I know many people who were, or still are, desperate to go to big school. Colleges of Susquehanna’s size I’ve often heard derided as too small. Perhaps my feelings will change senior year if I know just about everybody in my class (as a freshman, I’m far from that), but for now, I am very thankful for the size of Susquehanna’s institution. For me, it’s a perfect fit.
This size impacts a lot of different facets of Susquehanna. One of these is housing. I live in the smallest residence hall for freshmen, Hassinger Hall, and if you couldn’t already tell through my earlier posts, I absolutely love it! The floors in Hass are divided into wings by gender. I know the names of everybody who lives on my floor, am pretty friendly with all the girls in my wing, and have gotten my core of Susquehanna friends there.
It’s hard for me to imagine living in one of the bigger freshman dorms, much less a freshman dorm at a large university. One of my best friends from home lives in a building that is, I believe, 23 floors. She must endure long waits for the elevator and lines for signing in with building security.
Another area that’s obviously affected is class size. This semester, my Tuesday/Thursday classes, Applied Biblical Ethics and Principles of Sociology, are significantly bigger than my Monday/Wednesday/Friday ones, Introduction to Creative Nonfiction and Thought & Civilization. The first is a workshop class with about 16 people. The latter has a few less than that. The great thing is that even my “big” classes must be around 30-something people. This pales in comparison to big classes at other school where hundreds of students are crowded into a lecture hall, basically going anonymous to their classmates and professors.
Also, I like that the campus is small enough that I will see people I meet around school! For example, one of the activities I’m involved in is InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. At a bigger school I might not see people I know from that activity around campus, unless I specifically made plans with them, but here it’s very likely I might see someone during my everyday routine and say hi in passing.
For me, a smaller school has always been my ideal, and I’ve been very grateful to find that what I suspected would suit me actually does. It may not be for everyone, but I still feel that as if people who write off smaller schools should definitely consider their virtues, especially for ease in adjusting to the college experience.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Spring in Swing
At least in regards to the Spring Semester--the weather can get here anytime!
On Monday was my first class of 201, Introduction to Creative Nonfiction with Dr. Retief. This happens to be in the same classroom as my fiction class last semester, as well as at the same time, 1:45 to 2:50. It’ll be interesting to see how I end up feeling about nonfiction as a genre. Though I love writing generally, I’m head over heels for fiction, and I don’t suspect that will change.
However, I have been thinking a lot in terms of Hmm, that might be something to write about in nonfiction, especially after we did a free write on the topic, “I want to write about…” The first thing I must decide on is a topic for the subgenre literary journalism, sometimes known as immersive journalism. Rather than looking back at our experiences, this assignment calls us to go out and experience something so we can write about it. I am leaning towards asking one of my best friends if I can attend her Unitarian church with her for a Sunday. It would be interesting because Unitarianism is something I’ve never quite understood so I believe I would learn a lot. Also, faith and religion are topics I’m very interested in and for which I have a lot of passion, so I’m excited that this might be a way to incorporate those in my writing.
My next class was Thought & Civilization, a course for the Honors Program that will focus on Romantic Novels. Dr. Hubbell seems very keen to have us not only participate but direct discussion, which I’ve always appreciated in literature courses. I also feel like this will be great motivation to finish books I might otherwise not have the stamina to complete. For example, I read a lot of Emma by Jane Austen this summer but let other quicker reads stop me from finishing. Now I’ll have to, seeing as it’s our first novel to read!
On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I also have two classes. At 10 a.m. I have Applied Biblical Ethics. Our professor actually wasn’t there for that first class, since she had to be out of town, but I’m interested in the subject matter so I’m still feeling pretty good about that course. Then I have a bit of a gap in my schedule (which I should use for homework, though I find it so hard to focus on it in the middle of the day) until Principles of Sociology at 2:25. I took a semester of Sociology my senior year of high school. It was a fairly shallow overview, but I enjoyed it, so I’m excited to see what I think of it at the college level. Also, the professor, adjunct faculty member Anne Hauser, made it seem like the class is going to be fun; that’s always a positive.
