GUESS WHO'S THE NEW VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UCONN COLLEGE DEMOCRATS!

YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT, I AM! FUCK YEAH!

And I know I've been slacking on the "things that made me happy today" meme, but this has got to count for, like, a week's worth of happiness, so whatever. :D

Okay, so I'm a little late to post what made me happy today, but hey, I haven't been to bed yet.

Today, I went to the hair salon. I got a trim, and I got my hair relaxed (like a reverse perm, essentially). I now have the silky smooth, straight hair I have always lusted after.

...Unfortunately, I also have a bad reaction to the chemicals in the relaxer, thus assuring that once this relaxer wears off, I shall never have hair like this again. I have blisters all around my hairline, and it hurt like holy hell in the shower tonight. Fuck.

Round 3 of the "things that made me happy today" meme:

Having a postlab assignment for biology...that involved coloring. That wasn't the whole thing, of course, but I love coloring! It makes me feel like a little kid again.

There's not much more to say. It's not that today was bad, just uneventful, and I'm tired. Tomorrow, I have a bio exam and I'm getting a haircut after...so hopefully those will be tomorrow's happy things. :D

Day 2 out of 8 for this meme: something that made me happy today!

I'm in a learning community called Women in Math, Science and Engineering, and today we had a banquet. We got all dressed up and went to the Alumni Center, and listened to a professor from the biomedical engineering department talk about her research and career path. A lot of different professors attended, as well as us students, and the professor at my table actually teaches a class that I'll need to take next spring (and she was awesome). Even though I had to skip a College Democrats debate to attend, it was a lot of fun! :D

1. Post about something that made you happy today.
2. Repeat for eight days.
3. Tag eight people to do the same. (I won't do tags, but I think everyone should do this! I love memes talking about happy things, LJ needs sunshine.)

Today's been good so far, despite having to get by on a whopping four hours of sleep. Highlights include the following:

1. The chocolate chip pancakes at Northwest Dining Hall this morning, om nom nom.
2. Finding out there was a curve on my chem exam- suddenly, my 76 is a B/B+. Awesome, I needed that good grade.
3. Having a chem lab WITHOUT any major screwups.
4. This technically hasn't happened yet, but Joe Courtney (my Congressman) is coming to meet with the College Democrats in an hour and a half! I'm excited, he's awesome.

Rules:
1. Pick 16 of your favorite movies.
2. Go to IMDb and find a quote from each movie.
3. Post them here for everyone to guess.
4. Strike it out when someone guesses correctly, and put who guessed it and the movie.
5. NO cheating, if you don't know any of them then that's just too bad.
6. You don't have to be tagged in this to play.

( quotes under the cut )

Because I figured this post merits an update: I am not actually failing calc. (Never thought I'd be so happy with a 76.) What I am doing is working on the paperwork to switch my major. Upon further reflection, as much as I like chemistry, it's not worth the stress, and I'm almost positive I want to do environmental work. I could do that with chem, yeah, but since I no longer wish to study chemistry: environmental science, here I come!

I'm also thinking I'm going to minor in something completely random and unrelated to my major or future career, just because I can. Maybe English, political science, religion, women's studies...hmmm.

One more update before I head off to do my international relations reading: Chris got a full scholarship to Clemson University. I would be mildly bummed that he'll be off in South Carolina for the academic years to come, but I am overjoyed after considering the following things:

1. This means absolutely zero financial stress for him and his family.
2. He is head-over-heels in love with Clemson and beyond excited about getting to go there. What kind of friend would I be if I wasn't just as excited for him? :D
3. I now have the perfect excuse to go see South Carolina and its lovely beaches during spring break 2010! (And subsequent spring breaks, as well.)

I'm gone. :D

For reasons unknown to me, I have Quiz Bowl on my mind.

I haven't been playing in college, mostly because it feels like a cheap imitation. It didn't feel right, going to practice every week and then having only one day of actual matches, in November, to see who would go on to the regional tournament. I still like trivia, don't get me wrong, but without the constant competitions, it just didn't feel right to keep practicing. I've got enough on my plate even without "IQConn," so 99.999% of the time, the lack of Quiz Bowl in my life isn't a problem.

Usually, I crash a Quiz Bowl practice at my high school when I come home for longer breaks. I did so during Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks, but not this past week, when I was home for spring break. I imagine there wasn't a practice at all, as they apparently had two matches in the two weeks before I came home. I definitely understand needing a week off, but it would've been nice to see everyone, and congratulate the team on being 5-1. (It also would have been nice if the coach actually responded to my e-mail asking if there was a practice. Sigh.)

I'm also getting the sense that time is running out. It makes sense for me to go back and see Quiz Bowlers now- I still know most of them. When I've been to practices, there have been a few kids I didn't know, but nearly every face was a familiar one. But some of those familiar faces are graduating this June. Then what? How many people will I recognize if I crash a practice next year? The year after? At what point do I stop being the beloved (or so I hope) ex-captain and start being some random, slightly creepy girl who played a while back and can't let go of the past?

