I Am The Law

I'm currently sitting in my room listening to Circa Survive and studying for a law exam tomorrow. I've been in here most of the day and it's been extremely peaceful. I'm feeling alright about this semester so far. A lot of easy classes, one really hard one.

I must admit, I feel as if life is very mixed up right now. My schedule hasn't fallen into place in the slightest. It's refreshing but definitely adds to my stress. I suppose it is helping me get better about deciding when to do my homework, but still, consistency is nice.

That's a lie. Consistency is easy but boring. I should be using this and really this time of my life in general as a chance to grow, to become a stronger, better person. I've made some progress towards it.

I think it'll be easier for me when I'm out on my own next semester, as in having my own room and apartment. I've always had someone in the room with me and while it's nice to never be lonely, it's also nice to be alone, something I generally consider a luxury. (I'm also very excited to be 21, but that's not really relevant)

I've been reminiscing a bit today about the past, specifically here at IU. It's been a really great year and a half. I do feel as if lately, I've been slightly remiss in my duties to get the gang together. Shouldn't be too concerned with that though, as we're only a month into this semester and it's already been a very social one.

Anyways, I hope the rest of this semester will follow suite!

ALSO: I met Jon Hamm. It was wonderful. I also went to the Super Bowl Special Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, hung downtown during the game, and generally had a great time. BE JEALOUS.

A Gaggle Of Morons

I'm currently located in the basement of Forest A Tower, hanging out with the group of people I've got to know so well over the course of last year. I guess I don't think about the fact that I've only known these people for less than a year. I mean, I didn't even start hanging out with a lot of them until 2nd semester.

Just a thought.

Oh, I Would Kill For The Atlantic

So a lot of you are going off to college or are already moved in there. This is exciting! Fun, new, frightening, liberating, etc... All sorts of words I could throw out there. I figured since I did the whole "new to college" thing last year, I could maybe throw together some advice based entirely on my first year at IU. This is straight from my personal experiences, what I did, wish I would have done, done differently, etc... I hope it helps!

• Take advantage of all the events going on around campus for delicious free food. I can't tell you how much free food I got last year. I got free pizza like once a week, free wings a few times, I even scored some Chinese food in there! On top of the food, some of the events themselves are fun. I watched a movie about World of Warcraft addictions (and scored free Domino's), a bunch of Asian people singing (and scored free Chinese food), learned about sex (twice, and scored free pizza twice!), I could go on, but you probably get the idea.
• GO TO CLASS, UNLESS YOU ARE 110% SURE YOU DO NOT NEED TO. I skipped Calc a few times because it was boring as hell and I felt like I knew the material. I did NOT know it well enough and ended up getting a C+ and not getting into the business school and having to change my major (which all worked out fine, don't worry bout me). You have a metric butt-ton of free time, going to class will be worth it.
• Meet new people! You'll be surrounded by thousands of them, don't be anti-social! None of my Beech Grove bros went to IU, so I pretty much had to make new friends. Luckily for me, this was really easy because it turns out if you just talk to a ton of people you find cool ones. I've met some of my best friend at college. 
• Get to know your campus. Getting to class is so much easier when you know what buildings you can cut through. You get a better idea of where to hang out with your friends, where to sleep in-between classes, etc... Sleeping in the Union was my favorite thing to do at IU. I don't know about other colleges, but at IU some people sleep just in the grass somewhere. It's really relaxing.
• Don't eat too much! Food is good, especially when you have fake college money to spend on candy and beef jerky and soda everyday, but you'll soon discover that the Freshman 15 is very real. Maybe that's because I had chips and salsa and candy and whatnot EVERY NIGHT EVER, not to mention I actually ate two full meals a day every day. Still, I gained weight. Don't let it happen to you!
• Get to know your professor a little. If you need an extension on an assignment or something, it'll improve the odds greatly. I'm not saying that you need to become best friends with them, but if they at least know your name, you'll be better off. 

That's probably all I got, at least for now. I don't really have advice for those of you staying at home and stuff, seeing as how I didn't do that. To my friends who are in/have been to college: any other suggestions?

Black Star

So, I'm on my summer break, howabout that? Can't believe it really. It's been a long year, and I'm rather sad to say goodbye to IU and all of my great friends there. However, I'm also extremely excited to be back in the Grove with all of my great friends here. I'm really looking forward to a fantastic summer full of memorable experiences. More than anything, I'm just glad to be back in the loop.

I feel like there's a lot I could talk about here. I've done a hell of a lot since I was blogging actively so I suppose it's time to play catch up.

The last month of college was really hectic. I did a lot of studying for finals, but I still may not have pulled good enough grades to get into Kelley. If I can't, I've already got a backup plan so no biggie. I'm thinking I'll do a business minor and major in computer sciences. I'm not sure what I'll actually DO with that degree, but I think I'll enjoy most career fields in which I'm using a computer.

