16 Things I have learned from College

Since it is the end of the first semester, I just wanted to share what I had learned so far from college:

1. No matter how far away they seem, your best friends are just a facebook chat/text/video chat/call away. And they respond at any time.
2. All boys aren't retarded. The great ones are just harder to find and show up when you least expect it.
3. College is hard, but you just have to manage your time.
4. Partying is fun, but just watching Lifetime movies is fun too.
5. Crazy dance parties are a must.
6. You don't realize what you did on the internet before Facebook.
7. Admitting you like things like Twilight and Harry Potter is not bad. It shows that you are just more well rounded than other people.
8. Planning your schedule around sleeping late and Maury is not wrong.
9. Sometimes your rivals can be weird (aka getting mooned driving back to Dallas...awkward!)
10. Dallas Mexican food is not the same as Houston Mexican food.
11. Mom's home cooking has never tasted so good.
12. Tripping up the stairs at Einstein's Bagels is not as embarrasing as watching someone fall down the stairs in front of Dallas Hall.
13. Falling into washers is not as fun as it sounds.
14. Watching Disney movies will make you feel like your a little kid again (and that's not a bad thing sometimes).
15. Being in love with Robert Pattinson is not an addiction; it's the real deal.
16. Never forget who you are, where you came from and who really values you as a friend.

Commenting on Almost Famous's Blog

I just commented on Almost Famous's post about dressing nice when you fly. I can not say that I complete agree with her opinion on dressing nicely, but I will certainly give it a shot next time I fly. 

Commenting on Thyrston's Blog

I commented on Thyrson's post about SMU football. I believe that something should be done to improve school spirit and would be changing how the football team operates, aka winning a few games. I am not saying they need to pull off an undefeated season, but winning more than one game would be nice. 

Untraditional Thanksgiving

This year my family went to La Jolla, California for Thanksgiving to visit my older brother. This was a deviation from our normal holiday plans; the typical Thanksgiving is staying in Houston, eating a typical turkey feast and spending time with my mom’s side of the family. At first I didn’t mind going to California, I was excited to visit my brother and spend time with my family, but was sad I wouldn’t see my friends from high school until Saturday. Then when I got home on Wednesday, the idea I had pictured in my head was just that a dream. I quickly found out that there wouldn’t be a big turkey dinner, and we wouldn’t be cooking, we’d be going out for dinner. To most people, this might not seem like a big deal, but for me it was a crushing blow.

            I had been looking forward to this break since fall break. I was ready to be at home in my own room, with my friends, and home cooked meals. I really didn’t want to living out of a suitcase, or sharing a bathroom with three other people. So it is natural to assume that I was in a bad mood this Thanksgiving, I didn’t want to do anything. I just wanted to go back to Houston and have our traditional Thanksgiving. It wasn’t until last night after we had eaten at the only open restaurant open in La Jolla, that I realized that the holiday season isn’t about the meal you have, it’s about the people you spend it with. I know that most people have realized that before now, but this epiphany really made me think and I wondered if anyone else realized anything this holiday?

Responding to Least-Heat Moon

Why do you think Miz Alice stressed "the system of things" when she taught school?

Miz Alice stressed "the system of things" when she taught school because she wanted the newer generations realize that if they don't see that we are in communion with Nature and we have to give back what we take away. For example, the people have been taking crabs from the bay at Smith Island and now there aren't a lot of crabs left. If the fishermen had slowed down, hadn't taken as many, and not taken the babies/let them mature, there would still be a lot of crabs in the bay (390). So her thinking is that if the newer generations see that we are all connected they won't make the same mistakes. Sadly Miz Alice lets the Least Heat-Moon and the reader know that this plan did not work out. 

Commeting

I just commented on Paris Hilton's blog about Halloween Hoes. I believe that Halloween is not a time when girl can get away with being slutty. Girls should still be aware of what they are wearing and the impression they are giving to other people. Also would you want your little sister, cousin, or even one day your daughter walking around dressed like a stripper. I know that I don't.

Going to the Pump

My dad is a vice-president for an oil company and people think that when gas prices go up that means he gets a bonus or a raise.  I want those people know that he doesn’t. Sometimes, he even gets a deduction because the company wants to keep the price of gas down. We also have to pay the same price everyone else does to fill up our cars; we don’t get our gas for free. Here are some real reasons why gas prices have been so high.

The reason that the gas prices were going up was because of the sellers raising the prices, and hurricane Ike. My dad’s company buys from Saudi Arabia, and OPEC like most companies. The oil business’s currency is American dollars, so when our exchange rate with the Euro and other currencies gets worse for us, these buyers want to keep selling the same amount they did before the dollar depreciated, so they charge us more to keep making a profit.  If you don’t believe me check here, and read about what OPEC wants to do now, not the oil companies. Then there is hurricane Ike; while in Houston, he knocked out 14 out of 17 refineries, the place where they make the gas. They are currently working to keep up capacity. As of now 16 out of the 17 are up, and the gas prices are dropping.

