Cram-tastic Monday

As we all know, today is the last dead day before finals, which start tomorrow. For a lot of us, that means... cramming. It doesn't matter that you've had a week to look at everything (like I did). No, that was sleeping/eating out/happy fun time. Now it's time to digest all that we've neglected in order to face finals in about 12 hours. All the bulleted lists, sticky notes, faded sheets of notebook paper come out and it's a race against the clock. At some point, we've all done it. So long as nothing looks unfamiliar, chances are you're fine and just panicking, like I often do. Yours truly has 3 finals in the morning, the first of which is at 8 a.m. Luckily, there's a pretty large gap in between the second and last final I have to take, so it's not all that bad. More studying time, no?
I'm up for the challenge, though. I'm confident I can do a good enough job studying, but I'm going to need a good night's sleep to be ready. I'm not one to pound energy drinks to get through the day; I'd rather get a good amount of sleep. I find it helps me remember things a lot better than when I jittery or sugar-high. I read somewhere a while ago having protein to start your day is a good way to be energized, which is why I have peanut butter toast before a test. So, so long as I've got my toast and a full night of sleep, I'll be more than fine.

Hopefully, the first day of final exams will go off without a hitch for all of us. If anything, we can all at least hope for the best. Good luck, everyone!

Important things to remember for the next two weeks...

I know, I know. It’s that time a year again and everyone’s talking about it. By now, you probably feel like:

If you haven’t been stuck under an avalanche of work for the last couple weeks, you’ve probably noticed by now we have about two weeks left of school. No doubt you’ve made 25 To Do lists, restarted 24 of them, and still feel you don’t have enough time to do any work, even if you’ve been working for hours at a time. Stress, am I right? Well, if you’ve got the crunch week blues, keep in mind some things to do that will keep you sane.

Eat something

• I’m going to be the first to cop to this. You’ve been working on things since 8 a.m. and the last time you looked at your clock was around...2ish? It’s now 6 p.m. and the only thing you can vaguely remember is showering and APA style. If the last time you remember eating is 9 a.m. last Wednesday, it’s probably time to eat again. I know you’re probably looking at the screen with indignant rage screaming, “Food? I have no time for this food! It’s getting close to finals week!” Just having snacks on hand is a good way to stave off the munchies, as well as starving to death while you’re writing that 67 page final exam paper (I’m looking at you, English majors). It also keeps you energized and full so you’re ready to keep going through the rest of the week.

Disco Night

About a week ago, we were having our Patriot Days and last Friday was the last night of the festivities. The event that wrapped things up was a Disco Night. Seeing as some of you aren't even old enough to have heard of disco, I figured I would post some pictures to show how much fun we had that night. Colorful lights, food, and afros were just a few of the things we got to enjoy while we danced the night away. Be forewarned, these are pretty much motion photos, and therefore blurry.

Some partygoers, getting down to some 70's music. And yes, there was a Soul Train line.

The Band, or rather cover band. I'm not usually one for coverbands, but they were really good. Kudos for the mustaches, sunglasses, and of course the afros.

The food was also really good. We had nachos with beef and cheese, as well as hot wings. It was glorious.

One of the last pictures of the night. Everyone getting in a little downtime after dancing.

All in all, I had a great time. I think the highlight of the night was the Journey song. You know the one...

Needless to say, everyone screamed it at the top of their lungs and it was awesome. At that moment, all of us were "streetlight people" and it was okay. By the end of the night, I was pumped and went home and listened to music until 4 in the morning. True story. It was great, I was feeling fabulous, and that was that.

Realization

 Okay everyone, it's time for the obligatory countdown blog. Seriously, this semester has blown by. I was looking through my flash drive for an assignment earlier today and it just dawned on me how much work I've done. At first, I was all like:

All the papers I've written, all the hours I've put into projects, all the sleep I didn't get... Not to mention the cabinets filled with random assorted handouts and notes I've taken. I sorted through all of that this past weekend and I couldn't stop thinking that just by being in class this semester, I've become an accessory to tree genocide in a forest somewhere. It's ridiculous, folks. You never really think about it, but all of it adds up.

