Hello all,

So far I’m enjoying my life here at Clark.  My roommate and I are getting along nicely, and I’ve managed to make a decent bunch of friends that I’m really growing to like.  I’m thinking about majoring in psychology and going for a minor in Asian Studies.  My favorite class is Japanese, and I hope to go to Japan for study abroad sometime in my sophomore or Junior year.  I like all of my professors, and for once in my life, I’m genuinely enjoying my classes.  Being away from home is great, even though my family lives in Worcester; I have all the benefits of having them nearby without having to live with them.  I’ve only been here for a couple of months but I already consider this place to be my home away from home.  I hope the rest of the year goes as well as the beginning.  Cheers!

Olivia

Fall Ramblings and Senior Voes

Fall semester is running a marathon, at a full sprint. I’m serious. Does anyone else feel that there is less and less time every day? With each day passing more quickly than the last, it seems like I can’t keep up with this marathon sprinter of a fall. Or maybe it’s just senioritis talking. Either way, it’s terrifying.

The English house is keeping its busy schedule successfully and even though students, staff, and professors are flying around the house like busy little bees no one seems quite as haggard and run down as I feel. Did everyone here figure out some magical way to make time slow down and not let me in on the secret? If you are one of these secret keepers please sneak me a note under the workstudy desk and help a girl out.

Chowder Fest is coming up and everyone is very excited. It’s an amazing event at Anderson house that really showcases the close community here and lets everyone mingle and enjoy some great food. I can’t wait. My last chowder fest… and here comes the melancholia. Senior year really is a rainbow palate of emotions.

Another thing that has been skulking around the campus is this terrible plague of a flu. Students are sniffling and our selection of teas is shrinking rapidly. Its ok all you fellow survivors of this plague. We are replenishing our assortment. Stop by the kitchen when you are in Anderson house and replenish your weapon supply against this flu. We even have tissues and cough drops in the office. See the English house is always prepared! My own battle against sickness is ending in a decided victory on my part. Although it’s been a long few weeks of battle my immune system has finally decided to kick into gear. May I say, YAY.

Fall leaves are decorating both the inside and outside of the Anderson house and I just wish I had more time to enjoy the bright colors. Maybe I should suggest to the Goddard staff to decorate the library with colorful leaves as I am spending most of my waking hours there. At least then when I am staring at the wall in a desperate wish for inspiration I would at least be looking at something pretty.

It’s getting chilly with winter fast approaching, but the sun is shining, it’s almost the weekend, I am sipping delicious hot chocolate so I cannot complain. I hope all of you are finding more relaxation this fall than me. If not stop by the English house and we can brainstorm ways to get through it together. I’ll even share my hot chocolate.

My Summer

Hello English Department Blog! Well, it has been a long time, hasn't it?

When I last left you, I told you of my plans to spend the summer in Worcester. I spoke of RAing in a real honest-to-goodness building, cooking for myself, having suitemates, watching construction, and exploring the city.  I definitely did all those things, but nothing was like I expected it to be. So in true Shalyn-Fashion, I am going back over them in the form of a list.

1. RAing:  If I learned anything over the summer, it is that being a summer RA is basically nothing like being a regular semester RA. Students are all there for a reason, and generally, they aren't just fuddling about. Everyone seemed very focused, very busy, and frankly, did not want to be bothered by an RA. While being a summer RA was a great solution for me in finding a summer job, my role in the hall was strange for me. For me, being summer RA essentially cut my role down to some of the elements I like least about the RA role, namely policy enforcement. I enjoy getting to know my residents, putting on engaging programs, and being a resource to students, and those elements of my job were less important to the population I was dealing with. What I found beneficial about my time as a summer RA was forcing me to face those parts of my job that I liked least or had least knowledge about. Working in the office gave me some experience with handling concerned parents and doing administrative tasks. Being part of building staff gave me a peek a what this year would be like. Being seen as a policy enforcer rather than a resource helped me realize that I could have a career in Res Life and Academic Affairs. Ultimately, I would not take the Summer RA position again, but I am glad I took the job and felt that it was a worthwhile experience as an RA.
2. Cooking:  Let me start by saying that I am a good cook for a college student. I was expecting the quality of the food I made to be much better than what I ate during the year and that I would live off the meal plan during this current semester. I was wrong. Food is expensive. I rarely had enough cash to scrape together some fresh vegetables. Food also goes bad quickly. Often times it was a struggle to buy the right amount of food for one person and I would waste food as it sat rotting in the fridge just because I had other things to eat before it. Finally, food is time consuming. Not only does it take time and planning to make food, it take time to buy food. It takes time to think up what to do with a food. I found a new appreciation for the cafeteria over the summer. I enjoy all my meals that I get ready-made in the cafeteria. It is really quite convenient.
3. Having Suitemates:  I really hoped to become close to my suitemates over the summer. I had missed having a roomie. But I can say now, while my suitemates were lovely girls, we didn't make a connection. I attribute it back to the timing. Summer residents are busy and focused. Often times, they were in labs doing research or otherwise were out on the town or back at home. And I was too, so there wasn't much time for bonding.
4. Watching Construction:  I know everyone complains about how construction takes too long and they are never done on time. Well, I am impressed it was done when it was given where they were at two weeks prior to the RAs coming back. It was truly impressive all the work they got done over the summer and simply inhuman the amount they accomplished in the last month. I think they did a fantastic job and think campus looks nicer because of it.
5. Exploring the City:  In addition to working as an RA, I took an internship with the Worcester Magazine. This internship taught me a ton about journalism and my writing/editing ability. What is also taught me was an appreciation for Worcester and an excuse to explore places I never would have been. Over the course of the summer, I drove to most of the city's parks, visited a cafe which functioned as a work placement program for Youth Services, watched the breaking through ceremony at City Square, spoke to all kinds of people,--Occupy organizers, directors of the Hanover Theatre's summer productions, a winning crew team, and a man organizing a community garden--and enjoyed Worcester's Restaurant Week. (Oh, and I did make it to WooBerry finally. I like YoWay better. But now there are three more fro-yo places in Worcester to try!)

