Because I Have Two Midterms Tomorrow...

I am playing in Photoshop. It's a lovely diversion.

My plan is to hang these in my new apartment when I get back to Denver.

Midterms

So tomorrow, we kick off our midterm week here in Wien.

Yes, tomorrow. As in Saturday. Why they scheduled a midterm on a Saturday I do not know.

Tomorrows midterm is German and we just did a "pre-test". It was enough to stress me out. The teacher put us in groups (yes, groups :::shudder:::) to go through the 3-page review packet. I'm sure I came off as an absolute witch because, for the entire 1 1/2 hours, I think I said a total of 10 words.

Why? Because I spent most of the time tuning them out. Not so that I could be a Class A, uh, witch but because I'm already confused trying to remember how all this stuff works (I hated verb tenses in Spanish and I hate them in German as well). I didn't need 4 other voices in my head, trying to remember as well.

So I basically ignored them the entire time and tried to concentrate and remember what we've been going over for the last two months.

Yes. This was me.

Maybe that makes me a bad person. If so, sorry! But the last thing I want is to sit at my desk tomorrow, look down, and blank. I work better alone. It's just the way I operate.

We interrupt this program for this annoucement

Know anyone who needs a site design or redesign?

Rather desperate college student - who just checked her bank balance and nearly wept - ready and willing to offer her services.

Send 'em my way folks.

We will now return you to your scheduled program...

It's Just Hit Me...

Monday is my marketing final.

Tuesday is my Art final.

Friday my law paper is due.

Saturday Robby flies in to help me pack and paint.

Sunday is my last day at Calvary Apostolic.

Tuesday I'll do a final walk through of my apartment and then Phil, Robby, and I will pile into the Kia and head out. Destination San Diego.

My first year at DU is almost over. I can't believe it. I can't believe I'll be saying good-bye to Denver until January. I'll miss the amber and gold of Fall. The first snow. Skiing the first run at A-Basin.

But there will be things to replace it. Reconnecting with family and friends in San Diego. Snorkeling at La Jolla Cove. Las Vegas with the Lopez's. Jaden staying for a month! And of course, Austria.

So yes, Denver, I will miss you. But when we meet again, oh, the stories I'll have to tell.

A Long Overdue Post

So yeah, I've been busy. I just wrapped up finals for our Winter Quarter and so far, I know two of my grades - Spanish (A) and Innovations in Mass Communications (A). I'm still waiting to hear back on Intro to Interactive Media (I think I'll get an A) and my wildcard class, Foundations in Sociology. I very much so enjoyed this class but the first test we took I got a 76% on. My second I got an 89% (so, so close!) and the third I do not know yet. I also turned in an extra credit assignment that is worth 7% so if I get at least a mid-B on the 3rd test and at least partial credit for the extra credit, I'll pull in at least a B and I'm really hoping for that A. I did a lot of work on the extra credit assignment and I hope that it shines through.

But enough about all that. I have NEWS! I am going to Austria. I decided a week before the applications were due that I wanted to do this and so I ran around like crazy last week to get everything in order. Of course, as soon as I did, everything started falling apart, which meant I was picking up all the pieces. Tomorrow, one of those pieces is ::::hopefully:::: going to fall in place and I can stop stressing but we'll see. I have every hope.

I've also taken up skiing in the time since I've been gone. One of my friends, Phil, was so very nice and offered to teach me. So up we went and after a bit of a rocky start (too much sun + too many clothes = Katrina almost passing out), I. Loved. It. See my smile?


I was ziggin'. I was zaggin'. I fell a few times but learned early on that falling in the snow was a lot less painful than falling in other places, so I was okay with that. And then I came to this hill.


This hill and I had a love hate relationship. At first, I hated it. I did not want to go down. I wanted to sit and scoot on my butt the whole way but Phil wouldn't let me. Every time I'd look down it, I wanted to puke. It's a steeeeeeeep hill. This picture is actually from the 2nd time we went, when I could actually stop and not be afraid to whip out the camera. That first time tho...let's just say that, had I been Phil, I'd of smacked me upside the head and/or pushed me down that hill. It seriously took me the better part of an hour. I'm proud to say that I whupped its butt the next time out though (multiple times).

