Rebekah Ballard and I cheering on runners at the 5K!

For all of you that don’t know, Easter is my absolute favorite holiday! I love the cheerful colors that consume every store that you walk into, the bunnies and baby chicks that are randomly placed all over Walmart and the meaning behind all of those wonderful looking gifts at the store.

This year was a little different for me though, this was my first Easter that I did not spend at home. Instead, I stayed at Hanover. My roommate and I spent Easter Sunday running around Walmart buying each other our Easter basket presents, attempting to hide it from each other while running around the store. We were trying really hard to be all secretive, but you can only be so secretive in the one Easter isle of Walmart.

Then we exchanged baskets and stuff! Saturday, I helped my sisters at Alpha Delta Pi sorority work the 5K run/walk for the Ronald McDonald house and then spent some quality time with my dad for Easter, because he decided to come up and visit me! He brought me loads of groceries, and bought me a few new clothes and pairs of shoes to wear for spring term as well. :)

In other news, I apologize for not blogging lately. I have been very busy recently with many papers, projects and various other events. My life has been fairly hectic lately with my new involvement in ADPi, but I absolutely love it :)

I have also been trying to bring up my grades a whole lot, which has been quite the challenge. This upcoming week is going to be extremely busy, with preparations for finals week. This week is better known as Dead Week. Why? I really could not tell you, because it’s anything but dead.

I spend most of this week studying like crazy for finals, and doing everything in my power to prepare for finals week. I also will complete final papers and assignments for classes in this week as well. On top of all this, my initiation for ADPi is this weekend. So I will randomly receive gifts this week! Hopefully this will help Dead Week go by easier! But it just makes it a little more hectic!

I think I’ll survive these next two weeks, then I’ll be able to go home for a nice week off!

Then within 24 hours I ran from Lynn Gym to my new home; it was pretty awesome. :) After my run home, we took a huge group picture where I loaded up with tons of information and good food!

My new sisters and I!

Unfortunately, my first week of being in ADPi, I was super busy with papers and homework, so I have missed fun activities like a spa night, formal and I’m also going to miss a movie night due to a philosophy paper. That is unfortunately one of the problems of college, homework tends to take over your life sometimes. This week just happens to be one of those times.

One of the really fun parts, well for me, of being a part of a sorority is dressing up for fancy Mondays! So this weekend, I packed my bags and headed home to prepare, which entailed much shopping and the use of great coupons. Let’s just say my entire closet here at school is packed full of new clothes!

Another reason I headed home this weekend was to get some summer clothes. As much as I love this warm and sunny weather, it caused quite the predicament when all I had at school was sweaters and jeans. That’s another reason my closet is insanely packed full of stuff, too!

Well I would rant on more about stuff, but I don’t have much else to talk about! If any of my readers would like me to answer questions or discuss certain topics feel free to comment! I am off to write a philosophy paper about animal rights!

Sara and I with my first ADPi shirt on!

This past week I’ve had nature on the brain. That may be because I’m in a philosophy of nature class or because it’s finally spring! But either way, that’s what I want to focus on for this post.

Off campus good weather this week!

Yesterday, I went hiking on our trails for the first time since earlier in the fall, because it was absolutely perfect outside. It was just warm enough, not too dry or damp and the sun was out finally. If you’ve never been on the trails on Hanover’s campus, I highly recommend it. I finally was able to get out and see Crowe Falls, which was a first for me.

Then we ventured on the other trails until it was too dark, so we headed back and got dinner. I managed to see a lot of interesting fossils, water falls and even bones.

The one thing I did not enjoy seeing was the amount of garbage that was thrown throughout our woods. I would like to think that most of it was not due to humanity’s carelessness, but unfortunately, somewhere in the mess, it probably was. Most of the garbage in our woods has traveled through the water, so hopefully it isn’t from our students going around throwing garbage everywhere.

On a positive note about nature, today was absolutely beautiful. Some friends and I sat out on The Quad, listened to music and just enjoyed this wonderful weather. We watched others play Frisbee and people play with their dogs, which were adorable. I’m looking forward to spending the rest of my week doing the same thing, when it’s not supposed to be raining! Or when I don’t have an insane amount of homework to do.

