In Winter Quarter, things started changing, but they were still enjoyable, at least in my personal perspective.
January 1st, 2009:
It’s a new year, and this blog hasn’t been updated for a while. However, I will try my best to keep this updated for as long as I’m in college.
Anyway, because it’s January 1st, I felt it necessary to reflect upon 2008. A lot happened – I graduated, and experienced my first quarter of college (which was WONDERFUL) [not the classes, but the people I encountered and met]. I know it sounds bad, but college is much better than high school in terms of the bonds you make, and the experience you share. Everything in 2008 happened for a reason, and I’m glad to be a part of it. I left behind the high school that brought me confidence, I finally passed my driving test (after failing it two times and running over a mailbox), and I did average/okay on my first quarter finals. There’s still much work to be done if I am to become a better person, or reach “self-actualization” on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. I shall try to maintain all my positive qualities in the new year, while slowly flushing out the negative qualities that have brought me pain and trauma in the past. With more experience, comes more life lessons that I will inevitably learn.
I’m going to try my best to get a job in the winter quarter of my freshman year at UCSD. I really need to make money, considering I already owe my parents about 1.5k for tuition costs. If not, I’ll try to make it up by working full/part time in the summer in an effort to pay my debt to society.
As far as resolutions are concerned, I’m not going to make any specific resolutions – but I will try my best to generally be a better person – which means to be nicer, more considerate, and more aware of the things happening around me. This generally includes knowing when others are sad and trying to cheer them up, knowing when others are doing things wrong, and trying to help them fix their mistakes. In order to create a sustainable society, you have to be a part of the contribution.
There’s much to look forward to in 2009: which include the highly anticipated return of 24. I survived 2008 without it, but it’s looking to be a great year with the return of it. With it comes the return of American Idol, the return of my college experiences, the return of my college family suitemates, and thus the bonds, experience, and memories that will last a lifetime indefinitely.
January 2nd, 2009:
With the new quarter about 3 days away, I thought I’d feel free to list all the classes I’m taking this quarter, along with an immediate description.
WCWP 10B. The Writing Course B (4) A workshop course in reading and writing required of all Warren College students who have completed 10A. The course continues the emphasis on argumentation and critical writing based on sources. (Letter grade only.) Prerequisites: completion of WCWP 10A and must be a Warren College student.
MAE 05. Quantitative Computer Skills (4) Introductory course for non-engineering majors. Use of computers in solving problems; applications from life sciences, physical sciences, and engineering. Students run existing computer programs and complete some programming in BASIC. Prerequisite: none.
COGS 3. An Introduction to Computing (4) A practical introduction to computers and how you can use their power. Designed for undergraduates in the social sciences. Topics include: basic operations of personal computers (MAC, PC), UNIX, word processing, e-mail, spreadsheets, and creating web pages using the World Wide Web. No previous background in computing required.
HIUS 157. American Women, American Womanhood 1870 to Present This course explores the making of the ideology of womanhood in modern America and the diversity of American women’s experience from 1870 to the present. Topics include the suffrage movement, the struggle for reproductive rights and the ERA; immigrant and working-class women, women’s work, and labor organization; education, the modern feminist movement and the contemporary politics of reproduction, including abortion and surrogate motherhood. Prerequisite: upper-division standing. +
January 4th, 2009:
I head back to UCSD today ! Whoot ! It’ll be a blast seeing my floormates again. However, I’m NOT looking forward to my classes. Cogs 3 might be interesting cause it’s introducing to computing, but warren writing!? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. Women’s studies?! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. Basic Programming? NOOOOOOOOOOO.
Anyway, I saw Bedtime stories the other day. That was a great movie ! Not as good as Yes Man, but way better than Seven Pounds.
ONE WEEK FROM TODAY, 24 returns with a 2 night- 4 hour season premiere. only on FOX.
YAY! So, upon move in day again on 01/05/2009 we were greeted with everyone, and quickly caught up on what everyone did all of winter break. Hugs & Hearts and all that good stuff! If I recall correctly, we also played Leandro’s Rock Band on the first night back, and that was quite exciting in terms of a flashback Kodak moment. Things continued normally from that point on:
January 13th, 2009:
Classes are going well currently. I believe my easiest classes are COGS3 and MAE5 (The teacher gives the quiz answers out during the quiz if you ask him, essentially). and my hardest classes are Warren Writing (that’s a given), and HIUS 157 (Women’s Studies). Of course, we had to read much in regards to African American lynching, which I felt was highly irrelevant, but we’ll see how that goes.
As far as college is concerned, I’m pretty tired of it! It’s fun and all,but it wears you entirely if you’re not too careful. Anyhow, with MLK day coming, I get to go home this weekend. YAY ! I wouldn’t go home every weekend, but since it’s a holiday I might as well…
Speaking of news, I have a job at the Career Services Center now. Whoo hoo! I will be doing primarily office functions.
