Just Dance is the most beautiful game I have ever played

I feel happy. Because it's break, I have no work, and I have oodles of time to eat, sleep, read, and occasionally daydream. And play Just Dance on the Wii, which has just become a relatively big phenomenon in my family. It's like we never knew exercise could be fun or something. And for someone that will freely admit to being...erm, not the best dancer, shall we say...I win a lot!
You might be wondering how my finals went, seeing as I kept trying to repress their existence. Well, my finals were the 22nd, and I had a paper due the 21st[1] I had a full week of considerably less stress than a lot of students with earlier exams. So, of course, I did the logical thing, which was to go home and read the second book of a series that just came out. And then I fell into a slight depression after I finished it and read the cliffhanger and sobbed over the very intricate love triangle [2] and could wasted more time rereading said book, and throwing myself on the bed to properly sob about the lives of my fictional characters. [3]And basically I found myself, two days before my finals, completely unprepared. Cramming became my only option, and I learned that a) the library is a nice place, except when you’re bored you notice a lot of things. Like people’s shoes. And you can’t go on youtube to watch trailers take breaks.[4] But I ended up getting 4 hours of sleep before my finals, and then learned that when stressed, I am capable of running on a few handfuls of Honey Bunches of Oats, and 2 clementines.[5]

And now, thankfully, that episode[6] of my life is over! So I’m making lists of Things Amirah Must Accomplish Over Break, which includes watching movies (Sherlock Holmes!), reading books, and being a super bum. Needless to say, I’m very excited about this.

Anyway, have a good break everyone!

---

[1] For which we had to use footnotes/endnotes. And I really love them. They’re so cool. So I decided to commemorate the coolness of endnotes/footnotes and use them in this blog. Original, I know.

[2] Which I still can’t figure out to to resolve…one of them is going to get hurt. Or someone has to die. Why do people have to die?! Why?! I think I’m still emotionally traumatized by this book. Which, in case you were wondering, is Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare.

[3] That I realize I am overly invested in…but still. Why can’t characters who love each other be together?! WHY?!

[4] Which I suppose, is the point of going to the library, but still. It’s sad.

[5] Have I ever mentioned the depth of my love for clementines? I could write poems about that fruit. In fact, I probably have already.

[6] Speaking of episodes, I’m also going to watch so many shows OMG. I know I mention said shows in almost every blog post…so I’m finally gonna watch them!

Done with the First Semester!!

Hello. =)

This will be my final blog entry for this semester. It's been a great semester filled with lots of laughter, studying, frustration, and excitement. I'm so grateful for the chance to be a part of the Macaulay program. I know the next four years are going to be a great ride. =)
I've also really enjoyed writing for this blog. It's like a diary in which I can write my weekly experiences with school and life in general. In four years, I'll probably look back at all of the stuff I wrote and laugh at my 18 year-old self. haha.
Enjoy the break, everyone! Make sure you spend lots of time with family and friends. Also, spend a little time doing something interesting/cool for yourself. We've all worked hard and deserve to relax a bit.

Happy Holidays!!

Much Love,

S.

Goodbye, Fall 2011

Is this semester over? Where has Fall 2011 gone?

Its 2 am, two nights before Christmas, and I am finally home from the dorms. I am finally home!!! Nothing feels as good as my queen sized bed, giant TV and my moms fresh apple pie, especially after this week. My finals were pretty rough this semester. I spent the last week in pajamas ever single day, eating peanut butter and jelly for breakfast,  lunch and dinner. And I slept a total of maybe 20 hours the whole week. But, its all over (well, after I finish the essay that I'm supposed to be writing for my honors history class, which is due tomorrow.)

Hunter was incredibly crowded. The library was constantly packed, so I found a better place to study: the Classics Department library on the 13th floor. My classmates requested the keys from the secretary of the Classics Department and we had the whole room to ourselves. Very peaceful change from the bustling library.

I also was busy the week before because I had to write two research papers. The books I needed for the papers were in the Watson Library, the research library at the Met. (Not the Nolen Library, which is the education library at the Met - I think.) Its a really great place to study and it has TONS of books. So, if anyone is interested in art, history, art history (haha), or archaeology, this is the place to be!! Chances are, if you take a class related to one of these fields, you will need to write plenty of papers, and the Watson has tons of information.

Anyway, I'm off to get some sleep so I can wake up early and finish this assignment before Christmas!! Happy Holidays.

xoxo

Christmas, part 2

It wouldnt let me upload what I think is the best part of all hehe

Holly Jolly Christmas!

To brighten everyone's spirits, here are pictures, as promised!!

Breaking Down

In the few moments that I have to myself while the internet at the Brookdale dorms is characteristically being slow, I write to find peace. No really, this is actually pretty therapeutic. Just taking this one little minute before I have to study for 4 finals is actually a great time to pause my brain. I have to study for biochem and orgo (on the same day, aye!), marine geology and music. Not too bad, I won't overly complain. But with a research paper, an interview, a recital that I'm a part of, and a lab report ( I think I'm missing something, and if I am, God have mercy on my soul so that I remember it on time) for the next 6 days, I really dont know how I'm going to do this without a little push from above , concentration, hard work, endurance, and my momma's cooking. Suggestion: dont take heavy duty sciences with 2 labs, and pile on your credits. Its doable, until midterms week and finals week dawn upon you.

