Yesterday:

bad news, more bad news, ears too cold = headache, more bad news, PUPPY, studio for 6 hours, waiting for the 6 forever, hibernation.

Spring Semester 2010: Letting Me Down

After going to my first week of classes, everything was fine and dandy. I was super excited about all of my classes and thought it was going to be a amazing semester.

I guess I counted my chickens before they hatched.

My advisor forwarded our e-mail conversation about my PR class to the director of undergraduate studies, who basically said the exact same thing: tough luck, kid...it doesn't count.

Now I have to decide to either take this PR class, in which I will probably learn more than I ever could in the other one; or switch into the other section, which looks horribly boring and will be annoying to switch into since I missed a double session already. If I stay in this PR class, I'll have to either take the other one next semester or find a different class to fit the requirement. And then my "12-then-8 class credit" and "4-then-8 internship credit" semester plan is out the window.

Basically, I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't.

Oh, also, I just got an e-mail from Amazon.com that the order I placed last Wednesday, the 20th, has been canceled because it was out of stock. And this is an order that should have already been DELIVERED since I paid for EXPEDITED shipping. I received the book for my PR class that I'm going to have to drop, but not the one I REALLY needed. And now I have to either overnight the book via Amazon.com for $178 or go buy it for $200 at the NYU bookstore. I sent Amazon.com an angry e-mail but I don't think they'll care.

I am not pleased with you, Spring Semester. I am SO not pleased.

Yesterday's Saving Grace

One of the few things that kept me from going berserk yesterday: as I was leaving work, I called my mom. I got into the doorway of the building and opened my umbrella, but then realized I didn't have enough hands (or space) to push open the door. I asked my mom to hold on a second so I could put my phone in the sweatshirt pocket and push open the door. But as I said it, the girl in the doorway who had just closed her umbrella walked around me and opened the door. Out into the pouring rain.

Thank you, stranger at 19 University Place.

So Annoying

So I'm registered for this class called Public Relations: Principles and Practices, and it is going to be, without a doubt, my hardest class of the semester. But, as I wrote last week, is taught by an awesome professor who seriously knows his stuff. Worth it, hands down.

When I met with my adviser back in the fall, I had written that I was going to register for this class, and I specifically had it listed under my Persuasion and Politics field of study. We went over and over my program of study and my degree progress, making sure everything I had taken in the College of Arts and Science (before I switched into Steinhardt) was allocated the way I wanted it. My plan is to do for-credit internships in both the fall and the spring semesters next year, since I have 5 classes to take and an allowable 8. Sounds good, right? Good planning ahead. Okay.

Today, my friend told me that my PR class doesn't count for fields of study, but the "lower level" class, Public Relations: Theory and Process, does. My PR class would only count as an unrestricted elective. But, since I started in CAS, went abroad over the summer, and have 2 minors, ALL of my elective slots (core liberal arts, core unrestricted, major unrestricted, major specialization) are filled. Overflowing, in fact. When I graduate, I'm going to have 24 extra credits just floating around. I do NOT want to take a class with an extremely heavy workload so that I can go and take its lower level next semester, and just have more random extra credits! The PR section that I'm in now is E59.-1755, and the other one is E59.-1750. Clearly, mine is just a higher level. Which means it should count.

I e-mailed my academic advisor, and here's hoping that I am allowed to stay in my current section and still finish my Persuasion and Politics field of study this semester. I really don't want to have to switch sections so late in the game, and I really, really, really don't want to take Public Relations: Theory and Process next semester.

UGH, NYU. WHY DO YOU PAY SO LITTLE ATTENTION.

EDIT: My advisor is such a jerk. Her response to my e-mail:

E59.1750 is approved for Persuasion and Politics.
E59.1755 is an elective.
If you want the PR course to count for your Field of Study it must be E59.1750 PR: Theory and Process.

Thank you so much for all of your GREAT help! Way to barely even answer my question, and not help me in any way, shape, or form! WHY DO WE PAY YOU SO MUCH MONEY!

WIN

Dear Monday,
I don't even care that you say rain.
Because you also say 58.
Love, Magda

First "Week" of Classes

Well, now that I've been through my first "week" of the spring semester (quotes because we started on Tuesday and I don't have any classes tomorrow), I suppose it's time to give a little blurb about each course.

The first class that I went to was Creative Writing: Poetry and Fiction. Our instructor is a grad student named Chris--he's kind of a hipster, and told us that he has a "near encyclopedic" knowledge of poetry, punk rock music, and comics. Suuuure, dude. We're basically going to construct a portfolio of little writing exercised that we do in class along one with final poem and piece of fiction. All we have to do is show up, participate, and do our work. Oh, and read lots of awesome short stories and poems. Sweet, I think I can do that! If I don't kill the pretentious kid who sits next to me first.

