You'd think that as a third year college student, I'd know the general ins and outs of doing my own laundry. And I like to think I do. I don't separate my laundry simply because I can't afford to, but I know you're supposed to - and when the magical day comes when I have my own washer and dryer and can do as much laundry whenever I like, I'll be glad to separate my lights and my darks. For now, however, at $2.25 per load (plus some if the dryer doesn't do it's job properly which isn't an uncommon problem) I'll just throw it all on the pile.
On Saturday I left home to come back to school after Thanksgiving break and Mom did my laundry for me because she's nice like that. I took the stack of clean clothes off the counter and noticed two things: they smelled REALLY good and they were REALLY soft. I mean REALLY, REALLY soft. And two days later, I still can't stop smelling my laundry.
At first I just thought it was one of those things like sandwiches. I can make my own sandwiches, but they always taste better when Mom makes them. So I figured sandwiches, and now laundry, would just always be infinitely better at home no matter what I did.
But, alas, there IS something I can do. I asked Mom what her laundry secret is and she kind of just looked at me and it was in that moment I was reintroduced to dryer sheets. I used to use dryer sheets freshman year, but I ran out and just never bought new ones. I figured I didn't even really need them.
I was wrong. And I didn't even realize they acted as a fabric softener. I thought they just made your clothes lets staticy. Little did I know. All this time I've been missing out on true laundry bliss.
How does one little waxy sheet make all your clothes so soft? I'll never know the answer. I'll just be impressed.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Graduation
You know what's scary to think about? Graduation.
It keeps me up at night.
I'm only a junior but graduation is coming up and it's coming up fast. Three semesters is nothing. It's really not. 45 more credits, two capstones, and only three more journalism classes and that's pretty much it for me. From there it's job hunting, apartment hunting, and student loan payments.
Frankly, it's terrifying.
In some respects it's also exciting. This semester more than any other I feel so burned out and over school. I want to be done and I want something new and I want to be an adult. Or something. But I know I'll miss it when it's gone, so I shouldn't wish it away. Heck, I've got it easy now. Relatively. At this point though it just seems monotonous and endless. It's probably thanks to my classes. I'm not exactly thrilled with them this semester. They're loads of work but not rewarding and that's frustrating. It seems strange that change, something we all fear to some extent, can also be something we crave.
I'm ready, but I'm not. Not that it matters since I can't exactly make the decision to graduate tomorrow.
And it's not just my graduation that has me a little anxious. I know a lot of people who are graduating this year and I've known a lot of them for three years (two and half if you want to be technical) and just recently it hit me that they're going to be, well, gone. They're going here and there to jobs and grad schools. They're going to their futures, leaving me in my present and their past. I don't mean to make it sound so morbid. I mean I can pester them through facebook and things but somehow that's not quite the same. I'll survive and get over it of course... I guess I'm just not ready for it.
It keeps me up at night.
I'm only a junior but graduation is coming up and it's coming up fast. Three semesters is nothing. It's really not. 45 more credits, two capstones, and only three more journalism classes and that's pretty much it for me. From there it's job hunting, apartment hunting, and student loan payments.
Frankly, it's terrifying.
In some respects it's also exciting. This semester more than any other I feel so burned out and over school. I want to be done and I want something new and I want to be an adult. Or something. But I know I'll miss it when it's gone, so I shouldn't wish it away. Heck, I've got it easy now. Relatively. At this point though it just seems monotonous and endless. It's probably thanks to my classes. I'm not exactly thrilled with them this semester. They're loads of work but not rewarding and that's frustrating. It seems strange that change, something we all fear to some extent, can also be something we crave.
I'm ready, but I'm not. Not that it matters since I can't exactly make the decision to graduate tomorrow.
And it's not just my graduation that has me a little anxious. I know a lot of people who are graduating this year and I've known a lot of them for three years (two and half if you want to be technical) and just recently it hit me that they're going to be, well, gone. They're going here and there to jobs and grad schools. They're going to their futures, leaving me in my present and their past. I don't mean to make it sound so morbid. I mean I can pester them through facebook and things but somehow that's not quite the same. I'll survive and get over it of course... I guess I'm just not ready for it.
Monday, November 17, 2008
What your major says about you
So... I'm a magazine journalism and English double major. As you'd expect, I do lots of reading and writing. Lots and lots and lots and lots. SO much reading and writing, in fact, thanks to this semester I think I'll throw up the next time I think about reading anything ever again. Writing seems harder to avoid. I think this blog qualifies.
