Tonight, just a short blog to commemorate the day!
Today is my sixth "Writeaversary". I celebrate May 31 every year as the day that I started writing (more than just what was required for school) six years ago. I still remember the day and the week preceding very vividly... the flurry of "Wow, there's a whole WORLD out there!" The opportunities available to me shocked me, but I feel like I have since risen to meet them.
I am a dork in many ways (Come on. Writeaversaries?), but May 31 is an important day to me. To me, it means the day that I discovered my passion; the day that began the walking down the path that I have chosen.
Today was wonderful. I baked myself a cake yesterday (Fudge marble with fudge icing... mmm...), I hung out with Brandlyn (we watched "Batman Forever" on VHS, swam a bit, and went to Target) and tonight I went to eat dinner with Mike and Mom (Mike grilled some chicken and it was delish!)
May 31, 2003 was a good day. I hope that all of my May 31st's from now on are just as wonderful.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Yarn Harlot!
Tonight was one of those fabulously dorky evenings that I have been looking forward to for days. (I only heard about the event a little over a week ago, so while it doesn't sound impressive, it totally is.) Tonight, I went downtown to Book People and saw the Yarn Harlot!
The Yarn Harlot is this lovely Canadian woman, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, who is a knitter and a writer and somehow manages to be fabulous at combining the two. She is clever, hilarious, and a delight to read... and it turns out, it is even better to hear her speak! She's written quite a number of books about knitting and I have read all but one of them and loved them all. When I heard she was coming to Austin, I immediately stuck it in my calendar.
(That's Stephanie taking a picture of her sock in front of all us knitters!)
Stephanie spoke for about an hour and had everyone - to my estimation... there were 50 or 60 odd people - in stitches (ahah, knitting... stitches... hooray, puns!!) the entire time. I even finished a sock!
One of the funniest parts about the event was how the Book People staff kept on having to bring out more chairs and creating more space... they, like so many others, completely underestimated the power of many knitters in large numbers. Originally, they had around 30 chairs set out and then spread it out into the wings and farther into the back. While it was a relatively small event (some of her events are huge), I had to wait around 45 minutes to get my book signed.
I did spend quite a bit of time considering what book I wanted her to sign. I ended up going with a book called At Knit's End, which she published in 2005. I picked this up at a yarn store in London last summer (I think it was "Stash London") for 7 pounds. (That was $14 at the time. I feel like I did get my money's worth!)
It's a small book, about the size of a hand, and fits perfectly in my purse. It's been living there ever since and I love it. It's nice to whip it out when I'm bored and read a few pages and I love that I got it signed. And when I handed it to Stephanie, she said, "It's so nice to see a copy of a book so loved."
(...And she also told me it was hard to write our name with an F instead of a PH. Likewise, Stephanie, but my spelling makes more sense.)
The Yarn Harlot is this lovely Canadian woman, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, who is a knitter and a writer and somehow manages to be fabulous at combining the two. She is clever, hilarious, and a delight to read... and it turns out, it is even better to hear her speak! She's written quite a number of books about knitting and I have read all but one of them and loved them all. When I heard she was coming to Austin, I immediately stuck it in my calendar.
(That's Stephanie taking a picture of her sock in front of all us knitters!)Stephanie spoke for about an hour and had everyone - to my estimation... there were 50 or 60 odd people - in stitches (ahah, knitting... stitches... hooray, puns!!) the entire time. I even finished a sock!
One of the funniest parts about the event was how the Book People staff kept on having to bring out more chairs and creating more space... they, like so many others, completely underestimated the power of many knitters in large numbers. Originally, they had around 30 chairs set out and then spread it out into the wings and farther into the back. While it was a relatively small event (some of her events are huge), I had to wait around 45 minutes to get my book signed.
I did spend quite a bit of time considering what book I wanted her to sign. I ended up going with a book called At Knit's End, which she published in 2005. I picked this up at a yarn store in London last summer (I think it was "Stash London") for 7 pounds. (That was $14 at the time. I feel like I did get my money's worth!)
It's a small book, about the size of a hand, and fits perfectly in my purse. It's been living there ever since and I love it. It's nice to whip it out when I'm bored and read a few pages and I love that I got it signed. And when I handed it to Stephanie, she said, "It's so nice to see a copy of a book so loved."
