A Whirlwind End to Freshman Year

It's over. My freshman year of college is over. It's been hard telling that to myself over these past few days, but now, the realization of the fact is finally setting in.

Final exams were, needless to say, intense. Not in a bad way, but in a, "Let's make you sweat a little" way. Thankfully, I had a a few days' respite before beginning my exam schedule. My first exam was, without a doubt, my hardest--Dr Paul's Medieval History test. I am pretty sure that I drilled myself more for that exam than I did for the SATs. But, by the end of the exam, I was confident that I had done my best. After all, all we ever wanted was to make Dr Paul proud. God, how I will miss that man. Anyway, my other exams were not as difficult but still ensured that I would be attending many, many study parties (often several hours in duration), stressing into the wee hours of the night, and consuming more units of caffeine than is probably good for my health. Let's just say that by the time Friday afternoon rolled around, and I was beat. After my French exam on that rainy, cold, and generally disagreeable Friday afternoon, I was ready for some down time.

Within half an hour of my departure from the exam, I was on my way to Manhattan for a night of fun and frivolity made possible by Cara's excellent planning skills. Cara had about a week of free time between her final exams and decided that she would spend her time doing all of the New York things she had been meaning to do. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend most of the festivities which included walking across the Brooklyn Bridge, going to a Broadway show, etcetera. However, on Friday night, I was ready for some fun.

Reed, Cara, and I first took the magical D down to the MoMA, which I had never been to before. Now, I'm usually not a fan of modern art, but considering that 1) I felt I should go at least once 2) I was with good museum buddies 3) It was free, I was ready to go. There were a lot of interesting things, as well as many disinteresting things, and some things that were just ridiculous, but I had a great time. Afterwards, we met up with Lindy and went out to my first Thai restaurant. Stop three was the Strand aka the best place ever. Finally, we went down to the Upright Citizens Brigade, a comedy club down in Chelsea. What a way to spend a Friday night!

Saturday, Tyler and I went down to the city to roam around the village. Thankfully, the weather had cleared up. First, we actually went down to Ground Zero on a whim. I hadn't been down there for at least thre years. Everything around the site looks completely new and filled with life. The area is filled with tourists and trendy new restaurants, but the actual site looks the same as it did seven years ago. There are still construction workers everywhere and the site is still eerily empty. Creepy stuff. Afterwards we wandered around the Village, went to many street fairs, and got lost many times. However, the day passed pleasantly enough.

So, it was my last night at Fordham. The last night in my room, the last night in Queen's Court, my last Sodhexo dinner for a few months. Most people had left and the building was uncomfortably quiet. I sat down in my room and started to pack up what had become my life: my photographs, my knick-knacks, and my books. It was all very sad. In the midst of my packing, I heard a rap at the door. It was Reed and Cara, both dressed up, and looking very excited. Cara came up to me and said, "You are a freshman at Fordham, it's your last night, and you have never been to Tinker's. You're going!" At first I was less than amused. But then, as I got ready in record time, I was a little bit excited. I was going to see the place after hearing so much about it. So, we got there. There was a great band playing, my friends were not drinking, the place was not too crowded, and I must admit, I had a great time. Afterwards, we sat out on Eddie's and just enjoyed the night air.

What a great way to end my freshman year. The next day, I woke up early and packed the remainder of my belongings. It was sad to leave but I felt fulfilled. I had a great first year, met wonderful people, and have become a better person. I feel as if I lived my time to the fullest. The last few days, spent with my dear friends and filled with new experiences, were a great way to wrap up the year. So when I went to my last mass, had my last brunch with Cara, and received my last good-bye hugs, I was sad, but more so, I was so excited about the great year ahead in the fall.

Thank you, Fordham, for a great year. Next year's going to be even better :)

Wherein I contemplate the effects of spring on the psyche of a college student...

One of my favourite hobbies has always been people wacthing--On the subway, on the street, in a cafe, on the Ram Van, in the caf (especially in the caf). Let me clarify one thing before I continue. When I say "people watching" I don't mean it in a stalkerish way, or in a creepy way; I just love observing people's habits and tendencies, and perhaps trying to speculate on their characters.

Anyway, now that spring appears to have offically sprung (pardon the cliche), I have noticed a few key effects that the warmer weather has on the brain of a college student:

1. A lack of motivation to do anything other than take naps in the sun and sit outside. It's nice out and we want to be outside. That's all. There's no harm in that. The problems kick in when the amount of time spent outside eclipses the amount of time spent going to class, doing work, and doing anything productive in general.

2. An increasing number of people (read: Fordham students) who have changed their appearance drastically in some way. In the past two weeks, I have seen more people dying their hair (especially guys dying their hair red, very peculiar) and people with faux-hawks. Wtf. Perhaps the rebirth of spring inspires people to have personal rebirth. Maybe they're just crazy. Who can tell...

3. Everyone is falling in love. I know that spring is the time for lovers, but the recent change is kind of ridiculous. I swear that in the last four weeks of people watching, I have seen at least an 80 % increase in people holding hands. PDA has hit harder than allergies. Everyone is confessing their love for everyone else. These extraneous signs of affection, of course, make me all the more glad that I am single. Now, I'm not bitter; I believe that everyone should love someone. However, it makes a girl feel really good about herself when everyone seems to have someone and she's in the dust saying, "What about me?" Good times.

4. An extreme heightening of school pride or an increasing hatred towards the place. Take your pick. I know a lot of people who don't want to leave, who thought it went by way too fast, and just as many people who have professed a strong desire to "get the hell out as soon as they can."

Anyway, my people watching is not creepy. In fact, it lets you learn a lot about people in general and about yourself. There's no better way to spend an afternoon.