The Obligatory New Years one

What is this? Two posts in three days? It must be the beginning of January, the time when people all try hard for a few weeks to keep up on their resolutions. Consequently, its also almost impossible to cheat on the cardio machine sign-up rules at the SRC because they are all taken...but I digress.

So actually the thought of posting hadn't really crossed my mind until I read Tamara's note over on facebook titled "Things Accomplished in 2007." I like this because its not just a list of New Years resolutions, but also a list of things done well, upon reflection, during the past year. I was inspired.

This is kind of weird for me because usually I make resolution lists both at new years and the beginning of each school term but I haven't done either since...last new years. I keep all of those lists, though, on Word documents, in a cute little folder.

Let's see, junior year I made goals for each of my classes, something along the lines of "Get A's, be the best, make teachers love me and students fear me." In other words, no big shocker there, I think I did pretty well. Haha, Junior year was a good year. Looks like most of my extracurricular goals I didn't make- mostly having to do with leadership positions. Also on that years list was the obligatory lose 20 pounds and have a better spiritual life. Not incidentally, those two are also on Senior year's list.

Senior year list is a bit more hilarious, so I'm just gonna post it all:

• Graduate (did this! not that hard! More impressive: planned senior class events!)
  
• Pass AP physics and calculus tests (didn't take physics, got a 5 on Calc and Bio though)
  
• 5 or 6 on IB History and Biology tests (fives on both, not bad)
  
• Make all-state band, borough honor band (I think I was an All-state alternate or something...did borough though)
  
• 1 at All-State solo/ensemble (yay! I felt so good about this, because that solo was freaking hard!)
• Have College Applications finished by Christmas (did this, actually finished by October or something. Of course I only applied to one school. I already knew where I was going by Christmas)
  
• Apply for scores of scholarships (did apply for scores, won a good number- $74,500 worth- better than I ever really expected)
  
• Get a job? (nah. Unless writing a monthly column in the newspaper counts. scholarships pay better)
  
• Be 150 pounds by Christmas (hah! Thats a funny one.)
  
• Look hot in a bikini in March (....I'm not going to think about this anymore. I think the only day I was wearing one was when I was terribly sick sleeping on a beach chair and I didn't give a crap about looking hot. Stupid Mono)
  
• Choose a college in February (December- even better)
  
• Finish Book list (What book list? I dunno but it was probably huge)
  
• Russian Course (I totally forgot I was into this. I think I completely gave up like a week into September out of lack of interest. Its hard to teach your busy self a whole new language for pretty much no reason)
  
• Get straight A’s (Almost- I got Bs both semesters of Calculus, but they were weighted. I had a 4.something for the year and graduated with a 4.3- valedictorian!)

Dang. I'm a weird kid. Its funny how I didn't even anticipate one of the things that totally dominated my life last spring, besides tests and scholarships: Student government. I ended up Class President by default/coup (probably more of a coup, but for the Greater Good). This position, which had usually just been a figurehead in the past, ended up taking a ridiculous amount of time from not just me, but also Marcy, Fred, Kirstie, and probably some other people (mostly our friends and parents) who we convinced to help. It was worth it, and I had a blast emcee-ing graduation, but sheesh, there was constant stress in that job, even between the four of us.

Wow, then a few days after tests I escaped to camp for a few weeks to work really hard/recover. Then it was time to get all excited about college.

College. Is awesome. Its really a hard thing to anticipate before you get there. I dunno, because I spent so much time at camp last summer I was still in sharing living space/ being independent/ meeting new people mode. So most of the adjustment was probably just doing schoolwork again and figuring out a (huge) new school system- where to go to ask which questions and such, surprisingly easy. I know I made a list but I can't find it... It probably looked something like this:

• Find a Church (did- HCC is great)
  
• Find a Christian Fellowship (both NCM and IVCF are great, and different. I wish they didn't schedule overtop of each other though)
  
• Find some cool study spots (too many to count. Mostly in coffee shops or specific places in the library)
  
• develop a routine (Meh, approximately. It's that whole order/chaos thing we learned about in 21st century leadership class)
  
• make some friends who will drive me places/ let me store stuff at their houses (Yes!)
  
• Get good grades (3.9 -all A's, not bad. I wish UO didn't make minuses 3.7 though)
  
• Decide if I like business (Do not.)
  
• make a four year plan (Did this, v. excited to study abroad/ double major!)
• Don't gain weight. (I didn't have a plan for this, but I actually lost some weight. It helps to walk everywhere (briskly usually, 'cause I'm late, and have the SRC very conveniently located)
  

So I guess neither of those lists are really "Accomplishments for 2007", but close. I was especially proud of my senior year accomplishments. Also I feel really accomplished having a clearer vision of where I'm going. I want to help people. I am majoring in International Studies and Family and Human Services with the intent of doing missions work in Africa. I didn't have a clue about any of this but now I really like I've found my purpose. Well, that and running.

On to goals for 2008:

• Get accepted into FHS program
• Get accepted into ISP
• Get some great letters of rec.
  
• Win $10,000 in scholarships this season
• Finish the Eugene Marathon! Don't die!
  
• Find a sweet apartment
• Go to Kenya/Uganda with ICY
• Work at TBC 6 weeks, be awesome
  
• Buy more organic/fair trade/locally grown food.
• Spend less money
• Drink less coffee/ use a reusable mug
  
• Learn more about Jesus and the New Testament
• Get above a 4.0 GPA (made possible by the A+ = 4.3)
• Finish a NY Times Sunday crossword puzzle by myself.
• Blog more
• Be more passionate about compassion (and figure out what that even means...)
  
• Volunteer more.

So yeah, that about does it. Note that losing weight and eating healthy (per se) are not on there. I'm running a marathon dang it. But not today. Today I am investing in my GPA by doing a ton of reading and then investing in spending less money by eating free food at Ryan's tonight.

Actually I've though of all sorts of cool ways to save money, like not buying any more hair/skin products until I use what I have, making my own breakfast (healthy, cheap), buying gatorade in bulk, getting books from the library unless I have to buy them for class, and hoarding napkins, sugar packets, and creamer from the cafeteria. Also attending more free food events. Also, not going to movies/ concerts except under special circumstances. Its hard to figure out how to save money because almost all of what I spend goes to food, I actual don't spend much on clothes or entertainment or transportation. Plus I'm usually pretty picky about eating healthy food, so I don't eat much pizza (or any) or fast food Mexican (except after church on Sunday), and those are the cheapest really. I think the most effective thing I can do is to stop spending $5 per day on coffee. I buy cheap coffee anyway (12oz Americano), but I could save $10-$20 per week getting drip coffee in a reusable mug (discount!). Bah! I've also thought of downloading free podcasts and songs instead of buying music, reading the newspapers and magazines I like in the library instead of buying them, or getting free trial subscriptions and then canceling. I've also put off buying a TV, desktop computer, or furniture because I don't want to store them, but those are things I'll need to get next fall for the new apartment...

Ah the life of a college student. I love it, I really do, but I wish I had like $10,000 dollars in a bank account somewhere. Its a lot easier to budget when you know how much money you have or are going to get. Relying on scholarships is kind of unpredictable.

So apparently updating more often is not curing me of my incessant tendancy to be prolix (look it up. good word.)