Even more so than actually going to class, homework makes me feel like I’ve been back longer than a few days. Already I was up late doing reading, though this can probably be attributed to having a homework party in the lounge that, while fun and possibly my idea, distracted me to no end.
And of course, making this semester seem even more in swing is that my friends and I are back to our normal selves and our normal silliness. That apparently means me having very poor volume control as I laugh and talk excitedly at Benny’s. I suppose some things just don’t change with a new semester.
On Monday was my first class of 201, Introduction to Creative Nonfiction with Dr. Retief. This happens to be in the same classroom as my fiction class last semester, as well as at the same time, 1:45 to 2:50. It’ll be interesting to see how I end up feeling about nonfiction as a genre. Though I love writing generally, I’m head over heels for fiction, and I don’t suspect that will change.
However, I have been thinking a lot in terms of Hmm, that might be something to write about in nonfiction, especially after we did a free write on the topic, “I want to write about…” The first thing I must decide on is a topic for the subgenre literary journalism, sometimes known as immersive journalism. Rather than looking back at our experiences, this assignment calls us to go out and experience something so we can write about it. I am leaning towards asking one of my best friends if I can attend her Unitarian church with her for a Sunday. It would be interesting because Unitarianism is something I’ve never quite understood so I believe I would learn a lot. Also, faith and religion are topics I’m very interested in and for which I have a lot of passion, so I’m excited that this might be a way to incorporate those in my writing.
My next class was Thought & Civilization, a course for the Honors Program that will focus on Romantic Novels. Dr. Hubbell seems very keen to have us not only participate but direct discussion, which I’ve always appreciated in literature courses. I also feel like this will be great motivation to finish books I might otherwise not have the stamina to complete. For example, I read a lot of Emma by Jane Austen this summer but let other quicker reads stop me from finishing. Now I’ll have to, seeing as it’s our first novel to read!
On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I also have two classes. At 10 a.m. I have Applied Biblical Ethics. Our professor actually wasn’t there for that first class, since she had to be out of town, but I’m interested in the subject matter so I’m still feeling pretty good about that course. Then I have a bit of a gap in my schedule (which I should use for homework, though I find it so hard to focus on it in the middle of the day) until Principles of Sociology at 2:25. I took a semester of Sociology my senior year of high school. It was a fairly shallow overview, but I enjoyed it, so I’m excited to see what I think of it at the college level. Also, the professor, adjunct faculty member Anne Hauser, made it seem like the class is going to be fun; that’s always a positive.
Even more so than actually going to class, homework makes me feel like I’ve been back longer than a few days. Already I was up late doing reading, though this can probably be attributed to having a homework party in the lounge that, while fun and possibly my idea, distracted me to no end.
And of course, making this semester seem even more in swing is that my friends and I are back to our normal selves and our normal silliness. That apparently means me having very poor volume control as I laugh and talk excitedly at Benny’s. I suppose some things just don’t change with a new semester.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Spring Semester
Today is the first day of the Spring Semester, and in some ways, it is surreal being back. Winter Break was relaxing, but as I had feared, boring after a while. Post-Christmas and especially Post-New Years, I was itching to return to Susquehanna. I couldn't wait until I was back in Hassinger Hall again, with friends and fun available just a few doors down the hall. Admittedly, I'm not as excited to start classes. The feeling is more anxious than anything else, with a mix of surprise. My thoughts are something along the lines of: What, I'm actually back, what, I have classes tomorrow, wait, what, now I have classes today, I have class in less than an hour and a half, what, when did this occur?! All in all, I am glad to be back, but it's strange adjusting to a new routine, when I was so well-adjusted to my old one. Speaking of adjusting, I also need to fix my sleep patterns--break was spent staying up and waking up late. To my surprise, I handled waking up for work today fairly well.
Whether I'm ready or not, the semester is here, and these are some of the things I'm hoping to accomplish the second half of the year:
1) Keep up with my New Year's resolution.
2) Write more often, and not just for my Intro to Nonfiction class.
