classes (cause there are no graduate students). I don't know if I just transferred to SVSU too late, but I don't think I'll ever have a graduate student teaching me here either. There's a lot more diversity (as opposed to the only diversity at Alma being the basketball team), and I like that a lot. I am aware that it's a lot harder to get into Alma than SVSU, so that's definite prestige right there. I love all of my Alma people, because they're amazing and wonderful. I'm just saying that the general aura of the entire college is "we're better than you, so just stay out of our way". And I don't think that I really like that.
This is getting much more philosophical than I wanted it to, but it's true. I've been doing a lot of introspective thinking lately, and it's definitely good for me. I'm redoing a lot of my priorities.
I do think it's funny though, that although my lessons are easier and not as stressful here, I spend just as much time, if not more, practicing, because I get excited about my lessons. I don't walk out of there feeling bad about myself, I walk out of there laughing because Tony is such a psycho. Maybe I wasn't meant to be at Alma. That's definitely how I felt. I was never good enough there, and I don't know if I could ever have worked hard enough to accomplish what would have made everyone else (except me) happy. I'm happy that I'm out of there. I have new friends here, and they're definitely a lot more relaxed... meaning that we can hang out, have fun, without practicing or drinking all the time.
Now, don't get me wrong. I'm still proud that I have my diploma from HHS, and that I can say I went to Alma for two years. They were both very good institutions, and I learned a lot from both of them. But I don't necessarily agree with the idea that someone went to this place, and so they're better than all the people who didn't. I get a lot of the question "well, why'd you leave Alma, their music program is so good..." and I don't really give a lot of honest answers. Yes, there was the fact that they didn't have special education. But part of it was that my self esteem was being destroyed. I don't know if I could ever have worked hard enough to make the people that I wanted to proud (aka Zerb and the rest of the ensemble). I was pushing myself to the limits, and my body was starting to show it. I still have back problems from moving the equipment up and down the stairs in Chicago. My shoulder muscles will always be sore from playing cymbals when I wasn't ready to. I wasn't sleeping, wasn't eating, and was generally being very very unhealthy while I was there. No one wants that.
But that's enough on that rant... I just had to get it out there. I'm sure all the Alma people will defend Alma, and that's fine. You have that right. But really think about what I said. Yes, you're an Alma College Scot, and that's pretty gosh darn cool. But I'm an SVSU Cardinal now, and that's also pretty cool, even if it doesn't come with a 30k/year price tag.
Now that that's said. I'm sure I'll get picked on for another long livejournal entry... if anyone even really makes it all the way to the end, they can have brownie points. Mine aren't as good as Dr. P's, but I can pretend, right?
And belated happy birthday to my sister. I should have given her an entry yesterday, but I left her a fun voicemail. With Miny playing her "miny harmonica". I was happy with it. :P
I don't really think that there's a lot left in my head to write about. I'm just kind of waiting for percussion ensemble (although I might go grab a bite to eat beforehand), and then I'm going to go back to my room and hopefully relax. Tomorrow's my crazy hectic day, but thankfully I don't think that I have anything due in the classes... just reading that I have to do. But that's not bad. I like reading the stuff that we do. So tonight, early to bed, drinking lots of water to hopefully help this headache go away, hopefully talking to my family...
Oh, and shoe shopping with Allison. If I find the shoes that I want, I will get all dolled up and cute, and take pictures. And post them. Because I don't even think I have any pictures of me with my highlighted hair. And it's pretty gosh darn cute. So. Yeah.
Time to get going now. Food, and then off to ensemble. Not really a bad day. Lata!
EDIT: I forgot to write this before. The history thing... my teacher grades like this. From bad to good:
Question Mark-->Check Mark-->Check Mark w/one squiggly line-->Check Mark w/two squiggly lines-->Two Check Marks aka... he's crazy. :P
I'm proud of myself. I'm working hard to do well in my classes, and it's definitely paying off. I knew that classes would be different from Alma, but it's not really that they're all that much easier. I liked the classes that I took at Alma, don't get me wrong... but the atmosphere here is different. The students aren't quite as stuck up, the teachers have fun (like Dr. P, who told me yesterday that "I'm just a transfer, they can ship me back..." and then laughed about it), and it's just a more relaxed atmosphere.
