Things I Learned My First Year of College

Here we are, the Saturday before finals week and I thought I'd take the time I should be studying to share with you some of the awesome things I've learned this year. While these are really only a few of the insights the experience has afforded me, as this adventure draws to a close, I thought I'd share with you a list of the  top ten lessons I learn in my first year of college.

1. Anything can and will mold.
Except for like Twinkies. Really. Coffee molds! Who knew, right?

2. All you need are socks.
And until you need socks or other unmentionables, you won't do laundry. Not for your lucky jeans. Not for your sheets. Not even for the only shirt that doesn't make you look fat. Until you need socks or undies, you will make do.

3. Make work fun.
Working in college kind of sucks, but only if you let it. I work the worst job imaginable - Campus Dining. But about 99% of the time I love my job because I make it fun. I talk to my co-workers and our customers and I will be the one laughing it off when something little goes wrong, working the fastest to get through the orders of the entire baseball team with a smile or following the stupid rules about cleaning/cooking/breathing cheerfully. I will be the one making the jokes, poking fun and having a great time. Because if I have to be here four days a week, it had better be fun.

4. What the hell is sociology?
Sociology, friends is the study of development, structure and functioning of human society and its institutions and it is awesome. I never knew what it was and probably would have gone my whole life without really knowing so if my first year experience course had not been with a sociology professor whose influence had a profound affect on me. Now I'm considering a minor in sociology and have a whole new perspective with which to view the world around me.
5. Boys will be boys.
You thought they'd be different then they were in high school, but no. They're just the same.

6. Studying is best done in solitude.
Group study is a great idea! We can all catch up with homework and each other at the same time! HA! Not.

7. Stress less.
Money, commitments, due dates, uncertainty, life... it's all so terrifying. Sometimes it all catches up with me and I have a mini panic attack. But then Bob Marley comes to the rescue and I play Three Little Birds and I believe everything he sings to me. Every little thing is going to be alright and it's nothing a few deep breaths and a good night's sleep can't fix.

8. Balance is key.
Balance your workload, balance your diet, balance you budget, balance your backpack, balance your friends, balance your life. Moderation is the golden rule.

9. Do what you want to when you want to.
If you wanna go, even if you have to go alone, then you should go. If you want to stay even through everyone else is going, then by all means stay. Be your own person for goodness sake. If you can't count on yourself to look after you, who will?

10. Communicate, Articulate, Elaborate.
In class, in relationships, in writing, in thought, in word - say what's in your head and heart, say it well and be prepared to expound on your ideas.

Ten Things I Learned From My Mama

1. We're all good at different things.
Talent comes in different forms. It's okay not to be perfect at everything.

2. Adults are people with feelings too.
Something I was very slow to grasp.

3. Laughter is the best medicine.
My Mom can laugh even when things aren't so great.

4.  You are what you eat.
My Mom's a health nut, but she did make me more aware of what I put into my body.

5. Beauty is on the inside.
Confidence, patience and humility are far more important than a perfect hair style.

6. Sometimes you lead from the back.
But sometimes you still lead from the front...

7. How to crochet
A skill I didn't learn well, but even sort of learned life lessons count, right?

8. How to make amazing cookies.
I learned this life skill slightly better as it was slightly more important to me.

9. How to make the best of a situation.
Even when there isn't a whole lot to make the best of.

10. Don't sweat the small stuff.
Or else you'll pretty much be sweating all the time. And that stinks.

Ten Awesome Things in My Life Right Now

1. Discussions with other English majors in which you compare your favorite words.

2. A girl friend who dates you to keep the creepers away.

3. The Big Bang Theory.

4. New shoes.

5. Professors who play School House Rock youtube videos in the five minutes before class starts.

6. Paths littered with crunchy leaves.

7.  When the Cafe serves the good cookies.

8. Walking back from choir singing pop songs with impromptu three part harmony.

9. Making a customer's day with a perfectly prepared stir-fry and witty conversation.

10. Too many inside jokes to count.

What Guys and Girls On My Campus Are Wearing

On my college campus, I see a lot of hoodies and sweatpants and other typical college wear, but there are a few things that it honestly seems like every single kid and his girlfriend are wearing.

