It's That Time of Year...

No, the title of this post is not alluding to one of my all-time favorite Christmas songs.

I'm blogging about finals. There are "Shhhh!" notices all over the residence hall, Gorgas is buzzing (at least on the first floor where you are allowed to buzz), and students are stressing out left and right. The Auburn game is over and even though we have a rare 13th game before the end of the semester, it's time to study.

I have two big group projects due, a paper to write about a speech that I gave a few weeks ago, a 90-ish page screenplay to write, and general studying to do. The screenplay is the big obstacle right now. Though I know exactly what happens and how my movie ends, the actual typing is the hardest thing to do, and since this is the grade of my Screenwriting class, I'd better get it right!

It's a tough time of year, and my progress has been slowed by the ah-mazing football season. I keep day dreaming of this coming weekend (ATLANTA!). Unfortunately, that isn't going to finish my screenplay.

Now, I'm going back to work so that I can make good grades!

Good luck!

Cabin Fever

For the first time this semester, I had a 100% free weekend in Tuscaloosa. It's been great, but I also feel like I've been stuck inside a little too long. Now I have some more work to do, and I feel like I could explode if I don't escape. Today, I'm blogging about a few of my favorite places to study other than my dorm room.

First, I love to sit on the front steps of Gorgas and study when it isn't too cold. It's oddly peaceful, and the view of the Quad is awesome.

Another place I love to study, is actually off-campus. The Barnes and Noble in Midtown Village is so quiet and peaceful, that I often do my last minute cram sessions there while drinking a cup of Starbucks coffee.

Have you ever been to Riverwalk? It's another great place to study because you can sit on a bench overlooking the Black Warrior River. Very peaceful!

My roommate has a few favorite places to study as well. She said she likes to study on a blanket on the Blount Lawn when it is nice outside. Also, she said the basement of the library is usually so quiet that she has nothing to get distracted by, so she writes her papers and studies for exams down there.

Next time you need to escape your little dorm room (or apartment) try visiting a few of these locations to study in peace!

Twilight Fever

I've been looking forward to the Twilight movie since I first read the books in August. When I started reading Twilight, I physically couldn't put it down. I finished the book in no time, and loved it thoroughly. I kept up with the news about Twilight and all of the new trailers. When the soundtrack came out, I started getting even more excited. The songs really are perfect together! It features bands like Muse, Paramore, Linkin Park, Collective Soul, Iron & Wine, and ROB PATTINSON.

(Think I'm the only one who liked the soundtrack? Maybe you didn't realize that they played a song from the CD in Bryant-Denny before the Mississippi State game. It was "Spotlight" by Mutemath.)

The Twilight fever keeps spreading, and now that the movie is out, the low-budget film is making tons of money. Is it getting great reviews? Heck no. The acting isn't necessarily oscar-worthy and the wirework is very awkward. I know there are flaws... but as a reader of the book, I was thrilled with the movie.

I can see how people who have never read the books will watch it and not like it. Some people think Bella is annoying. Kristin Stewart's Bella is very true to the book, in my opinion.

Overall, my roommate and I enjoyed the movie a lot. It was well worth the money, and it left me wanting more...



PS: The sequel, New Moon, has officially been green-lighted!

Happy Better Relations Day!

Hello, Alabama! Happy Better Relations Day! You may have noticed the greeting to the Auburn visitors on campus in the Crimson White today. I don't know much about the whole "Better Relations Day" thing except that a small pep band played some cheers for the visitors in the stadium.

To me, a day of trying to improve relations between Alabama and Auburn is great in theory. And that's what it is... theory. How many of those people (AU and UA alike) walked away from today's festivities with any difference of opinion? My guess is that not many even cared. One of the students involved from Alabama even wanted the band to play Rammer Jammer. Suuuure. Nothing says "let's be friends" like yelling that we're going to beat the heck out of you in a week and a half.

The Auburn/Alabama rivalry is epic. Alabama has never beaten Auburn in Bryant-Denny! That's really depressing! I had no clue about that, to be honest. But that is why this rivalry is fun! We call them the "cow college," they call us whatever they call us, and it will probably never change. Giving the Auburn delegates orange University of Alabama folders (ew!) isn't going to smooth things over. I'd be interested to hear what the other activities included.

Honestly, I think today was for show. It's fun having this in-state rivalry. I love going back to my hometown in Alabama clothing and joking with my Auburn friends. I think it makes the football season even more interesting. Some fans take everything too seriously, and I hope that is something that will evolve and get better over time... but for now, I'm going to keep thinking that Alabama is superior and look forward to a big win over them in the Iron Bowl. Who's with me?

Alabama Volleyball

Have you ever been to an Alabama Volleyball game? No? Trust me, it's amazing. On Friday, I went to the Alabama-Ole Miss match to play with the pep band. I enjoyed it so much that I went again on Sunday for the one against Arkansas. Alabama won both!

If you don't know much about Volleyball, that's okay. It only took me a set to understand the basics and to really start enjoying the sport. I thought it was very interesting to see how much skill was involved. Alabama's team plays with such intensity!

The Tide only plays one more home game this season, and I want to encourage you all to attend! The match is Friday, November 28, at 7:00 p.m. against Mississippi State. It is an amazing way to spend an evening!

Remedies for Homesickness

My friends from home recently spent time at the National Peanut Festival in Dothan, Alabama. They rode thrilling rides, ate boiled peanuts, went to beauty pageants, and saw great concerts. I was unable to attend for the second year in a row.

It's the little things that make me miss home. I won't be the one to start decorating the house for Christmas, which makes me especially sad. When I got last week's newspaper, I browsed over the obituaries (not expecting any familiar names) and noticed that a man that I have known basically forever passed away. It was surprising and it made me think about the things I was missing.

I'm actually very good at not getting homesick. I budget out time to go home on some weekends, and I keep pictures up of my family and friends that remind me of the people I love and miss. Usually the pictures keep me from getting homesick.

But the simple truth is that when I have a bad day/week/month, I can fall straight into homesickness. When this happens, I have a few things that I do to ease the homesickness.

First, I stay busy. When I have a really busy week, I can keep my mind off of missing home. I have band as an outlet to help me stay busy when the schoolwork isn't weighing me down. If you're homesick, try joining a group that will occupy a few hours of your time each week... it can make your week less monotonous.

Second, I like to call home via webcam. Many of my family members have webcams (even my grandmother)! We use Yahoo chat and visit with each other every once in a while. My mom sometimes puts my pets on the camera, and I can watch them run around just like I would if I was at home.

Finally, the fun stuff. Letting loose is always a good way to cut back on stress and homesickness. You are probably less likely to miss home if you are laughing about a funny video or hanging out with a few people from the neighborhood. Pick up a fun hobby, and meet new people.

I asked a few of my friends what they do when they get homesick. Here are Valerie, Amber, Courtney, Colleen, and Maggie to give you their answers.

Having a Bad Day?

My next post is going to be about homesickness so I thought I'd just post this as a pre-post post.

It's November... the temperature is dropping and I'm getting restless. I'm ready for a break for family time. So yeah, I'm a little blue these days. Luckily, I happened upon one of the most uplifting blogs I've ever read. Its called the Fail Blog. It's hilarious.

If you are having a bad day... it could be worse.