Dead Week

I know I have been pretty positive this semester......but here come the tidal wave. So this whole Dead Week thing seems to be a big joke to me. I have never been so stressed before during a week where all I am supposed to be doing is studying. Let me tell you, I am doing everything but studying. I have 3 papers due and I am still learning material that is going to be on my exam this Friday. I think that the should get rid of the name Dead Week because it is false advertising. Hopefully I will get some studying time in later this week and this weekend....I am done complaining now...sorry for that.

That Time of the Year!

So I know it has been a long time since I have blogged and I feel super guilty, but I have lots to talk about. First is setting up for the Textile Alumni Tailgate. This was fun because I got to blow up tons of balloons with a helium machine. It turned about to be somewhat humorous because the wind was so strong and the balloons were flying everywhere. I did not get to stay for the tailgate due to another obligation, but I heard it was really fun. Then, this past weekend I had my first performance with the NC State Modern Dance Company. It went well and there actually was a quite a turn out, much more than I was expecting. I had a great experience and all my hard work was worth it.

Now it is crunch time. All of my papers and tests are all happening at once. I had a math tests today and I find that class pretty simple. The professor prepares you well for the test and I feel confident while taking them. I have done well in math because of my professor's style of teaching. One tip, definitely make sure when you are signing up for classes to check grade distributions, that will help a lot. I have a friend taking the same math class and she has a horrible professor. The professor can make a huge difference when it comes to your final grade. Anyways, I am super stressed right now and ready for the semester to be over. I turned in my last literature paper today too and that was a big relief. Now I have one test left and then I get to go home for Thanksgiving and start studying for exams. WOOHOO! Sorry for my dull mood in this post, but as you know......it's that time of year!

Almost Over!

This semester has seemed to fly by. I feel like I just got here and Thanksgiving break is right around the corner. There are lots of crazy events going on right now. First of all, it seems that every class I am taking either has a paper due or a test this week. It is incredibly stressful. On top of that I have my dance performance coming up next week. I also hvae a luncheon with the board of the North Carolina Textile Foundation and I am attending the Textile Alumni Tailgate at the Wake Forest Game. As you can see, this week is going to be interesting. Pray for me! I will write later this week and let tyou know how everything went.

Average Day

Today was an average day of class for me. I first have TT105 which is Introduction to Textile Technology. We began our third section which is Product Development. The lecture today began with the New Product Development Process. The is the process that entails everything from idea generation to the product being on the market. Next, I had a two hour break. Today I spent mine eating a personal pizza and studying for my Economics midterm. After my break, I went to T101, which is Introduction to the College of Textiles. There was a presentation on diversity where we played the game Cross-the-Line. This allowed us to see the diversity in the people that surround us everyday. Overall, Tuesdays are usually not that bad besides the fact that I have three tests this week. One tip for college, learn how to study before you get here!!

Open House

Today I worked at the NC State University Open House. I spent my time handing out programs to students interested in NC State. I enjoyed things such as the entertainment including, Dance Fusion and the NC State Clogging Team. I also found it intriguing to see new students interested in NC State because I was in the same position last year. I did not attend open house, so I enjoyed seeing all of the exhibits and opportunities at the college. Open house would have been very helpful to attend when I was applying to NC State.

Obama For Kids

This weekend I voluteered at Obama For Kids. It was an event held at Pullen Park that raised awareness about the presdential election to children. There were activities such as poster making, t-shirt painting, and a hoops competition. I got to help the kids with their crafts and I even led the Obama parade around Pullen Park. I found this experience incredibly rewarding because it gave me a chance to give back to the community while having fun. The kids learned about Obama and what he plans on doing for the United States. They also learned about voting and the way that the President of the United States is selected. Overall Obama For Kids was a great event that had a positive affect on the community.

Daily Life

So I have been doing lots of cool things lately. Since I last blogged, I have attended two of the Art to Wear fashion show commitee meetings. I am on the pulicity/jurying commitee and I am super excited about that. Also, I attended the Cotton Inc. fashion show meeting. I was disappointed because I will be out of town when the show takes place, but I am hoping to participate next year. Another thing I went to recently was the New Student Cookout. The College of Textiles provided all freshman with lunch for the day. This was a great opportunity to meet new people and talk to some of my classmates rather than just sitting next to them during class. I enjoyed the hush puppies and the rolls.

