Almost midterms already?

I can't believe it's almost that time of year again, but all of my classes are picking up and I'm struggling to fit everything in.  However, things always have a way of getting done, and it seems that there is always exactly enough time for everything that counts.

In Research Methods I got my test back, and was very excited to have missed only a half point on it.  I guess studying endlessly does truly pay off.  I'm also finding that I really enjoy research.  

Since I'm doing well with this and my other  classes, I took an exciting step the other day in applying and becoming a tutor!  This means I will get to work with people in other criminal justice classes and help them keep up with and understand course material.  It's great because I will be able to earn a little extra money while I help others.  You can be a tutor for anything at Mercyhurst, as long as you have a B in the course and can commit at least three hours a week to whoever requests you.  

I've been doing a lot with yoga club in terms of wrapping it up for the year and figuring out where to go next with it.  I'm a little disappointed in what we did not accomplish this year, and I think I could have been much more organized.  I guess though for being the first year it was not entirely bad.  

This past Sunday I went to a poetry reading that my Hinduism teacher said we could attend for bonus.  I ended up actually being really fascinated by the poet, David Whyte.  

On my agenda for the rest of the day is work study, reading, and preparing for a presentation I have in Research Methods.  This week has been more stressful than the beginning of the term, and I'm looking forward to the weekend.  

Love love love, 

Paige   

Hello All,

I think it's safe to say my life is officially in full swing again, and I'm glad that my class schedule is less hectic because everything else is picking up rather quickly!  The weekend was really fun, I spent the weekend hanging out with my roommates.  We never really plan anything official to do, but we always end up laughing endlessly.

Monday I began preparations for an exam in my Research Methods class.  I studied with a nice group of people, but I'm not sure how I did, it was a difficult test.  My Hinduism class is picking up and getting deep, I'm really trying to grasp it.

Tonight I have art appreciation.  I'm really glad to have an art class during all of this chaos, it is nice to have  a way of detaching from the rest of my classes.  I feel like this is one of my shorter posts, mainly because I don't have much to say now, but I'm sure by the end of the week it will be a different story.  

Going back to the Hinduism,

Paige

Sun, Sumatra, and Smiles

Dear Friends,

Do you ever have one of those days where from the moment you want up everything seems perfect?  Today is one of those days for me, and as I did some dishes this morning, I half expected woodland animals to scamper in the way they did for snow white to assist me in gleeful cleaning.  This feeling continued as I walked out the door (without a jacket and wearing a dress,) to amazing weather. 

Before going to work I stopped by the cafeteria to get some coffee, since I didn't have time to make it this morning, and my favorite Sumatra blend was brewing!  No one has come into the writing center yet today, which means I get to study and update my blog.

I have a tour to give today at 1 to a prospective student.  I love giving tours, especially on a perfect day like this.  The weekend ahead does not have that much planned, except hanging out with my roommates.  It is also my friend Tyler's birthday (Happy Birthday, Tyler), so I will probably see him at some point. 

The sun is shining and so is my soul,
Paige 

Half Way Through

Hello All,

So since I don't have Friday classes, I'm officially half way through the week.  This idea absolutely thrills me!

This past weekend was very fun.  On Friday my roommate and I went to an Art Gallery downtown to look at some exhibits.  Erie has a pretty rich and diverse art community.  After we got back we spent some time with our roommates and visited the neighbors across the way.  I guess all of this running about took a lot out of us, and the next day we slept in and watched movies.  Sunday was Spring Tea.  Each Spring a new group of Ambassadors is added to the club (for those not familiar with Ambassadors, we wear green and give tours of the school,) and Spring Tea is our way of welcoming them and celebrating the hard work to join the club.

And so with the end of a busy weekend comes a busy week.  I worked today at the writing center, as I will everyday except Monday.  I absolutely love it there.  Today, I had Hinduism and Research Methods.  Hinduism was a lot of reading, and it's getting really abstract.  I'm a little nervous for the eventual test and have no idea what to expect.

Research Methods on the other hand is presenting some unique ideas and challenges.  As I still toss around the idea of going into research, this class is important.  Today, however, we learned about something called the, "Matthew Effect,"  this basically describes how difficult it is  to become well-known and respected within the field of one's study.  So basically, if I want to be a well-known researcher, I should start working hard now.

