Pieces of BGSU

So, since I finally bought my own car and since I was finally able to request some time away, I decided to go visit my sister in a little town called Painesville.  The drive was pleasant and I was so excited to see her.

Basically, we spent the weekend “chilling out.”  Well, to an extent.  My sister swims for college so I supported her at her first (and only) home meet.  It was so much fun and her college rocked! The team won by an insane margin.  After the meet, we ate, we went shopping, we watched movies. It was the most unproductive weekend I have had in a very long time.

Sunday late afternoon rolled around and I knew I had to leave.  I have always been fine being on my own and I only get homesick when I get a moment to think about it.  But saying goodbye to her that weekend was so much harder for me than I had originally anticipated.   Consequently, I have been thinking about it a lot and wondering why it was so tough.

My first “theory” is that seeing my sister and being lazy (well, more me than her on the lazy part) was probably the first dose of home I have had since February because I did not go home this summer.  Granted, my brother and sister visited for one evening during the summer, but I had to work and study and so it wasn’t nearly as chill or intimate as actually getting to be home and doing nothing!

My other “theory” is that well, maybe I get more homesick than I ever noticed or am willing to admit.  This may be applicable because I am that type of person who keeps busy, busy, busy.  I suppose that puts the thoughts of home on the backburner.   Then, when those thoughts are brought to the forefront, it’s nearly overwhelming.

A final possible “theory” may be that I realized by hanging out with her how different our lives are becoming.  Growing up as a triplet we did a lot of things that were similar or exactly the same and everyone knew us as the triplets.  College completely changed all that.  We all went our separate ways. That means that we will soon be going to graduate school (or my brother, paying back his service.  He is at West Point).  That means we really won’t see each other much anymore.

Those who are feeling homesick, I encourage you to try and figure out, why?  Notice that none of my reasons have anything to do with disliking BG or my classes.  I think that by analyzing these thoughts, I have been able to formulate ways to embrace the feelings while still being productive and enjoying my time here.

As stated in a previous blog, BG is my home away from home.  That is still true, but I realize that nothing can ever beat my home home.  I hope that those who are experiencing homesickness can embrace BG as their home away from home, while still appreciating where they came from.  Roll Along, Falcons!

Isn’t it funny how when life gets chaotic, it seems to get chaotic at the same time?!  I mean, sure, this blog will rant about some happenings in my life, but it will offer some perspective as well.

I found out recently that a friend of mine from JROTC passed away.  He was 21.  It is absolutely heart-wrenching that someone so young could be taken from this world.  It is even more heart-wrenching to know that three of my high school friends have passed away since I started college.   ALL three of their deaths could have been prevented.

So what are my thoughts? I suppose there are two.  The simple would be that we will face challenges.  The complex would be accepting that many situations are out of our control.

I know that every challenge I face, I face for a reason; to become a stronger individual.  I do not mean that life is a contest of interpersonal strength, but rather that these experiences help us to grow as individuals. We will often find defining characteristics about ourselves as we face these hardships.   We have to realize that we cannot let bad situations stop our lives or stop us from reaching our goals. Therefore, never stop striving, despite your situation.

The complex thoughts are more difficult.  I know that I love being in control. I love having a plan and I really dislike having to deviate from my plans.  So what happens when these people that I know are suddenly stolen from the world?  Well, I become quietly anxiety ridden (I think that is how I would explain it…). I become distracted then frustrated…because I am distracted!

Why do we love control so much? I know I am not the only one who values being in control, but I may be one of the few to openly admit such. I do not think that control is such a bad thing. But when control becomes the center of our lives, we inhibit change.  “If you can’t control your peanut butter, you can’t expect to control your life,” said Bill Watterson. He is a wise man.

To gain control of our lives, we need to accept that we can barely control anything.  We can work hard and choose to behave in a certain way, but we cannot dictate the results.  We cannot decide when good things will happen or when bad things will happen.  We can choose to embrace whatever is thrown our way, though.

