Choosing a major is a hard thing to do...

Choosing a major before school started was hard enough, but now that I’m already halfway through the year, I feel like the major that I was so completely sure with before is no longer the dream I was once had, and I just don’t understand what exactly happened.

The single most asked question I get is what my major is - the one that now scares me whenever I meet somebody new. I don’t know exactly at what point I started having doubts about what I wanted to be when I "grew up."

In high school, I bragged about my major. Whenever my friends asked me what I was going to study, I would always give them the same cocky attitude: I want to be a journalist, I want to work for Rolling Stone, and I want to move to New York. Now that I’m in college, I no longer have the same dream. In fact, I think I have actually become the dreaded "U" word: undecided.

I had always heard of my older college friends say that they switched majors a few times before they finally stuck to only one. But, I actually never believed them. I thought they were all exaggerating and that I would surely prove them all wrong by sticking to one major. But now, I’m actually dabbling between three other things that I want to be and they’re very different from each other.

Why is that, though? Why is it that so many freshmen like me are struggling to find their dream career in college when there are so many options? Maybe that’s the problem: we don’t exactly know how many options we have.

I remember that even at orientation, the leaders separated us according to majors and colleges. But what about the "undecided" majors? Were they separated with a bunch of "undecided" people and just got a simple tour of campus? What does the school really do when it comes to guiding us freshman who are completely lost into what we really want to be?

The Career Development Center helps students with their career paths and choices for those that haven't found "the right track." They do so by giving out self-assessment tests and information about different kind of careers and majors that help students decide what they really want to study.

But I guess now that I’m in college, I understand what my friends meant when they said that I was probably going to change my major about a couple of times before making up my mind. I guess it’s because as a freshman, we’re all trying to find what we’re really good at, and sometimes the major that we may have chosen may not have been the best one for us. This would probably explain the indecisiveness and the changing around of majors the first couple of years in college.

I still think that the promoting of other majors and careers should still be more advertised around campus. How about having a table on the Breezeway dedicated to a certain major on different days of the week with a person to talk more about it? Or how about workshops for freshman to help us decide what major is best for us and which ones we could actually succeed in, because I definitely need some guidance in this whole deal.

I just wish the process of choosing a major would be a lot easier. For some reason, it is more difficult than I thought. I am still a communications major, but there are just so many other things that I want to explore and study that I feel like I’m caught up in the middle of my own decisions.

I like music, psychology and writing — but that doesn’t mean I’m going to major in each of those.

For now, I will be switching my major to Psychology just because I think it’s the only other thing I like the most — I just hope I’m making the right decision for my future. But hey, it sounds good for the time being.

Religion, Religion, Religion!

Everyone's favorite brother came by this week - Brother Micah, that is.

I had never even heard of Micah Armstrong before, but he was definitely a character. I hadn’t seen somebody so passionate about spreading the word of God before like that, and though it might have been an entertainment for most of us, it was also annoying how people like him constantly try to convert you into something that you’re not interested in.

Back in high school, there were a lot of religious clubs that were promoted by students throughout the school year. The problem was that a lot of the clubs took the promoting a little too seriously and actually tried to convert people into their religions and not respect everybody else’s beliefs.

When I got to college, I thought that whole deal would be over... until I saw Brother Micah "preaching" to students about how we’re not good Christians because we wear jeans that are "too tight" and "engage in premarital sex." Who is he to say such a thing? But more importantly, it is none of his business whether we’re good Christians or not, or whether we follow the Ten Commandments or not. Who is he to decide for us?

That’s the problem with people like him. They go around to college campuses hoping to get all us little freshman into changing our religions just because they’re telling us to do so. What’s up with that?

As a student and as a human being, I’m the one who’s going to decide what kind of religion I want to be apart of. What if I wanted to be an atheist? What if I didn’t believe in all of this "religion" stuff? Why do people like Brother Micah follow you around, trying to make up your mind for you? What ever happened to respecting our decisions?

I also dislike the fact that people like Brother Micah especially try attract attention to a younger crowd as opposed of older people who are NOT in college. For some reason, people like him think that because we are young and "naive" we would actually fall for the things they say.

Brother Micah was definitely a big hit in the entertainment department. I actually enjoyed watching his ridiculous act this past week. However, I also found him very annoying and also somewhat disrespectful to some of the students. Who cares if we’re sinners or not? My definition of "sin" and his definition of "sin" are completely different. Who cares if we wear certain clothes or if we hold hands and make out? That’s our business and neither him nor anybody else has anything to do with it.

Just let us be and stop trying to convert people. We'll do it if we want to.

Homecoming Week is Near!