So that was my summer. I know summer vacation is sort of a precious period time for most students and their families, both being fully aware of the limited time they will be spending under one roof in the future, but I really recommend spending one summer at your university. It gives you a new understanding and appreciation of your university.

Summer in Worcester

I know last semester I wrote a post about how I was going to be the last one here, the one closing the halls as everyone leaves. When I wrote that, I was not anticipating being able to say the same thing this semester. However it is once again true that I will be one of the last ones here because I am going to be one of the summer RAs in Blackstone. Yes, now that my courses are finished and my papers are resting comfortably in boxes in Leir II (the English Department's Paper Central), I have an entire summer at Clark to look forward to.

It is going to be an interesting experience for a number of reasons. First, I will be cooking for myself. I am by no means inept at cooking; in fact, I rather enjoy it. Still it will be the first time that I am cooking solely for myself for all my meals. Second, it will be the first time I am RAing in a building. I have been an RA in 21 and 23 Maywood all year, two of the RLH Houses. I have loved it, and my residents were fantastic, but I think it will probably be different to be in a suite-style, large residence hall. Third, I will have suite-mates. I have missed having a roommate to come back to at night and share my day with. It will be nice just to have people around that I can say hello to after working in the office. Fourth, there is all the construction that will be going on at Clark. Maybe I can take some pictures and post them when I get back in the beginning of next semester. Fifth and finally, I can explore Worcester in the summer in a way I don't during the school year. My first plan is to walk over to WooBerry and see how it compares to YoWay.

So expect lots of updates when the term resumes! I am sure I will have a lot to say.

April 30th

It’s 4:07 p.m., on a Monday afternoon. I had forgotten that Big Brother Big Sister ended last week and I’m not in the mood to do laundry or any schoolwork so I’m back at work in the English Department for the second time today. Classes are over and the only thing in the way of my summer and home sweet Brooklyn is finals. *Sad face* I wish there was no such thing. I’m trying to take it day by day and remain calm. I don’t want to stress. Stress is no good. As bad as I want it to be over, I don’t want the days going by too fast. I need time to study, but I want to go home oh so badly and forget about school. I remember when I used to LOVE school. I never wanted to miss a day, not even for a doctor’s appointment and I used to love those too. My pediatrician always gave me stickers and I would run around in the halls with my siblings while we fed the vending machines all of our mother’s money. Anyhow, back to school. It’s not like I hate it. It’s just different when you’re in college than when you’re high school, junior high school or elementary. You’re young, wild and carefree (a little less in high school though). In college, you have to buckle down and get serious. You’re either already in the “real” world or preparing for it. It’s all about your future from here on and you can’t afford to screw things up.

It’s been three years. Next semester, fall semester 2012, I’ll be a senior. I’m not ready. I don’t want to go just yet and I don’t want to graduate just yet either. I don’t know if it even matters because this isn’t the end of school for me. I’ve always wanted to become a Pediatrician since I was a little girl and I still do. A lot of people I know or have talked to have changed their minds about their future profession and their majors as well, but I’ve always stuck with mine and I’m happy about that. I always joke around with my friends and say that I’ll be in school forever and that I’ll be sitting in class with my cane then one day just roll over. Ha-ha. I guess I better start loving school again. Ugh. I cannot believe how fast my undergraduate career has gone by. I remember the first day I step foot on Clark campus like it was yesterday. It really does feel like yesterday. Time really does fly huh? Someone needs to tell me where time keeps flying off to so I can go get it and put it in a box and secure it for when I’m ready for the next step. I’ll be 21 this summer, June 25^th to be exact. Ahhh! Next thing you know I’ll be married with children, a house, a car and a career! It’s all just too fast. Time, SLOW DOWN! Please and thank you. Sheesh! I would do anything to be a little girl again, ANYTHING!

