Hello, y'all!  Because pictures paint a thousand words and Internet Explorer just had a little bit of a glitch (I had typed up this great whole blog about living in Thornwell, then it just decided to completely get fried or something), I will just give  you guys a short little blurb this time with a picture show!

Here's a picture of my window.  Interesting I know, BUT as you can tell, it was rather a rainy afternoon/night on the day that I moved in.  It held up enough though so that I could move everything in with the help of my parents, then it just kind of started to go.  Beautifully hung, of course, is a one-of-a-kind stained glass that was personally made for me as a gift.  Isn't it just perfect!

Someone apparently caught me working at my desk already.  Everyone's been kind of ragging on me for already diligently working away and sticking my nose to the computer, but I have my excuses!  I have been trying to look for some cheap textbooks, as I have a fair amount of books that need to be purchased.  Notice the garnet and black sheets, of course!

This is our modest living room.  Complete with the awkwardly placed fire extinguisher (hehe!), the living room is quite a nice little space that we haven't had these past two years as we've been staying in dorms.  We've tried to decorate it a bit and have actually put some stuff on the wall.  Y'all can't see it now but we have the football poster up there...We are so ready for football season!!!

This is the kitchen, right across from the living room.  A kitchen was definitely something that I really wanted having lived in dorms that had community kitchens that were usually not quite up to par with my cooking standards (hehe!)  This is just right, and actually we have already put it to good use.  Just see below!

This is our first "apartment-cooked" meal.  I have been officially dubbed the momma of the group.  I expect to be mainly the one to use the stove, as my roommate's kitchen experience is limited to microwaves and cereal bowls!

And of course, what freezer would be complete without any great ice cream!  CVS on Assembly Street had a buy 1 get 1 free sale on Edy's so we definitely got some of that.  Unfortunately there were neither the birthday cake or rocky road flavor (which are my Edy's faves), but strawberry and chocolate chip cookie dough is pretty up there.  So, it's all good!

Well, that's my mini-tour for y'all of my living quarters this year.  I'm sure I'll have more of these to come later.  I did write a bit about living in Thornwell before my IE got all crazy on me.  Maybe next time I'll blog a separate entry about that.  If y'all have any questions though about living on-campus, don't hesitate to ask.  I've lived in Maxcy and Preston, but I also have friends who have lived in other dorms.  I should be able to give y'all the skinny on other on-campus housing!

Well, catch y'all later on the flipside, Gamecocks!

Posted by Kriska at 01:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Miss Kaelie asked: "What exactly are the dorms like?  Are they really better than being off-campus and commuting?"

My answer...Well, let me start with the latter.  I really believe that being on campus is better than staying off-campus, and this is not even just a plug for USC Housing.  I really think it's the better option of the two because on-campus housing is very convenient for multiple reasons. 

One, you only have to pay once in the beginning of the semester while you are paying your tuition fees.  This means that you will not have to worry and fuss over monthly bills for rent and utilities.  No missed payments!  How horrible would it be if you forget because you get too busy with exams, papers, and what nots.  YIKES!

Two, convenience also comes with regards to your schedule.  If you're unlucky and your classes are all spread out with big gaps, if you live on campus you can easily just go back to your dorm and do things like homework, hang out, grab lunch, etc.  If you live off-campus, you are even more unlucky, and you will be forced to find a place in the University to spend your time because going back to your place will require driving time, gas, and parking space.  (I'll talk about the whole driving issue in a sec.)  For most of my off-campus friends, they try to get in touch with me so that they can stay in my dorm while waiting for class because the only places they can really otherwise go to would be the library (who can spend more than a couple of hours there unless you have exams?!), the Russell House (which can be quite loud when there are lots of things going on), or the Horseshoe (if you're luck on a nice day, it's quite nice but what about winter and those rainy spring days?!).  Really, you can go about your daily business much easier when you live on-campus.

Three, a continuation about the whole scheduling issue...It's much easier to join organizations when you live on-campus.  Not that there's a preference to students who are on-campus but more so on the fact that it's much easier to attend meetings, events, and functions that are school-related when you are already here.  Most weekly meetings take place in the Russell House building around 5-7PM.  Generally by that time, most classes are over and students are pretty much ready to just kick it.  If you're living off-campus and you've already gone back to your place after your morning/afternoon classes, it's such a hassle to come back to campus for an hour of meeting.  There are still lots of off-campus students that do join extracurricular activities.  Being off-campus has not stopped anyone from being involved; it is, however, just a little bit more inconvenient.  This is the main reason most universities require freshmen to live on-campus on their first year.  It gets first year students to be more engaged at an earlier stage.  It's been shown that those who begin extracurricular activities early in their college career tend to have better networking skills!

