“Yes mom, I promise I am doing fine. No dad, you don’t need to send me more food; I eat plenty and healthy at the dining hall. Mom, I told you already, I’ll be with a group of friends at the party tonight, I won’t go anywhere alone. Love you guys too!” This is just one of the many phone conversations held daily between my parents and I. Although I sound a bit impatient, the truth is, if it wasn’t for their support, I might not make here at St. John’s on my own.
I may only be five hours away from home, but sometimes, on those occasional lonely nights, it feels like I am thousands of miles away from home. However, I know this isn’t true, and if I really had to, I could jump on a bus or plane and go home. This type of reassurance has helped me to better transition into this new life of being a college student. On one hand, things in New York were foreign to me. I was forced to adjust to living in a large city with a lot of unfamiliar people. On the other hand, this was “my country.” I was born and raised here. Aside from the unfamiliar and diverse people, I felt pretty comfortable. My language is spoken here and the beliefs I grew up with in the United States are OK to be practiced here.
As I began to look around at St. Johns, I realized that not everyone was from the United States. In fact, diverse and dedicated, the students at St. Johns represent 38 states and 148 foreign countries. I know and understand how hard transitioning is for any American college student, but what about students who are not American? How will they learn to adjust and how different will transitioning be for them, if it is different at all.
When I reflected on my own college experience, I asked myself if a student’s country of origin affected their transition to college life. Would international students feel out of place in an American school? If students practiced certain beliefs at home, would they be able to, or be willing to practice them here at school? I never considered the fact that despite where a student is from, going to college is a big step, and no one takes it lightly, whether you are American or foreign to the country. Of course, things are not as familiar to them as they are to me, but as I mentioned before, not everything was familiar to me either.
Ira Aleksova, an international student from Macedonia, is quite a distance from home. However, despite the fact that she can’t see her parents on the weekends, their support for her as a student in America stays strong. In fact, it is equally as strong as any American student’s parents. Ira explained that the support of her family and friends back home is helpful. While she is thousands of miles away, her supporters’ back home call everyday, send packages, and send letters. According to Ira, her ability to easily transition to St. Johns has a lot to do with the support.
When she first came to America to attend St. Johns, Ruisa Scheffel, an international student from Brazil, felt lonely and homesick. She left behind family, friends, and a boyfriend. Eventually, over time, she made friends, and adjusting became so much easier. At certain times, she still felt lonely and homesick, but only when a special holiday came around.
After reading these results, a funny feeling came over me. These girls are not alone when they say that they occasionally feel homesick and miss the comfort of home. Is it weird that I feel the same way, even though I am from America? A student from the United States, who wished to remain anonymous, is able to see her family from time to time when they visit New York City. In times when they are not around, they make sure to call and keep in touch through internet, phone, and mail. Despite the closeness is distance, this student feels the pang of being away from home for the first time. This student experiences loneliness on the weekends when no one is around. However, this is common to both American students and international students.
The similarities in the way these three students transitioned into college amazed me. I assumed that distance and country of origin determined how a student would transition into college. When the American student was asked if adjusting to college was difficult, she admitted it was. “I think any change in life can be hard to adjust to.” On the survey, she commented on international students and said, “International students who are thrown into a different culture adjust differently. There is a language barrier and they are in a whole new culture.”
However, surprisingly, the international students did not feel this way at all. Ira felt as though she didn’t have any major problems adjusting to school, just because she was from Macedonia. In fact, she said transitioning was easy and after the first month, she even understood the professors. Some American students still haven’t even conquered that skill of understanding.
Adjusting to college life has a lot of factors behind it. For one thing, a student’s country of origin, as I am discussing, seems as though it would play a big role. However, I am discovering that it does not. According to College Student Development, “students use their values as standards of evaluation in determining what is good or bad, true or false, right or wrong, desirable or undesirable, important or unimportant.” I feel this is a major factor in determining how a student transitions to school. In fact, it does have a lot in common with a student’s country of origin, but it overrides that factor. Value plays a big role in transitioning. The book also states that “the values of college students are influenced by family, friends, religion, personal experiences, and societal factors.” For example, the American student I surveyed commented that on the weekends, she enjoys staying on campus and her beliefs play a big role in this decision. Ira and Ruisa both enjoy going out on the weekends because that is what they did at home.
Another factor that plays into transitioning is conformity. Conformity is adjusting one's behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard, and is often the result of group or peer pressure. Usually, the person adopts the new behavior or attitude as his or her own. This statement is true for a majority of students, no matter what country they are from. The two international students made friends once they moved here, and by natural instinct, might have felt pressured to conform to other’s beliefs and values. The American student and international students all stayed true to their beliefs, despite what country they came from. Although they conformed to groups, it wasn’t the country of origin that determined how well they transitioned to college.
My results were quite surprising to me because I assumed things that were not true about international students. In my autobiography about this report, I wrote that “I saw the way my friends transitioned compared to me and I caught on to the fact that the country a person grows up in will determine how they will transition. At this time, I want to know how others feel about this and how their beliefs affect their transition.” Indeed, I did find out how international students transition, and I was wrong to write this in my paper. I did see the way my friends transitioned compared to me, but when it came time to these other students, things were not all that different. I found that just because a student doesn’t grow up in a certain country, doesn’t necessarily mean they won’t adjust the same way as American students, or the students in that country.
