Oh yes...another survey

So I am the first one to tell you how much I hate those surveys people email out that says their favorite color, and the last TV show they watched. On the other hand, I think you're probably getting really tired of me just writing paragraph after paragraph of what's going on in my life. Therefore, this is my "Survey so that my blog doesn't get so boring that you stop reading".

Lasts
What did you do last night? Helped set up for casino night, an event run by the RA's and Hall Council. Then I went over to the basement of the Union to study for the night (PS where the food is? That's not the basement…there's this crazy computing lab underneath that I recommend to anyone). I went with a friend, and normally we get sidetracked by Youtube videos or just talking and laughing, but last night was a focus night because I have a six page paper due Friday!
What was the last thing you ate? Last night was italian night in the cafeteria. Normally it's spaghetti with marinara or alfredo sauce. I was so surprised that we had pesto sauce! Pesto is my favorite dish back home, so I just loaded up. I also love the garlic bread here (note to students and parents: learn to love Italian night), and we had marble cake for dessert
Name the coolest thing you learned last week: In my anthropology discussion, we watched a slideshow to debate gender versus sex. It used to be that gender and sex were the same thing, however now we know that sex is biological and gender is cultural. That being said, it was really crazy to pick out the drag queens, the hermaphrodites, and the women that looked like men but were actually women.
When is the last time you had fun? Yes, contrary to popular belief, we have lots of fun in the Honors Program here at Michigan. I've been pretty busy with homework this week, but my friends just went out for a late night Steak and Shake run. I think the last time I had fun was this weekend, when I went to see our friends in an a capella concert. It was an absolute blast, and they sang some of my favorite songs.
Rewind one week: What were you doing? I had the opportunity to go to the top of the Bell Tower and play the carillon. We also took a tour of Hill Auditorium. Apparently, Hill is the third most acoustically perfect performance hall in the world, only to Sydney Opera House and Carnegie Hall. I got to stand at the top and whisper down to the stage, and we had a conversation that didn't require a microphone and spanned 3,575 seats! Then we all went underneath the biggest bell and took a picture of all 20 of us there. It was one of the coolest things I've ever done.

Favorite…
Study Place: This totally depends on what I'm looking for. When I'm going with my friend, like I said before, we go to the Tap Room or the basement of the Union. But if I'm looking to pound out a paper in complete silence, then I love the Law Library's Reading Room. I don't get wireless there because I'm not in the school of Business or law, so it's nice to not have any distractions. Last semester, though, I spent almost all my time in the Graduate Library, because they have these cubicles called carrels that are perfect for solitary study.
Local Food: Back in Midland, we don't have Noodles and Company, and I personally could eat their Pesto Cavatappi until I died. If my friends ever tire of it, though, they just run to Potbelly's or Jimmy John's nearby and we all meet someplace else to eat.
Source of Physical Activity: My kickboxing class, held up at the CCRB (Central Campus Recreation Building), is every Friday afternoon. It's a great chance for me to get rid of all my anger from the week and start the weekend anew.
Hideout: The Law Quad is the most beautiful place on earth. I love walking into the quad and watching people walk their dog, or couples holding hands strolling down the stone. If it's raining, I hide under the Lawyers Club area and just smell the fresh rain air. Even though it's "for" law students, everyone is welcome, and seeing as I will never be a lawyer, I take full advantage of my ability to use it.

Next…
Fall: We register for classes in three weeks! I'm so ready for the summer, but fall means one thing: FOOTBALL GAMES! While we didn't snag Terrelle Pryor, we have one more reason to despise THE Ohio State University. Now that I'll be a sophomore next year, we purchased our tickets this week, and I've never been so happy in my entire life! For those of you coming here, sometimes football is enough. The atmosphere and electricity in the Big House and on campus in general for those nine weeks is insane, and while it's not the only thing that makes me love this University, it's a pretty big factor :) For the record, I'm totally kidding. You should be here for more than just football.
Weekend: This weekend is Easter weekend, and my friend Richard is in a modern dance show that I'm going to go see Friday night. Saturday is going to be a day of relaxation and scrapbooking, because I need it. Class has taken a lot out of me. Next next weekend, though, I'm going to CHICAGO with other South Quad residents to see WICKED! And shopping in Chicago is of course, top notch
Class: My disease class is tomorrow. We just finished polio and are spending an entire day to discuss literature reviews. Each of us picked a day to turn in a literature review based on a book on epidemics. My book was about drug addiction, so tomorrow my peers will pick apart my writing and discuss the change from infectious epidemics to psychological epidemics (aka noone's dying of smallpox, now they're dying of drugs and alcohol)
Time: The semester will be wrapping up, so you can all look forward to a beautiful list of tips for becoming a freshman, or prospective student :)

In the meantime, if you have any questions, my email is samgreen@umich.edu . I check my email 100 times too many each day, so you're guaranteed an answer within 24 hours!

Until next time (come to Campus Day!),

Samantha

Hitting The Usual Wall but Pushing Right Through...

I guess I never realized it, but according to my parents, I normally burn out around this time of the year. One day after spring break, I don't think that any of that has changed, but I have. Before you stop reading because you think this is just some rant about school, I promise there's a point to it.

I have absolutely no idea what I want to do with my life. I love diseases, but I'm not sure if that means the doctor's life or a public health career is right for me. Now that I'll be a summer orientation leader (if you've been accepted, pay your deposit and come visit me!) in addition to Campus Day, I'm discovering I love being involved in University organizations, and I'm not sure if that's the kind of career I would enjoy most. And finally, I love South Quad Hall Council and Phi Sigma Pi and the programming opportunities that come with it, so maybe that means I want to find a job as a programming coordinator.

Ideally, there's a job programming events about disease awareness on UM campus. But as long as we're honest, that's probably a long shot.

The best part is, as burnt out as I feel, and unsure of where I'm going, this University is perfect for me. I'm meeting with my academic advisor tomorrow to talk about my classes, my future, and all the other extracurriculars and stresses in my life. Switching to this advisor that cares so much about me as a person and not as a name on the computer screen means alot, and that's something I didn't get as much of in high school.

I've found a job this summer as an Orientation Leader, but I have weeks available to shadow at the hospital, sit in on Public Health summer classes, and continue working with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. This summer I get to figure out who I am and where I want to go with my life, and it's all been provided by this city and University. I'm not sitting around houses with my high school friends, but instead building upon the friendships I've found here, as many of my friends are staying for a spring term. Knowing that this summer I've found the best of all worlds (No Hannah Montana reference...but I came close) is one of the things that makes me smile even when the weather is this dreary.

I'm staying up late to work on papers for my history of disease class or anthropology instead of last year's AP Bio and Psychology. This year, though, I'm not working to get into the college of my dreams. I'm working to graduate from one of the best universities (and the third best public university) in the country.

Last year, if my friends were feeling it, I had no idea. This year, we're all sharing the brunt. We're realizing we didn't do the work over Spring Break that we probably should have, but we're all in this together (High school musical anyone? I couldn't resist). We're all staying in the basement of the Union until they kick us out, and we're all taking naps in the middle of the day. We know that this happens at every university, and that beyond our group of late night studiers, there are thousands more joining us across the country.

And this year, feeling burnt out doesn't feel so bad.