But really, if we are to succeed in studying for these tests and doing our work in a sane manner, the dorms definitely need a bigger, quieter and less smellier place to study than the cafeteria-turned "study" lounge. Especially considering that the Brookdale library closes at 11pm on weekdays, even during finals week. Rather than having to trek to the Baruch library, which gets crowded fast all the time, and has the strictest security and no food policies around, the health professions library should be open longer during finals week, and/or a second lounge should be opened for quiet study 24/7. Just walking past the crowded (literally every table was taken!) cafeteria was a study bummer in it of itself.

Enough about classes and finals though, you must have heard that all on Facebook. Despite having not the best of places to study, a laundry room that almost burnt my clothes ( the dryer was so overheated it smelled like smoke and looked like it was on fire- rumor has it they're fixing it soon), and an extremely hot dorm room, I don't want to sound like I'm completely bashing on and highlighting Hunter's faults. Today, I had the best sandwich/panini ever! And, it was from Hunter! It was heated to perfection, with cheese melting, smoked turkey, crisp applewood bacon, warm whole wheat bread, and pretty fresh lettuce. Of course, it was overpriced, but for my lunch (and dinner), it was the best meal I had for a while.

I really hope my groggy and impatient finals week alter ego makes her last stand soon, because I would really love to enjoy the city before Christmas! I wish all of you good luck!:)


PS- Next time I post, I promise to show a picture of my decorated room:D

Richard, "The Cow That Couldn't Moo", and Sparkly Trees

This past week was the last full week of classes of this semester.
Reflections from this semester:
I can't believe my first semester of college is almost over. It all seems so surreal. I graduated from high school less than 6 months ago, but it feels like ages ago. College makes the future more real. It's all in front of me right now. As kids, we would ask each other, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" There's more pressure than ever to have an answer to that question. We're all supposed to figure out what we want out of our lives,  and I think people's biggest fear is never figuring out what role we play in this world. But even for people who've known what they've wanted to do since they were 10, college takes everything they thought they knew and turns it upside down and inside out. It makes you question everything and really look deep and figure out what you REALLY WANT out of life. What are you willing to work for? What are you willing to commit to? What makes you tick?

Enough of the serious stuff. =p
Some stuff from this week:

1. My Arts in NYC class performed our musical on Wednesday in Hunter College's Lang Recital Hall. We worked on it all semester and it turned out great! I had some really talented people in my class who really put in a lot of work to make the musical a success. Professor Graff also really made that class fun for all of us. Prospective students: If you find yourself at Macaulay Hunter, take his seminar class. You won't regret it. He's a great professor.
2. Thursday was a really cold day in the city.  I decided to take a short walk down Park Avenue just to get some air. That short walk turned into walking 14 blocks down to East 54th Street and then 14 blocks back up (because I didn't feel like taking the train during rush hour)! It was a really beautiful night and there were trees coverd in lights all down Park Avenue. I really felt that holiday season magic with all the pretty lights, beautiful store displays, and people shopping and just walking. If I could capture all of that energy in a jar and inhale it during finals week, I wouldn't have to sleep all week. =p
3. I did some holiday shopping with my mom this weekend. We actually bought a present for ourselves--a giant bear that my mom named Richard. So Richard has a new home this holiday season. =)

Good luck with finals, everyone! (And wish me luck on my bio and chem finals!!)

 Happy Holidays!!

 S.

Finals, finals, and more finals.

Finals are coming up soon, and before those I have two tests. Can you even believe it? Two tests before my finals! So as you can imagine, I have been studying pretty hard. But even with so much to do, it's important to remember that you are actually a human, and everyone deserves a break! I just spent a few hours making breakfast in the kitchen with some friends, and it was so great to get my mind off of all the stress, if only for a few hours! That's what's awesome about living in the dorm -- you can always find somebody to help you with something, or to do something with. I have to admit, sometimes I feel a bit lonely being away from home, but the friends you make while living away at college are pretty special!

I'm really looking forward to the upcoming break. Now that I understand everything that college demands from me a little bit better, I definitely will not be taking advantage of this time! I'm going to spend it relaxing at home with my family, snuggling with my cat, and spending a lot of time with my boyfriend (who will be home all month from Boston!). But I can't neglect my applications for summer research positions! As busy as I always am, it's so rewarding to be so productive! I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Peppermint Mochas, Green Tea, Michael Scott & Llamas

This week in Amirah's Exciting Life, Peppermint Mochas are in. They don't seem too appealing at first (I mean, peppermint? Plus mocha? I would question it), but are actually a very nice and soothing combination.

Also in this week's breaking news: I have come to the conclusion that The Office is a show about trolling. Jim and Pam are outright trolls. To me, the show is basically Michael Scott saying something dumb, and everyone else making faces at the camera. A face I have particularly come to admire is Kevin's evil little smile that he does all the time when no one's looking. I know I'm several years late on this show, but better late than never! (It's become clear to me that my winter break...will be spent watching this show. Among others. I wish I had more of a life, but I hear that as the years progress I'll get increasingly busy, so...)

