Make New Friends, But Keep The Old...

Midway through the summer term, and I was still hanging out with my faithful few. Lamenting the loss of Michael Jackson still, I spent most of my afternoons in the park or at the gym listening to my favorite MJ hits. I'll admit this probably was not a healthy pattern, but at least I got a good cardio workout if I wasn't going to be social. Making friends seemed like so much work at the time, and even more so just plain AWKWARD. ("Awkward" is an awkward word to say and spell...how befitting.) I had spotted out a few people that I could probably be really good friends with, as they reminded me of all of the things I liked about my high school friends, but I still had them, in theory, so I didn't need duplicates. The only person that was just completely new to me, that I could tolerate in large doses, was this kid named Chris. He was pretty nerdy, but not socially awkward or obnoxious. One of the few males in the entire building that summer who's ego was small enough to fit through the front door.

We first met the first week of the semester on a tour of the campus and the media resources (a completely useless trip because 98% of us would never use it and the other 2% of us that did had to go on separate tours of the facilities later in our careers at the University.) This was a superficial meeting, however, where everyone goes around and just pretends to be best friends because we all are trying to convince ourselves that we have to in order to survive. It wasn't until the last two weeks of the semester that we actually had a real conversation. And this marked my first new friend since the week I moved into campus. The end of the semester was a joke. Our exams were mindless and everyone passed with flying colors. I will say that when we all moved out for the two weeks between the summer and fall semesters, I actually missed a few people. Progress? I think so.

Confessions No. 6

I sing in the shower not because I am happy but because I want to be.

Confessions No. 5

Me encanta bailar y cantar cuando nadie está mirando.

College Algebra for Dummies

I thought I was used to waking up early, but I guess being a college student automatically makes you lose your immunity to anything before noon. Waking up at 7:30 to get to an 8am class on time Monday through Thursday was super hard, even though for the past four years of my life I had been getting up at 5am, catching a bus at 6:30, and in my seat, notebook out, pen in hand by the time the class bell rang at 7:30am. The sunshine every morning made going to class that much more difficult. This sucks! All of my friends from home, aka that place down the street, are still in their beds, and probably haven't been sleeping for more than three hours...

Dr. Mbongo walks in 11 minutes after 8 every morning. His eyes are perpetually low and red, as if he just finished his morning joint; but we never gave it a second thought because he smelled of oranges and Kente oil. He started every lecture "Good morning class, did you do your homework? Is everyone here? I will take attendance now." He wasted at least seven minutes of our class time arguing with Al about calling him Allen instead of Al, because that's what was written on the roster. I sat next to another girl, Michaela, who had gone all the way through Calculus in high school, like I did, so we suffered through the tedious 90 minute review together. I think I spent most of my morning staring off into space, doodling or wishing I had gone to Kettering so at least I would be at home with my friends, not at school doing homework (even if the school was the best.)

Dr. Mbongo, feeling hopelessness in our classes ability to "interpret the equation" always picked on Michaela or me to show our work on the board. I never did homework, so I would show up to the half-erased chalkboard with an empty notebook in my hand, reading and solving the problem on the spot. This would have been an impressive skill if I hadn't taken Algebra in 8th grade and if I wasn't a tutor for algebra and geometry for the past three years. Needless to say, I thought the class was a joke.

I had a simple schedule, math in the morning Monday through Thursday, English in the noon Tuesday and Thursday, and Freshmen Seminar Monday, Wednesday, Friday; and everyday I was done with class no later than 2:00pm. Once I got into routine of my classes and found some familiar faces that traveled with me, I decided I should actually get to know some of these people... maybe.

Confessions No. 4

I love rain, and puddles. But not when they make the bottom of my pants soggy.

Part 1: The Very Beginning

Mom and Pops dropped me off at school about three weeks ago and so far I've met a few crazy people. My roommate Marlena and I are getting along just peachy. We listen to the same music, eat the same popcorn, and we both like our beds lofted. She's a neat-freak, but I keep my mess to myself. I like to go to bed by 1am, but she uses headphones. We've done almost everything together outside of class. I had nightmares about having a roommate from hell, much like my sisters Maurcel and Reese had, but so far she's proven me wrong (but I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a little while longer).

Down the hall are some girls that are pretty chill. Joy lives down the hall. We went to middle and high school together. Farther down lives Nilla and CiCi. Across the hall from them is Louise. The six of us have basically been inseparable. Well that is half true. Joy has been in and out. She's found a new love interest since her Lover Boy from home has decided they should be free to roam to start off college. It seems Cory has sparked her interest and she has planned every semi-stalkerish way to "accidentally" be in the same place as him at least twice a day. I swear that girl reads way too many romance novels.

See Joy is a very complex girl. At a very young 17, she is the baby of the hall. But thanks to a friends' old state ID, Joy is also the most well-versed club hopper. A soccer/cross country drop-out, Joy has by far the best body of us all, and she knows it. Everyday we go running in the rec building and while I wear basketball shorts and baggy t-shirts, she is in her spandex and sports bra, making all the boys (and some of the girls) watch her every move, just the way she likes it. Just this week, two guys stopped playing basketball and followed us to the weight room, just to get a closer look. You would think that all this attention would be enough for her, but no. She's not as shallow as she appears. Quite the contrary, actually. Her standards in men are quite high. If you want a conversation with her to last more than 20 seconds, you better have your resume ready to go. So for her to have found a new prospect is a HUGE deal.

Nilla and CiCi are pretty quiet, I haven't found out much about them yet. CiCi has a cool latina accent, but I don't know where she's from. Is it weird to ask after we've spent so much time together already? I feel like that is something I should already know. Anyway, on the bus to Meijer last week, we met Louise, the biggest creep you'll ever meet. Just kidding! She's just super nice, something I didn't expect to see much of. Anywho, we got on the bus and Louise is sitting by herself. She head nods for Nilla, also by herself (or so she thought), to sit by her. We push her over to sit by her. We end up having some girly conversation about Gilmore Girls and the obnoxious football players. And that is where it all began.

Confessions No. 3

I hate it when people ask me what my style is. I wear what I want, when I want, how I want, and there is no method to my madness.

Confessions No. 2

I don't answer the phone on the first ring because I want you to think that I'm busy and that I am going out of my way to answer your call.

Confessions No. 1

I like to wear mix-match socks on purpose, except if I'm wearing knee-high socks.