All Caught Up

The past blogs have been catching up for today. So, only pay attention to the date from today and so on. This past weekend I went on a multicultural retreat. The retreat was in the Smokey Mountains. Unfortunately I forgot my camera, but I had fun. A good group of people came. We stayed Friday and Saturday night. Supposedly I missed a couple of fun nights in Maryville, but oh well. During the retreat, we had amazing speakers. My favorite was the speaker who teaches acting classes at UT. She taught us how to zumba, which is a Brazilian dance. We participated in some activities to get to know one another. Then, we had time to chill. We had so many snacks and movies to watch. I watched The Haunting in Connecticut, and I was freaking out that night. I'm a wimp when it comes to scary m
ovies. We came back Sunday in the afternoon. Sunday night I went to Asheville, NC with my roommate, her friend, and Mathieu. We went to visit my brother and see my favorite band: The Sounds. That was a super fun night. Asheville, NC is like 2 and a half hours away. We got home at like 2 am. I accidentally slept through my first class. I forgot to turn my phone off vibrate haha. So, yeah.

Yesterday Mathieu and I studied outside on campus. The schoolwork this week isn't as stressful

as last week. The weather feels more like autumn, and the trees are starting to change color. It is so beautiful. Then, later that night we took the time off to watch the stars since the sky was clear of clouds for the first time(usually it's foggy).

Oh lala

Recently, I went with my roommate and some friends to see a band play at a small music venue in the old city of Knoxville. It is so beautiful there, like vintage. I really enjoyed the band. It was the first time I had gone out on a "school" night haha. I must say that I was really tired the next day for classes. I think I am getting used to not napping anymore.

So, I met this international student named Mathieu. He is from France. I had to do a chemistry project about elements on the periodic table. One of the elements was lanthanum, which is only present in the lens of a special kind of camera. Mathieu happened to have that kind of camera so I sent him an e-mail. From there on we became really good friends. He has even been teaching me French. I love talking about the cultural differences between the United States and France. He has taught me a lot about French culture, from music to politics. It is nice having someone to talk to and eat lunch with. The people he eats with are all international students, and they are all interesting people. I enjoy their company.

As Weeks Pass

I went to UT Knox to visit my best friend. I got really sick there. So, I went back to Memphis for a weekend because I was sick. Swine flu has been going around so I thought I would take the safe route and get checked by my doctor. Since coming back I have been way behind in my classes since I had to miss a couple of days. That's the only downside of missing classes. Making up the work is the worst. Heads up for future students: communicate with your professors if you are going to miss class, and go ahead and do the work that is due that day and the days missed. Okay, so I never realized how home sick I was until I had to leave again to go back to school. I always thought that I would be the one who would never get home sick. Especially those first weeks because everything is going so well and busy. Once I stopped my busy schedule to visit my family, I realized how much I miss my home. Once I attended classes, my schedule filled in quickly. Especially once all the clubs were available for sign ups. I joined about three clubs- all relating to international concerns and peace efforts. There are so many clubs to join for all types of people. So no worries for those that are worried about finding a club to join. Oh I meant to mention that I joined in playing a game called human pacman. On campus there are many pathways, so we would only be able to walk/run on the pathways, trying not to get tagged. That game was a lot of fun, and I met a couple people that way. So, participating in small activities like that is beneficial, especially since I'm not from the area. Although there is a diverse group of students, I noticed the majority is from Maryville or Knoxville. I take advantages of the small opportunities to meet people.

fast pace

Just to give a basic background of myself and how my first couple weeks started off:

I am the middle child of a fairly big family. I have an older brother and sister and a younger brother and sister. I'm a young lady from Memphis. My parents are Guatemalan but I was raised in the United States. I am in a committed relationship with my boyfriend of one year. The picture on the top one of me and him last winter. He is also from Memphis. I am planning on majoring in engineering mainly because I want to do architecture. I have always had a passion for art and history. Architecture combines both aspects. But I have not always known that I wanted to do architecture. Coming into Maryville I wanted to major in biochemistry because I wanted to get into pharmacy. Mainly because pharmacy is a fairly secure field to become involved in. However, I am not the best a science so that was definitely not going to work. I think that my heart craves traveling. I love learning about cultures and meeting new people with new ideas. More than anything, I love a challenge.

Now that there is a little bit about me, let me describe the transition from being in high school to attending Maryville College. So, Maryville is a small school but I like it so much more because it's a more comfortable environment and atmosphere. Move in day made me excited and anxious. I am lucky enough to have a roommate that I can get along with. The trick is that living with another person involves compromise. For instance, we had to set out rules about people visiting and sleeping hours. Since, my roommate and I are both respectable and private people, we have not had any problems...thankfully. Before classes started we had an orientation class to meet with so that we can get the feel of the campus and have a couple of familiar faces so that we won't feel totally alone. I really enjoy my orientation class. We participated in Mountain challenge activities so that we can be more comfortable with one another. One of the challenges was climbing the tower. The picture taken is photographed by Eddie Lovin and shows me in my gear with my partner/peer mentor. I am horribly frightened of heights but I wanted a challenge so I went on one of the hardest ones. I made it farther than I thought(75 percent). Anyways, so it felt like summer camp to begin with. It was really nice meeting people and participating in fun activities. I really enjoyed it. Once classes started, it was time for business. I am taking Principles to Chemistry and Lab, Pre-calculus, English Comp, and Perspectives on the Individual. I must say that it has not been an easy transition into my classes. The beginning was extremely difficult. I am getting used to all the papers now. It isn't that bad once you get the hang of the way all the classes work. I had trouble meeting people because I was busy. I got involved in volleyball intramural, which is a lot of fun. Overall, the start of college in Maryville has been interesting. Since Maryville College is a liberal arts school, the environment is cultural. I think it's great that this is a liberal arts school because it will shape me into a well-rounded educated person. I'm looking forward to that.