And speaking of winter break... So last year when I was but an imaginative senior who was sick of doing AP Bio packets over winter break, I used to dream about having a month's break from school in winter, and I imagined all of these activities I'd do as a cool college kid- mainly, bumming in front of the TV, watching old movies, catching up on shows, reading books, living at barnes and noble, going back to work at McDonalds (don't hate- a job is a job, okay, and it pays just fine!), and seeing friends. However, I have 4 GERs left to fulfill, and there was a spot in the German Fairytales class...so I'm now signed up to attend school 4 days a week, 3 hours a day. Is this the picturesque break I had so dreamed up from last year? No. But maybe winter in the city with a small workload will be nice. I'll go shopping and explore the city more thoroughly. Although, I doubt they'll be playing holiday music in the stores anymore...and I can't tell you how much I love holiday music. I play that stuff all day erryday! When you hear those magical sounding tunes, and you're with your friends, all bundled up with hats and scarves from forever 21, and you've got a peppermint mocha in your hand...there's nothing else like it. Dean Martin crooning "Let it Snow" gets me all warm and fuzzy inside.

To randomly switch topics for the fourth time in this blog, you may have noticed that contrary to most everyone else's posts, I have yet to mention anything about finals. I myself don't know why, but perhaps it's because I'm repressing the idea of their existence so well that I've begun to forget about them. Instead I choose to dwell other, more important things, like how much I love the green tea in the Hunter USG lounge, which security guards at Brookdale are nice to me and which ones aren't, or how much fun debit cards are. Speaking of them, I went shopping for real for the first time last week...and I now realize why it was good that I haven't gone very often. I was like Isla Fisher in Confessions of A Shopaholic. I was swiping that card left and right! Swipe here, get shirts, swipe there, get pants...so nice! Who knew!

Anyway, by writing this blog I've been procrastinating on reading several chapters of textbooks. I'll probably now go on favorite websites of mine to distract myself some more...if you're a senior reading this, you should definitely check out sparklife or this new llama website I heard about where you can write in llama characters! Is it dumb? Yes! BUT SO MUCH FUN!
I'll end on that happy note about llamas...and now I want to go watch The Emperor's New Groove.

4474

That is the number of words I have done for my 6000 word history paper (that's about 25 pages). And it's due...oh yes, tomorrow (AHHHH). But I'm fairly confident I'll get it done. I always manage to pull such things off.

After that, I just have one final (Germany history, same as this paper) one paper (Political Philosophy - more AHHHH) and one movie (well, a short zombie film, my creative project for Imagining the End of the World) and then I'm done! I'm SO excited for winter break. AND for next semester! Check out my schedule.


Now, some people think this is crazy, but my 9:45 class is actually only going to meet 4 times out of the whole semester (the rest is online) and this means that, including the one day I work every weekend, I have FOUR FULL DAYS OFF. I'm actually trying really hard to resist the temptation to fill one or two of those days with an internship or (another) job because I think taking a semester to just focus on my studies might be nice - I haven't really done that since Freshman year, and I miss being able to put myself that fully into my academic work. Not that I won't be doing other things, of course, but I just don't want to overburden myself. Plus, I'm trying to sort out what I'm doing to be doing my senior year and what kind of opportunities I'm going to look into after graduation, so having the time to think these things through and prepare will be really useful.

Hope you're all as excited for the holidays as I am!

ttfn

Kaitlyn (kt.ohagan@gmail.com)

Winter Break

Well, it's that time of the year again. The city is decorated with holiday cheer. Classes are coming to a close. Finals are on everyone's mind. Everyone is getting their Christmas and/or Hannukah and/or other holiday list's ready.

I, for one, am looking forward to the end of this semester. My last 3 classes meet on Tuesday.

I'm happy with my Spring 2012 schedule and I'm glad that I'm really diving into my major next semester. I've also worked out a new work schedule that will help to give me more time off and more time to study.

Looking back on this semester I have learned a few valuable lessons and come to several realizations: Do your work as soon as it is assigned to you or else it will just pile up and you will fall victim to your own procrastination. Grocery shopping is much cheaper than eating every meal from the outside world. I need to meditate more. Relationships at this age are usually a joke and you might as well have fun until you're in your mid 20s. Mustangs appreciate being left in a garage for 3 months. I need an iPhone. Astor Place haircuts is the best place to get a haircut in this city. Bamboo plants won't die no matter how much they are neglected. There is no good Mexican food in this city. The only good Cuban food is in the West Village.

This winter break I am looking forward to spending some time at home with my family, as well as getting my laundry done for me and having food handed to me for free. I'm also looking forward to spending some time on my own here in the city, living at the dorm and being able to enjoy the city more now that I don't have class or homework.

Bye.