Even though a student’s country of origin is important when discussing value and transitioning, it isn’t the determining factor in how that person will necessarily transition. I found that most students adjust to college the same way. At first, they make feel homesick and alone, but eventually, over time, things change. They all make friends and conform to certain groups. Having support from home is also a factor that helps the transitioning process. I found that despite what county a student comes from, transitioning is a developing process that takes time, no matter who you are.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Job fair
Yesterday was the St. John’s University Career Center job fair. I work at the Career Center, so I’ve seen a lot of the things that went on to organize the fair. Unfortuantly, I was forced to do a lot of the work to get ready for this fair as well. Yesterday I was stuck in Carnesseca Arena for four hours swiping people in. Ugh, talk about being bored. It amazed me to see how many older people (Alumni) showed up for the fair. In a way, it kind of scared me.
I really hope that by the time I am 25, I will have a career…one that I love and one will that last. At the fair, a lot of alumni showed up with Resumes and ready to talk to the employers. In fact, one lady even had her child with her. I’m not in the career field quite yet, but does that look bad to an employer? Not the fact that she had a child, but the fact that she was 30 and still didn’t know what she wanted to do with her life. Last week, a man came into the Career Center because he was alumni who had an appt. because he didn’t know what he wanted to do with his life. This man is married and has a few children. He was 47 years old and still did not have a career. I just don’t quite understand this. He graduated from St. Johns quite a while ago, so what happened after that? I know that maybe because of some circumstances he could not get a job, but why for so long? The Career Center has a lot of older people calling and saying they just don’t know what to do with themselves, and they are 40 and 50 years old. I just hope this isn’t me after graduation.
I really hope that by the time I am 25, I will have a career…one that I love and one will that last. At the fair, a lot of alumni showed up with Resumes and ready to talk to the employers. In fact, one lady even had her child with her. I’m not in the career field quite yet, but does that look bad to an employer? Not the fact that she had a child, but the fact that she was 30 and still didn’t know what she wanted to do with her life. Last week, a man came into the Career Center because he was alumni who had an appt. because he didn’t know what he wanted to do with his life. This man is married and has a few children. He was 47 years old and still did not have a career. I just don’t quite understand this. He graduated from St. Johns quite a while ago, so what happened after that? I know that maybe because of some circumstances he could not get a job, but why for so long? The Career Center has a lot of older people calling and saying they just don’t know what to do with themselves, and they are 40 and 50 years old. I just hope this isn’t me after graduation.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Pretty stumped
As we sit here in English class preparing to show our research, I find myself somewhat lost and unprepared. One guy in my group has really cool articles about the way St. John’s University use to be. He found news articles from the 90’s when St. John’s first decided they wanted to build dorms. His articles and information were actually interesting. The girl in my group was doing her report on woman and how they’ve changed over the years. Fashion played a major role in that and so she found pictures to show this change.
I, on the other hand, only had surveys and a few facts from books. My research pretty much stunk compared to there’s. I am seriously stumped with doing research. I don’t know where to find information for my paper. Online research didn’t help. Library research didn’t help. My surveys were a flop. Where to now? I just have no idea where to go from here. I wrote my paper, but it’s missing quite a bit. HELP :(
I, on the other hand, only had surveys and a few facts from books. My research pretty much stunk compared to there’s. I am seriously stumped with doing research. I don’t know where to find information for my paper. Online research didn’t help. Library research didn’t help. My surveys were a flop. Where to now? I just have no idea where to go from here. I wrote my paper, but it’s missing quite a bit. HELP :(
Monday, April 16, 2007
St. Johns demographics
My report is based on international students, so I thought it would be a good idea if I went on the website and found the demographics for St. John's University.
More than 18,000 students are enrolled at our five campuses – 14,229 of them undergraduates. Diverse and dedicated, our students represent 38 states and 148 foreign countries.
Reference: Stjohns.edu/about/diverse.sju
More than 18,000 students are enrolled at our five campuses – 14,229 of them undergraduates. Diverse and dedicated, our students represent 38 states and 148 foreign countries.
Reference: Stjohns.edu/about/diverse.sju
3 Survey results
My paper has a lot of opinion in it, mostly being my own because this is my theory/idea paper. However, because my paper is on international students, it is obvious that I need to have opinions from student's coming from different countries. I decided that I wanted to have another American fill out my survey, just so that my paper isn't based sole on my thoughts and opinions as an American.
1. Name (optional) Gender: Female
*If you feel like any of these questions are too personal, don’t answer them!
What country were you born in? United States
What country do you live in when you are not attending St.Johns? USA
What are the universities like in your country compared to the ones in the United States? N/A
Do you feel homesick often? Sometimes on the weekends when no one is around.
Do you talk to your friends/family back home? How often? Yes, at least once a day.
How do your family/friends support you while you are at school (for example, do they send you packages, letters, call you?) They call me and visit me.
Has their support helped you to better transition/adjust to being at college? Most definitely. They helped me to realize that I am not alone and that they are available to talk to if I feel homesick.
Did you find it difficult to adjust to being at an American college? If so, what sort of difficulties did/do you have? I think any change in life can be hard to adjust to, especially international students who are thrown into a different culture. There is a language barrier and the cultural differences that make it difficult to adjust because they are so different.
Do you believe being from another country has affected the way you transitioned or adjusted to school in America? If so, how? Being from a different country is difficult, but I don't think they (international students) adjust much differently from American college students. One difference, however, is that it isn't easy to visit home on the smaller vacations such as Thanksgiving or Easter weekend.
Do you prefer to go out on the weekends or stay on campus? Does your answer have anything to do with your culture or beliefs that you practiced at home? I enjoy staying on campus. It has everything to do with my beliefs and the difference between those of so many American college students.
Since coming to the United States, how, if at all, have you changed as a person? I have developed better habits and tried to get ride of my bad habits.
Will you be returning to St. Johns next semester? Why or why not. Yes. St. Johns has so much to offer in academics, extracurricular activities, and ways to explore NYC.
