I can't believe that its been almost an entire month since I've last blogged; where did the time go?! I've been so busy wrapping up the semester/Senior year/time at Suffolk that I completely forgot to blog. Let me tell you a bit about the craziness that has been the last four weeks:

- I've decided to go to Tufts next year. I'm really excited about my program and about staying in the Greater Boston area. I was thinking about moving to NYC, but I'm not ready to leave Boston...yet. : )

- The Spring Ball has come and gone. This year it was at a hotel in Cambridge, and it was a good time. Dinner and dancing with some of the best; what else could I have asked for?

- Classes ended last week, and I had my last final yesterday. That's right, I'm officially done. After writing hundreds of pages of papers, taking countless pages of notes and many hours spent taking tests, I have paid my dues as an undergraduate student. I guess I'm sitting here writing this as a former Suffolk student. That's such a weird feeling. On May 17th, I will be an official Suffolk graduate... AHHHH!

Since its my last official week as a Suffolk student, I feel that it is my responsibility to pass on a few bits of advice to all of you who are planning on coming to Suffolk for your undergraduate years:
1.) Get involved. Try something new, or keep an interest from high school going when you're in college. We have so many opportunities to get involved, and the happiest people at Suffolk are those who are in clubs and go to school events. I've met all of my best friends through doing this.
2.) Get creative. We're not the school who has a quad, but rather one who has the Boston Common. We don't have a NCAA finalist basketball team, but we can walk to see a Celtics game any day we want to. We don't necessarily have tons of traditions passed down to students every year, but we have the traditions and history of Boston in and around our campus. We're not a stereotypical college, but that's one of the things I like most about us. Create your own culture and experience.
3.) Be open-minded. Take a class that sounds interesting just because you can; it may end up being the one that teaches you the most. Talk to your classmates, neighbors, and coworkers; that stranger sitting next to you may end up being your soul mate.
4.) Don't be afraid to look dumb. Whether its trying something new for the first time or its regressing back to doing something you haven't done since you were a kid, just do it; don't think and over-analyze. Dancing in the rain is always fun, even if you think people are staring.
5.) Ask questions. Get to know people, subjects, and anything else you aren't an expert on. Curious people are always the smartest and make the most of life.
6.) Read. A lot. Whether its for class or just for fun, it increases your vocabulary and is a great way to spend some alone time. Who knows, maybe that book your professor is making you read will be the best piece of writing you've ever read. It may change your life, but you never know until you try.
7.) Go out into your community. See the history that Boston has to offer, and see what makes us different from wherever you come from. Regardless of class, ethnicity, age, or religion, a Bostonian is proud of where they come from and is excited to meet someone else who identifies as a Bostonian. Find out why that is.
8.) Sleep... or not. I'm torn on this one because sleep is really important, but precious time with friends may be more important when there's an intense board game still going on.
9.) Help the needy - its a life-changing experience. It is your responsibility as a human being to leave the world a better place than how you found it. And its so rewarding. You don't need to go to Mississippi to make a difference, but if you do get the opportunity to go you should definitely take it.Best experience of my life.
and 10.) Be yourself. There are plenty of people here who will love you just the way you are. I promise.

I'm sure I could keep going on and on because I've learned more in the last three years at Suffolk than I could have ever imagined. I'll stop, though, before I start getting redundant. Good luck to all of you who are just getting ready to embark on your Suffolk journey; it'll be the best 4 years of your life. And to those of you who I know from Suffolk who like to read my blog (Sara, fellow Ambassadors, Kelly...) thanks for everything! I'd say I will miss you guys, but I know I'll still see you around. : )

Peace and love,
Whit

Symptoms: Excessive laziness, short attention span, irregular sleeping patterns... Diagnosis: Senioritis

So, I kind of feel like I've been running around like a chicken with my head cut off. Its the final stretch of spring semester, and I have an insane amount of work to complete in the next week or so. For my social work class I have to write a 20-25 page paper about my family. We learned about this on our first day of class in January, but do you think I've even thought about it until now? That would be a big N-O. It will be literally impossible for me to do my usual procrastination routine, so I have to break my four-year pattern of starting/completing things the night before they're due, and start to work on it soon. Hopefully my friend Justine, who also has to write the paper, will help motivate me to get it all done ASAP.

That's the thing... there's kind of a lack of motivation at this point. I mean, don't get me wrong, I want to do well in my last semester at Suffolk, but I've just been officially accepted into all of my grad school programs for the fall! Its hard to focus on writing a paper when I can be thinking about which path I want my life to take in the next few years. Should I move to NYC or will Boston be my home for the next three years? Do I definitely want to be a school psychologist, or should I get a more flexible degree?? Will I really be able to turn down Harvard, if that's what it comes down to?? See, there's actually a lot going on in my mind; I'm not just suffering from a bad case of Senioritis out of sheer laziness. Or that's how I'm going to rationalize it to myself...

No but seriously, I need some help here, folks. My choices are Tufts (MA/CAGS in School Psych), Harvard (M.Ed in Risk and Prevention) and Columbia (M.Ed/CAGS in School Psych). Any thoughts???