-Michael

Registration, Shades of Gray, Snapshot

Sunday night in NYC...
I had a good week, but Wednesday was definitely stressful. All of us Macaulay freshman had to register for classes for next semester. We were all fighting for the same good Macaulay seminar professors. =p
We all had different registration times. I was scheduled to register at 1:10, which was one of the later registration times. I had three schedules set up just in case I wouldn't get the seminar I wanted.
OMG. By the time 1:10 came, I was having heart palpitations. =p Everything turned out fine, but I had to run to the Macaulay office because of some biology registration issues. I don't have a perfect schedule for next semester, but I think I'll be fine. (I hope!)
I had to hand in my bio lab report on Thursday. I was glad to be done with it. Let me just say that graphing can get very tedious.
I just finished reading a great book. It's called "Between Shades of Gray" and it's by Ruta Sepetys. Check it out here: http://www.betweenshadesofgray.com/ 
It is an amazing book!!! Impossible to put down and so incredibly moving. I was reading it on the train, and I had to stop myself from crying. There are some very sad moments, but there's also this amazing courage and will to survive that is so central to the book.
Today was the Snapshot Day Photo Exhibition for all Macaulay freshman. All of us were assigned to take photos on October 11. Today we were given a chance to see how the student curators arranged the photos. It was cool to see everyone's work. We had to also work in small groups and create a video, under a particular theme, of some of the photos we saw. It was fun to learn more about iMovie. =)

Have a great week!!

S.

Strange Incidents on the Last Train Car

In general, NYC is great place to be in. The diversity of cultures, food, and events is one of the best things about the city. However, there are the occasionally not so pretty incidents where it certainly feels awkward. Everyone at some point witnesses panhandling on the train system. You see homeless people, who come and perform, or tell their story to the city's straphangers(some of them outwardly state that they need money for alcohol). There are even young kids, who sell candy, or do an amazing juggling act while the train is in motion. These are fairly common on the trains and one gets accustomed to it. What isn't seen everyday is the extreme; an incident involving a knife, pepper spray, and yelling. (Don't worry though, nothing really happened)

Last Wednesday, I was coming home on the E (or was it M?) train. I usually transfer at 53rd and Lexington from the 6 train. I also have everything planned out, so that I minimize walking and traveling time. This means that I tend to get on the last few cars of either train. Also, normally, I get off at the first stop after I board the E/M train, or the first stop in Queens. I was already facing the train door, waiting for the train to cross the river, when out of nowhere a guy starting talking really loudly. I'm going to try and state the facts, because it became really hard to judge either one of the guys involved. The man, who was in his late 50's, began talking about how everyone on the train has a right to defend his/her self. He continued stating how he is a veteran and perfectly capable of defending anyone on the train. At first it seemed as though the man was odd; until I realized he was directing his words to another man in front of him. Then it all made sense as the dialogue continued. The man sitting down was claiming that the man standing up had a knife hidden. That's when the man sitting down pulled out a pepper spray and continued his claims that if the other man tried to assault anyone, there were tons of witnesses. This is when the standing man decide to talk; he claimed that the other guy was crazy and had no clue what he was talking about. Their yelling and insults continued and I was extremely glad my stop arrived. Throughout the whole time, I was freaking out. It was impossible to tell which man was lying, the man standing up also got defensive and began verbally abusing the older man. It was even more strange how everyone on the train averts their eyes and the silence only increases the tension. It was certainly one of the scariest experiences of my life.

Is it the most wonderful time of the year?

An awesomely impromptu tryptophan Thanksgiving only a memory now, I armed myself for an upcoming month of finals, lab reports and inevitable end of semester mishaps by decorating my room for Christmas. I don't have a picture of my room as of yet, but just knowing Christmas is around the corner helps make the month just a bit more doable. The festive mood that my room emanates obviously paradoxically makes it even more difficult for me to work in my room. Hence I "library hopped" over the past few days between Baruch's Library, Hunter's Brookdale Library and the 68th street main campus library, which has proven to be marginally successfully in producing productive work moments.

Immediately coming back from the Thanksgiving Break (what an awful tease- 4 days of comatose bliss only to be followed by about 13 days of classes and then a full on month of break), registration was for the first time in my life, error free! Not once did I have to wait on line to get an override, permission, or have to deal with any bureaucratic office of any sort. Some departments can be extremely nice and helpful, even on stressful registration days, others, not so much. And I registered for all my classes in the comfort of my dorm, still in my pjs. I can't wait for my Jerusalem in the 20th century class, along with, for the first time ever, two days off! Of course, I have to devote time to DAT studying (ahh, its really happening now!)


Until next time, when I surely will put up christmas pictures!!

Christmas Cheer

I had a fabulous Thanksgiving (evidenced by the plate of food below) despite the fact that I spent most of it writing a paper.


I know it's supposed to be crunch time, with just two weeks of classes left, but I can't help but feel really great at the moment. The paper I was working on (the first of three major papers I'm doing this semester) was due today (along with a presentation) and I felt pretty good about my work, and REALLY good about the fact that it's at least DONE! So I decided to celebrate by hanging some Christmas decor in my dorm room:


Hopefully the Christmas cheer will get me through the hard weeks ahead!

ttfn

Kaitlyn
kt.ohagan@gmail.com

Is it two weeks or three...?

It's been a while since I posted last. I am not going to make excuses. I believe this blog has seen them all. (And I spent my Thanksgiving Break relaxing on LI...so its pretty shot on that end.)