Finally, this week is the start of softball games. Normally I don’t show an insane amount of excitement for sports, but I do now since I have a roommate to support. This Thursday is the first home game at 3:30 p.m., and I highly recommend going and supporting the team! I’ll be there cheering for my roommate and the rest of the Panthers!

Well, I am off to bed for another long week of homework, classes, class scheduling, paper writing and much more! Have a great week!

Elizabeth and I!

Before I talk about the beginning of my winter break, I believe it’s necessary to talk about how awesome my Omnibus trip was last weekend! I went to see an orchestra perform original classic Disney songs with two of my friends. It was so cool to hear all of the original songs performed live, and since I love Disney, it was the best.

After the concert, we randomly had to find food, super late at night. Of course, our main option was Taco Bell. Finally, after a long and eventful night of music and tacos, we got home to Hanover. Here’s a picture of my friend and I after the event!

And now I’m going to tell you about the most recent weekend, otherwise known as the beginning of break! I drove home early Friday morning after my psych exam and ever since I have been going nonstop.

First, I helped my Dad when I got home, and then I was on my way to my best friend’s new apartment. She surprised me with a ticket to an awesome concert in downtown Cincinnati! It was necessary after the long week I had at Hanover.

I was super close at the concert!

We spent the next day cleaning and getting everything set up. Sunday, we added the final addition to her new home, a dog! We named him Baby, which will probably change here soon. He came from the Cincinnati SPCA, and we rescued  him. Luckily for you, I have a picture of him, too!

In conclusion to this wonderful and eventful weekend, I had an amazing time. I managed to spend a good amount of time with my family and my wonderful best friend and I finally started to understand what it was like to be an adult not in college, or at least had a chance to see what it was like. After all these fun times, I’m really curious as to what the rest of my week will be like!

Baby!

The flowers Taylor got me!

Valentine’s day seems to go one way or another; either you love this holiday or you hate it. Well, considering this was my first Valentine’s Day without a valentine in four years, I still managed to have the best Valentine’s Day yet!

This year, my idea of a valentine was slightly different — they were my best friend and my mom! Two is always better than one, but let’s start off with Taylor’s valentine!

Taylor and I have an awesome friendship, but it’s very sad that I get to see her only once a month or so. But anyway, this Valentine’s Day she surprised me with flowers! Now, you may think, “Oh flowers, that’s normal.”

But when you’re in college, getting anything in the mail is probably the best feeling ever (unless it’s bills) and when you personally have flowers sent to you in the mail, it’s the best. Then she told me that she has more surprises for when I come home for winter break! If you have a friend like this, I must say that you are one lucky person. I know I am!

Now my mom, she definitely went over the top this year. First, she started out by mailing me a care package of my favorites, cookies and cream Hershey bars, chocolate turtles and a big cookie. Along with all these goodies, she sent me the cutest bear ever.

Then the next day (actually Valentine’s Day) she put money in my bank account so I could get something I’ve been eying for months, a Pooh Bear pillow pet. The next day, my mom decided to send me a picture of another gift, a stuffed monkey with these big cute eyes, which she found on her way to a work trip.

My mom has definitely spoiled me this year, and I hope she reads these posts sometime, just so she can know how much I love her and appreciate her!

All in all, this Valentine’s Day was awesome. It may not of been everyone’s idea of the perfect holiday, but it was to me. And if you’re lucky to have people in your life, who do these little things for you, or are even just there for you, then you should appreciate them. So happy belated Valentine’s Day guys! I hope yours was just as good as mine, or maybe even better!

Mom's gifts!

My Bear, Fred.

This week has been fairly interesting for me. I saw earlier this week that one of my fellow bloggers was in my hometown for an Omnibus trip! I always find it so strange that going to visit Jungle Jim’s is such an event for people, simply because I grew up literally down the street.

When I first came to Hanover, I found it odd that so many people knew my hometown. I soon realized that the only reason people knew of my moderately medium sized town was because of us having one of the largest and most unique grocery stores around.