In summary, I reflect back to an older blog.  Change is not to be feared.   I am willing to bet that all of the changes that have been made in your life are due to changes within yourself.  And guess what? You probably did not control those changes, either.  Till next time, Stay classy, BG!

WOW! What a crazy couple of weeks it has been! I just thought I could update you on the events that have happened in my life since school got out and how my summer BG experience has been.

Well, the first and most immediate event to occur when school got out was barbershop competition! I am not sure how many people know that I sing barbershop competitively … but I do! For those who don’t know, barbershop is a cappella singing.  Many of you have heard of Prestige; this group sings male barbershop.  Well guess what? Girls do it, too, but it is called Aweet Adelines!

Barbershop is competitive at the chorus and quartet level.  We had a regional competition in Cleveland and to make a long story short, WE WON! What does that mean? That means we qualified for international competition in November 2013… IN HAWAII! So, that is super exciting.  I got my first barbershop medal ever!

Then, I scheduled my dental admission test, the real one!  I sort of freaked out when it was official, but it is happening.  I suppose I freaked out because it meant that life is getting real.  After this, I apply to dental school, (hopefully) get interviews and then decide! Where did the time go?  But yes, so I am in the process of preparing for that test in August.

And then, my siblings came up for a visit! Their visit was totally fantastic since the three of us had not been together since Christmastime.  We ran around the campus, took pictures, ate at Campus Pollyeyes, got ice cream and caught up.  It is so strange watching us all go our separate ways and prepare for the future.   I guess that is growing up.

Otherwise, I am staying very busy.  I am spending my BG summer working, doing research, shadowing a dentist, preparing for the DAT and occasionally sleeping.

Yet, I am loving my BG summer.  While I am may be busier than most, I am gaining so many new experiences that I probably wouldn’t have gotten if I went home this summer.    So for that, I am thankful.

Hopefully, I continue to gain new experiences, meet new people and maintain a level of humor about the crazy life I have chosen to lead.  Expect more updates as I surely attempt other random feats.

Stay classy BG!

So, I have been in college for two years now and sometimes, I find myself reflecting on the past and what I have learned from it.  Even more so, I sometimes recall what I wish I knew before I came to BGSU.

My choice to go out of state for school forced me to be prepared for many different aspects of going to college.  I was already prepared for not seeing my family, I was already prepared to be financially independent and I was already prepared to do a ton more work than in high school

So what didn’t I know?  I think that the most interesting learning experience was watching other students transition.  Sometimes, even now, I would forget that not everyone is in the same phase of life that I am and may struggle with the transition from high school to college.

Originally, I believe my mindset was along the lines of, “If I can handle being away from and doing x, y and z, why can’t this person”?  The fact of the matter is that I was simply more willing to embrace the changes that came my way.  That is not to say that some people can’t handle such transitions, it is simply to say that that it takes everyone a different amount of time to become comfortable with those transitions.

College is simply another change that many of us will experience and as mentioned in a prior blog, change is not to be feared for it forces people to put their best foot forward and reach maximum potential.

But remember, that just because you may have been ready to handle all transitions and changes associated with college straight away, not everyone is able to adjust as easily or quickly.

Some people may seem as though they handle the adjustments better than someone else, but the reality is, they are just at a different point in their life where they may more readily embrace changes.  And just because some struggle to transition, they are no worse off than others who may have transitioned more gracefully. At least they are moving forward.

So, I say recognize that no one will be on the same path or level as you.  Everyone enters college with a different mindset because we all come from different backgrounds and have different values.  If you have a friend struggling, be a supportive, be sympathetic and maybe use your experiences to help them continue moving forward.

Go figure, my theory prevails again another year … science majors do not get to experience “dead week.”  This past week I had five, count them, five exams in one form or another. They weren’t finals.  Now I have finals. And needless to say, I have been a complete mess.

