The Countdown to Christmas

Hey guys!

Only 6 days until Christmas!! I love this time of year, there are so many wonderful things to look forward to. This year especially, I loved being able to spend "Christmas" at school with my friends before heading home for the break. We had a mini tree, "fire" on Mary's laptop, and of course..presents! Now, the only thing missing is a little snow!

Anyways, here are a few of my favorite things that have happened so far from the holiday season:

Secret Santa "Christmas" with my friends! 

Christmas lights! Here's a picture of Church Street all lit up at night- so pretty!

Searching for and decorating the Christmas tree!

Picking out the tree usually takes forever because we can never all agree on one...but in the end, we always come home with a beautiful tree! Then, it's time to decorate while playing some Christmas music :)

Christmas movies! Elf and The Grinch are two of my favorites...

I've already watched both of these and I've only been home for two days!

...and some things I'm looking forward to:

*Christmas Eve/Christmas Day- Christmas Eve dinner at my grandparents' house is the start of our Christmas celebration, with tons of good food. My favorite though is Christmas morning, the feeling of walking down the stairs and being completely surprised with what's under the tree! Finally, Christmas dinner at my Aunt & Uncle's house...the whole family together & good food..the best way to end Christmas!

* Skiing! Hopefully I'll be doing a little of this over the break..we still need more snow though!!

*New Years! This year, I'm going to my friend Clare's house for New Years! She lives in Connecticut but isn't far from New York City, so we might end up going there to watch the ball drop..so cool!

Well, that's all for now...don't forget about Twitter & Formspring!

-Juliana

The Ultimate Guide to Finals Week

Hey guys!

Two exams down, one to go! On Monday I had my Philosophy exam and today was Calculus, so all that stands between me and break now is my Media Revolutions final! (Which means I need to head to the library after I'm done with this post)...

Basically, I'm going to walk you through my version of finals week..or in other words, how I've prepared, studied, and overcome the inevitable stress that comes with it all. I'll break it up into 3 parts...

Part 1: Pre-finals weekend
This weekend was absolutely essential in holding onto my sanity. First, it was time to enjoy myself before hitting the books..and what better way than to watch my roommate (and fellow blogger Gabbi who had an awesome solo) in the Aca Bellas concert?! Yay lil' Dev! There were also concerts for the other a cappella groups on campus (Mike Check & Sleepless Knights)...you can check them all out on the student organizations page.

So, after the Aca Bellas concert I went right back and started studying, right? Nope, not yet! A few hours later was the comedy show put on by the student association! The main act? David Koechner (from Anchorman and The Office)!! The opening comedy acts for him were Kit Rivers (class of '14) and Matt Dwyer. I can't think of a better way to relax and get a few laughs in before finals began!

This brought us into Sunday, otherwise known as the beginning of the never-ending amount of studying. Relaxing and mentally preparing now over..I (basically) moved into the library...which brings me to the next part of finals week...

Part 2: How To Survive Finals Week- My Studying Essentials

From Monday until Thursday (for some, until Friday) studying takes over lives. I can honestly say that I have never studied for a test as much as I have for my finals here. Obviously, I'm not saying this is a bad thing..it's actually good, but I've discovered that in order to study effectively, I've come up with a list of my own "studying essentials" which I'll share with all of you.

Studying essential #1- The library

Maybe you're thinking that this is a no-brainer, but before finals week, I had only spent a few hours total in the library. Finals week has given me a whole new perspective on the library..it's absolutely fantastic! My favorite place to go work? The children's book room- big round tables and chairs with really comfy cushions..I spent about 8 hours in there yesterday. Kind of along the same lines as this, a good work space is necessary, which is why I love this room in the library.

Clockwise from top: My work space, the children's book room, and Galya hard at work!

Studying essential #2: Food, drinks, and caffeine!!

In order to stay focused, I always make sure to have a snack with me and a bottle of water. Also, I'm guilty of being a caffeine addict when it comes to studying..but hey, whatever works, right?

Studying essential #3: Flash cards

This may not work for everyone, but flash cards are really one of the only ways I can study effectively. Instead of going through notes and books with pages upon pages of information..flash cards are an easy way to write down & study exactly what you need to know. Plus, I got the multi-colored packs of flash cards...so much more fun! :)

Studying essential #4: Gym break

In the midst of all of the stress of finals, it's important to take a break and let yourself de-stress. For me, that means hitting the gym! It's a fact: Exercising is known to relieve stress and make you feel better, mentally and physically. At first you might think, well, working out has nothing to do with studying, but it actually does...part of studying effectively means being able to focus and going into it with a clear mind..which is what taking a gym break does for me. Maybe the gym isn't your thing? Try listening to some music, watch a funny video, drink some tea, breathe deeply, take a quick walk...really, anything!