This Ain't No Turn Around - ASB 2009

I arrived back in Boston late on Saturday night, after spending the best week of my life in Mississippi. I went on Alternative Spring Break - something that Suffolk completely paid for - and spent the week working on a house in Waveland, where the eye of Hurricane Katrina hit. During the day, I worked on hanging sheet rock with some of our group, but at night we were able to hang out at the beach and explore the area. We had so much fun working on the job site and met some amazing people from the area. We worked on the inside of a house being built for an older couple, Bonnie and Jack. They are still living in the same trailor that they lived in before Katrina, only now its all moldy and causing both of them to have major health issues. While it was so sad to see Bonnie and Jack's current living conditions, their unwavering sense of hope and appreciation for our work was so inspiring; they were so happy, and their resilience was truly something I've never seen before. I honestly can't even put into words how moved I was by everyone and everything in Waveland.

Another cool part about the trip was that I learned how to build something. I now know how to use power tools, and am capable of putting up dry wall on the beams that support buildings. I was ridiculously exciting to see the house transform before our eyes from something that looked so empty, to something that really started to feel like a home. Here are some before and after pics of our work:

Before -




















And after (TA-DA!!!) -




















I was so proud of us! We accomplished so much in just five work days. While it felt great to help out and get so much done for Bonnie and Jack, the best part of the trip was meeting those who were on the trip with me. The people I spent last week with were honestly some of the best people I've ever met in my entire life. We had so much fun, and we had such a great vibe going all week long. We're actually all planning on hanging out again this weekend because we miss each other so much; it's corny but honestly these people are like family to me already. In the wise words of my friend, Michaela, "E-Harmony couldn't have picked a better group."

I could go on and on about this forever, but TJ told me I should wrap it up. One last thought: if you decide to go to Suffolk, definitely look into doing Alternative Spring Break; by far the best week of our lives.

Its 4 o'clock in the morning....

Ok, well, not exactly. Its really about 2am, and it feels like I've been up for days now. You may be wondering why: a. I'm blogging in the middle of the night, and b. I'm doing admissions work on a Saturday night. I'm actually getting ready to embark on the exciting journey that is Alternative Spring Break, which begins at 4:30 this morning when we're whisked away to Logan Airport. Our destination? Waveland, Mississippi. Our mission? We're building a house for a family of Hurricane Katrina victims. While this experience promises to be exciting and full of unforgettable moments with some of Suffolk's finest and most compassionate students, I'm sort of questioning why I applied to go. Don't get me wrong; I'm so pumped for this amazing opportunity, and I'm grateful that I have been given the chance to do something I've always dreamed of doing, but I'm tired. I'm sleepy, and want to do nothing more but curl up in my bed and sleep til noon. But thats just it: I'm tired. I'm not thinking clearly...

The upside to all of this is that I'm going to be arriving in Mississippi around noon instead, and on my way to exploring the city of New Orleans in the afternoon. This trip certainly promises to be an interesting one: 20 Suffolk kids sleeping in a still-unknown location for a week, soaking up the sun and battling the monsterous mosquitos that we've heard so much about.

The real reason why I wanted to go on this trip was to meet new people, from both my school and from a completely different region of the country. We've heard a lot about the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina throughout the past three and a half years, but you can't understand it unless you're there to witness it firsthand. And, that's right; its already been almost four years since Katrina hit, and there is still so much work to be done. Its so incredibly sad to think about, yet so motivating.

Some people have asked me, "Why would you want to give up your last Spring Break to do community service when you can go lounge on a beach somewhere?" The truth is that I can't imagine doing anything but this. I've always wanted to participate in ASB, and I consider myself so fortunate that I was able to have this experience at relatively no cost to my personal bank account. I want to be able to think that I've made a difference in the life of a perfect stranger, and what better way to do that than this? I have some preconceived notions of what to expect while on this trip, but I'm sure it'll end up being something more unique and amazing than I ever could have expected.

I won't have internet access for the next week, but I promise to blog all about my fantastic experience when I get back to Boston. For now, peace and love.

So... Its been a while. The last time I blogged there was just around 100 days left until graduation, and now we're down to about 75. I can't even believe how quickly the time is flying by! The senior class held an event at a bar in Faneuil Hall - McFadden's - last Thursday to celebrate the last 100 days of . It was such a fun time! A lot of people were able to hang out with current friends while catching up with old friends - friends from living in the dorms, friends from a course taken freshmen year, former coworkers, or whatever. And there was such an eclectic group of people there; it was definitely refreshing to see some new faces at a Suffolk event. This was the first Suffolk event that my friend Kelly's boyfriend had ever attended, and he was amazed that the unique vibe we had within our student population. He said, "Wow... I had no idea that so many different types of people go to Suffolk." Its absolutely so true; we have so many types of people here and the diversity of the student body really adds something to our campus - both in- and outside of the classroom. Anyway, it was such a great time, and I'm so excited for the rest of the "Senior Week" celebrations!

I also have some exciting updates for my graduate school applications: I was accepted into one of the programs I applied to at Tufts!! : ) I'm so pumped... I got accepted into their M.A. - Child Development program, and I have an interview this Saturday for their M.Ed. - School Psychology program. I also have an interview at Columbia University's Teachers College next Wednesday! Needless to say, I'm really nervous about the interviews. I mean, I was accepted into a program for next year so I have a definite plan to continue my education in the fall and therefore should feel a bit relieved about everything, but I'm still freaking out. Its funny, I tell prospective students on my tours that I know how anxious they are about college because I'm in the same boat. I absolutely know how you guys feel; its a bit overwhelming, but as someone who has gone through my undergraduate years, I can assure you that its well-worth the hard work and stress it takes to get to college.

