11.03.2009
11.02.2009
Notre Dame, Here I Come! (for a weekend)
On Thursday night I will be flying out to visit Notre Dame. I cannot express in words how thrilled I am. I cannot wait to see the campus, experience the community and take part in the deeply rooted tradition that is both the university and the Notre Dame home game weekend. These are just a few of the things I will be doing while I visit ND this weekend:
1. Going to Mass in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart
2. Visiting Touchdown Jesus
3. Lighting a candle at the Grotto
4. Going to the Friday Night Pep Rally at the Irish Green
5. Getting Dinner at Eddy Street Commons
6. Watching the Midnight Drummer's Circle
7. Feeding the ducks at St. Mary's Lake
8. Lining up to wish the football team luck after their pre-game mass at the Basilica
9. Attending the football game vs. Navy
10. Eating at Fat Shirley's
11. Meeting with the Creative Writing Department regarding my application
12. Buying ridiculous amounts of Notre Dame souvenirs/apparel
13. Taking a look at graduate student housing!
14. Walking through the Notre Dame Stadium Tunnel\
15. Get drinks at the Linebacker Lounge
1. Going to Mass in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart
2. Visiting Touchdown Jesus
3. Lighting a candle at the Grotto
4. Going to the Friday Night Pep Rally at the Irish Green
5. Getting Dinner at Eddy Street Commons
6. Watching the Midnight Drummer's Circle
7. Feeding the ducks at St. Mary's Lake
8. Lining up to wish the football team luck after their pre-game mass at the Basilica
9. Attending the football game vs. Navy
10. Eating at Fat Shirley's
11. Meeting with the Creative Writing Department regarding my application
12. Buying ridiculous amounts of Notre Dame souvenirs/apparel
13. Taking a look at graduate student housing!
14. Walking through the Notre Dame Stadium Tunnel\
15. Get drinks at the Linebacker Lounge
10.29.2009
10.27.2009
Tetris and the Irish
I have been a huge Tetris fan since I was around 10 or 11 years old. Currently, I have a free version on my computer called Sporktris, and my boyfriend Danny enjoys teasing me about my obsessive nature when it comes to this wonderful, finger-aching, time consuming game. I love leaving one column open, building up the rest, and then knocking out four rows at a time. Not too many people know that doing it this way gives you more points than getting rid of the rows one at a time.
Today was a big Tetris game for me.
For the past week, Danny and I have been talking about visiting Notre Dame. We want to go so that we have a weekday and a weekend day at ND so I can get a tour and visit the Creative Writing Department while they are open on a Friday and, of course, so we can see a football game on Saturday. We went back and forth about what weekend, tried to figure out what tickets to get and see if we even had enough money to take a trip before Thanksgiving (yikes!) It didn't look like it was going to work. My work couldn't guarantee I could take off work during the week before thanksgiving... plane tickets were priced ridiculously high due to it being the weekend before a holiday... football tickets were non-existent... and hotels in South Bend are priced at $200 a room due to it being a home game weekend.
But then today happened, and everything fell in to place. Not even just the things we were hoping for, but circumstances far beyond my personal hopes. My parents are giving us a free ticket, knocking out $350. We found INCREDIBLE tickets online, and this kind man knocked a huge chunk off of the price because Danny's grandfather is an alum of ND, saving us $100.
Danny's best friend has a "really cool aunt" living in Chicago (where we are flying in) that is going to let us stay with her zero dollars, getting rid of what could have been $250-$300 in hotel costs. We might also get to use their car (still in the works) which would save us another $100 on renting one. Lastly, Danny's brother is in the Naval Academy, and ND will be playing Navy on the 7th, a game that all students at the Naval Academy get to attend. We will not only get to see his brother Jordan, we will get to spend much needed quality time with him. Danny is also going to help me study for the GRE on the plane, because the test is the day after we get back! (CRAZY!!! hahaha) Plus, I will probably get to visit Columbia College Chicago, which is my number 2 graduate school choice, for an hour or so.