3) Read more often, and again, not just for class.
4) Enlarge my social circle at Susquehanna. Meet new people! Make new friendships!
5) Get involved in new activities, like Alpha Phi Omega, the service fraternity, or a reading board for a literary magazine.
6) Procrastinate less.
7) Study more.
8) Cut down on my addition--fries!
The last three seem especially difficult so we'll have to see how they go. Hopefully not the way of my resolution at the beginning of the year to eat breakfast everyday (it's been such a rare event that one of the few times I had breakfast at Benny's, I felt compelled to take a picture with my cell phone).
Other things I'm looking forward to this semester are experiencing a schedule that was completely picked out by myself and having people visit me. I live a bit over an hour away so two of my friends from high school will be visiting me next month. My brother, who is twenty-five, will also be visiting me in February. I can't wait to give them a peak at my life here at SU!
Whether I'm ready or not, the semester is here, and these are some of the things I'm hoping to accomplish the second half of the year:
1) Keep up with my New Year's resolution.
2) Write more often, and not just for my Intro to Nonfiction class.
3) Read more often, and again, not just for class.
4) Enlarge my social circle at Susquehanna. Meet new people! Make new friendships!
5) Get involved in new activities, like Alpha Phi Omega, the service fraternity, or a reading board for a literary magazine.
6) Procrastinate less.
7) Study more.
8) Cut down on my addition--fries!
The last three seem especially difficult so we'll have to see how they go. Hopefully not the way of my resolution at the beginning of the year to eat breakfast everyday (it's been such a rare event that one of the few times I had breakfast at Benny's, I felt compelled to take a picture with my cell phone).
Other things I'm looking forward to this semester are experiencing a schedule that was completely picked out by myself and having people visit me. I live a bit over an hour away so two of my friends from high school will be visiting me next month. My brother, who is twenty-five, will also be visiting me in February. I can't wait to give them a peak at my life here at SU!
Friday, December 10, 2010
Top 10 Reasons I Love My SU Friends
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| Lindsey, me, and Alexis |
1. We are young. Obviously we are literally young by virtue of our freshman status. However, we're also young in spirit--and sometimes in behavior. I particularly loved our coloring day towards the beginning of the year and hope we have a repeat soon.
2. We fangirl. We are not afraid to be enthusiastically in favor of something or someone, whether that's Jane Austen, Mr. Darcy, Harry Potter, Darren Criss, Tom Hardy, or Joseph Gordon-Leavitt.
3. We love books!
4. And writing too. Well, some of us.
5. We are those people. Who sing in public. Who giggle a lot in the middle of Benny's. Who, if I wasn't a part of the "we", I might find a teensy bit obnoxious.
6. We actually have things in common, enough that I can make "We" statements without engaging in drastically overblown generalizations. The friends I hold most dear at Susquehanna so far are not friends of convenience or proximity, even if they live conveniently close by (like in my room, for instance). There are foundational commonalities. These vary, of course, and can be any of the following and more: aforementioned love for writing and books, similar values, mindsets, or personalities, shared activities, shared commitment to God, shared support, etc. I know that actually having things in common will make certain friendships last beyond relationships destined only for my freshman residence hall.
7. We are different too. Yet we have fun anyway. We toss around disparate labels for ourselves, like "hipster," "Disney Princess," and "pessimistic panda," but that doesn't stop us from forming strong bonds.
8. We can be ridiculous and deep. In the course of one conversation.
9. We have seen a lot of each other. Nobody has punched anyone yet.
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| Karen, me, and Kathleen |
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| Me and Sarah |
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Minors!
I've been lucky to come to SU with a clear idea of what I wanted to major in: Creative Writing. Unlike a lot of people, I'm not struggling with trying to decide what I want to study. I am, however, considering what topics might merit minors.
