Cecilia's Blog

The first full round of exams for all of my classes concluded this week. So far, I have only received my not-so-exciting government exam grade I mentioned in a previous post and my Nutrition exam grade. Still waiting for my Latino Politics and History class exam results.

But wait just when I thought it was over, the second round starts next Monday, with an exam on Monday and then two the week that follows! I guess not so much of a break. It is rather scary. So much left to do, so much to improve, and so little time to do it…but staying positive, it will all turn out okay!

Like if that wasn’t enough of a wake up call, a couple of weeks ago, the course schedule came out for the Spring semester. Now, registration for classes for next semester is right around the corner, next week. And I still can’t believe that I will be registering for the second semester of my third year at UT. Once the Fall semester ends, I will technically be 27 hours away from graduating (reaching the 120 required hours to graduate) although I have already decided I will not graduate until May 2010 although graduating that December was an option.

If THAT wasn’t enough, early voting started this week…and I can’t believe that we are just twelve days away from the big day: November 4…ELECTION DAY! It feels like it was yesterday when the RecSports Center on campus turned into the set for the Democratic Debate. As a government major, although I have not blogged on this at all, I can’t hide my excitement as the day approaches!

I don’t know what it is about this semester. Usually I feel that the Spring semesters go by faster, this time around, if the Fall is going by so fast, I don’t want to think about the Spring. And I don’t complain because I am busy, because it is when I am NOT busy that I complain. But perhaps it is being busy that in part makes time go by so fast. (does it make sense?)

Close to two months into the semester, I have realized a number of things:

1) Needless to say, I can’t remember the last time I went to sleep before 3 a.m.

2) I can count the number of times I have seen some of my very close friends…in one hand. (and the fact that it doesn’t even happen randomly–as in, not even bumping into each other on campus, is actually really sad)

3) School is getting a lot tougher and I have had to polish up my study skills, even three years into my college career. Study groups actually do work and it is never too late to try them…even if three years into college! It WILL make a huge difference, not only for an exam but it will make going to class even better! I now spend more time in the PCL (Perry Castaneda Library) than I ever did my freshman and sophomore year combined (Note: I always studied, just never necessarily at the library)!

4) I have to start taking more time to think a little bit more about my life outside of the classroom and outside my extra curricular activities… I have to start taking more time to continue to build memories with friends and do some more self-reflection on what I want to do with my life!

5) Things have changed rather significantly in my life since my sophomore year and needless to say, since my freshman year. Speaking of freshman year, today, I run into my roommate from my freshman year, Judy, for the first time since last Fall and as I walked away I couldn’t believe it had been so long since we had lived together and how much we had both grown since then!

Now I have to admit that I miss many aspects of my sophomore year–for example, I STILL miss living with and next to some of my very very closest friends. I never thought it would still impact me as much as it has.

With Pearl at the TX/OU Torchlight Parade and Rally

6) Realizing with my friends that when we know that we have lived in the residence hall long enough when we know exactly what special food is probably going to be served around what time of the semester or when we have exhausted all potential combination of entrees, side dishes, and desserts to add variety to our lunch and dinner!

7) Never before had I spent so little time in my room, never before would I leave at 9 a.m. and not come back until 2 a.m. the next morning after the PCL closes, to just pick up a snack and keep studying in the study lounge in Jester.

I have to get out and explore Austin more!

9) On a much brighter note: When I go to the football game this Saturday–I will have gone to more games than I did my freshman and sophomore year combined! (Thank you, season tickets!)

View of the football field from our seats!

10) On another much brighter note: I have met so many more new people this semester! Through my classes, the new members on the UT Student Volunteer Board, the Rapoport Service Scholars, and the University of Texas Leadership and Ethics Institute. “Be open to new people and building new friendships, always” (- courtesy of my mother)Being open to new people and making new friends doesn’t mean you are staying away from the friends you already have! And it will enrich your college experience and life, tremendously.

University of Texas Leadership and Ethics Institute- UT Leadership Board members, Leadership Coordinators, and Evelina Solis- our advisor

UT Student Volunteer Board members and Krystle Nelson and Yvonne Fuentes, our advisors.

(to be different and not end at 10, I’ll end at 11..)

11) Every day now, I value even more the time that I am at school, no matter what it is I am doing.

Despite all the changes, all the hecticness this semester have brought, I am absolutely loving every single moment of it! It has been full of new truly great experiences. So this post is not a complaint-full one, is more of a realization of how fast time is going by and how important it is to (although it may sound very cliche) enjoy as much as I possibly can and take full advantage of every single experience I live, because they can be gone in the blink of an eye!