The NCSU Modern Dance Company is also another exciting endeavor that has started to take off. It is certainly a big commitment, but I enjoy it. It allows me to relieve some of the stress that builds up from school work. I am currently in 2 student-lead pieces of work and 2 coreographer lead pieces. I am enjoying the experience of being a company member.

Clemson vs. NC State.....GO PACK!

So last weekend I attend the NC State vs. Clemson football game with the College of Textiles, but before that we did something very interesting. We went and toured Milliken which is one of the largest textile manufacturers in the world. The people there were incredibly nice and the corporate office looked like something out of a movie. A fellow trip-mate of mine called it the Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory of textiles. They fed us lunch and then we toured the product gallery which included things like Underarmor and Garnier Fructis bottles. Milliken has a part in a large number of products that we use in our everyday life. They say that every day you touch at least 10 things that Milliken took part in creating. After we toured the corporate office, we went to the Hillcrest plant which creates the carpet like material on the back of vehicle seats. This was interesting to see because we saw the final product in the product gallery and the process at the Hillcrest plant. After touring through the two sectors of Milliken, we went out in downtown Greenville. This was really fun because the city caters to young-adults in the technology industry. There a bunch cool shops and restaurants and even Edwin McCain was performing. Anyways, the next day we went to the Clemson game and it was a blast. We got to tailgate with the Clemson textiles students and had some awesome BBQ. I came back a little sunburn, but it was well worth the pain.

The First Day of Class

Of course my the first day of class had to be a Wednesday, which happens to be my busiest. I was bit intimidated by the schedule I had that day. I began by finding my classes on a NCSU map. After that I set out on my journey all the way to Nelson Hall. I had a weird feeling in my stomach that I was going to not be able to find it, but I kept on trucking. I recommend finding your classes before the first day. Anyways, I ended up finding the Hall pretty easily. The first day was mostly handing out the syllabus and informational type things. College is very different from high school in that everything is based off of a syllabus. After that class, I rushed over to Harrelson which you can't miss. It is a huge cirucular building in the middle of campus. I have to admit the classroom numbering system can get a bit confusing. There is an inside and an outside to the circle. My teacher was very friendly, so that helped ease the stress. I then went to my last class on main campus in Winston. It was quiet a far walk especially because I was some what dumb to where I was going. I found the class and was pleased to see it was a small class of only freshmen. That is what Q classes are at NC State. Small classes of Freshmen with great teachers. Next, I had to take a bus to Centennial Campus. This was stressful at first because you had to get the timing just right. Finally, I ended my day with a dance meeting and a full night of sleep.

Getting Adjusted

Well as you all know the first few days are the hardest. I found this time bittersweet because many of my friends from high school went to different colleges. I was sad that I would not see them as often, but happy that I would have the opportunity to make new friends. NC State does a wonderful job of planning fun activities that got me involved. I was a surprised by the fact that the activities were incredibly fun. There was one called RecFest where you could play tons of inflatable games, get balloon animals, or even get a caricature drawn. Also, I enjoyed the Welcome Back Pack Dinner. I won a folding chair that my roommate and I frequently use in our room. I also won a water bottle for doing push-ups. Another exciting thing is that every where you turn there is free Vitamin Water. I have never seen so much Vitamin Water in my life! There is also an activity that the College of Textiles does on its own. This gave me an opportunity to meet fellow Textile majors. There was also free snacks and chances to win door prizes. I was grateful that NC State planned fun activities where I could meet new people. It made the first days at college much easier.

Packing up

My journey to NC State began with my overly organized lists. Between all ten of them, I still did not manage to remember everything that I needed. Sure I remembered the obvious things like a toothbrush, my laptop, and school supplies, but the last thing I thought I would need was dust buster. Disregarding all the stress of packing, leaving home was not that bad. Living a mere 15 minutes from home, I am sure probably aided in the smooth process. I gathered my troops and we headed to the treacherous move in day. Yes, you will get sweaty and you will have a back-ache the next day so be prepared. I do recommend moving in at a different time than your roommate. This allowed us to sprawl all of our stuff on the floor without getting in each other's way. Anyways, after I made 13 trips back and forth to the car I began to organize my room. As you already know I am incredibly particular about where my things go so this was a long process for me. It probably would be much quicker for the average person. I finally got situated and went out to dinner with my family to relieve all the stress of the day. I spent the first night in my room and was happy move in day was over.