Songs of Experience

My freshman year I was part of a special integrated class.  We met for six hours a week, read on average a novel and a half a week, and spent hours discussing what we read and relating it to our lives.  It was by far my favorite class I’ve taken at Ball State.  Without question, I learned more from those readings and discussions than I’ve learned in all of my other classes combined.

I was remembering today that we read Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience by William Blake, who apparently looked like this:

William Blake

Poor guy.

Looks aside, he was evidently a pretty good poet.  I don’t remember what all he talked about in his poems, but the titles have always stuck with me.  Looking back now, five years later, I can see freshman me singing my own Songs of Innocence (though I would have scoffed at you if you’d told me so).  I came to college from a small town, like most students here.  I had my troubles and triumphs growing up, but not a lot of exposure to the outside world.  I had ideals and grand visions for myself.  I very likely thought I knew just about everything.  I still thought the world was fair, that hard work and wishing would get me whatever I wanted, and that people generally have good intentions.

A lot happens in college beyond academics.  I’ve watched friends fall in love and get married.  Some are divorced, some have children, some are still building their lives.  I’ve fallen in love, had my heart broken, made lifelong friends, traveled the world, had my beliefs shaken, reinvented myself, grown, matured, lived, learned. . . .  And I wouldn’t change a thing.

I came to college thinking I should feel like a grown up, but I didn’t.  Now I’m supposed to be a grown up, but I know I’m not.  At the same time, I can feel a shift towards my own Songs of Experience.  I’m not a total pessimist: I still think the world should be fair, hard work and wishing will get me most things I want, and it turns out that people really do generally have good intentions.  I still have my Songs of Innocence that I cling to, but my Songs of Experience have much deeper meaning and have shaped who I am today.

I know many of you are trying to choose a university to go to.  Some of you already have.  Let me tell you that in most ways, the university you choose won’t matter in the end.  What will matter are the people you’re going to befriend and love, the adventures you allow yourself to have.  The sooner you learn that academics are secondary, the sooner you’ll get to the real learning.

Flowers and General Misery

I have good news: Daffodils are abloom all over campus.  And they’re pretty.  Maybe even cheerful.

In the meantime, school grinds on.  I’m having a horrible time concentrating.  This week was positively grueling, albeit for otherwise good reasons.  I had three job interviews this week, plus I gave a presentation at the CAP Faulty and Student Symposium.  I had a test this week, and I’m in general preparing to submit my thesis for consideration for various awards.  Of course, that’s contingent on me actually finishing my thesis, which is becoming a concern because I’m having a horrible time concentrating.  I am encouraged though.  My professors are really supportive, and really when it comes down to it, if I work diligently for the next week and a half or so I’ll be set to finish the semester strongly.

I guess in that vein, I have more good news: I still really like my project, and when I can summon the energy to focus, it’s really easy to write or design for my thesis.  And my other classes seem to be going smoothly.  Well, the key word is “seem.”  I haven’t seen grades for any of them, so technically, I have no idea how I’m doing in any of them.  It’s a little frustrating that Ball State provides professors with the means to communicate with us about grades, assignments, and other course-related materials instantaneously via Blackboard, but few professors actually use the system to its full potential or even use it at all.  I’ve heard some complain that it’s too complicated, but I’ve also been in classes where professors have really maximized the potential of the Blackboard website.  My guess is it’s “complicated” because it’s different, and if a professor actually sat down to learn the program he or she could do it.  I wish more would take that initiative.  Better yet, I wish it were required for professors to use Blackboard to communicate grades, share course documents, and submit assignments.  It would really simplify things, at least for students.

I think I’m getting a little complain-y, so I’ll cut myself off here.  Honestly, I’ll paint a bleak picture, but things aren’t that bad.  Spring is coming, and there are many festivities in the making that will help the last few weeks go quickly.

Ball State has Money for You

This is really neat.  I just read this article about Ball State’s new scholarship opportunities that have resulted from the Bold Campaign.  Seriously, scholarships are the way to go if you can get them.  Especially for your undergraduate degree.  I have no idea what scholarship opportunities look like at other universities, but it seems that Ball State has many more opportunities than other nearby schools.  For example, all Honors College students get the Presidential Scholarship, which awards the student the equivalent of half of tuition for four years.  We also have these other in-house scholarship opportunities.  Not to mention the national and international scholarship opportunities that my office promotes.  Point being, Ball State is a good deal to begin with, but it’s made even better because of the many opportunities to earn scholarship money.  Yay for the Bold Campaign!  And thanks to our many donors!  We appreciate you!

Spring is in the Air

Today was lovely.  Or so I heard.  I was working on the computer for most of it.  But I had enjoyable bike rides to and from school.  I also noticed the flowers are beginning to peep through the soil all over campus.  Ball State is beautiful in the spring.  I can’t wait to see everything in full bloom.   If predictions are accurate, I’ll even be able to open my windows and enjoy the fresh air by the end of the week.  Won’t that be charming?