Well, anyways... I guess that's enough "college wisdom" for now... Haha Catch ya next week! Peace and Love : )

100 days left!

Its pretty quiet down here in the Welcome Center, so I figured this would be a great opportunity to blog...

Less than 100 days until graduation. Pure insanity. I can't even believe it. I was at the senior week meeting last week, and someone was talking about how she had written the countdown in her planner. At that point it was 106 days, and when she announced it to everyone, the committee let out this collective sigh. It wasn't really one of those sighs of relief, but rather one of those UGHHH moments when we all took on this look of panic. I mean, its definitely exciting, but its scary. Are we supposed to be adults or something?? I'm hoping to go to school again next fall, but for the majority of our graduating class, this will be the first time they've been out of school for 17, 18, 19 years. WHHHAATTT?? I definitely feel like Suffolk has prepared us as much as an higher ed. institution possibly could, but lets get real. You can't wake up one day, go get your diploma and know how to be a grown up.

Luckily I feel like I've gotten a lot of the scary "firsts" over with while I've been in school: my first apartment, my first bills, my first attempts at devising and following a budget, my first experiences traveling alone, and my first time trying to juggle 5 or 6 real responsibilities at once. Many people have to deal with all of these situations while trying to find a "real job" and coping with being out of school after graduation, but I really feel that being at Suffolk has forced me to grow up a little faster. This is a good thing, though. Everyone needs to learn to be responsible at some time, and it might as well be when you're a student. Its somewhat comforting to know that my biggest worry upon graduation isn't really the crazy financial adjustment, but rather the getting-used-to-being-out-of-school part.

Anywho, back to what is relevant to today and now.... I'm currently having a great last semester of my undergraduate career. I'm taking Abnormal Psychology with Dr. Bursik - one of my professors from last semester and the Chairperson of the entire department. She is brilliant, and it is great to already know my professor and the majority of my classmates going into the semester. We've been learning about some really cool things, and have our first exam on Thursday on anxiety disorders and the basics of psychoanalysis, behaviorism, and humanism. I am also taking Social Work with Families, which is turning out to be a really interesting class. What I really like about that class is the fact that its more of a seminar rather than a lecture class, meaning the students do most of the talking. We learn a lot and our professor facilitates the discussions, but we can bring a lot of our personal experiences with our own families into the discussion, so it makes things really interesting.

My last class I'm taking is Psychology Internship. The class itself isn't demanding; we meet for an hour a week. To complete my internship requirements, I've been working at the Commonwealth Children's Center on Beacon Hill. So far its been such an awesome experience! I work in the Pre-K room with 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds. The kids are so adorable, and its been so much fun so far. I will definitely keep you updated...

On that note, I need to be getting back to helping Lindsey and Kristina in the WC... Peace : )

Seven down, One to go...

So now that its finally the fourth week of the semester, I guess its time to get back to blogging. We had around one glorious month of vacation between semesters, and it was nothing short of fantastic. I had plenty of time to go home and see my family, and lots of time off to celebrate our temporary freedom from studying and going to class. I'm going to be completely honest, though: towards the end of vacation, I was really excited to head back. I'm not really used to not having a lot of responsibility in my life, and the lack of running around like a crazy person really started to bore me.

My best friend, Rebecca, came to visit for a few days right after the New Year. She currently lives in London, and we hadn't seen one another since August. We've done a really great job with keeping in touch, but nothing compares to being able to spend time together in Boston. I had so much fun with her; it was by far the highlight of my break.

I also completed all of my graduate school applications over break... I will definitely keep you posted on this. : )

Anyway, I was so ready to come back to school by the second week of January. I missed the first week and a half of Suffolk classes, however, because I went to Washington D.C. for Obama's Inauguration. It was one of the most exciting and exhausting experiences of my life. 92 Suffolk kids ventured down to North Bethesda, Maryland on January 10th to partake in a seminar held by The Washington Center for 10 days. We heard from so many different influential people and visited so many great sites. A few of our sessions were even shown on C-SPAN. Suffolk was by far the most represented university at this national program, and we were all so proud to be there. Being there also made us realize how fortunate we were to go to Suffolk for a few reasons. Many students had to be elected to attend and represent their school, or had to be political science or government majors to attend, but Suffolk opened it up to all students. Also, many students had to pay thousands of dollars out of pocket to participate in the seminar, but Suffolk covered all of our expenses except for transportation and food costs. We even received 4 credits for taking a 6 day class! I was repeatedly told that I was so lucky that I go to a school that would be so supportive of its students participating in such a unique program, and I definitely agree with that. I attended the program with Emily, Beckee, and TJ so be sure to check out their blogs for their takes on the trip, as well.