But then I started thinking that I've actually finished all those assignments. That work is mine. The way I see it, my brain has given birth over 30 times for nearly every subject I've taken in the last 4 months. And I'm still not done. So, by that token, I'm all:

Now there are 25 calendar days until the end of the semester. We're in the homestretch right now. Hopefully, I can keep the motivation up long enough to get to finals week;In the meantime, I'll be counting down like everyone else on campus.  I guess that means lots of tea... and cake. But more cake. Definitely more cake.

Patriot Days

So, it's about that time of year again where we start kicking up activities around the University. What I mean is, we start our Patriot Days, which is a campus wide event spanning a week. There's a variety of things that go on during this week of the year. We've got Capture the Flag, baseball games, movies on the lawn, shows in the University Center, and all sorts of other stuff going on that you should really be trying to get to.

Unfortunately for me, I only have time to go to one or two events during Patriot Days every year, but I always make my way to the crawfish boil they have on the first day. And it's not just me. From what I've seen, it's one of the most popular events during Patriot Days. That may be because of the amazing buckets of crawfish, corn, and potatoes they serve, though. They usually play Zydeco music when they're serving the food, but today they had a band from Jacksonville, Florida called Son of a Bad Man play. They were a pretty good listen, if I do say so myself.

Anyway, there's still a full week of Patriot Days to go, so there'll be plenty of time for us to enjoy what's going on on campus. With any luck, I'll be able to see something before the week is out. If you want to see the whole Patriot Days schedule, go to http://www.uttyler.edu/sll/campusactivities/patriotdays.php.

Break Time

Spring Wear (beating Megan to a response)

One word Bianca.... Cashmere!!! It is smooth, comfortable, it breaths well, and is great for any season. However, this is just for the guys out there.

for all the ladies out there, you're on your own.. PEACE!!!!

(Megan's will be much more informative but who cares. I got BOWIE!!)

The Blog Team

What's your springwear?

When I walk around campus, I tend to notice what people are wearing when the seasons change. Seeing as we barely have seasons here in Texas, I always end up seeing a bunch of different things people wear. There's the girls that always wear Racket&Jog shirts and basketball shorts, wife-beater and baggy jeans dudes, or any assorted group of people wearing their frat/sorority shirt and some kind of shorts. These people wear this kind of thing all year, no matter what the weather. As you can probably tell, this puzzles me. So, what I want to know is, what is your spring wear? Do you go back and forth between jeans and shorts? Skirts maybe? Are you someone who always wears long sleeves? Sneakers or sandals? Or boots, maybe? I'm just curious as to what constitutes proper spring wear. I'm hoping someone could shed some light for me. :D

Spring Break... is over.

I cannot believe it's taken me a week to write this blog! Seriously! The end of Spring Break has brought on a tidal wave of work and some tests. I'm surprised I haven't lost my mind, but believe me, I came close. This time last week, I was wrapping up my awesome vacation. It was a good one, to be honest; probably the best one I've had. Last year, something told me to star saving up for this Spring Break. I'm so glad I did; it was well worth it. My roommate and I spent the break in San Antonio. The drive was pretty arduous; nearly six hours in a car is pretty hard on my old woman knees.

When we got there, The week was filled with food. And I mean serious food. Not McDonald's or Taco Bell, but real grown-up food. We went just about everywhere on the Riverwalk from Hooters to a Spanish cafe with expensive entrees. It was awesome just to be there, spending money and not worrying about much anything (except the homework I got assigned over break. Thanks professors.)

All that being said, I think the real highlight of my Spring Break was the day trip we made up to Austin. Even more luckily, we got caught up in the sweet chaos that was the SXSW (South by Southwest) festival. Seeing as how I've wanted to go to SXSW forever, I was absolutely amazed at the fact I was lucky enough to be in the area while everything was going on. We didn't actually get to see the shows, but I definitely plan on attending next year and it will be awesome.

The rest of the week was more food, walking, and (expensive) parking. The weather was great for the most part. The first two days we were there it was cold, windy, and rainy. The sunshine and warm air more than made up for it, though. And pictures. Man, did I get pictures. I have photos of people, buildings, skylines, food, whatever. There are far too many to put on a single page, but I'll have them up soon. But for now, back to work.