In high school, I never went to any dances or proms until my senior year. I never participated in much and I tried to stay away from Homecoming football games and packed stores at the mall trying to look for a dress.

This year, I've surprisingly been consumed by the excitement of my first Homecoming week in college. And let me tell you, it is a lot different from what freshman are used to.

First of all, I didn’t even know there was a Homecoming in college. I always thought that it was primarily a "high school thing." It completely caught me off guard when I started seeing posters around school telling us to vote for our Homecoming prince and princess. Even when I saw the posters around campus, I still wasn’t quite sure of what kind of Homecoming in college was all about.

It turns out that Homecoming in college is a BIG deal. Not only is the week full of fun events for everybody to enjoy, but people seem to actually participate in them and genuinely enjoy the spirit of Homecoming. This wasn’t the case back in my high school days.

Way back when, Student Government practically begged students to go to the pep rallies. We lacked serious school spirit and, on top of that, my high school football team took losing to a whole new level. Besides, the fact that we got ridiculed by other schools for having a condom as our mascot didn't really help. (Yes, The Trojans.)

In college, Homecoming week is actually fun. One of the big activities during Homecoming week is the comedy show, which will be held at the Carole and Barry Kaye Auditorium in the Student Union. To me, the comedy show sounds like a great idea to have a couple of laughs with real comedians for once.

There will also be a parade and a bonfire. A parade? Seriously? I don’t think anyone in high school even thought of that... let alone a bonfire.

Of course, how can we forget the football game — the single most important part of Homecoming week?

This year, our OWLS will be fighting Louisiana-Monroe at Lockhart Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 27. The football game is THE BEST way to get involved in school. You get a little bit of school spirit, have fun watching some football with friends, and of course, you get to lose your voice while cheering on our Owls. I definitely recommend going to it.

I’m kind of disappointed that we’re not having a dance this year at FAU. But I think all the activities coming up during Homecoming week make up for it.

Homecoming week will be great to mingle with fellow students and go out there and have some fun and forget about homework and papers for a couple of days. Check out all the activities planned during the week of Oct. 21-28 by clicking here.

GO OWLS!

Collegitis

During my senior year of High School, I got what is normally called “Senioritis” — the typical procrastination of a high school student toward the end of senior year. But don't think it escaped me so quickly. Now I'm in college and I seem to be suffering from Collegitis, its evil, older sibling!

When the summer of my senior year finally came, I was thrilled to not have to worry about Senioritis any longer. I could procrastinate all I wanted during the summer because I had nothing to do. I didn’t have any homework to turn in or any exams to study for. All I had to worry about was whether the pool was warm enough.

Right before classes began, I had this sudden motivation to study. I was eager to learn and I couldn’t stop looking at all the cool, new and shiny looking books I had gotten for all of my college classes. I felt so grown up.

Six weeks later, I can’t even stand going to class. Not only are they not what I expected, but it is just so incredibly difficult to even make myself go to them... let alone do any of the homework.

The first week of school, I kept checking Blackboard — the Web site where most of my teachers keep up with assignments — to see if there was any homework I could get done right away. I was on time to all of my classes and paying attention to what the professors were saying.

Now, I forget to check Blackboard and I don’t always get to class early (especially Astronomy — a class which highly recommend NOT to take). As much as I try to pay attention, all I end up doing is either socializing with the person sitting next to me or wondering what I’m going to do during the weekend.

Not only that, but sitting at home and trying to study is almost impossible for me these days. All I do is surf around on Facebook to see if I have any new comments or friends requests, check MySpace (another one of the deadly sins of a freshman) and download music. It seems I do everything BUT homework.

I’ve come to the conclusion that my procrastination is killing me. Not only is it hurting my grades and my studies, but I’m wasting money and time. We all pay for the classes that we take and if I keep this up, then what am I doing in college?

I think most freshmen feel like this and have the same problem. It may be because we tend to confuse college with high school — but with more freedom and no detentions. I'm used to the FCAT education that I was given in high school and not exactly used to “real” studies that will actually be useful in life rather than to pass a required test.

College is not high school. Teachers are not going to guide us through every single step of our college careers. But I’m used to that, which is why I keep putting things off to the last minute — because I’m expecting my teachers to tell me what I need to do to pass. Their job is to teach us, not to spoon feed us everything.

I have noticed that it is also difficult to even like my classes because they do remind me a lot of my high school days. The core curriculum is the worst. The classes are basically the same as in high school; the only difference is that teachers teach faster and there's more homework.

Frankly, I’m sick of seeing and learning the same material that I’ve been learning for the last four years, and I cannot wait until my classes get a little bit more in depth toward my degree. I want to learn something else other than algebra and English. Why not add some more interesting classes to the core curriculum? How about adding some classes that weren’t part of the AP curriculum in high school?

