Today was a very adult day! Instead of being able to roll out of bed in sweatpants, since I did have class at 9 o’clock, I got up extra early in order to make sure I had plenty of time to shower, pick out a nice outfit ((for every girl out there you know that this can be quite a process)) and make myself look somewhat presentable ((whatever that may be)). What was the occasion you ask? Today the UB STARS group, of which I am a part of, was invited to a lunch with the President of the university, John Simpson, and the Vice President of Student Affairs, Dennis Black. A group of about 20 STARS ventured upstairs in Capen ((all the way to the 5th floor which, for most UB students, is a uncharted territory)) to a conference room and had a very nice, and delicious, I might add, lunch. The point of the meeting was to not only thank us STARS for the work that we do in recruitment of new students but also to open discussion up between us and the President & Vice President. The discussion was mainly driven towards the topic of “UB 2020″. For any of you who have not heard of UB 2020 or are wondering if that’s just some code for another one of my ridiculous rants I’ll explain a little bit about it.

UB 2020 is a plan that the university has for the future of Buffalo. Its main goal is to establish UB as a prominent academic community, more so than it already is. These plans involve such things as increasing enrollment, adding more professors and expanding the campuses in terms of research facilities, classrooms and residence halls. Examples of this plan are already being seen around campus, for instance, the steps being taken to be a more “green” campus or being more aware of our environmental impact, or the re-doing of Founders Plaza here amidst our academic buildings. The plan was even recently backed by Governor Eliot Spitzer who said that the state would be endorsing the ambitious plan. Overall, it’s just a plan to head the university in the direction of being able to compete with other prominent state public colleges such as UCLA and UNC.

The lunch was a great opportunity for us STARS. President Simpson and Vice President Black were able to give their perspectives on the whole subject as opposed to reading about it in biased newspaper articles and then the floor was open for us to really ask whatever we wanted, whether it be to get something clarified, to add suggestions or to even criticize something. Not often do college students get that personal one-on-one contact, especially in a university of our size. A few of the other bloggers were there as well and it will be interesting to see what their opinions of it was. Overall, I thought it was a very informative conversation with the STARS giving some very good feedback and I was excited to see that we were really able to speak up about some things.

But anyways, I should get back to some reading since we all know that between RA group process taking place Saturday and Sunday and then the Super Bowl on Sunday, I will not be getting any work done this weekend.

After restoring some organization to my life, yesterday was spent putting the finishing touches on my application to be a Resident Advisor or an Academic Assistant. The application process involves a written application that consists of of several essay questions and then a group process day followed by an individual interview. So after having a friend read over my essays to make sure I didn’t sound too crazy and re-reading my resume for the 5 billionth time I hit that “Submit” button and sent the application off onto the World Wide Web. Now it’s just time to wait for group process day!

Today is going to be spent reading, taking a break for some desperately needed laundry time and then more reading. The thing about one of my majors being psychology is that there are a lotttt of research experiments that you need to read and know. Well for anyone who has ever read some psych research, they are long and very involved so they take some time to really grasp. However, my classes are really interesting so that helps at least make the material some what easier to read. The other day in Psychology of the Personality we watched a clip from the ever-loved Disney movie “Beauty and the Beast” and then proceeded to analyze the personality data of the character Gaston. Really, who doesn’t love a good Disney clip now and then? And to have to watch it in lecture? Couldn’t get any better!

It also it nice to enjoy lecture material because it makes it easier to get out of bed for class now that I have put on the sheets my aunt gave me for Christmas. Think of the softest robe that you have ever owned or even a blanket that you love to curl up with to watch a movie. Now put it on your bed as your sheets you sleep in every night. Heaven right? Whenever anyone comes in my room to talk or say hi, if I’m not in the bed, that’s where they head for. So you can understand my dilemma when my alarm goes off at 8 o’clock in the morning and all I want to do is snuggle back down under the covers. Speaking of the sheets, maybe I’ll just go cuddle a little bit longer before my laundry is done, I mean you can always do reading in bed right?

