And another year begins...

Every year when the beginning of school comes, I am both excited for another year and sad to see the summer go. This year my feeling was completely different. I spent the summer in Boston waiting tables at a local bar. While it was fun, it also grew tiresome. In mid-July I was ready for classes to start. I was excited to get back into the rhythm of classes, working in the Admission office, and mostly just being productive with my time. "Is it September yet?" was my most common phrase this summer.

Now that it is September and it is week three of classes, I'm saying "Is it winter break yet?" It's always hard to go from doing nothing but working and relaxing for four months to taking six classes. Don't get me wrong-- I love school and I love learning about the fascinating topic of Global Business that is my major... but I don't always love reading four chapters of unexciting text books before class. I think I may be developing a small case of senioritis which is not good considering that I have three semesters left before graduation! Of course, senioritis for me is not the typical malady that one hears about it. It is more like not doing all the reading before class or not going above and beyond to be ahead of the game (instead of on time) with assignments. But still-- it is kind of throwing me for a loop.

My being a slacker aside, my classes this semester are really interesting. I am taking French 101 which is so much fun. I took five years of French in middle school and high school so this is a refresher course for me. My Global Business major requires that I take one year of a foreign language. I went to Paris in May of 2008 and I never wanted to come home. Had my language skills been better, I may not have. The problem with my French education in high school was that it focused primarily on reading and writing. The college approach to languages is completely different. The professor focuses on our pronunciation (repetez apres moi) and our ability to listen which I think will actually teach me how to speak French. So be prepared for some franglais in future blogging entries :)

I am also taking Business Finance, Intro to International Business, The European Union, Marketing Research, and Management & Social Responsibility. Most of them are fairly self-explanatory. The European Union is a Griffin challenge course that runs for six weeks. It is about the history, evolution, economic and political environment of the EU. I am really enjoying it especially since one of my future career dreams is to work with the EU and business in the European sector.

Management & Social Responsibility is a one credit course that only meets three times during the semester. It is a core requirement for all business students that deals with nonprofits. In the class we are split into seven-person teams. Our goal is to act as a consulting team by proposing a solution to a problem to a real nonprofit in the Boston area. My class is working on solving a volunteer problem for The Boston Living Center, a nonprofit that provides support services for people living with HIV and AIDS. We have one month to put together a client report and prepare a presentation for the executives of the BLC. The great part about this class is that it gives Suffolk students the experience of doing real consulting work while being able to make a difference in the community. The not so great part about the class is that we have a lot of work to do in a very short period of time. But I think this will be a really excellent learning opportunity for me.

In addition to being a bit crazy with six classes, readjusting to my school schedule, and working in the admission office, I am also painting my room. I moved into a new apartment over the summer and the current color of my room is mustard with a bronze sponged on top. I have chosen a coral/cream color as a brighter and more appealing option. It is my first painting project all by myself and I'm not sure I totally know what I'm doing. But I have faith that I can do it and that it will be fabulous!

Another school years begins and I am busier than ever... A bientot!

A Glimpse of my Summer

As the first week of my senior year has already come and gone, I am amazed at how quickly time passes. It feels like just yesterday I was a senior in high school preparing for the big world of college. I can't believe that now I'm beginning to prepare for the real world!

I stayed in Boston this summer and worked waiting tables at a local bar. I went home to Maryland twice though for a visit. I think the best way is to show you a few glimpses of what I did through pictures...

The pictures are out of order, but I think it is more fun that way

The Boston skyline from the view of a boat in Boston Harbor visiting the Harbor Islands

The State House in Annapolis, Maryland-- my favorite stomping ground.

On the Harbor Island Ferry boat

Visiting my friend at school in Frederick, Maryland

We watched the sunset from the top of a mountain overlooking

Middletown, Maryland

Although this was absolutely beautiful... I'm such a city girl! Dresses, ballet flats and mountain trails aren't the best mix.

Some of my fellow Ambassadors-- Allison, Chris and I went to visit Kristin in Connecticut for her birthday. Her parents got us a limo!

