My Summer Class Survival Kit

I'm BAAAAAAAAACK! 

I don't know what happened there, just pretend I've been posting this whole time. K, thanks! :)

It's finally summer! We've survived the fall and spring semesters, conquered those finals, scheduled those future classes, cried about our new Monday schedules (mine starts at 9 a.m. and doesn't finish until 6:30 p.m. - ew), and we've bought our new planners for the coming year (Yippee!!). 

The next three months can be spent having camp outs, drinking margarita's (Yippeee!!!), spending time with friends and family, and swimming (just kidding, ew bathing suits).

OR

You work a part-time or full-time job because you're a broke college student with loans out the wazoo.

AND/OR

You're me and you take summer classes! yay.......

This is my second summer with classes on the docket, and let me tell you just how much I hate everything about it. Last summer was torture, with four classes all crammed into six weeks, a trip to Canada (OOOOOO CAAANNNNNNAAADA!) jammed in-between, a 35+ hour-a-week job, a sister in a vocal competition, and the added pressure that these classes may not actually transfer. Needless to say, I was not a nice person for those six weeks: I got about five hours of sleep a night (if that), and basically chained myself to the corner of our sofa which was dubbed The Throne of Education by my family. 

This summer should be a little different with just two classes, a slightly calmer work schedule, and no international trips (OOOOOOOO CAAAAANADA!) on the calendar. However, there is still need for preparation and planning.

If you're anything like me, music = air when you're studying. Last summer I had a solid line-up of playlists that simultaneously helped me focus, and perfectly captured the 2 a.m. two hour long biology exam vibe. There were other things that got me through as well, so here is a list of my must-haves for summer class survival.

1. Tervis o' Water

My brother despises the word Tervis, but this thing was an absolute lifesaver in terms of hydration. By my calculations, I drank about five to eight, 16-ounce Tervis cups of water per day last summer between my eight hours at work and my six to seven hours of school at night. 

If you don't know what a Tervis is, and/or don't already possess one, you may take a gander and purchase one here.

2. TV Table

If you are taking summer classes you are most likely taking them online, which means you need a laptop/computer of some sort. My laptop is not only massive but heats up to roughly the temperature of hell-fire after about an hour of use. I used a TV table to keep my laptop from burning my legs off AND as a place to keep my Tervis close at hand for optimum hydration needs. 

3. Back Support

Since I was using a TV table and because my arms are short, I could not comfortably sit on the sofa and reach my computer. So I sat at the edge of the sofa with zero back support for hours on end, after standing at work all day. We eventually bought a lap desk, and one of those pillow things that's sort of shaped like the back of a chair. Hard to explain but Target has them. 

4. Music

Playlist #1 - "where do my bluebird fly?"

Playlist #2 - "ice in every vein."

These two playlists were the primary entertainment. Both can be found at 8tracks.com. They're a little eerie and strange at times, but great enjoyable background noise. 8tracks in general is a fantastic place to find very lengthy study playlists, so I highly recommend checking it out and making an account, they have music for everything.


My other suggestion is to find playlists on YouTube of your favorite artists. I listened to this entire Hozier album many times.

There you have it, my basic survival kit for summer classes. I did fit food in there somewhere, but there was nothing in particular that got me through, so just make sure you have a few of your favorites in the pantry.

Good luck!

~ The Campus Curmudgeon ~

This Week In Words - Probably True

I've been MIA.....My apologies.



Date: 10/14/15

Time: 11-ish

Place:  Outside classroom 225

"There's a rumor going around that Leonardo DiCaprio is immortal."

How I Grocery Shop As An Adult

College offers a wealth of new experiences and because food is important to me, grocery shopping on my own was one such experience. 

Allow me to clarify: I had grocery shopped on my own before, but it was typically my mom handing me a small list and telling me to go get the stuff and transport it safely back home. 

Now, however, I am entrusted with every aspect of the grocery shopping, list and all. Let me just say how terrible I am with making lists of things I need. 'To-do' lists I'm good at, but 'buy-this' lists not so much. I always talk myself out of needing certain things. I also tend to forget the things I mentally noted at an earlier time, so I end up with a list of three things. 

I nervously pull into the parking lot, and I'm faced with picking a parking spot that isn't too close (exercise?) but not too far (I'm on my own in the carrying stuff department). Once the stress of that is over, I check a trillion times to make sure I have my wallet with me because I know one day I'll be that person who has left every payment method at home. I worked at a grocery store, there was at least two or three people every week who did that. 

Then I enter the store and it's like a swirling vortex of confusion. I forget what food is, let alone the fact that I spent time making a list. 

In the end I start at one side of the store and go up and down every single aisle. It's also at this point that I take even more things off my list because in my mind I just don't have time, despite the fact that I have plenty of time.