It's like all of the little blocks, the blue L shape, the pink backwards L shape, the red Z shape, the yellow backward Z shape, and the orange rotatable T, were all in this weird arrangement that kind of fit, but there was something huge missing. Then the wonderful green long block graced the screen, and fell into the far left column that was still empty, and everything came together. It's wonderful. I cannot wait for this weekend. :)
Today was a big Tetris game for me.
For the past week, Danny and I have been talking about visiting Notre Dame. We want to go so that we have a weekday and a weekend day at ND so I can get a tour and visit the Creative Writing Department while they are open on a Friday and, of course, so we can see a football game on Saturday. We went back and forth about what weekend, tried to figure out what tickets to get and see if we even had enough money to take a trip before Thanksgiving (yikes!) It didn't look like it was going to work. My work couldn't guarantee I could take off work during the week before thanksgiving... plane tickets were priced ridiculously high due to it being the weekend before a holiday... football tickets were non-existent... and hotels in South Bend are priced at $200 a room due to it being a home game weekend.
But then today happened, and everything fell in to place. Not even just the things we were hoping for, but circumstances far beyond my personal hopes. My parents are giving us a free ticket, knocking out $350. We found INCREDIBLE tickets online, and this kind man knocked a huge chunk off of the price because Danny's grandfather is an alum of ND, saving us $100.
Danny's best friend has a "really cool aunt" living in Chicago (where we are flying in) that is going to let us stay with her zero dollars, getting rid of what could have been $250-$300 in hotel costs. We might also get to use their car (still in the works) which would save us another $100 on renting one. Lastly, Danny's brother is in the Naval Academy, and ND will be playing Navy on the 7th, a game that all students at the Naval Academy get to attend. We will not only get to see his brother Jordan, we will get to spend much needed quality time with him. Danny is also going to help me study for the GRE on the plane, because the test is the day after we get back! (CRAZY!!! hahaha) Plus, I will probably get to visit Columbia College Chicago, which is my number 2 graduate school choice, for an hour or so.
It's like all of the little blocks, the blue L shape, the pink backwards L shape, the red Z shape, the yellow backward Z shape, and the orange rotatable T, were all in this weird arrangement that kind of fit, but there was something huge missing. Then the wonderful green long block graced the screen, and fell into the far left column that was still empty, and everything came together. It's wonderful. I cannot wait for this weekend. :)
10.24.2009
GRE Freak Out
I specifically chose schools that did not require the GRE because I did not want to take the GRE. Well, apparently I have been falling fast in love with Notre Dame and happened to misread their application requirements. What I read as "we do not require the GRE test" actually said "we do not require the GRE subject test." The general test, however, IS required.
And now I am officially freaking out! I signed up for the GRE last Monday to take on November 9th so I could apply at a few back up schools that have extended deadlines if I don't get in anywhere. But now I will HAVE to send in my scores to Notre Dame even if they are horrible. I am terrified! I am so in love with Notre Dame and want so badly to attend as a graduate student. But it could all be thwarted simply because I didn't read the requirements correctly.
Damn it!
I really hope I can some how pull an amazing score out of nowhere. This is all I have wanted for a really long time. I want to be in a community of writers who are not only challenged by writing, but by God as well. And I am nervous that all of my hard work over the past 4 months might be a waste.
And now I am officially freaking out! I signed up for the GRE last Monday to take on November 9th so I could apply at a few back up schools that have extended deadlines if I don't get in anywhere. But now I will HAVE to send in my scores to Notre Dame even if they are horrible. I am terrified! I am so in love with Notre Dame and want so badly to attend as a graduate student. But it could all be thwarted simply because I didn't read the requirements correctly.
Damn it!
I really hope I can some how pull an amazing score out of nowhere. This is all I have wanted for a really long time. I want to be in a community of writers who are not only challenged by writing, but by God as well. And I am nervous that all of my hard work over the past 4 months might be a waste.
10.23.2009
Visiting Notre Dame? Maybe? PLEASE?
