In an effort to have at least one weekly consistency, I figured I’d throw in a Meme and this is the one I’ve decided on: The Saturday 9. I’ll be doing them every Saturday though they won’t necessarily be the most recent one on the blogspot.

[TS9:E1 = The Saturday 9: Episode 1 -- just for those curious minds]

1. Where and when were you born?
September 24th, 1986 at 12:18 am in Wailuku, Maui, Hawaii

2. Do you have siblings? If yes, tell us more.
Sure do. One sister, 8 years older than me named Athena, and one brother, 6 years older than me named Nathan. Yes, I’m the spoiled baby.

3. What are your parents’ names?
Robbin and Gabriel

4. Did you (or do you) know all four of your grandparents?
Unfortunately not. Knew my father’s parents for a short time and my sort of.. step grandfather I suppose for a while too. Wish I could have met the crazy Irishman that was my real granddad.

5. Do have children? If yes, tell us about them. If no, do you want them?
Sure I do!! Its two great danes, three cats, a panda hamster, and a 23 year old human. But no baby humans, yet. I’d like to have at least three by the time I’m 30.

6. Do you still live in the general area that you grew up in?
Not even close…

7. Do you have cousins? If yes, are you or have you been close?
I have tons of half cousins and know none of them.

8. How often does your family all get together?
Twice a year if we’re lucky. Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Year.

9. Is your significant other close to your family?
Decently close. Close enough to be deemed retarded like the rest of us by my mum.

Just because I’m going to (potentially) have a “politics” section.. I figured I’d begin it with the topic of this year: Who will you vote for come November? I’m strongly backing Hillary Clinton for the Democratic candidate and then of course for president. Who knows if she doesn’t get the candidacy.

[edit]: And no, it’s not just because she’s a woman.

With the pressure mounting and the entire campus diving into the murky, disgusting, algae ridden pool called exam week, unwinding is in high demand! I have thus found the best way for me to accomplish relaxation.

Thankfully, there is a place called “the village” which the school owns. It is a street of shops with apartments over them which the school uses as dorms and is the hub for entertainment for all those who live on or close to campus. It’s within walking distance and has lots to offer. The main spot for many of us is Borjo’s Cofeehouse. Obviously, it offers coffee. It also has an array of other beverages and cafe food (paninis, salads, wraps, etc.). I’ve personally become addicted to their ultra yummy milkshakes, both the chocolate and the chai versions.

The atmosphere is laid back and you’re welcome to stay for hours on end. The seating is extremely comfortable, the music is good, and thankfully the company I keep there is fantastic. Plus, it’s out of the house! Feel free to share your retreat spots with me in the comments :) 

.. During finals! For many others like me, keeping yourself sane during the tribulations of finals is almost impossible. Having to write code, papers, memorize seemingly useless facts, go through hundreds of flash cards and spirals of notes, all to bump your GPA a millimeter into the right direction (which is up of course!). It’s amazing the amount of effort and brain frying thought we put into a single week (or two) or exams, pity most of us don’t put all that into the rest of the semester. Ha!

So, I’ve found a few ways that I keep sane during the Finale Flusters. One is to properly schedule my time based on when my finals occur. Thankfully I’ve been fortunate enough this semester to luck out and have several days between finals to use up studying. Also, studying is a keyword. Actually studying the material has helped make that last minute cramming more effective.

Two: Find a comfortable place to study. This means something different for all people. Because of my ADD, studying has to be done in a place where I am generally secluded but have low music in the background and my laptop nearby. My brain has a hard time focusing in on one thing and therefore needs stuff going on in the background. I usually study in spurts. I spend 10 or 15 minutes reading and then take 5 minutes to play Dofus or IM a friend. Repeating this lets me get all the reading or studying I need done without driving myself stir-crazy.

Comfort also means finding somewhere that your butts not going to fall asleep and that has enough room for you to stretch and walk around for a few minutes if need be. I know many students you like to just find a very comfortable chair they can sink into and do all their reading at once. Personally, I never retain and ounce of information doing it that way. So for me, it’s a comfortable spot propped up in bed. This also allows me the option of lying down if I feel the need (or desire) and is usually somewhere quiet where I can seclude myself from any distractions.

Three: Depending on the subject, find a study partner. Many of my classes are ones I wouldn’t want company for to study, however, there are exceptions such as foreign languages and math that I would benefit from one or two short study sessions with a partner or group.

Four: TAKE BREAKS. Most people say, “Oh, I don’t want to take a break. It’ll disrupt my studying.” Poppycock. Taking a break will let your mind slow down and process what you’ve taken in rather than overloading itself with some long arse session you’ve planned.

Five: BREATHE. Remember that so long as you try your damnedest, you’ll get what you deserve for it.

Recently I’ve had to consider the question and make a decision whether or not to attend classes over the summer. After not so much deliberation I decided I’d better get some classes out of the way to get somewhat back on track for the fall. Unfortunately, throughout my collegiate career I have had the misfortune of taking several years and paths to figure out which fit the best. Through this method I have gained almost all my general education credits and am now stuck with mathematics and computer science… that’s it. The major issue with this being the fact that you must take certain classes in order to be admitted into the higher courses.

Fortunately, the head of the department seems extraordinarily reasonable and so long as I continue to put my best foot forward she seems likely to allow me to take courses simultaneously despite the need for prerequisites. I’m looking forward to actually meeting her in person one day and not just through electronic devices. -chuckle-

With the summer and fall booked though, I find I will have difficulty concentrating on anything but my school work. Thusly this could potentially complicate things between my spouse and I, but hopefully we will be able to find a happy medium that doesn’t completely demolish my GPA.