(...And she also told me it was hard to write our name with an F instead of a PH. Likewise, Stephanie, but my spelling makes more sense.)
"Frustration" AKA "Just Let Me Into the UT School of Communications, Damnit!"
"We've received all the items that are required to review and process your application. The Admissions Committee is currently reviewing your application for admission. Once we reach a decision, you'll be notified by mail and your decision will be posted on this page."
Gawd, yall are such teases.
Gawd, yall are such teases.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Crawfish Cookout
Yesterday, I headed over to Dad's house for the annual crawfish cookout in their area of Steiner Ranch. Every year, it gets bigger and bigger; this year there were at least 160 people in the cauldesac! It was my first year to go, and I had a great time.
(These photos were from earlier when there weren't as many people:)
Around the cauldesac there were things for the kids to do, like a slip-n-slide. (Tom enjoyed it!)
In Dad's yard, there were kiddy pools and a little moon bounce set up for the little ones.
And after all the lil'uns were taken home and put in their beds... some of the bigger kids enjoyed the pool.
Around 6, the crawfish were served! (And for those of us who are "crazy" and don't like seafood... hot dogs!) Dad, however, thoroughly enjoyed the crawfish.
At one point, it rained and after that a rainbow came out! We could see the WHOLE thing! It was incredible.
And finally, after people were done eating the crawfish, Pippa brought out the big guns.
Pavlova of course! Four of them! I tried to sneak off with a whole one, but was (unfortunatly) unsuccessful.
And though it wasn't planned there was beer pong to play, too!
A musician had been hired (and I wish I could remember his name!) and he was great. The music definitely lended itself to the atmosphere of the party. When night had fallen, a small crowd gathered around him to listen.
I had a great time and will definitely go back next year!
(These photos were from earlier when there weren't as many people:)
Around the cauldesac there were things for the kids to do, like a slip-n-slide. (Tom enjoyed it!)
In Dad's yard, there were kiddy pools and a little moon bounce set up for the little ones.
And after all the lil'uns were taken home and put in their beds... some of the bigger kids enjoyed the pool.
Around 6, the crawfish were served! (And for those of us who are "crazy" and don't like seafood... hot dogs!) Dad, however, thoroughly enjoyed the crawfish.
At one point, it rained and after that a rainbow came out! We could see the WHOLE thing! It was incredible.
And finally, after people were done eating the crawfish, Pippa brought out the big guns.
Pavlova of course! Four of them! I tried to sneak off with a whole one, but was (unfortunatly) unsuccessful.
And though it wasn't planned there was beer pong to play, too!
A musician had been hired (and I wish I could remember his name!) and he was great. The music definitely lended itself to the atmosphere of the party. When night had fallen, a small crowd gathered around him to listen.
I had a great time and will definitely go back next year!
Thursday, May 21, 2009
The Nanny Diaries...Stefanie Edition
I started my summer job this week.
My job for the rest of May, June, and most of July will be to nanny a four-month-old named Emma during the day while her mommy studies to take the Bar.
What I have learned so far is that babies are quite easy, but they so tiring. It's not hard to play with an infant. They just eat, poop, sleep, and want things. (And smile... awww, her smile is so adorable!)
The hardest part of the job so far (this is day 3, mind you) is reading her. I am not experienced enough with her (or with babies in general) to tell when they're hungry, tired, bored, whatever... because right now it all sounds the same: "Waaaah!"
Emma is a really good baby, as far as babies go. She eats a ton, though (and consequently throws up a lot too!) I feed her practically every hour and a half. And though her mother tells me that she naps well, so far she hasn't for me during the day. Apparently she sleeps like a rock through the night.
And speaking of sleeping, I put her in her crib about ten minutes ago and that is exactly what she is not doing right now. She's been fussy and rubbing her eyes for a while now, so I know that she is tired... but she is not falling asleep.
...Oh, now the baby's really crying. Have to go take care of that.
(20 minutes and half a bottle later... Emma is out like a light.)
Something that I was just thinking about while soothing Emma and helping her drift off is that despite the fact that before this week I thought I knew next to nothing about babies and their care, it's surprisingly easy. When she cries, I know how to soothe her, when she's sleepy, I know how to send her off into dreamland. When she isn't happy, I know how to make her smile. So much of it is instinctual and it amazes me to realize that I knew a lot of what is required to take care of a baby.