Of course, I don’t see Jungle Jim’s in that way, because I actually shop there on a regular basis, and I would spend countless days after school roaming the isles and could probably tell you where any, and I mean ANY, item in the store is. :) I recommend the Chinese gummy snacks that you can eat the wrapper with the candy! Or the English version of MMs. :) I did find it cool to see a blog about it though!

My next awesome event this week was the Build-A-Bear Workshop I went to for Valentines Day, thanks to my dad! Although I am now 19 years old, I am definitely a kid at heart. I love stuffed animals, and BABW is definitely a rare treat for me! I also was able to spend a good amount of time with my old friend, Taylor, this weekend, and it made my week. We did what most poor college kids do, and went to do really cheap/free stuff! We played pool, hide and go seek in Bass Pro Shop, and had a movie night.

All in all, this week has been stressful from classes but it was nice to come home to fun and friends.

My bestie Taylor and I :)

What i made when I went home this weekend!

Occasionally, you will have a few issues in college life. My personal top two issues are priorities and homesickness. Let’s start off with my priorities.

My first priority is, of course, my school work. I have to write out a daily schedule of everything I need to accomplish and the times when they’re due. My daily schedule usually is classes, workout, homework for a little bit, then take a break for food or just to relax, then continue with homework.

It really helps to have a check list when you have so much to do. My favorite part of the day is checking off my last item and knowing that I have everything done. It makes it a lot easier to sleep at night.  Of course, sometimes my schedule will get thrown off by an event or an accidental nap or two, but it’s much easier to pick up where you left off if you keep track of everything you have left to do.

My second priority is my health. I’m actually following through with my New Year’s resolution this year, with the help of my awesome roommate! I force myself to work out daily, even if it is just a few simple exercises in my room. I also try and keep up with vitamins and regular medications, too. This also helps my motivation to do school work, because of those wonderful endorphins (term from psych!).

My final priority is my family and friends. It’s somewhat difficult when my family is two hours away, but I’m fortunate to be very close to them. The bad part of this, I miss them every day.

The worst part is being away from my mom. I’m a mommy’s girl all the way, so not seeing her on a regular basis isn’t a walk in the park some days. One thing that helps with my homesickness is skype. It can’t give you the hug you want, but talking to family on video helps a little! Another is the occasional trip home. I try to space my trips out by three to four weeks, that way I save on gas and enjoy the visit as much as possible.

If any one has any additional ideas for dealing with homesickness, feel free to comment!

OU, Athens, Ohio

So, I would like to start with this idea. When I was younger, the idea of growing up never appealed to me. I wanted to become like Peter Pan and be a kid for the rest of my life. Now that I’m not that kid in Princess jammies with Pooh-Bear walls anymore, I must say, I love being an adult at times. Yeah, the bills are unfortunate, but college has made me love being older. Now as my readers, you’re probably wondering why I love being grown-up so much.

Number one reason: Road Trips. Not only do I love driving, but I love driving to new places, for hours on end. This past weekend was the first time I really went on a road trip. On this trip, I was able to experience a new college campus at Ohio University . My roommate and I decided to go visit our best friends who both attend OU.

I must say, as much as I love Hanover, I loved OU’s campus as well. It’s a totally different experience from Hanover. It’s public, first off, which also means it’s HUGE. I probably walked a good six miles throughout my entire weekend, all uphill and downhill.

One thing OU had in common with Hanover was it’s beautiful scenery. It was just fascinating to see how different a lifestyle it was.

Number two: Having a roommate. I know this whole roommate thing won’t be forever, but having one now is probably one of my favorite parts of college. My roommate and I are practically best friends. We go on adventures together, have nice cheesecake factory dates and stay up super late just talking about pointless stuff. It’s wonderful! Going home is so strange now just because my room is so quiet without her there.

Number three: The relationship with my parents has changed drastically. I’m not sure if it changes for everyone, but the relationship with my parents has changed a lot since I have been here. My mom is more my friend than parental figure now. I can basically talk to my parents about anything, without worrying about the whole parenting factor.

