The End is Near...

So, I realize my posting on here has not been as frequent as I originally hoped and I do hope to remedy that soon. I plan to post much more as the semester dwindles to the last few days and will have a fresh start for the opening of the new semester. I mentioned that I wanted to share useful information, too, like study tips that helped or really worked for me, etc. Well, I've got a few tips to share today.
1) Write all of your notes in blue ink. There was a study somewhere about blue ink being more memorable for your brain than black. (I would provide a citation, but alas, I don't have one. Sorry.) I have started doing this and I don't know if I can really attribute any success to it, but I am doing better in math since I started writing in blue ink. Of course, I still highlight in multiple colors and add important info in different colors, but the bulk of the text is in blue.

2) Binders are your best friend. I have one class in particular that requires a lot of reading and we don't have a text book. So, I have to print the readings and organize them in a binder. I've started doing that with other classes now, too. I have the little Post-it reusable tags that help separate the articles. It's been incredibly helpful in keeping me organized.

3) Don't be afraid to ask your instructors for help! I've been terrible about this in the past, but recently, when I have an issue, I've actually asked for help and it's been incredibly beneficial. It's okay to be a little interdependent sometimes. For more info on interdependence, try a Google search. There's a lot of helpful research about interdependence.

So, that's all that I have for you all today in the realm of study help, but I will be back with more, I promise! I'm currently studying for finals which start on the 15th. But, before I can get to finals, I have to worry about 4 presentations, 3 papers, another quiz or two for math, and a lot of reading. I'm ending this for now, but will be back soon.
Good luck on finals!
Queen E

Time Flies

I can hardly believe my first semester at a legit university is almost over! There are about 4 weeks of actual class and instruction left. Didn't it just start? I've learned a lot, so far, and am really looking forward to getting my spring schedule all ironed out. I'm hoping to lighten my class load slightly by inquiring about online options for classes other than math or chemistry and possibly taking some of the universities required classes over the summer. Although I've been able to deal with the work load thus far, I wouldn't mind having a few less than 18 credit hours next semester. And I don't want anymore 9 a.m. classes if I can avoid it. Just because I have to leave my house around 7:30 to get here on time and that's not always feasible for me.
I'm excited about the direction things are going. I'm looking forward to working more over the Thanksgiving break and, of course, during Christmas break. I've already got a really good start on my Christmas shopping, which never happens. I've got to admit that I'm pretty darn proud of myself. If anyone wants to donate some Starbucks gift cards, I'm open to that;)
Well, since I'm bringing this to you all from my gap before lab, I'll have to end it so I can get back to work. There's no rest for the weary... or the college student!
Until next time,
Queen E

Busy as Usual

I'm coming to you from a classroom today. Don't worry! I'm not ignoring my duties or anything. There's just not much happening in this class today. We had a fire drill. That was interesting... It took almost 15 minutes, large numbers of students were all congregated outside, and my bags were heavy. It was not the most pleasant experience.
Anyway, Fall Break was last week and I worked most of the time. It was still a welcome distraction from the 18 credit hours I currently have on my schedule. I was able to completely forget about classes and homework and tests and let that part of my brain shut off for a while. I suppose that's the point of such a break. It was nice, really.
I've done well returning and have been able to take care of a lot of business. I actually did well on my math test last week and that really set my mind at ease. I'm getting all of this stuff and that's the most important part. I've been adding to my chem notes and really trying to focus on my school work.
Now, if only I had time to finish everything at home! We're supposed to be going to the lake this weekend and my motor home is nowhere close to ready to go! I've got so much cleaning to do. I also have laundry and the normal crap to catch up on, but I'd honestly rather focus on school work and revising notes, etc. Sure would be nice if I could get my family to help out. At some point I would like to also work on writing an article. I'm also thinking about Christmas and decorating and buying gifts. It's not that there's not enough hours in the day, it's that I'm only one person doing the work of 20. Sheesh!
So, before I do start neglecting my duties, I'll end it here for today. Until next time!
Queen E