Well, one week down. I have a feeling I am going to learn a lot this summer.
My job for the rest of May, June, and most of July will be to nanny a four-month-old named Emma during the day while her mommy studies to take the Bar.
What I have learned so far is that babies are quite easy, but they so tiring. It's not hard to play with an infant. They just eat, poop, sleep, and want things. (And smile... awww, her smile is so adorable!)
The hardest part of the job so far (this is day 3, mind you) is reading her. I am not experienced enough with her (or with babies in general) to tell when they're hungry, tired, bored, whatever... because right now it all sounds the same: "Waaaah!"
Emma is a really good baby, as far as babies go. She eats a ton, though (and consequently throws up a lot too!) I feed her practically every hour and a half. And though her mother tells me that she naps well, so far she hasn't for me during the day. Apparently she sleeps like a rock through the night.
And speaking of sleeping, I put her in her crib about ten minutes ago and that is exactly what she is not doing right now. She's been fussy and rubbing her eyes for a while now, so I know that she is tired... but she is not falling asleep.
...Oh, now the baby's really crying. Have to go take care of that.
(20 minutes and half a bottle later... Emma is out like a light.)
Something that I was just thinking about while soothing Emma and helping her drift off is that despite the fact that before this week I thought I knew next to nothing about babies and their care, it's surprisingly easy. When she cries, I know how to soothe her, when she's sleepy, I know how to send her off into dreamland. When she isn't happy, I know how to make her smile. So much of it is instinctual and it amazes me to realize that I knew a lot of what is required to take care of a baby.
Well, one week down. I have a feeling I am going to learn a lot this summer.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Housing Hunting
Today... oh, today I did something Grown Up.
I went with Abby (and my future roommate - Abby's boyfriend Nathan), we got ourselves a realtor (which, according to my internet, is spelled incorrectly if it has a lower-case 'r'), we drove downtown, and we looked at some (read: six) apartments that fit our budget and our spacial needs.
I don't like blogging about specifics before we make a decision (or saying which one we like best... because that's a bad rap on the ones that we didn't like... and I'm not mean like that!) but we did come up with a final two by the end of the day.
They're both in the same price range (which we set somewhere between $1400-2100 rent... preferably on the lower end so we can afford other things like, you know, electricity. And food.) and had our bedroom choices (2 bed/1 bath, 2 bed/2 bath, 3 bed/2 bath, whatever. As long as there was room for three people and a decent shower), and was close to campus and did not suck. (The sucking thing was easy enough to sort out.) We did have other things that we wanted, like a nice neighborhood, ceiling fans (this was a plus... but not necessary), and paid utilities, that kind of thing.
It felt like a very grown up thing to do, looking for a place to live. I'll be honest, it was nice to do it without my mother (who would have been a big help and a voice of reason but I think we felt like we needed to do the hunting and narrowing down by ourselves), but instead of having her there today we decided that tomorrow would be better to return to our top two places with her to have another look and to (perhaps) make a decision. We have spent the day talking and reviewing and figuring out what is best, what works, what doesn't and while I am ready to have a decision made, I understand the need to be cautious when you're investing money - especially in a place to live.
So, I am sure you will see more on that later! And in the fall you will most definitely see a montage of moving in.
I went with Abby (and my future roommate - Abby's boyfriend Nathan), we got ourselves a realtor (which, according to my internet, is spelled incorrectly if it has a lower-case 'r'), we drove downtown, and we looked at some (read: six) apartments that fit our budget and our spacial needs.
I don't like blogging about specifics before we make a decision (or saying which one we like best... because that's a bad rap on the ones that we didn't like... and I'm not mean like that!) but we did come up with a final two by the end of the day.
They're both in the same price range (which we set somewhere between $1400-2100 rent... preferably on the lower end so we can afford other things like, you know, electricity. And food.) and had our bedroom choices (2 bed/1 bath, 2 bed/2 bath, 3 bed/2 bath, whatever. As long as there was room for three people and a decent shower), and was close to campus and did not suck. (The sucking thing was easy enough to sort out.) We did have other things that we wanted, like a nice neighborhood, ceiling fans (this was a plus... but not necessary), and paid utilities, that kind of thing.
