Having spent a week and a half in classes, I could not let the past 3-day weekend go to waste!  My colleagues and I have been taking classes in the CLS building and while for some of the classes our professors are in our classroom, others are conducted via distance-ed learning with our partner campus at Charleston with the Medical University of South Carolina.   Sitting in the classroom, we listen and watch our professors teach us from Charleston, and we hope that neither one of the audio or visual go out.  Well, my fellow pharmacy colleague, Anthony, and I decided that we had had enough of Charleston via the AV system.  It was time for a CHUCKTOWN ROADTRIP!

One of our undergraduate pre-pharmacy friends, Kim, actually is in the Charleston campus right now.  She decided that she wanted to be in the lowcountry, so Anthony and I decided that the labor day weekend was the perfect time to go visit her!

Here's Charleston in pictures for y'all!

This is the College of Pharmacy building at MUSC.  Kim gave us a quick tour and showed us where the other half of our classes take place!

A quick lunch trip at Necter's in James Island was much enjoyed!  Anthony kind of ruined the picture, but we had a great time.  For great food, go visit this place.

Dinner at Downtown Charleston was fun.  I had a bucket of 3/4 pounds of peel 'n eat shrimp.  I could not believe that I finished it all!

Of course, Shawn was with us on the trip.  We had the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge in the background, but my camera's not good enough to capture it in the dark!

A trip to Charleston would not be complete without  a trip down to the beach.  Here's the pier at Folly Beach!

We might be counting pills for the rest of our lives but we sure do love to have fun too!  Pharmacy colleagues for life! 

Here's the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge by day!  It looks gorgeous.  The weekend weather held up as we enjoyed a day through Downtown Charleston.

Here's the picture of the Labor Day Weekend Crew!  We had to squat because we had to take the picture by timer.  Hehe!

The great thing about being in Carolina is that you make such great friends, and hey, they don't have to go away!  Anthony and Kim were my pre-pharm buds during my undergrad years and well now they're my pharmacy colleagues for life!  Hehehe!  Also, as I've blogged in the past, Columbia is such a great location for being in close proximity to anything and everything the state of South Carolina has to offer.  Charleston is only about an hour and a half to two hours tops!  With the rich history, shopping, and beaches of Charleston, there's so much to do for even just a quick day trip!  And, of course there is Lake Murray just about 20 minutes from campus, the mountains a bit up north about 2 hours away, and the beaches of the coast about 3 hours away to the east.  Not that football during the fall season won't keep you already busy, but weekend trips are definitely great options here in Columbia!

Well, until next time again folks!  Catch y'all later on the flipside, Gamecocks!

Posted by Kriska at 12:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

About a month ago, my family and I went on vacation to Myrtle Beach and came back after five days to a garden with dry patches and some half-living vegetable plants.  My dad has quite the green thumb, and his garden is "HIS" place besides the garage.  We were quite concerned about what we had come home to because we had asked our neighbor to try to water our plants while we were gone, but it just didn't look like that was done.  However, before I send y'all in a path to diss my neighbor, we actually found out that he would have watered our plants but our whole area was put on water watch.  The drought had literally drained several water sources in our area, and we had to conserve our water.  To try and water your plants at night when no one could possibly be watching was also just as risky because your pretty and well-watered garden would simply just give you away.  Why am I telling y'all this sad story?  Well, because flash-forward a month to right now and the story is quite different!

A TORRENTIAL DOWNPOUR!

Yes, a surge of this crazy, heavy rain just came down over Columbia, and it was quite the cool light show with lightning just lighting up the entire horizon.  Now, let me just tell y'all that I don't quite do well with thunderstorms though.  First of all, I hate getting wet by the rain because I always just feel gross afterwards.  Secondly, I always feel lazy when it looks dark and gloomy outdoors.  All I want to do is cozy up in some old jammies and lay down on my bed!  And finally, I just don't like thunder...and lightning...it's just a tad scary!  Hahaha!  But putting all of that aside, my fellow executive board members of the Fil-Am Student Assoc and I were just way too hungry after our first board meeting of the year to let the remains of tropical thunderstorm Faye get in our way to some good ol' Chinese fast food!

