OFFLINE Jenna Lo Castro-off line

The 9th Circle of the Inferno

So the fun of holiday festivities is over. And finals are working their way into everyone's lives.  Please spare me now. In as little as two weeks, I will be one with my dorm room. Only leaving to eat. Okay, and shower occasionally. If you're a prospective student and you're wondering about if college finals are hell, I'm here to enlighten you. Yes,  and they aren't just hell. They're more like a week long vacation in the 9th circle of an inferno. Your only forms of happiness come in caffeinated products and sheet pizzas from Guy's. And I have news for you. If you plan on sleeping at all, you're mistaken. And although finals week is avidly dreaded by all college students, they do offer some perks.

Let's say you're hypothetically failing organic chemistry. (okay, maybe not hypothetically--it seems completely feasible to have a 59 percent in orgo) And let's also say that there's only three tests the whole semester in that class. Which, if you didn't know, is normally how testing goes in college. You get a limited amount of tests and exams. Anywho, so you failed the first two and your final is your third and final chance. And...you end up getting a 95 percent. Well, good news, you ended up passing the course because of that amazing final grade. So, here's the moral of the story. All the late night studying and coffee and sleep deprivation is totally worth that one little grade.

And if it's any consolation, finals week at Carroll is sort of uplifting. Residence Halls and Student Union plans events and parties to help you escape the madness, even for a little bit. They give you a chance to unwind, eat, and catch up with people you haven't seen in a while, like your roommate. Who apparently has locked herself in library until the end of the week.

I'm sure I have you convinced about coming to Carroll at this point... 

Thanksgiving festivites

We're getting down to the wire here. T-minus eight days until the glorious warmth of Thanksgiving break commences. Can you tell I'm excited? I'm sorry. As a college junior I look forward to a free meal and a delofted bed. I actually have not been back to Pittsburgh since before the start of school. It's not that I hate the city by any means--Geez, we have the Steelers and Primanti Bros AKA the threshold of all humankind.
Nor do I love Cleveland so much that I try to stay here for long periods of time. I guess this has just been the way that the year has panned out so far.

Anywho, Thanksgiving is definitely my favorite holiday. Partially because I get to eat mass amounts of food and partially because my birthday is the 21st. Coincidentally, my big 2-1 falls on Thanksgiving Eve. I've already apologized to my mother for any post-birthday celebration stupor I might possess.
So what's your favorite Thanksgiving food? Is it the mashed potatoes and gravy? the turkey? the cranberry sauce? Mine hands down, is the stuffing. Oh my gosh, I salivate just thinking about it all.  And then of course there's the 12 different types of pasta dishes my mother insists on making. My family is from Italy and my mom's motto for Thanksgiving is something along the lines of, "Why celebrate with American food when you can celebrate with American and ITALIAN food?" I don't know mom. Maybe because you always make way too much food!?

Slowing down to smell the bacon

So scheduling for spring classes is coming up already. This Friday marks my registration date and I cannot tell you how fast this has snuck up on me. I guess this brings me to my first point. I have no clue where this first semester has gone. In less than two weeks, I'll be home for Thanksgiving break. After that, there'll be only two more weeks left in the Fall semester. It's so easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of college life and it's even easier to forget to slow down and enjoy little things that may pass you by.
So far this semester, I've just been so focused on school work, work, and writing for the newspaper that I haven't had time to just slow down. One thing that I realized that I haven't been able to attend are all the great on-campus events such as the speakers, poets, and performances. These late night scheduled events can be such a refreshing break in the action. But because I haven't had time or I've been indulged in other things, I haven't made it to any of these events.
     I've made a pact with myself though for next semester. I'm going to try to slow down and make time for myself and for small little things that I believe I will benefit from. The amazing thing about college is that there's all these free and interesting things offered to you all the time. The sad thing is, is that most students don't take the time to take advantage of them.
    I think the upcoming holidays will be a good chance to refresh myself and recharge my batteries. Life goes by so fast--especially your college years. So really appreciating special times should take precedence in life priorities. I know they have with mine.