Although we did so many really interesting things and had so many once-in-a-lifetime moments, here are my favorites:

1.) Watching DC transform into a place that could accommodate for millions of extra people in preparation for the Inauguration,
2.) Visiting many of the monuments and my favorite museum: the Holocaust museum,
3.) Visiting the Human Rights Campaign, which fights for something I am so passionate about,
4.) Hearing the Ambassador to Pakistan and a representative from the Israeli Embassy both discuss their takes on U.S. involvement in the conflict in the Middle East,
and 5.) Seeing Obama drive past us when we were at the Capitol. This picture is of my friend, Kelly, and I after the Obama sighting... So excited! haha

Being in DC with so many people who were so excited for Obama's Inauguration was absolutely unreal. The city had this hopeful vibe wherever we went. We saw some ridiculous things - Obama hand-puppets, for example - but the most memorable thing I saw was the sea of people who were gathered for Obama's concert that aired on HBO. There seemed to be a never-ending sea of people who were clapping, cheering, and hoping to catch just a glimpse of our 44th President. The experience was definitely one that I will never forget, and I am so thankful that Suffolk afforded me the opportunity to partake in such a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Until next time... Peace : )

Right now I am sitting downstairs at the Welcome Center, working my last hour of the semester with my lovely Kristina. That's right, the fall semester is officially over on Thursday. I had my last day of classes last week, and I'm not going to lie... It was kind of sad. I got really close to a lot of my classmates because three of them were really small, discussion-based groups. One of my classes had nine people in it, one had fifteen people, and the third had around twenty students. All depended on the participation of each person to guide the course of the class, so we definitely got to know each other really well and were able to have really great class discussions. That is definitely one thing that I am so appreciative of at Suffolk: the emphasis on discussions rather than lectures in class; its so much more interesting. I'll be so excited to be free from the hectic schedule that I have going on now when break officially begins at 3pm on December 11 (after my last final)! Can't wait!

Emily and I were talking the other day about all of the awesome things we have to look forward to in December, and I decided to share my list here...

December is bringing us:
1.) Great joy!/Vacation!
2.) Sleep
3.) New York City (trip with Emily, Rich and our friend Brian)
4.) Winter Ball
5.) A social life
6.) Christmas
7.) a New Year

Thus far, we've only had the Winter Ball. It was on Friday night, and it was a lot of fun! I went with some friends (HEY KELLY, MELISSA and SHEENA!*shout out*) and my favorite roomie, and we had an absolute blast. I never usually dance because I'm so awful at it, but decided to get over myself and try it regardless of how badly I embarrass myself. I ended up having a great time and everyone looked so fabulous. It made me really sad to think that we only have one more ball left before graduation. We'll definitely live it up, though. : )

On that note, I'm going to wrap up this last blog of the semester. I wish everyone a fantastic holiday season, and I'll be back to update after the New Year. Happy December, everyone! See you in 2009! : )

Ok, so I know its been a while since I've last blogged, but things around here have been pretty crazy lately.

First things first - Open House was actually pretty decent. Usually its crazy for Tour Guides and the rest of the Admissions staff because we're busy making sure everything is running smoothly. This year it seemed abnormally under control (at least it was from my standpoint) so the day was pretty fun. It was nice to work with all of the Tour Guides at once since our hours in the office are scattered throughout the week. All in all, we had a decent turn out despite the strange weather - on-and-off showers and outrageous humidity - so we were all pretty happy about that. If you're one of the people who attended Open House, we hope that you found it pretty informative! : )

Other than that, November is a crazy month once you get to college just because of the way the semester is set up. Basically, September is usually off to a slow start, with maybe only one or two tests or papers towards the end of the month because school is just beginning. October is when you would usually have the first round of midterms or projects due, so things start to pick up. November is crazier, however, due to a few things:
1.) School's been in session for a few months now, and most people start to get worn down from studying so much or working so much, or they're bored from the weekly routine in general.
2.) The second and maybe even third round of things are due because the semester is wrapping up.
3.) We have Thanksgiving break.
While I love nothing more than time at home with my family and an excuse for eating everything in sight, I usually find myself wishing that Thanksgiving was at a different time. This year, its abnormally late in the month. What this translates to in terms of the academic semester is that we have one last week of classes when we get back, with finals week following that. We have two and a half days of school, five days off, four days of school, three days off, and then finals begin. Its an inconvenient time to have such a hectic schedule, but I am definitely looking forward to break.

I'm so pumped about the line-up for my Turkey Day vacation:
- Wednesday: Taking the commuter rail home and meeting my parents and sister in Worcester to go to a concert. We're going to see The Eagles, and I couldn't be more excited. LOVE THEM!
- Thursday: Eat great food and watch the family bicker - what else could be better?
- Friday: Seeing my friends from home (YAY) and working on grad school applications (YUCK)
and -Saturday: Putting up the Christmas Tree with my fam for the first time in three years. Its one of my favorite traditions, but getting us all around at once to do it together is usually pretty tough. My mom has this thing about not putting the tree up too early, but because Thanksgiving is late this year, she's letting us do it while we're home. So pumped!

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I just wanted to make a quick list of things that I am particularly thankful for this year. Its not just about the food, ya know... : )
~ My health, and the fact that I haven't gotten really sick yet this school year (knock on wood...)
~ My family - The best people in the world.
~ My roommate, who is brave enough to wake me up from a nap when I ask her to, knowing that I'll be ridiculously cranky when I get up.
~ My best friend, who still finds time to call me and listen to my crazy rants despite the fact that she has moved to London and is traveling through Europe with her graduate program.
~ My friends, especially my North End family, for helping me get through the craziness... and for being corny enough to have game nights and an early Thanksgiving dinner with me.
~ Everyone who has sacrificed anything to help me get to where I am today. I'm definitely in a good place in my life.
(Sorry for the corniness.. it wouldn't be my blog without some sort of sentimental touchy-feely crap, right?)

