Month: September 2013

As I’m sitting in the library on a Saturday night while nearly everybody else at Middlebury is partying, I’m thinking about how tough this upcoming week is going to be. So far my time at Middlebury has not been stress free, but I have not yet had a week where I was so stressed that I burst into tears or started to pull my hair out. However, I believe that week is approaching. Next week, I have three exams: a Microeconomics exam on Wednesday night, an Ecology and Evolution exam on Thursday night, and a self scheduled Spanish exam on Friday. Along with all these exams, I have regular classes and softball to worry about. So instead of going out with all of my friends last night and tonight; I am currently in Davis Library with the other five people who decided to stay in on a Saturday night as well.

After just waking up from an hour nap, I can honestly say that I don’t know how anybody could survive college without naps. Now I am sure that I have an earlier schedule than most people, four 8am classes, but that was not by choice. Looking into the future and considering biology as a potential major, the Ecology and Evolution class that I needed to take was only offered at 8am on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. After pairing my 8am class with another class at 9:05, I am wiped out. By 10am, the time that I would be sleeping until without classes, I already have two classes under my belt.

However, the early mornings combined with the late nights are killer. On the second day of classes, I was in the library until it closed at one in the morning and two nights ago, I was up until two. The only solution to sleep deprivation is plain and simple: naps. They can help to improve focus, gain more energy, and be a happier person overall. So if you are not napping on a regular basis, I would highly advise you to start. You will soon notice that they make a HUGE difference.

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The “freshmen fifteen,” three words feared by college students all around the country. As college cafeteria food improves, the will power of students diminishes. Middlebury for example has quite an array of options for students. With three dining halls that offer an enormous amount of options, it is nearly impossible to not find something that you love. For example, Ross Dining Hall has a couple main entrees for dinner, but also has pizza every night. If you are not happy with the steak and potatoes that are being offered, you have another great option. Along with pizza, all three dining halls contain a salad bar throughout the day as well as fruit. Soda machines contain almost any type of drink you could want and the chocolate milk is heavenly.

After finishing your main meal, there is still more to come. The desserts are incredible, ranging from German Chocolate Cake to Banana Cream Pie. Every day there is a new dessert and every day that dessert never fails to impress me. Although the desserts are great, most days I like to go with a simple ice cream cone. My biggest weakness is the ice cream machines that are always open and inviting me to have some. The chocolate sauce, caramel, and sprinkles do me in and I find myself having ice cream every single night.

Lucky for me softball is starting up soon and I will be working out almost every day; however if I didn’t have softball, I would be in serious trouble and on track for gaining the freshmen thirty.

Looking back at my digital media logs told me a lot about myself and how I choose to spend my time. I am addicted to my cell phone and I spend way too much time on it. The problem is that cell phones are not just calling and texting anymore, the possibilities are endless. I spend hours on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram each day checking up on my friends and the world around me. I also dedicate a lot of time to Pandora Radio, listening to it for an average of three hours a day during the summer. I worked for my parent’s company this past summer which entailed a lot of days sitting behind a desk at a computer. While working, I would always listen to music in an attempt to pass the time more quickly. Although I do not spend nearly as much time watching television as I do on my phone, I still spend a decent amount of my time watching my favorite shows. Along with regular television, I really enjoy watching Netflix. The problem with Netflix is it’s addicting. Once you start a new television series, you have to finish it. My sister once finished an entire series of Grey’s Anatomy in two days. I do not spend a lot of time on my computer unless I am doing homework for school or writing important emails. Although a media log is a bit tedious, I think it is a great tool. It shows me how much I depend on digital media and will help me limit my usage in the future.