I'm warning you now: this is a complaining post. And it's about BYU. If that hurts your feelings, stop reading.
I am so sick of BYU. Two weeks from yesterday, I will be done with classes there forever. Today I told Jaime on the phone that after I graduate, I refuse to step foot on that campus ever again. If someone has some kind of event there, I won't go. So all you Provo friends, if you love me and you want me at your wedding reception, don't have it at BYU.
To be fair, I should specify the things that I'm sick of. Because it's not everything. I guess it's a fine school. I've had several years there and I actually have had one or two (or more...fine.) good experiences there. But lately the bad is outweighing the good. Allow me to elaborate.
1. Parking
Parking during fall and winter semesters is impossible. If you don't get there before 8, you should go ahead and expect to be following pedestrians very slowly as they walk out to their car so you can take their parking spot. The most glorious part of taking spring classes (because there's not very much that's glorious about taking classes when you should be out enjoying the summer) is that parking is so much better. There's a fraction of the people on campus so you can find a pretty decent spot at any time of day.
NOT TODAY. (If you were wondering, I just pounded that into my keyboard. Good thing my computer's young and new and can take that kind of abuse.)
I got to school today at 9:45. My class is at 10. I've gotten to school later than that this term and found a spot without a problem and still made it to class on time. Not today. The last couple of weeks, they've had about 3/4 of the parking lot blocked off so they can redo the tree planters in the parking lot. Umm...first of all, just take the tree planters out. They take up space that could be another much-needed parking spot. I don't need greenery in my parking lot. Second of all, I do not believe that you need to block off a couple hundred (that may be an exaggeration, but if it is, it's only a slight one) spots to work on maybe 10 planters which are about the size of half of one spot. When I got there today, it was as bad as it has ever been. Not only did they have 3/4 of the main lot blocked off, two of the three smaller side lots were completely blocked. No pasar. And if you were wondering...I saw three construction men working on one planter. The other 199 spots they'd blocked off? Totally necessary. Obviously.
So I spent about ten minutes driving around, with the other hopeless drivers in my position, hoping I'd happen upon someone who was leaving. No such luck. So I left and went to the parking lot on the other side of campus next to the Marriot Center which is never full. Not today. I don't know what was going on there today but it was competely full. And I was completely livid. So I drove back to the other spot and was able to catch someone who was leaving. Of course I did--my class had already started by that point. So my earliness this morning was for naught. I was still late. That'll teach me to try to be a good, punctual student. Or maybe that will just teach me to expect BYU to do something logical, such as only block off the needed spots or wait to do it until later in the day when everyone's gone. Silly me.
2. Umm..I can't remember. I got so worked up about the parking situation today that I just lumped it in with the other things I hate about BYU but now I can't remember what they are. I guess that's better. Maybe I should try to do a gratitude post so I can improve my very negative attitude about my school.
Not today.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Saturday, May 28, 2011
brand new
For graduation (which is now much farther in the distance than I initially thought...) my loving parents bought me a computer! It took me a few weeks to research and decide what I wanted. Umm...actually I don't know much about computers so my list of requirements was pretty short. But I finally found one and I bought it. I've been renting a computer from school my whole college career and now I am an official computer owner and it feels great!
Now I can write blog posts and watch Friends at the same time!
Now I can write blog posts and watch Friends at the same time!
Friday, May 27, 2011
school politics
Remember how last month I graduated? But not really because I wasn't really graduating until August?
If you thought I was a fraud then, well....you're gonna think I'm worse. (umm...I couldn't think of anything else to say there.)
My final requirement (after the two classes I'm taking right now) is to do an internship teaching English. So I got a job at the MTC teaching English. I signed up for the internship credit but they won't give it to me because I haven't taken the internship class sessions. (First of all, who ever heard of internship classes? Hello, the internship is supposed to be work experience. If there's more you need to teach me, maybe you should've done that before the internship). The classes are offered this term but we're already too far into it. I couldn't sign up for them in time because in order to sign up for them, you have to have the internship set up already. Which I didn't until a couple of weeks ago. The classes aren't offered during summer term. It's kind of a long, complicated story and all the details would convince you even further that I'm the victim here. But in short, I can't count this as my internship and I now have to wait until the fall to get credit for my internship (which will be my experience in Spain). So I can't graduate until December. The kicker for me: international interns are exempt from the class sessions (since they physically cannot attend them). So in the end, I won't be attending the classes anyway, which is why they won't give me credit for it right now. So. Dumb.