And yes, I said that Alma students are stuck up. Not necessarily in a bad way (although some are), but it's definitely something that I've noticed with both HHS and Alma. HHS almost brainwashes their students into thinking that they're better than everyone else is. True in academics (because of the whole blue ribbon thing), and athletics (hello class C state girls basketball champions), and music (at least, we used to be, but visions on that were also slightly skewed). Yes, HHS is a very good school, and I'm happy with the education that I received from there. But I don't know how much I liked the big head that I walked away with from it. There were plenty of other schools in the Copper Country, but Houghton was always the best. Or so we thought.
Same at Alma. It's an amazing school. There are no graduate students teaching classes (cause there are no graduate students). I don't know if I just transferred to SVSU too late, but I don't think I'll ever have a graduate student teaching me here either. There's a lot more diversity (as opposed to the only diversity at Alma being the basketball team), and I like that a lot. I am aware that it's a lot harder to get into Alma than SVSU, so that's definite prestige right there. I love all of my Alma people, because they're amazing and wonderful. I'm just saying that the general aura of the entire college is "we're better than you, so just stay out of our way". And I don't think that I really like that.
This is getting much more philosophical than I wanted it to, but it's true. I've been doing a lot of introspective thinking lately, and it's definitely good for me. I'm redoing a lot of my priorities.
I do think it's funny though, that although my lessons are easier and not as stressful here, I spend just as much time, if not more, practicing, because I get excited about my lessons. I don't walk out of there feeling bad about myself, I walk out of there laughing because Tony is such a psycho. Maybe I wasn't meant to be at Alma. That's definitely how I felt. I was never good enough there, and I don't know if I could ever have worked hard enough to accomplish what would have made everyone else (except me) happy. I'm happy that I'm out of there. I have new friends here, and they're definitely a lot more relaxed... meaning that we can hang out, have fun, without practicing or drinking all the time.
Now, don't get me wrong. I'm still proud that I have my diploma from HHS, and that I can say I went to Alma for two years. They were both very good institutions, and I learned a lot from both of them. But I don't necessarily agree with the idea that someone went to this place, and so they're better than all the people who didn't. I get a lot of the question "well, why'd you leave Alma, their music program is so good..." and I don't really give a lot of honest answers. Yes, there was the fact that they didn't have special education. But part of it was that my self esteem was being destroyed. I don't know if I could ever have worked hard enough to make the people that I wanted to proud (aka Zerb and the rest of the ensemble). I was pushing myself to the limits, and my body was starting to show it. I still have back problems from moving the equipment up and down the stairs in Chicago. My shoulder muscles will always be sore from playing cymbals when I wasn't ready to. I wasn't sleeping, wasn't eating, and was generally being very very unhealthy while I was there. No one wants that.
But that's enough on that rant... I just had to get it out there. I'm sure all the Alma people will defend Alma, and that's fine. You have that right. But really think about what I said. Yes, you're an Alma College Scot, and that's pretty gosh darn cool. But I'm an SVSU Cardinal now, and that's also pretty cool, even if it doesn't come with a 30k/year price tag.
Now that that's said. I'm sure I'll get picked on for another long livejournal entry... if anyone even really makes it all the way to the end, they can have brownie points. Mine aren't as good as Dr. P's, but I can pretend, right?
And belated happy birthday to my sister. I should have given her an entry yesterday, but I left her a fun voicemail. With Miny playing her "miny harmonica". I was happy with it. :P
I don't really think that there's a lot left in my head to write about. I'm just kind of waiting for percussion ensemble (although I might go grab a bite to eat beforehand), and then I'm going to go back to my room and hopefully relax. Tomorrow's my crazy hectic day, but thankfully I don't think that I have anything due in the classes... just reading that I have to do. But that's not bad. I like reading the stuff that we do. So tonight, early to bed, drinking lots of water to hopefully help this headache go away, hopefully talking to my family...
Oh, and shoe shopping with Allison. If I find the shoes that I want, I will get all dolled up and cute, and take pictures. And post them. Because I don't even think I have any pictures of me with my highlighted hair. And it's pretty gosh darn cute. So. Yeah.
Time to get going now. Food, and then off to ensemble. Not really a bad day. Lata!
EDIT: I forgot to write this before. The history thing... my teacher grades like this. From bad to good:
Question Mark-->Check Mark-->Check Mark w/one squiggly line-->Check Mark w/two squiggly lines-->Two Check Marks aka... he's crazy. :P