You're Welcome, Mom.

New England. The land of New England Patriots, clam chowder, skiing, birthplace of the American Revolution, and Cape Cod. I was born and raised in Connecticut; go to school in Massachusetts, and vacation in Vermont. It is safe to say I know a lot about New England. Yet, every single year, without fail, I am still shocked by how cold it gets. Morning after morning after morning I will walk outside and be slapped in the face by freezing cold New England air. So why do I still get so surprised by winter?
When I was in third grade, my mother made me wear one of those snowsuits (I can’t ski if my life depended on it). I thought it was ridiculous. “Mom! It’s not even that cold out! Moommmmmmm!” I felt like Randy from A Christmas Story (“I can’t put my arms down!”). I had an obscene amount of mittens, gloves, scarves and hats. My coats weighed more than I did. I was “that girl” during a fire drill that held up the rest of the class because I had so many extra layers to put on. My mother wouldn’t stop until about mid-April when all of the snow had melted. Then I would move to my spring jacket.
I hate to say this, but my mother was right. New England is New England. Sure we’ve had a couple of days in the 50s, but that doesn’t mean spring is here. Coats, mittens, gloves, hats and scarves were all invented for a reason: It gets cold in the winter. Like, real cold. That’s one of the great things about New England; every winter, it gets cold. Every year. You might be surprised that it took me almost 20 years to learn that. When you think you’re going to look so cool walking outside in 20 degree weather with just a t-shirt on, stop. Don’t be “that kid” who thinks they’re impervious to the cold. All you will end up with is frostbite.
I’ve decided to start a new trend. It’s called “Wear a Jacket Because It’s Freaking Cold Out”.

New Internship!

I have great news! Over Thanksgiving break, I was fortunate enough to become Ethioipian Global Initiative’s Social Media Intern! I am so excited to be a part of this amazing organization. Ethiopian Global Organization was founded by Samuel Gebru, a junior at Concordia College. He is originally from Ethiopia, but grew up in Cambridge, MA. EGI’s mission statement is:
“To combine and capture the social and intellectual capital of students and professionals to further engineer the transformation of Ethiopia by engaging a new generation of socially responsible leaders. In partnership with leading public and private sector organizations, the Ethiopian Global Initiative aims to undertake and support sustainable developmental endeavors in Ethiopia. The Initiative also aims to promote the interests of Ethiopians globally by serving as a catalyst for community-based projects that promote civic engagement and economic prosperity.”
I will be posting and blogging from several different social media outlets, so keep your eyes open for more information about Ethiopian Global Initiative!

The Final Countdown

Yeah, they’re back. And not like the awesome new Backstreet Boys-New Kids on the Block kind of back. Like the flu you get every year that keeps on getting worse than the last one kind of back. And even though I know they are just around the corner, what am I doing instead of preparing for the week of sleepless nights? Watching Glee.
Now obviously I don’t recommend procrastination. All it results in is rushed papers that don’t always make sense, lack of sleep which leads to delirium, and food cravings at random times during the day. So I think I’ve come up with a few ideas to try and avoid procrastination:
1. DEACTIVATE YOUR NETFLIX ACCOUNT.
Seriously. Not joking. Get rid of it. Even though the allure of watching random TV shows and movies when you’re bored sounds fabulous, its not. Next thing you know, your ten page paper is due tomorrow and you’re sitting in front of your laptop watching yet another episode of Glee and eating Chinese take-out leftovers. It’s a slippery slope of MSG and Darren Criss.
2. MAKE OUTLINES. OF EVERYTHING.
Whether your exam is something you can do in your sleep or your worst nightmare, outline your answers. Literally, its like taking a paper written in Wingdings and putting it into Times New Roman. You can actually read it. When it comes down to exam time, you’ll know exactly what to write. And it’s a good way to study without actually wanting to gauge your eyes out with rusty spoons.
3. BACK AWAY FROM YOUR PHONE.
Yes, your shiny new iPhone4 is adorable, but it is also a huge distraction. Before you know it, instead of studying for that really important exam, you’ll be beating your Angry Birds high score. Turn your phone off (all the way off, not just on silent) and leave it in your bag AWAY from your desk or wherever you are studying.
4. FACEBOOK.
This is time when I realized how Mark Zuckerberg is a gazilionaire and how Facebook rules the world. It’s the college kids who would rather play Farmville or creep on Facebook friends that they haven’t talked to in three years than pay attention to schoolwork. Believe me, I’ve been there. And hours later I am still staring at my best friend’s pictures of her sweet sixteen party and my paper is growing dust. So for those of you lucky Mac users, SelfControl is probably the best thing since Facebook. Don’t just use it for a few hours; put it on the whole week. You don’t need to update your status every three hours or post random articles onto your friends’ walls. For us PC users, deactivate your account for the week. Its so easy, it’s dangerous.
Overall, finals can actually go pretty well. You can stay on topic, get good grades, and still manage to squeeze in a somewhat normal sleeping pattern. Unless Netflix decides to add a new show to their Watch Instantly list.