Hey look, a real update!
This could very easily turn into an entry about all the things that are making my life stressful right now. There are certainly plenty of them. But that's not how I work, so instead I'm going to write about the things I'm doing to keep from going insane.
Last week in physics lab, we were in the shop and I made a small metal hammer. I'm inordinately pleased with myself for this, even though it wasn't really difficult. If nothing else, it's fun to pick it up and play with it when I need something in my hands, and I've already managed to terrorize one of my roommates with it. Naturally, the song "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" has been running through my head all week. This is not exactly good, but it does amuse me.
This lab happened to be on Halloween, so we had to take a break in the middle of it to go watch pumpkins being launched from a trebuchet. (This is the annual tradition of the Physics Club.) Some of the pumpkins were chemically rigged to explode, and some were filled with candy. Really, though, the best part was watching all the physics students on the roof of the science building, scrambling to catch candy thrown upwards by the people on the ground.
It's easy to get so caught up in classes and homework that I just don't do anything else, but it really is good to get off campus occasionally. Leah posted about the zombie walk last weekend, which was great fun. Yesterday we moved somewhat up the scale (although I guess that depends on your definition) and went to an Oregon Symphony concert. They were featuring a very impressive violinist on a Bruch concerto, and then also played a Wagner piece and Rachmaninoff's second symphony. I sort of felt like I should be spending the time on my homework, but really, a night out listening to the symphony with Leah was exactly what I needed.
On the subject of lacking time, we all know that being in college means you have no time to read books that aren't related to class. I'm finding it very helpful to do so anyway. When I'm eating dinner, when I need a study break, or just before bed, I read a chapter or two that I don't have to think deeply about. So far I've been reading children's fantasy books, and am currently nearly finished with The Dark is Rising series. I refer to these books as my sanity books, and they really are, even if I have to take half an hour out of my sleep time to read them.
Tea. Enough said.
Last week in physics lab, we were in the shop and I made a small metal hammer. I'm inordinately pleased with myself for this, even though it wasn't really difficult. If nothing else, it's fun to pick it up and play with it when I need something in my hands, and I've already managed to terrorize one of my roommates with it. Naturally, the song "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" has been running through my head all week. This is not exactly good, but it does amuse me.
This lab happened to be on Halloween, so we had to take a break in the middle of it to go watch pumpkins being launched from a trebuchet. (This is the annual tradition of the Physics Club.) Some of the pumpkins were chemically rigged to explode, and some were filled with candy. Really, though, the best part was watching all the physics students on the roof of the science building, scrambling to catch candy thrown upwards by the people on the ground.
It's easy to get so caught up in classes and homework that I just don't do anything else, but it really is good to get off campus occasionally. Leah posted about the zombie walk last weekend, which was great fun. Yesterday we moved somewhat up the scale (although I guess that depends on your definition) and went to an Oregon Symphony concert. They were featuring a very impressive violinist on a Bruch concerto, and then also played a Wagner piece and Rachmaninoff's second symphony. I sort of felt like I should be spending the time on my homework, but really, a night out listening to the symphony with Leah was exactly what I needed.
On the subject of lacking time, we all know that being in college means you have no time to read books that aren't related to class. I'm finding it very helpful to do so anyway. When I'm eating dinner, when I need a study break, or just before bed, I read a chapter or two that I don't have to think deeply about. So far I've been reading children's fantasy books, and am currently nearly finished with The Dark is Rising series. I refer to these books as my sanity books, and they really are, even if I have to take half an hour out of my sleep time to read them.
Tea. Enough said.