The crazy thing about all this is as follows: if I could go back, I wouldn't. Not even if you paid me. The lack of Quiz Bowl in my life is one of the very few things I dislike about being at UConn. The classes, the other clubs that are much cooler, the freedom, the newfound friends- it's all good.

It's just that it always sucks to lose something you love.

I think I've bitten off more than I can chew this semester.

I thought I'd be fine taking a bunch of honors classes...silly me. I've had two chem exams so far. I walked away from both of them thinking I did really well, that I'd get an A or a B, and instead I've gotten D's. I took a multivariable calc midterm right before break started. My professor doesn't post grades online, so I have no idea how I did, but I'm pretty damn sure the answer is "I'll be lucky if I pass it." So I don't know.

I'm doing well in biology (94 average on lab grades \o/!) and I think I'm doing well in international relations, too, we'll see how the paper went. But that's almost a problem, too, because international relations is a gen ed and biology isn't strictly related to my major, it's just that all science majors have to take a bio class for the B.S. degree. Obviously chem majors need to know how to do general chemistry, and I need to know higher-level math for physical chemistry. So I'm acing the classes that have very little or nothing to do with my major, and I'm getting D's and possibly F's in the classes that do. That's not a good sign.

It's problematic, because I want to do chemistry. There are other majors that might be interesting, but I love chem. I'm excited about doing research in chem, taking higher-level chem classes...but if I can't even get a good grade in general chemistry, then how am I supposed to get through orgo? Physical chem? And how did I go from an A- last semester to a D this semester?

I don't know what to do anymore. I don't know where I'm supposed to be going or what I should do with my life. All I know is that I'm making a fine mess of things.

I recently added some new people, thanks to topicless's friending meme, so I thought I'd do an intro post for the newbies. (If you've had me added for a while, feel free to skip this post, but you never know if you'll learn something new or not. =P)

Hi, guys! My name is Amanda. I'm 18 and currently go to UConn. My major is on paper as chemistry, but I have no idea what I want to do with my life, so I am in a constant state of indecision over it. (I've got it narrowed down to chemistry, molecular and cell biology, ecology and evolutionary biology, or environmental science.) I have an awesome roommate, and I'm in a few different clubs here on campus.

I'm about a 4.5 on the Kinsey scale. It doesn't matter much to me if that signifies "lesbian" or "bisexual" to you, so pick the one you like if you're into those labels.

I am into Jesus and liberal politics. I post about both occasionally, but not too frequently. If you disagree with me on something, that's totally cool, and I welcome debate (just be polite). My updates tend to be more about school, family, friends, life in general.

I don't post as frequently as I should- I average once per week, maybe? I also tend to be more than a little lousy at commenting on friends' posts, but I'll try.

So, that's me in a nutshell, and I'd be happy to answer questions. Also, feel free to leave a comment and tell me a little about yourself!

1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me!" or something.
2. I will respond by asking you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will post the answers to the questions (and the questions themselves) on your blog or journal.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions. And thus the endless cycle of the meme goes on and on and on and on...

( farewellnight asked me a few questions... )

I want the universe to discard the idea of straight, bisexual and gay completely and simply adopt the Kinsey scale. Among other benefits, it'd save me the trouble of figuring out on which side of the lesbian/bisexual divide my 4.5/5 rating (depending on my mood and whether or not I am watching House) lies.

Not that this has anything at all to do with the first half of this post, but congratulations to our new President Barack Obama. The inauguration was pretty cool, and the oath of office slip-ups were certainly forgivable.

I just got back to school about three hours ago.

I feel like now is the time to make a new year's resolution, not January 1st, but I'm not sure what mine should be. So far, all I've got is "get off your fat ass and hit the gym more than once a semester." More will come to me, I'm sure.

ogr7 responded to this meme a while back with a question she'd like me to answer. Apologies for the delay, life has been busy! Here's the question and my response:

What is one thing (or a few) that you highly recommend everyone to do/experience in their lifetime? Since you probably did it, share what happened!

Volunteer, not just because you have to do it for a school requirement or whatever, but because you want to. I only did the minimum to get my requirements squared away in middle and high school, and I regret that now. I say this because the two most meaningful experiences I've had since coming to UConn involved volunteer work: working for Barack Obama's campaign in New Hampshire, Fairfield County and right on campus, and helping lead Bible study at a prison near my college. It's the best feeling I've ever had, knowing that (in a small way) I am doing some good in the world, making someone else's life better. I'm thinking about getting trained to volunteer for RAINN's online help center, though that might have to wait until summer, when I'll have more free time.

I want to know, darling f-list: do any of you volunteer? If so, what do you do?

(And you can still go back and do that meme if you'd like! I'd love to answer more questions.)

