Fun Summer Stuff

Hey, everyone! =)

My semester officially ended on Tuesday after I finished my two finals. I was in stress-mode all of Tuesday, and after I walked out of my last final, I felt so exhilarated.  It felt so nice just to be done. I swear I had enough energy to walk like 40 blocks, and I would have if it wasn't 7:30 P.M. I got home and watched the season finale of Grimm. Now I have to wait till the fall to find out whether the main character, played by David Giuntoli, will stay a zombie or not (long story). He's just too beautiful to be a zombie. :p If you haven't seen the show, summer break is a good time to watch some episodes. It's a pretty cool show.

David Giuntoli 
Photo credit: Mr Blue / WENN
www.aceshowbiz.com

Speaking of handsome dudes, Adam Levine and his band, Maroon 5, just released the video for their song "Love Somebody". It's one of the coolest and most creative videos I've seen in awhile. Below is a shot from the video. Go watch it!

After that brief digression about good-looking dudes, let's talk about summer plans. Summer is so perfect to do all the stuff that you've wanted to do all year, but haven't had time to do because you had to memorize biochemical pathways or write a gazillion papers.

Here are some things that I think are fun/cool/productive to do over the summer:

- Take a summer class: This may seem like the last thing that you want to do over the summer, but trust me, it can actually be a lot of fun. You can take a class that fulfills a GER or just take any fun class. Last summer, I took German Fairytales, and I loved it. This is a great time to explore a topic outside of your major. 

- Internship/Volunteering/Lab Research: Getting experience in the field that you plan to work in is super important in evaluating whether you're really interested in that field. It's probably a tad late to get an internship now, but there are plenty of volunteer opportunities out there. Check out http://www.idealist.org for interesting things in your area. My Macaulay advisor told me to try putting in a variety of keywords to get the greatest variety of options in the area you're interested in. If you are a science major, go to the websites of various hospitals and and scientific institutions. Check out the kind of research that is going on there and email a few of the scientists and ask if you can volunteer in their lab over the summer. This will help you learn various lab techniques and meet real scientists who can give you recommendations and introduce you to their colleagues. 

- Read: Like most Macaulay kids I know, I LOVE to read. Sadly, during the semester, there isn't a whole lot of time to read for fun. So every summer, I jump at the chance to read some of the things on my booklist. I've recently developed a real fondness for graphic novels. There's a lot of things that you can do with graphic novels that you can't do with regular books. I think having pictures and text together can make the author's message even more powerful. Seeing the characters' emotions, their appearances, and noticing subtle visual symbolism can really make the reading experience quite fulfilling. You can also finish graphic novels a lot quicker than a regular novel, so you have the opportunity to read many of them in a shorter amount of time. Also, I think when a lot of people think of graphic novels, they think of superhero comic books or manga. These are types of graphic novels, but they are not only ones out there. Graphic novels come in a variety of styles and address a broad range of themes both funny and tragic. I haven't read many because this is a relatively recent interest of mine, but some interesting ones include: 

• Persepolis (which addresses the Islamic Revolution in Iran)
• Maus (I've mentioned this one on the blog before. The author talks about his father's experience during the Holocaust.)
• Anya's Ghost (I just finished this one yesterday! The main character befriends a ghost. Funny, creepy, poignant.)
• Lily Renee, Escape Artist (True story about a Jewish girl living in 1930's Austria and who eventually became a cartoonist)

There are so many more out there. I plan to read a bunch of the summer. 

Of course, there are plenty of regular novels out as well. New books by Khaled Hosseini and Dan Brown were recently released. Those are bound to be awesome. Also, think about books that you've always wanted to read but never got a chance to or were too intimidated to read. Maybe this is the summer that you can read them. 

- TV and movies: This is your chance to watch all of the TV shows and movies you didn't have time to see during the semester. You can use Netflix or go to your local library to get DVD's and watch to your heart's content. I plan to watch Season 5 of Mad Men, which I didn't have a chance to watch last summer.  I also want to watch Breaking Bad. I heard it's a great show. Plus, my group did our orgo project on methamphetamine this semester, and that got me really interested in the whole issue of meth labs. 

Summer movies are always fun to watch so take a bunch of your friends to see a great comedy, The Hangover Part III, or a great tragedy, The Great Gatsby, or a great action flick, Fast & Furious 6. Also, if there's a classic movie that you haven't seen, this is your chance to do it. I watched Breakfast at Tiffany's last summer and thought it was awesome. Classics are classics for a reason. 

Also, I just watched this really quirky and poignant indie called He Died with a Felafel in His Hand. It is both funny and tragic and also, incredibly realistic. There are a bunch of interesting indies out there. 

- Blog: Nowadays, so many people have their own blogs. I never thought I would be writing for a blog because I didn't think my life was interesting enough (haha), but this whole experience with the MacBlog has shown me how just about anyone can blog about just about anything. I remember being a senior in high school and getting emails from Macaulay Hunter with links to the MacBlog. I used to love reading the posts, and I told myself that if I got into Macaulay, I would definitely write for the blog. It's like a public diary, which you can look back on to see how you used to write or what kinds of things interested you. I've looked back at my posts from freshman year and relived all the great experiences I had and all the exams I stressed about and all the cool NYC places I've seen. So maybe this summer, start a blog of your own. It can be a really rewarding experience. And if you're a prospective student, come write for the MacBlog when you get into Macaulay!

- Visit your former school: Since the semester ends in late May, you have the entire month of June to visit your former schools. In recent years, I've visited both my elementary school and high school, and I've definitely enjoyed my visits. It's great to see your former teachers. They always love to hear what you're up to. Plus, it's always nice to maintain good relationships with your teachers. They've been through college and can give you great advice and support. 

- Explore interesting eateries and try new food: New York is full of awesome restaurants and food trucks. Both expensive and cheap. This summer, try things on both sides of the spectrum and explore the wide variety of cuisines that we have in the city. And bring your friends with you!

I'm proud to say that I had my first falafel yesterday! haha. I loved it. 

- Shopping: Buying stuff is always fun. That immense number on your credit card bill is not so fun. Before you go shopping, figure out what you truly need and what you should splurge on. Hunt for coupon codes and various sales. Check out http://www.retailmenot.com for coupon codes. Also, check out vintage stores. They usually have things that you won't find anywhere else and for good prices. This is definitely on my summer to-do list. 

I've already gotten started on my summer shopping. I got this really cool bracelet for someone from "J Fay", a small costume jewelry store on Lexington Avenue (b/w 60th and 61st). They have a bunch of interesting pieces that make for great summer accessories. At H&M, I bought this cool fedora as a birthday gift for my dad. He used to wear them all the time when he was younger, but I haven't seen him wear one in a long time so I thought it would be a nice gift. These are just a few of the things that you can fill your summer with. Others include: 

• Sleeping. HAHA. But seriously, it's so nice to sleep after months of getting up early.
• Hanging out with friends
• Doing stuff with your parents and relatives
• Writing a book (someone I know just wrote a book, and he's still in college! I thought that was the coolest thing.)
• Redecorating your room
• Doing fun stuff with your hair
• Taking a road trip
• Studying abroad
• and much more!!!!!

My plan is to continue blogging over the summer albeit on a less regular basis. 

Enjoy your summer break and be well! <3

S. 

Quote of the Week

"New York is strange in the summer. Life goes on as usual but it’s not, it’s like everyone is just pretending, as if everyone has been cast as the star in a movie about their life, so they’re one step removed from it. And then in September it all gets normal again."

~ Peter Cameron, Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You