But the blog title doesn't refer to my Mac Blog Absence. It might refer to

-the amount of weeks left in the Quidditch season. We are doing a tournament on Sunday. I was told we'd end with the Quidditch Season, but the weathers' been lovely

-the semester. My only paper final during finals week is really early on so if I get papers done

-the amount of time spent procrastinating on those papers
-and the final presentation for seminar
-an HTML project for media
- and my creative writing portfolio

I might stay in the dorms until the 22nd, anyhow. Reading Partners is modeled around an elementary school schedule so the LIRR can get kinda pricey.

(I probably haven't blogged about Reading Partners. Its an Americorps Program through which I work with a Fourth Grader in reading activities at PS 154x in the Bronx. Its rewarding but time consuming. I miss being able to sleep in, but I wouldn't have it anyother way.)

I had Reading Partners this morning. The school I am working at is having a Reading Recital so we've that. Since then, met a friend at SVA for Bubble Tea, started outlining my English paper, read for Religion and wrote this blog entry. I will also be attending tonight's Meet the Scientist Event, although I will have to RUSH to my English class afterward.

Strawberry Cheescake

Hello everybody. =)

Last week was relaxing because we only had three days of school and then Thanksgiving, which is my favorite holiday. Thanksgiving consisted of a nice family dinner and a nap afterwards. I also had a fantastic piece of strawberry cheesecake. Every calorie was delicious. =p
I didn't go shopping on Black Friday because I find that the stores are just way too crowded to shop in peace. I couldn't believe that story about the woman who pepper-sprayed people at that Walmart on Black Friday. I love shopping, but it seems like people are just obsessed with getting the best deal and have forgotten about what the holiday season is about. It's about spending time with your family and appreciating what you have.
I don't know how many of you watched "A Very Gaga Thanksgiving" on channel 7 on Thursday.
Lady Gaga was amazing!!!! She sang a bunch of her songs and she sounded great. She's such an inspiration to all the kids out there who feel like they don't belong anywhere.
The first semester is coming to an end. It's kind of insane that I've survived three months of college without any major crisis. =p
Anyway, have a great week, everyone!!

S.

Too Much Turkey

Sorry for how long it's been since my last post! I've been super busy. Pre-med is a very time consuming (but very rewarding!) track. The good news is that I got a perfect score on my last Biology test essay portion! That really helped me truly be able to relax when I went home for Thanksgiving. Another thing that helped me relax is that I got my giant Bio lab report out of the way a week early. Trust me, if you can ever find the time in college to get something done ahead of time -- do it! It might seem appealing to procrastinate, but then you're in for stressful, anxiety-ridden all-nighters. Trust me, I know. I've learned the hard way that it's better to just get things done. The free time you'll have at the end of it all will feel sooo much better!

Anyway, enough about school. Let's talk about how great it was to be off! My boyfriend was home from Boston (he goes to BU), and some of my other friends from high school were here too. It's not like I have to go far from the dorm to go home (it's just uptown, actually), but there's something about having everyone home and sleeping in my own room for almost a week that makes me feel like I'm really on vacation. It was so relaxing, and filled with so much great food. But I'm actually excited to get back into the swing of things and go back to class.

Oh, and one more thing, if you find yourself at Macaulay Hunter, and you live in the dorms, you should know this: the Shake Shack in Madison Square Park has no line in the winter :D.

I Can't Think of A Fun Title For This Blog

I know everyone's dying to hear about my Thanksgiving break...so here it is! Thanksgiving was loads of fun. Usually I see my extended family all the time, but I've missed them away at college! We ate food and shouted nonsense at each other and made up random games to play when we got bored. If there's one thing I'm thankful for this year, it's family.
But anyway, it's Sunday morning, and I'm kind of dreading going back to school. Not because I'm homesick or will miss the piles of food that currently make up my house, but because I've slacked and haven't..done..anything! Coming home is like going on a vacation...so I never do my work! So Monday, after my full day of class, I need to start my research paper, study for a chem test, do the psychology research requirement (!), and finish the never ending readings for political science. I'd complain some more but I feel like anyone who's not a freshman reading this is probably rolling their eyes at me. One thing I did kind of accomplish this weekend was my schedule for next semester! It's kind of fun to put together! But really stressful! Right now I have Wednesdays off. Which is random, but I'll take it.
To change to a really random, happy topic, (I've really been jumping around on this blog, sorry!) I read three teen fiction books this weekend! None of my textbooks, which I will feel guilty about later, but I totally loved every minute of soaking in the predictable, sometimes silly and dumb writings of teen fiction authors! (And hey, for the haters, some of those books are actually very well written and of good quality, ok?) Also, I watched a bunch of movies - Jumping the Broom (pretty good! It reminded me of Guess Who, which I now want to watch again because it's so brilliant), a really cheesy Disney Channel movie called Geek Charming (it was so bad. But my younger siblings were watching it and I had no other options!), and a part of Rio (such a cute movie! Nigel is so evil!). And right now we're watching White Chicks again. Good stuff!

Ballet, Thanksgiving

I can't believe Thanksgiving is next week. The semester really did fly by.
I'm definitely excited for next week's mini vacation. I think all of us college students need the break.

Sunday, I went to City Center to see a performance by the American Ballet Theatre with my Arts in NYC class. It was absolutely amazing! The dancers were so talented, and the choreography was complex and meaningful. It was interesting to see how a choreographer translates music to movement. Besides seeing The Nutcracker in elementary school, I really haven't seen a professional ballet performance before so it was another new experience for me. This seminar has exposed me to a bunch of cool art forms, and I'm grateful for that.

