Thanks for the Heads Up.

After completing my first semester, I have compiled a list of things I wish someone would have told me before heading down to Austin.

1. A college syllabus is for real. It's not like those lame high school ones where teachers give it to you to say that they did and so you can have a general idea of how the grading percentages work out. I honestly threw away every syllabus that I got in high school because they were really not very necessary. In college, a syllabus is the key to life. Professors stick to these and expect you to know when quizzes and exams are happening because "it's on the syllabus". Would have been nice to know.

2. All girls dorms kinda suck. Not that I'm bringing guys home every night or anything, but if one of my friends comes up while I grab something, I get the dirtiest looks from the girls studying in the living room downstairs. And it's not the fact that it's a friend coming up... it's the fact that my friend does not have boobs and a vagina. USually I just brush their looks off, especially when I come in late from a football game that they have no clue even happened. But when I'm trying to be courteous and keep a pal out of the elements, I think bitchy honors student girls should get over themselves and bury their noses back into their books.

3. Read read read. There is not enough time on the weekends to catch up on reading assignments when all of Saturday goes to football. There is also not enough time before midterms and finals to try to cram it all in with hopes of making an A. I wish staying caught up really would have been emphasized to me, though it may have taken me experiencing it myself for me to completely believe it anyway.

4. Workout times are hard to come by. With the stress of classes and the schedule of LHB, I really had a hard time getting over to Gregory. In addition to it being not so close to my dorm, it is always super crowded, no matter when you go. And I've heard the rec center is always fairly empty compared to Gregory, but that is literally on the opposite corner of the 40 Acres. While I'm struggling to keep up in class, the last thing that I wanna spend more precious time doing is going across campus, even if working out really is an enjoyable and stress-relieving activity. I was running and doing some ab work every day for a while, but then midterms came around and I decided that I was better served studying than sweating. Unfortunately, I never got back into the same routine. I miss the scheduled regularity from high school athletics, and after I excercise I really do feel better. Definitely something I'm going to get a hold of during the coming semester.

5. Desks in rooms serve little purpose. They are meant as a studying space, but only for those with strong self-discipline. I tried doing serious studying in my room for a while... that was not a success. Libraries are the best place, I've found, because everyone around you is doing it and it motivates you to stay focused. In my room, I'm on Facebook or YouTube goofing off instead of focusing on the material. In the libraries, I am infinitely more productive and feel more accomplished when I get home and finally get to sleep. So in the future, out of the room is definitely the way to go.

6. Um, and thanks for the warning about how much I would miss baesball season. It's different being in Austin during the offseason because I feel so far away from everything Rangers, and it breaks my heart. Austin seems devoted to the Astros, and I miss driving on highways and seeing random billboards for those wonderful boys of Arlington. I guess it's part of it, but I do miss being closer to the Ballpark in case I feel the need to make my heart smile by taking a visit. C'mon Spring Training... ya can't come soon enough :)



These surprises did not overshadow the greatness in this semester. More later on the highlights from Fall 2008 :)