2. Name (optional) Ruisa Scheffel Gender: Female
*If you feel like any of these questions are too personal, don’t answer them!
What country were you born in? Brazil
What country do you live in when you are not attending St.Johns? Brazil
What are the universities like in your country compared to the ones in the United States? They are very different. They don't give support to sports, for example.
Do you feel homesick often? Not often, just when it is a special occasions (Birthday).
Do you talk to your friends/family back home? How often? Everyday
How do your family/friends support you while you are at school (for example, do they send you packages, letters, call you?) We talk on the phone everyday.
Has their support helped you to better transition/adjust to being at college? Yes, without them I wouldn't be here.
Did you find it difficult to adjust to being at an American college? If so, what sort of difficulties did/do you have? Yes, in the beginning I was feeling alone and I use to have a boyfriend in Brazil. It was really hard to not see him, family, and friends everyday.
Do you believe being from another country has affected the way you transitioned or adjusted to school in America? If so, how? Yes, in my country we have more support from professors, for example.
Do you prefer to go out on the weekends or stay on campus? Does your answer have anything to do with your culture or beliefs that you practiced at home? I love to go out with my friends. I miss parties at home.
Since coming to the United States, how, if at all, have you changed as a person? This is the first time I'm living by myself. Here, I have to do everything and make decisions alone. I grew up mentally. Now, I am more responsible.
Will you be returning to St. Johns next semester? Why or why not. Yes. I love it here and the city. I'm also on the volleyball team. I am sure coming back.
3. Name (optional) Ira Aleksova Gender: Female
*If you feel like any of these questions are too personal, don’t answer them!
What country were you born in? Macedonia
What country do you live in when you are not attending St.Johns? Macedonia
What are the universities like in your country compared to the ones in the United States? STULOV University
NY University
Do you feel homesick often? Yes
Do you talk to your friends/family back home? How often? Yes. Everyday.
How do your family/friends support you while you are at school (for example, do they send you packages, letters, call you?) They do all of that and even more.
Has their support helped you to better transition/adjust to being at college? Yes, they have helped me a lot.
Did you find it difficult to adjust to being at an American college? If so, what sort of difficulties did/do you have? No. It was very easy. At first, I didn't understand the professors really well. But, that was only the first month.
Do you believe being from another country has affected the way you transitioned or adjusted to school in America? If so, how? Yes. I find many differences. Some of them are positive and some are not. You always compare things.
Do you prefer to go out on the weekends or stay on campus? Does your answer have anything to do with your culture or beliefs that you practiced at home? To go out and have fun. Yes, I did the same thing back in my country.
Since coming to the United States, how, if at all, have you changed as a person? I've become more aware that if I want to get something, I have to work for it by myself. I've become more responsible.
Will you be returning to St. Johns next semester? Why or why not. Yes. I love my tennis team and the competitions we play. I enjoy living in NYC. It's a true opportunity for a job and fulfilling my dreams.
1. Name (optional) Gender: Female
*If you feel like any of these questions are too personal, don’t answer them!
What country were you born in? United States
What country do you live in when you are not attending St.Johns? USA
What are the universities like in your country compared to the ones in the United States? N/A
Do you feel homesick often? Sometimes on the weekends when no one is around.
Do you talk to your friends/family back home? How often? Yes, at least once a day.
How do your family/friends support you while you are at school (for example, do they send you packages, letters, call you?) They call me and visit me.
Has their support helped you to better transition/adjust to being at college? Most definitely. They helped me to realize that I am not alone and that they are available to talk to if I feel homesick.
Did you find it difficult to adjust to being at an American college? If so, what sort of difficulties did/do you have? I think any change in life can be hard to adjust to, especially international students who are thrown into a different culture. There is a language barrier and the cultural differences that make it difficult to adjust because they are so different.
Do you believe being from another country has affected the way you transitioned or adjusted to school in America? If so, how? Being from a different country is difficult, but I don't think they (international students) adjust much differently from American college students. One difference, however, is that it isn't easy to visit home on the smaller vacations such as Thanksgiving or Easter weekend.
Do you prefer to go out on the weekends or stay on campus? Does your answer have anything to do with your culture or beliefs that you practiced at home? I enjoy staying on campus. It has everything to do with my beliefs and the difference between those of so many American college students.
Since coming to the United States, how, if at all, have you changed as a person? I have developed better habits and tried to get ride of my bad habits.
Will you be returning to St. Johns next semester? Why or why not. Yes. St. Johns has so much to offer in academics, extracurricular activities, and ways to explore NYC.
2. Name (optional) Ruisa Scheffel Gender: Female
*If you feel like any of these questions are too personal, don’t answer them!
What country were you born in? Brazil
What country do you live in when you are not attending St.Johns? Brazil
What are the universities like in your country compared to the ones in the United States? They are very different. They don't give support to sports, for example.
Do you feel homesick often? Not often, just when it is a special occasions (Birthday).
Do you talk to your friends/family back home? How often? Everyday
How do your family/friends support you while you are at school (for example, do they send you packages, letters, call you?) We talk on the phone everyday.
Has their support helped you to better transition/adjust to being at college? Yes, without them I wouldn't be here.
Did you find it difficult to adjust to being at an American college? If so, what sort of difficulties did/do you have? Yes, in the beginning I was feeling alone and I use to have a boyfriend in Brazil. It was really hard to not see him, family, and friends everyday.
Do you believe being from another country has affected the way you transitioned or adjusted to school in America? If so, how? Yes, in my country we have more support from professors, for example.
Do you prefer to go out on the weekends or stay on campus? Does your answer have anything to do with your culture or beliefs that you practiced at home? I love to go out with my friends. I miss parties at home.