I had a relatively peaceful week filled with the usual homework, reading, eating, and sleeping. =p
I did have a Poli Sci test on Thursday, but that wasn't as stressful as having those wonderful bio and chem tests.

In honor of Thanksgiving, here is a list of some things that I'm grateful for this year (in no particular order):

-Life (Because being alive is the ultimate gift)
-Family (Because they are my support system)
-Friends (For making me laugh and for their support)
-College (Because it opens my mind to what's out there)
-Macaulay (Because I get to go to college for free and be a part of a really cool community of students and faculty)
-sunsets, full moons, the ocean, music, and laughter

What are you grateful for this Thanksgiving?


Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone!

 S.

Time for Turkey

Well, Thanksgiving is almost here. I'm looking forward to the turkey. Unfortunately I won't be able to be home for Thanksgiving because I have to work the whole day. But my family is arranging a second Thanksgiving that Friday, because, if this year is like any other year, we will probably have plenty of leftovers. My partner and I are also planning to have our own Thanksgiving on the ambulance. We will see how messy that will turn out.

This rapidly approaching holiday is also a reminder of the fact that classes are pretty much starting to wrap up. We will be coming back from our little break with only 3 more weeks of classes to attend, and then some finals to study for. It's weird to think that a whole semester is already almost gone. But, between you and me, I really don't like the fall semesters anyway.

I'm really looking forward to the spring term. It's a bit longer, or at least it feels a bit longer, so I like the pace of the classes better. I'm also looking forward to my course selections and really starting to put work into my psych major. All in all sophomore year seems to be turning into a good start to my major, much of which I will complete junior year.

Also, after much debate I've finally settled on a location to study abroad in. It will be Australia, come junior or senior year. Noice choice eh, mate?

Michael.

SING! SING! SING!

Hi everyone

Long time no post! I've been busy with schoolwork, planning my Spring schedule and gearing up for Macaulay's first ever SING! competition! Some of you may be familiar with SING! because it is done at your HS. For those of you who are not, it's a completely student-run musical theater competition. It's usually done by class, but due to Macaulay's structure, we decided to do it by campus (Brooklyn, Baruch, Queens and Hunter were the campuses that decided to participate). Here's the flier:


Come check it out if you're free tonight, tomorrow or Saturday night at 8PM (it's also a great chance to see the beautiful Macaulay building)!

More later!

ttfn
Kaitlyn
kt.ohagan@gmail.com

Go to the Met!

Hey everyone!


I just came back from a huge dinner at Thai NY, a great restaurant by the dorms (28th and 3rd). I met up with a couple of friends from high school for our annual thai dinner (we're all so busy during the year and they're not studying in new york, so we always set aside a day to do what we do best-eat!) It was so filling that all I want to do right now is pass out on my bed. Unfortunately, I still have a few pages to translate for my Latin class. Mondays are tough. 


This weekend was good, though! I spent most of it sleeping and watching episodes of American Horror Story. On Saturday I went to a karaoke place downtown for a friend's birthday. On Friday I went to the Met to see the new galleries for Islamic art. They are a MUST see! Everything is just beautiful. So many cultures are represented and the galleries cover a large time span. You can really get a sense of how profoundly Islam has shaped the visual traditions of the cultures. Plus, if you go on a Friday night, there is food and wine (for those 21+) as well as music until fairly late at night for a museum (9pm). So I do recommend you stop by the Met soon to check it out. We DO have a cultural passport!


Well, its 10pm right now and I don't really know what time I'll be getting to sleep, but I think its fair to say that I won't be getting much of it for the next few days. I can't wait for Thanksgiving!!!


xoxo

Fruit Snacks Are My Life

This weekend I was self coerced into becoming a hermit, and so I spent my time pent up in a small room, relying solely on tea, nutella and fruit snacks for sustenance. I have learned that Nutella goes with anything and that one should not take the assorted flavors of fruit snacks for granted. I also supposedly should have learned much about International Relations, which we’ll see if that’s true when I get my midterm back. A summary of my weekend: I studied IR, cursed IR, threw up hands at IR, outlined IR, wondered why the readings for IR were so long, considered dropping out and running away to Europe to live in a hovel by the river, and took study breaks by watching old trailers of dumb rom coms that I love and sobbing or laughing quietly to myself (can I just say. Ryan Gosling in The Notebook trailer is very…hyperventilation inducing.) On a related note, The Hunger Games trailer came out today. I am a fan of the books and am glad to say that the trailer did not look dumb, although Jennifer Lawrence doesn’t fit my image of Katniss very well (although, no actor will ever fill the role of a fictional character well). And since we’re on the topics of books, I miss my books!! I am dying to read The Son Of Neptune (what can I say? I LOVE Percy Jackson. He’s my hero. He’s so awesome. Those books are hilarious) and haven’t had a chance yet. Sigh. The fangirl in me has been contained for too long by schoolwork! Anyway, midterm season is almost ending and finals are coming up soon whoo hoo! And I have a lovely paper to write, so I’m going to start on that…but first, I’m going to watch a movie because I’ve been so movie deprived that I started having dreams about watching them. Peace!

