Four final examinations over two days come between me and more than a month long winter break. Even though there aren't any plans at the moment, I'm looking forward to break even if it only consists of me lounging around at home.
However, there are a few things I need to get done over break...I really need to find a job. After leaving my job as a security monitor, I haven't had the time to apply for anything yet. I have found a few so far on Callisto, but I still need to revise my resume and work on my cover letter (another two things to work on). With that is also my major transfer application, but before I can do that, I need to meet with the department advisor as well as my college advisor (another two things to do). Then, I'll be able to work on my application.
I'm sure there are many more things to take care of over break, but it will definitely be worth the time and effort. It is all for the better.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Monday, December 6, 2010
December
December is finally here, which marks the end of another semester as well as the end of another year.
There is still much left to be done in this semester. A mere seven days and four finals separate me from winter break. The thought of only having one more week to play catch up on a semester's worth of material is daunting, but at the same time, the thought of winter break pushes me to study harder.
Let's make this week a great one.
Also, an update on Voices of Light, Part Two will be coming soon (hopefully in the next few days). Click HERE For Part One.
There is still much left to be done in this semester. A mere seven days and four finals separate me from winter break. The thought of only having one more week to play catch up on a semester's worth of material is daunting, but at the same time, the thought of winter break pushes me to study harder.
Let's make this week a great one.
Also, an update on Voices of Light, Part Two will be coming soon (hopefully in the next few days). Click HERE For Part One.
Friday, July 23, 2010
New Design
I should mention that my blog has a new design. Gotta shake things up from time to time to keep it interesting. Like everything else in life, my blog had to have a blue color scheme. Maybe one of these I'll change it to another color, but blue is my favorite color.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Movin' Out
It's been nearly two and a half months since my last update and so much has happened since then! Even though I should be studying physics for my midterm on Monday (it sounds early, but I have like 4 chapters of material to catch up on), but I decided to spare a few minutes to update.
I have finally have housing figured out! After browsing through Craigslist looking for a suitable place, I received a call from my friend Kliulai about an opening at Gaia. That was Monday morning, so on Thursday I went to take a look at the apartment. Thursday was also the day I got into a fender bender coming home from Berkeley. Is it a sign?
Anyways, it seemed like the perfect fit. It's a really nice three bedroom loft with a view of the city. I'll be living with four awesome people and it'll be a crazy time judging from the party a week ago. This time around, I won't have a roommate. The room's too small for another person and it's time for me to have some space to myself after two years of living with someone else in cramped quarters.
After my background check went through, I signed the lease this past Saturday. I have to get renter's insurance before I can get the keys. Time to look for furniture! I feel like I'm growing up!
I have finally have housing figured out! After browsing through Craigslist looking for a suitable place, I received a call from my friend Kliulai about an opening at Gaia. That was Monday morning, so on Thursday I went to take a look at the apartment. Thursday was also the day I got into a fender bender coming home from Berkeley. Is it a sign?
Anyways, it seemed like the perfect fit. It's a really nice three bedroom loft with a view of the city. I'll be living with four awesome people and it'll be a crazy time judging from the party a week ago. This time around, I won't have a roommate. The room's too small for another person and it's time for me to have some space to myself after two years of living with someone else in cramped quarters.
After my background check went through, I signed the lease this past Saturday. I have to get renter's insurance before I can get the keys. Time to look for furniture! I feel like I'm growing up!
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Meet Me Halfway
Are two years of college almost over? Come May 14th, I will be done with another year at UC Berkeley. This year was not any easier than the one before and it will only get tougher.
Reflecting back, these last two years have been somewhat of a blur. So much has happened, but I can recall so little in detail. There are those notable college milestones like getting the first A in a class, failing an first exam for the first time, failing a class for the first time, but there are also those funny, random, odd moments that occur in between. It's those little things that have been clouded over by struggles, personal battles, and other seemingly more important concerns.
Time passes so quickly that there are times I can't even remember how it passed. Zoom. And once it hits me, the weekend has ended, it's 9pm Sunday evening and I haven't finished any of my work. Not even my math assignment due the next morning at 8am. There are so many times when I can't even wake up that early to attend math discussion.
This semester, I've had math discussion three days a week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) at 8am on the other side of campus. Because I'm not much of a morning person (even though I like to think of myself as one), my attendance has not been spectacular especially since I've slept through most of them and missed at least four or five quizzes in the past month or so. There are mornings when my friend will call to wake me up at 7:30am...and I will pick up the phone, mumble a few words, go back to sleep, wake up at 11am and freak the fuck out. More than once have I wondered if he called or not and then check my call records to see that I actually picked up.
My sleep schedule has been turned on its head. There are times when I'm in Etcheverry until 2am working on my group final project or a weekly assignment for my engineering graphic design class. Sleepless nights and missed quizzes, all for a three-unit class. Is it worth? I'm not sure. Most days I don't get to bed until 5am, but it's an improvement from my all-nighters from last semester. I'm getting some sleep, but not getting all my work done. My lack of sleep affects my mood and my mood in turn changes my motivation.
