Halfway

Dear Anna,

I'm assuming that since you didn't blog yesterday that you still don't have internet. Assuming this, I will suspend your writing challenge for missing a day, but don't expect this kind of treatment again.

One word that I can think of that describes my life right now is halfway. It seems to be coming up a good bit. First, October is halfway done. How did that happen!? Next month is November, then December, then the holidays, and then it is 2015! Time flies when you're having fun. However, I think I'm starting to experience that thing that happens to old people when time just flies no matter what you're doing.

Second, I am halfway through this semester. Again, how did that happen! I feel like I just got here two weeks ago. I got the email today telling me to meet with my adviser to talk about next-semester's classes. I always get a rush of nerd-excitement around this time of year. This is the season of textbook purchases, Rate My Professors, and all sorts of nerdiness.

In honor of the halfway theme, here is a wonderful music video from Bon Jovi: Livin' On A Prayer.

On top of all that, it's fall, and fall is beautiful.
Have a wonderful day, my sweet Anna
~Lindy

Time Managing Tips From the Least Qualified Person EVER!

Dear Anna,

I am probably not the best qualified person to give advice about time management skills. I am a terrible procrastinator. I almost always put assignments or studying off till the last possible moment. (But let's be real, the internet is usually more interesting than homework anyways.)

However, right now school is a full-time job for both of us. On many forms I have filled out, they have a "Student" option when they ask for your occupation. It is literally considered a job, and one must get the job done. Here are a few things that I have learned that may help you schedule your time.

1. Planners: A planner just might save your life. In there you can make a sort of to-do list for yourself. Write down everything from homework to hangouts, from tests to social engagements. I've been using a little one that Mom won for me in a bingo game last summer, and it is great! It has gotten so beat up from how much I use it. Planners are often pretty cute, too! Mine has motivating little saying in it.
    
   I am hoping to get an hourly planner for 2015, that way I can block out when I have classes, and then fill in the rest of the time with homework sessions, club meetings, and relaxation times.
   
2. Calenders: We have these really cool things now called Smart Phones. I don't know if you've heard of them. They're pretty sweet. I think every single one of them has a calender built in. I use my phone's calender to mark down when things are due, when I'm going away, and when people are coming to visit. It's a good visual and you can even set up alerts so your phone tells you when something is up! (Note: Do not let this device control your life! No matter how wonderful it seems, use your own brain. There is so much more to life than that!)
   
3. Get to know yourself: In all of this, know how you work. You are not going to do yourself any favors by stressing your body and mind out. Learn when you are most alert and motivated and do homework then. Know when you need to take a break. My philosophy is that a well-rested mind with just a little bit of knowledge will do much better than a exhausted mind crammed full with every fact under the sun.

I hope this helped you a little bit. Good luck!

~Lindy

Backgrounds

Something that I find interesting about life is that you always learn something. For many years of our lives we go to school to learn. That is school's purpose, but I think the world and the experiences it holds are the best teachers. As I look back over the past few weeks I have been here, the things that stick out in my mind as things that have been learned are not academic.

I think what I've learned most is that people, no matter how similar they or their situations may be now, come from vastly different life experiences. I often take having similar backgrounds for granted. Most of the people I grew up knowing and spending time with have life-stories similar to mine: Christian, middle class, white, and often home schooled.

But moving to college threw me into the vast whirl-wind of people: people of all nationalities, life experiences, hopes, dreams, and desires. Each of these factors brings something to a group or a friendship that is clearly unique to them and them alone. I'm a firm believer that where you came from has a direct impact on the person you become. Getting to know some people's stories helps you to know who they are now.

Our life stories are meant to be shared. They can be powerful leveling mechanisms, and I believe God uses them to share Him with others. Don't be afraid of your past. It makes you who you are.