Since coming to the United States, how, if at all, have you changed as a person? This is the first time I'm living by myself. Here, I have to do everything and make decisions alone. I grew up mentally. Now, I am more responsible.
Will you be returning to St. Johns next semester? Why or why not. Yes. I love it here and the city. I'm also on the volleyball team. I am sure coming back.
3. Name (optional) Ira Aleksova Gender: Female
*If you feel like any of these questions are too personal, don’t answer them!
What country were you born in? Macedonia
What country do you live in when you are not attending St.Johns? Macedonia
What are the universities like in your country compared to the ones in the United States? STULOV University
NY University
Do you feel homesick often? Yes
Do you talk to your friends/family back home? How often? Yes. Everyday.
How do your family/friends support you while you are at school (for example, do they send you packages, letters, call you?) They do all of that and even more.
Has their support helped you to better transition/adjust to being at college? Yes, they have helped me a lot.
Did you find it difficult to adjust to being at an American college? If so, what sort of difficulties did/do you have? No. It was very easy. At first, I didn't understand the professors really well. But, that was only the first month.
Do you believe being from another country has affected the way you transitioned or adjusted to school in America? If so, how? Yes. I find many differences. Some of them are positive and some are not. You always compare things.
Do you prefer to go out on the weekends or stay on campus? Does your answer have anything to do with your culture or beliefs that you practiced at home? To go out and have fun. Yes, I did the same thing back in my country.
Since coming to the United States, how, if at all, have you changed as a person? I've become more aware that if I want to get something, I have to work for it by myself. I've become more responsible.
Will you be returning to St. Johns next semester? Why or why not. Yes. I love my tennis team and the competitions we play. I enjoy living in NYC. It's a true opportunity for a job and fulfilling my dreams.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
My birthday!
Do you remember when you were 9 years old and your birthday was only a week away? You would remind everyone how many days were left until your birthday at least three times a day. Then, when your birthday finally arrived, you were up super early and expected everyone to cater to you all day. It was as everyone you encountered was expected to know that it was your birthday. Hello, it was your birthday. You only deserved the best.
Well, ten years later and I haven’t changed a bit. I won’t lie, when my birthday comes around, I become even more selfish than I already am. I can’t help myself. A birthday is a very special day, no matter how old you are turning…even if it 19. Some people don’t appreciate their own special day and that’s their own fault. I, on the other hand, like to take advantage. I have a count down of my birthday going right now, and as I would like you all to know, it’s in 5 days! Wahoo, I am so excited. Considering it’s a Friday night, I have big plans for myself. I have already warned my friends of my behaviors on my birthday and how they are expected to support me. Hehe. I’m just kidding (kind of). My birthday weekend should be fun because Friday (the day of my birthday) is the Carnival on the Great Lawn. I love rides and free food; so obviously, this should be a good day. Friday night, I plan on going out to dinner and partying. I mean, it is Friday. That’s only expected of me! Saturday, although it will no longer be my birthday, are the concerts. Yay for Katie’s Birthday weekend!
Well, ten years later and I haven’t changed a bit. I won’t lie, when my birthday comes around, I become even more selfish than I already am. I can’t help myself. A birthday is a very special day, no matter how old you are turning…even if it 19. Some people don’t appreciate their own special day and that’s their own fault. I, on the other hand, like to take advantage. I have a count down of my birthday going right now, and as I would like you all to know, it’s in 5 days! Wahoo, I am so excited. Considering it’s a Friday night, I have big plans for myself. I have already warned my friends of my behaviors on my birthday and how they are expected to support me. Hehe. I’m just kidding (kind of). My birthday weekend should be fun because Friday (the day of my birthday) is the Carnival on the Great Lawn. I love rides and free food; so obviously, this should be a good day. Friday night, I plan on going out to dinner and partying. I mean, it is Friday. That’s only expected of me! Saturday, although it will no longer be my birthday, are the concerts. Yay for Katie’s Birthday weekend!
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Library research
I spent some time in the library before started my research paper just so I could get a few more ideas. Here are some of the things I came across that will hopefully help me out!
-Individuals use their values as standards of evaluation in determining what is good or bad, true or false, right or wrong, desirable or undesirable, important or unimportant
-Individuals do not always behave in ways that are consistent with their stated beliefs and values
-The values of college students are influenced by family, friends, religion, personal experiences, and societal factors. Their perceptions, motives, goals, interests, and decision making processes are closely related to the systems of values they hold
-Conformity - is adjusting one's behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard. Conformity is often the result of group or peer pressure. Usually, the person adopts the new behavior or attitude as his or her own.
**Note-Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find as much information as I had hoped. If anyone has an any ideas or references that they think would help, let me know!
References: *College Student Development-Leighton C.Whitaker, PhD, Richard E. Slimak, PhD-1996-The Haworth Press-Binghamton, NY
*http://web.umr.edu/~pfyc212b/social.htm
-Individuals use their values as standards of evaluation in determining what is good or bad, true or false, right or wrong, desirable or undesirable, important or unimportant
-Individuals do not always behave in ways that are consistent with their stated beliefs and values
-The values of college students are influenced by family, friends, religion, personal experiences, and societal factors. Their perceptions, motives, goals, interests, and decision making processes are closely related to the systems of values they hold
-Conformity - is adjusting one's behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard. Conformity is often the result of group or peer pressure. Usually, the person adopts the new behavior or attitude as his or her own.
**Note-Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find as much information as I had hoped. If anyone has an any ideas or references that they think would help, let me know!
References: *College Student Development-Leighton C.Whitaker, PhD, Richard E. Slimak, PhD-1996-The Haworth Press-Binghamton, NY
*http://web.umr.edu/~pfyc212b/social.htm
Survey/interview questions
Although my interviews/surveys have not been completed by my "subjects," I wanted to share with all of you the questions I gave and will be giving to students. Feedback is welcomed and encouraged!