On that note, I need to go get some homework done. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! : )

Happy Veteran's Day, everyone! This week I'm blogging from my apartment, enjoying the day off from school AND work... I'm not really sure how I managed to pull that one off.

Anyway, things have been pretty exciting at Suffolk since the election last week! Students are actually planning trips down to the Inauguration for class credit, myself included, so we've been busy planning that. I am going with Emily (my roomie), Kelly (a friend from class), and maybe Kayla (a fellow Ambassador). What is really cool about this trip is that everything is paid for from our tuition at Suffolk except for transportation to and from DC and food once we get there. We're going for 9 days before the Inauguration to meet different reps from different agencies and departments, with a few days off in between so we can explore the city ourselves. I went to DC for my 8th grade field trip, and although I absolutely loved it, I am certain that I'll appreciate things much more now that I'm older and I'm not stuck on buses with 200 classmates for 4 days. This Inauguration is so historical, and it'll be so cool to be there for it; I can't wait!

I'm also in a really great mood right now because I just spent last weekend having a blast with my sister in Providence. She goes to school down there, and we hardly ever see each other, so it was really nice to spend a few days together in her city. She showed me some different parts of the city, and we spent a good amount of time at the Providence Place Mall - one of my favorite places to visit in RI. You'll probably think that we're crazy because we did our Christmas shopping this weekend for those who we give combined presents to (we don't have enough money to buy people nice things separately... haha). Its nice to have it out of the way... Now I just need to figure out what to get for her... Hm.

The rest of this week is sure to be hectic with papers to write and presentations to plan, but its all leading up to the biggest Admissions event at Suffolk every year: Open House. Its this Saturday, and this all day event will be so crazy for all of us who are working that it won't really feel like the weekend until Saturday night around 4:30 or so. If you happen to be attending, we hope that you really like what you see at Suffolk, and hope that we can answer all of your questions about applying, classes, student life, or anything else you might think of. Hope to see you then! : )

Now that October is a wrap, I think I can finally breathe again.Last month was so jam-packed with projects, papers, special events, exams and celebrations that I really feel relaxed for the first time in a while now that its all done and over with. Not to say that I never had any fun...

Emily and I threw a party on Friday night for Halloween, and it was a total blast! Our really good friends came over - everyone showed up in a costume, which I think is a feat in itself - and it was so nice to just let go and not worry about school or work, and just enjoy each others' company. I dressed up as a hippie, which some might say isn't really too much of a stretch from my usual character, but it was a fun/free costume so it worked. To the right is a picture of my friend Ashley (aka Lara Croft), and I. Nicole (aka Madonna) and Kayla (aka an Elf), fellow Ambassadors, stopped by and it was so great to hang out with them outside of the office! It really made my realize how much I miss
hanging out with everyone when I'm so busy with work, so I really want to try to see everyone more often. You're only an undergrad for a few years, and its definitely really important to take advantage of it because you'll definitely meet some of your best friends in college.

Last week we also kicked off our first event in a series of Senior activities: we had dinner at Boston Beer Works. It was so surreal to think that we're almost done with our second-to-last semester at Suffolk - only about 5 or 6 weeks left to go! But it was a lot of fun to get everyone together and play some pool and whatever. We rented out a function room so we were very segregated from the rest of the place, which was really cool. I also met some new people, which is always interesting when you think about how you've gone to school with these people for a few years and you have only just met now. It was such a fun night and I'm definitely looking forward to more Senior activities; we're planning a ski trip during the winter and about two weeks worth of activities between the end of classes in the spring and Graduation Day so we'll have plenty of time to celebrate. This pic --->
is of some of my crazy friends who had a fun time stealing my camera. You may recognize Rich as my Partner-in-Crime on tours. : )

Anywho, this week should be pretty mellow. I have some stuff due during the week, and I get to teach my SU101 class on Tuesday so that should be fun. I really like the students in my class this year; I always leave class with a smile on my face because they really crack me up. They're crazy and I love it. I'm wrapping up the week with a trip to Providence to visit my sister for a few days, so I'm really pumped about that. I hardly ever get to see her during the school year so its nice when I can get away and visit her. Plus, shopping at Providence Place Mall is always nice to be able to do... haha If only I had any money to spend...
I have to wrap this up because I'm blogging from my apartment this week, and my best friend and I have a phone date scheduled in a few minutes. She moved to London in August, and we don't get to talk as much as we wish we could, so we have a lot to catch up on!

One last thing... DON'T FORGET TO VOTE ON TUESDAY!! Its totally time for a change... : )

AHHHHHH

Yep. That's pretty much how I feel... Its just been one of those days, which is pretty unfortunate because I have about a million things to do in the next day or two. Okay, so that may be an awful exaggeration ("So you took a coma after work?!" - sorry, random Dane Cook reference), but I feel like my head is about to explode.

Tonight is our Up Til Dawn event on campus - something we've been planning for months now - and I'm crossing my fingers that it goes well. We're having a Letter Writing Party, and the name of the game is to come with as many addresses as possible; the more letters that get sent out asking for donations to St Jude Children's Hospital, the more money we raise for the kids and the better prizes you can win. We have free food, too, which you'll slowly learn is pivotal for a college event; we're poor and always looking for free meals. Suffolk Radio is also DJ-ing the event, and some student groups are coming as well, so it should be a good time. Lets cross our fingers!