As I've previously stated, I'm really going to miss everyone back at IU. We've formed a pretty close bond over the semester and it'll be odd to be (mostly) without them for the next four months. Still, I'll see em' again soon enough.

So, as far as this summer already goes, it kicked off well. Me, Dustin Bishop, Will Gobetz and Phil all got us some Pitch Black:

You watched my film?

No man, the BETTER stuff!

Yeah, that stuff. Back and stores and awesome as ever. Hell, I'm drinking some as I post this. Do you like Mountain Dew? Grape? Go out and get some. ANYWAY, we got that and played some Phantasy Star Online. That was a very successful night.

Yesterday I had my three year anniversary with the ever-lovely Kyra Andrews! It was quite the date! We went to go see Thor (see it, it's awesome) and then went to Teppenyaki Grill & Supreme Buffet, which had one of the larger selections I've seen at a buffet and also excellent food. We finished our days relaxing outside on the hill where we had a picnic on our first anniversary. It was quite the night!

Anyway, life is good and I'm in a great spot right now. I'll be blogging more during the summer hopefully, so you all can look forward to me harassing you to read this.

*Insert witty exit line here*

FINALS SUCK

That actually says it all.

Maybe when I'm not studying every second of the day I'll make a real post.

Or maybe I'll just go cry in the corner.

The End Is Nigh

It's so close to the end of the school year.

That is insane! It's become so normal to me, being here.

Summer is going to be crazy. I'm very excited for it though. All four months of it.

In other news, this weekend should be awesome. I'm extremely excited for it.

In other other news, I hate ear buds. I go through them like freakin' candy. They need to start lasting me more that a week or two. UGH.

I keep feeling like I want to write a long rant on here, but I can never muster up the energy. I've become so damn lazy. That's why I started this thing, as I previously said. Not sure how well it's working...

So About Nashville

A write-up on my trip is probably overdue.

Anyway, we were 20 minutes leaving Bloomington, and we hit an hour of traffic when we passed through Louisville. It was a fun bus trip however. We watched Inglourious Basterds and The Hangover. I got some sleep in, listened to Between The Buried and Me's new EP, and snacked with John. The whole trip was pretty bromantic honestly.

After our six-hour bus ride, we threw our stuff in the hotel room and headed to MafioZa's pizza. We waited outside for like an hour, but it was worth it. We sat at a huge table appropriately named the Mafia table. I got some of the buffalo pizza, sausage pizza, garlic bread and breadsticks. Also they had ginger ale, which has been known to make me very happy. Following this, we headed back to the hotel, where we crashed because I am too lame to ask others what they were doing.

Ohgodthispostwilltakeforever...

Anyway, In the morning, we had a nice breakfast at the hotel. They had banana nut muffins, which are always more than welcome. We headed to the Tennessee State Museum. It was pretty cool. They had a ton of old guns and weapons, and other things that people with an attention span greater than mine surely found amazing.

From here we went to lunch. The majority of the group went to B.B.King's Blues Club. I got a bowl of Gumbo, which was pretty damn good. What was NOT good was the slow as hell service. Our server couldn't have tried less if he tried to try less. On the other hand, the live music was absolutely spectacular and made up for the fact that the food was a bit too expensive.

After we ate we had a bit of free time. Me, John, Michael, Alicia and Christine walked around for a bit. We saw some street performers, expensive banjos, boot stores EVERYWHERE, and an ice cream place that I stopped at and got some... delicious ice cream!

The next stop was the Belle Meade plantation. This was alright. The building itself and the grounds were pretty cool, but our tour guide was sort of a whack job. She would go in and out of character with absolutely no warning. She was also completely powerless to stop our bus driver from drinking his gallon of water. He cracked me up. We hung around after the tour for a while. The next stop was a state park, where we spun around holding our shoes and visited a shady flea market. Mostly that was nice because the weather was beautiful.

Of course, everyone knows the best thing to do in Nashville. The best thing to do anywhere: Laser Tag! We played laser tag at this huge place in downtown Nashville. It was a blast, the only problem being this douchey little 14 year old who racked up points by following around some of the girls on our trip. I walked by him later in the night and, in retrospect, should have called him a variety of things I don't feel like saying here. I came in the middle score-wise.