Okay, so. Finals ate my life, and I got sick, and blah blah blah. But it was worth it in the end, look:

Class Description Units Grade Grade Points
CAMS 1101 Greek Civilization 3.00 B+ 9.900
CHEM 1147Q Honors General Chemistry 4.00 A- 14.800
DRAM 1101 Introduction to the Theatre 3.00 A- 11.100
ENGL 3800 Honors I: Approaches to Lit 3.00 A 12.000
INTD 1784 Freshman Honors Seminar 1.00 A- 3.700
INTD 1820 FYE Faculty/Student Seminar 1.00 A 4.000

Total GPA: 3.700

Fuck yeah!

And now I'm enrolled for 18 credits next semester. Because I want to take courses in all three of the majors I'm considering while still staying on track for the genetics program if that's what I want. If this is a colossally bad idea, speak now (well, between now and two weeks after my semester starts) or forever hold your peace.

Not much else to say. It's good to be home, even if it's dull and my family occasionally sucks.

P.S. You guys, go back and do this! Give me stuff to write about!

I am swamped with work, and dealing with it the good old-fashioned way: procrastination and late nights.

As evidence: I have been back at school for TWO DAYS. This is the second night in a row I've been up until at least 1:30, alternating between crazy amounts of hard work and crazy procrastination. I'm reaching the state of sleep deprivation where I am OMFG TIME TRAVELING because Facebook went screwy with the date switch and told me that a friend posted on another friend's wall at "12:42 am tomorrow," and where House macros are the single most mesmerizing thing ever.

Send love, encouragement and Diet Pepsi Max.

Don't get me wrong, I love it here at UConn, but every day, I get a little more scared that I am never going to get out of Connecticut.

A part of me wants to transfer out. I just don't know where I'd go. And it feels wrong to leave a good situation (and in-state tuition with a scholarship, ugh).

Going home had a weird effect on me. It was great to see everyone, but on either Tuesday or Wednesday night, I was in the car with Chris, and he told me he was surprised I didn't go out-of-state. Honestly, I was surprised at myself, too. I still am. I can't say what else gave me this feeling, maybe it was just going back to my high school and remembering what everyone thought I'd do with my life. I just feel like I'm not living up to expectations, somehow.

Apparently, people back home also expect that Chris and I are going to hook up, or think we're already dating. I really don't know what to make of that.

The past few weeks have been insane. So much stress! Here are the ups and downs...

+ I'm going home tomorrow for Thanksgiving break! I have never needed a week off as badly as I do now.

+ When I'm home, I get to see people! I'm dropping in on my high school and a Quiz Bowl practice, almost everyone's coming home for Thanksgiving break, and we're going to have so much fun!

- Chris got hurt during a football practice. =/ To add insult to injury, I found out about it via Facebook, and still haven't talked to him, so I don't know what happened.

+ I finally finished my Community Writing Project of Doom for English class...

- ...but doing it felt like bashing my head against a wall. We were trying to research polling places for elections on other campuses like ours, because right now students have to go off-campus to vote and we'd like to change that. The information was nearly impossible to find, I still don't think we did enough, and one of the members of our group talked to the Mansfield Registrar of Voters yesterday and she was way opposed to the idea. So no matter how much research we get done, it probably isn't going to change anything. Very frustrating.

+ My grades are getting better. I should get at least a B in Greek civilization, maybe a B+ if I did well on the paper, and an A- isn't entirely out of the question. I'm doing lots of extra credit for Intro to the Theatre and should get an A- or an A. Chem is going swimmingly, so long as I don't bomb the final, and I should get an A or A- in English. It won't be a 4.0, but I'm proud of myself nonetheless.

- I have been absolutely killing myself to get those grades. I've had way too many late nights in the library lately.

+ I'm really happy about my schedule for next semester. Biology, chemistry, statistics, and an honors core class called The Genetics Revolution in Contemporary Culture. I think they'll all be interesting, and I think I'll do well in all of them. :D

+ I am no longer working Friday nights next semester!

- Sadly, I am working 7 to 10 on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. =/

+/-/? I'm changing my major. I'm realizing that I want to study genetics more than anything. So, next semester, I'm applying to the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (don't ask, UConn is weird) as a Diagnostic Genetic Sciences major. I'm mostly excited, but also kind of frustrated at myself for being so indecisive about my major. I think this will stick, though. I'm hoping it will.

+ The holidays are almost here! I'm already pumped for Christmas, and I might try to get a bit of shopping done over the break (though I avoid Black Friday like the plague). I really want candles and Christmas music and hot chocolate and time with my family...

What has surprised you the most about me (if anything) since joining my flist? Was anything completely unexpected or have I always fit the picture of me you have in your head? Post this in your own journal and see how you have surprised people!

I'm going home for Thanksgiving break on Saturday. I need to do a real entry then, a lot's been going on.