But just because I chose to write and read and write and read and write and read some more doesn't mean I can't do other things. There are all sorts of major stereotypes that I find really quite annoying. For example - journalists can't do math. Ok, I'll admit that this stereotype has been circulated by journalism students just as much as non-journalism students, but there's a point where you have to draw the line. The other day someone prevented me from doing a task that required basic adding and subtracting because "you're journalism major. You can't do math." First of all, I took AP BC Calculus in high school. I wasn't exactly a wizard with calculus, but I scraped by with a C with some help so I'm not totally stupid. I can derive with the best of them (well, some of the best of them), thank you very much. And I can certainly add and subtract. I remember those flash cards from elementary school.
Just because I chose not to do math doesn't mean I can't do math. There's a difference, I feel. On the opposite side of the coin, there's the stereotype that people studying accounting, finance, actuarial science, physics, etc... aren't creative. I think that's total bull. I think everybody has the potential to be creative. I also think there's an aspect of creativity in all professions. Especially when it comes to problem solving. Sometimes you have to come up with some pretty creative solutions. That's creativity, too.
And to say that anybody studying anything is inept at whatever they're not studying is wrong. Drake has a core curriculum just like almost every other school ever so even if all you want to do is eat, drink, and sleep pharmacy for six years, TOO BAD. You have to take a variety of other courses in order to graduate.
It's a silly way of thinking and I wish we'd move away from it, but it's going to stick around for a good long time. In the meantime, I guess I'll just get back to reading and writing since I'm apparently good for nothing else. Maybe tonight I'll hide under my covers with a flashlight and do some derivatives secretly.
But just because I chose to write and read and write and read and write and read some more doesn't mean I can't do other things. There are all sorts of major stereotypes that I find really quite annoying. For example - journalists can't do math. Ok, I'll admit that this stereotype has been circulated by journalism students just as much as non-journalism students, but there's a point where you have to draw the line. The other day someone prevented me from doing a task that required basic adding and subtracting because "you're journalism major. You can't do math." First of all, I took AP BC Calculus in high school. I wasn't exactly a wizard with calculus, but I scraped by with a C with some help so I'm not totally stupid. I can derive with the best of them (well, some of the best of them), thank you very much. And I can certainly add and subtract. I remember those flash cards from elementary school.
Just because I chose not to do math doesn't mean I can't do math. There's a difference, I feel. On the opposite side of the coin, there's the stereotype that people studying accounting, finance, actuarial science, physics, etc... aren't creative. I think that's total bull. I think everybody has the potential to be creative. I also think there's an aspect of creativity in all professions. Especially when it comes to problem solving. Sometimes you have to come up with some pretty creative solutions. That's creativity, too.
And to say that anybody studying anything is inept at whatever they're not studying is wrong. Drake has a core curriculum just like almost every other school ever so even if all you want to do is eat, drink, and sleep pharmacy for six years, TOO BAD. You have to take a variety of other courses in order to graduate.
It's a silly way of thinking and I wish we'd move away from it, but it's going to stick around for a good long time. In the meantime, I guess I'll just get back to reading and writing since I'm apparently good for nothing else. Maybe tonight I'll hide under my covers with a flashlight and do some derivatives secretly.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Obama's Speech
Ok, I know it's kind of a bit late, but I read and watched Obama's election night speech online recently and there are some quotes here that really jumped out at me. And I thought I'd write about them for kicks and giggles.
1. "To those Americans whose support I have yet to earn – I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too."
Reaction: Awwww. Like they'd have a choice, anyway. Republicans are threatening to move to Canada... but then they'd be closer to Sarah Palin. Seriously, though... I loved that he acknowledged the REST of the country, not just his supporters and those who voted for him. Elections are so polarizing and it was important to address the nation as a whole.
"...The true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope. "
Reaction: Awww. The "unyielding" was the best part. Sometime when I think of hope, I think it's the only thing you have left when all your options are exhausted and there's nothing left to do in any given situation. But he's referring it as a tool for progress. Clever.
"This is our moment. This is our time – to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth – that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes We Can."
Reaction: Will the speech writer please stand up? I'm insanely impressed with this part. It's just incredible. And then you have that last part: "we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes We Can." He somehow turned a campaign slogan into national political sentiment. That's just staggering.