English 1000C survey
Name (optional)____________________Gender__________
*If you feel like any of these questions are too personal, don’t answer them!
1. What country were you born in?
2. What country do you live in when you are not attending St.Johns?
3. What are the universities like in your country compared to the ones in the United States?
4. Do you feel homesick often?
5. Do you talk to your friends/family back home? How often?
6. How do your family/friends support you while you are at school (for example, do they send you packages, letters, call you?)
7. Has their support helped you to better transition/adjust to being at college?
8. Did you find it difficult to adjust to being at an American college? If so, what sort of difficulties did/do you have?
9. Do you believe being from another country has affected the way you transitioned or adjusted to school in America? If so, how?
10. Do you prefer to go out on the weekends or stay on campus? Does your answer have anything to do with your culture or beliefs that you practiced at home?
11. Since coming to the United States, how, if at all, have you changed as a person?
12. Will you be returning to St. Johns next semester? Why or why not.
English 1000C survey
Name (optional)____________________Gender__________
*If you feel like any of these questions are too personal, don’t answer them!
1. What country were you born in?
2. What country do you live in when you are not attending St.Johns?
3. What are the universities like in your country compared to the ones in the United States?
4. Do you feel homesick often?
5. Do you talk to your friends/family back home? How often?
6. How do your family/friends support you while you are at school (for example, do they send you packages, letters, call you?)
7. Has their support helped you to better transition/adjust to being at college?
8. Did you find it difficult to adjust to being at an American college? If so, what sort of difficulties did/do you have?
9. Do you believe being from another country has affected the way you transitioned or adjusted to school in America? If so, how?
10. Do you prefer to go out on the weekends or stay on campus? Does your answer have anything to do with your culture or beliefs that you practiced at home?
11. Since coming to the United States, how, if at all, have you changed as a person?
12. Will you be returning to St. Johns next semester? Why or why not.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Just a thought
As I was walking out of Marillac, I heard some kid tell his friend to write his paper on what kind of thinker he was. When I heard this, it got me thinking (funny how that works out). I asked myself what kind of thinker I was. As my parents would say, sometimes I don’t think (hehe). But really, I had never thought about that question before…I’m not sure too many do. Is it even a real question?! I think my thinking varies depending on what I am doing…See, nope, that doesn’t make sense. No matter what, I am thinking. So ah, I think that’s my answer. Sometimes I think rationally and sometimes I don’t use ration to decided things. That is when I make bad choices. This is an extremely difficult answer, and I don’t know what to say. Ok, what kind of a thinker am I? I would like to think of myself as a coherent thinker, and someone who makes the right decision about things. Does this describe what kind of thinker I am though? Is anyone else becoming thoroughly confused? I am beginning to wonder if maybe that kid in Marillac was joking with his friend…maybe that’s why I shouldn’t listen to other people’s conversations…
Now if you didn’t notice, I used the word ‘think’ in every other sentence. That right their just proves that everything takes thinking. As Descartes (or however you spell it) once said, “I think therefore I am.” Hmm, that is who said that, right? Well in any case, it’s obviously natural for us to think because that’s what makes us differ from animals, our ability to rationalize (by thinking that is). Boy I feel really philosophical right now.
Now if you didn’t notice, I used the word ‘think’ in every other sentence. That right their just proves that everything takes thinking. As Descartes (or however you spell it) once said, “I think therefore I am.” Hmm, that is who said that, right? Well in any case, it’s obviously natural for us to think because that’s what makes us differ from animals, our ability to rationalize (by thinking that is). Boy I feel really philosophical right now.
Do I have to?
Have you ever been in the mood to just sit around do nothing on certain days? I’m sure being in college, you’ve all had that experience. I think a natural laziness comes over teens when they enter college. Anyway, have you ever had one of those lazy days on a weekend? For some reason, this seems so not ok when you’re in college. I don’t know how anyone else feels, but sometimes I feel pressured to be active on a Friday and Saturday night. It’s like when you enter college, you must be teenage college mode, which means going out on the weekend. I feel like if I don’t go out, I’ll be a loser. But sometimes, I just want to hang out and watch a movie.
Then I have another problem I think about. When I sit back at the dorm on a Friday or Saturday night, I sense that I’m missing something with my friends. It’s always just my luck that something really exciting goes on at a party when I’m not there and that just makes me feel guilty. Is it weird to feel this way? I don’t want to be known as the loser who doesn’t go out and party! I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love going out and partying or just going out, but sometimes I just don’t want to.
Then I have another problem I think about. When I sit back at the dorm on a Friday or Saturday night, I sense that I’m missing something with my friends. It’s always just my luck that something really exciting goes on at a party when I’m not there and that just makes me feel guilty. Is it weird to feel this way? I don’t want to be known as the loser who doesn’t go out and party! I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love going out and partying or just going out, but sometimes I just don’t want to.
