College via iPhone #1

In Five Years: 2010

What do you want your life to be like in five years?

I’ve decided to answer this question at least once a year. Maybe this blog will even make it to 2015, and I’ll be able to compare the end result to all my previous ideas. Expect this to be a long post.

Five years from today I will be 22 years old. I will hopefully be out of college. And wow, five years seems so far away. I’ll try and outline those five years, and what I want to come from them, so I’ll have more to compare to in the future.

2011

This is the year I’ve been waiting for. The year when I graduate from high school, and begin college. The last year that seems to make sense. I mean… 2015? That just looks awkward, you know? 2011 is going to be amazing. I’ll have so much going on. Now, I’m a dreamer. I spend so much time playing out situations in my head, and then playing them out again and again. This blog post is probably going to suffer because of that. Talking about how I imagine the next 5 years? There’s a novel right there.

In June I’ll graduate from high school. The ticker is on the sidebar. The summer before college? If I can I’ll probably get a job so I can save up for extra items and books for the next year. I don’t think my college savings account will cover shoes. I’d like to go on a road trip with my friends before we all go our separate ways. We’ve talked about going to Florida to go to the new Harry Potter theme park, but we’re split between those who would be willing to drive for the fun and the experience, and those who want to fly. And by those I mean Best Friend. I also think it would be fun to go on a road trip to all the campuses we would be at in the fall so we could see each others’ schools and picture them there.

In fall I’ll be starting college. Hopefully at UCI or UW. Fingers crossed, knock on wood, get out the lucky coin. If I go to UW I’m actually considering joining a sorority. Now, I’m not a very girly, ra-ra kind of girl, but I’m thinking that if I end up moving to a new city in a new state for college, I’m going to need friends and a support system, and fast. I like the whole family idea of a sorority. Plus, I know a few people who also totally would not strike anyone as sorority girls who are members and very happy.

I would totally love to become best friends with my roommate. To be able to come home and gossip about our days and eat ice cream in our PJs together. As an only child, I look for siblings wherever I can get them.

My new blog will have launched in the summer, and I’ll still be writing away. I’ll also be writing reviews and such for shoe money.

Dating wise? I’m not going to talk about those relationships in detail. That’s the one thing I don’t feel like I can make hypothetical situations about, and don’t want to. I don’t know where BBF and I will be in a year, and I don’t want to make any plans. I want to just go with the flow when it comes to us. Whatever happens, happens. I’ve learned in the last year that it’s best to just see where life takes you in that area.

2012

In 2012 I’ll be a sophomore in college. Depending on what school I end up in, I’ll be living in a dorm/apartment/sorority house. If I stay in California and end up in a public I’ll probably be in a dorm for another year. Out of state of private I’m thinking apartment. Apartment with at least one roommate, who may have been my roommate the year before, or is one of my super cool new college friends I met in class or something. If it’s an apartment, we will have a totally cool place, with stuff in it from like Urban Outfitters or Mod Cloth. And lots of IKEA things. It’ll be quirky cute.

I’ll probably be working this year, and maybe the year before. Hopefully something related to what I’m studying, but I can also see myself working apparel at that point. If I go to UCI I’d love to have a job in the industry while I’m at college, even if I’m a gopher at NBC or something. I’ll still be participating in NaNoWriMo. 2012 will be my 4th year participating, and perhaps by this point I’ll be serving as a Municipal Liaison, meaning I’m the head honcho for the region. Probably not if I’m in Seattle since they’re pretty hardcore about NaNo.

Also, if I’m going to school in Southern California, I think in the summer I’d stay down there and work at Disneyland. Maybe not the summer before sophomore year, but at least one summer. Preferably not outside the Haunted Mansion or I will melt.

2013

By now I’ll be 20. Junior year of college. Either 2012 or 2013 I want to study abroad. I’m really thinking Scotland or New Zealand, but I also think it would be interesting to go to some country most people probably don’t pick, like Finland. As a history major, it would be interesting to me at least, since you don’t normally learn much about the Nordic countries. And I like the cold. Although the accents are not nearly as cool as Scottish or… New Zealandish, and they also don’t speak English, which may be a problem.

Still participating in NaNo. I’d like to be working with kids somehow. If I’m in SoCal, there are lots of SAT tutor jobs (according to Craigslist).

This is getting harder the further I go. Alright…. What else?

I will hopefully still be blogging away, with blog friends to follow and what not.

2014

My final year of college! How exciting and terrifying! 2014 seems so unbelievably far away. This would be my 6th year participating in NaNoWriMo. 6!?! My blog will also be turning six in 2014. Dear lord.

I’m really hoping I’ll be able to graduate in four years.

2015

My first year out of college. One thing I know, by this point in time I want to have a dog. There’s no way I could separate my current dogs from each other, or from my mom. So that means a dog of my own.

Right now I’m thinking of being a history teacher so I may be getting my teaching credentials this year. Probably from one of those masters/credentials 14 month programs, which will undoubtedly kick my ass.

Either that or I’d take a gap year. Work, maybe travel. Take some time off from my future. If I did this, I’d be writing, writing, writing. For sure.

More Applications- My Mother is Still Not Dead

Written October 5, 2010

So, I’ve got more bones to pick with the application process. Maybe these make complete sense to some people, but they are part of a very small minority and need to be exiled to a galaxy far, far away and then forgotten about. K, thanks?

