College Brain Fart
• 2/21/2008 - Scheduling
Well, I'm sure you didn't notice that I didn't update yesterday. Or maybe you did, I dunno. But still, I have an explanation:
I scheduled myself REALLY BADLY on Wednesdays. As in, I'm at school from 9:00 in the morning to 6:00 at night with a break of only about an hour. Which really brings up my point for today:
Schedule yourself reasonably.
I don't believe that means you shouldn't take more than two classes a day - seems to be the average, actually - but rather that you have to make sure you have time to relax and rest between those classes. I should recommend an hour to an hour and a half between each class. Any less doesn't give you enough time and any more makes it hard to concentrate in the class after the break. Besides which, breaks are important for eating reasons too. I can't exactly concentrate on an empty stomach, you know? So I make a point of eating well during breaks.
I know a few people who don't really have breaks. They have a rough time in lectures, but they're the types who can easily study their way into Honor Roll, anyway. They're probably some of the smartest people I know - I can't imagine doing it myself, but for people who are really good at studying, it would probably work.
To contrast that, I have friends who take classes five hours apart who say it was a stupid scheduling decision. They're at campus for hours with nothing to do, and generally they spend that time doing homework, studying, and then wandering the campus with "exercise" as their excuse. It's kind of funny. I know for a fact that it's the only exercise they get in a week.
And I know this post is short, but it's also very late. I need to take a friend shopping, too, so bye!
-Rem
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• 2/19/2008 - Letters of Recommendation
Believe it or not, these are necessary for so, so many purposes. I originally thought that they were only for Honor's College applications and whatnot - imagine my surprise when almost every application process I found for my programs asked for letters of recommendation. I was so lucky to realize when I did that I would need them, considering that it left me with plenty of time to get them. So, naturally, I started researching what I would need them to say and, consequently, who I should ask for them.
I settled on English teachers, of all things. After all, I was always able to express myself best in English classes, so I felt those people were the ones who knew me and my abilities best. They agreed, and I received excellent letters. However, I think it was because I knew what to ask for and who to ask that they turned out well.
So, what should a Letter of Recommendation contain? Here's a bare-bones list:
- An expression of who you are (i.e. summary of character)
- Descriptions of your abilities (specifics are ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY)
- How the writer knows you and can judge you well
- If you would be a good addition/be able to contribute to _________ (insert institution)
- Ways to get in contact with the writer
These are just the basics. Generally, a good letter isn't a list, either - here's an example of a bad letter:
"To Whom it may Concern-
STUDENT is a good student who has done all his work. He doesn't give up and is willing to go the extra mile to finish things. I taught him _____ in his sophomore year, and I think he would be a good university student.
Sincerely, TEACHER."
What does a good letter have, then? Personality. You should be able to hear the writer's personality or professionalism in every paragraph. It should be personal, too - not just something he could copy-paste your name into that could describe anyone. A letter littered with anecdotes works wonders. If the reader can see who you are as well as who the writer is, the letter is amazing. That is, if it highlights your good points. You don't precisely want your health teacher writing you a recommendation letter that includes that story of when you replaced the sex-ed video for porn, do you?
Exactly.
But having a letter written by the wrong person is almost as bad as reminders of your sophomore year's worst-thought-out practical joke. For example, unless you know the superintendent better than anyone, don't get one from him. Here's the bare-bones list of what traits you should look for in a letter-writer:
- A connection to you - one that's tangiable and provable
- Professionalism
- Epistolary Skills (I.e. knows how to write letters)
- A connection to your cause
And remember that you need to ask correctly for a letter. I first asked one of my high school teachers in person for letters and consequently sent him this e-mail about what I wanted in the letter:
Hello, Mr. Pseudonym. It's been a few weeks, and I seem to remember
telling you I'd give you the information you needed to write me some
letters of recommendation. I marked it on my to-do list, started
college, and promptly lost all chances of being involved in a world
that doesn't involve widespread campuses and professors recruiting me
to teach ESL. Only today did I actually look at said list and realize
just what I didn't do.
Hopefully, you don't plan on putting punctuality down as one of my strong points.
Anyway,
I have the information, although the specific one has changed a
little. I no longer need a letter of recommendation just for my study
abroad application, but also a letter to go along with my application
to PSU stating my academic potential. I realize
that I wasn't always the best student, but I'm hoping you saw something
decent in me, at least. Even if you didn't, I respect and trust your
opinion, so I will be glad to accept whatever you may have to say about
me.
The
first one - the PSU letter - should be a standard letter of
recommendation. As I mentioned earlier, it should cover my academic
potential (or, if you so choose, lack thereof). There is no specific
person it should go to, so I trust your judgment in addressing it. And
again, anything you have to say is much appreciated.