Some food for thought... Basil Thai

So, a couple weeks ago, Megan, Emmy, and I decided to take a little trip to a restaurant. We wanted something close, but exotic as well. Then, it dawned on us: why not Basil Thai Cafe? Where is that? It's only about 3 miles away from campus on Loop 323. I had never been before, as I had never had a chance to go before. No one I knew liked to eat Thai food, and honestly, I didn't even know there was a place to eat Thai food in Tyler in the first place. I had always heard good things about the place, so all in all, I was really happy to get a chance to finally go.

So, we all piled in my car and made our way to Basil Thai. The restaurant itself is kind of hidden in plain sight; there's a nail shop on one side and a Shipley's (YES) on the other. We walk in and I look around; the place is quiet, clean, and cozy. Not cozy in that tiny, crowded apartment kind of way, but in a way that means it has character. The tables were big enough for four people to have their own eating space; a father and his three boys were sitting beside us and had more than enough room at their table. The menu was up high on the wall in front of us, so we had no problem seeing what we wanted to order. The specials and new dishes were written on a dry erase easel, which I thought was pretty cute.

It took me a while to decide what I was going to order, one because there were so many choices and combinations, and two because I had never eaten Thai food before. So, I stuck to what I knew: chicken and ginger. Megan ordered tofu and vegetables, and Emmy ordered chicken satay and red curry. The cashier and waitstaff were incredibly polite and fast. They made sure we had eating utensils, different sauces, napkins, rice... Man, did we have rice. And the portions were perfect and way more than you would expect for the price you'd be paying. Megan and I spent no more than $10 and got a ton of food. Emmy ordered more than we did and barely spent $15. Needless to say, our take out bags were pretty heavy. When I found out you could order by phone and then come pick it up, I was sold on this place. If you want really good food for an even better price, your best bet is going to be Basil Thai Cafe.

So, after we returned to the office (my car smelled like amazing Thai food the entire night), we laid out our spread. This is what we got:

Browsing at the Coffin Shop

There's nothing quite like spending a night in a basement with 60 other people in dim lighting, surrounded by bizarre pictures. Not exactly a place you think you'd see a live show, is it? Well, it all started on Facebook actually. (What doesn't?) I was carousing around, wishing I had something to do that weekend. Then, thanks to Megan, I noticed an event I knew I'd have to attend. It was a live show downtown at a place called The Coffin Shop. Already I'm interested because the name sounds awesome. Plus, there were already two bands I'd seen before (and loved): the Problem Preachers and the Eggs. The other band, Untouch, I had never seen live but I knew I wouldn't be disappointed.

After a full week of waiting, Saturday night finally arrived. So, a friend of mine and I ran to my car (in the rain) and made our way downtown for the night. It was really interesting trying to find the place; there were some  people that were just as bewildered as we were when we asked where the place was. Luckily for us, we eventually found the entrance in the form of a tiny dark doorway and a small courtyard wedged into the wall. When we walked into it, however, we were greeted by the friendliest people. They marked us in and we went into the main room where the first thing you see is lights. Little Christmas lights, all tacked up on the ceiling. There was pink and red crepe paper hanging from the ceiling; leftovers from Valentine's Day, I supposed. People were standing around, chatting in the dim light of the basement, awaiting the next band to do their sound check. I felt like I was in a movie; I had never been to a place like this. From then on, I spent the night in musical bliss.

Like this one

On all of the walls, there were spectacular pieces of artwork, all of which was contributed by local artists. This particular one was my favorite. I'm a sucker for satire and prints, so this painting held my eye the entire night.








This band, the Eggs, was the headliner. They were last to play, but definitely worth waiting for.







Here is a shot of the drummer and the back up guitarist.








Now, just the drummer.







Needless to say, this was a night to remember. Despite the cold and rain, I was able to enjoy an actual music show with people I had never seen before. I honestly can't wait for the next one.

Obligatory Valentines Day blog

Something creepy, just for you!