Last but definitely not least: THE DRIVING ISSUE.  Being off-campus means that you definitely need a car (although there are some apartment complexes that provide shuttles).  You'll have to calculate in driving time, which does not only mean getting to campus from your apartment but also possible city traffic AND finding a parking space.  Parking spaces can be tricky on campus since it is right in the middle of the city.  Sometimes students have to park in the Coliseum parking lot which is quite a walk to the center of campus.  If you're already on campus, you won't have to worry about this.  I'm not going to lie, but on some days, I wake up about 10 minutes before a class.  I brush my teeth, comb my hair, and get some clean clothes.  I hope to God that I look decent, and well walk on over to class.  Now, from Preston to PSC, which is a couple of blocks over, I can do all of that getting ready and get to class still on time within those 10 minutes.  Try that for on-campus housing!

There are perks to living off-campus (like your own room, your own visitation hours, a kitchen, etc.), but the perks to living on-campus has made it quite the attractive choice for me.  I've enjoyed living on campus for these two years, and will be doing so again next year (and probably until I graduate!)

NOW...as to the other question...What are dorms like?  Can I make this one into a cliffhanger for now, guys?  I promise to get on this tomorrow or Friday.  I have to get ready for a leadership retreat, which I'll also write about in the next few days.  It's another great community service and leadership opportunity on campus!  I hope this answers some of y'alls concern about deciding to live on or off-campus.

Well, catch y'all later on the flipside, Gamecocks!

Posted by Kriska at 07:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Fast-forward through all of the application/selection/acceptance process of seeking your college of choice, what concerns do you still have?  I started thinking about the kinds of things I started to consider once I made my choice that I would attend Carolina.  I was finally stress-free about college choices since I knew exactly where I wanted to be, but I knew that the planning game wasn't over yet...It only had begun!

One of the things I knew I had to think about was what I would like to do as far as my college living was concerned.  For most colleges, living on campus is not only highly encouraged but even mandatory for incoming freshmen.  This serves many purposes, and I think it is a very great idea for you "newbies" on the block.

Here are my top three reasons as to why living on campus is good:

Good Reason #1:  INTERACTION IS EASILY ACCESSIBLE

With so many clubs, organizations, and events happening right on campus, everyone's bound to find something to cater to their needs, hobbies, and interests.  Meetings and events can take place in the afternoon or at night and just being already on campus makes it much easier to make those commitments and opportunities.  With gas and parking to worry about, it's such a hassle to get to drive to campus.  Also, you might find yourself having all of your classes in the morning.  You'll most likely want to go back to your apartment off campus, and between homework and studying you might find very little motivation to drive back to make your gatherings.  Being on campus makes getting involved a very easy thing to do!

Good Reason #2:  STUDY BUDDIES AROUND THE CORNER

When you're living in the same building with most people taking about the same classes as you are, it makes for an easy way of networking with classmates for study periods and such.  When you start taking intro classes that are ranging in the size of 60-300 students, it's hard to meet people when you want to just focus in class.  If you can live with them, you can easily get to know them out of the classroom setting and get in good connections for great study partners, especially when those mid-terms and finals roll along.  They're also good for those late night on-line homeworks with deadlines at midnight.  I remember freaking out about some Physics CAPA HW.  Thank God I was able to run down the hall for some good help!

Good Reason #3: CLASS ATTENDANCE

So, it's Monday morning and you've got an 8AM class.  You just had the most amazing weekend with your friends, and you are dead tired.  You know how important classes are, but the hassle of getting up out of your bed, getting ready, and then driving down to fight the morning traffic of Columbia only to find that you have to park 4-5 blocks away from your class's building where your classroom is on the 7th floor...it just doesn't seem worth it to get to class.  Well, when you're living on campus, you don't have to worry about those things.  You might still have to battle the Monday morning laziness, but the extent of getting to class is not as much of a hassle than if you were living off campus.  Actually, for some of my first morning classes, I have managed to wake up, get ready, and walk to my classroom all in 15 minutes.  Everything has to be done in lightning speed motion, but I get there...I do get there.  Being on campus helps you get to your classes, which is a very vital part of your success in college!

There are many other great perks to living on campus; these are just my top faves.  If you guys have any questions or concern about living on campus, just let me know and leave me a comment!  Catch y'all later on the flipside, Gamecocks!

Posted by Kriska at 11:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's Tuesday, or at least the last 10 minutes of the day will be Tuesday.  Nothing too exciting really happens much on Tuesdays around here for me except for the rare and occasional spur of the moment type things.  These days, I actually don't like Tuesdays much because I have to go to that much-dreaded-3-hour-Organic Chemistry lab!  So, you're probably thinking, why the heck would I choose to write about "Tuesdays" when I don't particularly like the day...Well, that's because it reminded me of the application I had to fill out to live here in the residential learning community called Preston College.

