Thursday, September 15, 2011

"Starbucks represents something beyond a cup of coffee"

How Starbucks taught me to study: a tale of lattes and literature

I'm not afraid to admit that I've been a bad student in previous semesters.  My study habits, although they've existed, have been rather poor.  Sleep deprivation at night resulted in naps during class instead of attending class.    I want to believe that I was a good student and the classes were just that hard, but truth is that I really just wasn't that into school.  I did fairly well, enough to get by with average grades, but I know I'm better than that.

Here I am at a the start of a new semester after having taken two years off.  It's intimidating and huge and I'm scared out of my mind, BUT I have this overwhelming feeling that this is the semester where I figure things out and do well.  Throughout this first week of school I've been so on my game.  I've gone to all my classes on time (17 credits worth) and I've spent time in the library getting assignments done and many hours at home studying in my room instead of playing with my roommates.  Every time I open my computer, instead of opening up Facebook first thing, I open up my byui account and get a couple assignments done.  And then I get on facebook and watch kid history and laugh my face off.

What happened to cause the change?  I think working full-time at Starbucks did the trick.  I got into the habit of going to work for 9 hours, starting at 5am.  I worked hard at my job to be the best barista I could be and now I feel ask though I have a work ethic that far surpasses the one I had when I was at school before.  Basically, Starbucks taught me how to study.

This is my semester.  

Sunday, September 11, 2011

"Its really hard to be roommates with people if your suitcases are much better than theirs"

This is round 5 for me at BYU-Idaho.  Two years on, two years off, now I'm back.
I'm in a new apartment with new roommates and a new (hopefully last) major.  I'm all settled in and I'm already loving my roommates.

I feel as though this is going to be the semester that I really figure out what I'm doing, and not only in school.   I think I'm going to end up with a clearer idea of what I'm going to do with my life.  I'm going to figure out what direction I need to take, whether or not I should stay in Idaho, how I'll be able to afford France, where I need to be.  I'm twenty-two and I still need some direction with what I'm doing.  There are so many options available to me, but everything has it's pros and cons.  Sometimes I'm worried about making the wrong decision.

But I really feel like things will make more sense this semester.  Hurray!