When I get home tonight, though, I have to write a 6-7 page paper and finish up some other homework. Tomorrow I have class, meetings, and work all day, and I'm studying for the GREs (the graduate school equivalent of the SATs) all night. I'm taking them on Friday night - talk about a great start to the weekend. I'll be here at 10 am sharp for the Student to Student info session on Saturday morning, and I have to work on my grad school applications on Saturday afternoon, and I'll be finishing up the weekend with a 9 hour shift at Victoria's Secret... so pretty much every minute of my life from now until Monday is planned out. Um, yeah... freakin' out a little bit.

I'm off to set-up for my event, but I will definitely update with a more upbeat post next week when I have all of this stuff done and over with. Enjoy the rest of your week and your weekend! Hope to see you at the student-to-student! : )

So I know I've been way overdue for a new post, but its been a crazy week and a half since I last blogged. Just a few updates on things around campus:

- I didn't go see Wall-E as I originally had planned to do. Em and I went and sat down in the Donahue Cafe to watch the movie, when we looked at each other and decided that we had too much homework to do to actually stay to watch the movie... so we went home. I know, we're weird.


- Jason Mraz was AMAZING. Not sure how else to describe it. He put on a phenomenal show, and he has such a fun stage presence that you can't help but to be having a good time, even if you don't know the song he's singing. I'll admit it - I'm not a REAL Jason fan. Sure, I like his music when I hear it, but I'm one of those annoying girls who went to the show to hear the three songs I really know. Nonetheless, it was a great performance, and I'm so proud of Program Council for putting together such a fantastic show. Awesome job, everyone.

As for what else is going on in my life.... Everything is crazy, as usual. For the last week or two I've been having a slight identity crisis in terms of my "professional self"(Sorry I have a psych paper due on Erikson's psychosocial theory as it compares to Barack Obama so I'm thinking in those terms at the moment). I was thinking about grad school and getting my applications together when I asked myself, is this really what I want to do right now? The economy is terrible and its hard as a student to get loans to afford school, so would I be able to go next fall even if I wanted to?? I-being the person that I am-began to freak out and think about my other options. I am currently looking into doing City Year or another Americorps program next year. Basically, I would dedicate myself to 10-12 months of community service in an area I want to focus in and in a city I want to live in, and basically get paid just enough money to live off of. You may be wondering why in the world I'd ever want to do this, but hear me out...
- It would buy me some time to figure out exactly what kind of degree I want to get in graduate school, and give me the opportunity to learn more about jobs/programs that I don't know much about right now.
- It would look fantastic on a resume, as it shows a real dedication and passion for whatever area I'd go into (i.e. environment, education, homelessness, hunger, disaster relief, et al)
- Upon successful completion of the program you're accepted into, you get a $5000 scholarship to put towards your education, making graduate school more affordable. Some schools will even match that award for you, or offer free classes to you while you're in the program, so that helps out tremendously with the costs of a post-graduate education.
- Last but not least, I want to. I like helping people, and I think that the experience of it all is worth more than making money at the moment (Dad - Sorry for making you wince as you read this; remember, I'm young and its OK for me to be a bleeding-heart liberal! haha)
If you have any thoughts on these programs, please let me know.... Its a tough decision and I would definitely love to hear everyone's point-of-views.

Aside from being stressed about figuring out my future - YIKES - I've definitely been taking some time for myself to do things that I want to do, and it feels so nice to do so. I've been out to birthday celebrations, to friends' shows, to dinner, to my house to see my sister, to coffee/hot chocolate dates with friends... everything. For someone who doesn't usually take a lot of time to herself, I have come to realize just how badly I need these things in my life, and they've made this semester so much more bearable. My brilliant mother also contributed to making my life just that much easier, as she came up with a great Halloween costume for me: a Hippie. I know, I know, its not much of a stretch from how I usually am, but Wendy gave me some fantastic jewelry and an awesome shirt for my costume... and contributed to my everyday wardrobe as I have already started wearing everything anyways. Thanks Mom!! : )

Well, that's enough for now. Stay tuned... I'll be updating again this week! (I promise!!)

I seriously cannot believe that its October already! This year is really flying by... I think I've been too busy running around to really stop and notice how great autumn is here in MA. Its my favorite season, and I usually try to make it a point to head to Hubbardston to see New England foliage at its finest in my hometown, so that it what I did this weekend. It was absolutely fantastic to go home and see my parents, and to get out of the city for a bit. I think it was just what I needed; I came back to the city yesterday feeling a lot more relaxed and ready to take on Dr Bursik's classes.

I also went apple-picking yesterday with my roommate, Emily, which was soo much fun! You may be wondering where I went apple-picking in Boston, and the truth is that I didn't; Emily rented a zip car and drove to Hubbardston from Cambridge, and we ventured to another small town named Sterling, MA to go to this tiny, wicked cute orchard. We had lots of fun picking apples and pumpkins and having cider and all of that fun stuff, but our trip came to an unfortunate end when the apple bag split open as we were walking from the train station to the North End, and our apples flooded the street to meet their fate as roadkill. We did manage to save a few, though, so it wasn't a complete loss.