...and finally...

Part 3: The End of Finals: Celebration

After my Media Rev exam tomorrow, I will officially be done with finals..yay! Since I won't be heading back home until Friday afternoon, there are a few things to do while I'm still here and recovering from my exams...

*CELEBRATE! NO MORE FINALS!! (Until second semester is over...) 

I plan on coming back to the room and blasting some Christmas music..it always makes me feel happier! :)

*Packing..Ok, so this isn't fun by any means, but it's part of the after-finals process, so I feel obligated to include it.

*Secret Santa! All of my friends will be exchanging gifts tomorrow...so excited!

*Relax, relax, relax. Finally, the stress of studying will be over..then, it's time for a break filled with family, food, Christmas and New Years celebrations, and nothing to stress over/worry about...

So, there's a look into my finals week. Now, time to go back to the library!

Don't forget- Twitter/Formspring

-Juliana

Room Revamp

Hi everyone!

We're less than a week until finals (wow) and the stress is beginning to set in. Papers to write, topics to study, calculus formulas to remember (ugh), next week seems like it will be absolutely crazy. Well, bring it on. Maybe I'll need to follow some of my own tips for managing stress? Also, there are some great tips for dealing with stress during pre-finals week on Alyssa's blog and study tips from Gabbi! Anyways, before the chaos of finals week begins, I've decided to do a little room redecorating of sorts, just to change things up a bit and add some more flavor to the room...obviously the tunnel just wasn't enough :)

New wall of pictures...a wonderful distraction!

...and I lofted my bed all the way which adds a TON
of space to the room. I know, not the most exciting
thing ever, but hey, the more space in a dorm room
the better! (Excuse the mess, I seem to be developing
a reluctance to putting things away...)

Although this room project was a lovely distraction, the studying is inevitable..so it's time to get down to business. I can see that my relationship with the library will probably grow much stronger over the next few days...
So basically, if anyone happens to be looking for me, check the gym or the library :)

I'll update you all very soon! For now, don't forget about Twitter & Formspring!

-Juliana

Some Wednesday Afternoon Thoughts

Hey guys!

Hope you're all having a wonderful last day of November! (Why is time going by so quickly?) It's a shocking 51 degrees here at SMC, which makes it all that more strange to think that tomorrow is already December...

Anyways, as I'm sitting here watching the very last Harry Potter movie (insert sad face here) with Devan, it occurred to me that I have so many wonderfully random things to say, so why not blog about them!

Devan, Galya, me, Sara, and Clare!

#1- Google+ is fantastic!
Video chatting over break with a bunch of us at the same time? Love it! Also, St. Mike's is on Google+!

Yes, they do have the option to "put on"
mustaches. I basically died, it's just the greatest.

#2- I love love love the Christmas trees in the Quad! Tall trees might I add. 

It's starting to feel like the holidays...now all we need is a little snow :)

#3- MOE'S DELIVERS!!! Oh my goodness this made my week, on Sunday night we realized that the Moe's in South Burlington can deliver to campus, so I was quick to act on that! Joey bag of donuts with tofu, yum...(to those of you who don't know, a joey bag of donuts is a burrito). Devan had never even heard of Moe's before, I was absolutely horrified by this...it's just so good!

#4- I'm super excited that I decided to apply to be an O-leader for next fall! 

Interviews are next week, wish me luck!!! 

#5- Being back at SMC after break makes me feel incredibly lucky to be able to go to school at such a wonderful place with so many amazing people...coming back to campus feels like coming home :) ...which brings me to the best part of this post...one of my favorite songs/what some of us like to think of as the theme song of POW3...

Don't forget- Twitter/Formspring

-Juliana

Family & Food

Hi everyone!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving break! Mine was perfect, just enough time home to unwind and spend time with my family before coming back here to study hard for finals...ahhhh!

I'll admit, one of the biggest perks of being home is the food. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about Alliot..but there's really nothing like home-cooked meals..and of course some favorite local restaurants thrown in there. I ended up taking quite a few pictures while I was home this break, so here's a little glimpse into what I was up to at home...

Dad carving the turkey on Thanksgiving...
I obviously couldn't eat it, but it looked pretty good!

Roasted vegetable cous cous from the Chocolate Mill
restaurant in downtown Glens Falls...so so so good. 

& my other cousin Abbey

My cousin Alyssa at the Chocolate Mill... 