I have begun my quest/obsession to not only visit Notre Dame before I mail in my application in December (so I can enjoy it before they turn me down), but to also visit on a Saturday, when there is an at home football game in play, that I will have tickets to.
Hopefully the plan will go as follows:
My work, understanding how phenomenally important this is to my future, as well as to my ultimate happiness, will grant me the two days off I will need to make it a wonderful 4 day weekend. Then, my dad, knowing that as a young professional I am usually pretty tight with my budget, will offer to give me a free ticket to fly out to Notre Dame, ultimately slicing the price of my ticket to $0. Our next move will be to find and purchase two tickets to see Notre Dame play UConn, which we will miraculously be able to BUY IT NOW for under $200 total. Don't forget, we will some how find an incredibly cheap room in Chicago, as well as a wonderful rental car to drive.
Lastly, I will be accepted at Notre Dame on the spot when I turn in my application, and Jimmy Clausen will tell me he loves my writing.
Oh how the world could work.
Hopefully the plan will go as follows:
My work, understanding how phenomenally important this is to my future, as well as to my ultimate happiness, will grant me the two days off I will need to make it a wonderful 4 day weekend. Then, my dad, knowing that as a young professional I am usually pretty tight with my budget, will offer to give me a free ticket to fly out to Notre Dame, ultimately slicing the price of my ticket to $0. Our next move will be to find and purchase two tickets to see Notre Dame play UConn, which we will miraculously be able to BUY IT NOW for under $200 total. Don't forget, we will some how find an incredibly cheap room in Chicago, as well as a wonderful rental car to drive.
Lastly, I will be accepted at Notre Dame on the spot when I turn in my application, and Jimmy Clausen will tell me he loves my writing.
Oh how the world could work.
WE ARE ND. GO IRISH!!!!
10.21.2009
20 Reasons Why I Love the Irish
I have only been aware of the University of Notre Dame’s existence for about 2 years, but I have completely and entirely fallen in love with ND for many reasons. Some of them are in reference to my future attendance as a graduate student (hopefully) and some are sentimental reasons. Here they are:
01) I love that the football player's don't have their last names on the backs of their jersey's. They do this because it isn't about the individual, it is about the team
02) I love Touchdown Jesus
03) I love that their slogan is "Fighting for (insert reason). What would you fight for." It's absolutely beautiful.
04) I love that students in the graduate MFA program get to go to school for free.
05) I love the community atmosphere emitted from every pore of every square foot, every student, every thing on that campus.
06) I love Jimmy Clausen.
07) I love shouting "We are ND! GO IRISH" when I watch football games with my boyfriend Danny.
08) I love that Danny's grandfather, Rudolph, was on the Championship Football Team in 1942.
09) I love that Rudolph told Danny that the movie Rudy was made about him.
10) I love that when I think about Notre Dame, I get this happy feeling about my future.
11) I love that I have the possibility of attending a school that is just a bigger, better, more famous, highly regarded version of APU, where I received my undergraduate degree.
12) I love that it gets really, really cold in South Bend in the winter.
13) I love that it snows in South Bend.
14) I love that South Bend has seasons.
15) I love wearing green, which will go perfectly with being Irish.
16) I love that students have the opportunity to be selected for Teaching Assistantships.
17) I love that Notre Dame is committed to both God and Academia.
18) I love that there is a GPA requirement for athletes.
19) I love that Notre Dame looks the way it does.
20) I love that Notre Dame has been called "the place where the church does it's thinking."
01) I love that the football player's don't have their last names on the backs of their jersey's. They do this because it isn't about the individual, it is about the team
02) I love Touchdown Jesus
03) I love that their slogan is "Fighting for (insert reason). What would you fight for." It's absolutely beautiful.
04) I love that students in the graduate MFA program get to go to school for free.
05) I love the community atmosphere emitted from every pore of every square foot, every student, every thing on that campus.
06) I love Jimmy Clausen.
07) I love shouting "We are ND! GO IRISH" when I watch football games with my boyfriend Danny.
08) I love that Danny's grandfather, Rudolph, was on the Championship Football Team in 1942.