It felt like a very grown up thing to do, looking for a place to live. I'll be honest, it was nice to do it without my mother (who would have been a big help and a voice of reason but I think we felt like we needed to do the hunting and narrowing down by ourselves), but instead of having her there today we decided that tomorrow would be better to return to our top two places with her to have another look and to (perhaps) make a decision. We have spent the day talking and reviewing and figuring out what is best, what works, what doesn't and while I am ready to have a decision made, I understand the need to be cautious when you're investing money - especially in a place to live.
So, I am sure you will see more on that later! And in the fall you will most definitely see a montage of moving in.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
What I've been meaning to blog about
I've realized in the last few months that coming back to Austin means forgetting to blog (and tweet) altogether. So here's a summary of what you've missed:
I spent the weekend moving home. I am now happily settled in my room (which is not entirely clean, but is almost entirely put back together) and for full details... call me. Or read mom's blog to see a bit of what happened.
I have spent most of my time since sleeping and hanging out around my house. I spent an hour or so both yesterday and today laying out by my pool (wearing sunblock, of course) and I only got a little burned on my chest, but I am now convinced that my freckles are coming out for the summer. They're getting darker and that's all I can ever hope for in my summer. (I have long since given up on tanning.)
I am now anxiously awaiting my grades, which should be released in the next hour or so, but I think that I know what I will get. I just hope that I do get them!
I'm going to watch a bit of "Planet Earth" and clean my room. Tonight, Mom, Duncan and I are going to go see the new X-Men movie!
I spent the weekend moving home. I am now happily settled in my room (which is not entirely clean, but is almost entirely put back together) and for full details... call me. Or read mom's blog to see a bit of what happened.
I have spent most of my time since sleeping and hanging out around my house. I spent an hour or so both yesterday and today laying out by my pool (wearing sunblock, of course) and I only got a little burned on my chest, but I am now convinced that my freckles are coming out for the summer. They're getting darker and that's all I can ever hope for in my summer. (I have long since given up on tanning.)
I am now anxiously awaiting my grades, which should be released in the next hour or so, but I think that I know what I will get. I just hope that I do get them!
I'm going to watch a bit of "Planet Earth" and clean my room. Tonight, Mom, Duncan and I are going to go see the new X-Men movie!
Friday, May 8, 2009
Final Exam #5: Astronomy
This was my only really early final (8am... eew) and so I of course made a stop at Starbucks for some coffee (I got a caramel macchiato... Mmm...) and studied with the same guy who I have been all semester. We met yesterday and went through the review for two hours and this morning he quizzed me. (It was kind of funny watching him search through the packet trying to find something that would trip me up... I knew everything except one thing he asked me. Something about allotropes.)
So we made our way to the final and met up with his roommates (who all joked about sitting next to me so they could cheat. Whatever. There were three different versions of the exam!) The exam was 80 questions long, and the last twenty or so were definitely where the harder questions were. There were four questions that I completely guessed on and all of the others I knew right off the bat. All of the tests I've taken this semester have been about 50-60 questions long, so I thought it was funny that I started burning out right at that point.
There were a lot of really specific questions that I knew if I hadn't studied as well as I did yesterday that I would have guessed on (and probably guessed wrong on.) But I am very confident in my grade!
As an aside... I have one of my grades back! I got an A on my Geology final and a B in the class. Hooray! Let the grades begin rolling in...
So we made our way to the final and met up with his roommates (who all joked about sitting next to me so they could cheat. Whatever. There were three different versions of the exam!) The exam was 80 questions long, and the last twenty or so were definitely where the harder questions were. There were four questions that I completely guessed on and all of the others I knew right off the bat. All of the tests I've taken this semester have been about 50-60 questions long, so I thought it was funny that I started burning out right at that point.
There were a lot of really specific questions that I knew if I hadn't studied as well as I did yesterday that I would have guessed on (and probably guessed wrong on.) But I am very confident in my grade!
As an aside... I have one of my grades back! I got an A on my Geology final and a B in the class. Hooray! Let the grades begin rolling in...
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Final Exam #4: American History
I would like to say: How right was I?
I've been telling people all week how useless walking all the way across campus would be because I would get to the test and it would take approximately 25 minutes and then I would walk home. And I was right. The test took me all of 23 minutes.