Meanwhile, the return of 24 was GREATTTTTT ! It’s shaping up to be one of the best seasons. In an effort to rate the seasons, I’m going to make a prediction of best to worst.
7>5>2>4>1>3>6.American Idol is on tonight, and I can’t wait for the introduction of the fourth judge, Kara Dijourni.
In other news, I’m going to go finish doing my laundry now. K Bye .
That’s right! I did get a temporary job at Career Services Center this quarter. It was actually pretty simple – all I had to was scan and purge documents.
I remember going home every other weekend, which in essence made me miss various floor-bonding events such as parties & dressing up in garbage. Shrugs, oh well.
February 5th, 2009:
The Fray’s new CD is out, and let me tell you, it is quite mellow. In other news, classes are going well. I ultimately enroll in classes by Friday. Three-day-weekend is coming and that’s to be looked forward to. The 24 season has been great thus far. =D. Roommate selections are in a month. I’m in my Lab Section right not, supposed to be “labbing” it away, but I’m not. GOODBYE !
Here’s what suddenly became important about winter quarter. I was not okay with the partying that was being conducted, so I tried to avoid it as much as I can. Eventually I became more tolerant of it, but being only 2 quarters in and having never experienced anything like it ever before, I had my reservations and became increasingly disappointed. But who was I to judge?
Anyway, it didn’t matter, because in that quarter, me, Howard, & John Torres started meeting another suite on the floor, whom technically we never really talked to that much in the previous quarter. The only exception would be Stefani Mccloskey, whom we talked to twice… me & Howard… I think about politics. And Julie Chen’s introduction… which would comprise of “pile of shit”, and various insults traded back and forth.
Because Stacey Hunsucker’s residents were comprised of two floors: 4th & 5th, and 5 suites: 400, 408, 416, 500, and 508, 400 & 408 were the only suites to really bond at this point. I still think bonding with 408 was a good experience, despite some of the enraged jealously and insecurities that some members of 416 did to show their disapproval. Oh well! In the end, it wouldn’t really matter because all three suites would be together by the end of the year. It was only in the beginning that there was really a seemingly big division between 408 and 416, for which I shrug about everytime I think about it.
It all started one day when me & John Torres randomly decided to start eating with residents of 408 – specifically Tiffany, Michelle Kyong, and Julie Chen. It was at that point I ate a hot dog and threw up. It was kind of disgusting and kind of a bad introduction, but it was really funny nevertheless. From that point on, certain members of 416 would give us dirty looks whenever we ate with 408. Shrugs! Still, it was a fun experience, hanging out with them watching American Idol & 24 biweekly from that point on. Though the floor family was kind of being torn apart at the seams, it was still pretty strong, and we went on with our lives.
Speaking of throwing up, this reminds of Canyon Vista, the dining hall I used to eat almost every day in the Fall Quarter. By Winter Quarter, I had discovered Sierra Summit and ate there as often as I could. YUM! Stir-fry!. Furthermore, I remember and recall strongly those 408 dinners, including Stefani’s taking my clothes while I showered and John Torres “You’re an asshole!”… Good times? One can only wonder.
Therefore, one random night I celebrated two birthdays back to back, Victor Fung’s and Susan Park’s.
We showed Victor a video the girls made; it was really cute and creative. I approve wholeheartedly. 😀
Susan Park’s Birthday was fun as well. I remember John Torres feeling horrible that night, so horrible he was unable to attend Victor Fung’s Birthday. Shrugs.
From that point on, the seeds had been sewn. Me, Howard, & John Torres were friends with both suites, and would help to try to bring them together.
I randomly tried to branch out too at this time period, hanging out with various other persons including Annie Ma & Ann Bui.
Guess who else came during Winter Quarter to visit?! Quizbowl! They were really fun actually, I kind of miss Quizbowl upon realizing their return.
What also happened this quarter? Spoon Assassins was relatively fun, simply due to the fact that it helped the entire suite bond with one another, you know through the typical killing. Brett killed me like on the first night, so it wasn’t really a big deal if I had lost or if I had won, yaknow?
Inevitably by the middle of the quarter, the apartment had a shake-up as Stephen Brett Sauls simply moved out randomly one day, and Stephen Kim moved in in his place. It was very strange, because as me & Howard were going back to S.D. from home, Brett simply said goodbye to us. Little did I know, he would be back (although not living in the suite that we worked so hard to bond with).
Me, Howard, and John Torres began discussing apartment plans for next year. Ultimately, we decided to stick together, simply for the superficial reasons of being the non-athletic, and sober ones. -_-. Anyway, it would take quite a while before we figured out, or before I figured out a fourth roommate – little did I know what drama it would bring…..
Not much happened else of relevance this quarter, that was ultimately that important so that marks the end of Winter Quarter.
