A much needed break from homework

We (we being the entire Beloit student body) got our schedules for next semester on Tuesday. It was amusing to go into the mailroom and hear people reactions, anything from a quiet sigh of relief to someone doing a great Hayden Christensen/Darth Vader “NOOOOOOOOOO!!!! (That was the silliest movie ever!) My schedule was good….too good. I applied for this special class called the “Duffy Partnership in the Community” class, and also applied for another class in case I didn’t get in. The other class is a 300 level English class that I would love to take, but didn’t think I would actually get into because it is taught by a very popular professor and I am not an English major. I got into both of them, and now need to drop the English class because I really don’t feel like taking 6 classes next semester (a regular course load is 4 classes, I am taking a 5^th class that is pass/fail and only meets once a week). I am very sad about this.

I would like to have something amusing to write, but I don’t. I spent most of yesterday in Chamberlin (the science building) studying for an organic chem. test. I actually really like studying in Chamberlin Most of the time you are with many of your classmates, and the students who have already taken whatever class you are studying for often pop their heads in every once in a while asking if you need help or have questions. It is a very productive atmosphere. It also allows you to experience the information you are trying to remember in many different ways. I would be doing a problem on one of the boards, finally understand it, then turn around and teach it to someone who didn’t. This doesn’t mean I aced the test. In fact, it was the hardest test yet, most of the class didn’t even have time to do all of the questions!

And now I must go and dig into the piles of homework awaiting me. Ahhh, end of the semester how I hate thee. But I can’t wait for winter break.

Satanic Pies

I had a wonderful break. I love Thanksgiving, there is just something about the whole process that is magical. Though cleaning and cooking is not really my thing, doing it with my mother and my friend Jie at 5:00 on a Wednesday evening and knowing I did not have class the next day was nice. As per usual, we got a little quirky in the kitchen and ended up with a Christmas-decorated cherry pie and a satanic apple pie. They turned out pretty well (and by that I mean pretty ugly but very good tasting).

While at home I saw “Across the Universe” with some of my friends. It was amazing! The basic plot was pretty mundane, but add the Beatles music and guest appearances by Eddie Izzard, Bono, and other celebrities, plus the amazingly trippy computer animation stuff…it was amazing.
And now we are back at school. There are only a few weeks till finals, but those weeks are going to last a lifetime. It was the same last year. You get lulled into a false sense of security between fall and thanksgiving break, don’t have too many major things to do, and then BAM! (To be said in one breath) You get back from thanksgiving and it all descend upon you in a black whirlwind of papers, power points, tests, quizzes, tears, caffeine, midnight pizza runs, and lots of work .

Time for me go and finish a lab write up, then study for an organic chemistry test, then do physics homework, then…