Some pumpkin cranberry dessert
(they have absolutely amazing desserts)

My mom's homemade black bean soup and bread! 

Minestrone soup from Mama Riso's restaurant in Lake George.
Awesome Italian food...everything is homemade!

These were just some of my favorites...as you can see, I was probably a little too excited about food this break. Time to hit the gym :)

...Some other things I did this past week? 

Nikki and I at the game!

Attended a Queensbury hockey game with Nikki, my lovely friend from home...

Oh, and went to see Breaking Dawn with her and her friend from work on Saturday night...SO GOOD! Fan of the books/movies? Check out Alex's blog!

So that's all for now! Fully scheduled day ahead- classes, homework/studying, shopping, and my weekly Panera date with Galya and Sara!


Questions about SMC or just feel like chatting? Don't forget about Twitter & Formspring!


-Juliana

Just A Little Look Back

Hey everyone!

So I was just thinking...

How is tomorrow our last day before break already?! This year is flying by! As I've started studying for finals and after signing up for second semester classes, I thought about a few of my favorite times from this first semester at SMC (even though I've loved every minute of it)...

*Well this technically doesn't count as first semester, but it's what started my experience here at St. Mikes...

POW!

*This one might be pretty obvious, but orientation weekend has to be included...no one does orientation like St. Mike's! You feel at home as soon as you get to campus...from the o-leaders carrying everything for you to all of the events they planned for us, I wouldn't have changed a second of it! 

Read about my first day at SMC here.

*First time doing laundry...ever! Ok, I know this doesn't sound very memorable, but hey, I was pretty impressed with myself...I didn't even ruin any clothes! Plus, Mary decided to make carrying clothes down to the basement a little more interesting...

She's going to hate me for
putting this on here, but I love it!

*My 18th birthday! A few of us went to The Three Tomatoes for dinner, which is now one of my favorite restaurants!

*The day we built the tunnel. Self-explanatory, nothing will ever top the tunnel!

Our lovely neighbors with the tunnel!
 Kristen was obviously very proud to be the inspiration :)

*The day we decided to take out 26 children's books from the library. Yes, 26...even in college, it's nice to read something other than books for our classes. Admit it, sounds fun..right?

story time!

*The time we decided to pull an all-nighter for absolutely no reason what-so-ever...tonight. (p.s. I do not recommend this at all, sleep is definitely necessary) Music, ordering chinese food, friends...we had to just once!

Me, Galya, & Clare...who was too lazy to get in the picture

So, those are just a few of many..I could continue but then we'd be here all day! The point is, I've loved every minute of my time here at SMC this first semester, and it can only get better! What's in store for next semester? We'll have to wait and see...

For now, two more days of classes and then it's back to the 518 for a week! What's on the schedule for tomorrow today? Classes until 12 and then packing so I won't have to do everything last minute on Tuesday...planning ahead, always a good thing! 

Don't forget Formspring & Twitter!

-Juliana

Registration Day!

Hey everyone!

Sorry I haven't blogged in a while, I feel like I keep getting more and more busy!

So, this morning at 7am was registration for the second group of freshmen (yes, we were the very last to register). That's ok though, because luckily...I got into all of my first choices!!!

Just like our first registration that we had over the summer, the members of the class of 2015 that were notified to register today had to wake up early, choose all of their classes on KnightVision, and click "submit" at exactly 7am!! (SO nerve-racking!) Also, while registering on KnightVision, you have to stay active on the site, otherwise it logs you out and you have to waste time by logging back in and choosing all of your classes again...and by then, you're probably closed out of your first choices.

Even in the midst of frantically choosing the classes I wanted to take, and waiting anxiously for the clock to hit 7, I managed to take a few pictures...

My wonderful roommate getting ready to register!

Galya...nervous? Or just tired...

Well, I was excited!

Just clicked submit! Waiting...

My second semester schedule!!

The picture is pretty small, so here's a closer look at my schedule-

Monday/Wednesday/Friday

Catholic Christianity 8:40-9:40

Literary Studies: American Family 12:10-1:10

Tuesday/Thursday

History of Rome 8:10-9:40

Digital Media 1:10-2:40

On a completely different note, I'm about to go make some awesome posters for my lovely neighbor Kristen who as a hockey game tonight! Go Knights!! 

Well, thats all for now...don't forget Twitter & Formspring

*Also, there is a KnightChat coming up on November 16th from 7:30-9pm...I'll be there, will you? :)

-Juliana

Happy Halloween!