I love BYU.
I'm applying for financial aid later today, though. Maybe I'll end up making money off these suckers.
If you thought I was a fraud then, well....you're gonna think I'm worse. (umm...I couldn't think of anything else to say there.)
My final requirement (after the two classes I'm taking right now) is to do an internship teaching English. So I got a job at the MTC teaching English. I signed up for the internship credit but they won't give it to me because I haven't taken the internship class sessions. (First of all, who ever heard of internship classes? Hello, the internship is supposed to be work experience. If there's more you need to teach me, maybe you should've done that before the internship). The classes are offered this term but we're already too far into it. I couldn't sign up for them in time because in order to sign up for them, you have to have the internship set up already. Which I didn't until a couple of weeks ago. The classes aren't offered during summer term. It's kind of a long, complicated story and all the details would convince you even further that I'm the victim here. But in short, I can't count this as my internship and I now have to wait until the fall to get credit for my internship (which will be my experience in Spain). So I can't graduate until December. The kicker for me: international interns are exempt from the class sessions (since they physically cannot attend them). So in the end, I won't be attending the classes anyway, which is why they won't give me credit for it right now. So. Dumb.
I love BYU.
I'm applying for financial aid later today, though. Maybe I'll end up making money off these suckers.
the nothing post
I haven't blogged in forever and I feel like it's because I have nothing to blog about. Nothing exciting. No pictures. What's that? You want to hear about my non-eventful life right now? You got it.
I'm in the middle of my last term of classes. Spring term is shorter but more accelerated so I'm only taking two classes but they keep me pretty busy. The only problem is that I don't care about either of them so I try very little. Somehow I managed to get 100% on both of my first two tests in one class. I'm some kind of genius I suppose. Except in my other class I got a B- on our first test....oops. Good thing I don't care.
I am also in the middle of my dream job at the MTC. Except it's not quite as dreamy as I imagined it to be. Clarification before we go any further: I like my job and I am really grateful to not only have a job but have this one. It's uplifting and it's worthwhile and even though it's difficult, it's SO much better than anything I've done before. That's probably why it's difficult. I'm teaching the international missionaries so they all come to learn English. The only problem is that they all speak different languages and I know only one of those languages. It's been hard to learn how to teach them anything when they don't understand half of what I'm saying and frustrating to not be able to revert back to a common language to explain difficult concepts. But things have improved since I started and I can see myself really loving it one day. Right now it's too much work and too difficult to realize if I like it or not. Teaching is emotionally and mentally draining for me. I come home much more tired than I ever did at Wells Fargo. They're great examples, though, and it really is a fabulous job. I love that I go every day and get to talk about the gospel. What I'm doing matters. I need that in a job. So for now, the job is good and it's enjoyable. I'll let you know when I love it.
I'm in the middle of my last term of classes. Spring term is shorter but more accelerated so I'm only taking two classes but they keep me pretty busy. The only problem is that I don't care about either of them so I try very little. Somehow I managed to get 100% on both of my first two tests in one class. I'm some kind of genius I suppose. Except in my other class I got a B- on our first test....oops. Good thing I don't care.
I am also in the middle of my dream job at the MTC. Except it's not quite as dreamy as I imagined it to be. Clarification before we go any further: I like my job and I am really grateful to not only have a job but have this one. It's uplifting and it's worthwhile and even though it's difficult, it's SO much better than anything I've done before. That's probably why it's difficult. I'm teaching the international missionaries so they all come to learn English. The only problem is that they all speak different languages and I know only one of those languages. It's been hard to learn how to teach them anything when they don't understand half of what I'm saying and frustrating to not be able to revert back to a common language to explain difficult concepts. But things have improved since I started and I can see myself really loving it one day. Right now it's too much work and too difficult to realize if I like it or not. Teaching is emotionally and mentally draining for me. I come home much more tired than I ever did at Wells Fargo. They're great examples, though, and it really is a fabulous job. I love that I go every day and get to talk about the gospel. What I'm doing matters. I need that in a job. So for now, the job is good and it's enjoyable. I'll let you know when I love it.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
hometown glory
Spare me the "tornadoes are devastating" "the damage is life-altering" "people die from this stuff" talk. I'm sorry I can't help the fact that these pictures make me wish I were in Indiana this week. How sweet is that? That's my hometown. Lucky jerks.
