cuz idc_chan asked
1. What made you decide to apply at the Academy? Why did you choose to go?
So for all of you uninitiated folk, "the Academy" would be the Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities. It's a two-year long public magnet school where you get to pretend to go to college for two years. Except you have a lot more classes. And a lot more rules. And they do crazy experiments on you.
When I first got a letter in the mail informing me about the place, I promptly threw it in a trash can. But over the first semester of my sophomore year of high school, I started dating a guy who was a freshman in college (of course my parents didn't know! and to be fair, we _did_ go to high school together so it wasn't totally perverted.) In any case, I think I was just enamored with the idea of going away to college of any form - even if the academy wasn't quite real college. Plus someone else at my school who I knew and thought wasn't really that bright was applying, so I thought that if she could get in, so could I. And so it goes.
2. What did you like best about the Academy? The least?
I think I liked the random door alarms the least. It took me several years to realize that I could open a stairwell door and not worry about an alarm going off. Although I didn't like it at the time, our forced participation in the MMPI has also been a source of many laughs over the years.
Mostly, though, I really miss all of the friendships I had at the academy. I miss breaking all of the stupid asinine rules in little ways - like putting on our checkout cards that we were going "to china", or stuffing the prom ballot box, or stealing money out of the frog baby fountain to buy illicit lottery tickets. After we graduated, we all went our different ways, and I haven't had such a nice (and relatively cohesive) group of friends since.
3. How do you feel about being out on your own, as an adult? Is it everything you thought it would be? Why or why not?
I'm ok with being an adult. Paying bills sucks. Having my body fall apart sucks. But other than that I'm cool with it. There is a part of me that wanted to run away after college and join the peace corps and do crazy humanitarian work in some random godforsaken place...but I guess that wasn't a path that was meant to be, and I'm ok with that.
For the most part, I feel like I'm becoming more comfortable being myself. I understand who I am, what I like, what I don't like, and what my limitations are. I'm more confident. I'm less afraid to stand up for myself. It's taken me a long time to be ok with being me. That's not to say that I don't have moments of self-loathing or doubt, but rather I'm learning how to deal with them and not let them tear me apart as much.
Overall, I like the way the future looks. I expect I'll have a creative, thoughtful, independent career with little to no people bossing me around. I have my boy and my dogs, too, and life is good.
4. Do you still enjoy the works of Kurt Vonnegut? Why or why not?
Yes, yes, yes. Breakfast of Champions is still my favorite by far. Why? Because I like juvenile things like drawing assholes. See, here's one: *
5. What is the best thing that has ever happened in your life? Why?
I'd have to say being born, because I wouldn't be here without it. The second best thing (and yes this will sound cheesy) would be meeting Brian. We keep each other balanced and sane. We've helped each other out of some really rough times. He's my best friend, my biggest supporter, and helps me be a better person.
(And if you want, as an added bonus, :D D'you spose you'll always be a rebellious rule breaker? ;))
I hope so. Shoot me if I become a complete lemming. Though I will say that I tend to follow the big rules (don't kill people, steal, drive drunk, etc). I think I'll always enjoy breaking stupid little ones that have no point, though :)
So for all of you uninitiated folk, "the Academy" would be the Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities. It's a two-year long public magnet school where you get to pretend to go to college for two years. Except you have a lot more classes. And a lot more rules. And they do crazy experiments on you.
When I first got a letter in the mail informing me about the place, I promptly threw it in a trash can. But over the first semester of my sophomore year of high school, I started dating a guy who was a freshman in college (of course my parents didn't know! and to be fair, we _did_ go to high school together so it wasn't totally perverted.) In any case, I think I was just enamored with the idea of going away to college of any form - even if the academy wasn't quite real college. Plus someone else at my school who I knew and thought wasn't really that bright was applying, so I thought that if she could get in, so could I. And so it goes.
2. What did you like best about the Academy? The least?
I think I liked the random door alarms the least. It took me several years to realize that I could open a stairwell door and not worry about an alarm going off. Although I didn't like it at the time, our forced participation in the MMPI has also been a source of many laughs over the years.
Mostly, though, I really miss all of the friendships I had at the academy. I miss breaking all of the stupid asinine rules in little ways - like putting on our checkout cards that we were going "to china", or stuffing the prom ballot box, or stealing money out of the frog baby fountain to buy illicit lottery tickets. After we graduated, we all went our different ways, and I haven't had such a nice (and relatively cohesive) group of friends since.
3. How do you feel about being out on your own, as an adult? Is it everything you thought it would be? Why or why not?
I'm ok with being an adult. Paying bills sucks. Having my body fall apart sucks. But other than that I'm cool with it. There is a part of me that wanted to run away after college and join the peace corps and do crazy humanitarian work in some random godforsaken place...but I guess that wasn't a path that was meant to be, and I'm ok with that.
For the most part, I feel like I'm becoming more comfortable being myself. I understand who I am, what I like, what I don't like, and what my limitations are. I'm more confident. I'm less afraid to stand up for myself. It's taken me a long time to be ok with being me. That's not to say that I don't have moments of self-loathing or doubt, but rather I'm learning how to deal with them and not let them tear me apart as much.
Overall, I like the way the future looks. I expect I'll have a creative, thoughtful, independent career with little to no people bossing me around. I have my boy and my dogs, too, and life is good.
4. Do you still enjoy the works of Kurt Vonnegut? Why or why not?
Yes, yes, yes. Breakfast of Champions is still my favorite by far. Why? Because I like juvenile things like drawing assholes. See, here's one: *
5. What is the best thing that has ever happened in your life? Why?
I'd have to say being born, because I wouldn't be here without it. The second best thing (and yes this will sound cheesy) would be meeting Brian. We keep each other balanced and sane. We've helped each other out of some really rough times. He's my best friend, my biggest supporter, and helps me be a better person.
(And if you want, as an added bonus, :D D'you spose you'll always be a rebellious rule breaker? ;))
I hope so. Shoot me if I become a complete lemming. Though I will say that I tend to follow the big rules (don't kill people, steal, drive drunk, etc). I think I'll always enjoy breaking stupid little ones that have no point, though :)