I had my semester mental breakdown on Friday.  I called my mom crying because I did not think I was going to meet the exceptionally high standards that I set for myself again.  After some tears, tension, anger and everything else that accompanies that much stress, I got to thinking about my biggest challenge.

I think my biggest challenge in college has been overcoming myself.  This is actually something I am still working on.  Anyway, what I mean is that I set these unattainable high standards for myself and when I don’t reach them, I beat myself up.  I completely tear myself down and feel dumb, which I think is one of the worst feelings, ever.

I basically expect perfection from myself, which is quite silly since we live in such a non-perfect world. I often tell myself that I set these standards because I am going into a competitive field (dentistry) and I do not want anything to stand in my way of going to the dental school of my choosing and having my own business.  But the reality is that creating standards that ultimately result in me beating myself down will not help me reach those goals.

My mom told me that one mistake won’t take away what I want.  My professor told me that I should not focus on the grades but rather learning the material.  My friend told me , “All you can do is the best you can do.” Once you’ve done that, you rest easy knowing you gave it your all.” My brother told me that stickers are great for cheering up (and that things will all work out in the end).  And my sister told me that one mistake shouldn’t be the end all of achieving what I want.

I think they are all right.   I am not quite sure how I can stop wanting perfection because I think we should always aim for the best.  I think what I need to learn is to accept mistakes.  I have created this eight-year plan to achieve my goals, but that doesn’t mean that everything is set in stone.

So, I guess it is all an uphill battle from here.  I will probably still have an occasional breakdown, and that’s OK.  But maybe I can start learning that it’s OK to make a mistake here and there.  What is even more admirable than working hard to reach a goal is working hard to reach a goal, making a mistake that knocks you down and leaping back up and running to finish line.

I will end with this quote, “Life is too short to wake up with regrets.  So, love the people who treat you right and forget about the ones who don’t.  And believe that everything happens for a reason…and if you get the change- take it.  If it changes your life — let it.  Nobody said it would be easy, they just promised that it would be worth it.”

Uh.  WOW.  These last two weeks are totally killer.  Last week, I got assigned four, count them, four major projects. (>200 points).  So, needless to say, I have been working like crazy.  Actually, I just ordered my organic chemistry study guide for my final, too.  Isn’t my life totally thrilling?

Mostly, I wanted to talk about how I have noticed my work ethics change … or not change. Now, I have always had an abnormally high work ethic.  But I notice that I am holding myself more accountable now that we are in the end of the semester and I think it is because I am trying my hardest to maintain the decent grades that I have gotten throughout the semester.  While it may appear the work ethic has changed, maybe it hasn’t…. I think the amount of work has just increased.  So, my next question, why is it that the work we have always appears to double toward the end of the semester?

This is not going to be a rant about how college students should get to relax and blah blah.  We are in college, college is hard, college is a lot of work so I find it pointless to complain about such things.   Mostly, I want to know what makes the last couple of weeks of the semester the most crucial?  Why does the work seem pile up as high as Mount Everest? And why do I wish I was already done?!

I guess these are questions that we really can’t get an answer to.  I mean we can assume that maybe the end of the semester is your final test or that the professor forgot to assign assignments during the earlier parts of the semester.

Personally, I think it would be best to just take it in stride.  WE ARE SO CLOSE.  So don’t throw all of the work that you have already done this semester out the window.  You can do it! You just have to motivate yourself and remind yourself that while these may be the greatest four years (or five…) of your life, they will surely be the fastest and pass you by within the blink of an eye.

Personally, I am so excited to be nearly done. Just think … I may conquer organic chemistry. Then it’s summer time.  No, I won’t be going home, but I will have my BG home and BG family to make sure I stay sane.   Keep it up, Falcons.  We are almost through another year.  Stay classy BG!

Here’s to growing up! Here’s to becoming someone who is entirely your own.  And here is to making changes for the better.