This weekend (Halloweekend) at SMC was the best Halloween I've ever had, there were two nights to get all dressed up and hang out with friends...and I love Halloween so this was double the fun!

A little recap of my weekend:

Friday afternoon, my friend Galya and I spent 3 hours running all over Church Street to get everything we needed to complete our grecian goddess costumes. We knew exactly what we wanted to get, but the problem was finding where they sold everything; jewelry, white t-shirts, gold ribbon, and gold glitter. After running up and down Church street and going in close to 10 different stores, we had everything we needed and headed back here to put it all together! Oh, and instead of buying fake ivy to put in our hair, we just cut some from the side of our building...(resourceful, right?)

So since the Halloween dance wasn't until the next night, we all got dressed up and danced in the dorm rooms...definitely a successful first night of Halloween.

Most of us in our costumes...grecian goddesses, pirate,
flapper, woody, ballerina, and "ceiling fan!"

On Saturday evening, some of us decided to order chinese food..yum! (And I still have leftovers). This was a great way to start off the second night of Halloween...

After eating way more than I should have, it was time to get ready! I had a last minute change in plans and decided to be a cat for this night- classic and fun! We headed over to the dance a little late but ended up staying until the very end...Halloween round 2: complete!

Twins again! 

Also, check out some of the other posts about Halloween weekend here at SMC!

Gabbi's blog

Alex's blog
Sarah's blog
Marci's blog

Kayley's blog- part 1, part 2, part 3

...and of course, don't forget about Twitter/Formspring!

-Juliana

Parents, Planes, and Pizza

Hey everyone!

Let me just start off my saying that it's so great to be back at St. Mike's after the long weekend! Don't get me wrong, it was nice to go home for the weekend and bring my friend Clare along, but being back on campus feels more like home now than ever. Heading back to the 518 did have a few perks though...

#1- Seeing my family! I wouldn't say I was homesick, but I was definitely excited to see them all again! 

Vegan pesto pizza!

#2- Home cooked meals. I can't even begin to tell you how anxious I was to go home and have my Mom's vegan pesto pizza (I talked about it for weeks)...it's just the greatest!! 

One of my dogs (Lola)

#3- My puppies! I couldn't wait to see them again...I just wish I could bring them back to SMC with me! :)

#4- Jumping out of a plane. Yes, you read that correctly...I jumped out of a plane!! Ed and I went skydiving on Tuesday morning right before heading back to SMC...most amazing thing I've ever done! It was almost an all-weekend event...Sunday was the original date to go but it was too windy, and then Monday ended up being too cloudy, so I suggested that we just go jump on Tuesday morning and then drive back to St. Mike's! I definitely plan to go many more times in the future, but for now, here are a few pictures of my first jump...

Don't be a stranger- Twitter/Formspring!

-Juliana

5 Little Things I've Learned This Week

Hi everyone!

We all know that we go to college to learn...obviously, this is the main reason we're here! However, there are some things that your professors can't teach you...these are things you just have to learn as you go along. So, I thought I'd share a few, (some of both), with you!

5 things I've learned this week...

#1- Dishes will pile up if you don't clean them. 

This is college, it's both stressful and fun, but sometimes there just isn't an opportunity to clean up. So, I'm currently staring at a pile of dishes on my floor. Yes, my floor. I'll definitely be cleaning that up as soon as I'm done writing..

#2- Product placement is present in all types of media.

In my Media Revolutions class, (I'm a journalism major!), Professor Griffith spent last class going over the importance of film as a mass medium. Inevitably, the topic of product placement came up...so, we watched Lady Gaga's music video for Telephone and counted how many branded goods were shown. We came up with 16, and the number is believed to be much higher. Think about it: how many times do you watch a movie and see a Coca-Cola can or a certain brand of car, like in Transformers? I found this so interesting that now I feel as though I'm keeping an extra eye out for it...try counting how many brands you see in the next film you watch! (p.s. product placement = the integration, for a fee, of specific branded products into media content)

#3- Don't forget to put water in your Easy Mac...or any microwavable food for that matter.

Personally, I don't even eat Easy Mac (I'm vegan), but my friend Clare from down the hall somehow forgot to add the water to the container before putting it in the microwave. What happened? Well, the alarms went off and the whole hallway filled with smoke...lesson learned!

#4- Sickness spreads! 

This week basically my entire floor had a cold, even my roommate did for about 3 days...how did I avoid getting it? That I'll never know, but now it's obvious that as soon as one person gets it, almost all of us are going to! Two words- health services.

#5- Coffee is awesome.