Right now I'm a part of the Honors Program, which takes up a position of a minor. I plan on adding at least one more minor. Right now I'm thinking about adding an Editing & Publishing minor. This minor is of practical interest to me, since as a Creative Writing major, one of the probable fields I'll look into for employment is publishing. When I first started looking into the publishing of my own pieces, I discovered that I was interested in the industry itself, beyond merely a potential career as a writer. I've also found, through critiquing in Introduction to Fiction, that I do have some skill at looking closely at a piece, ripping it apart, and having something valuable to say.
Another minor I'm considering is Religion. I've yet to take a Religion course here at SU since I didn't get to form my first semester schedule. However, I signed up for Applied Biblical Ethics not only because of my interest in the individual course, but to get an idea of the department as a whole. I suspect I will probably end up adding this minor but 3 minors seems like an awfully lot. Particularly, I'm interested in studying both Religion and Creative Writing since I hope to find a way to incorporate them.
Perhaps the Honors Program will fall to the wayside. Perhaps something differently will happen altogether. Perhaps I'll be so enthusiastic about my religion courses that I'll want to double major.
There really is so much here at Susquehanna that I want to study. I can only hope I have time to fit it all in!
Right now I'm a part of the Honors Program, which takes up a position of a minor. I plan on adding at least one more minor. Right now I'm thinking about adding an Editing & Publishing minor. This minor is of practical interest to me, since as a Creative Writing major, one of the probable fields I'll look into for employment is publishing. When I first started looking into the publishing of my own pieces, I discovered that I was interested in the industry itself, beyond merely a potential career as a writer. I've also found, through critiquing in Introduction to Fiction, that I do have some skill at looking closely at a piece, ripping it apart, and having something valuable to say.
Another minor I'm considering is Religion. I've yet to take a Religion course here at SU since I didn't get to form my first semester schedule. However, I signed up for Applied Biblical Ethics not only because of my interest in the individual course, but to get an idea of the department as a whole. I suspect I will probably end up adding this minor but 3 minors seems like an awfully lot. Particularly, I'm interested in studying both Religion and Creative Writing since I hope to find a way to incorporate them.
Perhaps the Honors Program will fall to the wayside. Perhaps something differently will happen altogether. Perhaps I'll be so enthusiastic about my religion courses that I'll want to double major.
There really is so much here at Susquehanna that I want to study. I can only hope I have time to fit it all in!
Things I've Learned From College #3
Buy rain boots. You walk places a lot. In the rain. The very cold rain. Which inevitably picks up at the most inconvenient moment, like when you and your friends walk out of your dorm to head to Deg for dinner. Luckily, trekking all the way across campus at Susquehanna is not the same as, say, trekking all the way across campus at Penn State. Still, it feels significant when your feet are soaked. I never wore rain boots until I got to SU. Now my rain boots and I are very close friends.
Plus, they even doubled as snow boots last night when those flurries finally stuck to the ground!
Plus, they even doubled as snow boots last night when those flurries finally stuck to the ground!
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Winter Nearing, Fall Semester Disappearing!
The Fall Semester is wrapping up here at SU. Meanwhile, December has arrived! All of a sudden the weather has gone from manageably cold to numbingly so. Last night, as friends and I left West Village, we were greeted by snowflakes! Though not Winter yet, the various campus buildings sporting impressive Christmas trees have definitely given me that feel. I'm consistently struck by the immensity of the tree in the Blough-Weis Library. My roommate Sarah brought a tiny, adorable fake tree for our room and a few Christmas decorations. Likewise, many of my hallmates have also embraced the Christmas spirit when it comes to dorm decor.
As a freshman, I've heard about many Susquehanna traditions that I have not yet experienced for myself. One such tradition I'm anticipating is the upcoming Annual Christmas Candlelight Service. Chapel service this Sunday will be a dress-down day, and afterwords people will stay to help decorate for the service (and eat pizza-yay!). I definitely want to attend this decorating as well as the candlelight service itself. Usually on Sundays, everyone who attends chapel is right there on the stage. It'll be awesome to see Weber entirely full! Another Christmas festivity I'm looking forward to is InterVarsity Christian Fellowship's Christmas Party. Hopefully I'll also be attending Lutheran Student Movement's last meeting of the semester, which includes a gift exchange and caroling!
