May 1, 2011

Reflections of College & Correspondents.

160'th post.
Saucy, saucy!

Let's kick it off with some PJ Harvey-
"Hanging In The Wire"


I listened to this my walk today and it seemed to suit the mood just right.

So the other day I dropped by my parents house. My mom, as usual, was more than thrilled to give me any mail that had arrived for me during the course of time between visitations. I got that pesky survey from the community college I had attended and got my associates from, College of DuPage. Each time it comes, she urges me to fill it out and send it back. My response is always "Yeah, Yeah, I know, I will." ::cue to me throwing it out:: IN THE RECYCLING BIN -(that counts for something). This time there was a different course of action as I actually took it home, I put it on the counter, and I eyed it for two days before doing anything. This morning, I started to make check marks and circle numbers corresponding with the various questions about performance and accessibility. All of this allows me to face my college career in the face, or at least analyze it for what it was worth.

I'm not ashamed of my college experience in any regard. I actually start my own written review off by saying; 

"I really valued my time spent at C.O.D. I met some wonderful people, I took some great classes, and I had the honour of being taught by some really intelligent and phenomenal professors"...

That is only a glimpse into how I feel. I went to community college because that made the most sense for me. I felt like, and still do feel, that University is one of those things people do because they feel like they have to. For some people, I feel like University is vital to their well being; they can thrive from it and continue to explore more about their points of interest and expand their horizons in terms of opportunity. There are others who find themselves within classrooms who would be better suited working at a hands-on job, learning the tools of the trade as they go, from people who have worked it and are proven to be a more desired source of information versus textbook teachings. I find a lot of people venture to different schools only to find that what they really needed was embedded within some other path. The people that lingered in some of these classrooms were some of the best. I feel that a community college offers something different, or it caters to a more well-rounded group of people, the people of which, are awesome. You get your; extremely smart kids who are there to save a dime and transfer to a four year "ASAP", the mellowed out stoners clad in Dead shirts sitting along the wall, the moms who are making up for lost time, the kids who are totally with it but just don't have their career path down, and the kids who just don't give a damn. This mix is P-R-I-M-E and it always leads to making a few friends or at least having a few solid debates in class. Don't get me wrong, I worked hard, but it WAS college, and there was ALWAYS time for Tom-foolery. 


Like for instance in this math class which I found absolutely deplorable-
I was not a fan of the teacher, but had a class with a buddy. I brought wine glasses &
a bottle of Perrier and we used to drink in class with class.
I dropped this class as soon as I realized I had the ability to.

My College experience was very good, but no doubt, it could have been much better and much more commendable. I left high school completely unsure and that is probably because I went through high school being completely oblivious to everything, I feel. I had Ivy League dreams when it was far too late and knowing you already blew it while you're STILL IN high school is infuriating and extremely disappointing. I know I made up for high school with my time spent in college, but that doesn't change anything. I can hardly tell you what I was doing when my friends were cooped up doing homework and feverishly making flashcards for their Spanish exams, but it wasn't necessarily making mischief. I had fun in high school, minus the 2+ years of hell that ensued when an eating disorder consumed my life. I was concerned about socializing and other things that revolved around socializing; I should have gone into Public Relations or Journalism right off the bat, but I didn't. With my social skills and ability to get information from a mute you'd think I'd pursue one of these routes. "EYES & EARS, EYES & EARS!" I decided to be broad-based and snag a degree in....General Studies. How does one get more well-rounded than that? (answer: MULTIPLE DEGREES & PIE EATING CONTESTS)

Although my survey is not completed, I know it will contain a lot of "I could have done better/taken away more/asked better questions/etc...." With these feelings I have over the course of my reflections on my college experience, I can only be glad they are not making me physically write out my opinions of my high school happenings, for it makes me want to go back to do it all over again. I got fairly good grades in college, but I worked for them. In high school, my grades were sub-par, if you could even throw that title on it (and trust me, you couldn't). I was just consumed with other things, and maybe those things led me to where I am today. At the end of the day, I cannot regret them and feel bad about not doing better, I can only laugh about the times I thought it would be a brilliant idea to run down the halls in my full Gumby suit-and don't you worry, it was.

I can only hope I will find myself seated in an Academic setting again soon. I need to be able to put my thoughts and desires into action. I feel like I've got the momentum and I'm really moving towards something here. I can only hope to pursuit something that entails a good future--something that is realistic and stable. I have a few ideas of what I'd like to go after. I'm anxious to see where they'll go. When I find papers like this, it makes me muster up the motivation to do it all over again;


And yes, I made my college professor a CD.
Making CD's for people is without a doubt within my blood.
I love creating soundtracks for peoples lives.
See-sharing MUSIC and opinions is vital!

As journalism finds itself to be a real potential candidate for something I'd like to study further, it was really nice to hear President Obama thank and commend all the journalists for their hard work and dedication to the craft last night at the White House Correspondent's Dinner. I think that would be such an honour. There are certain moments in your career that I can imagine you are proud of, but I feel that there are other times when it hits you even harder, like when the President is thanking you for your time and practice. It might have been even better to hear Seth Meyers do a sound off on Fox News, Trump, and C-Span. I loved that he was invited to speak here and I think he did a fine job of bringing the right people into the spotlight and his remarks were nice and sharp!


Okay, Okay. I guess now we can understand why there has been no new Saturday Night Live's on for two weeks now. I won't be holding any grudges, only applause. Of course, Seth Meyers was not the only one to rip into Trump, as Obama took part in the fun too. I enjoyed what he had to say. Apparently wise cracks aimed at you are always funnier when coming from the president because Seth couldn't seem to drag that smile out of him. Check it out;


Of course, Trump fires back by calling Seth Meyers a "Stutterer" (what?!) and claiming he was all anybody could talk about. Don't be too modest, Mr. Trump, I promise, you weren't the focus, only the clown.

I'll leave you with;

"Donald Trump often talks about running as a Republican, which is surprising, I just assumed he was running as a joke." - Seth Meyers



-Tessa

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