September

Well finally the new school year has arrived.

I don't like being uncertain about things. I want all my events planned out well in advance, and I like to know exactly what's going to hit me. Unfortunately, the upcoming semester is shrouded in mystery. I have no idea what to expect. Will it be more or less the same as what I experienced first year? Will I get my ass handed to me on midterms and finals? Will I meet people who hate my guts for some reason? Who knows, but hell, the only thing I can do is just take it. Some things in life you just can't control.

Of course I want to do things outside of academics, but I gotta be realistic here. A 1.5 hour commute (maybe even 2 hours if I miss my goddamn 403 at Bridgeport at night) for each trip absolutely sucks. Why do I live on the south end of Richmond? I'll estimate that I can allocate a good 2 weekdays to doing 'fun' things at school. What will I do on those 2 days? I'm still in the process of deciding, but I'm thinking:

1) Toastmasters:
Sucks that the events are held so late on Wednesdays, so I'll have to get all my homework and lab prep done beforehand. I've only been to two meetings last year before I totally forgot about it, but I have a good idea of what to expect. Plus, I can be a full member now I will be 19 soon.

2) Swimming:
I didn't really take advantage of the free pool last year, probably because it was so darn far from Totem, but now that I don't have that excuse, I think I'll be heading in for a swim exactly once a week, for up to an hour at a time. I have a break from 3:30 to 5 on Tuesdays, so I'll squeeze it in there along with my dinner.
Jenn, maybe you can tell me how to build that insane swimming endurance you have??

Now as for studying, I will not have a lot of time at night to study. I'll be getting home at 5 on some days and 8 on other days. My classes generally start at noon or after, leaving me a bunch of free time in the mornings. I know my habits, and I am not productive in the mornings when it comes to academics.

2 solutions: I can try to change my slightly lazy morning habits, or I can just put in some non-academic thing to do in the mornings. I'm inclined to go with the latter, probably by hitting some weights. A buddy of mine wants to start going to the gym - a good thing, but I'm just a bit anxious about walking into a room with a bunch of veterans. In addition, I can also satisfy my gaming cravings. Borderlands 2 comes out in September, Assassins Creed comes out in October, and Halo 4 comes out in November - best to get them out of the way before my studying starts.

As for sleep, I think I'll push up my usual sleeping time from 10:30 to just before 11:30. I don't have a strong need to get up early in the morning, and I know from experience that my productivity levels spike after I eat dinner and shower, usually at around 7. It'd be best to keep the productivity streaks going rather than breaking them off early. Of course, my schedule would be a bit different when I'm sleeping over at friends' residences in my cozy sleeping bag (or in the dark compsci labs).

I wrote too much, and it's past bedtime.