One more game to true perfection. Now obviously I was ecstatic about the results of the Patriots game on Sunday and my opinions have yet to be determined about the outcome of the Packers/Giants game. I would have liked to see Brett Farve have at least one more Super Bowl appearance but I have a soft spot in my heart for Eli Manning (since I can’t stand his brother) so I’m very indifferent to that game. Either way we have to remember that I go to school in New York so in addition to the already die-hard Giants fans around here, those Jets fans, that long gave up on their team, have shifted their support to the other New York team. And who doesn’t love a good underdog story? Which means only one thing, that in these next coming weeks it’s going to get a tad bit more risky for me to venture anywhere outside of my little dorm room in that #12 jersey.

But enough about the Patriots because we all know destiny will play itself out. And onto more exciting news that I got on Sunday, we have a new Senator for Hall Council! Seriously, I was so excited when she came to the meeting because I honestly didn’t know if we would have anyone to run and that would present a new dilemma but we don’t even have to think about that because we’re excited to have Keri on board!

The rest of my weekend was quite a nice first weekend back! Sunday night I went out with some friends to karaoke, and really, when is karaoke not a good time. There were some bad acts, some good, but mostly bad, and certainly a ton of laughs. Then in typical college tradition I got almost 12 hours of sleep Sunday night. It was simply amazing! Monday was spent cleaning the room and getting everything back to order, who knew in just one week I could demolish all the organization I had spent so long doing when we first got back? ((No doubt that my parents are nodding their heads, they’ve seen my bedroom at home get pretttyyyy bad)) But now we’re back into classes and classes mean reading and reading means library time, where I am now. So I’m off now to try and catch myself up in all of my classes and it’s only a 4 day week, hey, maybe I’ll even get myself a little ahead. ((But I wouldn’t hold my breath on that last one if I were you))

It is definitely time for the weekend! This first week has been nothing but running from one event to another meeting, all around an 18 credit course load. I have barely had time to call home and let them know I’m alive! (Ps-just an fyi Mom & Dad, I am in fact alive) The thing about spring semester that is different than the start of fall semester is that everyone jumps right into things. Many people are already involved in their various clubs, groups and other activities so it’s just a matter of getting everyone back on ship. Even the professors seem to spend less time easing into coursework. I have spent the last three nights chipping away at some assignments! Now, it’s been no where near the amount of work I should have been doing but maybe that’s why they schedule the beginning of classes so that first week has a three day weekend following it, to give us an extra day to catch up with ourselves.

This weekend’s goal (besides catching up on those reading assignments) is all about Hall Council. Due to the fact that one of our Senators moved into one of the apartment complexes on campus and had to resign her position (since she doesn’t live with us in Porter anymore), we have a vacancy that needs to be filled! Senators are incredibly important to Hall Council because they are the people who represent our hall at Senate, which includes all of the other resident halls and apartment complexes in RHA. The remaining Senator and I spent a good chunk of time on Tuesday making signs and placing them around the Porter Quadrangle making residents aware of the vacancy and times of elections, so I am hoping for a good turnout but it’s always one of those things where you have to keep your fingers crossed!

Other than that this week has been filled with just trying to get back on pace with everything. My notebooks are finally all color coordinated, with the appropriate class labeled on the front cover. But all week long I have been finding little things that I forgot to pick up so my scatterbrain and I have made about three trips to the CVS here on campus for different things and actually, as I sit here I just realized I forgot to pick up a pink highlighter (mine died) so it seems that’s where I should head next!

Today was the first day of classes and I am loving being back in the swing of things! There is just something about the first day that I love, especially after winter break where you haven’t been gone for four months like summer break but just long enough so you still get excited when you see everyone. I am even totally into all my classes so far! I have a couple of professors that seem really excited about the course and all the material which is really exciting! Totally and completely dorky, I recognize that, but also don’t really care.

The latest news here in B-lo is that the Starbucks here on campus is updating it’s cafe. Which is totally needed! When lines at Starbucks got too long before, ouch, watch out! But this new setup seems to really open the restaurant up which is great! Speakkkinggg of coffee, guess who used their coffee pot for the first time this morning! Moi! And it was fabbuullouusss!!! My coffee pot makes everyone else’s coffee pot’s jealous, if there were an award, mine would win it, for #1 coffee pot!! Instead of brewing into the typical glass pot it is actually a thermos. So that means on those long nights at the library I can make a pot and take it to the library to share! AND my coffee pot has an automatic brewing program so I woke up this morning to the sounds of bubbling water and the smell of fresh coffee. It was awesomeee!! There is a picture of what it kind of looks like, mine is all black but you get the gist of it!!

