Final Countdown

Yesterday I went into a conference with my English Professor, and the first thing she asked me was to rate my general stress level from 1-10, ten being the most stressed. I assumed she was expecting a seven or eight, because she was extremely surprised when I said three.

A very low quality picture of my school's testing center!

Next week is the last week before finals. Any sane person would be at a five, minimum, when rating their stress. So why am I a three?

Let's just say it's the calm before the storm. I know that the next two weeks are going to be the most stressful of all my years of schooling, so I decided to postpone stressing about it. It works, you should try it! Although you have to make sure you stress just enough to get your regular homework assignments turned in on time. Other than that, take some free time for yourself! Watch some TV, go to a party, sleep for 15 hours. Then, the week before finals, take advantage of the extended library hours to study and hope that it all pays off!

No, I have never tried this method before. I'll let you know how it works out.

Actually...

You may or may not remember my old post from October, "To be or not to be... Psychology!" Well, this is going to be a similar post as I, like many other college freshmen, explore the plethora of options to choose from - options that will determine the rest of our lives.

I have always been interested in psychology, but the real question is, what do I do with that major? I have explored pre-med and business, as well as minors in neurology  management, statistics, and editing. Yet none of these seem to click with me. So what am I considering as a double major this week?

Actuarial Science.

I guess it's time to learn how to play League of Legends.

Basically, an actuarial   scientist calculates the probability of risk, usually working with insurance companies and other businesses. I tend to be good at math, but I am no Einstein. I mean, I fell asleep during  my AP Calculus BC exam - now that's saying something. So what is it that draws me into this major? Simple.

• No graduate school required, just a few examinations.
• Nearly 0% unemployment rate
• Entry level income starting at about $80,000 
• Experienced actuaries can earn upwards of $200,000 annually 

Well I'm convinced. I figure it should work fairly well considering psychology relies a great deal on statistics anyway. Although, this is the fifth week in a row I have changed my mind concerning my future aspirations.

I suppose you'll just have to stay tuned to see what I decide.

Thanksgiving

When you ask me which holiday is my favorite, Thanksgiving is not near the top of the list. First, I would say Christmas because of the music. Second, 4th of July because of the fireworks. Third, New Year's because of the fireworks. Fourth, Halloween because of the candy.

However, at this moment in time, Thanksgiving is now in second place. I absolutely cannot wait for five days in a row, free of homework, lectures, and labs. It is going to be heavenly. Not to mention some of my most favorite people are coming down next week, that just tops it all off!

So Thanksgiving: please come quick, and please last forever. In the meantime, I will work on my three essays due today in the hope that the next few days will fly by in a blink of an eye. 

And, as a special gift during this holiday season, I have created a Recipes page. I will add to it more in the future, but for now I have included three recipes that I do not think I could ever live without.

Carnival

A glimpse of the dream that inspired this post.

Man, do I love that moment when you wake up from the most amazing dream, as if life could not possibly get better than this.

Then you realize none of it was real. That was the worst part of my morning today.

On the subject, Dr. Seuss once said, "You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams."

If that day doesn't ever come, don't question me when I begin to sleep 15 hours a day. Just hope to whatever god you believe in that I am having a great dream.

Some people say they wish they could decide what they dream about every night. I suppose sometimes, that would be nice. But personally, I think I would like to leave the work up to my imagination, because there are many nights when my dreams surpass anything I could have ever consciously thought up. Those are the nights when every puzzle piece falls into place and time stands still.

It is in those moments that I am grateful that my unconscious mind is aware of the level of happiness I am capable of achieving,  because my pessimistic mind threatens to tell me otherwise.

Now scroll down to the bottom of the page and please feed the fish. They may not be real, but it sure is entertaining!

Snow Cones

Never in my life have I seen snow in November. It just doesn't work that way in Seattle, but when we do get snow, usually around January or February (once in April), it's a party! It is as if we are seeing it for the first time! However, this happiness may be conditioned through the reward of no school days that are gifted to young children like candy once the first snowflake hits the ground.

If only it worked that way in college.

Of course, when it began snowing, I was ecstatic! That was, until I realized classes were not going to be cancelled because here, this much snow is normal. According to B.F. Skinner, now that my reward of no school has been taken away, my conditioned response to snow (happiness) should quickly become extinct.

However, I don't think Skinner would have taken into account the other factor that fuels my happiness, my very being, during the winter. And now that I live somewhere where it snows an inch per hour (about the current rate for the past three hours), this reward will be never-ending.

Homemade snow cones. To share the happiness, here is my recipe:

1 (1/4 oz.) envelope drink mix (I prefer Hawaiian Fruit Punch, but Kool-Aid works too)
1 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Water

Stir together until sugar is dissolved. Pour over snow, mix, and enjoy. 

Vacation

Everyone deserves a vacation at least once a year. That would make me long overdue for a carefree get-away, but not anymore!

Vacations are hard to come by, especially as the college semester is winding down and the homework is piling up. So where did I decide would be the perfect vacation spot, you may ask?

Rexburg, Idaho.

Not the first place anyone would think to travel to, but there was an awesome group of friends here that I so desperately needed to visit! The only odd thing about the trip was the journey here...

Step 1: See post on facebook day before trip about a seat available. Destination: Rexburg.

Step 2: Respond to post without considering the heavy amount of homework you have this weekend.

Step 3: Meet the driver and the passengers you don't know ten minutes before departing.

Step 4: Drive five hours, watch a movie, and make jokes about how you just met the driver.

Step 5: Meet up with the guys in Rexburg, then crash at their girlfriends apartment, who you have only met once before.

To the average reader, this may not sound like the safest process, but I was very confident in my safety. Just don't try this at home, especially if you don't attend BYU. I cannot guarantee your safety in that case...

Have fun and happy travels to you all!