Another random blog—Because I’m MAD
Right now I am extremely upset at the stupid blogger website, at the stupid internet, and at my stupid self. Remember when the professor told us to write our entries in Microsoft Word, and then copy and paste so we don’t lose then? Well, um, yeah, it’s a spectacular idea. I thought I would be totally fine by just writing it in the blog area and posting it because I’ve never had a problem before. Usually when I am doing something totally unimportant, like writing on someone’s Facebook wall, my internet connection is all happy and never fails on me. When I decided to write a really nice blog entry, it decided to be evil and disconnect. The worst part is, I was completely done writing and I already pressed publish. Right when I entered it, the internet disconnects and a “web page not found” message pops up. You just have no idea how angry I am right now. First of all, I am mad at myself because it was my fault for not listening to the professor and doing what I should have, and second, I am mad at the internet. I am in Marillac right now and I am supposed to have a wireless connection. Why is it telling me right now that I am have no connection? Technically, that is not possible! Argg
Marillac experience
I'm trying out this whole "go to a place and write your experiences" thing. I chose Marillac because it is pouring outside and I thought it would be pointless to go from work (at the UC), back to the Resident Village, and back up to St. John's Hall. No way, that was not working for me considering my new umbrella is a piece of crap and already broke. Anyway, I'm sure you have all been to the Marillac food court and knows what goes on. To be honest, it isn't all that interesting. People are here. People are eating. People are talking. That's pretty much the breakdown of what I am seeing. If only I was closer to people and I could overhear their convos. Now that would make for an interesting blog.
Okay, okay, I'll put in a little more effort. I like Marillac because it isn't like Montgoris. No, I am no referring to food, but to the atmosphere. Montgoris is a place where students go (well a majority of students) and eat. You never usually see students go in and stay for more than an hour. They don't really have a reason to. What I am saying is that Montgoris is not the best hang out place. Marillac, on the other hand, is a much better play to sit and chill. Take me for example. I didn't want to travel back and forth from building to building so I stopped here to hang out. When I came in, I saw groups of students just hanging out at table and only 2 out of the 5 were eating. It's pretty cool that if students want to take a break, and maybe even have a snack, they can come here. It's also a great place to come if someone wants to eat alone. Last week none of friends wanted to go to lunch, so I came here and ate. For some strange reason, I felt more comfortable eating alone here than I would at Montgoris. On that note, I am off to grab a cup of tea :)
Okay, okay, I'll put in a little more effort. I like Marillac because it isn't like Montgoris. No, I am no referring to food, but to the atmosphere. Montgoris is a place where students go (well a majority of students) and eat. You never usually see students go in and stay for more than an hour. They don't really have a reason to. What I am saying is that Montgoris is not the best hang out place. Marillac, on the other hand, is a much better play to sit and chill. Take me for example. I didn't want to travel back and forth from building to building so I stopped here to hang out. When I came in, I saw groups of students just hanging out at table and only 2 out of the 5 were eating. It's pretty cool that if students want to take a break, and maybe even have a snack, they can come here. It's also a great place to come if someone wants to eat alone. Last week none of friends wanted to go to lunch, so I came here and ate. For some strange reason, I felt more comfortable eating alone here than I would at Montgoris. On that note, I am off to grab a cup of tea :)
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Random blog
So after reading someone else's blog from this class, I decided that I cam totally slacking! I feel ashamed at my blogs. Tonight I reached my 60th blog and I was ecstatic about it! Some girl in our class totally busted my bubble. This made me quite upset. However, instead of complaining, I am just going to keep writing whatever comes to mind. My new goal is to write in my blog at least twice a day. I figure if I do this, I'll be up to 80 in no time. Right about now, I don't even care what my blogs say. I may even resort to writing about what I did today...well OK, they hopefully won't be that bad, but you know what I am saying. In the beginning I felt like my blogs were somewhat interesting. As time went on, I started writing about random things, and they went a bit downhill. Why is this I wonder? Perhaps random is better because I won't be thinking as much about writing intellectually, so maybe it'll just come naturally. To be honest, I don;t know what type of blogs we are supposed to be writing. Are they supposed to be formal, informal, intellectually, random, thoughtful...what?! I guess as long as we are writing right? Wrong. I heard some people talking about how the professor said their blogs weren't thoughtful enough, or something to that effect. In other words, even though we are just supposed to write about anything, we are supposed to write about something specific. Maybe I should have asked this is the beginning if the semester, but what exactly are we supposed to be writing about in these blogs?
Ratemyprofessor.com
I am not quite sure if I trust ratemyprofessor.com. Last summer, before school began, I went on this site and looked up a few of my professors. I was really excited because most of my professors had high reviews and were considered easy graders. Well, now that I look back at the first semester, I realize the reviews were so off. One professor last semester was horrible. He showed up 20 minutes late for every class, and was such a jerk to us. According to the reviews, he was an awesome teacher, really laid back, and gave an easy A. Although I did recieve and A in the class, he wasn;t my any means laid back or an easy grader. He told us up front that he was going to teach our class not as an ungraduatre class, but as a graduate class. The work load for the class was unbelievable, and it was only a DNY class. Needless to say, I am a bit upset at this website. I have a hard time believing it.
A girl I work with made a good point about the site and reviews. She didn't trust it because those students may have different learning styles than someone else who reads it, so technically, they are based on who you are and the type of learner you are.
A girl I work with made a good point about the site and reviews. She didn't trust it because those students may have different learning styles than someone else who reads it, so technically, they are based on who you are and the type of learner you are.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Home sweet home
Ok, so lets disregard my previous blog because I think I might have come up with a topic to write about. Last summer when I was preparing to leave for school, I was just so excited that I couldn't contain myself. I was looking forward to getting away from home, being on my own, and being independent. I honestly think one reason I wanted to be away from home was because I wanted my parents and family to be proud of me for taking the initiative and getting out of Claremont. For some strange reason, when I tell people I go to school in Queens, they just get wide eyes. It amazed people that I go to school five hours away from home, and on top of that, I live in NYC. This may sound silly, but I like when people gloat about how cool it is that I live in the city. Don't ask me why I feel this way, but it makes me feel confident and good about myself, and reassures me that I am doing the right thing.