So, strangely enough, this year I got to go home for spring break! And let me tell you, I am glad I did, especially since I won’t be coming home this summer.

But have you ever wondered what is different about each time you come home? I mean really, every time I come home I feel like everything is the same, yet different.  I suppose a quote from the movie, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” might help with such explanation, “Funny thing about coming home, looks the same, smells the same, feels the same … you realize that what’s changed, is you.”

I would 100 percent agree.  I don’t hang out with the people I used to in high school.  I don’t even have the same conversations with my parents that I did when I was younger (it’s OK, the conversations have gotten more awesome).

I have gained new values.  I value engaging in intelligent conversations with people who possess the same maturity level as me.  I value being able to tell other adults about my aspirations.  I value hard work. And I value the friendships that I have created with new people that will surely last a lifetime.

Why has this happened? Nothing around me has changed. I have changed.

It is for these reasons and more, that I believe change is not to be feared.  Change will bring more opportunities and perspective.  It will provide us with numerous challenges to be overcome.  However, challenges are not always a bad thing.  Challenges are what force us to put our best foot forward and reach our maximum potential.

Change should not be feared.  I encourage everyone to examine what changes have become more apparent in their lives.  I am willing to bet you that all the changes made around you were due to changes made within yourself.  Embrace these changes and continue to strive as a student, friend, son or daughter, and as a Falcon.  I hope that everyone can recognize their self-worth and keep on keeping on.  Stay classy BG!

“Oh, my gosh!  I hate Valentine’s Day because I do not have a significant other.”  One of the many common quotes you hear from single folks on Valentine’s Day.  These comments make me wonder a couple of things: 1) Why are people so cynical? 2) What makes Valentine’s Day so different from any other holiday?

Addressing my first point; I believe people get far too cynical around Valentine’s Day.  I would like to provide a reality check – you do not need a significant other to feel loved/cared for on Valentine’s Day (or any other holiday).  I think we should all value the friendships we have made, the families who have supported us and the wonderful futures that surely lie ahead.

Even if you do not think you have many friends or a lot of family support, I bet there is at least one person who has helped you get to where you are and valued you, for you.   I am by no means against relationships, but I do not think that relationships, or lack thereof, should define us.

Furthermore, why not take the opportunity to let others know how great you think they are instead of wallowing in self-pity waiting for someone to express their appreciation for you?  I will tell you what, there is nothing as awesome as knowing that you probably made someone’s day by simply being honest and letting them know you think they rock!

Secondly, what makes Valentine’s Day different from any other holiday like New Year’s where everyone wants to get that “New Year’s Smooch?”    I do not hear nearly as much complaining during New Year’s or any other holiday.   What makes us embrace the “single” life all year EXCEPT for in February?  Sure, people will blame Hallmark and how the holiday has been commercialized, but I think that people just like complaining.

I think that the best way to express my thoughts is to take a quote from the movie “The Wedding Date”: “You are only as single as you want to be.”  Meaning, if you wanted a significant other really badly you would have gone and asked the person who was running across your mind.  While this may be intimidating, just remember, the worst that people can say is no.

Now, you might think because I am a female I do not know anything about “doing the asking,” but on the contrary, I do.  Junior and senior prom I asked my date.  The best part is we are still friends and can talk about what a great experience it was.   If I see someone who I find remotely interesting, I try to initiate the conversation.  You can ask my best friend and my roommate from last year; they were witnesses to multiple occasions. So, you are only as single as you want to be.

In summary, stop your wallowing!  Let those you care about know how much they rock and don’t think of Valentine’s Day differently than you would any other holiday.  You are awesome, your friends are awesome and your family is awesome.  THERE IS SO MUCH AWESOMENESS.   HOW CAN YOU BE SAD OR GRUMPY WITH SO MUCH AWESOMENESS?! Embrace the awesomeness.

Till next time, stay classy BG.

