Breaking (Life-Shattering) News

Did I exaggerate the title? Maybe, maybe not. You get to be the judge.

I 'm a walking example of regret.

I just realized that I should have turned in my form for early graduation (December 2008 instead of May 2009), and I am filled with regret for not having done so. I had known ever since I entered college that I could graduate early if I only had one major. However, for the longest time I thought I was an Economics/International Affairs (IA) double major...

...Until late of last semester when I officially declared Economics as my minor. The switch was neither indecisive nor impulsive. I had been thinking about it over the summer because I feared having to write two theses and the possibility of not having a social life during my last year in college.

All of my professors whom I spoke with said it was unnecessary to double major and I would be perfectly fine as an IA major and an Economics minor. Double majoring was just extra stress on myself. One even said that if I am planning on pursuing international development for graduate school then I am all set to go with an IA major in one hand and an Economics minor in the other.

Well, now the class listing for fall is up and it turns out that I have taken every single class being offered in the IA department for the upcoming semester... With the exception of the thesis class. (This is when the panicking began). I quickly checked the Fall 2008 course listing for the Economics department but if I take anymore classes from that department I might as well do a double major.

As of now, I just need to take one more IA class (that being the aforementioned thesis class) and three more Economics classes (two electives and the Economics thesis class) before I am officially done with my requirements for an International Affairs and Economics major.

There are other IA classes I could take so I don't just meet the minimum requirements of my IA major but it turns out that they are going to be offered in Spring 2009 instead, which totally ruined my plans of taking a couple more IA classes in Fall 2008 and the thesis class in Spring 2009 and is why I am freaking out right now.

So, here are my options:
- Take IA thesis in Fall 2008 and have an easy Spring 2009 (but I'll be taking other IA courses I'm interested in... Hopefully... If they don't go changing the plans).
- Have an easy Fall 2008 and take IA thesis in Spring 2009 on top of the other IA courses I want to take.
- Take IA thesis in Fall 2008 and two Economics courses, and take Economics thesis in Spring 2009.
By the way, it's too late to graduate early; the forms were due last semester and I got the on-campus internship that's a year-long committment.

There are other variables involved (like the availability courses offered in different departments that interest me) but I don't want to go into those right now. The point is that those three are my only viable options and that I'm just so confused right now.

Help?

Getting Back into the Swing of Things

I'm slowly getting back into the swing of academia. It stills takes a bit of pushing to get me started with studying in the afternoon but once I start I'm all, 'Go, go, go!' (Thank God.) On top of that, I'm studying more than I need to; I do extra reading and research on the side just to fully grasp the topic at hand.

All of this is being done out of determination and fear--I really want to do much better than last semester and I'm already intimidated by how incredibly hard my classes are turning out to be. My grades weren't that bad last semester but I definitely want more from me and make Dean's List. My classes this semester wouldn't be hard at all if I weren't taking them all at the same time... I just hope I'll be able to keep this up and not burn out in a few months time.

My classes this semester are:

1. Theories in International Affairs
2. International Law
3. Comparative Political Systems
4. Gender in Asia
5. Model United Nations
6. Weight Training for Women

Yep. Exciting.

Anyway, as much as I want to blog some more I really have to get back to studying. This was just a small break for me.

One Left Standing

It seems rather eerie that the best--the hardest--is left for last. I am talking about my last examination for the semester: MATH 131 Calculus 1. (Okay, it really is not the best... Just the hardest). After that though I am on a flight back to my home town where I assure you I will post interesting and non-academia entries. 'Til then, wish me the best of luck because I am definitely going to need it.

Exams, Papers, Exams... It's That Time of the Semester Again

Today was the first time in a while that I ventured out of the bubble that is my room and the coffee shop across my apartment (and sometimes extends to my boyfriend's dorm)... And it was turn in a final paper for Radical Political Economics and write my East Asian Art History: China examination. Unfortunately, all is not over just yet because I still have to edit my Economic Development final paper and take my Calculus 1 exam.

However, I think I have done pretty darn well in allocating and managing my time (even though I have watched a lot of Stargate SG-1 episodes) for the end of the semester. I finished several drafts for the two aforementioned final papers way ahead of its due date while studying for both Art History and Calculus. A lot of my classmates normally put off the work for a specific class until the day (or night, to be exact) before the exam for that class.

Now I just need to pull myself away from the computer and maybe watch another episode of either Stargate SG-1 or Stargate Atlantis because I just got out of my Art History exam and I am in no mood to start editing my Economic Development paper. As for Stargate, I just wanted to let you all know that I am officially hooked. All thanks to my boyfriend who introduced it to me at the most inappropriate moment... A few days before finals. Blah.

Pick Your Choice: a Blue Pill or a Red Pill?

It is that time again when I have to start thinking about the courses I want to take in the Spring. I have a rather concrete idea of which classes I would like to enroll but I just need to talk to a couple professors before I make my final decision.