Tonight I'm going to a seminar on campus about women and their power to negotiate within the work force.  My roommate is going for bonus for a class, and I'm going for fun.  The college always has these types of events, and I'm sure it won't be information wasted.

Enjoying the Daylight at 7 PM,
Paige

Spring Term, I love you

Hello everyone,

So I'm officially one week into spring term, which means only 9 more weeks until summertime!  Before I get ahead of myself, here is a quick overview of my classes:

Art Appreciation:  This is part of my liberal arts requirements here.  However, I absolutely love it.  I was in art club in high school, and now I get to take it for credits.  It is also a night class...and the only class I have on Mondays and Wednesdays (best schedule ever)

Research Methods in Criminal Justice: I know, this doesn't sound too thrilling...but again, criminal justice is my passion, and with new thoughts sprouting in my brain of being a gang researcher, this is good for me to explore a little more.

Hinduism:  This is fulfilling my second religion requirement here.  I like it so far, even though it's a lot of reading.  Also, taking Hinduism allowed for no Friday classes, so I can't complain.  Besides that, it really is an interesting religion.

So those are classes.  I'm not sure how this schedule became so lovely, and I'm doubting it will ever occur again.

Something else is new and exciting too, which is my campus work study.  I had worked in the admissions office, however my schedule became too complicated for that, and fate threw a new job in my face.  So, I'm currently a writing consultant for the writing center.  The writing center is peer run tutoring, so I get paid to revise papers and help people with writing (something I do anyway!)  I have a shift at 11.

That's really all that is going on so far.  Just trying to manage things and stay on top of the readings.  Also it snowed again last night, which I think means we deserve another spring break.

Passing out the fever to Mother Nature,
Paige

Spring Break (I needed it)

Hello friends,

Sorry for the break in posting, but as you know it was spring break, and I was catching up on the sleep I had deprived myself of during finals.  The sleep deprivation paid off, however, and I have some very exciting news to share!

My police functions class (my favorite and most difficult class of the term) undeniable got the most attention and time this past term.  I got an A on that final, which I stayed up until 3 studying for following my last post.  I even woke up allowing myself two hours to study before it too!  The exciting part though is related to the gang paper.  (This is the last time you have to hear about it, I promise.)  I got it back, and whatever I did the second time around (hard work and coffee,) worked because I got a 198/200 on it!  But beyond a good grade, this gang paper gave me ideas for my future, for example, being a gang researcher.  I really never considered this career before, but now it's a serious thought in my brain.

Break started out in the most excellent way.  I left campus on a high note with all the relief of being finished.  The first days of break one of my new roommates, Dania, stayed with my family and I because she was receiving a scholarship (congratulations, Dania!) at a banquet not far from my house.  During her stay there was a lot of sleeping and watching Lifetime movies, a nice and welcomed contrast to life during finals.

The rest of break was rather uneventful, I didn't work, which only meant time for reruns of Gangland and catching up on Law and Order: SVU.  I also had time to read The Bell Jar all the way through; this is my favorite book, and I haven't had the time to truly enjoy it for a while.

Some of my books for Spring term started to come in the mail.  I always order them from Amazon, and seriously save so much money.  My spring term schedule includes: Art Appreciation, Introduction to Criminal Justice Research Methods, and Hinduism.  I started reading some of the reading for the Hinduism course...it is definitely unlike anything I have ever had, so I'm excited but nervous at the same time.

Today I went to my favorite local coffee shop to post this blog, only to find out it closed in my absence.  I am at the bookstore now, which is just as wonderful.  In a little bit, I am meeting up with some friends from high school, which is exciting.  With the trimester system spring break falls earlier than most semester schools, so I rarely get to see friends, which is one of the only things I dislike about trimesters (but for all I like about them this is really a small thing).  But one of my friends is in for the weekend which is great.

Tonight my sister is going to be home too from her place ion the city.  I'm going to rent a movie from the Redbox; sadly, that is the only option because there are no video stores left her, which makes me sad.  I'll be back at school on Sunday, and my first class will be Monday.  By Tuesday evening, I'll have had all of my classes at least once, and will provide all the details!


Out and about now,

Paige