(It was only a 30 question test, so saying that really isn't much of a stretch.)
There were only a few questions that I didn't know and had to guess on (mostly because it was toward the end of the review and I was sick of highlighting) but overall I feel confident that I made a good grade on the exam... and thus, a good grade in the class. (You may recall that I had to make a 30 on the final to make a C in the class. I think I achieved my goal.)
My plans for this afternoon are to study Astronomy with a friend at Starbucks for a bit and to take more of Abby's stuff to her house. We have quite a pile accumulating by the door and I hope it'll all fit in my car. (And then we're going to Sonic... because I'm craving a slushie hardcore.)
I've been telling people all week how useless walking all the way across campus would be because I would get to the test and it would take approximately 25 minutes and then I would walk home. And I was right. The test took me all of 23 minutes.
(It was only a 30 question test, so saying that really isn't much of a stretch.)
There were only a few questions that I didn't know and had to guess on (mostly because it was toward the end of the review and I was sick of highlighting) but overall I feel confident that I made a good grade on the exam... and thus, a good grade in the class. (You may recall that I had to make a 30 on the final to make a C in the class. I think I achieved my goal.)
My plans for this afternoon are to study Astronomy with a friend at Starbucks for a bit and to take more of Abby's stuff to her house. We have quite a pile accumulating by the door and I hope it'll all fit in my car. (And then we're going to Sonic... because I'm craving a slushie hardcore.)
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Thoughts on the Civil War
While studying for my history exam tomorrow (which, in large part, concerns the Civil War and the years leading up to it) I have stumbled upon a few amusing facts in my notes.
Fact one: General Joseph Hooker (of the Union) was quite a ladies man and had a group of women who followed him around who were apparently called "Hooker's Brigade" (or something along those lines). It is commonly accepted that this is the place where we get the slang term for prostitute: Hooker.
Fact two: In March of 1863, Congress passed the Conscription Act which allowed men between 20-45 who were drafted to pay $300 and hire substitutes to go to war for them. The Civil War thus became known as the "Rich man's war and a poor man's fight". (This is less amusing as it is interesting. Although I can imagine someone with a snooty accent saying, "Oh I don't want to go to war... here's $300. Send him instead. That sounds, fair, right?")
Fact three: The battle fought at Gettysburg was started when men from both sides went in search of shoes for their men, saw each other, and then began fighting. They then called for reinforcements and (badda bing, badda boom), a massacre of both Northern and Southern soldiers. This leads me to believe that the bloodiest battle of the Civil War and the site where thousands died and were wounded... was started by a fight over shoes.
---
On a more serious note...
It's really easy to go back and read about all of these battles and see the numbers and shrug, but something else that I know about the Civil War was that it was the time in which war shed it's Shining Glory, Honor and Prestige... war was no longer considered a noble cause like it was in the times of the Revolution. Of course, there is always honor in fighting for what you believe in, but I think that the development of (dare I say it) conscious within war was important. Each side thought that it was fighting for what was right, but both sides understood that it was wrong to lose so much life.
When I was 13, some of the required reading for school was The Red Badge of Courage, and while I hated every minute of reading that book (it was terribly boring - especially for a class of thirteen-year-olds - and quite honestly, it seems to have scarred my seventh grade English class at St. Gabriel's for life. Mention it to any of them and watch them cringe), I still remember what was important about it: It was one of the first books that portrayed wars as they were... not as something glorious but something terrifying. The main character of the book, an eighteen-year-old boy who joins the fight because he believes in the nobility of the cause and the honor in earning a 'Red Badge of Courage' (a wound, to prove one's bravery... which is rather ironic, really), realizes when he is put in uniform and handed a weapon that war really isn't everything that it was told to be and he flees the battle to seek refuge in the forest. I vividly remember how the author described how frightened the boy was.
All wars have been terrible, every one ever fought. What I have observed through studying (and a little bit of watching the news and living through the last 8 or so years) is that often at the onset, we don't tend to take them seriously... don't expect them to be as hard as they actually turn out to be. I mean, at the first battle of Bull Run, there were city spectators there on the hill, watching the battle progress as if it were going to be a show. They expected the war to be over within months... little did they know that it would last for years and kill more than 600,000 of the nation's citizens. Two days of fighting (at Shiloh) killed more people than the American Revolution, the Mexican-American War, and the War of 1812 combined.