My second class is Marketing for Mass Media, and I think it's going to rule! My professor is this adorable old man with burly eyebrows who laid out his entire job history and gives luck and fate a TON of credit for his success. He opened class by saying that no one knows anything, and we're all just trying to fake it the best--except he said it much more eloquently and made it sound like the smartest thing anyone's ever said. He seems insanely smart and insanely nice, which is a great combination in a teacher. Also, I know that he is a little bit of a big deal so I Googled him to find a picture! He wears a little clip on wireless mic and has huge grandpa glasses. Basically, I love him!

My third class, Public Relation: Principles and Practices, is a hands-on PR class. Our professor, Robert Richter, owns two PR companies and is an adjunct with NYU. Here is one of his websites...pretty cool, right? We're going to have to do a TON of work for this class (weekly article analysis, an in-class client we write a pitch for, an out-of-class group project that's another pitch, a midterm, a final, and a final paper) but he seems like he knows his shit and is going to teach us a lot about the business. I'm not too worried about the workload, seeing that all my other classes are looking pretty easy on the grading scale.

Finally, my fourth class, Introduction to Painting, is going to be SICK. I was kind of nervous to be going there, since I'm not really an art student and had no idea what to expect. But my professor, Jason Tomme, is super chill and explained everything. The section that I'm in is specifically for non-art majors, and our studio fee covers ALL of our supplies (brushes, paint, canvases, sketch book). And, again, we just have to show up and try. And then we'll get an A! Every 2-3 weeks, we have a different project, like "Still Life" or "Self Portrait" or "Painting from Collage", and we just come to class and work. I'm so excited to be doing fun and creative things. Also, today was our first day of class, and we sat for 25 minutes and then he dismissed us.....three hours early. Um, hey? This class is gonna be so laid back and AWESOME.

So now I'm sitting in my room in Lafayette, drinkin some tea and contemplating watching the most recent episode of Tough Love. Sounds pretty good, no? It's the only way I want to spend my free time! Haha, not. Buuuut, I might be watching my first episode of Jersey Shore tonight. I'm SO not excited. Ew.

WHAT, AGAIN

(click to enlarge)

This makes me kind of sick.
Or maybe that's the whole plate of gnocchi I just ate.

PS: Real update on life to follow shortly!

WHAT

Even though the first map is wrong (NJ is disappointing and didn't pass the gay marriage law), this is insane. What is wrong with our country? If people want to say that first cousins should be allowed to marry because they are in love, then gay couples should have the exact same right (and for the exact same reason). And if people want to argue against gay marriage and say that same-sex couples don't produce offspring and therefore go against the Bible---um, hello? First cousins? Can you say birth defects, miscarriages, and incompatible reproductive environments?? Ridiculous.

COME ON AMERICA STEP UP YOUR GAME.

Even though there are more than 1000

This website, 1000 Awesome Things, is exactly what it sounds like--a countdown of the 1000 most awesome things that could happen in life. Reading it is always a total mood booster, and I love stumbling onto one that makes me go "OH MY GOD YES THAT IS THE BEST!!!" And then of course after that, I'm waiting like an excited little kid until it actually happens.

Something awesome that happened today: I went to Westfield with Alyssa to get lunch, and when we came back to my car, a silver-blue old Honda Accord was parked right next to mine. I left a note on the windshield: "Hey Honda buddy! Seeing our twin cars made my day--thank you! :)"


AWESOME!

I'm a bad updater

Well hello, people who read my blog! Being home means that I'm terrible at updating, since I don't have school work that I need to procrastinate away from. Home has been really great so far....though seriously lacking sleep. For some reason, I can't seem to sleep for more than eight hours, and I really want to! Between writing my stupid Photo paper, having doctor's appointments, going on lunch dates, going shopping, and other random life events, sleeping past noon is just out of the question. Even today, when I didn't go to bed until something like 4:30 AM, I woke up at 11:45. What the hell, body? Why you gotta play me like that?

So what have I been up to? Things that I took pictures of include going to the mall with my triplets, (featured at left!) trekking into NYC to see Cirque Du Soleil and the tree, (below yo) and new years. The Cirque Du Soleil show, Wintuk, was pretty cool, but kind of young. The acrobatics were amazing, and the set was beautiful and it "snowed" at the end, so I can't really complain. We're still finding paper snowflakes in my house.

Last night was new years, and I went to a party at Andrew's house. Josh came home, which was the best surprise ever, and we partied like it was 2009...hah. What's really creepy is that at 20 years old, I've been in FOUR different decades....the 80s, 90s, 2000s, and now the 2010s. How's that for making every 20 year old feel twice their age? Yuck!

Other than that, I can't say I've really been doing anything that exciting. Break, while lacking in sleeping away the daylight hours, has been relaxing and full of warm-fuzzy, homey feelings. I have two different puppies to snuggle, a million blankets to keep me warm, and lots of beautiful friends to bum around with. Oh, and no school work. Sounds pretty perfecto, no?