And the results are....

After a disastrous last week, I am going to evaluate the success/failure of my plan from my previous blog. I am happy to report that the long hours of studying for bio and attending group tutoring sessions really helped. I felt much more at home with this test, there were of course some pieces of information that I was lacking, but it was quite difficult to remember the minimum number of genes a bacteria can survive with. However, the essays were much more enjoyable since not only had our professor given us possible essay questions, I had set out to write a through answer to each one of them. That said, my changes for bio worked. On the other hand, it was a bit more difficult to feel just as satisfied with chem because of all the time I spent studying bio. I still made sure to attend office hours, do tons of problems and make concise study notes; however, there was still more to be done. It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't great either, so next time, no matter what, chem will be my priority.

On a much more happier note, English 120 is proving to be quite an amazing class. Coming from school where senior year English was comprised of humanities seminar and sometimes tedious books, English 120 is a breath of fresh air that kindled an old love for writing. There is a focus on social issues but it is all still as relevant today as it was during Stevenson's Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde and Shelley's Frankenstein. I also love how our essays are formatted. We spend the semester learning about semiotics. I analyzed an ad for Domino's sugar for its connotations on eating habits and organic foods. I proposed a solution for the growing Achievement gap in education and now I am finishing the semester with an comparison of Frankenstein and Kosinski's Being There. Overall, I think English 120 is a great course to take, writing is so essential in life and English 120 will challenge you to look further into the signs that are found in our society.

Sleepiness, Science, and a Piano

Ahhh...a Saturday autumn morning in NYC. Colorful leaves, crisp air, nice sunshine. =)

This week was definitely one of my toughest because of the bio and chem tests on Thursday and Friday.

All of the pre-med students were having a tough time balancing studying for chem and bio and doing work for our other classes as well. I basically spent the entire week reading my bio textbook and looking at powerpoint slides for chem. I read on the train, in the library, and at home. It was a huge pain, but there is no way to do well on these kinds of tests without reading the text multiple times.
Being a college student is definitely not easy. But in those moments when I'm studying and just want to give up and do something else, I focus on the fact if I put in the work now, I will benefit later. I've learned that focus and determination are the basis of success in college.

An hour after my bio test, I went to my Arts in NYC professor's piano recital at Lang Recital Hall.
After being under such pressure before the bio test, it was nice to just sit and listen to my professor play the piano. He was absolutely amazing. His passion for the piano and for music was palpable in the air. It was so inspiring to watch someone do something they love. I can only hope that I will be half as happy when I'm working in the medical field as he is playing the piano.

Have a great weekend, everyone!!!


S.

What a Day for a Daydream

I think this is the first time in my life that the daylight savings left me as refreshed as possible. Of course, I always feel a tad bit happier and relaxed with one extra hour of sleep, but because I was extremely busy on both Saturday and Sunday, I ended up sleeping a few hours earlier than my normal bedtime, and got about 10hours of sleep.Each day. Yes, its crazy, but wow I feel so good right now! I feel invincible, as if I can solve my many orgo problems with my eyes closed, finish all my assignments for this week tonight ( not really happening, but I am beyond motivated right now to begin tackling them), and most importantly, help achieve world peace (I'm joking, although this is quite a heft goal to achieve all by my lonesome self).

So, with all this extra sleep, I was looking forward to my lectures today, expecting my normally baggy-eyed head to stay up during class sans coffee. Alas, old habits die hard, and I ended up nodding off, as usual, halfway through my lecture ( but instead of for 5 minutes, more like a minute or so), dreaming about I think a chicken burrito bowl (now extremely overpriced) from Chipotle. A bummer to see that the extra sleep I had didn't benefit me immediately, but I'm not going to complain about having such a restive weekend.

Especially considering I just finished all my midterms last week, with barely enough sleep ( I drank so much coffee and water to stay up, that I ended up with multiple stomach aches while taking tests). Sure, that sounds pretty typical from whomever you speak to, but for me, having five extremely important midterms ( each counted for at least 25% of each class's grade), within the span of 8 days ( my organic chem lab test and biochem midterm were a few hours apart, woohoo!), was the biggest challenge in my undergrad career so far, in terms of tackling study material for each test within a manageable time frame. Even finals weeks' in the past were easier to deal with and plan ahead for, as each final was scheduled for a different day. I really do hope Hunter comes up with a solid outline and guideline for midterms' weeks of the future, having (especially) different science classes schedule their exams at different times ,rather than at the same time. Because yes, as students, we should be able to deal with and manage our time efficiently to study for exams at the same time, but on the other hand, there is a limit to the balance between studying/understanding the material, and simply cramming for the test because of the pressure and stress from facing multiple exams for one week. All suggestions aside, it seems I did overcome my challenge quite well, as I did remarkably well on 3 of my midterms so far. Now just for those other two grades ....

Aside from the same old conversation about exams and midterms, I attended the 7th annual Oral and Maxillofacial Symposium at Columbia University on Saturday. I was not exactly looking forward to traveling all the way up to Morningside Heights from Nassau county at 6 in the morning, but I am extremely grateful that I did. I did not fully understand the scope and breadth of the specialty until Saturday, and definitely did not expect to meet as many other driven students as well.The event was an much needed eye-opener, with many of the Columbia doctors and professors discussing their cases with us (accompanied by some very graphic, bloody slides, which I surprisingly was able to stomach). I really cannot wait for future pre-dental events offered by dental schools in the area!