The Embarrassment of Being an English Major

“So what are you going to do with that?  Teach?”

These two questions always seem to be the follow up to my answer of the dreaded question:  “What’s your major?”

As I sit with my friends, I always think about how much cooler their answers to this question sound.  Wow, you are a Biochem major with a pre-med concentration?  Wow, International Development and Social Change?  Getting a Master of Science in Finance?  Completed the Mathematics major and now wondering if you should add a double with Physics, and if there’s time, possibly a minor in Computer Science?

What’s my major again?

Repeatedly, I’m told that my degree is not very substantial:

 “The guy who changes tires on my car has an English degree.”

“It will make a nice coaster someday.” 

 “The waiter at the Olive Garden has an English degree.”

And then, there are some pretty weird stereotypes I have to work with too:

“Oh, so you’re one of those book people who sit around trying to think of something original to say about Shakespeare, right?”

“English major?  How do your parents feel about that?  They let you go off to college to get an English degree?” 

“You speak English though!”

                There seems to be an assumption that my English degree is pretty useless and rather lame.  Especially when compared to those science people who are making the future for us all.  Or those finance people who are rolling in the cash.  Or those international development people who get to travel to all kinds of different places.

                What am I going to do with my English degree?  Teach?

Maybe. 

Maybe I will end up teaching English.  Maybe I will end up abroad, teaching English in refugee camps in Jordan.  Maybe I will be working at a private school in Java.  Maybe I’ll end up teaching in inner city schools in D.C., helping children be the first in their families to graduate high school. 

Or maybe I’ll end up being a chairman of a hydroelectric and mineral company in Laos.  Maybe I will end up as a CEO of a major financing company in New York City.

Maybe I’ll be a lawyer.  Maybe I’ll be a lawyer working in a small claims court.  Maybe I’ll be an internationally renowned lawyer specializing in human rights violations. 

Maybe I’ll be writing speeches for political figures.  Maybe for Nobel Prize winners.  Maybe I’ll be working as a translator for the CIA or the FBI.  Maybe I’ll be a journalist for National Geographic.

Maybe my potential is not limited to words written on a piece of paper or defined by the answer to the dreaded question:  What’s your major? 

Maybe most companies don’t care what you got your degree in, but about whether or not you can produce a ten page paper, or a memo, on whatever subject they ask you to write it on.  Maybe experience will be a deciding factor.

And when my friends with their cool sounding majors need help writing their research proposals, applications for research grants, publications, scholarship applications, etc., who do they ask first?

Pulling the All-Nighter

Let’s face it; the season of all-nighters is upon us.  As much as we’d like to think that as college students, we have finally gotten down the skill of effective time management to get all our work done in an orderly fashion at an appropriate time, it just has not happened yet.  The reality is that we are more likely to procrastinate and not do the essay that we’ve had all semester to work on until the very last night. 

“Due tomorrow?  Do tomorrow.” 

The reality is that you will talk about having to work on this essay all day, knowing it’s going to take a while to complete, but you still won’t actually start it until 11:00 at night. 

The reality is that these short-term cramming sessions will help you get a good grade on that exam the next day.  But in the long-term, you are very likely to forget everything you have learned.

Yes, it’s inappropriate.  Yes, it shows a lack of respect for ourselves.  Yes, it’s detrimental to our health.  Yes, it reflects poorly on our generation.  Yes, you will promise yourself that you will never do it again. 

And ultimately, yes, you will do it again.  So, here are some tips to pull the all-nighter effectively:

1.        Start drinking your first large coffee at 9:00 P.M.  Finish it in under an hour and move on to the next one.  Stop drinking coffee by about 1:00 A.M. You can move on to water then.  It takes the edge off the caffeine crash for the next day. 

2.       Make sure your assignment is something you can type.  All the caffeine in your body will cause your hands to shake.  Handwriting becomes illegible.  If you have to highlight or underline things, use a ruler or a straightedge.

3.       Try to pull the all-nighter in a public space.  A lot of people think isolating themselves will minimize chances of distraction and help you get things done faster.  But sometimes these little distractions actually help.  They break up the night and make things less miserable.  Plus, it’s a little comforting to know that there are other people who are going through the same thing as you are.  Strength in numbers.  Solidarity.

4.       Go outside.  Sometimes that rush of fresh cold air will wake you up even more.  Especially in the morning.  Watching the sun rise is pretty gratifying.  This is also when you will promise yourself to go to bed earlier, so that you can wake up early and see this every day. 

5.       Take a nap. If you have the amount of self-discipline to be able to take an hour nap, then get up after and finish whatever you need to get done, then do it! 

And the most important thing of all:  Have a little self-confidence.  At the end of the day, I know I will get everything done that I’ve set out to do.  Whether I’ve done this essay three days beforehand, or the night before, I have the confidence to know that it will get done, no matter what.  It won’t be late.  I will get it in on time.  And the quality of the work won’t be shoddy either.  If you are going to do anything less, then ask yourself why you are in college in the first place?