And now, on to the boys.

I took these two pictures the day I first got back from CA (yes, that'd be in December). The boys were so happy to see me, they wouldn't let me out of their sight.


Some bubbah-love.

It's starts off catching them in a moment, where they pretend nothing is going on...

Then they're caught in a hug...

Before finally...they've given up hiding it and settle in for some real snuggling.

And to wrap things up, I had to throw in this picture of Tobey and my bear, Dumbell (don't ask. I still don't know how that name came to be).

C'mon, it's ok to say it: Awwwwwww.

Stress. I has it.

Things have been a little tense here in casa de Katrina.

The week started off fine but as it wore on, and I started picking out classes to take next quarter, I started entering everything into the spreadsheets (I have 3) that keep track of what I've taken, what I am taking, and what I will take so that I graduate on time (on time being next June).

Everything started off looking great and I was quite happy in my ignorance...and then last night, quite on accident, it all unraveled. Spectacularly I might add.

So I spent today running around DU (got my exercise!) and, unfortunately, everything I had feared was true. Thus, we had to work out a new game plan for still graduating on time - a game plan that includes taking an entire year worth of science over the summer *ouch* and paying out of pocket **double ouch** for at least one course.

But hey, at least I found the problem now and not this time next year - right???

Maybe I should take a page from Tobey's book and just kick back and relax.

Planning.

It's that time of year again - time to start planning the classes for next quarter! Yes, we just had midterms - but since we're on a quarter system here, classes only go for about 10 weeks! Hard to imagine huh? But it definitely keeps you busy.

So I was going through the catalog trying to figure out what I still needed to take and struggling a bit because there were about 5 classes that I want/need to take and they're not offered! Ack, there is nothing quite like not being able to get into a class for whatever the reason. Frustrating is a nice word for it.

But I was able to find 3 classes and I've got everything crossed I actually get into them (that'll be about 2 weeks from now). I also need to find one more class because the way I figured it out, between now and Spring 2010, I've got 16 class slots.

And I have exactly 16 classes still to be taken. Hopefully I won't have any trouble filling up those slots!

Got some unexpected results...

...from two of my exams.

One was the Sociology test that I took last Wednesday. I thought I had done pretty well but today I got it back and nope, much, much worse. I'd had my fingers crossed for a low A but had prepared myself for something in the mid-high B's but I was nowhere near prepared for a 76% (that's a C/C+ for those of you who haven't had to worry about grades for awhile)!

I have to wait 24hrs to see the test again but I'm going to made a point to review it to death so that I can see exactly where I went wrong. There were 50 1pt T/F or Multiple choice questions (I got 8 wrong) but there were also 5 essays worth a total of 25pts. I got 15!!! 15 our of 25? That's awful. Painfully, consumingly ... awful. I'm going to meet with the gal who graded it to see what she was looking for and see if I can't eek out a few extra points (maybe a low-low-low B - I mean, 10 pts off is like saying I didn't do 2 out of 5 of the questions). Even if I can't, at least I'll have some notes to make sure I do it right the next time.

And then, right after I took that very painful grade-dagger to the chest, I went to my Spanish class to find out that the grades for the Spanish test we took yesterday were in (yes, he has very quick turn around). Spanish has been (by far) my easiest class, so I wasn't thinking about it too much until I saw the red inked 91.5% scribbled across the top. 91.5%!?! But that's...so much worse than last time. That's almost (gulp)...a B!

So now, I'm a tad worried about the Mass Communication test I took on Tuesday. I haven't been worried at all but now, seeing as I, unknowingly, went into the other two with blinders on, I am definitely going to be squinting at that upper right hand corner when she hands it back - just in case (kinda like the whole 'cover-your-eyes-but-peek-through-your-fingers' bit).

No matter what grade comes back on the Mass Comm test, there are still two tests in a row I should have done much better on.

Yikes!

Overall, I have an A in my Spanish class, have no idea in two other classes (Interactive Media and Mass Communications), and a very painful 76% in Sociology (because all that counts in Sociology is the 3 tests that we take!!! He did offer us an extra credit assignment that's worth up to an extra 10 percentage points - I'm almost 100% that means a full letter grade - and I will be taking him up on that).