Though I'm so looking forward to break--I practically require it--I am going to miss my friends here a lot, so it's nice that I will be getting a little bit of Christmas here at SU, with them, before my Christmas at home.
The only thing dampering my holiday spirit is end of the semester work.
I have two final tests, Intermediate German and Colonial Latin America. In Thought class, I have to edit my final paper, which must be at least 8 pages. Mine is about social media in Iran. So far I feel pretty good about my first draft. It focuses on The Twitter Revolution and speaks a lot to the use of social media--like blogging, for instance!--in the aftermath of the 2009 presidential election. My Perspectives course wrapped up today, with a final class where we were treated to breakfast, but I still have to turn in a self-reflection about a group project we worked on. This, too, must be 8 pages, a seemingly magic number among college professors.
The most important final project to me personally is my portfolio for Intro to Fiction. Regrettably, I haven't been working on my two stories all that much since they've been workshopped, but I really hope to knock these revisions out of the park. The rewrites are pretty extensive for both stories. At the very least, I am starting and ending each story in a different place, even if I'm not quite sure where those ends are yet. My first person story has evolved from a scene with a cheesy romance ending to a story that will be more real and messy and heartfelt. My third person story received a much better reception, but it will change so as not to rely on a structural quirk. Instead it will allow the reader to stay with the story and go forward. It will begin right where the tension does, rather than taking the reader through background before letting them enter the conflict. Perhaps this weekend I can lock myself away in my room and rewrite!
Frankly, just as I expressed in my previous blog entry, I still cannot believe this semester is almost complete. I arrived here in August. And now it's December! The older I get, the more amazed and startled I seem to be by the passage of time.
As a freshman, I've heard about many Susquehanna traditions that I have not yet experienced for myself. One such tradition I'm anticipating is the upcoming Annual Christmas Candlelight Service. Chapel service this Sunday will be a dress-down day, and afterwords people will stay to help decorate for the service (and eat pizza-yay!). I definitely want to attend this decorating as well as the candlelight service itself. Usually on Sundays, everyone who attends chapel is right there on the stage. It'll be awesome to see Weber entirely full! Another Christmas festivity I'm looking forward to is InterVarsity Christian Fellowship's Christmas Party. Hopefully I'll also be attending Lutheran Student Movement's last meeting of the semester, which includes a gift exchange and caroling!
Though I'm so looking forward to break--I practically require it--I am going to miss my friends here a lot, so it's nice that I will be getting a little bit of Christmas here at SU, with them, before my Christmas at home.
The only thing dampering my holiday spirit is end of the semester work.
I have two final tests, Intermediate German and Colonial Latin America. In Thought class, I have to edit my final paper, which must be at least 8 pages. Mine is about social media in Iran. So far I feel pretty good about my first draft. It focuses on The Twitter Revolution and speaks a lot to the use of social media--like blogging, for instance!--in the aftermath of the 2009 presidential election. My Perspectives course wrapped up today, with a final class where we were treated to breakfast, but I still have to turn in a self-reflection about a group project we worked on. This, too, must be 8 pages, a seemingly magic number among college professors.
The most important final project to me personally is my portfolio for Intro to Fiction. Regrettably, I haven't been working on my two stories all that much since they've been workshopped, but I really hope to knock these revisions out of the park. The rewrites are pretty extensive for both stories. At the very least, I am starting and ending each story in a different place, even if I'm not quite sure where those ends are yet. My first person story has evolved from a scene with a cheesy romance ending to a story that will be more real and messy and heartfelt. My third person story received a much better reception, but it will change so as not to rely on a structural quirk. Instead it will allow the reader to stay with the story and go forward. It will begin right where the tension does, rather than taking the reader through background before letting them enter the conflict. Perhaps this weekend I can lock myself away in my room and rewrite!
Frankly, just as I expressed in my previous blog entry, I still cannot believe this semester is almost complete. I arrived here in August. And now it's December! The older I get, the more amazed and startled I seem to be by the passage of time.
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