Here ends my musings on the Civil War. Wish me luck on my exam tomorrow, and I will blog more tomorrow afternoon after my exam is finished!
Fact one: General Joseph Hooker (of the Union) was quite a ladies man and had a group of women who followed him around who were apparently called "Hooker's Brigade" (or something along those lines). It is commonly accepted that this is the place where we get the slang term for prostitute: Hooker.
Fact two: In March of 1863, Congress passed the Conscription Act which allowed men between 20-45 who were drafted to pay $300 and hire substitutes to go to war for them. The Civil War thus became known as the "Rich man's war and a poor man's fight". (This is less amusing as it is interesting. Although I can imagine someone with a snooty accent saying, "Oh I don't want to go to war... here's $300. Send him instead. That sounds, fair, right?")
Fact three: The battle fought at Gettysburg was started when men from both sides went in search of shoes for their men, saw each other, and then began fighting. They then called for reinforcements and (badda bing, badda boom), a massacre of both Northern and Southern soldiers. This leads me to believe that the bloodiest battle of the Civil War and the site where thousands died and were wounded... was started by a fight over shoes.
---
On a more serious note...
It's really easy to go back and read about all of these battles and see the numbers and shrug, but something else that I know about the Civil War was that it was the time in which war shed it's Shining Glory, Honor and Prestige... war was no longer considered a noble cause like it was in the times of the Revolution. Of course, there is always honor in fighting for what you believe in, but I think that the development of (dare I say it) conscious within war was important. Each side thought that it was fighting for what was right, but both sides understood that it was wrong to lose so much life.
When I was 13, some of the required reading for school was The Red Badge of Courage, and while I hated every minute of reading that book (it was terribly boring - especially for a class of thirteen-year-olds - and quite honestly, it seems to have scarred my seventh grade English class at St. Gabriel's for life. Mention it to any of them and watch them cringe), I still remember what was important about it: It was one of the first books that portrayed wars as they were... not as something glorious but something terrifying. The main character of the book, an eighteen-year-old boy who joins the fight because he believes in the nobility of the cause and the honor in earning a 'Red Badge of Courage' (a wound, to prove one's bravery... which is rather ironic, really), realizes when he is put in uniform and handed a weapon that war really isn't everything that it was told to be and he flees the battle to seek refuge in the forest. I vividly remember how the author described how frightened the boy was.
All wars have been terrible, every one ever fought. What I have observed through studying (and a little bit of watching the news and living through the last 8 or so years) is that often at the onset, we don't tend to take them seriously... don't expect them to be as hard as they actually turn out to be. I mean, at the first battle of Bull Run, there were city spectators there on the hill, watching the battle progress as if it were going to be a show. They expected the war to be over within months... little did they know that it would last for years and kill more than 600,000 of the nation's citizens. Two days of fighting (at Shiloh) killed more people than the American Revolution, the Mexican-American War, and the War of 1812 combined.
Here ends my musings on the Civil War. Wish me luck on my exam tomorrow, and I will blog more tomorrow afternoon after my exam is finished!
Final Exam #3: Geology
I knew that this final would be easy and I was not disappointed. While it was longer than I expected (61 questions instead of the usual 50) I finished it in about half an hour or so. (I am a naturally fast test-taker) and I was one of the first thirty or so students to finish the exam. There were only about seven-ish questions that I guessed on... and I feel comfortable enough to say that they were probably good guesses.
I needed to do well on this exam to get a decent grade in the class and I really think that I was able to achieve that grade. The extra questions he added on to the end were a definite cushion for me, because there were a few questions toward the end about faults and folds that I probably should have studied a little harder.
The last six questions of the exam were bonus questions and were a "survey" for the university to see what we had studied throughout the semester. Two of them were astronomy. (Picture me dusting off my shoulders and looking smug here, because that is honestly what I felt like doing when I came to that part of the exam!)
I was not pleased having to wake up at 9 this morning, seeing as I've been happily sleeping to about 10 or 11 every day and lounging about and reading until noon or later... but oh well. I have to wake up at the same time tomorrow and earlier the next. We have a lot of coffee in the cupboards!
Tomorrow's exam will be History and Friday's is Astronomy. Time to make myself some tea and start studying...