Because of the design class, I've pulled so many late nighters for the group project and assignment. I've spent 14 out of the last 24 hours in that building finishing up the engineering drawings for our project. We were there from 9pm until 5am. It didn't help that a few group members were gone either out of the town for the weekend or out partying (?!?!?!) instead. I have pretty much lived in that building this semester slaving away for things that are worth so little points. I have to strive to earn as many points as I can, and at the same time not disappoint my teammates who are working just as hard.
In these past two years, my personal standards have gone down the drain. There are entire days when I have no desire to attend lecture or discussion. Looking through my notes, my attendance was impeccable before spring break. But after the onslaught of the second wave of midterms, I had no motivation to learn. With no parent to supervise what I'm doing, it makes it easier for me to slack off.
In high school, I was able to get so much done. I was able to participate in so much. The first thing after I got home was to watch TV and then promptly work on my math assignment. I was able to get my homework done relatively early and sleep at a decent hour around midnight or so. Granted this was partly because my mom would always check up on me to see if I was finishing up.
In college, it is much easier because I have to look out after myself. If I am not keeping up, then I am the one falling behind. There is no person to hold my hand to make sure I finish all that I need to do. I am still learning to be more independent and find that spark to drive me through the toughest material because my response to any concepts or material relatively challenging is to give up and to come back to it which rarely happens. Those trouble spots build up and I fall more and more behind.
My lack of interest in the classes I'm taking might be a contributing factor to my performance in the classes. Some material which I have already learned still seems foreign and new. This is a good indication that mechanical engineering or engineering in general might not be a good idea. However, a part of me wants to tough it out for just one more semester and see if things change for the better. But I need to make sure that it doesn't hurt me in the long run. There is still time this semester to improve and catch up on all that I missed.
One more week. There is one more week for me to learn four weeks of math material and also review the rest I've already forgotten. I must push through and do well. There is still so much left to do that requires my attention like housing (which I still haven't found yet), but I must find a balance to things and manage it all. I can't let my worrying about housing get in the way of my studying. There is still time.
Here's to the last two weeks of the school year. One week of studying and one week of exams. After that, it will be time to party...or rather get ready for summer school.
Reflecting back, these last two years have been somewhat of a blur. So much has happened, but I can recall so little in detail. There are those notable college milestones like getting the first A in a class, failing an first exam for the first time, failing a class for the first time, but there are also those funny, random, odd moments that occur in between. It's those little things that have been clouded over by struggles, personal battles, and other seemingly more important concerns.
Time passes so quickly that there are times I can't even remember how it passed. Zoom. And once it hits me, the weekend has ended, it's 9pm Sunday evening and I haven't finished any of my work. Not even my math assignment due the next morning at 8am. There are so many times when I can't even wake up that early to attend math discussion.
This semester, I've had math discussion three days a week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) at 8am on the other side of campus. Because I'm not much of a morning person (even though I like to think of myself as one), my attendance has not been spectacular especially since I've slept through most of them and missed at least four or five quizzes in the past month or so. There are mornings when my friend will call to wake me up at 7:30am...and I will pick up the phone, mumble a few words, go back to sleep, wake up at 11am and freak the fuck out. More than once have I wondered if he called or not and then check my call records to see that I actually picked up.
My sleep schedule has been turned on its head. There are times when I'm in Etcheverry until 2am working on my group final project or a weekly assignment for my engineering graphic design class. Sleepless nights and missed quizzes, all for a three-unit class. Is it worth? I'm not sure. Most days I don't get to bed until 5am, but it's an improvement from my all-nighters from last semester. I'm getting some sleep, but not getting all my work done. My lack of sleep affects my mood and my mood in turn changes my motivation.
Because of the design class, I've pulled so many late nighters for the group project and assignment. I've spent 14 out of the last 24 hours in that building finishing up the engineering drawings for our project. We were there from 9pm until 5am. It didn't help that a few group members were gone either out of the town for the weekend or out partying (?!?!?!) instead. I have pretty much lived in that building this semester slaving away for things that are worth so little points. I have to strive to earn as many points as I can, and at the same time not disappoint my teammates who are working just as hard.
In these past two years, my personal standards have gone down the drain. There are entire days when I have no desire to attend lecture or discussion. Looking through my notes, my attendance was impeccable before spring break. But after the onslaught of the second wave of midterms, I had no motivation to learn. With no parent to supervise what I'm doing, it makes it easier for me to slack off.
In high school, I was able to get so much done. I was able to participate in so much. The first thing after I got home was to watch TV and then promptly work on my math assignment. I was able to get my homework done relatively early and sleep at a decent hour around midnight or so. Granted this was partly because my mom would always check up on me to see if I was finishing up.
In college, it is much easier because I have to look out after myself. If I am not keeping up, then I am the one falling behind. There is no person to hold my hand to make sure I finish all that I need to do. I am still learning to be more independent and find that spark to drive me through the toughest material because my response to any concepts or material relatively challenging is to give up and to come back to it which rarely happens. Those trouble spots build up and I fall more and more behind.
