Nothing's Gonna Change My World...
I am reeling. Reeling from one of the most beautiful films I’ve ever seen.
I’m not really hard to please when it comes to movies, because I usually try to find something positive about it. But this time, I’m just going to rave incessantly about how much I enjoyed my pre-Valentine’s Day movie. (Actually, I just said that for the sole reason that I just watched it now, a day before Valentine’s Day. And no, it’s not some sort of date, as I happily watched it alone before I finally start with my Philo102 long test.)
The hell that is midterms week
I reckon I should probably be studying the assigned readings for the week by this time. But Sunday mornings are usually devoted to blogging, so I shall put studying in hiatus for awhile. A blow-by-blow account of the most academically intense week yet for this second semester could make up for neglecting my blog. However, I really feel quite all over the place, and cohesive thoughts are just not possible right now. Then again, I shall try.
Supposedly, midterms week is over. I had my Theo orals with Fr. Dacanay last Monday, my POS131 (International Political Economy) midterms last Tuesday and my Philo Orals last Thursday. I was fortunate enough to have gotten the schedules I wanted. The weekend before Monday was non-stop nerd mode for Theo, and I guess the fact that I got a decent grade meant that it worked. My IPE test was not as difficult as I expected it to be, and I’m sure I did okay. And as much as I do enjoy studying Ferriols for Philo, preparing for 6 headache-inducing thesis statements is quite tedious. It’s safe to say that studying for all my tests truly burned me out. You guys could just imagine the joy and bliss after my Philo orals. I wanted to hug people!
Even if I think I did pretty well for all my midterms, I think I may have compromised my POS194 (Comparative Politics) subject by cutting both classes last week. If it weren’t for Philo and POS131, I really wouldn’t have cut at all. And I don’t like the feeling of not being able to be present for discussion because that specific POS class is better appreciated once everything is explained. It’s a shame I wasn’t there. That probably explains why I don’t feel like studying the next reading. I gotta do something about that…
To celebrate the past hell week, my blockmates and I indulged in Wii, Guitar Hero and Sweeney Todd after our Polsci Practicum...
Random school-related tidbits
- I have never really liked cramming. However, college just makes it quite impossible to not cram at least one thing every semester. It also doesn’t help that most of my peers are crammers, which makes the experience of collective cramming is quite comforting at the end of the day.
- When it comes to writing my papers, my “magic hour” usually just sets in just before dawn. I try to finish around 1-2 paragraphs early on (even days in advance) and end up taking a long break to review my notes and outlines. Then, I sleep/nap until I wake up at around 3 or 4AM (I don’t even need an alarm for that.) to finish the remaining paragraphs. I always finish on time. Most of my best work are created during those hours.
- All-nighters work best through Skype or YM with my group mates. Nagdadamayan kami. And that works.
- I have my own highlighter system that automatically registers with my brain. I’m incredibly visual with a knack for bright colors, so my system is pretty effective. Three highlighters: orange (general statement), green (key/main term), pink (definition/supporting). And at least 2 colored pens for marginal notes, double emphasis and block quotes.
- I almost always don’t have a notebook, unless the other resource material is a book. I prefer jotting down my notes on the readings themselves. For me, it’s like hitting two birds with one stone when it comes to studying.
- During the start of the semester, I usually screw up one of the first quizzes/papers/assignments given in the beginning. I actually need this to motivate me to do well for the rest. Magaling talaga akong bumawi.
- Consultation is key to understand the style of the teacher. It really, really helps.
These are just the ones I remember. I don’t want to rant about school anymore, but what can you expect from a college student, right?
The cold nights signal the nearing holidays. I love, love, love Christmas and I can’t wait to enjoy the next few weeks, even...
I Heart PolSci People
I just got home from watching Stardust with my friends, Jam and Kent. FYI: It was a really, really good and entertaining movie. Neil Gaiman never fails.
I’m pretty much in total sembreak mode despite a major group research paper to be submitted this Friday. I guess I’ll be devoting my entire day tomorrow for that. Also, my new chocolate-detox diet is ongoing and I haven’t failed yet! It’s almost a week since I started depriving myself of my ultimate sweet weakness. Good job me.
It’s pretty obvious how much of a series-freak I am. Apart from all the shows I’ve mentioned in my previous post, I am now hooked with two new ones: Pushing Daisies and Journeyman. If you enjoy trying out a quirky, fun, whimsical, forensic ‘fairy tale,’ I highly recommend checking out the former one. (It also has 3 broadway divas including Kristin Chenoweth!!!) The latter, on the other hand, is for those who like more time-traveling adventure and mystery. It’s also set in San Francisco, which made me all nostalgic about Charmed. Due to the insane number of downloads we have for the week, my sister and I have our own weekly download system.
But before I continue on with my series-filled night, I’ll share some pictures with my blockmates from last Friday’s sem-ender. To celebrate the end of our hell sem, we channeled our love for singing and indulged on our own KTV Night in Greenhills.
It was chaos, of course. My blockmates are pretty much entertainers in their own right that I can’t help but think we might be in the wrong course. hahaha. Most of the time, we can’t help but inject our own ‘theatrics’ in any presentation or report. I swear my blockmates ooze talent. Our previous teachers can attest to that.
It might seem like they’re goofing up and cracking sabaw jokes all the time. But every...
Adjusted, but not so
I can’t believe that the next weekend is already the start of September! A few more crazy hellish months and I’m off to sembreak haven!
It’s amazing how adjusted I am being in my junior year now. Prior to stepping into Ateneo and experiencing being in the midst of the infamous hell week, you wouldn’t see me pulling all-nighters, cramming papers or studying till the wee hours of the morning. Not that I was a slacker (hardly). I just couldn’t find myself doing all those. Nothing was worth foregoing my beauty sleep.
Slowly, after terror profs, endless groupworks and unthinkable research/paper work, I’ve adjusted my body clock and have learned to make full use of God’s 24 hours a day. Tama ata ang mga magulang ko, abusado talaga ang mga katawan ng kabataan ngayon. Of course, I still don’t think it gets any easier. I may be used to the system, but the workload still gets even more challenging every time. Pagod na ako magreklamo. I do what I can, and I try to do it well. Unfortunately, I tend to be a perfectionist at times (especially with my papers!) and it can get frustrating. Slow and steady… that’s my paper mantra! Kahit na umaabot ng ilang araw, sige lang.
Of course, I couldn’t let my long weekend go to waste without some kind of social life. Ha. Reunions with my closest High School best friends are treasured moments. Last Saturday was the despidida of one of my closest friends, Sarah. She’s leaving for Korea the following day for Ateneo’s JTA Program, and won’t be coming back here till the last week of December. Together with my other best friends: Jaz, Audrey and Dan, we went to the mall, watched a movie, and then proceeded to Sarah’s house for a dinner party. (Hahahaha. Mukha akong baliw sa ibang picture.)
On the side: I just have to say that Hairspray was awesome! It...
Get my 