TGIF

Happy Friday, all! I'm reporting to you from Starbucks again today. I must say that this is a completely different experience from last week. There aren't many people here right now and it's much quieter than last week. The exception might be the occasional pounding of hammers and whir of power drills since the bookstore is being remodeled. Despite the construction, the show must go on and there are people milling about.
Campus is quite busy today, despite the lack of business in the coffee shop. There seem to be a lot of parents here today. I wonder if there's some even taking place? If so, it's nothing I've heard about. Which is not surprising considering I don't live on campus. News crews have been here every day this week except for today. That I noticed. A terror group is threatening the life of a former student and the university has been supporting prayer meetings, etc. Each time the various news stations discuss the story, they have a live reporter here at the school, as if the only thing the poor guy being held captive ever did was attend school here. I think it's weird.
On a completely different note, the school posted our "early term grades" yesterday. I'm doing well, if I do say so myself:) I will not divulge details for the sake of not "jinxing" myself. I feel a bit more motivated this week. I hope my grades continue to reflect such.
Speaking of motivation, we've been talking a lot about that in class and I'm certainly not unmotivated, but I have found that I'm not nearly as focused as I should be. I don't know what is to blame for this, but I hope I figure it out soon. I don't need to get behind. I certainly don't want to feel like I'm wasting my time or anyone else's.
Okay, keeping it short and sweet today, folks. Until next time!
Queen E

The on-campus Starbucks Experience

Hello, hello! It has been one of the most chaotic weeks of university life, thus far. I've had a crazy amount of homework and I've had meetings all week and a sick kid, so there hasn't been much time to do anything. Including the things that I desperately need to do! My poor house is a horrible mess, laundry is piling up, and I'm fairly certain that there are mice having a field day behind my TV. So frustrating.
Anyway, I decided to visit the on-campus Starbucks this afternoon which is connected to the university's bookstore. So, here I sit typing away while taking in the whole experience. It's been rather interesting, to say the least. First, let me preface this tale by commenting on the not-so-great weather. It's cold. Like 59 degrees cold. And rainy. No good! So, I thought, "hey, self, why not visit Starbuck's and get in out of the cold?" Hm.
I'm going to make some observations of everything I am seeing and hearing. Seeing not quite as much as hearing because I am sitting at the most awkwardly placed table in the history of awkwardly placed tables so my ability to really view the room is quite limited. But I am hearing the most interesting and strange conversations. There are a variety of people here right now, students mostly, but some professors, various university staff, the occasional parent, a police office occasionally, our school's mascot (Trip, aka Blue III, the bulldog) and his owners, and people who's association with the university remain unclear. I am very interested to hear that there is great deal of work getting done right now. Many of the professors here are using this time to chat with students or each other. I've heard students talking to one another about "Facebook stalking" other students to get information, in an anonymous manner, of course. Apparently there is a great deal of future dating taking place. It's all quite entertaining. I decided to share my observations as a way to seem preoccupied so these people don't realize that I'm eavesdropping. Is that bad? I don't think so.
Oh yes, I mentioned the bit about the weather to remark on the student's "fashion." People, it's cold, really and some girl walked in wearing cropped yoga pants and a racer-back workout tank and running shoes, her backpack quite full and hugging her back. She was holding a sweatshirt. I find it hard to believe that she was anywhere close to warm in that get-up. The amount of people in shorts and flip-flops is truly crazy.
And this just happened: there's a poster on the wall in front of me and some girl definitely just leaned over me and my computer and my drink to get a better look. Not a word was spoken. No, "excuse me," nothing. I find that odd. These people are odd in general. I don't always feel like an outsider, but when I do...
Switching gears just a bit here, I met with one of my advisors yesterday and we had a great conversation. I was happy to hear that I'm on the right track as far as academics and I just need to be patient with the process, something I'm not accustomed to doing. Patience is a virtue that I often lack. She was happy to meet with me though and even said that it was a nice change talking to someone like me versus talking to students all day long. I clarified that comment with her and she agreed about my idea to impose a legal limit on the word "like." I think that idea could really catch on if I pushed hard enough. Hm. Perhaps I'll suggest it to local legislators.
Okay, this is crazy long and it's time for me to wrap this all up. So, I will attempt to post again in the next few days as my schedule allows. I'm learning some good stuff about time management and studying, so perhaps I'll include some tips in the next post.
Until next time!
Queen E