Friday, May 13, 2011
still breathing
My life for the last two weeks has been insane. That's why I haven't posted. And why I'm not really posting right now. I left a social activity about an hour ago since I have to be up at about 6 tomorrow morning and I'm sitting on my computer blogging. Oops.
Anyway, my biggest news (and the biggest source of the craziness) is that I got a job at the MTC! I'm teaching international missionaries learning English. It's fabulous, of course, because it's the MTC. It is also, however, super time-consuming, mentally and spiritually draining, and very challenging. But those are generally qualities that make something great. And the MTC is definitely great.
I'm taking two Spanish classes right now and to say I've checked out is an understatement. I had a test in one of my classes this morning and I sat there before class started looking around and listening to all my classmates cramming and stressing out about the test and I thought to myself, "How blissful it is to really not care how I do on this test." It's delightful, really. I put in the time I have (which is not much, these days) and hope it's enough to pass these classes. That's really all I'm interested in anyway. Mediocrity feels good.
Shoot. My roommates just got home and I'm supposed to be in bed. Good night!
Anyway, my biggest news (and the biggest source of the craziness) is that I got a job at the MTC! I'm teaching international missionaries learning English. It's fabulous, of course, because it's the MTC. It is also, however, super time-consuming, mentally and spiritually draining, and very challenging. But those are generally qualities that make something great. And the MTC is definitely great.
I'm taking two Spanish classes right now and to say I've checked out is an understatement. I had a test in one of my classes this morning and I sat there before class started looking around and listening to all my classmates cramming and stressing out about the test and I thought to myself, "How blissful it is to really not care how I do on this test." It's delightful, really. I put in the time I have (which is not much, these days) and hope it's enough to pass these classes. That's really all I'm interested in anyway. Mediocrity feels good.
Shoot. My roommates just got home and I'm supposed to be in bed. Good night!
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
the big one
As you may remember, I graduated a couple of weeks ago. Remember this lovely announcement I designed myself? I know I don't say it enough, but I was pretty proud of my work.
My mom was able to fly in for the weekend so we started with commencement on Thursday, April 21. Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles gave the commencement address. I think they said there were something like 6,000 graduates. That's the majority of the people you see. The ones that all look alike? Yeah, that's us. Believe it or not, my mom actually found me from across the giant Marriott Center. This is the picture from where she, VeNicia, VoNique, and Jared were sitting. If you look above that bottom door in the corner, that's me.
Oops, sorry Jared...
The next day was convocation. I graduated with a BA in English Language so I was in the College of Humanities. There were 500 graduates from the college I think. With such a large number, it seems like we should just get to calling the names right away, right? Nope. Let's throw in three speakers and a musical number before the already 45 minutes of name-calling. Great idea.
Woohoo! That cover is actually empty; they mail the diploma to you later. In my case, much later, since I am in fact not actually graduated...oops. I won't be finished with everything until August but I just walked in April anyway. More exciting, right? Not so exciting to go back to class three days later.
My friend Lauren and I met when we were freshman dorm roommates almost seven years ago. Since then, we've both served missions and are now graduating at the same time! It makes me feel better to know that it took someone else just as long to get to the end.
Jaime's secret desire is to have a BYU diploma of her own. She'll admit it someday.
At this point in the story, we had a lovely open house at my friend Chrissi Harris' lovely house. I forgot to take pictures. Shoot. But lots of friends and family came to say hi and eat some fab food that my mom and I prepared.
Afterwards, I came home to these:
My friends and roommates know me so well. I just really like fresh flowers.
The next day, my mom, Jaime, and I went up to West Haven to spend Easter with Jaime's family. It seems only natural that my real family meet my surrogate family. While we were up there, I also decided to take some pictures of Jaime's nieces and nephews. I LOVE my nieces and nephews and I miss them so much. Not being able to see them is probably one of the biggest problems I have with living in Utah. Fortunately, I have found in Jaime's family some substitute nieces and nephews. They're not mine, but I like to pretend like they are. I love them just as much. They probably think I'm their aunt anyway. That's all a lot of them have ever known. She has four sisters who all have at least four kids, but I just have pictures of a few of them here.
This guy is Jack, also known as Andre the Giant. He's a big boy.
Miss Haizyn loves to cheese. She said cheese for about 10 minutes straight while I was taking pictures. This one is not shy.