Procrastination is one of the worst qualities to have. I have definitely gotten in a lot of trouble because of it. It is not a good thing to do, and it is always better to get things done ahead of time. If you’re struggling like I am, here are a couple of tips from suite101.com — a Web site that touches subjects from college to the newest Britney rumor going around — on how to get rid of this horrible “disease.”

1. Balance the time that you spend with your friends “hanging out” and the time you spend hitting the books. Education should always come first.

2. Hanging out with your buddies is cool, but give your books some love. Save time aside each day, with few distractions, to get school work done and catch up on studies. It will not only save your GPA but also your sanity!

3. Pulling all-nighters seems like a great idea, until you end up pulling three in a row and end up falling asleep during your chemistry lab. Balance your time between studying and sleeping. You always have to get your beauty sleep.

4. If you’re struggling with the distractions at home, there is a 24-hour study lounge on campus, located adjacent to the library. You should definitely check it out if you keep checking Facebook like me and not actually studying.

I hope you found these tips helpful. Next time, I’ll be the one at the library studying rather than on Facebook adding people.

Money, Money, Money

Back at orientation, I complained about the hours I had to sit through for the “Money Matters” portion. I guess I shouldn't have taken it for granted because it's only six weeks into school and I’m dead broke.

Money has always been an issue with me. If I have money, I spend it. If I don’t have money, I ask for it and then I spend that. Sadly, that’s just how I've always been. In college I’ve come to notice that lately, I spend a lot more money than I used to... and that’s just not cool.

In high school, I would survive for the whole week with an average of $12. I would buy lunch everyday, some candy and a couple of extra inexpensive supplies. On a regular day in college, I go to Einstein’s for breakfast, eat lunch at the food court, drink coffee at least twice a day and buy a magazine once in while. That all adds up to $20.00 or more a day. That means I’m spending more than $100.00 per week!

The funny part is that I actually try to save my money on a regular basis. I have an account with Bank Atlantic where I’m supposed to put my money and save it... the thing is my money never makes it that far. I usually spend it before I even get close to the bank to make a deposit.

I’ve noticed that I’m not the only freshman — or student, for that matter — that has trouble saving their money. A lot of students — especially freshmen — have trouble saving money because it is the first time that we are having a chance at monetary freedom. It feels great at first but for some, the consequences can be upsetting.

Toward the end of my high school career, my parents decided that I was “old” enough to get a debit card. I was stoked about the idea at first. I could not believe I finally had my name on a card... with money in it! When I went to the mall with the card for the first time, I attempted to control myself in the things I bought, but it was so hard to stop shopping. It was like suddenly, everything was a complete “must-have” and I could not resist buying them. When I went online and looked at my balance, I almost had a heart attack. I had spent more money than I actually had.

The problem is that as a freshman, I don’t know how to control my money. I’ve never had this much liberty and freedom with it, and now that I do have it, I'm going crazy.

I don’t have to pay rent, I don’t have to pay insurance, I don’t pay for gas... I don’t pay for anything! And maybe that’s the problem. Maybe it is that I don’t have enough responsibility or serious things to worry about that will make me stop spending money like a mad woman. Maybe... that’s just what I need: responsibility.

In high school, I never paid for anything. I had a job my junior year at a retail store at the mall and whenever I got my pay check I would just spend it on clothes. My parents have always paid everything - my cell phone bills, gas money, food, etc. And even though that feels great, maybe it would have been better for them to give me a bit more responsibility when I was younger. Look at me now: I can’t even have a dollar bill in my wallet without spending it somehow. And believe me, spending money is not a good quality to have.

If I had bills to pay and more things to worry about, I would probably be more careful with my money and the way I spend it. I wouldn’t be going to the mall on shopping sprees every weekend, I wouldn’t be spending so much money on food, and I wouldn’t be spending money just to spend it. I would probably organize myself better.

If you’re in the same position as me right now, here are some tips from getrichslowly.com on money matters for college students:

1. Create a Budget. Limit your beer buying to one 24 pack a week.
2. Don’t get a credit card unless you absolutely need one. The guys at the sign-up table are not there to help you. They are there to make money.
3. Save and then splurge. If you decide you really want to buy the Wii, then save for it and pay it with cash. Don’t put it on a credit card.
4. Limit vices. Beer and cigarettes can get expensive. There’s nothing wrong with a drink or two on a Friday night, just don’t go overboard.
5. Learn the art of a cheap date. The student guide to cheap dates suggests:
· Take advantage of mother nature.
· Go for coffee.
· Attend campus activities.