It's that time of the year again; the beginning of the school year.  The syllabi have all been passed out and classes our in session, but it doesn't mean that all students need to go completely into study mode and abandon their hobbies, interests, and most importantly their social life!  Student organizations all over campus have executive board meetings going on practically every night this week, as every group tries to prepare and plan out the fall semester.  It's time to plan out interest meetings, community service projects, social nights, and all the FREE stuff because we all know that when you say "FREE" around a college campus, you're sure to have a hit!

So, yep.  I'm busy, busy, busy again this year.  I wouldn't be Kriska if I weren't.  And with that, off I go now, so that I can actually get some studying done!  Catch y'all later on the flipside, Gamecocks!

Posted by Kriska at 09:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If you could have any pet, what would it be and what would you name it?  Which political issue is most important to you during this election season? If you could be any famous couple together, what would your combined name be?

Apparently those are questions people ask these days during speed dating sessions.  Not to worry, however,  as I've not fully resorted to that for my love life.  (I don't think my boyfriend would appreciate it if I did anyway.)  This speed dating was actually more just for fun to get to know each other during a First-Year Scholars Retreat that I served as retreat team member on yesterday.  The activity was called 'paper plate dates.'  For those of you who have never played this ridiculously fun icebreaker (because way too many others are just super awkward), everyone gets a paper plate and then writes the number 1 through 12 to make a face of the clock.  Everyone gets about 5 minutes or so to get their dates scheduled by walking around the room and getting 12 different people to write their names next to the numbers.  Once everyone gets their dates scheduled, the announcer calls out what time it is and which date their supposed to be meeting.  It kind of takes a little bit of time to meet up with your date since you haven't formally met yet at that point, so this part was kind of fun with people yelling out names when they were being "stood up."  But eventually, once everyone finds each other and dates get paired up, the announcer throws out a question that you two are supposed to talk about.  It's pretty fun and interesting if good questions are prepared for the game.

But yeah, the First-Years Scholar Retreat was yesterday, and it was quite the long day because we had to meet up at 7:30 in the morning for the bus.  Basically, First-Years Scholars, or FYS for short, is a program for incoming freshmen who have been awarded the Carolina or McNairs Scholarship.  As I'm an upperclassman with the Carolina Scholarship, I have been on the retreat team now for 2 years running.  We just really take a day out of the first week that the scholars get to campus and try to give them a retreat where they can start to really get to know each other, work together, and also for some of the upperclassmen and staff to give them valuable information about campus life whether it'd be academic-related or just Columbia life in general.

Really, being a scholar here at USC, you are well taken care of.  You might be overwhelmed at first as a freshman coming on to such a large campus, but the staff and upperclassmen try to be as welcoming and helpful as possible.  I love that so much about USC.  I've never ever felt lost here because there is always someone that I know I could turn to who could help me figure things out or at least point me to the person or direction that could resolve issues further.  I'm not sure about other colleges and universities, but for Carolina being the huge university that it is, it never ceases to amaze me how close the personal attention given can be.  Isn't that a refreshing thought?

Well, as it is 11:23PM and I have an 8:00AM class tomorrow morning (can't y'all tell that I just love Mondays!), I should probably get going.  But before I do, let me share with you guys my ideal pet.  Everyone that I've talked to about it have said that it's virtually impossible for me to find such a pet to fit my preferred qualities, but maybe y'all can help me out.  My ideal pet would be a medium-sized dog that doesn't shed but is very fuzzy and hairy so that I can call it Chewbacca, or Chewy for short.  Right now, my family has a huge black lab that just will not quit shedding.  It's soooo ridiculous!  Hahaha!  I love him to death, but the hairballs just really get kind of gross.

And, well, on that note...I won't continue on a rant of nasty hairballs.  I'll just bid y'all adieu.  First game of the season is this Thursday...GET PUMPED!!!

Catch y'all later on the flipside, Gamecocks!