We colored eggs, and they showed them off for me.
Maizic.
Jaiger.
Rachel. Makes me laugh. Every time.
Taigon.
Jaime's not my niece, but she made a pretty sweet egg, too.
Haizyn.
Oh, but wait. Haizyn's not done yet.
I really think she would've kept saying cheese as long as I would've kept taking pictures.
Sunday was the Zogmaister Family Egg Hunt in Jaime's parents' backyard.
That night, my mom and I headed down to Bountiful to have Easter dinner with her family.
JD and Barry.
Barry and Rita. They have a pretty interesting and impressive story. They told us the whole thing, but in short: they met in an airport, he didn't get her name, so he put an ad in her hometown newspaper asking for help finding this woman he met in the Seattle airport. Well, he found her. And they've been married for close to twenty years!
Me, Mom, Aimee, VoNique.
VeNicia, Jared, Paul, Spencer.
It was a super fun weekend and I loved having my mom here! I just wish this really were the end of my college career. Three more months...
My mom was able to fly in for the weekend so we started with commencement on Thursday, April 21. Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles gave the commencement address. I think they said there were something like 6,000 graduates. That's the majority of the people you see. The ones that all look alike? Yeah, that's us. Believe it or not, my mom actually found me from across the giant Marriott Center. This is the picture from where she, VeNicia, VoNique, and Jared were sitting. If you look above that bottom door in the corner, that's me.
Oops, sorry Jared...
The next day was convocation. I graduated with a BA in English Language so I was in the College of Humanities. There were 500 graduates from the college I think. With such a large number, it seems like we should just get to calling the names right away, right? Nope. Let's throw in three speakers and a musical number before the already 45 minutes of name-calling. Great idea.
Woohoo! That cover is actually empty; they mail the diploma to you later. In my case, much later, since I am in fact not actually graduated...oops. I won't be finished with everything until August but I just walked in April anyway. More exciting, right? Not so exciting to go back to class three days later.
My friend Lauren and I met when we were freshman dorm roommates almost seven years ago. Since then, we've both served missions and are now graduating at the same time! It makes me feel better to know that it took someone else just as long to get to the end.
Jaime's secret desire is to have a BYU diploma of her own. She'll admit it someday.
At this point in the story, we had a lovely open house at my friend Chrissi Harris' lovely house. I forgot to take pictures. Shoot. But lots of friends and family came to say hi and eat some fab food that my mom and I prepared.
Afterwards, I came home to these:
My friends and roommates know me so well. I just really like fresh flowers.
The next day, my mom, Jaime, and I went up to West Haven to spend Easter with Jaime's family. It seems only natural that my real family meet my surrogate family. While we were up there, I also decided to take some pictures of Jaime's nieces and nephews. I LOVE my nieces and nephews and I miss them so much. Not being able to see them is probably one of the biggest problems I have with living in Utah. Fortunately, I have found in Jaime's family some substitute nieces and nephews. They're not mine, but I like to pretend like they are. I love them just as much. They probably think I'm their aunt anyway. That's all a lot of them have ever known. She has four sisters who all have at least four kids, but I just have pictures of a few of them here.
This guy is Jack, also known as Andre the Giant. He's a big boy.
Miss Haizyn loves to cheese. She said cheese for about 10 minutes straight while I was taking pictures. This one is not shy.
We colored eggs, and they showed them off for me.
Maizic.
Jaiger.
Rachel. Makes me laugh. Every time.
Taigon.
Jaime's not my niece, but she made a pretty sweet egg, too.
Haizyn.
Oh, but wait. Haizyn's not done yet.
I really think she would've kept saying cheese as long as I would've kept taking pictures.
Sunday was the Zogmaister Family Egg Hunt in Jaime's parents' backyard.
That night, my mom and I headed down to Bountiful to have Easter dinner with her family.
JD and Barry.
Barry and Rita. They have a pretty interesting and impressive story. They told us the whole thing, but in short: they met in an airport, he didn't get her name, so he put an ad in her hometown newspaper asking for help finding this woman he met in the Seattle airport. Well, he found her. And they've been married for close to twenty years!
Me, Mom, Aimee, VoNique.
VeNicia, Jared, Paul, Spencer.
It was a super fun weekend and I loved having my mom here! I just wish this really were the end of my college career. Three more months...
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