A learning experience
March 14, 2003 5:53 a.m.
Since I am done playing with my layout, I think it's time to write a real entry and get you up to speed on what I began calling "The Week From Hell".Monday: After waking up at 11am, I discover that my best friend has not been hired for the position of RA as we had hoped. Hearing this despairing news, I hurriedly dress and immediately go to check my own mailbox for the ubiquitous envelope addressed to me. I stood there for a good two minutes with trembling hands, thinking "This is awfully thin for an acceptance letter..."
Of course it is. It's a rejection letter. That would explain it. So, I go drop a large amount of money on a downpayment for a classring so that I may forever remember the school that I hate at the moment. I slink back upstairs to the cafeteria to seek some sympathy from my friends and then accompany %%diary-ihavebangs%% (Jaime) to check HER letter. Yes my friends... another rejection. It's a very, very bad start to this week.
Leaving Jaime to go back to my room, I call my mother and tell her the tragic news and manage to make it back to my own floor before bursting into the tears I have been holding back for so long. I walk into my room, and immediately Jessie knows what is wrong and comes to give me a hug. I cling to her like an old cruise ship lifepreserver. I proceed to climb up in my loft for the next 3 hours and sulk, conveniently forgetting that I had class during that time, and also needed to write a presentation for another class at 4.
I crawl out of bed at 3:50, hurriedly pull on clothing and grab the book I was supposed to prepare a presentation on over spring break and rush to class. I seclude myself in the back row of the narrow classroom, hurriedly reading the textbook and writing an impromptu 10 minute presentation on the musicianship of the Mbira, an instrument of the Shona people of Zimbabwe. Feel the excitement people!
Suprisingly, I pull off the presentation, and during the 10 minute break in the middle of class, find out that, miraculously, I received an A on the paper I had recently revised. With my mood much elevated over this unexpected praise from my professor, I return to my dorm room to grab a quick bite to eat before my next class and to read the textbook chapters that I am about to be quizzed on.
I get back to my room, only to find that Jessie has TAKEN THE BOOK! Through no fault of her own, she thought I had read it before while she was at class and she took the book with her when she left to get dinner before our evening class. Thoroughly panicking at the thought of Marian's quiz, I rush out the door of my hall, already late for class. I had just hit the sidewalk in front of the building when I realized, WHY GO? I was allowed to miss at least one class. I was in no emotional state to take a quiz. I was in no emotional state to watch Shakespear, even if Denzel Washington was in it. So, I turned around, and marched straight back into the dorm where I spent the next two hours telling anyone who would listen why I am overqualified for the position of RA and my private theories of why I didn't get hired.
Later that night, six of us crowded into my room, and we spent several hours venting and complaining about the "evil political aspect" of Cedar Crest. Feeling much vindicated, we were able to sleep much better that night. We indulged in massaging each other's sore and tense muscles away and tried to rationalize paying $400 for a class ring.
Tuesday: Nursing the aftereffects of a tension headache, I was woken by Jaime scant minutes before my Honors Class. Knowing I didn't have the time to shower and make it on time, and that I was in no shape to go without showering, I told Jaime to inform the Professor that I would be a few minutes late. Fifteen minutes later, I walked into the lecture to be handed the most amazing thing in my life. A paper. with. another. A!
Not only an A people. An A paper with the comment "Good critical thinking" This, being a high complement in such an institute of higher learning as Cedar Crest, made my headache fade to the background and stay there for the rest of the evening.
Later that evening, I drove a close friend to my hometown (an hour and half drive) because of a family emergency. I spent one night in my own bed, on ground level (no lofts for me at home), got a hug from my mother, discussed possible housing situations for next year, and made the decision that I had no desire to stay on campus this summer and that I would move home for the first time since Freshman Orientation.
Although I do not regret taking Christy to Shamokin, I only wish I could have seen Melissa to wish her a Happy Birthday in person, instead of via Instant Messenger.
Wednesday: I woke late, refreshed and ready to return to Allentown. Although I had no classes until Thursday afternoon, I thought it prudent to return to campus because Student Government Association's Executive Board elections were being held and I was a candidate for Corresponding Secretary. I tried to push my anxiety to the back of my mind as I drove along I-78, and I finally called %%diary-tasha154%%(Mel) to ask her to check who my opposition was. She laughed and said "You're running un-opposed you idiot!"
Much relieved, I drove the rest of the way back to school, chatted with the receptionist on duty for a few minutes, dropped my things off in my room and went to dinner and SGA with Mel. I was indeed un-opposed. So, now I face the "shadowing" period of a newly elected E-board member.
Later this evening, a senior, AmieF, and I decided that we would live together next year. This solved my housing dilemma quite nicely, since I had been planning on being an RA and had not sought out a roommate.
Thursday: I slept through a morning committee meeting that I am a student rep on. Then actually woke up for the Stats class I missed on Monday. After sufficiently faking my way through homework, we were assigned a computer exercise due Monday. When I will have time to get to the only labs with the program I need to use, I do not know.
Next, I returned to my room, hoping to go back to sleep. This was pointless. I ended up next door talking to Jennie and Jamie about housing selection. Now, I had previously been questioning my decision to live with AmieF. Mainly because she is a senior with a much different class schedule, and the fact that I am a neat freak whereas you cannot find one square inch of her floor. It is covered in a vast wasteland of Wendy's bags, soda bottles, and books (many written by Anne McCaffery or Terry Pratchett). Realizing the great error in my judgment, I announced that I would seek an elusive *single room*, and Jamie would do the same, then if we should both fail in our quest, we would have a back-up... live with each other.
This settles, Jamie and I happily wandered the farmers market in search of wholesome food and cheap Avon Lipgloss. Our quest completed, we returned to campus. I immersed myself in the blissfully hot water of the campus shower stalls and soaked away all the soreness present in my muscles until I thought Jaime might mistake me for the dried fruit she had bought earlier... wrinkly and red.
Shortly thereafter, Melissa and I indulged in double chocolate cake in celebration of her recent birthday (20!). After that, I watched in amusement as a few of my friends got dressed to go to a new club. I managed to make some progress on the sad state of affairs in our room, and can now actually find the floor again in both my closet and the rest of the room. I also cleaned the dishes, though while scrubbing a particularly nasty dish, send evil thoughts of revenge toward my roommate. Afterwards, I crawled into bed and read for a while before going to sleep.
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: I know not yet what they shall hold. I only know that I must ride a Cedar Crest van nearly an hour each way to an off campus site, Hawk Mountain, to participate in a weekend Bio class. Bird Watching. Yes, I am a geek.
Sadly, the hours of this class are 8-4 on both Saturday and Sunday. The shuttle van leaves campus one hour prior to class, meaning that I, the late sleeper, must be up before 7am for the next two days. This is a tragedy of monumental proportions. But, never having to take a science course again is WELL worth the price.
So, in conclusion. The "week from hell" really only started that way. Overall, it has been very balanced and has helped me grow overall. It will also be something that, when I am 90 years old and locked away in an institution for the rich and decrepit, I can torture my grand children by forcing them to listen to the tale over and over again.
rewind
- fast
forward