A "final" decision that I have made, however, is not to double major anymore. I will keep my International Affairs major but my Economics major will become a minor (since I have already completed the minor requirements). In addition, I will also pursue an International Political Economy minor. So I will have two minors... in economics. Bizarre, no? They have different focuses though--the latter is mostly on international economics while the former is on social theory.

I just adore economics but this way I can take classes that I would not be able to if I were to double major. 'East Asian Art History: China' has re-awakened my love for art history so I definitely want to take more art history courses (with a focus on China) and I want to throw in some cultural anthropology to the mix.

So... I will be taking 'Introduction to National Politics' and 'Theories in International Affairs' for sure, and either 'Human Rights and International Politics' or 'Global Resource Dilemma' depending on which one I get into first (but my fingers are crossed for the former). I heart Chinese art but anthrolopology, which I enjoy as well, may be more necessary since I want to pursue International Political Economy. This means that I have to decide between to 'Art in Contemporary China' and 'Introduction to Cultural Anthropology'... Unless I overload on credits.

Hmm.

One Tall Mocha with Skim Milk and Go Light on the Whip, Please

I like my coffee, and there is no better way to kickstart my Sunday afternoons than with a hot, steaming mug of mocha.

Unfortunately, it is just a complete letdown when the barista messes up your order. She gets a mocha confused with a plain, old latte. The crucial difference between a mocha and a latte--for me, anyway--is the chocolate... And I taste no chocolate in my mocha. To make matters worse, I got the burnt remnants of the coffee. Yuck.

Sigh.

Coffee's still coffee. Just not very good coffee in this case.

Savoury

I am savouring the last remaining hours of my Fall Break as I savour the last few sips of my now lukewarm mocha.

It was a short four-day weekend that was somewhat productive and quite relaxing, but now I must get on with studying and productivity. Neither of which goes very well together, unfortunately.

Calculus exam.

Tomorrow.

:-(

Pasta & Rice

"School!"
RBJ September 2007 Collaboration

I try to get a good seven to eight hours of sleep each night but sometimes it still feels like it isn't enough. This was clearly the case when I was sitting in my Economic Development class the other day.

Do you know that feeling when you are about to fall asleep but your hand is still moving and taking notes? It's like you're conciously falling while your subconcious is still listening to the professor and taking down notes.

Yeah.

Well, that happened to me on Tuesday.

Trying to stay awake so I can take notes was working for a while because I was managing to write everything down even while in a sleepy state, but then my vision starts to blur from my heavy eyelids. Through my blurred vision I notice that a couple of words that I had just written were significantly smaller and messier than the rest of my notes (this is my OCD kicking in); I erase it and I let my eyes close but I open them up again to re-write whatever I had originally written. Although my vision was still blurred I could tell that everything was a lot neater.

I guess my brain was satisfied so I fall asleep for a few seconds. (And I swear it was only for a few seconds!). I awake still drowsy but my sleepy feeling immediately changes to complete horror when I see what I had just written in my notebook...

"...Pasta & rice. Mmm."

Sigh.

Highlights

Although it is finally the weekend, I am still rather busy! I do expect things to die down soon once everything and everyone is settled into their schedules, which already started happening. I wish I could post more often since I now have substantial things to post about but, alas!, time is not on my side.

Anyway, here are some highlights of what has been going on with me this past week:
- Working with the Portland Trail Blazers to get discount tickets for several events with the purpose of integrating international students and athletes since these are the two most "insular" groups on-campus.
- Masquerade Ball tonight, perhaps?
- Cooking.
- Spending an entire day whitewater rafting.
- Three amazing roommates...
- ...in a sweet apartment.
- Being hired as a 'Program and Research Assistant.'
- Meetings after meetings after meetings after meetings.

I decided to quit early since listing it like that makes it seem less exciting than it really is in real life.

I am loving every minute of it though.

Insanity!

Second day of classes and I'm already overwhelmed with everything. I'll try to update later this evening with a "proper" entry... If I finish everything on my 'To Do List' for the day.

To Double Major Or To Not...

...that is the question!

I'm torn between double majoring in Economics and International Affairs (IA) and majoring in only one of them. Although I think I only feel this way because Calculus is a requirement for an Economics major and... I have to write two thesis' in one year. If it weren't for either of those (extremely intimidating) reasons there would be no doubts about a double major.

In a nutshell, this is how erratic I am:

• What are the benefits of a double major anyway?
• I really enjoy Economics and IA.
• I'm nearly done with my IA major requirements and I'm done with my Economics minor requirements. Why not just major in IA and minor in Economics?
• There's no IA minor but there is an Economics minor option.
• What are the benefits of a degree in IA? It seems like a degree in Economics would be more beneficial.
• Economics degree => Job in an office cubicle with some company? IA degree => Job in rural third-world Asia with an NGO? I really want the latter...

I have no clue on what I want, and I need to figure it out soon before I take too many Economics courses (read: Calculus) if I decide to take Economics as a minor instead, stress myself out even more, and write two thesis'.

Help!(?)