December 2004
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Let Gillian know if
you enjoyed her journals! Send comments, advice, or reminiscences
of your own time at Iowa by e-mailing tina-owen@uiowa.edu.
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I Can Do It *new*
It seems as if the learning curve was
a little steeper this year than in the past. For the first two weeks
of class I felt like I
didn’t understand half of what my teachers were saying. (read
more)
Time to Move On
This summer, I discovered a new
inevitability. There comes a time in everyone’s life when “my
room” becomes “that
room,” when pictures and trophies are boxed up and put into
storage, walls are repainted and furniture rearranged. This summer,
my room became a guest room. (read more)
The Ordeal Begins
Coming back to school is always a big ordeal. It was slightly
less so this time because I brought part of my stuff back the weekend
before school started.
(read more)
All Business
This month of June has gone by in a
whirlwind of business trips. My desk calendar at work is covered
in writing: hotels addresses
and phone numbers, hours I’ve worked, numbers of surveys I’ve
collected, where I’ve been. (read
more)
Miss Independent
After one week off for the summer, I started working for the
South Dakota Department of Tourism. My job is to go to different sites
and survey tourists. After three days, I went on my first business
trip, to Watertown, where I surveyed visitors at the Terry Redlin
Art Center. (read more)
A Major Breakthrough
Everyone probably goes through a phase of feeling really frustrated
with his or her major. For me, it came as I was studying for my second
test in “Organic Chemistry II.” (read
more)
Running Out of Time
Spring is a time of unusual weather patterns. I think the heat has
been turned off and on about five times in the dorms so far. It was
just starting to warm up again, then it snowed on me this Sunday
when I went to see friends in Madison. (read
more)
What’s Not to Like?
Being home for a month over winter break gave me time to notice
all the things I love about South Dakota. Coming back made a lot
of things about Iowa seem less appealing. (read more)
The High Points
Thursday, February 5, 2004 was a good day for several reasons. (Not
the least of them being that it was Thursday, which means that the
next day will be Friday, which is always a good thing.) (read more)
Life Changes
After my rock climbing experience (see my previous journal
entry), I noticed I had one missed call on my cell phone. It was from
my
oldest sister, Hilary, a senior at Oklahoma State University. (read
more)
The Measure of University Life
Usually,
I like the look on people’s faces when I tell them
I’m a chemistry major. Lately, though, “Basic Measurement” has
been draining the life out of me, and I’m starting to think
that what I really want to do in life is write greeting cards for
Hallmark. (read more)
The Problem with Time
I don’t know how it worked out, but I’m taking
five classes this (fall) semester, and I have at least one big project
due in four of them the week I come back from Thanksgiving break—a
nonfiction creative writing piece due Monday, a 200-300 word essay
and a final project in German by Tuesday, a test in organic chemistry
on Wednesday, and a lab report for basic measurement by Thursday.
(read more)
You Gotta Have Friends
This
semester, I have to take organic chemistry II for majors, organic
lab for majors, inorganic chemistry, and introductory physics II
for my major. The bad thing about having all those required classes
is that I don’t have much freedom in my schedule. (read
more)
The Funny Thing About Finals
Finals
Week is such a strange concept. We have a whole week with no regular
classes, no other meetings, no homework, and only a few
two-hour tests. There’s no reason it should be the most stressful
week of anyone’s life. (read
more)
The Christmas Tree Bonfire
The
annual Central South Dakota Christmas Tree Bonfire is always a highlight
of my winter break. It’s a tradition started four
years ago by my sister’s boyfriend, Michael, when he and the
other staff of the Pierre City Pool got together and burned a few
of their discarded trees. (read
more)
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