After a hardcore workout, food was on everyone's minds. And when I say everyone, I mean the entire city of Nashville, because everywhere was packed. It took us forever to decide upon the Old Spaghetti Factory (because our first choice, Rippy's, was packed). Unfortunately, we didn't have an hour to wait. Hard Rock proved to be equally packed, and The Pita Pit (NOT my choice) was closed. On the plus side, we got to walk around a lot and saw:

• Mario And Luigi playing guitars
• A girl hula-hooping
• Two really little girls badly singing to a recording
• Old dude twins wearing identical shirts with sex jokes
• Three girls without pants
• Many other less notable street performers

Luckily, we found a Mexican joint that for some odd reason was not packed. Not only was El Ray affordable, the food was really good. I got some spicy steak stuff and a Piña Colada, which is always a day maker. Also they had bottomless chips and salsa, of which I ate probably three bowls. I left feeling very full. When we returned to the bus, there was a group of dudes from Alabama. We had somehow agreed to take them around the corner. I am not sure how this happened but I am glad they were not muggers.

Back at the hotel, I decided to join in on a pillow fight. It consisted of the dudes in the group beating the living tar out of the girls. After that was over I played Bullshit and Rummy down in the lobby with a group of people who I won't name because I don't exactly remember them and would not want to exclude one. I DO remember Kim and Alicia constantly reminding me how much I suck. I eventually fell asleep on my bed listening to Pink Floyd.

In the morning, we ate a quick breakfast and rushed off to the Country Music Hall Of Fame. While I didn't know most of the artists, nor do I give a damn about country music, but I could still respect how cool all the stuff was. We also danced to a high school choir and band while there. Their parents took pictures of us. From here, it was time to head home. I played cards, listened to music, and then... and then... and then watched Dude, Where's My Car? We also stopped at KFC, sadly not in Kentucky.

Overall, it was an amazing trip, and a great way to get to know people on my floor more. Now if you'll excuse me, I've posted enough to not post for another year.

Walking In Memphis... Wait, Nashville.

So, I'm going to Nashville with a pretty awesome group of people from my floor this weekend and I'm very excited. It's going to be a great break from all of the stress of college and in general a good memory. At least, I'm hoping.

School lately has seemed really busy. I've had classes, meetings, tests, my whole eye ordeal (speaking of which I can put my contacts in tomorrow, thank God), and I've just felt really busy. Not particularly stressed, but like my free time is at a serious premium, making the Nashville trip that much more appealing.

I've done a lot of thinking lately. We've been debating all sorts of philosophical issues down in the basement, and I've been deep in some personal thought as well. It's been really refreshing, and I feel like my overall plan to increase my participation in life has been successful.

I'd like to say that I've figured out something to talk about for my whole post on "changing the world", but I haven't. I'm less sure about my major than previously. Despite this and other questions, I feel good. I'm happy with where I'm at in life and I think I'm continuing to improve each day.

It is only when we are truly challenged that we see the need to change.

Eye Strain

I do NOT have enough time to get stuff done.

I have so many things to do. Also, I'm extremely tired.

Also also for those not in the know, I can't wear my contacts for a week and my left eye hurts like a bitch.

UGH.

EDIT: Okay, I'm gonna elaborate a little bit.

I'm pretty kinda stressed about the Business School. I'm not sure at all what I'd do if I don't get in. That is not a fun thought.

As far as my eyes go, I'm taking some eye drops that are supposed to help with the pain my left eye has been going through. The thing is, the optometrist thinks my eye pain is related to my contact lenses, which I really don't agree with. He's the doc though. I just hope that the problem goes away for good.

I have been having a ton of difficulty adjusting to a normal sleep schedule back here on campus. Falling asleep is really hard and waking up is getting harder.

Just felt like griping.

A Call To Arms

What would I change in the world, if I could?

I don't know, that's a huge question. I mean, shouldn't the obvious answer be to solve world hunger or even world peace? Those are stupid answers, I think. Conflict is inevitable and as a result, everyone cannot truly be equal. It's a wonderful dream to be sure, but not feasible, not in this world.

I wish I could free people from the stress that modern society creates.

Think of all of the things you've had to go through in life that were stressful. I mean, I'm in college for God's sake. The complexity of IU is baffling. Covering all of the costs alone is incredibly hard just to start. You've got loans, grants, FAFSA, scholarships, bursar refunds... Past that, you've got the stress of all of your classes. You have to do good, or else you'll be permanently affected. You may lose scholarships or not be able to get into the school you wanted to. You also have to actually know what you want to do in life. If not, you may have to change your major and take an extra year or perhaps summer classes.

All of this is done in an attempt to get a well-paying job. Even then, it's more about who you know.

You go through all of this simply because the way our modern world is set up. I know the education system is different in other countries, but wherever you go the end result is that you'll have to go through a lot of work just to attain what is considered to be a good life by society.

It isn't just the school system that I take issue with. Think about the minimum wage job you may have had or attempting to file taxes. Life is complicated. It's stressful. It loads a ton of expectations on you with seemingly little results.