The more
generic one should simply cover my strengths and weaknesses as a person
rather than as a student. Like the first one, this isn't going to any
specific person; I'd just like to have it on record. Thank you so much.
I
said that I needed them in mid-December last time we spoke, but
circumstances have changed. I'll actually be needing the first one, at
least, by November twentieth. I can come pick it up whenever it's
ready, so keep me informed, please.
Thank you so much for doing this for me; it really means so much.
Remus Kittler
(Contact number)
So, did you get that? Either way, I wish you luck in your endeavors, readers!
-Rem
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• 2/18/2008 - Oh Very Young
Forgive the Cat Stevens reference (although anyone who hasn't heard that song needs to go listen to it, like RIGHT NOW or I may cry), as it actually has something to do with my topic. And this topic has every bit as much to do with college as it does with high school:
The pros and cons of graduating high school early.
I was 17 when I started college, fresh out of high school a year early. It took me a while to find any information about early graduation, and my school wasn't precisely forthcoming in my requests. Nevertheless, I found enough information by January of 2007 to inform the school of my intent, fill out the necessary paperwork, and order my graduation gown and whatnot. But that took way too much effort, so I'm here to lay out what I know.
Let's start with the pros of early graduation:
- Academic Prestige
- Admission to college sooner
- Independence
- Less time in THE HELLHOLE
And now, the cons:
- It's a ton of work
- Applications are harder to fill out with the limited classes from graduating early
- Some students aren't NEAR mature enough
- Some schools won't recognize a junior as a senior and therefore won't allow participation in commencement ceremonies
So really, this is a decision to be made on one's own. I haven't put down all the reasons, but these are the ones I think are important. People may have more personal reasons, too - for example, I had two. The first was that I wanted to achieve my dream of studying abroad sooner. The second, far more important reason was that my grandfather probably wasn't going to live past my expected graduation date, and I wanted him to know I'd done it.
But not everyone really has a reason - a very intelligent young woman I know decided to do it, almost on a whim, and she's not sure if she did the right thing. Either way, it's done and over, as she put it, and she doesn't have to regret it any more than anything else. She's flourishing in college - and so am I. Considering we were both terrible high school students, this is saying something.
Like I said, though, this is something one needs to decide on one's own. Just remember that you have to live with the decision, so choose wisely.
-Rem
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• 2/17/2008 - Saving in College
That good old "Starving College Student" label is pretty accurate for some people I know - they forgo food for the latest CD or a gym membership or, on ocassion, something that makes sense, like rent. But being a college student means you have more expenses than food, style, or rent - you need to pay for tuition, books, parking passes, school supplies, etc. So, naturally, money will be tight, even with a well-paying job.
How, then, does someone afford all the extras? For example, I want to study abroad in April of next year. The total cost is close to $20,000 for a whole academic year. Even with a scholarship or two and convincing my family to cover airline expenses with frequent-flier miles, I still have a great deal to save. I also don't want to go into debt over this, so what am I to do?
Put simply, I have put a hold on spending. I work an average of 12 hours a week at a very good restaurant and save my tips. So, considering that I make a weekly average of maybe $45 in tips, I don't have a ton to save.
So, here's my budget (broken down as best I can) per week:
- Rent: $0
- Car Payments: $0
- Insurance: $0
- Utilities: $0
- Food: $3
- Extras (leisure): $0
- Extras (necessities): $2
Therefore, total spent per week: $5.00
Total tips saved per week: $40.00
It's a little embarrassing for a college student - heck, it's pretty embarrassing for anyone who wants to be independent - to be a live-at-home college student. I live with my parents and don't even drive right now. Come March, I'll be driving to school every day, meaning I'll need to allocate $30 a week for gas and a pretty hefty amount for insurance every month. BUT I've come up with a solution for that, too:
Carpooling. I can split the cost for gas, anyway, and the money for insurance will be well-spent so long as I can use the drive to pick up a few more hours at work and maybe get a second job. If I can succeed in the second part, I can actually start saving more.
But it is awkward, as you can imagine. I have to be careful what I get to eat, borrow things I'm interested in, and spend nothing without reason. But you know what?
It's worth it.
Barring loss of job or unforseen expenses, I should be able to afford the whole thing (along with a scholarship) with no loans, no interest, and no problems.
So, like I said, just spending reasonably. Combined with other ideas, like scholarships, college can become somewhat reasonable.
I really don't have much more to say, so ta!
-Rem
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• 2/16/2008 - Tolerance on Campus
In elementary, middle, and high school, we've heard the message a thousand times - tolerance! Respect your fellow human beings! Discrimination is hate!