I'm not in love with Obama by any means. I still have serious reservations about him; but I can't deny he is an incredibly dynamic speaker and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't the tiniest bit stirred by his speech.
1. "To those Americans whose support I have yet to earn – I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too."
Reaction: Awwww. Like they'd have a choice, anyway. Republicans are threatening to move to Canada... but then they'd be closer to Sarah Palin. Seriously, though... I loved that he acknowledged the REST of the country, not just his supporters and those who voted for him. Elections are so polarizing and it was important to address the nation as a whole.
"...The true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope. "
Reaction: Awww. The "unyielding" was the best part. Sometime when I think of hope, I think it's the only thing you have left when all your options are exhausted and there's nothing left to do in any given situation. But he's referring it as a tool for progress. Clever.
"This is our moment. This is our time – to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth – that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes We Can."
Reaction: Will the speech writer please stand up? I'm insanely impressed with this part. It's just incredible. And then you have that last part: "we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes We Can." He somehow turned a campaign slogan into national political sentiment. That's just staggering.
I'm not in love with Obama by any means. I still have serious reservations about him; but I can't deny he is an incredibly dynamic speaker and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't the tiniest bit stirred by his speech.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
The Omaha Zoo
A couple of weekends ago my mom came up to visit and we took a drive to the Omaha Zoo. I had been wanting to go forever and we finally went :) It's just under a two-hour drive to get to Omaha, so you can easily go for a day trip.
Check out my pics! :)
Check out my pics! :)
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Election Day!
Today I went to the polls and voted. I got my ballot and went into a little booth at a little church and filled in the little bubbles with my little pen and cast my little vote - a little vote that makes a big difference. I have to say that physically going to the polls is really exciting. It was thrilling to be able to participate and see a bunch of other people participate, too. It's hard to believe that everything lead up to this one day and that afterwards, it'll all be over. Well, actually, I suppose it'll all be beginning. In the election day spirit, I decided to post this video.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Meredith and the Internship Hunt
One of the greatest things about coming to Drake for journalism is that right here in Des Moines we have Meredith Publishing home of publications like Better Homes & Gardens, Midwest Living, Living a Country Life, etc. They have dozens of nationally read magazines. Which is, obviously, great for budding journalist types like me. I'll readily admit that having Meredith in the city was a draw. And it's still great...
But...
It does not - I repeat - does NOT begin and end with Meredith Publishing. I'm serious. Last year all the sophomores were all going crazy because everybody was applying for the Meredith Junior Apprenticeship progam thing that Drake offers. It's an awesome opportunity, you get class credit, real experience at a magazine... but it's insanely selective (only five students are selected). I obviously wasn't selected, but fellow blogger Kayla Porter (although, I guess it's Kayla Craig now) was. And that's awesome for her. But I think journalism students often spend so much time focusing on the Meredith factor that they forget that there are truckloads more opportunities out there.
Sure, apply for Meredith internships, but don't turn away from lesser known magazines or publications. Experience is experience no matter where you can get it. Who knows? You may stumble onto something really cool. Plus, I don't know how Meredith works or anything, but they're a huge corporation with a national reputation and maybe a smaller publication will take more chances on interns and give them more assignments.
Again, I don't know. But there are other options - LOTS of them. You just have to find them and not be so picky.
But...
It does not - I repeat - does NOT begin and end with Meredith Publishing. I'm serious. Last year all the sophomores were all going crazy because everybody was applying for the Meredith Junior Apprenticeship progam thing that Drake offers. It's an awesome opportunity, you get class credit, real experience at a magazine... but it's insanely selective (only five students are selected). I obviously wasn't selected, but fellow blogger Kayla Porter (although, I guess it's Kayla Craig now) was. And that's awesome for her. But I think journalism students often spend so much time focusing on the Meredith factor that they forget that there are truckloads more opportunities out there.
Sure, apply for Meredith internships, but don't turn away from lesser known magazines or publications. Experience is experience no matter where you can get it. Who knows? You may stumble onto something really cool. Plus, I don't know how Meredith works or anything, but they're a huge corporation with a national reputation and maybe a smaller publication will take more chances on interns and give them more assignments.
Again, I don't know. But there are other options - LOTS of them. You just have to find them and not be so picky.
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