Why is it that we never seem to be encouraged to pursue happiness in our lives? What if we honestly don't want to go to college or get a high paying job?

NOTE: I am resuming writing this after a few days. I've had time to clarify my thought and am in a different state of mind. Let's see how this goes.

My issue, ultimately, is that I believe people in today's world are often unable to attain happiness due to the amount of stress and conflicting ideals that the world throws at them. We spend so long going through the system that's been established to bring us to adulthood, doing our critical thinking about life and the universe on the sidelines. It's so difficult to get even an idea of what to do with our lives, let alone of the significance of what we choose to do.

...Shoot, this whole thing is unorganized. It's a mess-and-a-half. It's a combination of my school-related stress and my recent philosophical quandaries. I'm going to give this whole "change in the world" thing another go when I have a better idea of what exactly it is. Until then, enjoy my semi-coherent rambling.

That Stupid Paper Is Getting Done NOW

Seriously.

Self-Inflicted Boredom

I am currently retaking A100 because I'm an idiot and got a D in the class the first time around. This leaves me in a pretty lame situation.

See, I've already seen everything in the class, making repeating it extremely boring. Much of the material is stuff that I already understand. But I can't not pay attention, or I'll just fail the course again, in which case I'll be really in some deep stuff.

Basically, I have to balance paying good attention with not letting myself literally get bored to death. I think I can do it...

Getting My Paper Done

I just managed to write three pages. I feel pretty dang good about that. I'm glad that once I start a paper, I can usually get on a roll. Still, this thing is really draining me. It's just unfortunate timing. I've had so many tests over the last two weeks that I had minimal time to work on this, and I have an Italian oral exam on Thursday that requires a bit of studying. On top of this, I leave for break directly after I turn this paper in, leaving me with the sense that it is the only thing stopping me from relaxing, which sucks.

Nevertheless, it is getting done like everything. I'm glad that I have the drive to always get my work done. I know that is something not everyone can say, so I'm proud of that little part of myself. I just wish I was able to devote more effort to my work. I'm too content with never giving my best.

How does one increase their desire to impress themselves in their actions?

No really, I'm open to suggestions.

Too Much Sleep!

Guess who set his alarm wrong on the day of his M119 midterm?

This guy!

Luckily, I was woken up ten minutes before the exam because Kyra told Keith to check on me. I did indeed make it on time and actually think I did quite well. That takes a hell of a lot of stress off of my shoulders. Not all of it, mind you, but a good chunk.

I feel like I should talk more about things unrelated to my personal life to make this more interesting... Anyone reading agree? Disagree?

Sheena's Got Nothing On Me

I got a new jacket today. It is awesome and makes me feel cool.

 More significantly perhaps, I have a midterm for M119 in ten hours. Needless to say, I'm pretty stressed. This class makes a big impact on my grades, and if I don't do good on the midterm then I'm going to have to really bust myself to pick up my grade. I need to do good. I think I can, but who knows?

That is an awful question, I should know. I should be able to do fine. Perhaps if I were studying instead of informing all of you how stressed this makes me, I wouldn't really be stressed...

Nah. Couldn't be.

Accounting Failure

RAGE. I AM FULL OF IT.

I need to retake A100. The eDrop/eAdd class system is down right now (because right when it is needed was the best time to upgrade it of course). I went to my counselor to get a form. She told me I needed to go to Kelley today to enroll. So I walked in the rain of course! Upon getting there, it took me a small bit to find BU2-whatever. When I did, the note on the door informed me that I had to go to BU100E. Whatever, I found it. Once there, I was told to go to BU540. You think maybe they could have told the guys on the second floor that? Upon arriving upstairs, I was told that I would have to come back Monday because the person already left.

I just wasted over an hour of my time and missed out on free waffle fries. FOR NOTHING. (And I lost the add/drop form)

God forbid this place actually make something SIMPLE.

Struggling With M-119

I am not enjoying this class at all. These derivatives are driving up a friggin' wall. I don't know why they bug me so much. I think it's a combination of the notations which I have not yet been able to make complete sense of and the book which is pretty damn useless. Regardless, I push on. I love the college environment and mentality. I'm free to stay up and push myself to get my work done. I can skip class if I have to. 1:10 in the morning no longer seems late at all. I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels that way.

These Saturday tests, however, are total bull. That should be illegal. If it can't be fit into my normal class time, it isn't worth doing... Okay, maybe that isn't true, but what is the point of a weekend if I have to wake up at eight for a Calculus test?

On an unrelated note, I'm listening to the playlist that me and several friends composed and loving it. Definitely need to listen to more classic rock, thank you Richard. For those of you not cool enough to be in on the playlist, I will expand upon this awesome idea of mine in a later post.

EDIT: I hate WebWorks. Just a few left... God I'm tired.