Preston prides itself in being a unique learning community that encompasses academics with the residential aspects of what it's like to live on campus.  The academic aspect is definitely honed by our own principal who lives in the dorm and by 40 other faculty members who serve as mentors for the residents.  Along with the faculty staff, Preston has Peer Coordinators and Peer Tutors who are much like a typical dorm's RA but they provide more academic help.  But we're not all nerds, dorks, and geeks here in Preston.  Like I said, the "residential aspects of living on campus" is also a focus of this unique residential learning community.  There are lots of organizations within Preston for all to join--from Preston Government, to Coffee Talk about current events, to Chips, Dips, and Wrestling on Monday nights.  There are lots of "clubs" to get your claws on around here.  There are also lots of events to cater to everyone's social lifestyles--from tea parties, to tailgates, to banquets, to cookouts, and of course Cereal Killers, a night of mayhem and consuming of large amounts of cereal!

So, again, after that whole spiel about Preston, you're still probably asking what does this all have to do with Tuesdays?!?  Well, just because of the unique nature of Preston, the application had it's own share of questions that required much deep-thinking and pondering.  One of those questions was "Pick one of the two: What is the truth? or How do you feel about Tuesday?"  Interesting, eh?  Of course, seeing as I am now living here at Preston, my answer must have been quite brilliant...hahaha!  In all honesty, I don't quite fully remember!

I guess currently I'd have to say that I don't quite much like Tuesdays, and the truth is...I'm quite hungry right now.  I will now have to bid y'all adieu for the night.  I'm going to raid the pantry/fridge for some late midnight snack.  Here's to tomorrow--oh that Hump Day!

Catch y'all later on the flipside, Gamecocks!

Posted by Kriska at 11:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So, today's theme seemed to be all about Housing.  Several people came over to visit my roommate and I here at Maxcy for some quick interviews about our housing experience here at good ol' MaxcyPad.  Questions were the obvious--How long have you lived in a dorm?  How have you liked it thus far?  How have the RAs helped you out?  What are the advantages of living on-campus?  Our answers may be used for future housing publications for future prospective students like y'all, my avid readers!

I'd have to say that I've definitely enjoyed living on-campus.  I most definitely appreciate it with gas prices rising ever so steeply.  There's really no need for a car for me seeing as I am already on-campus.  Living in a dorm has also helped my academic experience as most of my classmates live down the hall from me.  Whenever a need for homework help arises or I forget what's the date for the next traumatizing test, I've got my neighbors to run to.  Likewise, I'm able to help them when the scenarios are switched!  Being here at Maxcy has also helped me become moe involved with on-campus activities.  Our hall meetings and government meetings has kept me up-to-date with the many on-going activities and upcoming events that the hundreds of organizations have planned for the student body.  Our hall government also tries to keep the residents together in many ways by planning get-togethers and exam breakers.  Little get-togethers have helped us become familiar with the many faces we live next to, and those exam breakers are definitely awesome for little break times from the late night, stressful crammings for those finals!  Lastly, another advantage to being in dorms is that you also get RAs who are generally helpful.  They are upperclassmen, so they usually have some tips and tricks up their sleeves and some words of wisdom to share, especially for newbies on campus like me!

In any case, a home away from home is what you hope your dorm room will be.  For about three-quarters of the year, your little cubby hole of a room will not only be your bedroom, but it will be your living room, your study room, your dining room...and you'll be sharing it with another person.  Your creativity will be tested as you will have to find ways to decorate a gray colored room.  Don't fret...Here are some of my fave tips to share to keep in mind for when you're planning to move out of your parents and move in to your new place...

1. To stuff it or not to stuff it.  However old you may be, those cutesy little stuffed animals will always bring a sense of home to you.  Don't fear that your roommate will think you're dorky and childish.  I'll bet on it that he/she will probably bring at least one that either their parents gave as a going away gift or their special high school sweetheart gave to them on their first Valentine's day!

2. Cozy it up in them chairs.  Mushroom chairs, disk chairs, tailgating chairs, whatever...Chances are your room might not be big enough to hold a couch or a futon, but seating will still be necessary for having friends over!  So bring the coziest chairs you can find.  They will not only be great for when visitors come, but they will be great to study in when your desk and chair has become too stuffy for the all-nighters!

3. MEMORY FOAMS!  Not for your brain--although, some device for memory enhancements would definitely come in handy--but memory foams for your bed!  Many times, the typical dorm mattress can be old or too springy or torn or something.  It will just not like be the mattress on your bed at home, so memory foam it up!  Several of my friends have come over here to MaxcyPad just to take a nap in my bed because my memory foam is most definitely awesome and comfy!

4. Bring in the classics and faves!  A great collection of DVD classics and your personal faves are definitely great staples for a room.  Sometimes you'll just be too lazy to go out and all you'll want to do is stay in (preferrably in pajamas), and those DVDs will definitely be handy!

