Senioritis

I only briefly experienced senioritis in high school, and it wasn't too memorable. I just vaguely remember being distracted by parties, the theatre department, and college applications to care any more about school. And after all, after transcripts were sent out, as long as you passed your classes it didn't matter too much, right? Well, I never expected to experience senioritis again after the shock of freshman year at Longwood and realizing I would never again be able to sail through classes without working.

So now its senior year again. After four years, I finally figured out how to use my independence for good instead of evil and balance my time between schoolwork and other activities. I just found out Friday that I will be graduating this May, which makes me feel like a real senior for the first time this year.

And it took approximately 5 minutes for senioritis to set in.

I suppose I need to just grin and bear this last year as I finish my college career and head on to nursing school. After all, I'm here by choice (aside from the social and family pressures to get a college education) so I should enjoy the last semester and a half of my time in Farmville. Sit back, relax, and do the work that I already know how to do. This is what college is about, and now I'm leaving.

Halloween 2009

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Educated

As a senior in college, I feel as if I am fairly well educated. Sometimes I feel lost when having certain conversations with certain people, but for the most part I know a lot about current events and the world around me. Every so often, I meet a person and wonder how he/she has gotten as far as me in life. Unfortunately, I had such an experience this afternoon in my English 400 class.

A girl and I were partnered together to discuss various topics and then be ready to talk with the class about it. Well, during only one class, this girl expressed to me that she did not know what polygamy is, what the Vatican is, who the Black Panthers are, and wasn't aware that there was a genocide in Africa. She was also confused the Muslim women don't dress the same as American women.

I just couldn't believe that a senior in college was so uneducated. How is that possible? Did she cheat her way through the last 15 or so years of her life? Doesn't she read the news? Probably not. But I'll bet she can tell me more about Gossip Girl than anyone else I know.

I couldn't help but feel extra smart at lunch today discussing with my politically aware friend about the legalization of medical marijuana and gay marriage. Bitch can keep her Gossip Girl.

Puppies

As promised, this post is dedicated to puppies.

I guess around this age, it's normal for girls to go crazy over babies. Babies are cute and all, but I'm all about the puppy. It may be because my mom is the biggest animal lover I've ever known, or maybe its because my childhood dog, Muffin (R.I.P.), was my best friend. Or maybe it had to do with my volunteering history at animal shelters. But there's just something about puppies that makes me happier than most other things in the world.

I'm going to be completely honest and say it: I prefer puppies to full-grown dogs. Yes, I understand puppies turn into big dogs, but can't I still prefer them tiny and cuddly? Of course I can, and I would still love the puppy in question once he or she grows up. In fact, I think I've matured on this matter recently. For instance, I used to say I wanted a puppy that never grew up, didn't need to be fed, didn't need to go to the bathroom, only played when I was in the mood, and cuddled when I slept. What were most of the responses I got to this? "Get a stuffed animal." So I did.

Well now, with the "real world" appearing as a larger and brighter light at the end of the tunnel, I've been thinking seriously about my future dog. Is it weird that I've known for a long time that he will be a beagle named Crouton? Maybe. But don't people pick out baby names before even getting pregnant? Well a baby is in the distant future, but a puppy? A puppy is soon-ish to come. Until then, I'll keep ignoring the babies in their strollers while I love on the local dogs.