 So next time when you think that mean oil companies are jacking up the price because they want more money. They’re not, and just remember they are paying the same as you!

Commenting on Self Defense

I just posted on Littlecoe4’s blog about self-defense. I really wish I had taken that class. Littlecoe4 made it sound really informative and it helped give her confidence that very few women have. I know that I would feel much better if I knew really how to defend myself rather than just delude myself into thinking that I do. 

Going Home

Last week, as I was getting my things all together, I realized for the first time that I was packing to go home. This thought really hit me, I would be an outsider to my family, and it was a weird feeling knowing that.  I was excited that I was going home, it was just that Houston wasn’t my current home any more, SMU was.

As I pulled up my driveway, it was nice to see that nothing had changed. It was when I walked into the house, I noticed a change: not the house itself, but the relationship between my family and myself. My parents just seemed awkward around me like they didn’t know how to treat me and my brother just sat there playing a video game. The thought raced across my mind that if my family was like this what would my friends be like.

When I saw my best friend at the homecoming game, I realized that yes we had changed, but we were better friends because of it. We shared all of our experiences that you really couldn’t talk about over a text message or email, and it was just like old times. I was immediately saddened that my family and I hadn’t been like that. I was also worried that my weekend away wouldn’t be relaxing but stressful.

I was actually surprised that as the weekend went on, my family started to act like how we used to be. My mom and I went shopping. My dad and I went and worked out. My brother and I watched movies. By the time I had to leave, I didn’t want to anymore. Now that I am back at school, I have two questions:

Did anyone else feel awkward with their family when they first got home? And will it be like that again when I go home for Thanksgiving?

Commenting on GETSOMEYEAH's Blog

I just read GETSOMEYEAH’s blog about going out and drinking. I have to say I agree but in a different way. I don’t drink but I do go out a lot more than I did in high school. An early night for me is about midnight and I have an 8 am on MWF and that’s a good night. I am currently trying to cut down to just going on Friday and Saturday nights, so we will see where that goes. 

Going to the Pump

My dad currently is a vice-president for an oil company and I have been nicked named an “Oil Brat” just because people think that when gas prices go up that means my dad gets a bonus or a raise. Just to let those people know, he doesn’t. Sometimes, he even gets a deduction because the company wants to keep the price of gas down. We also have to pay the same price everyone else does to fill up our cars; we don’t get our gas for free.

The reason that the gas prices are going is because of the sellers raising the prices, and hurricane Ike. My dad’s company buys from Saudi Arabia like most companies. The oil business’s currency is American dollars, so when our exchange rate with the Euro and other currencies gets worse for us, these buyers want to keep selling the same amount they did before the dollar depreciated, so they charge us more to keep making a profit.  Then there is hurricane Ike; while in Houston, he knocked out 14 out of 17 refineries, the place where they make the gas. They are currently working to keep up capacity. So next time when you think that mean oil companies are jacking up the price because they want more money, just remember they are paying the same as you! So stop complaining.

Commenting

I just commented on Jessie351’s blog about room mates and I totally understand where she is coming from. It looks like we have some of the same issues concerning our room mates like trying to share a small space and trying not to wake the other one up when we are doing different stuff in our rooms.

Say Goodbye to the Midnight Sun

We’ve all seen them, the awkward people sitting in the empty movie theater next to us. You really can’t tell what they are doing but you are aggravated because their cell phone light is bothering the heck out of you. Did you ever think about the fact that these people maybe not just texting their friends but maybe actually recording the movie? I have never really been in the whole crusade of working against illegal distribution of movies, music and books until one of my favorite author decided to cancel her final installment of a series because some leaked a copy. Click here for the article.  As you can tell, this really upset me, so I decided to do a little research.

I now know that the US has lost 1.3 billion dollars in profits from movie pirating and the whole movie black market coming to a whopping 1.8 billion dollars in losses. Each day 400,000 to 600,00 movies are illegally downloaded and that this number is going to get worse. According to US Justice Department, 23% of people have downloaded a movie online and 69% plan to do it in the next year. Then in a study conducted in the UK found that out of 1,158 18-24 year olds, 95% of them have pirated music. And we all remember when right before the 7^th Harry Potter parts of it leaked out onto the Internet. What I want to know is why people do this? Why they like to take money away from not only our favorite artists, actors and authors, but also all the people that helped in producing our entertainment?