1. TOMS. I'm not kidding. They haunt me. Everybody has a pair and I feel massively left out. Next time I stumble across $40 I'll be sure to buy a pair.
2. Battered Flip-Flops. From the guys and their ugly Adias ones (it gets worse... they wear socks with them) to the girls and their thin strappy flip flops that should have been thrown away three seasons ago.

3. Destoryed T-Shirts. For some reason my fellow students think they can make the t-shirts the college gives them for free cuter by cutting out the arm pits and fraying the edges.

4. Moccasins. As you can see, there is a lot of variety in the footwear on this campus. I have seen many, many cute pairs shuffling by.

5. Crop Tops. Before it got freezing, a lot of girls were wearing cropped tops. I actually like the looser cut crop top. They seem more relaxed and less revealing then the skin tight 90ties cropped top.

6. Black Yoga Pants and Leggings. I have seen so many panty lines through these black beauties this week, it's not even funny. And they're ALL black. I've seen like... maybe one gray pair? They're not that comfortable, people.

7. Floral Prints. So cute. I'm seriously jealous. Skirts, dresses, shoes, scarves... the flower children abound.

8. A Wrist Full of Bracelets. They were all doing this awhile ago with this horrible rubber braclets advertising everything under the sun and now it's with rope and beaded bracelets. Granted, that is a huge improvement. I'm not complaining.

9. Skinny Jeans. No colored ones though. I'm kind of disappointed. The flare trend really hasn't caught on here yet.

10. Colored Hair. We have a lot of fun pink streaks, deep brunettes and highlighted blondes. Everyone decided to dye their hair. I confess, I helped one of my friends but a reddish purple streak in her hair. And it looks awesome.

So there you have it. For better or for worse, that's what kids around here are wearing. We have some lovely fashion forward ladies and lads here also, whose outfits I admire from a far and in general, we're a decently dressed campus... I only see pajama pants in the residence halls and on weekends.

Ten Strange Things You Probably Didn't Know About Anna

I love lists. Particularly lists of ten. It's a well rounded number.

1. I Name Everything.

Really. Everything. The piano is Betsy, my hair straightener is Sydney, my purse is called "The Cow" and my coat is Bysshe (pronounced BUSH-HEY) Anything even semi-important gets a name.

2. I Have a Thing for Symmetry.

Some would call it an obsession, but they just don't understand how important it is for everything to look uniform and proper.

3. I am a Grammar Nazi.

I'm a bit hypocritical about this, since I know I make plenty of grammar errors also. However, when someone makes a glaring mistake, I feel compelled to correct it out.

4. I Collect Worthless Objects

Glass figurines, rocks, bits of drift wood, sweet looking statues. I like awesome looking stuff. If it tickles my fancy, I want it proudly displayed in my room.

5.  I Have Mouth Full of Sweet Teeth

If I crave something, its sugar. Sometimes I want it in the form of chocolate and sometimes I want it in a peanut butter cookie, but I looove just about anything with enough of the stuff.

6. I Can Sing Like a Chipmunk

A talent which makes you a real hit with kids and chipmunk lovers alike.

7. I Am a Tall Woman

According to the standards of the TCI, (Tall Clubs International) I am a tall woman. 5'10 1/2, Baby.

8. I Am Obsessed With Google

I'm sorry, Yahoo people, Google is just better. I Google everything. How to spell and/or pronounce words, how-to articles, songs, people, places, random words... I love Google.

9. I Had a Cabbage Patch Kid

Nuff said.

10. My Hero and My Crush Aren't Real

Hero: Leigh Anne Tuohy as played by Sandra Bullock in the Blind Side. She's blonde, fabulous, has a major attitude and is who I wanna be when I grow up. The Crush would be Captain Jack Sparrow. Oh so beautiful and unattainable.