I’m sure I could think of more things, but I want to discuss other stuff that is going on!

This evening, I celebrated my best friend’s birthday here at Hanover. Elizabeth turns 19 tomorrow and we surprised her with a nice birthday cake. We spent the evening distracting her while two of us made the cake, then we threw a surprise party in the SAC! As in party, we mean cake while watching “Donnie Darko,” but it works! :) Well, I shall blog next week about new festivities! Have a great week!

• Have a creative outlet and make time for it. Even if it’s simply coloring pages, it relieves some of the stress and can allow your mind to breathe and take a break from writing papers and studying.

• Cut out facebook time, especially if it takes up almost 50 percent of your day. Those occasional facebook breaks from homework are NOT worth it. This is definitely the biggest distraction for me because you think “I’ll only check updates for a few minutes” then those few minutes turn into an hour.

• Allow time for friends, even if its hard core study sessions for your finals. Friends make everything easier in college, because they know exactly what you’re dealing with! Also, they can be comic relief when you feel as if your brain might explode. (It really won’t, it just feels that way for some.)

• Eat healthy and make enough time to get good sleep. You’re probably asking yourself, “How do I get sleep when I’m so busy?” Well, making the time for sleep allows you to clear your mind so you think more clearly about your finals. Drinking soda is not a very good choice during this week. My suggestion is to drink water, eat lots of fruits and vegetables and avoid sweets for the most part. It is okay to treat yourself occasionally; I splurged on a Monster energy drink to finish one of my papers, which actually helped a good deal.

• BREATHE! It will all be okay.

The best part of finals week is the end. After finals you feel as if a giant weight has been lifted off your shoulders. Then you get to go home for several weeks and enjoy all the down time you could possibly imagine. I realized during my Christmas break how much I really feel at home here.

Hanover has this ability to make college life more like home. I realized I started to miss my small bed, my amazing roommate and how cozy our room really is. By the time break was over, I was dying to come back to school to see my friends and learn even more in the new semester. There is so much to look forward to, why wouldn’t I want to come back?

One of our hot chocolate and movie days at Hanover!

Excuse my lack of blogging, but I recently discovered how crazy the week prior and of finals week is. This month is very busy for the students of Hanover College, not only for the holidays but for finishing up the semester.

The week prior to finals is called Dead Week. Why? I honestly don’t know. Maybe it’s because my mind was dead from writing all of my papers, final projects and preparing for my one and only final, but I don’t believe that’s the real reason. Then, finals week brought a sense of calm ease because I only had to write three papers, prepare for my one final and give two presentations. Not bad, huh?

I guess I got really lucky for my first semester here. I had wonderful professors who helped me whenever I needed it, and understood completely what I was trying to say or ask. I managed to get a wonderful roommate who made the transition from home much smoother, and who is the biggest ray of sunshine I think I’ve ever met.

Of course, I had struggles just like any other student, but Hanover made those struggles a lot easier to overcome. I just left Thursday night, and I’m already missing my home away from home :) I can’t wait to come back for another semester of challenges, friends and learning.

Since I am not able to go back just yet, I decided the rest of this post is going to be about what I’ll be doing on my winter break! Next Wednesday is my birthday! I will turn 19 this year and am super excited. Do I have any idea what I will be doing that day? Nope, but that is okay with me!

There is also the festivities of Christmas, which is my favorite time of the year. I love how cheerful everyone is, the decorations, the sense of giving and the overall mood of the season. I love the German cookies my step dad’s mom makes and I absolutely love buying presents for people. I would rather spend money buying for others than myself, and Christmas is the one time of year I can do that.

I also love making homemade presents. This year, for all my closest friends at Hanover, I made personalized ornaments for each of them with a chocolate coin. Simple and affordable! May I just add, this past week at Hanover was filled with Christmas movies and hot chocolate. It made finals week go by much smoother for me and a lot of my friends. Down time is probably the most important thing during this time of year for a Hanover student!

I will post in a couple more days, but for now, I am going to visit old friends! Happy Holidays!