This is probably the greatest thing ever created (well not really, but it's still great). Coffee is really one of the only things that keeps me awake and focused for those early 8:40 classes...plus, I like the taste :) If you absolutely can't stand coffee and can't wake up even if someone rolls you out of bed, I suggest afternoon classes.

So, that's all for now! Have any questions or just feel like chatting? Twitter/Formspring

*Prospective students/parents! It's college application time & Early Action 1 deadline is coming up on November 1st...don't hesitate to ask me or any of my fellow bloggers any questions that you might have!

Also, don't forget about KnightChat on October 12th from 7:30-9pm!

-Juliana

On a Sunday at SMC...

Hey everyone!

Just a super quick update...I'll be posting again probably on Wednesday or Thursday..
It's been a pretty crazy week, from classes to homework and exams, there's only so much time to get everything done! So, that's what Sunday is for..besides lounging around for the majority of the morning, I decided to do something productive with my time and tackle all of the tasks I didn't seem to have time for during the week...

                                                                                                        my list of things to do...

If you're feeling even the slightest bit disorganized or stressed, it helps a lot to make a list of things to do and check them off as you go...college can be quite a handful so it's good to stay on top of things!

Anyways, I'm super excited for this week! Tomorrow I'm (finally) going to buy a pair of rain boots which I've been putting off for the longest time, which wasn't the greatest idea since it's rained a lot since we've been here...I want to be able to jump in the puddles! :)

Also, we're thinking about adding a strobe light to the inside of the tunnel..call us crazy, but I'm excited!



I'll be posting again soon, but in the meantime..
Don't be a stranger! Twitter/Formspring

10 Things to Avoid in College

Hey guys!

Hopefully you're all having a great Friday! A couple days ago, I was sitting in my dorm room thinking about what I could blog about next. So, I asked my friend Lelia what she thought. We decided that it would be useful to post what things a college student should avoid...

#1

 Procrastination

If you put off doing your work until late at night, the quality will definitely decrease. Stay on top of your assignments so your grades stay up- that's what you're here for!

#2 

Skipping Class

Well, how are you going to learn anything if you don't go to class?! Obviously don't go if you're sick or something along those lines, but make sure to talk to your professor and make up the work that you missed. 

#3

Going to bed at 2am (or just too late in general)

On weeknights this is a no-no. Falling asleep in class, or even just zoning out because of exhaustion is not a good way to retain information.

#4

Going home every weekend

Going home is nice once in a while, but going too often means missing out on everything here at campus...get out and have fun! It's more difficult to adjust if you're constantly heading home for the weekend.

#5

Keeping your door closed 

Some might think this just applies to the first couple weeks. Really though, even after a month here, it's still a good idea to keep your door open...people will walk in and be social :)

#6

Too much Facebook

I'll admit, I do devote a little too much time to Facebook. The problem with this is that when you're constantly online, that's taking away from study time or time that you could be spending with your friends. (homework + Facebook = fail.)

#7

Too much TV or video games

This is basically the same thing as Facebook, it's a distraction. Go get your homework done and then go outside and play frisbee...it's a lot more fun.

#8

Living your life on Skype

Skype is great for seeing your family/friends from home, but being in a video chat with someone else all the time means less time with the people who are actually here. There has to be some balance!

#9

Taking the buffet a little too seriously

We've all heard of it- the freshman 15. Beware!

#10

Not taking advantage of everything SMC has to offer

Saint Mike's has SO much to offer us as students...clubs, sports, MOVE, you name it! Check out the student activities page here.

Like always, don't be a stranger! Twitter/Formspring


-Juliana

How to: Be Creative with Your Dorm Room

Hi guys!

So this post isn't exactly going to be a "how to," it's more of a recap of what my roommate and I have been doing the past 2 days to make our dorm room unlike any other! You may think we're a little crazy, but hey, isn't that what makes it fun? :)

In order to complete our "renovation," we had to work through a series of steps:

Step 1- Find inspiration

Kristen's t-shirt!

Step 2- Get the necessary supplies

poster board (not pictured), scissors & a LOT of duct tape

Cardboard boxes!

Step 3- Build the foundation

Devan taping up some pieces of cardboard...

The "foundation" completed!

Step 4- Finish the basic construction 

(Below the blue and green paper pictured below is more cardboard...for support, of course!)

Step 5- DECORATE!

Beginning to put up the finishing touches...

Drawing of a tree on the side when walking into the room!

The "tunnel" all finished!!!

View of the "tree" from the hallway

the "tunnel" inside!!!!!

So that's all for now, and as always...don't be a stranger! Twitter/Formspring

-Juliana