Hopefully some of these tips will help us freshman who are going crazy with the concept of saving money. Let’s just hope that next time I actually make a deposit and not have a $.50 balance any longer.

Anyway, just to refresh our memories with what responsibility is... here’s a video by MxPx.

Will you marry me?

I’ve never been one to plan out my wedding and picture my prince charming, but I’ve always known that I definitely do not want to get married at a young age.

On the first day of school, as I was waiting to go in my astronomy class, I had the chance to encounter what turned out to be a very interesting conversation between two strangers:

“So, what’s your major?”
“Communications. What about you?”
“Same... oh is that a ring?”
“Yeah, I’m getting married.”

I could not believe what I had just heard! This kid did not look to be more than 20 years old and he was already engaged. Call me crazy, but isn’t that a bit irrational?

Back in high school, relationships were not taken that seriously. Sure, there were a couple of people who talked about getting married, but they didn’t actually make it together through graduation to make the wedding happen.

In high school, relationships were more of social thing. It was more about a 'who was going out with whom' kind of thing. It was never too serious and most relationships were probably over a couple of months later. I’ve noticed that in college, relationships are actually long-lasting, and many of them even get to the altar and have a wedding. All within eight to 10 months of “going out.”

That is what scares me the most in college when it comes to relationships. It’s not like I don’t want one, it’s just that it seems as if relationships in college get serious incredibly fast, and at 18 years old, I'm definitely not ready for that kind of commitment. I just want to have fun and meet cool people. I’m not necessarily looking to get married.

I understand the feeling of being in love and that sudden desire of spending the rest of your life with that special someone. But, some of these kids seem to be rushing into everything way too fast. Not only are they too young, but how can you know for sure that you’re truly in love with that one person and that you want to spend the rest of your life with them when you haven’t even experienced other relationships and other kinds of people? How is that possible?

On top of everything, it must be incredibly difficult to try to balance a marriage with school. One thing is to have a casual relationship with someone, but another is to be married. When you’re married you live together, there are bills to pay, there’s work to do, you have to go to school and you also have to make time for each other to “make it work.” How are kids doing that these days if there’s barely enough time in one day to work, study, rest and spend time with your spouse, all in 24 hours? It must be hard.

However, I must say that even though I might not agree with students getting married so quickly while in college, I actually do admire them for the courage that it takes to try to make ends meet and try to make a marriage work from so early on in their lives. Even though I don’t plan on getting married any time soon, it must be nice to wear a ring on your finger that symbolizes the love of your special someone.

Relationships in college still petrify me, though. But who knows, maybe that’s the fun part about them.

Anyway, here’s a cool video just to illustrate the whole topic on dating...

Let's go Owls, let's go!

I had never been to a football game before – a college football game, that is – and I admit that going in the stadium, I had no idea of what to expect.

I’ve never been a big sports fan. They only sport that I’ve ever liked has been hockey. I still don’t understand the rules of football very well, but it is a whole different thing. I had just always thought of football as a bunch of sweaty guys with big helmets running down a field, tackling each other down ‘til they hit the ground. But going to the game gave me a whole new perspective on why college football games are so much fun.

For the first time in my life, I experienced a real football game. There were cameras, photographers, free t-shirts, big screens; I mean, it was the real deal. It wasn’t some silly game that everyone goes to to get trashed – although I’m sure a lot of people did. It was actually somewhat professional.

The energy was incredible. I never even knew FAU had that much spirit and enthusiasm towards the game. There were people passionately yelling out to the players, encouraging them and rooting them on to win (which, by the way, we did - 42-39). I guess I was surprised because I just never saw that kind of spirit in my high school football games. They were always so dead.

The only football game that I went to in high school was the homecoming game my senior year. I was excited to see my school play – even though I knew we completely sucked compared to other high schools. But that one night, I went to the game and unfortunately it turned out to be very disappointing.

But now that I’m in college, I feel like I want to go to every football game and support my team, the Owls!!! I actually want to get involved in the football games and be one of those die-hard Owl fans. For the first time since I’ve been here, I’m proud of being an Owl. I’m proud of our team and proud of our school. I just never thought I’d feel this way about FAU. I just thought I’d come here, study and get it all over with and not actually enjoy my time here.

Now I realize that FAU does have a lot to offer. I’m not only saying this because we won the football game, but because going to the game gave me a whole new perspective of what life at FAU is like. The game made me feel welcomed to the FAU community and like I was a part of this school.

I will definitely keep going to the football games now. Watch out for me next time. I’ll probably be the girl sitting in the front row, wearing all blue and red and yelling out “Let’s go Owls!” the entire game.