My lack of interest in the classes I'm taking might be a contributing factor to my performance in the classes. Some material which I have already learned still seems foreign and new. This is a good indication that mechanical engineering or engineering in general might not be a good idea. However, a part of me wants to tough it out for just one more semester and see if things change for the better. But I need to make sure that it doesn't hurt me in the long run. There is still time this semester to improve and catch up on all that I missed.
One more week. There is one more week for me to learn four weeks of math material and also review the rest I've already forgotten. I must push through and do well. There is still so much left to do that requires my attention like housing (which I still haven't found yet), but I must find a balance to things and manage it all. I can't let my worrying about housing get in the way of my studying. There is still time.
Here's to the last two weeks of the school year. One week of studying and one week of exams. After that, it will be time to party...or rather get ready for summer school.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
A Brighter Future
Great. On the day that I plan on going into the city, it rains. Why couldn't have it rained YESTERDAY? Seriously...
Anyways, recently I've been getting good news from many of my friends. My friend Dylan, with whom I volunteered at The Tech, is now a realtor!! He works for Prudential and has his own office. It's been a while since I spoke with him and he im-ed me on Facebook to tell me the news. To think that he's practically the same age as me and he's already working professionally while still in school( majoring in electrical engineering). Maybe I should take the test to get a realtor's license.
And this morning, my friend Sophia im-ed to tell me that she's going to South Africa for study abroad. She had been put on the waiting list and was expectantly waiting to hear back. She was determined to go and was planning to apply through the university. I guess she found out this morning and is leaving in mid-July. How exciting!! It's hard to imagine studying and living in another US state let alone a foreign country... considering I've lived in the Bay Area my entire life, and now that I'm going to college here as well. It would be nice to have a change of environment maybe for just a couple years.
Hearing the news from my friends make me excited for them, but at the same time disheartened for myself. I'm struggling to keep up with school and can manage little else besides school. My hope is that things will change in the near future and I'll be able to get back on track. Many important decisions are coming up. Most of them are short term, but still are very important for me.
It's the start of a new month. And April is when I will find out whether or not I'll be able to make the next leap to a different future. But in the meantime, there are still next year's classes and housing to figure out! Here's to hoping for a brighter future!
Anyways, recently I've been getting good news from many of my friends. My friend Dylan, with whom I volunteered at The Tech, is now a realtor!! He works for Prudential and has his own office. It's been a while since I spoke with him and he im-ed me on Facebook to tell me the news. To think that he's practically the same age as me and he's already working professionally while still in school( majoring in electrical engineering). Maybe I should take the test to get a realtor's license.
And this morning, my friend Sophia im-ed to tell me that she's going to South Africa for study abroad. She had been put on the waiting list and was expectantly waiting to hear back. She was determined to go and was planning to apply through the university. I guess she found out this morning and is leaving in mid-July. How exciting!! It's hard to imagine studying and living in another US state let alone a foreign country... considering I've lived in the Bay Area my entire life, and now that I'm going to college here as well. It would be nice to have a change of environment maybe for just a couple years.
Hearing the news from my friends make me excited for them, but at the same time disheartened for myself. I'm struggling to keep up with school and can manage little else besides school. My hope is that things will change in the near future and I'll be able to get back on track. Many important decisions are coming up. Most of them are short term, but still are very important for me.
It's the start of a new month. And April is when I will find out whether or not I'll be able to make the next leap to a different future. But in the meantime, there are still next year's classes and housing to figure out! Here's to hoping for a brighter future!
Saturday, April 3, 2010
American Idiot Changes: Berkeley Rep vs. Broadway
American Idiot began previews on Broadway a week and a half ago to a fairly strong attendance (76.8% capacity for the first five performances). Let's hope it will continue strong all throughout previews and after opening night April 20th. There have been a few changes that I've noticed between the run on Berkeley Rep and its current state on Broadway. I've listed the ones I've noticed below:
1. American Idiot - they changed the parts for the beginning. Johnny doesn't sing the first few lines.
2. Johnny’s monologues are now shared by Will and Tunny. (For the most part.)
3. Dates have been added at the beginning of each monologue. I don't like the addition of the dates before each monologue...maybe it'll grown on me, but it just seems unnecessary.
4. Tales of Another Broken Home - addition of drum solo + guitar
5. Last Night on Earth – Didn’t notice any changes! So glad because it's one of my favorite songs from the show.
6. Boulevard of Broken Dreams – Tunny (I think) sing/repeats “City of the damned” a few times at the end of the song when it transitions to "Favorite Son"
7. Last of the American Girls/She's a Rebel - The creative team have had some trouble perfecting this scene/song. There have been numerous changes throughout the run at Berkeley with a late addition of Last of the American Girls a week before closing. According to various tweets from cast members on April 1st (April Fools joke?) that a new version went into the show that night.
8. Rock and Roll Girlfriend - Will exclaims "What the fuck?" (I'm assuming when Heather enters. It's a nice addition. - According to a friend, Heather and Miguel's character come out in a black box representing a TV set and he uses Heather as an instrument.)
9. Otherwise, nothing else has changed musically that I could notice. Most of harmonies and orchestrations have stayed.
10. Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) - Song was added after curtain call during the last week and a half of the run at Berkeley Rep. It seems like it isn't included anymore.
Only 17 days until opening night!
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