Trying to make SU-- GO RAMS!

Allison and I did not plan on matching pajamas... we just love Suffolk that much!

When the weather was nice, I had a lot of picnics with the girls I worked with. This was in the Fens.

On the Fourth of July enjoying the fireworks. I was all about the flowers in my hair this summer.

On the beach in Fort Myers, Florida.

My brother came to visit after he graduated from high school. Here we are with our new cousin (and future Suffolk student) in the Public Garden.

Oh my!

 Time has flown by! I cannot believe that I just finished my first year at Suffolk. Junior year, supposedly the hardest year, is over. Thank goodness! And although I am so ready for summer and a break from school work, I am sad that half of my time at Suffolk is already over. I guess that is one of the downsides of being a transfer student. But it seems strange that the end of the semester has already come and gone. I sort of feel like I should be going back to school next week.

I went with some of our other ambassadors (Kristin, Chris, Nick and Allison) to the Spring Ball the Friday before finals. We had such a great time! We took a bunch of ridiculous prom-like pictures before at Kristin's apartment in the North End. Nick was so sweet and bought all the ladies roses. Then we went to the Royal Sonesta hotel in Cambridge for the ball. They served a really nice dinner and raffled off finals survival kits. Of course none of us won anything. But I'm one of those people who, at my own prom in high school, was one of like six people who did not win something at the after prom party. C'est la vie. So then we dance for a while.  I had such a wonderful time! I love to dance. "Just Dance" is my theme song to life right now. 

I don't know how much I'll be blogging this summer since I'll be working.  But hopefully I'll keep you posted on the ongoings of my summer in Boston! 

The last stretch

Today is my last day of class! After a presentation, case study, final paper, and 100 question final, I'm done! Although I love learning and I adore going to Suffolk, I'm so ready for it to be summer.

An actual profound thought

This is a follow up to a previous post...

I just started reading a book about Eleanor Roosevelt , and besides it being about a woman whom I find completely fascinating, the beginning is a bit much. There is a foreward, an introduction, an author's note and a prolouge. How many introductions can one book have? Isn't there some kind of book etiquette which dictates these sorts of things?

How 'bout them Celtics!

I went to my first Celtics game last week. I got a call from my uncle to tell me that the person he was going with couldn't make and inquiring if I wanted to go. "Absolutely!" was my answer. Once I hung up the phone it occured to me that the call came on April 1st. So I called him right back to say that it would be terribly mean to have me thinking I was going to a game if I really wasn't.

It wasn't an April Fools trick and I had such a great time! I don't know a whole lot about basketball, but it was probably one of the more interesting games of the season. We played the North Carolina Bobcats--word on the street (meaning a friend of mine informed me) is that they are not all that much of a challenge to play. This game went into double overtime and was won by Ray Allen in the last two seconds. The game was tied 93 to 93 at the end of the fourth quarter. Ray Allen shot a 3-pointer to get us into the first overtime in the last 6 seconds. He shot another 3-pointer to get us into the second overtime. And he shot another 3-pointer to win the game in the last 2 seconds! For somone who doesn't know a lot about basketball, I was on my feet, adrenaline pumping, cheering at the top of my lungs. I must say it was kind of an awesome first game.

Last summer I watched the NBA finals when the Celtics won. I remember coming home from working at the restaurant in Maryland and sitting in my room watching the final game. None of my family was awake because it was late. When the Celtics won I called my aunt and uncle because I felt like I needed desperately to share the excitment with fellow Bostonians. This was my introduction to basketball in that I was trying to figure out what was going on all by myself. Naturally, I was trying to decide which player I connected with the best because it is so much better to watch a team when you have a favorite player. But it was hard to tell at first since Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen all put on a good show. I did like Allen a lot because of his 3 point shots. After this game I'm proud to say that Allen is my man. Now I just have to get myself a shirt with his name on it. It's perfect because green and white are my favorite colors :)