So, it's that time of the year again when stores begin to jack up the prices on their chocolates, cookies, and cupcakes  and every other commercial on TV is for a jeweler or florist. Yes, it's Valentine's Day. For some of us, that means "I love yous", stuffed teddy bears, and sweet things (eventual cavities). For those of us that are a little bitter about the whole Valentine's Day thing, you're annoyed at all sweetness, money spending, and general gushing. Personally, I stay in the middle of things. I honestly don't mind the  "I love you, sweetie"s and fluffy gift giving. I'm even okay with the couples so long as no one makes out in my face. I think that's a general rule for just about everyone, though. I can understand the more negative side, too. Some people just aren't into some of the (admittedly) materialistic displays of the holiday, and I can understand not buying into the whole idea that love is fat winged babies going around shooting people. But that's okay. We all know know what the realest and best part of Valentine's Day is: the half price candy the day after. Now, enjoy this mildly  uncomfortable Valentine's Day card. Happy Valentine's Day!

Deflate and De-stress

You know, when it comes right down to it, I think college has been about juggling. Juggling time, work, resources, food, exercise… virtually a big circus act. So much so that if you don’t stop to take a look at things, you won’t remember what you did in college or how much you enjoyed it. Later on in life, when you’re looking back on what you’ve done with your university years, the first thing to come to mind shouldn’t be the stress. But how do you find time to de-stress? Surely dropping everything to go shopping or dancing or hitting a few rounds would add to the whole stress problem later on. Sometimes, it’s the smallest things that can make the worst stress manageable.

Allow yourself an hour

Sometimes, all you really need is a breather. When you’ve been running around for hours or even just sitting in classes back to back, you get tired and need to refocus. You could do this anywhere you needed to, like on a couch at the University Center, in a corner of the library, or outside in front of Harvey Lake. Whether it’s before your classes, after them, or in between, you should give yourself an hour to sit down, rest up, meditate, refuel, whatever it is you need to do to get through your day.

Take a Nap

As you spend more and more time in college, you’re going to wonder why you ever refused to take naps in elementary schools. You will encounter people who would sell their souls for thirty extra minutes of sleep. That being said, catch some z’s when you can. It’s perfectly fine to doze off on a bench outside or in a corner of the Patriot Zone. Just make sure to set an alarm if you’re going to do so before or in between classes. If you need a little extra get-up-and-go after, try eating a granola bar or some kind of protein like peanuts. It’ll give you some natural energy if you want to avoid caffeine.

Socialize with someone

Conversation is a great way to de-stress. Having a chat with a friend, or even someone you don’t know, is a great way to relax your mind. Talk about your assignments or some of your professors over a cup of coffee. Discuss your plans for the weekend, a funny joke, or whatever. Sometimes, just talking to someone can do wonders for your overall mood and stress level.

Eat some good food

I’ve never met someone in a bad mood after a good meal. Even if the food isn’t five star, just eating with some friends or by yourself in a place that you really like. When you feed yourself, it’s like rebooting your mind. Now, eating when you’re stressed should not become a habit. It’s not so much the food as it is the experience of going out and taking in the atmosphere of where you’re going to eat. Personally, I think that’s why people stay at a restaurant and talk after they’ve eaten. Food isn’t the only reason people come out; it’s the camaraderie as well. So every weekend, or every other weekend, just grab some coffee at a place that sells amazing cupcakes. Have a plate of nachos at that great Mexican food restaurant. So long as you remember moderation, indulge in whatever takes the edge off.

Patriot Village Apartment Vlog Part 2!

Just like I promised! Enjoy, everyone!

Patriot Village Vlog Part 1!

Here it is! Enjoy! :D

(For a full screen version, click here)

Getting Stuff Done

This weekend was another busy one. I didn't spend as much time reading, so that was a relief. I did spend a good deal of time recording, most of which was of the Housing blog we've been doing (click this link for the latest one). my vlog's still in the process of being edited, but it'll be out later this week and it will be awesome. I'll be profiling Patriot Village for all of you, so be sure to watch!