When I first told my parents that my decision was St. Johns, they were bit upset. They wanted me to be closer to home, only because they would miss me. Of course they were happy for me, but on the other hand, they couldn't just get in their car and drive to see me whenever they wanted. To me, this was good thing. Part of going to college is to get away from everything that is "normal" to me. This may sound as though I don;t love my parents, because obviously I do, it;s just that I didn't want to see them every weekend. Wouldn't it be more fun to go without seeing them for 3 months and then see them again? This is my idea of college anyway.
However, these days, I;m starting to see things differently. I still love being at St. Johns and i am not homesick by any means, but I am just starting to miss Claremont. About a week before Easter break, I was itching to go home. I just could not wait until Wednesday when i could hop on the plane and go home to my family and friends. I never thought I would feel this way about being home. I am beginning to realize that it's OK to miss home. It doesn't mean I am any less independent or anything. It simply means I miss my family and I need a break from school. When May 8th comes and it';s time for me to part from NYC, I might cry a little because this city has grown on me. Before long, it will be like my home away from home. However, I am looking forward to this summer, so I can be with my family and friends, and prepare for another 9 months away from home.
When I first told my parents that my decision was St. Johns, they were bit upset. They wanted me to be closer to home, only because they would miss me. Of course they were happy for me, but on the other hand, they couldn't just get in their car and drive to see me whenever they wanted. To me, this was good thing. Part of going to college is to get away from everything that is "normal" to me. This may sound as though I don;t love my parents, because obviously I do, it;s just that I didn't want to see them every weekend. Wouldn't it be more fun to go without seeing them for 3 months and then see them again? This is my idea of college anyway.
However, these days, I;m starting to see things differently. I still love being at St. Johns and i am not homesick by any means, but I am just starting to miss Claremont. About a week before Easter break, I was itching to go home. I just could not wait until Wednesday when i could hop on the plane and go home to my family and friends. I never thought I would feel this way about being home. I am beginning to realize that it's OK to miss home. It doesn't mean I am any less independent or anything. It simply means I miss my family and I need a break from school. When May 8th comes and it';s time for me to part from NYC, I might cry a little because this city has grown on me. Before long, it will be like my home away from home. However, I am looking forward to this summer, so I can be with my family and friends, and prepare for another 9 months away from home.
A bunch of nothing
So I was thinking about skipping the journal today, but then I read my horoscope. It said "take time to write in a journal today." Wow, way to make me feel guilty. As you can see, I decided to take my horoscope's advice because it just might be on to something. To be honest, I have nothing I want to write about write now. No offense to some people in the class, but I hate reading entries that say "So today was really boring," or "today I went to class, then I took a nap. After that I ate dinner. It was a good day." I'm sorry, but I don't want to write those kinds of entries. Don't get me wrong, I don't expect anyone to read mine because they are probably just as boring, but to me, writing that stuff is equally as boring as reading it.
However, today's blog might be that uninteresting blog I was just referring to. I just cannot think of what I want to write about. Sometimes I have days where I come up an interesting topic that I can't wait to write about, then other days I have a complete writer's block and nothing good comes out. Perhaps this is because I'm still tired from this eventful weekend...I call it eventful, but I'm not sure if sitting around the house relaxing with family and friends is quite eventful. It's funny how tired you can get from doing nothing. This morning I woke up and I was debating getting out of bed. I knew it wouldn't be good for me to sleep in because then I would just feel guilty for the rest of the day. My horoscope already did that for me.
However, today's blog might be that uninteresting blog I was just referring to. I just cannot think of what I want to write about. Sometimes I have days where I come up an interesting topic that I can't wait to write about, then other days I have a complete writer's block and nothing good comes out. Perhaps this is because I'm still tired from this eventful weekend...I call it eventful, but I'm not sure if sitting around the house relaxing with family and friends is quite eventful. It's funny how tired you can get from doing nothing. This morning I woke up and I was debating getting out of bed. I knew it wouldn't be good for me to sleep in because then I would just feel guilty for the rest of the day. My horoscope already did that for me.
Monday, April 9, 2007
Easter day
As I am writing this, I am seriously busting at the seams, which definitely means I had a good Easter, Why is it that Easter is the one holiday that I eat NONE stop. I don’t even eat as much food at Thanksgiving as I do at Easter. When I think about it now, it kind of makes me ill to think how much I indulge. When I think of Easter, the first thing that comes to mind is chocolate. This is probably not a good thing, considering Easter has more important meaning. I just can’t help myself. For this, I blame my parents…ok, I know this isn’t true, but the more I think about it, the more I realize this whole thing started when I was little. The “Easter Bunny” comes to my house and hides lots and lots of candy for me to find and eat. Well, despite the fact that I am 18 and my sister is 22, this concept has yet to go away.
For some reason, we can not let the Easter tradition fade away. This morning, my sister and I came downstairs just like everything other Easter and searched for our baskets. Yes, my parents still hide them like when we were little. Except now, it’s even better because not only do we get candy baskets, but we get clothes and makeup..etc…I keep asking myself how long this tradition will last. I can seriously see myself at the age of 25 coming down the stairs and looking for my Easter gifts…is this a bad thing?!!
For some reason, we can not let the Easter tradition fade away. This morning, my sister and I came downstairs just like everything other Easter and searched for our baskets. Yes, my parents still hide them like when we were little. Except now, it’s even better because not only do we get candy baskets, but we get clothes and makeup..etc…I keep asking myself how long this tradition will last. I can seriously see myself at the age of 25 coming down the stairs and looking for my Easter gifts…is this a bad thing?!!