Adjusting to (University) Life

Hello, all!  Hope the weeks, thus far, have treated everyone kindly. I've managed to keep busy, not surprisingly. I've been working to adjust to life here at the university and I think I'm getting the hang of things. I've met a lot of new people and have made some new friends. I'm excited to say that I have a lunch date next week with a couple of the ladies I met. It's going to be so good to get off campus and get to know them without the constraints of a classroom setting.
I've managed to be on-time to my classes so far, no small fête considering I live 45 minutes away and there's a ton of road construction on the main interstate. I've had to miss a couple  of classes due to unforeseen circumstances-sick kid, personal illness, etc. But class is going well so far. Not only am I working on my 18-credit hours, but I have a class that requires20 hours of "community service." I'm getting ready to attend my first community service session in just a little while. I'm actually excited about it, though I was apprehensive at first. I've managed to find plenty of time in my weekly schedule to squeeze in two visits to the site during the week. I'm really looking forward to helping some people and making some sort of contribution.
On another note, most people don't seem to notice that I am significantly older than them unless it's brought up and I don't mind sharing. I've had some people be really interested in how I came to school and why I'm doing what I'm doing and that's been really cool to experience. It's kind of nice blending in. I feel that I'm at an age where yes, I'm older than the typical college student, but not old enough to stick out. Besides that, I try to be very cognizant of my fashion choices, not wanting to look too old or too young. Thank you, Pinterest for the daily inspiration!
There's a lot that I'll be working on this weekend in terms of school work and writing articles and stories, etc. and that's not a bad thing at all. I plan to remake some notes for a couple of my classes just for my own clarity. That's a technique that I've found useful. I can review my notes, highlight or color-code as needed, and add to them if necessary all at the same time. So far so good! I need to work on calculus a bit, so I think I'll start there.
At home, I still have a lot of cleaning to do and we're supposed to be getting ready to remodel the bathrooms. I've started to decorate for fall and hope to finish this weekend. Needless to say, the busy-ness of life never ends. But, I'm doing a decent job of time management, something I have not been exactly proficient in doing in the past. It helps to keep a schedule and a to-do list ever present. And with that being said, I'm off to do some work.
Until next time~
Queen E

Busy, busy!

So sorry for the delay between posts here.  It's been a little crazy in my life recently.  School has kept me on my toes for sure.  I've had a lot of homework.  In fact, the amount of reading alone is almost astounding.  So far so good, though:)
The last time I posted I shared a few observations about the people around me.  Not much has changed, really.  I've made a few friends, all of whom are younger than me and that's okay.  I'm still the old lady in all of my classes, besides the professors themselves, and none of the women are much older than me.  I must say that I'm very happy with my decision to be at Butler.  It's so small and comfortable and I really like it.
I had time to clean my house some over this weekend.  It was much overdue, but I'm finding ways to balance school life and home life.  I have a class that will require me to dedicate 20 hours of community service, but I should be able to squeeze that in on the days I'm out of class by noon.  I was a bit opposed to it at first, but I'm really warming up to the idea.  I'm almost looking forward to it, actually.
This weekend was so strange.  We, me and my family, attended an "event" where there were a lot of people I hadn't seen in quite some time and catching up a bit was really good.  The night ended with a weird combination of events that served to really solidify my belief that I am better off doing what I am doing to better myself than hanging around those types of people.  There were people who had been my friend, I thought, at one time, but everyone shows their true colors at some point and that was it for some of those folks.  So, I'm done with some people and that's okay with me.  I have to focus on my school work and my family.  I have no time for drama and negativity so I choose to walk away and carry on with my life.
I hope this weekend has been good for everyone out there!  I will catch up more next time.
Queen SparkleE