5 classes, training for a 5K, GRE prep, mojitos, minxing, and many other things
I haven't really posted an update about what's going down these days in a while, so here's a random update from Anna.
Academically, things are intense but rewarding. Sometimes I feel a little overwhelmed, but it helps when I remember to approach the week as a week rather than a series of isolated days. In theory I've always done this, but I've never had such an oddly-structured class schedule before. The result is that on some nights I have to go to bed without having touched about half of my homework, knowing that the next day I should have plenty of time because my schedule that day is wide open. It's risky, gambling on that time being productive when I really never know when I'll get sick or go on adventures, but I'd say that the risk is necessary if I am to maintain my sanity and have play-time and sleep. So far it is working out well, save that it gets hard not to feel stressed on certain nights of the week. It also makes extracurricular meetings less appealling.
Classes themselves have gone well, though, and I have two classes I can occasionally skip. Strategic Communications 431 is the highlight of my schedule -- it makes feel curiously alive and elite, and I always leave there thinking "Damn, I picked the right major!" Finance 420 is the lowlight of my schedule -- the professor is pretty awful and I struggle with the math. I also get confused as to what math I actually need to know and what math to be ignoring, as our professor seems to skip over all the complicated math on his slides but then five minutes later bust out a ridiculous and incoherent math problem scrawled all over the chalk board as he rambles on a tangent. I devote an extraordinary amount of time to that class, but I have the frustrating feeling that the midterm we have next week will not reflect that at all...
Ah well. At least I have a cool class like Design to mind-fuck me and pull me out of the slump. I just got nailed with a report that I wasn't expecting, but at least it will be fun to do... so yeah. And Operations Management continues to be a joke to the point that I'm concerned I will get my exam and fail it because I failed to recognize anything that would count as Useful Education Worthy of Studying in that class. ;P Nah, it's not actually that bad... just boring. And going to lectures is pointless if you have read the book. Yesterday I got freaked out by the surprise realization that a group project is apparently imminently due, but after quickly finding a group of people who live on Patterson and Oakland and reading through the case study I am no longer too concerned. I am concerned, unfortunately, about my upcoming EEOB 597.02 research paper. :P
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BUT ENOUGH ABOUT CLASSES, athletically things have been fun because I'm training to run 5Ks! I ran three times last week, a record for busy/lazy/tired me, and one of those times I conquered my terrible athletic self-esteem long enough to run with Jing-jing. I deeply admire Jing-Jing's crazy devotion to bettering herself, and I'm sad to hear that yesterday she hurt her knee in judo. I hope she gets better ASAP, as it would be awful for all of her hard work to go unused. There'll be more 5K's after the Udall E^3 one we're running in to celebrate Earth Day, but still. She worked hard to organize her team and we are starting to get pumped.
All this running has been making me feel healthy and free, but because I'm still pretty out of shape it's also been making me feel exceptionally tired! Seriously, I want to go to bed at like 10 o' clock at night, and I also want to eat about ten meals a day. Granted, I personally think that's healthy and I'm relieved to be living "harder," for lack of a better word... it's just that my class schedule is gonna make that difficult. And that it's gonna be a challenge to keep the training up, as it's already Tuesday and I haven't worked out yet this week. I'll be happy with working out twice a week, honestly, but the sheer relaxation and psychological benefits I receive from working out makes me think I should do more it more... so yeah. Hopefully we will work that out. I've had to do some old-fashioned paradigm-shifting in this area to break old perceptions and allow for more outlets.
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Between exerc0se, classes, and sleep, the only other legitimate thing has been future-planning. Ash and I took a practice GRE this weekend and got our asses kicked, so we've acquired some books and practice tests and are gonna start our own mini GRE classes on Friday mornings. I've also been researching grad schools on and off, updating my now-juicy resume, and trying to get involved with PRSSA. My Strat Comm class is getting me pretty pumped about getting a masters degree in my major... sweet. I need to find time to schedule a meeting with my professor.
Also in this category, I just got my acceptance e-mail from Spain. :)
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Finally we have play-time, the best and most obviously fun portion of my life! Sadly there has not been much time for this, but what time I have had has been pleasant. My housemates and I have continued the trend of having a lot of fun on weekends, which means that we've gone to Panini's a couple of times and also to Little Bar. I've watched some basketball games with at Joey's, been to Olive Garden twice with my few NON-Olive-Garden-employed housemates, and affirmed my up-until-this-weekend-theoretical adoration of MOJITOS. *happy little glow just thinking about the connection between them*
Also I've been hanging out with Chris a lot to go get food or talk or whatever, and I have been doing a lot of homework with Hina and sometimes Barwick. I went home this weekend to see my bad-ass Grandpa and then finally got to see Fred on Sunday night. Fred and I had a damn good time and it quieted my concern that he intended to just pretend I didn't exist all quarter, such that while I'm still bummed he's insanely busy and apparently not that inclined to call me or IM just for fun anymore, I'm comforted by the fact he's still out there, interested, and willing to make time for at least the occasional mischief. I wish I could see him more often, but I'm so fuckin' busy I probably shouldn't anyway. :x
On a final note my best friend B is coming up again tomorrow night... yay! Being in touch with her this often again makes me happy. Fun will ensue! <3
Academically, things are intense but rewarding. Sometimes I feel a little overwhelmed, but it helps when I remember to approach the week as a week rather than a series of isolated days. In theory I've always done this, but I've never had such an oddly-structured class schedule before. The result is that on some nights I have to go to bed without having touched about half of my homework, knowing that the next day I should have plenty of time because my schedule that day is wide open. It's risky, gambling on that time being productive when I really never know when I'll get sick or go on adventures, but I'd say that the risk is necessary if I am to maintain my sanity and have play-time and sleep. So far it is working out well, save that it gets hard not to feel stressed on certain nights of the week. It also makes extracurricular meetings less appealling.