I'm really glad that I had such a great weekend, because it kicked off what is to be a great week at Suffolk. Tomorrow night I am going to a free showing of Wall-E in the Donahue Cafeteria. I absolutely love that movie, and if you're looking for something free to do on a Tuesday night, this event can't be beat. Suffolk is always putting on events like this, and its one of the things I like best about going to school here; there is always something to do around here, and Suffolk tries really hard to provide things to do at a cheap cost so all students can enjoy it. On Thursday, we also have our Jason Mraz concert, which I am sooo pumped for! He's fantastic, and the fact that we got him to come do a show for Suffolk students only is awesome! Its bound to be a good time, but I will definitely update you on all of this next week.

Stay tuned! And in the mean time, make sure you're registered to vote if you can! Its time for change and you can be a part of it!! : )

Here we go again...

Woo! First post of the year...

So here is where I'm at: I've just embarked on my senior year (scary!!), my favorite season has just begun, and I'm so not ready to give up my flip flops. This translates to a flustered psychology student running around all over campus in fall attire, accessorized with an overstuffed peace sign tote, a scarf, and flip flops. Okay, so I know this is all really random, but that is kind of where my head is at right now. I have so much going all - almost all amazing things! - but its a bit overwhelming.

I'm taking four psych classes right now, and I'm pretty pumped about it. Its a lot of reading, but I'm learning so much that it really doesn't matter. I'm a huge geek, I know... I'm also so busy with TAing for SU101 - I absolutely love my class - as well as FAing for two service learning classes. We also have our big Up Til Dawn event coming up in October, so we're crazy busy planning that as well. Aside from all of that shennaniganary (thanks for the great word, Em) I've been researching grad schools and trying to figure out what I want to do and where I want to go next fall.

Despite all of that chaos, I've been trying really hard to see all of my friends after not seeing some of them for four months! I see Emily all the time - love ya roomie! - and I'm so happy to see my fellow Ambassadors from last year, and meet the new ones too. We're planning an Ambassador dinner next week so we can all actually hang out at once; it'll be a good time!

Three other quick points of interest before I leave to work down in the Welcome Center (yes, that's me that is always sitting there laughing at the girl who checks you in for your tour - she's hilarious!):

1.) My friend Brian is in the new movie My Best Friend's Girl - Dane Cook's newest masterpiece. The fact that I absolutely loved this movie because I was laughing hysterically through the entire thing is only further emphasized by the fact that you can see my friend for a few minutes in the background of the prom scene. If you happen to study any of our Suffolk materials frequently, look for a guy who is on any of our brochures that is also in the background of that scence. Congrats on your debut, Brian! : )

2.) Jason Mraz is coming to do a show at Suffolk in a few weeks! I'm soo pumped! Its at the Roxy, a club down the street from our campus. He's a fantastic artist, and I am soo excited for this show. Another thing that can't be beat? Tickets were $10 each. Gotta love Program Council!

and lastly, 3.) Tomorrow is National Punctuation Day. I know; take a minute to let it all soak in. Hahahah I think I've lost my mind.

Gotta run! Leave a comment if you'd like : )

So I know its really out of the ordinary for me to blog twice in one week - or once a week for that matter - but I just realized that I have some things that have been going on around here that I wanted to write about in my last post but had forgotten to.

Cool thing #1: Murder on the Campaign Trail. Every spring, Suffolk puts on a dinner theater production, but this year was the first I have ever gone to it. It was a pretty funny show, and it was nice to see how much fun all of the actors were having while trying to get the audience to participate. I also went to their cast party and met some really cool new people. Moral of the story? Put yourself out there and try new things, especially at Suffolk. : )

Cool thing #2: I've found a new roomie for next year, and it is none other than Miss Emily Paige from the Admissions Office!! Trustee Ambassadors turned roommates - its a beautiful thing. In September, I'm moving into her apartment that she has now, so I'll get to stay in the North End for my senior year!! Nice apartment, fantastic roommate... I really feel like next year is going to be the best yet.

Cool thing #3: I'm going to another Suffolk theater production tonight - Hair. Its the second night of the show, and I've heard wonderful things about it from friends who went last night, so I'm really excited to go. That is definitely one thing that I really love about Suffolk - I feel like there's always something to do on campus. To my friend Amy who is in the show (and who probably won't ever see this... ): BREAK A LEG! : )

And finally, Cool thing #4: The seniors are almost done, and it really seems like they are really getting things together. By that I mean they are getting their post-undergrad lives figured out in terms of jobs or graduate schools for the fall. Many of them are wrapping up final projects and getting pumped for Senior Week activities and graduation. So to them - CONGRATS! & we will definitely miss you on campus.

But enough of that sappy stuff for now; they're not gone yet. : ) Hope you enjoyed these random thoughts.

Okay, so I haven't blogged in forever. There's just been so much going on around the Admissions Office that I haven't really gotten the chance. The past few weekends we've had showcases for accepted students, so its been a little chaotic here getting ready for those events. We had about 1,700 people come to the College of Arts & Sciences one alone, so we've probably spewed out more facts about the school and given more tours in the last couple weeks than we have all year combined. Craaaazzziinnessss!

Besides all of the office madness around here, we're also all sooo busy with wrapping up the semester. The good news is that I will officially be a senior before April is over! So exciting! The bad news? I have about five papers, three exams, and two books to read in the next 3 weeks or so. Yikes.... Best get crackin'!

