Love Is, Well, Supposed To Be In The Air

Yesterday was Valentine's Day, hurray! I was hoping to make some kind of a post about what it's like to be in a relationship on a college campus and specifically on Transy's campus in order to make a really cheesy but hopefully appropriate and helpful connection to the holiday; but as it turns out, I have not, in fact, been in a relationship all of my time here at Transylvania thus far. This, it would seem, will make it difficult to continue in describing what the status of lovers is like around here, but with a little guidance and a lot of observation, I'll do my best. In the meantime, feel free to note how absolutely lame I am. You're probably right, and no worries, you won't hurt my feelings.

I remember what it was like for people in high school. You share one or two classes with one another, and hopefully those aren't academically rigorous classes because very little focusing goes on some of the time, but other than that there's a lot of walking to classes together holding hands and thinking mushy thoughts. By junior or senior year, this has probably matured quite a bit, and once driving becomes an option, actual dates or even just hanging out at someone's house become serious options for spending quality time together with that certain special someone. The beauty, I think, about college is that you get all of that, the dates, the hanging out, the quality time, but without any of the work of getting to the other person. They do, after all, live just across back circle.

Seriousness of relationships certainly varies as one would expect. As it turns out however, I don't necessarily ascribe to the overwhelmingly popular myth that all college students ever do is "hook up." In fact, I know of quite a few more instances where people are in mature loving relationships than I do where a drunken night together has defined a couple. Especially by junior and senior year, a lot of students are looking to be quite serious, and it wasn't long before I realized that I just might actually see some of my friends get engaged or even married during my time here. I suppose we're growing up, and that this is where romance gets real, in a sense. It's almost been a shock to me, but in hindsight, it probably should have been expected.

It's certainly not hard to find interesting people here to talk to, nor is it hard to make great friends, both of which (conversation and friendship) I feel can quite easily lead to a romantic relationship of merit, given time to grow. Whether as a result of similar academic interests, extracurricular interests, or just of running into one another in a campus intimate enough where not running into someone is a little bit of a challenge, interesting and engaging people certainly aren't hard to find or in short supply. In fact, if those of you out there who are single like me feel more shame about it than I do, than have no fear, there's hope for you yet. Well, at least a little.

Chemistry, Physics, and Calculus, Oh My!

Whoever schedules exams in Brown Science center has a truly sick sense of humor. By which I mean that the compilation of tests dates that occurs as a consequence of the nearly identical way in which all math and science teachers divide their material is a cruel cruel thing for students. Last week, I had my first exams in Chemistry II, Physics II, and Calculus III, one on Wednesday morning, one Thursday afternoon, and another Thursday evening. It's not exactly having to take a lot of tests at once that bothers me, it was just a little challenging to study for all three of these things at once. By which I mean, I spent a lot of time studying, and not so much time doing...well...anything else.

Luckily however, this first round of tests has passed, and overall, I think successfully. I have been reminded once again however, that I should probably try to avoid taking two labs and three math/science classes in the same semester in the future. Regardless, if nothing else, the catharsis after finishing it all was quite wonderful, as was this weekend celebrating Chinese New Year's and a return to free time after it was all said and done.

In addition to just enjoying hanging out with people, I'm looking forward to what is coming up. Next week will mark the date of carousel for myself and any other potential RA's for the 2011-2012 academic year. This is a series of team building activities and group evaluations which should take a couple hours, and is the last step in the selection process in which everyone participates, in addition to the written application and the intake interview. After this, I just have to wait and see if my application thus far has been strong enough to secure an interview with the Director of Residence Life, and from there, I may find out whether I've got the job. *Fingers crossed!

Finally, I'm more and more becoming swayed to do something rather interesting with my time this summer. One of my friends, a graduating senior, is planning on hiking a little over 1,100 miles of the Appalachian Trail this summer, from West Virginia to Maine. She has invited me to join her, and the more I talk to her about it, the more I really want to try and make it happen. My goal ideally was to work at the Governor's Scholars Program or on a Research experience abroad, but especially as a freshman, both of these things have proved rather elusive and difficult to procure. So, I suppose I shall just have to wait and see what happens! Until then, I suppose it's back to my chemistry, physics, and calculus. Good times, good times