09) I love that Rudolph told Danny that the movie Rudy was made about him.
10) I love that when I think about Notre Dame, I get this happy feeling about my future.
11) I love that I have the possibility of attending a school that is just a bigger, better, more famous, highly regarded version of APU, where I received my undergraduate degree.
12) I love that it gets really, really cold in South Bend in the winter.
13) I love that it snows in South Bend.
14) I love that South Bend has seasons.
15) I love wearing green, which will go perfectly with being Irish.
16) I love that students have the opportunity to be selected for Teaching Assistantships.
17) I love that Notre Dame is committed to both God and Academia.
18) I love that there is a GPA requirement for athletes.
19) I love that Notre Dame looks the way it does.
20) I love that Notre Dame has been called "the place where the church does it's thinking."
10.20.2009
The Evil, Evil, Evil GRE
So I did the stupidest thing today. I logged onto ETS and decided to take the Graduate Record Examination even though I don't have to in order to get into the schools I am applying to.
Curse my need for perfection. The only reason I am doing this is because I want to have a better shot at getting a Teaching Assistantship. And, of course, to quickly apply to other graduate programs with later application dates when I inevitably fail to get into the ones I am currently applying to.
I really don't want to take the GRE, but at the same time I do. At least I have the knowledge that I don't HAVE to send the test scores if they are horrible.
Bleh, the last thing I want to do is study for this test. I hate tests! I love writing, but I hate tests!
Watch, I am going to do better on the math portion than on the verbal/writing portion. (I'm not joking.)
Curse my need for perfection. The only reason I am doing this is because I want to have a better shot at getting a Teaching Assistantship. And, of course, to quickly apply to other graduate programs with later application dates when I inevitably fail to get into the ones I am currently applying to.
I really don't want to take the GRE, but at the same time I do. At least I have the knowledge that I don't HAVE to send the test scores if they are horrible.
Bleh, the last thing I want to do is study for this test. I hate tests! I love writing, but I hate tests!
Watch, I am going to do better on the math portion than on the verbal/writing portion. (I'm not joking.)
10.19.2009
Graduate School Applications
I made the decision about 6 months ago to go back to school. Sure, my job is boring. I wake up at 7am everyday and don't get back until 7pm, and I spend most of my time on the computer. But it isn't just the monotony of my current job that is pushing me to go back to school.
I miss school. I miss living on/near campus, rolling out of bed to make it to class and bumming around the coffee shop in my sweats. But most importantly, I miss learning. I miss studying and reading and using my brain all the time. It is important to me to be intelligent and well-prepared for anything, and I feel like my mind is beginning to get mushy. That is why I have decided to forge ahead to graduate school to get out of this mushy slump.
I couldn't be more thrilled. I have been working non-stop on my writing sample (25-30 pages of creative non-fiction) and reworking my personal statement/letter of intent/statement of purpose for each school over and over. I have all of my letters of recommendation in place, however one professor who agreed still hasn't gotten back to me about it. Yikes! I hope it turns out ok!
I am also thrilled to report that my boyfriend will be moving with me when I go! Danny is so supportive and it will make picking up and moving across the country so much easier and enjoyable with him there.
I am so excited!!!!
I miss school. I miss living on/near campus, rolling out of bed to make it to class and bumming around the coffee shop in my sweats. But most importantly, I miss learning. I miss studying and reading and using my brain all the time. It is important to me to be intelligent and well-prepared for anything, and I feel like my mind is beginning to get mushy. That is why I have decided to forge ahead to graduate school to get out of this mushy slump.
I couldn't be more thrilled. I have been working non-stop on my writing sample (25-30 pages of creative non-fiction) and reworking my personal statement/letter of intent/statement of purpose for each school over and over. I have all of my letters of recommendation in place, however one professor who agreed still hasn't gotten back to me about it. Yikes! I hope it turns out ok!
I am also thrilled to report that my boyfriend will be moving with me when I go! Danny is so supportive and it will make picking up and moving across the country so much easier and enjoyable with him there.
I am so excited!!!!
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