Geez. What a way to be brought down to earth, huh? Just goes to show, something's been off this quarter and I need to figure out what it is, fix it, and step up.

A Case (Against) Naps

So Saturday night around midnight, I got a text asking me what I was doing.

Naturally, since midterms are this week, I was doing absolutely nothing.

After a little while, I agreed to meet up with some friends. I got in around 2:30am.

Fast forward to today (Sunday). About 5pm, I decide to close my eyes. I woke up at 9:45p - and only then because I heard a text come through on my phone. WHOOPS!

And now, it is 2:52am (Monday) and I am not the least bit tired. Luckily class starts at tomorrow at noon and I am seriously hoping some form of exhaustion sets in soon otherwise I stand a real chance of passing out right there in front of everyone.

The only good thing to come out of it is that I've used the extra time to do a little work on one of my midterms Tuesday morning. My teacher gave us the questions we'll have (2 essays) and suggested we outline the content that we want to include. I'm not allowed to bring in anything but she said memorize the outline and that will help out. Tuesday I also have another Spanish test - I need to get on that, I'm quite behind.

And then Thursday, my Interactive Media project is due and that one is just tying me up in knots. The project is a big pain in the butt, really only because I don't 100% understand it. So I'm hoping to schedule some 1-on-1 time with the teacher and make sure that what I've put together is on the right track.

So that's my news. It's 3am and I am awake. And not the least bit tired. Grooooovy.

Update: 4am - still awake. WIDE awake. Just fired off the outline for essay question #1 to Mass Comm. teacher. Still making use of this time. Fun, fun.

Update: 5am - still awake. Not so much WIDE but still enough to know that if I lay down now, I'd stare at the ceiling for awhile. Got the 2nd essay question all worked out. I'm really comfy with this question, so no need to email her on this one. I also emailed my Interactive Media teacher and requested that meeting (see? still making use of my 'awake' time!) so I'll wait until a decent hour to check for a response from him.

I can hear cars starting up and traffic on the roads (light but there). When I do eventually get to bed, I better be able to sleep!

Keep an eye out...

we'll be getting a new look here soon!

PS. I had a Spanish test last Wed. Just got the score back today: 98.5% - woot!
PPS. My first midterm is Wednesday. No prayer will be turned away (unless the gist of it says something like, "Dear God, please let Katrina fail...").

Life During Midterms

Are you seeing the time on this post? No? Well, it is 1:12AM. Waaay past my bedtime - except that I got home a little after 12AM and I just haven't fallen out yet.

This week has been I.N.S.A.N.E. I never really fully comprehended the idea of 'midterms' OR all the pressure that comes with them. This week I had 2 midterms: Spanish on Monday and Digital Media Studies (DMST) on Tuesday. The Spanish one I studied like crazy for ... but the DMST, I was fairly confident in so I didn't do too much. Now, just two days later, I have the results in for BOTH - 91% for the Spanish and 94% for DMST! How is that for irony? I did better on the one I didn't stress over (I think there's a message in there somewhere....)!

NEXT week my schedule looks something like the following:
Monday - Philosophy midterm 10AM / Spanish composition due
Tuesday - HUGE project due in Computer Science (my most challenging course). I'm lucky we're working with partners but seriously, this is the most work I've EVER done in my classes! And then right after, I have an oral presentation in DMST
Wednesday - study for Thursday
Thursday - Midterm 12p for Computer Science. Seriously, my partner and I are getting together almost every single day for at least 2 hours to go over the stuff in this class. It's a lot to take in (and remember!)

Doesn't that schedule just make you cringe? I mean, yikes! I will be so happy when it is all over. I like challenge, but wow, it's comin' all at once and it's like a freight train you just cannot outrun. I just hope I don't get run over!

Tomorrow though, I have been invited (by 2 people - which is better than 1 because it's a big group thing and it's better to have more than 1 contact in a group) to go to a party for one of the guys in my Orientation group. Apparently, we are going to dinner and then 'out'. I tried to pump some info on what 'out' meant but no 100% answer on that. Guaranteed fun, however, and right now, I am totally and completely ready to have some FUN.

Just so long as I can get out of bed Saturday and resume Life During Midterms.