Okay enough about my amazing coffee pot, I’m sure if I didn’t sound pathetic for actually enjoying back in classes than I defiantly did ranting and raving about my coffee pot (your just lucky I don’t have time to talk about those amazing sheets-I’ll save that for another day). Time to go back to organizing my folders and notebooks because I’m one of those girls that has a different color for each class, the notebook and folder matching, and preparing that is time consuming!

And the countdown is on! Just 2 more short days until a friend and I load up her Jeep and head back on that long, lovely road known affectionately as the good ol’ NYS Thruway. It seems like just yesterday we were packing up the dorm rooms, making sure everything was unplugged before we headed home. These four weeks sure have gone by fast! Today is going to be my last day at work. It’s going to be sad leaving this time because this will probably be the last time that I will work at the office. It’s weird thinking that I may never see some of my co-workers again, after working so closely with them on and off for two years. I love working there, by far it has been my favorite job! However, I am totally pumped to head back to Buffalo!

There are people at school that just become such a part of your life, you almost become family. You eat together, you study together. Being away is a nice break, I have absolutely loved being home, but I’m looking forward to getting back into the swing of things! I was talking to a friend tonight about how nice the college schedule is in comparison to high school. When we get back to classes on Monday, we get to start with a clean slate. Whatever mistakes we did or made last semester get left in last semester. Plus it’s a nice change a pace, every 4 months we get a new schedule, new classes, new professors and new kids sitting next to us in those swinging lecture seats. I’m really excited about my schedule for next semester! I have purposely put classes later on Monday, Wednesday and Friday in order to schedule in some gym time or after those all-nighters that too often get pulled, maybe actually a chance to grab some shut-eye! And, BONUS, I only have two classes on Tuesday and Thursday. Plenntttyyy of time for those days where I just lock myself in the library. Well, now that all of you will know exactly where I am at all times, I should at least start thinking about putting together some of my stuff that is thrown about the house since tomorrow afternoon starts the NFL Playoffs so I will not be getting anything done! But as we all know, I detest packing so let’s be honest, I’ll probably just throw stuff together Sunday morning! *Go Patriots*

Finally I felt like I belong. After years of being a New England fan and living in New York, this weekend I was reminded of what it was like to walk into a living room knowing your not going to have to beg for your game to be put on, or to walk around in your team’s jersey and not be taunted. I just got home from a weekend long stay in Boston and it felt like home. It was great to see my family (I have quite a large one, with cousins and second cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents) and awesome way to spend my last weekend before packing up for school. We went to church on Sunday with my aunt and grandmother and the priest even PREACHED about the Patriots! It was then that I knew, this is where I am suppose to be!

Grades came out this past Tuesday. Well, many people have had the majority of their grades for a while now but this was the day when they had to be on our transcript. The way grades work at UB is that whenever the professor gets them handed in and they get processed through the system they show up online, through your MyUB account. So every morning I would sit down at work with butterflies in my stomach and hit that “My Grades & GPA” link, waiting while the page loaded to see if all of my hard work this semester paid off. And thankfully I’m happy to report it paid off much more than I had anticipated! I was so excited! With each new “A” that showed up I would pick up the phone and first call my dad, during his morning commute and then my mom, during her busy morning of shoving kids out the door to school, and let them know, then I’d go around the office letting anyone that would listen know. ((I’m a subtle person, in case you couldn’t tell)) No but really it’s always nice when things like happen, it makes it all seem worth it!

This is the last week of home before we head back and I couldn’t be more anxious! I’m excited to get back to everyone, as nice as home is, it’s nice to be on your own as well. Plus my aunt gave me these *amazing* sheets for my bed at school, I can’t wait to put them on! I’m glad I did so well this semester because now with those sheets it’s going to be a toss-up whether I go to class or not! (Just kidding….kinda)