On another note, there's something I've noticed about my study habits. First off, it gets really frustrating trying to remember everything you have to do for the next couple days. From papers to journal entries to recordings, hectic doesn't even begin to describe my assignment agenda. Not to mention the extra field work that comes with earning a teaching certification. Mind you, none of this work is really difficult; it's just a matter of putting the pieces where they fit when it comes to time. It seems that my work, no matter how much I have, can be easily managed so long as I make a chart of everything I have to do. I kind of came up with the system myself. Seeing as I'm too absentminded to use a planner, I decided to make a list. Not just any old list, though. It's got to be specific for me. Just for visual effect, here's what I do:

Class 1	Class 2	Class 3	Class 4	Class 5
1.       Assignment	1.       Assignment	1.       Assignment	1.       Assignment	1.       Assignment
2.	2.	2.	2.	2.
3.	3.	3.	3.	3.
4.	4.	4.	4.	4.
5.	5.	5.	5.	5.
6.	6.	6.	6.	6.
7.	7.	7.	7.	7.

First, I put down a column for all of the classes I have. Then, I take my syllabus for each class and write down what's due in the columns. This next part is a little tricky. This is where I take each assignment and assign a day to it. The longer assignments would get more than one day. For example, write a paragraph for History would be under the History class column and would only be for Monday. Write 5 pages for General Biology would be under the Biology column and would probably take up Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Hopefully, this can be a way for you to organize if you're not so great with actual planners like I am. For more tips on time management and sorting, see Courtney's blog post.

Food Vlog!

I've been hungry all day. Starving. Ravenous. This is appalling, seeing as I love food. And I know I'm not alone, either. So many of the underclassmen here have fallen victim to the "boxed" diet. You know the four basic food groups of the "boxed" diet: cheesy, salty, starchy, and fat-tastic. Then, I thought back to my dinner last night. Oven baked salmon, hot brown rice, and crispy asparagus spears. So I figured, in t he wake of my everlasting hunger, I would impart a special skill to all of you young people. As some of you are in apartments or even dorms for the first time this semester, and you're going to need to know how to feed yourselves. No, I don't mean sticking some mac and cheese in the microwave. No, the peas and carrots in the Ramen cup don't count as vegetables. No, that doesn't count McDonald's at two a.m. I don't care how awesome the fries are. It's time to grow up and eat like big boys and girls! By the time you get to college, you should be able to eat well. I'll be doing a food vlog every week to give all of you darlings and hand in your food endeavors this semester. Don't worry, you won't be blowing your budgets on my recipes. And it will be good for you, I promise! It just won't taste like it. Watch, won't you?

Preparing to dive in head first

It took me a while to realize, but this coming week will be the last 'calm' week that will be available to me for quite some time. You know how you'll be sitting still for a bit and you just know things are about to speed up for you? That's how I'm feeling right now. I know it'll sneak up on me a bit, but I'm still anticipating it. I think it's going to be like this for just about everyone, seeing as we're approaching the 12th full class day, the census date, this Thursday. After that, we're all in it for the long haul. Many of us will be awarded our first class papers, projects, and group work of the semester. While we're scrambling for repeat instructions, Facebook friend requests, cell phone numbers, and possible extensions (yeah, already), we'll know that now begins the time skip to the end of the year. In a week we'll be wishing it were May. In a month we'll have gotten the hang of things again. After that, we'll be wondering where the time went. When you think about it, it's a pretty exciting time. I, for one, am going to try to enjoy the calm before the storm.

Dabbling in radio....

Now that the first (nearly) full week of school has concluded, I finally feel like I’m gaining some kind of momentum towards this school year. January is almost over with, if anyone can believe it, but it certainly doesn’t feel that way with the bipolar Texas weather doing what it does best. Of course, this means we’ll all be turning our attention to Spring Break, but I’m guessing we’ll all need a chance to digest our new classes before we jump to all that. I know I will.

Never before today have I ever considered a career in radio. Today in Multimedia Production, we began working with soundboards and audio editing software. Saying I was excited is an understatement; I wanted to stay in the sound room for hours figuring out how to work the pots (sliding levers) and (noise) leveling knobs. The microphones were so cool. I totally wanted to practice my radio voice (but alone so I don’t look and sound like a crazy person.) It’s funny because my major is News/Editorial writing, but I’ve always been fascinated by radio. I mean, how cool would it be to spend a few hours on the air every day, playing music and talking with wide varieties of people? Maybe that’s where I start everything off. I could always indulge this guilty pleasure of radio.