In other good news, spring is really starting to blossom in this lovely city. Right now its still a little chilly, but its sunny out so I'll take it. Its supposed to be almost 70 degress out tomorrow! Woo hoo! So pumped for flip flop weather... Speaking of which, I'm going to head out and enjoy whats left of this sunny day. : )

Ugh... already back from Spring Break. It was definitely a nice change of pace, but of course, it was over before I knew it. Its my second day back to the daily college grind, and I'm already counting down the days until summer. ONLY 5 WEEKS LEFT! Its not that I don't like school, but the city is so much fun to be in when the weather is nice, and the second spring arrives class will be the last thing on my mind. I'm also really excited for summer because its the first summer that I will be really close to my best friends from school, instead of going home to the Boonies. Don't get me wrong - I'm definitely planning on making some relatively frequent trips home to lounge around in my pool - but turning 21 and living in the North End this summer definitely makes it seem promising to be the best summer yet.

But anyways, Spring Break was amazing. I definitely fell in love with NYC when I was there. I dragged my friend around the city to do all of the fun tourist-y stuff for about 9 hours or so, but I felt like we didn't come anywhere close to seeing everything. I really hope to go back sometime soon, probably sometime during the summer, to some of the things we didn't have time for. I spent the second half of break at home, and absolutely loved that too. I should have been doing homework over break, but somehow it just slipped my mind, and I had a lot of catching up to do on Sunday night when I got back to my apartment.

Registration for Fall 2008 classes is next week, and I'm definitely looking forward to taking the new classes I hope to get into. I really want to take Intro to Counselling Skills - the only counselling psychology class we have at the university. I've heard its by far the best psych class here, and spaces are limited so I really really hope to get into it! I'm also taking a Theories of Personality class, and the Honors Senior Seminar for psych majors, which seem like they'll really help me prepare for graduate school (I'm crossing my fingers to get in somewhere!). For my fourth class I hope to get into a Forensic Science class here - Criminalistics. Yeah, I know.. it has nothing to do with my major, and most people would think I was crazy for taking an extra science class and lab for ha-ha's but that is one thing I love about Suffolk: you definitely get a lot of experience and learn a lot in your field of study, but there's also plenty of time to take classes that are just interesting to you. I absolutely love having the opportunity to build on my new obsession with Law & Order: SVU. : )

Gotta run to give a tour!

I wanted to start off this blog by encouraging you guys to check out the new Suffolk blogs. Our new bloggers have some great insight into the school, and I'm sure they have tons of stories to share with you guys so I definitely would check their blogs out!

Okay, so its that time of year again. Basically, I get really sick once a year - usually in March. Without fail, March 8th rolls around and what happens? I develop some sort of sinus infection... as I'm lost in Dorchester, in the pouring rain. Clearly not a great start to the weekend, but it definitely got a little better despite the fact that I thought I was on my deathbed.

I went to see the Suffolk grad student production of the Vagina Monologues after that. It really was such a good show - something that everyone should see if given the opportunity. My bestest friend Rebecca did the set design and lighting for the show, so I went to the show with her roommate, Amy, and boyfriend, Greg, for moral support. It turned out to be one of the greatest shows I've ever seen. One of my favorite parts of show was sitting next to a guy and hearing his reaction to a feminist show aimed at empowering women. He was also lucky enough to be singled out as a male ally for women, and was asked to lead the "vagina chant," and his taking-charge attitude cracked me up as he enthusiastically agreed to do so.

After taking Monday and Tuesday off from school as sick days, I had to return to classes today. The classes themselves weren't bad, but the day goes by so much slower when you're not sitting in your pj's watching Full House and the Price is Right all day long. I have so much work to catch up on now. That's the main reason why I hate being sick during the school year: its nearly impossible to get caught up on everything afterwards. Thankfully, Spring Break is next week, and I CANNOT wait to take a few days off from school. NEW YORK CITY -- here I come! Crossing my fingers for finding the Cash Cab! : )

Ugh, I haven't blogged in so long! It was pretty hectic around the Admissions Office last week. Because it was school vacation week for many high schools in the area, we held extra info sessions throughout the week for the students who didn't want to miss school to come visit Suffolk. We also held an Early Action program on Friday - despite the obscenely awful weather. All in all, I think the programs went pretty well (loved giving tours with Jillian, Rich & Jietta!!), and I hope if you happened to attend one of our events that you got a better idea of what Suffolk is all about, whether or not you toured the school during a snow storm. In other Admissions news, be on the lookout for a new blog to read, written by the lovely Jillian. It should be up and running soon. : )

School is going pretty well, but I cannot wait for Spring Break. Only 18 days left! I'm not really going away to somewhere warm or anything, but I'm supposed to be going to New Jersey with my friend Becka to go to her house for the first half of the vacation so that should be fun. We're supposed to be going to visit NYC, and I've never really been, so I'm definitely excited for that! The second half of my vacation will be spent at home with my rents, but I'm excited for that too just because its so nice to be able to go home and relax every once in a while. I hope to see my sister during my break, too, so we'll see if we can get that together.

Also, the classes for the summer sessions and fall semester 2008 are being posted on Monday so I can't wait to see what I can potentially take next year. I'm definitely looking forward to the summer and senior year! I'm hearing about all of the events for seniors this semester, and they definitely sound like a good time. It sounds so cheesy, but I'm sure this next year will go flying by, and my Senior week here at Suffolk will be here before I know it.

One last exciting update: Grey's Anatomy is set to return in April! Everyone knows just how much I love that show - especially my fellow blogging Ambassador Drew : )