I needed to do well on this exam to get a decent grade in the class and I really think that I was able to achieve that grade. The extra questions he added on to the end were a definite cushion for me, because there were a few questions toward the end about faults and folds that I probably should have studied a little harder.
The last six questions of the exam were bonus questions and were a "survey" for the university to see what we had studied throughout the semester. Two of them were astronomy. (Picture me dusting off my shoulders and looking smug here, because that is honestly what I felt like doing when I came to that part of the exam!)
I was not pleased having to wake up at 9 this morning, seeing as I've been happily sleeping to about 10 or 11 every day and lounging about and reading until noon or later... but oh well. I have to wake up at the same time tomorrow and earlier the next. We have a lot of coffee in the cupboards!
Tomorrow's exam will be History and Friday's is Astronomy. Time to make myself some tea and start studying...
Monday, May 4, 2009
Final Exam #2: English
Well, Freshman Composition... technically. Not really English.
The way that my composition final works is that they give us a packet of readings (five or six articles over both sides of an issue) that we have to read before the final and then write an essay over during the allotted time for the final. The things is, while we are given the readings (and thus, the topic) we aren't given the prompt until we get there. I had a bet with myself (ten bucks!) that my prompt would be a proposal and that it would take me an hour and a half to write. Well, I lost my bet, so I technically owe myself ten bucks, because it was a persuasive essay and it took me 1:45 to write.
The topic was whether civil service should be mandated by the government. I decided that I was against this and managed to write four pages about how I was against this. It was very easy to take a "that's unconstitutional!" standpoint... and so I did. There's not really much else to tell.
Dunno if you've noticed, but writing has never exactly been a weak point of mine... so I was not expecting to be challenged. And I wasn't.
My next final is Geology on Wednesday, but I think that I will take a nap then continue on with what Hermione told me to do. (For the record, I am still accomplishing what I said I would!)
Well, Abby has just informed me that she wants to do some moving, so we're going to load up my car with some of her stuff and take it to her house. So much for taking a nap! (No... I did offer her my car. So I did expect it.)
The way that my composition final works is that they give us a packet of readings (five or six articles over both sides of an issue) that we have to read before the final and then write an essay over during the allotted time for the final. The things is, while we are given the readings (and thus, the topic) we aren't given the prompt until we get there. I had a bet with myself (ten bucks!) that my prompt would be a proposal and that it would take me an hour and a half to write. Well, I lost my bet, so I technically owe myself ten bucks, because it was a persuasive essay and it took me 1:45 to write.
The topic was whether civil service should be mandated by the government. I decided that I was against this and managed to write four pages about how I was against this. It was very easy to take a "that's unconstitutional!" standpoint... and so I did. There's not really much else to tell.
Dunno if you've noticed, but writing has never exactly been a weak point of mine... so I was not expecting to be challenged. And I wasn't.
My next final is Geology on Wednesday, but I think that I will take a nap then continue on with what Hermione told me to do. (For the record, I am still accomplishing what I said I would!)
Well, Abby has just informed me that she wants to do some moving, so we're going to load up my car with some of her stuff and take it to her house. So much for taking a nap! (No... I did offer her my car. So I did expect it.)
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Final Exam #1: French
My life has officially been sucked up into the world of final exams. This afternoon I took my first exam: French.
I'll be honest, while I did study a lot (A LOT. Did you see what Hermione made me do?) but I was a little shocked by how hard some parts of the exam were. There were words that I could have sworn that I've never seen before... and there was a listening portion of the exam that was about famous French people that we never learned about in class (but were apparently in the book?) that was pretty difficult. But overall, I am confident that I got the grade on the final that I needed to get an A in the class.
Tonight, I'm going to start studying for my other classes, just like Hermione told me to. On the agenda is Geology and English.
I'll be honest, while I did study a lot (A LOT. Did you see what Hermione made me do?) but I was a little shocked by how hard some parts of the exam were. There were words that I could have sworn that I've never seen before... and there was a listening portion of the exam that was about famous French people that we never learned about in class (but were apparently in the book?) that was pretty difficult. But overall, I am confident that I got the grade on the final that I needed to get an A in the class.
Tonight, I'm going to start studying for my other classes, just like Hermione told me to. On the agenda is Geology and English.
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