Confusion #1:

This confusion is in one of the demographic sections of one branch of state colleges in California. It does not at all pertain to me personally, but that does not stop me from reading, and obsessing over it.

My problem?

In one section we have 4 possible options to select from.

-African American

-Black

-Haitian

-Other African/Black

Alright, first of all, if you are living in America and are somehow from a nation of Africa, you are African American. You are also black. What entails black but not African American? Are you from Jamaica or some other tropical island white tourists frequent? Okay, that makes sense. Black is people from Africa originally, but have hailed from some former colony for centuries. You’re a bobsledder. I can wrap my head around that.

And then it gets complicated again. Now that I’ve finally figured out what they mean by black, how am I supposed to know what Other African/Black is? It’s not people from Northern Africa. They’re included in the white section. What if I was one of these others? How am I supposed to know that you define me as an other? Thank god I’m white and Asian.

Confusion #2:

On this same application, I was also asked to check a box if I do not have a first name. If I do not have a first name? Who doesn’t have a first name? Other Africans/Blacks? How have they gotten through life without a first name? What kind of parent doesn’t give their child a first name?

Madness?

This is college applications.

Next week: We venture into the terrifying world of essay writing. Hold me!

No one dies

I feel super cool. I have the Puppy Bowl on in the background. Yes, the Puppy Bowl was on over a week ago. I DVRed it. Like I said, super cool.

Finally got around to putting my music on my iPhone. Apple, what is your problem? Why do you have to make my life so hard? Why can’t I just drag the library of my iPod onto my iPhone? Whyyyy?????

Nothing particularly exciting happened today. I went through my guide of the 371 Best Colleges one by one writing down the names of the ones with one of the majors I’m considering in the popular majors list. I’m going to make lots of lists this week. Meant to get my hair cut today but didn’t get around to it. More interesting stories to tell in the password protected post.

Reminder: Want to read the other half of this blog? Email me at uncreativewriting@gmail.com and I will gladly send you the password! Just send me a link to your blog so I know who you are. Bonus points and high fives if you comment.

Into the Velvet Sky

The majority of the time I don’t know what I’m going to write about before I start blogging for the day. Today is one of those days. Even though I got plenty of sleep I still ended up being sleepy. And I’ve got a killer headache right now.

So,  today we’re going to have some positive thinking and imagination time!

UC Irvine and University of Washington, the two schools tied for my number one spot. They’re really different. But… I’d be so happy to be at either one of them. Fingers crossed. After living in the same house since birth, I’m so ready to be anywhere but here. I’m not even going to apply to the college in my town (Mom and Uncle went there). I think even if I don’t get into any colleges next year I would still move and go to community college and live somewhere else on my own. My parents aren’t that bad. But… I need a change.

Zoo Animals

So, I’ve finally finished copying all my November posts onto WordPress. Joy!

I haven’t been able to fall asleep that easily the past two nights. That always bothers me. I like to get my sleep. I’m an early to bed and early to rise kind of person. Always have been. I’ve never pulled an all-nighter (except for that one night two summers ago when I couldn’t fall asleep until 2 or 3 AM even though I got in bed at 9:30). I get cranky if I can’t fall asleep when I want to. Luckily there’s a collaboration day tomorrow and I get to sleep in! And hopefully since my new curtains make my room as dark as a cave I’ll be able to.

Today the counselors came to english to talk to us about college and life after high school. Which was pretty much a waste of an hour. I learned maybe one or two things. I’m on top of all that. I’m on the third draft of my college list (need to find that). I’ve visited 8 college campuses already. I’ve taken two SAT subject tests and I’m going to take more this spring. Plus, our counselors are a reminder of how ghetto the school is. You might forget about the fact that the motivated kids are in the minority and all the other things until you get to visit the counselors. Freshmen year, we had three of them. A-G, H-N, O-Z. Ms. A-G and Mr. O-Z (my counselor) were the most competent. Only the former had a baby and may never come back, and the latter was upgraded to a dean. Survival of the fittest. The worst counselor is the one still doing that job. This year we have a new woman, who I am so glad I don’t have. When she was talking about the PSAT, she told the group that she still has trouble reading and comprehending things sometimes. Not what I want to hear the woman who is supposed to help me get into college say. So… I’ll accept our old counselor. She’s on her third or fourth career. But at least she can understand things.

During study hall today the conversation got to Muggle quidditch. I talked with some of my friends about starting a club of it. We’ll see. It would be awesome but… We’ll see.

During Chem today I was told that I would make a good zoo animal.

November- Day 30

Yes, I missed another day. I’m already guaranteed to not win a prize. Whatever. I finish NaNo and that’s enough for me. I posted on this blog for 28 out of 30 days. Deal with it. It’s as good as it’s going to get. Things will be a lot less consistent until next November. I’ll put myself on the December blog roll but… every day with no incentive? I predict failure.
I am incredibly tired and I’m not entirely sure why. I did have some trouble falling asleep last night, but not that much. After lunch I started getting sleepy. Yearbook stole the last of my energy.
Luckily I had no homework that’s due tomorrow that I haven’t done yet. So I looked at dorms, college class descriptions, and clubs. If I go to Irvine I will join Dumbledore’s Anteaters. No question there.
I’m ready for college and sleep. Since I keep zoning out and staring at my squirrel curtains I think this is a good place to stop.