Sleep Habits Die Hard...

So it's a little before 9AM Monday morning, and one of my classes has already finished for the day. Considering that I somehow managed to ignore my alarm (while it was directly under my head) for an hour, I missed the class (and the midterm). Thankfully, this isn't one of those "my life is SO over" moments because the lowest midterm gets dropped, but it would've been nice to know my lowest midterm was, let's say a 90, rather than a 0.

Probably one of the most important things I've learned in college is that if there is a way for me to avoid getting up in the morning, I definitely will. Thankfully, Hunter is usually really good with programming afternoon and evening classes that fit my schedule and sleepiness, but this class would've taken up 5 hours of scheduling time if any later than now, and interfered with classes in which going to lecture was actually important. (This is a BIG hint about college: Plan all classes which require you to go to lecture/labs regularly at times when you will absolutely make it. No one really goes to lectures where you don't need or have to be present.)

Here's to a productive new week (the joy is mostly because midterms are now over for another 3 weeks)!

Two tests, a stuffed pig, and Union Square

Hi, everyone.
It's a Saturday night, and I'm grateful that I don't have to be up early tomorrow. During the weekdays, it's so hard to get up in the mornings so I try to get some extra sleep over the weekend.
Some things from this week:
On Tuesday, I went to Union Square during my break. I just wanted to explore the neighborhood a bit and check out some stores. It's a nice area, but different from the Upper East Side. It's cool how one island can have so many types of places and people in it.
Wednesday was the Majors Fair. I'm glad I went because I got some good brochures and info from the different departments. Each table was offering candy so I probably consumed a lot of sugar that day. But oh well. Chocolate is GOOD. =p
Thursday, I handed in my paper for Poli Sci. I can honestly say that I've learned a lot from Professor Polsky. For most people, politics is a big headache, but college is all about opening your mind. It's important to be aware of what's going on in the world.
Friday is my short day, so I went to chemistry and then got to go home and relax. 
I have two tests next week--chem and bio. Studying is going to be tough, but I'll get through it. (hopefully!)

Just a thought about college friends for prospective students:
I've heard a lot of people say that they found their life friends in college. I've only been in college for just over two months, but I've already met some great people. The important thing is to be open to all kinds of people. A simple "Hello,  My name is _____. What's yours?" can be the start of a great friendship. Friendships are not built overnight. It's important to nurture and put effort into every friendship. Okay, I'm done with my little lecture now. =)

I was in a store with my mom today, when I noticed the cutest stuffed pig. I immediately turned into a five year old and asked my mom if I could buy it. My mom thought I was joking and started to laugh. But when I started to walk towards the cashier, she realized I was serious. =p
She couldn't stop laughing. I realize I'm eighteen years old, but stuffed animals still make my heart melt. So I bought the cute little pig. She's now the love of my life. =p (I think my mom has fallen in love too!)

Talk to you soon!

S. (and my little piggy!)

Internships!

What a crazy month! I can't believe October is already over. Time really flies during the fall semester. All my finals are finally done, but I'm already swamped with work. Halloween weekend was a nice break because most of my friends were also celebrating the end of midterms and we got to spend the weekend together. I'm feeling especially overwhelmed because of my internship. It wasn't so difficult to keep up with school and the internship in the beginning of the semester, but now I have a lot of homework and not enough time to finish it.
I work at VizLingo, LLC, an online social media startup company located in Gramercy (conveniently!) I am a linguistics intern. VizLingo is a website dedicated to creating the first online visual language. As we build our database of video clips, (we have 30,000+) we are able to represent more words and phrases through videos. I am responsible for editing the tags and creating queries of all the words in the database. Most of the internship involves data entry, but interns are also able to contribute ideas as to how to represent obscure words ("as," "for," "from," etc.)
Tomorrow is the Macaulay Internship fair. I'll be returning to let you all know how it goes!

xoxo

Reflections

So here I am, in the middle of the semester. Next week is sure to be fun as there is both a biology and chemistry test on two consecutive days. Last week, I received an abysmal grade in the chem test (reminded me of ap calculus) and although it will most likely be my grade dropped, this made me reflect on the semester overall. Last year, my problems in calculus were quite similar to the ones in chem. I made silly mistakes and sometimes didn't fully understand the concept. I loved the subject but each test left me frustrated since I couldn't figure what was the problem. Eventually, I began spending my time doing nothing but calculus. I spent hours after school with my teacher, and I did countless tests. I resolved to know every shortcut I could use and every trap I could fall into. In the end, the work paid off and I received my 5 even though I had initially started out pretty bad. So looking back at this, and evaluating my current predicament, I realized the situations are the same. So applying what worked last year should work again, right? I certainly feel just as strong about chem as I do for calculus. I'll seek more office hours and spend more time doing chem problems. I'll memorize every formula and try to formulate problems that the professor will give on the test. Hopefully this will work and I can find a balance where focusing on one subject (chem) won't harm another (bio).
So wish me bon chance!!