As my alarm goes off at 7:30 in the morning, I have to use every ounce of motivation to roll out of bed and get ready for my 8:30 a.m. organic chemistry lab.  I wake up before the sun is up and walk to class while the campus seems virtually empty.  Despite the fact that I am not a morning person, I can honestly say I do this willingly. This is because I am a biochemistry major who is one step closer to becoming a dentist.

Biochemistry is a specialization of chemistry; therefore, it does not require a minor (I chose to have one anyway. Mine is general business if you are curious.)  I can honestly say that I firmly believe that biochemistry is one of the toughest majors on campus because it is so extensive and thorough.  You cannot get away without understanding something because everything is constantly building upon itself.  I have experienced severe struggles with many courses and as an honors student. I am never the type to have struggles that stress me out to the point where I become emotional. BUT being a biochemistry major has changed that.

I do not say this to scare anyone away from becoming a biochemistry major.  I am simply saying that if you want to do biochemistry, you need to be willing to put in the effort and do all of the work, even the optional work.  Now that I am immersed in courses that specifically apply toward my major, I love every minute of it.  I get to be hands-on in labs, and students in my classes are going toward some sort of similar pre-professional goal.

I chose biochemistry because it completes every requirement to get into most dental schools and I like chemistry.  My class schedule at this point is usually rather unselective.   I mean that I am reaching a point that my classes are only offered during one period of the day (or two, but usually one conflicts with some other science course) and so you cannot pick anything else.  I have classes every day and many are back-to-back.

I also have two or three, three-hour labs per semester on average.  If you do not like labs, well, you might want to think about another major.  Personally, I love going to labs and feeling so fulfilled knowing that I just completed something scientific and applicable.  Furthermore, because I am a biochemistry major, I have built some great relationships with professors.  Not only am I hoping to start researching with their recommendations, I am not afraid to come to them with questions about the class or about the next steps I should take toward dental school.

Finally, I believe that biochemistry is a great major because it is versatile.  You can use biochemistry for dental or medical school, go to graduate school and do research or become a professor, or you could work in a hospital.  The possibilities almost seem endless.

If you are thinking about medical school or dental school of sorts, I would recommend you first do research about what is required to get into those schools and then pick a major based on that.  You would be pleasantly surprised to see that biochemistry will probably meet almost every requirement without having to take anything outside the major.  Give biochemistry a chance! It may be tough, but it is one of the most fulfilling.

I HAVE DONE IT! EUREKA! I HAVE DONE IT! That’s right, I have just completed the hardest semester of my life.  This got me thinking, how much of the outcome is in our control?

Personally, I do not think that there is a lot in our control.  We can do homework, we can go to class and we can do our best to understand the material.  But in the end, it is often the professor’s discretion to determine if we have put enough effort into the class.  Personally, I find this very discouraging.  I could guarantee you (and so could my peers) if we were graded on the amount of effort and work put into the class, I would surely be valedictorian.

So what does that mean? Does that mean I should work less, stop going to class or stop caring? Absolutely not.   If it were not for college, I would not have great time management.  If it were not for college, I might not have a reason to get out of bed in the mornings.  If it were not for college, I would not have met great people and developed such broad interests.  And if it were not for college, it would be nearly impossible for me to reach my goal of being a dentist.

I like to think that professors notice who is sincerely trying and take that into consideration.  That is why I believe you should do all you can to be successful because in the end, if it doesn’t work out, you can at least say that you did everything to succeed.

So, that means I guess we do have control over one thing – ourselves.  We can decide how to feel and how to act.  Obviously, I am concerned about my outcome this semester, which has never happened to me.  I have never worked hard and had to worry about the outcome.  But thanks to my friends and some great co-RAs, I have recognized that I have done everything in my power to do well.

Now, I get to go home after five months of not seeing my parents, siblings or my dog.  This break is well earned.  Now, regardless of what happens, I will move on to bigger and better things.  Regardless of what happens, I will be a dentist and a fine one at that.  Stay classy BG, I will see you next semester.