5. For lack of a better bold-faced catchy phrase: PICTURES!  Post on your walls your most favorite moments from home with your family, your old buds, and even your dog!  Make a collage, put up frames, or just fill up your entire wall!  Pictures will help bring a piece of home into your place.

In any case, whether you listen to me or not...the ultimate tip is to MAKE THE SPACE YOURS!  Many have visited our MaxcyPad and have loved it because of how "cozy" and "homey" my roommate and I have made it, and that's exactly what we were going for!  I guess we figured that we'd be spending so much time in the room we might as well make the best of it!

Well, hope all of y'alls week started off on the right foot.  Man, how the weekend just flew by so fast!  Belated happy Easter to all.  I hope the Easter bunny left y'all some nice treats!

'Tis all for now.  Catch y'all later on the flipside, future Gamecocks!

Posted by Kriska at 09:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's party time guys!  Kriska and Megan officially have a place to stay for next school year!  Yes, Megan and I are officially accepted to the residential community of Preston College.

Honestly, guys, last week was so frustrating because the Housing Department had been so swamped from having to move offices that the entire Honors Housing Sign-ups for next year was a complete disaster.  I felt like it was a neverending back-and-forth correspondence with the people at Housing as Megan and I tried to resolve all the issues with our housing assignment.  I won't go into the bad details because after all it wasn't entirely Housing's fault.  They are having to do a lot of reorganizing with having to move offices and such.  They're all fairly nice and helpful people, so there's no need to say anything bad.  Even when everything was going all wrong with our applications, they were very helpful in trying to solve the problem...But for about a week, Megan and I have just been so bummed about not knowing where we are going to be living next year.  Our first choice to begin with was Preston College, but we were also hoping for options out in the Horseshoe in case Preston would not accept us.  As expected, all the Horseshoe apartments were taken at once, and the only place left to live that is part of Honors housing was West Quad--a place out in the boonies, let me tell you.  There was no way I would even consider living in West Quad.  So, we were advised to just wait out the decision of Preston and should by any chance we don't get accepted, to wait for the general lottery to get apartments in the other Quads.  It was very frustrating to not have the back-up as we planned and to have to wait for general housing and Preston's decision!  Megan and I just wanted to have a place, any place--so long as we would be able to be roomies again!

Fortunately, Professor Stiver (a.k.a. Dr. J), my Logic professor, happens to be the principal at Preston, and soon as he walked into the classroom this morning, he came up to me to announce that Megan and I are in--UNANIMOUSLY!  Yes, Megan and I will no longer have to worry about being hobos next year...and better yet, she and I are living in prime-spot of the campus--across the Russell House and the Library, just a little bit aways way from the Horseshoe, right in the middle of the Science Buildings and the Business Buildings (I am a Pharmacy major and Megan is a Business major), oh and my church is right down the street about 2 blocks!  Our other friends are also going to be much closer than our current living situations.  Two will be living in one of the apartments on the Horseshoe.  A couple will probably be at the Quads.  There are a couple who plan to live off-campus, but I think they'll still be fairly close.  Our late night rendezvous won't have to end afterall!

Well, m'dears.  It's time I go.  I am currently waiting on another Undergrad researcher to conduct some tests here in the lab.  I'm going to switch gear from this Blogging to doing some reading while I wait as I have a Chem exam tomorrow--oh, wish me luck!  I hope all is well for everyone, and that all of y'alls week has gotten off to a good start.  Catch y'all later on the flipside, future Gamecocks!

Posted by Kriska at 12:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So about every month, my roommate and I get just restless about our room, and we do a complete room overhaul.  We've rearranged our room about the third time now.  I think we just got unlucky about room assignments and got one of the smallest rooms here at Maxcy.  Don't get me wrong.  We love our "Maxcy Pad," and the Super7 have definitely had great hanging out moments here.  It's just, it would definitely be nicer if we had about a couple more square feet of space.  The problem is that the recycling bin/trash room is cutting into our room.  Instead of having four walls, our room is this weird hexagonal shape.

Anyways, we finally finished moving our furniture around.  It only took about 2 hours of deciding how we'd rearrange the furniture and about another 2 and a half hours of actually moving the things around.  Looks like everytime we decide to change the room layout, though, we gain a couple more square feet of floor space, so that's pretty good.  For now, the setup will be having to bunk our beds.   It'll be interesting the next couple of days getting used to having a bed above me.  I'm not really all that tall, but I've already hit my head on my roommate's bed.  Likewise, she's having her own troubles... she can't figure out how to get up and down her bed!

Well, pray we both get good night's sleep with our new setup.  I'm not really sure how much both she and I move around in our sleep... eek!

Till next!  Catch y'all on the flip side, future Gamecocks!

Posted by Kriska at 10:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)