Warm weather and sunshine definitely help take the sting off of still being in school.  Nearly everyone I know is ready to be finished.  It’s been five years for most of my friends.  We’re all looking for jobs or trying to get into grad school.  It would be nice if graduation were somehow staggered so that the job market isn’t flooded every May.  I guess that’s the nature of the beast though.  I’m feeling pretty good– I have plans to visit some firms next week.  With the economy how it is, I’m not terribly confident that I’ll find my dream job; nonetheless, I’m still focusing only on firms that could offer me my dream job or at least bring me a step closer to it.  I suppose if I’m still unemployed in October I’ll broaden my search to include more variety.  We’ll see though.

Anyway, I’m not really sure what this post was supposed to be about.  I guess I’m writing because I expect to be swamped the rest of the week.  The good news is that my classes are all coming together.  The bad news is I have significantly less time for the things I enjoy, especially climbing and biking.  Maybe if I tough it out and get ahead (dare I dream?) I’ll be able to make some time for fun next week.

School comes in Waves

Seriously, school comes in waves.  I just passed through the midterm wave, though the dregs of that will wrap up next week with a speech for COMM 210 and an engineering midterm about materials in the built environment.  Importantly though, I finished my thesis midterm presentation strongly.  As promised, I’m posting my presentation, though it makes a LOT more sense if you can hear me present it.    Nonetheless, you’ll be able to see some of my drawings and some of my research.

Struggling, but the Weather Keeps Me Positive

Well, for all the hard work TechTime and I put into saving my computer’s life, it seems that the problem is the motherboard.  The tech people tell me a new motherboard is about the same cost as a whole new computer.  So. . .  yeah.  For all my optimism, ultimately my computer is dead.  I’ll be spending lots of time in the Ball State library until May.  R.I.P. dear computer.

Likewise, my thesis is getting me down.  I can see it’s coming together, but I’ve been asked to do it differently than I would typically do it.  I guess I’m learning a new way to approach a design problem, but in the meantime I’m feeling the stress.  I have a midterm presentation in a little over a week.  I’ll post it on my blog when it’s ready so you can see a bit of what an LA thesis looks like.  Hopefully it makes sense to more people than just me.

In better news, the weather has been lovely the past few days, and it’s a welcomed change.  I’ve noticed that I emotionally respond to the weather more and more as I get older.  So for example, on a day when I’m feeling really stressed about my school work, I can take a walk and refocus with fresh air in my nose and birdsong in my ear.  Soon I’ll be riding my bike to school again, which will be *amazing*.  Before I know it, I’ll be playing frisbee near the Duck Pond without a care in the world because I’ll have finished my projects and my degree!

The Perks of Being a Ball State Student

Wow, I have a lot to cover this week:  TechTime, Student Voluntary Services, the Career Center, and a thesis update.  When it rains, it pours!  Oh yeah, and I have some photos.  Whew!

So first, glory of glories!  My computer has been fixed!  It’s been acting up (read: blue screening every few hours) since December.  The grand finale occurred last Sunday when it refused to turn on, instead favoring a black screen with the words “Operating System Not Found.”  That’s a BAD thing! The good news is that Ball State offers FREE computer repair services to its students.  So Wednesday I took my misbehaving computer to TechTime.  Two hours later my computer had a new operating system installed and was completely repaired!  On top of that, because I’m a student, I was able to buy the new OS at a discounted rate– only $27.  Go me!  And a HUGE thanks to TechTime staff!  You guys are amazing!

While I wasn’t battling the technology gods this week, I was searching for a job and trying to figure out my thesis.  I decided to look at the Career Center for job opportunities since the market for aspiring landscape architects is rather bleak at the moment.  I’ve used the resources at the Career Center before to practice interviewing, to learn “proper” etiquette at formal meals,  for my campus jobs, and I’ve attended a few career fairs.  I’ve just learned about another of their services: Cardinal Career Link.  This system allows me to upload my resume and CV to make it available to prospective employers.  It also contains a database of jobs, employers, and other career-related opportunities that I can search for new prospects for after graduation.  Perhaps the best part: Career Center staff review any documents I upload and offer feedback on how to improve.  I’m hoping this will be a valuable tool as I move forward in my job search.

As far as my thesis. . .  There were a few hang-ups last week.  They mostly involved miscommunication between my professors and me about certain elements of my project and a misunderstanding of the schedule I should be following.  Thankfully, we were all able to meet on Tuesday to figure things out.  I’m now spending nearly all my free time working to make up missed time.  Which has been a little stressful.

I’m the kind of person who uses volunteering as a stress-management technique, so I’ve started volunteering with Motivate Our Minds (MOMS).  I volunteer as a tutor for students in grades 5-8.  So far it’s been challenging and fun– exactly the kind of distraction I need during the week.  It’s nice to get off campus, interact with people not affiliated with the university, and (hopefully) make a positive difference in the community that’s been hosting me the past five years.  As a shameless plug:  MOMS needs more volunteers!!!  Contact SVS if you’re interested.

Another distraction that started this week are dance classes.  I’m not a dancer.  At all.  BUT Ball State’s Recreation Center offers instructional courses for a small fee.  My friend and I signed up for two of the classes, so hopefully by the end of the semester I’ll be able to hold my own on the dance floor.  I’ve also bought a fitness pass, which gives me access to any of Ball State’s fitness classes.  I’m particularly fond of zumba.  And of course, I’m still having a BLAST on the climbing wall.