Sunday, April 8, 2007
Being home again
It’s crazy how things change after only three months of not being home. I mean, I guess even when things don’t change, it just feels different. First of all, I came home and I plopped myself on our extremely comfy couch and turned on the new flat screen TV. I was excited to enjoy the couch and TV because we got it right after Christmas break and I didn’t get to enjoy it. Anyway, I grabbed the remote and changed the channel to 20. For those of you who watch TV at school, you know this channel is MTV. Well, apparently in New Hampshire, things are different. I totally forgot that MTV at our house is 58. It was so weird. It just came so naturally for me to change it to 20 for MTV.
Later that night, I went to grab a glass for a drink and I went to the wrong cupboard. Wow, I have only been away for three months and I already forgot where we keep the things in the kitchen. I felt so odd. I kind of felt like I wasn’t supposed to be home, or like this wasn’t even my house. I didn’t like this feeling at all! Of course, nothing else really changed. I got used to things again. Except, when I got in Wednesday night, I went to my room and got quite a suprise. Not only had my mom cleaned my room, but she had moved things all around and bought me a new comforter. When my sister came home, she came into my room and something about her and I switching rooms. Even though she is older, I have always had the bigger room. She is graduating from college next month and plans on living at home for a little while. For once in my life, I wasn't selfish and told her she could have my room.
Later that night, I went to grab a glass for a drink and I went to the wrong cupboard. Wow, I have only been away for three months and I already forgot where we keep the things in the kitchen. I felt so odd. I kind of felt like I wasn’t supposed to be home, or like this wasn’t even my house. I didn’t like this feeling at all! Of course, nothing else really changed. I got used to things again. Except, when I got in Wednesday night, I went to my room and got quite a suprise. Not only had my mom cleaned my room, but she had moved things all around and bought me a new comforter. When my sister came home, she came into my room and something about her and I switching rooms. Even though she is older, I have always had the bigger room. She is graduating from college next month and plans on living at home for a little while. For once in my life, I wasn't selfish and told her she could have my room.
Airplane experience
It’s quite ridiculous that I got on this plane only 15 minutes ago, and the captain is already telling us that we are starting our descend into Burlington, Vermont. Some people might think it’s silly that I fly home, but why not fly? It takes about 5 hours to drive home, but only 40 minutes to fly! I usually fly Delta, but we decided to try something new. My mom booked me a flight with Jet blue. I absolutely love this plane. First of all, I am so happy my flight wasn’t delayed because right now it’s pouring out and in Burlington they are having a snow storm. I just want to get home now! Anyway, my plane is so darn cool. I am typing and watching MTV. Um yeah, my seat has its very own TV. This is just amazing…I am impressed.
Airplanes are extremely tiny…even the big ones. I always feel bad when I am walking through the aisles because I end up hitting someone. My backpack was slightly large today because I couldn’t fit everything into my suite case. I kept turning to look at the seat numbers and when I did, I would slam my bag into some innocent person’s face. Then, when I found my seat, I had the window, but the two other people were already sitting, so they both had to unbuckle and get out of the seat area,. In the meantime, I’m holding up the entire line of people trying to get onto the plane. What I seriously hate is when people take their time putting their personal belongings into the over head compartment. Then, when we were starting to leave the gate, the captain made an announcement that if the person in the back of the plane didn’t sit down, we wouldn’t leave for another hour. Apparently, some idiot in the back was standing up doing only God knows what. After about 10 minutes, he finally realized every pair of eyes on the plane was glaring at him and he sat down. Goodness gracious, now I am being forced to put my computer away.
Airplanes are extremely tiny…even the big ones. I always feel bad when I am walking through the aisles because I end up hitting someone. My backpack was slightly large today because I couldn’t fit everything into my suite case. I kept turning to look at the seat numbers and when I did, I would slam my bag into some innocent person’s face. Then, when I found my seat, I had the window, but the two other people were already sitting, so they both had to unbuckle and get out of the seat area,. In the meantime, I’m holding up the entire line of people trying to get onto the plane. What I seriously hate is when people take their time putting their personal belongings into the over head compartment. Then, when we were starting to leave the gate, the captain made an announcement that if the person in the back of the plane didn’t sit down, we wouldn’t leave for another hour. Apparently, some idiot in the back was standing up doing only God knows what. After about 10 minutes, he finally realized every pair of eyes on the plane was glaring at him and he sat down. Goodness gracious, now I am being forced to put my computer away.
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Just not fair
Ok, so I know as St. John's students we say this over and over, but the rules at St. Johns are just plain silly...and some of them are not fair. Right now, I don't even care about the visitor rule or any of those. I am referring to the one (if you dorm you will know) that is posted outside of our doors. It says something about if your roomates or suitemates are doing illegal things in your room, then you need to stop them because if they get caught, everyone gets in trouble....um, hello? That does not make any sense. First of all, I am not about to be a snitch and go tell my RA that my suitemates are doing illegal things. If its going to injury me in some way, then yes, I might tell her, but other than that, no. Especially considering they are my friends, why would I want to get them in trouble?
However, if they get caught doing something, shouldn't that be their problem? Lets be realistic here. If I went over to the other room and said "please don't do ---------," I highly doubt that would be effective. Following this I go tell my RA. Hm, when they get in trouble I wonder who they will blame for telling. Yeah, that would be me (speaking hypothetically). I just think it's really stupid then everyone in the suite would get a violation because ONE of the rooms isn't following the rules. How is this my problem? What ever happened to taking responsibility for yourself?
However, if they get caught doing something, shouldn't that be their problem? Lets be realistic here. If I went over to the other room and said "please don't do ---------," I highly doubt that would be effective. Following this I go tell my RA. Hm, when they get in trouble I wonder who they will blame for telling. Yeah, that would be me (speaking hypothetically). I just think it's really stupid then everyone in the suite would get a violation because ONE of the rooms isn't following the rules. How is this my problem? What ever happened to taking responsibility for yourself?
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