I am still confused by grocery shopping by myself. I feel like I'll get better at it as time goes by and I slowly relearn what my basic food needs are. For now, please refer to the above  picture, and happy hunting.

~The Campus Curmudgeon

Fun Things That Happen in College

College is upon us all!!!!! 

We must prepare ourselves for the uber fun things that come with returning.With this in mind, I've compiled a list of my faaAaAAaAavorite things about college.

Homesickness

SO MUCH FUN!!!!!! Endless tears and hours and hours of phone calls home!

This is how I spent a large portion of my first semester.

I am a firm believer that homesickness is a disease. But one of the things that helped me was to realize that this feeling, this horrible, draining, nauseating, feeling will always be a part of my life. If I am going to have any amount of fun in life, I will have to at least somewhat tolerate homesickness.

Bank Account Drainage

It's all gone...All of it.

Books, Books, Books!

They cost tons...Please see above.

Awkward Professors

Let's have a moment of silence as students decide whether your lame joke was funny or just sad.

Seat Wars

If you place your butt at the desk my butt has occupied every Tuesday and Thursday for the past three weeks so help me God!

Hey You in the Front Row!

STOP ASKING QUESTIONS!
Also, stop snobbishly answering questions without raising your hand...

You know when they start with "first and foremost" that you're all screwed.

Fear of the Dark

Where ma' rape whistles at!?!

Going anywhere after dark is not an option, especially after four emails reporting on-campus assaults.

Here's to a better year!

Good luck and have fun!

The Campus Curmudgeon

P.S. If you aren't in college...I don't know...

My Freshman Pantry

I do not profess to be the greatest at healthy eating, and that became painfully apparent when I started college. Let's just say the 'freshman 15' doesn't always stop at fifteen (ew). No matter how hard you try, there is always something about cafeteria food that makes it feel, smell, taste, and look unhealthy, salad or not. Sometimes I think the atmospheric make-up of colleges is just vaporized calories that students absorb through their skin. I didn't exercise much (I never did) so that might be the issue.

This post, however, is not about health, so technically I should delete everything I just wrote but MOVING ON!

There were some food items I had in my room that were life savers when I didn't want to brave the snow and rain, or when I didn't feel like moving from my bed to get cafeteria stuff. You'd be surprised what constituted a meal for me when Netflix homework (of course, duh!) was just too engrossing. 

Peanut Butter

blasphemousrumors.wordpress.com

Ever a staple in the US of A, I ate peanut butter like it was going out of style. Grab yourself a spoon and a Costco sized jar and feast like a king! It's also great to have around should you be in possession of an apple or crackers or something. This was often the sole component of dinner, and I have zero regrets. 

TIP: If you try really hard you can convince yourself that you're being healthy.

Pre-Packaged Salad and Dressing

www.scrippsmedia.com

Mmmm, just look at how that light reflects off the plastic! This was actually one of my better ideas as a human being. I had an over-sized mug/bowl that held a dinner-sized portion of pre-packaged salad drenched in dressing. I got two to three meals out of a bag which range in price from about $3 to five or six, but there is usually one kind or another on sale.

TIP: This becomes a bag of brown-ish water if you forget it in your refrigerator...Do Not forget it in your refrigerator! 

Honey

I also took a spoon to this, and had to label the jar when I brought it home because my family didn't want my cooties. It's great for feeling somewhat non-piggish and still getting your sugar fix. 

TIP: You can also use this in tea or something.

Baby Ice Creams

packaging.doublehplastics.com

These are a wonderful treat after any or all of your exams. Pro - their cute and tiny. Con - They are a bit like the fun-size candy bars; in no way enough, and yet, deep down, you know you probably shouldn't have even eaten that much.

Added bonus: They are cheap, usually about $1.

TIP: Two is the perfect amount.

Cereal

www.cbsnews.com

Ah cereal! How I would have starved without you! Far too many meals became me binge eating Frosted Flakes or contemplating the icing to wheat ratio of Mini Wheats. It was fast, delish', and readily available if I remembered to buy it while at the grocery store. Perfect! This can also be something that you convince yourself is healthy. 

TIP: Just throw out the stale Cheerios instead of mixing them with Frosted Flakes and trying to convince yourself that everything will be okay. 

Microwaveable Mac n' Cheese

www.shescribes.com

This stuff was great. However, I will never know why they put it in such tiny cups, six noodles is never enough to eat, so always make sure you have more than one on hand, or something else to eat because, though magnificent, it's rarely filling.

TIP: Avoid letting the bowl you used sit for two or three days, wash immediately.

In the end, it was nice to have a break from cafeteria grilled cheese and french fries, and all of this was also used as snacks, so win-win. For the most part, it was just nice to have something I knew I liked on hand. 

Sincerely,

The Campus Curmudgeon :)

TIP: When all else fails, go home. There's plenty of food there. :D