Classes themselves have gone well, though, and I have two classes I can occasionally skip. Strategic Communications 431 is the highlight of my schedule -- it makes feel curiously alive and elite, and I always leave there thinking "Damn, I picked the right major!" Finance 420 is the lowlight of my schedule -- the professor is pretty awful and I struggle with the math. I also get confused as to what math I actually need to know and what math to be ignoring, as our professor seems to skip over all the complicated math on his slides but then five minutes later bust out a ridiculous and incoherent math problem scrawled all over the chalk board as he rambles on a tangent. I devote an extraordinary amount of time to that class, but I have the frustrating feeling that the midterm we have next week will not reflect that at all...
Ah well. At least I have a cool class like Design to mind-fuck me and pull me out of the slump. I just got nailed with a report that I wasn't expecting, but at least it will be fun to do... so yeah. And Operations Management continues to be a joke to the point that I'm concerned I will get my exam and fail it because I failed to recognize anything that would count as Useful Education Worthy of Studying in that class. ;P Nah, it's not actually that bad... just boring. And going to lectures is pointless if you have read the book. Yesterday I got freaked out by the surprise realization that a group project is apparently imminently due, but after quickly finding a group of people who live on Patterson and Oakland and reading through the case study I am no longer too concerned. I am concerned, unfortunately, about my upcoming EEOB 597.02 research paper. :P
===
BUT ENOUGH ABOUT CLASSES, athletically things have been fun because I'm training to run 5Ks! I ran three times last week, a record for busy/lazy/tired me, and one of those times I conquered my terrible athletic self-esteem long enough to run with Jing-jing. I deeply admire Jing-Jing's crazy devotion to bettering herself, and I'm sad to hear that yesterday she hurt her knee in judo. I hope she gets better ASAP, as it would be awful for all of her hard work to go unused. There'll be more 5K's after the Udall E^3 one we're running in to celebrate Earth Day, but still. She worked hard to organize her team and we are starting to get pumped.
All this running has been making me feel healthy and free, but because I'm still pretty out of shape it's also been making me feel exceptionally tired! Seriously, I want to go to bed at like 10 o' clock at night, and I also want to eat about ten meals a day. Granted, I personally think that's healthy and I'm relieved to be living "harder," for lack of a better word... it's just that my class schedule is gonna make that difficult. And that it's gonna be a challenge to keep the training up, as it's already Tuesday and I haven't worked out yet this week. I'll be happy with working out twice a week, honestly, but the sheer relaxation and psychological benefits I receive from working out makes me think I should do more it more... so yeah. Hopefully we will work that out. I've had to do some old-fashioned paradigm-shifting in this area to break old perceptions and allow for more outlets.
===
Between exerc0se, classes, and sleep, the only other legitimate thing has been future-planning. Ash and I took a practice GRE this weekend and got our asses kicked, so we've acquired some books and practice tests and are gonna start our own mini GRE classes on Friday mornings. I've also been researching grad schools on and off, updating my now-juicy resume, and trying to get involved with PRSSA. My Strat Comm class is getting me pretty pumped about getting a masters degree in my major... sweet. I need to find time to schedule a meeting with my professor.
Also in this category, I just got my acceptance e-mail from Spain. :)
===
Finally we have play-time, the best and most obviously fun portion of my life! Sadly there has not been much time for this, but what time I have had has been pleasant. My housemates and I have continued the trend of having a lot of fun on weekends, which means that we've gone to Panini's a couple of times and also to Little Bar. I've watched some basketball games with at Joey's, been to Olive Garden twice with my few NON-Olive-Garden-employed housemates, and affirmed my up-until-this-weekend-theoretical adoration of MOJITOS. *happy little glow just thinking about the connection between them*
Also I've been hanging out with Chris a lot to go get food or talk or whatever, and I have been doing a lot of homework with Hina and sometimes Barwick. I went home this weekend to see my bad-ass Grandpa and then finally got to see Fred on Sunday night. Fred and I had a damn good time and it quieted my concern that he intended to just pretend I didn't exist all quarter, such that while I'm still bummed he's insanely busy and apparently not that inclined to call me or IM just for fun anymore, I'm comforted by the fact he's still out there, interested, and willing to make time for at least the occasional mischief. I wish I could see him more often, but I'm so fuckin' busy I probably shouldn't anyway. :x
On a final note my best friend B is coming up again tomorrow night... yay! Being in touch with her this often again makes me happy. Fun will ensue! <3