And finally, here are some images from around campus:

My friend scraping ice.

The ice was REALLY thick!

Most people reading this will probably remember the ice/snow storm that covered the country last week.  Those photos were taken a few days later.  Many cars were literally frozen to the ground.  The campus staff are STILL working to clear all the sidewalks.  It’s slowly getting better though.

First year projects brighten up the architecture building.

More first year projects.

These projects are from the CAP First Year program.  They’ve been popping up all over the building.  Quite frankly, I think they’re lovely!

Cool Academic Opportunity

As promised, here’s the explanation of why I was a week late to school:  I attended a two week academic seminar in Washington, DC, called Camp David III: Negotiating the Path to Israeli-Palestinian Peace. The program is coordinated by the Washington Center, which is an intern/educational organization separate from Ball State.

Overall, the program was super neat.  We spent the first week and a half covering the history of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict and the last three days in a peace negotiation simulation.  For the simulation each of us represented a real person involved in the conflict.  I was Tzipi Livni, who is an Israeli political leader.  While the lectures and simulation were interesting, the real value in going to this conference, at least to me, was in hearing our guest lecturers.  We went to several embassies in DC including the Israeli, Egyptian, and French embassies, and we went to the home of the Ambassador from Syria.  We had speakers from the Israeli far left and far right, and speakers representing the Palestinian interests, even a speaker who studies Hamas.  As far as equal representation goes, this program offers a remarkably balanced perspective of the conflict.

All in all, it was a great start to my last semester.  The topic ties into my thesis, I met a bunch of really neat people, and I was able to get some travel time into my last year of college.  Good times.

Ugh. . . Computer Problems. . .

I know I promised an explanation about missing the first week of school, but my computer is completely freaking out.  I’ll have to update you when I’m on campus with a reliable computer.  In the meantime, if anyone knows of good hard drive deals for HP laptops. . .  let me know.  : P

The Beginnings of My Final Semester. . .

This is the first of many posts from my final semester!!!! I missed the first week of classes (I’ll explain why in my next post), so this week was my first week of this semester.  Here are some of my initial thoughts:

1.  I have senioritis SOOOOO bad. Remember, I’m in a five year program, so I’ve been a senior for two years! It’s just about killing me at this point.  I’m ready to see what’s next.

2.  My schedule pretty much rocks.  I’m taking only 15 credit hours (I’ve always taken 17-18 in the past), so I have more free time than normal.  Tuesdays in particular are exciting:  I have only one class from 9:30-12:15, then I’m FREE!  I’m hoping to use my extra time to volunteer more this semester.  More on Student Voluntary Services later.

3.  Planning for my future is a little nerve-wracking.  Any seniors in high school out there can relate, I’m sure.  Fortunately, we live in a day and age where we can pretty much do whatever we want.  Unfortunately, that means we have significantly more options to sift through when making decisions.  Currently I’m wrestling with the seemingly huge dilemma of what to do next year:  grad school? travel? work?   Yeah. . .  I have no idea.

4.  Spring semesters are so much better than fall semesters.  I *love* spring semesters.  Granted, they start off snowy and icy and really cold, BUT it goes only uphill from there!  Days are getting longer, soon it will get warmer, and before you know it, you’re playing Frisbee outside without a care in the world!  For some reason it’s much, MUCH easier for me to be motivated and focused in the spring as opposed to the fall semester.

5.  Building off of my love for spring semester, I also love spring break.  Sure, we don’t get any breaks between Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the second week of March, but it’s so worth it! We get a whole week off of school!  In the fall we get only a day or two here and there, and most of those coincide with holidays, so your “free” time is usually pre-planned with lots of family stuff.  Spring break is the real student vacation time.  There are so many more opportunities for your break when you have an entire week without classes or obligations.  For example, this year I’m hoping to travel to Jordan.  Yeah, try doing that over a three day weekend.  That’s right.  You can’t.

6.  Working on a thesis makes my education seem worthwhile.  I’m finally learning exactly what I want to be learning.  It’s so liberating to plan, direct, and complete your own project.  The cherries on top are the people I get to work with.  I have a thesis adviser and three studio professors.  My adviser is the chair of my department, and I respect her immensely.  Every time we talk I leave the conversation completely inspired and elated about whatever we’d been talking about. My professors are equally inspiring.  I’ve had two of them before, and I’ve loved the classes I’ve had with them.  I’ve been good friends with one of them ever since I went to Mexico– we’ve worked on several of the same international projects, and he’s helped me a lot with my global networking efforts.  The final professor is new from Istanbul.  I’ve spoken with her only once so far, but she’s very impressive.  She’s also offering a valuable perspective on my thesis, which is titled “Rebuilding After Conflict:  An Examination of Refugee Camp Design in Jordan.”

Those are my initial thoughts.  I’ll be sure to keep everyone updated on what my tenth semester looks like!!  Happy New Year everyone!