Monday through Friday and everything in-between

I am just coming to realize that college life is definitely more demanding than high school was. At least the SMILE program organized their agenda that way. Each day seems to go by really slowly because we have every hour scheduled out and free time is between eating dinner, doing homework, and going to sleep.

Last night my roommates decided to get a microwave so they could finally cook top ramen noodles. Basically the college stereotype is correct: Finding a food source other than the dining halls is necessary because the food gets old very quickly, and the prices even quicker. Well, besides the fact that we shouldn't even have a microwave in our room, Robert and I decided to inform them that they could just cook the noodles in a pot on our kitchenette that we have (we have a stove but aren't allowed to have a microwave because of the wattage). Well, they decided to boil the water and left to go to the other dorm while it was boiling. Robert and I were doing our homework assignment when they came back to find the steam billowing out of the pot. Irvin and Louis began frantically waving a shirt around the smoke detector because they thought it would go off. Needless to say, it was a hilarious moment when we informed them that smoke does not equal steam.

Over the past week, we've decided to play a new sport every day. Monday was obviously Monday night Football, Tuesday was basketball, Wednesday was Ultimate Frisbee, and today Robert and I met with a member of the Ultimate Frisbee team and we are planning on joining. The first two matches are on October 11th in Corvallis (Beaver Brawl) and the second one is in November down in Chico California. I don't plan on attending the October session because I am instead planning on returning to Silverton to celebrate my anniversary with Ally.

Variety becomes really important in your diet. I learned this within the first few days while I was here. I rant about the food a lot because I always imagined it to be different. But we mostly eat at the Arnold dining center, and it becomes hard to monitor what you eat. The one day I went to McNary hall for food, I walked away with a 1200 calorie fish and chips meal. So compensation has to come at times like this morning when I bought a caesar salad and apples. Interesting enough, I was a bit upset about how expensive it was going to be (approximately 8 dollars) but then the cashier gave me the apples for free after she couldn't scan them. Robert tried to mimic my luck but got the apples for 1.50 instead of 3.75 so I guess I was just on my A-game today.

Everything. That's what I want to do. Running Club: Yep. Triathlon: Yep. Equal Opportunity Program: Of course. Cultural Center: Free food is always good. So I'm eagerly awaiting school to start so I can get a feel for my schedule before committing to anything. Some things like the EOP offer scholarships and tutoring, so it would be a nice thing to have and not need to worry about attending meetings or practices. Other things like the cultural center have the bonus of free printing and free food, but having to coordinate events would be time consuming. College has made me realize that it's all about choosing what you can do, not what you want to do.

Yesterday was a demonstration of college freedom and the repercussions. I felt the repercussions today after we stayed up until 10 to do our laundry and finish our homework. That wasn't too bad, but when Gail wanted to go shopping with Alicia at 11, and Robert was the driver, it was really tiring being at Safeway that late at night. Getting home and realizing that everyone was still awake, we stayed up talking about our plans for Sunday until midnight, when we realized some of us still had homework (not me) or needed to get to bed. Falling asleep around 12:30 left me feeling groggy at 7:45 in the morning. Lesson learned. Well-played college life.

Overall I learned a lot from this SMILE program in one week. Communication, organization, and reading instructions to the line. It's also been amazing getting to know these guys. I totally judged them wrong on the first day. I dreaded thinking that my roommate was going to be "super lame" or someone I wouldn't get along with. Instead, I have 3 awesome roommates who I plan to connect with all year long. Robert and I even share classes and plan on both being on the Ultimate Frisbee team, especially when they go to Chico.

Unlike how this week has felt, I'm sorry that this entry seems so mundane and boring. I promise a collection of funny moments coming towards the end/middle of next week, I just need to take time to remember them. This entry also shows how serious everything feels at college. Thanks for reading, and check back in around Monday for stories on my white water rafting trip as well as my adventures on Sunday! And to Allyson: Read the first letter from each paragraph. Happy 11 months :)