But really, what is tolerance? You don't have people breathing down your neck and giving you detentions for using bad words. I have heard the worst racial slurs and discrimination of my life on campus, and I go to a very progressive school. And it's not restricted to African Americans, either - a man in one of my writing classes referred to the Japanese as "Goddamned Japs" and stated that in WWII, they "were just as bad as they are now". In addition, a girl on campus argued with another girl that "faggots are destroying society". And, as there are a great deal of Muslims on campus, too, I've heard every possible reference to them that I will not repeat here.
Needless to say, people are vicious. I have heard so many things I never wanted to hear, and I could only just barely accept that those words were actually people's opinions. And while campuses try to make a point by selecting minority groups as parts of their staff, people still insist on entrenched, hate-spreading ideas. Bigotry is flourishing, even in the twenty-first century. And it is painful.
So, what I want to say in this post is that in college, you will encounter racism. You will encounter sexism, hatred, and every form of bigotry you can imagine. If you're lucky, you'll see a minimum of it. If you're a good enough person, you won't spread it. Even a bigot, I think, won't act when it will make people he respects uncomfortable.
Be a person he can respect.
In my mind, at least, the best defense against prejudice isn't just tolerance - it's acceptance. "Tolerate" means "to allow the existence, presence, practice, or act of without prohibition or hindrance; permit". This isn't a positive message - it's like just stating that it exists, whether we want it to or not. "Accept" means "To regard as proper, usual, or right".
Acceptance is far, far more critical to life than any kind of tolerance. "To regard as usual" - what is usual? Seeing a mentally-challenged man working at your cafeteria? To see a white man holding hands with a black woman? For two women to embrace, hold, and kiss in a public area? It's perfectly ordinary to some people. I see the Muslim students at my school pray at various hours without bothering anyone. I see the Women's Resource Center opening arms to refugees and injured people with nowhere else to go. I see straight couples cheering at a gay rights rally all the time.
This is the very essence of acceptance. To make a good campus, you have to - absolutely have to - accept the differences between yourself and your neighbor. Even if that person is bigoted, there is little that can be done to change him. So, just as you would accept Muslims praying and African Americans, you would have to accept that a bigot is a bigot, and you can't really change that.
So, to end this rather preachy post, I just want to say this:
Tolerance is fine, but acceptance is ideal. Try your best to make your campus a good place to be.
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• 2/15/2008 - Basic Activities
After I updated yesterday, I went to the cafeteria to purchase a cheap pretzel. On my way there, I was heartbroken to see my favorite display had been taken down. But luckily, I took a picture of this wonderous work of art:
 Yes, this is a five-foot tall vagina. This picture is small, but you should be able to read "THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES" written across the paper vagina. What does this have to do with activities?
This is an actual, honest-to-God activity at my school. It's put on by the Women's Resource Center as a way of fighting domestic violence. Besides which, it gave them an excuse to make a five-foot tall vagina on the bulletin board below the sign for the registration area. I can't think of a better cause to get behind; can you?
But seriously, being active on campus helps you out a lot. I didn't realize it would - back in high school, everything was entirely social. Even the Gay-Straight Alliance at my old school didn't actually do anything - we just met every other week and talked about ourselves or anyone we knew who was potentially or recently out-of-the-closet gay or bisexual. So, when I volunteered in the Literacy Program at school, I was shocked to discover how involved it was. I started out as a teacher's aid in ESL classes, and I absolutely fell in love with it. When I started college, I had an idea about just going into linguistics because I was good at it - I hadn't really thought too much about teaching. But because of the program - having my own students, teaching basic English skills, etc. - I've decided on entering linguistics with a focus on education.
That's not to say that everything is going to work. I also thought I'd have a look at a few cultural clubs advertised in a club fair, but I couldn't bring myself to join any of them. They just didn't suit me. But not being involved in anything didn't strike me as useful - after all, involvement is a good stepping stone for other things. I've met people through the VLP who've helped me greatly - they act as my advisors and are always in my corner. Besides which, you can put a club or volunteer position on a resume, and potential employers are likely to give you a few extra points for it, especially if the activities you did somehow relate to the interests of the company.
And student activities are fun. You meet all sorts of people, and they can introduce you to things you've never tried before - for example, plays for charity. It was amazingly fun to act for a good cause, and I was introduced to the idea by one of the tutors in the VLP.
Anyway, I highly recommend getting involved in an activity on campus. After all, what else is going to give you an opportunity to make an enormous vagina for a good purpose?
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• 2/14/2008 - Scholarship-Bonanza
Ben Kaplan, you have NOTHING on me.