There you have it. Ten things you may or may not have known about yours truly.

Anna's Top Ten Ultimate Weaknesses

Reveling one's weaknesses is a practice to be generally discouraged for several reasons...

A) You are a superhero and reveling your weakness could result in your crushing defeat and demise, or

B) Your family reads your blog and can and will use this against you.

I, however, have decided to flaunt my humanity, risk my superhero identity and offer my family and excellent reference for all kinds of pay back and share with you my top 10 weaknesses.

1. Cake / Cookies / Chocolate

The jury is still out on which one weakens me most. All have a ridiculous amount of calories , start with the letter C, and I can't stop eating them.

2. Shiny objects.

If I were an animal, I would have to be a deer. Headlights are so shiny. I also stop and stare at jewelry displays and tilt spoons to that they catch the light.

3. Pretty things.

I'm a girl. I can't help that I like pretty. Shiny, pretty? They go together. But if it's pretty and shiny, it's just even better and cannot be denied.

4. Clothing Sales.

A perfect excuse to go shopping AND expand my wardrobe!! What more can one ask for?! (Again, I'm playing the girl card. It excuses me for all sorts of insanity.) Irresistible.

5. Puppies.

A little black nose... a pair of moist little eyes... too big paws... floppy ears... heaven help me, I melt. All baby animals do it to me, really. Colts and kittens in particular. They're so dang cute. They're defenseless against me and I against them.

6. Blue Eyes

Deadly. Just deadly. Why are they so much prettier and sexier than brown eyes? Why are they so much deeper and more beautiful? Not fair.

7. Being Tickled

Yes, I'm wildly ticklish. It's really an ultimate, ultimate weakness. The only reason it doesn't go higher up on the list is because I am not completely powerless in it's throes. I often get violent when tickled and will probably kick you in the face, gut or where ever I think will get you to quit tickling me.

8. Diet Coke

It can talk me into anything.

9. That Which Is Forbidden

Come on. That just makes it a thousand times more appealing, right?

10. Pride

Okay. It's more like number one. It's also the most serious, though and it was going to kill the mood there at that top. So I just kept pushing it back... and back... and I almost didn't put it on the list at all. (Bad Anna! You lie!) But believe me, it is a weakness and a vice. A big one.


There you have it. My weaknesses. If you are reading this for insight in how to defeat me, I would ask you pick one of the more pleasant ones. Death by chocolate sounds very pleasant indeed. Funny how many of these things would make it on my favorite things list. Funny how much I love to loathe many of them.
 
Aren't people odd?

Ten Things

1. I read Mockingjay today. I cried about five times throughout. I shall not breathe a single spoiler, but it was amazing and you should read the series immediately. The rest of my life has been determined and I am at peace.

2. Life is simply complex. So are people. You should not allow yourself to be dissuaded from this fact.

3. I am going to have foot problems when I am an old lady. All the abuse I put my poor, aching feet through by running around wearing unsupportive flip-flops and flats or no shoes at all will one day take it's toll upon me as I sit on my porch swing, drinking lemonade reminiscing about the good old days. In a hideous pair of orthopedic tennis shoes.

4. I am a sucker for cake. It's up there on my ultimate weaknesses list (which is another post for another time). I simply cannot resist it.

5. I used to forget the numbers 5 and 15 when I counted. I have no idea why.

6. Distinctive laughs are like sprinkles. They enhance what was already sweet and beautiful.

7. <--- That's my favorite number right there. Say hello. Despite the rumors, he didn't really eat nine. It was just a friendly disagreement.

8. Is it just me, or do buttons beg to be pushed? Particularly the big red ones with big words like "DANGER" or "SELF DESTRUCT" ?

9. Are zebras black with white stripes, or white with black? I have always thought the latter.

10. That is all.