College is expensive, even if you attend a community college for a while. Books alone cost hundreds of dollars a term, and I have had more than one panic attack at the idea of taking out student loans. Of course, student loans are a decent option when compared to just not going to college and entering the work force degree-less. But no one wants to spend ten or more years paying off loans for four years or education. I am not an exception to that.
Therefore, I've been searching like crazy for scholarships. It's not a simple process if you have no guidance, but because I've suffered through it alone, you get to hear about how to do it best. Congratulations.
First of all, I'm going to recommend a website that's helped me a fair bit - FastWeb. This is a scholarship search designed to seek out awards that best match students based on many criteria - from parents to languages to hobbies, it can find a scholarship for anything. There's even a scholarship specifically aimed at women 5'10" and over. But you need to keep in mind that this site will try to offer you things like Seventeen Magazine subscriptions, inductions into the ROTC, and try to get you to join certain services at other sites. I ignore them, but do as you like.
Also, I find a good way to search for scholarships is to narrow down what you'll be using them for. One example is Study Abroad. I typed up "study abroad scholarships" in a Google searchbar and up popped a great site for it - IEFA. This site allows you to search by major, country, and award type. This is a good resource for students considering international study, but who might not be able to afford it. Just be sure to read what it says the requirements for the award are - many are for graduate students or post-degree people. There is likely nothing as frustrating as completing the process to apply only to find you're ineligible. The same goes for any site you find or look for. You can also check out the college board for information about scholarship opportunities.
While researching a school, you can access what kinds of scholarships they offer, too. Portland State, for example, gives out a number of scholarships to students of merit and of financial need. I also found, after struggling for about a month to decide what I was going to sell to afford studying abroad, that the school also offered scholarships particular to the international program that would cover almost my entire cost. The chances of a college not having affiliated scholarships are low, so poke around the sites for a little bit to see what you find.
Then there's word-of-mouth. I was getting frustrated with being unable to find a scholarship directed specifically at books (since I can deal with my tuition just by ripping my hair out and working), so I asked one of my teachers if he knew of any. He was able to immediately point me to a scholarship, and I've since taken to asking teachers what they know and checking out what the people in the counseling and advising offices have to offer. Most of the time, it's impressive!
But above all, just keep looking. Don't be afraid to apply - for all you know, you might be the only applicant and get the award by default! And if you don't get one scholarship, apply for another. Applying in numbers can help increase your odds, but only if you're diligent enough to put effort into the application process.
So, why did I decide to cover this today? Well, I guess it's because just yesterday I found out about a scholarship through Intel that I might qualify for, so I'm excited. But you know, I'm also rather hungry, and I have a class starting in twenty minutes. I need to go eat. Either way, catch you later.
-Rem
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• 2/14/2008 - Obligatory Introduction
Hey. I thought I'd start a blog on college life for, uh, anyone who's curious, I guess. Among other things, I'll cover these:
- Application Processes (and my own horror stories)
- Campus life
- Classes
- Recreation
- Food and Eating
- Managing a job and classes
- Studying Abroad
- Getting information for what you want
- Majors and decisions
- Scholarships
- Costs you might not expect
- Social Aspects like classmates (i.e. gossip)
- Generally bad ideas
- Examples of reaching and making college goals.
Certainly, this list is long. But to put it simply, this blog will just cover what real college life is like. It's not all parties and term papers - mind you, I'm also a relatively new student, but even I can recognize this. If anything, I can offer a tip of the day. Who knows? I also plan to put out information I wish someone had told me before I graduated high school, since there might be a crazy person out there who is just like me and wants to know those things.
Anyway, I'm Remus Kittler. Of course, that's not my real name - I don't particularly want my real one being thrown around when I use a pen name for everything else anyway. You'll have to forgive me.
I am eighteen years old, having started college at the age of seventeen. My intended major is Applied Linguistics with a possible double major in Japanese. This term, I am taking 19 credits (which is a rather stressful thing to do, mind you). I am now of the opinion that the amount of classes you should take ought to be less than your age at the start of the term minus three. In other words,
Credits Recommended ≤ Age - 3
So, now that we've confirmed my insanity, I'll give you an overview of my life so you know where I'm coming from. I hold down a part-time job at an Asian restaurant and have dual-enrolled in Portland State University and Portland Community College. My goal is to study abroad next April in Japan, and I hope to eventually teach English as a Foreign Language. I'm a vegetarian, I graduated high school early, and I volunteer as an tutor (Japanese and English) and taught as a Teaching Assistant in an ESL class last term. And, in case you were wondering, I am currently single and not interested in internet romance.
Now, then, since I've finished the obligatory introduction post, I will start my blogging. I hope you'll come along for the ride.
-Rem
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