Posted by Kriska at 09:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So, welcome me back again folks, as I know I've been MIA again.  But I've been home for almost a week now, and this whole adjusting back to home-style living is just quite something to get around.  First of all, there are about a gazillion boxes and bags of things that have just been put in mounds and stacks all over my living room, my younger brother's room, and my room.  You don't ever realize how much stuff you accumulate over a period of one year until you have to move everything out and it's like you just ask yourself, "WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED?!?"  I feel like I've been going through all of my things for hours, and yet there are still more things to be sorted through.  Secondly, I've been back on the clock at CVS.  I started yesterday, and as much as I was worried about getting back into the groove of things, I surprised myself about how much I actually remembered from last summer.  And finally, as much as the familiarity is giving me the home-sweet-home vibe and mom's homemade cooking has been very much appreciated (she is basically cooking up every single one of my personal favorites ever since I got home), being back home is such a big change from being in Columbia and being on my own.  My parents are a bit more slack than I remember them being with me during my high school years, but there is something about their parental power that makes me feel like I can't quite do as much as I would like when I'm under their roof!

With all of that said, what exactly do I miss about Columbia?  I mean, I was pretty excited about getting out for the summer and going home.  As I said in the last few entries, I was pretty tired of the Russell House "cuisine."  I was also just plain over doing school work after such a grueling week of finals.  You would think that with those complaints that I'd be so happy to be away from Columbia!  But that is simply not the case!!!

Here are my top 3 reasons for missing Columbia, in no particular order of course:

1. The Vista, Harbison, oh the town of Columbia!

My friends and I usually take to the streets and enjoy some great dining in the Vista or some shopping down Harbison Boulevard when it comes to winding down the week.  With so many great restaurants lining the Vista downtown area of Columbia and so many stores all over Harbison, there's a lot to do on a Friday or Saturday night.  We also like to go to the shopping and dining area of Sandhills near Clemson Road (ironic to say Clemson, ain't it?) 

2.  The Horseshoe, the Russell House, oh the campus!

So, I probably don't miss the food of the Russell House, as y'all have read my whining and complaining and missing of my mom's cooking.  I do, however, miss the feeling of being on campus.  As much as I'd love to say that I have my own apartment or my own place, there's just something about the experience of being on campus.  I miss the hustle and bustle of Greene Street.  I miss the free movies and free concerts.  There's lots to miss about the Carolina campus.

3.  Lastly...but most definitely not the least: MY CAROLINA GAMECOCK FRIENDS!

My roommate sent me this bumper sticker from Facebook, and I couldn't agree more about how she felt.  The bumper sticker read: "We left our families to live with strangers, and now we left family to go home.  Miss you!"  It's so weird that my parents catch me referring to Columbia as "my home."  I'm always talking about how school was like this and like that and how I did this and that back "home."  I mean, home is still sweet, but I've just gotten so used to living on my own.  My friends are a great, big part of this home feel!  I'm going to enjoy my summer, but I will sorely be missing my friends as they all also spend their summers in their respective home cities!

And well...that's it for my top three!  What are y'alls top three things that you'll miss about being in school?  I know y'all probably can't wait to get out school, but I'm sure y'all will be missing hanging out with your friends.

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

Posted by Kriska at 08:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So, for the past 2-3 weeks I have given much business to restaurants around campus.  On-campus dining services does offer a lot of great choices, and there are several dining facilities around here.  The problem is that right when you get close towards the end of the semesters, everything starts to get kind of old.  It might sound great to have so many choices, and mom's cooking might get old when you're at home but...The double cheeseburger, Whopper Jr. with cheese, and a double stacker from Burger King all start to taste the same.  Pizzas from Pizza Hut or Pandinis are great, but a person can only take so many pizzas at a time.  And when you want to finally start eating healthy but your only choices are a boring salad or fried chicken Fridays, you know what ends up happening!

With that said, lately I've been really having a great hankering for some good ol' white rice.  Whether that's because I'm just straight up Asian and I'm really just craving a good sticky rice or maybe I'm really just homesick because everyone around me seems to be packing up their dorms and going home, here's my 4-1-1 on great Chinese Fast Food Joint finds around Columbia.  I've got two great options for a quick fix to a good Asian meal!

1.  The Teapot:  Once you get to campus and you start setting up your desk, you'll probably find that there's a folded-up menu on your desk.  Complementary of the restaurant Teapot, an array of Americanized Chinese food awaits you.  If you decide to throw the menu away, don't worry.  When that late night hankering comes, you'll find that there are about a couple more stacks of the menus in your dorm lobby.  The Teapot is very attractive to students on campus because they DELIVER!  A great alternative to pizza night, students can make a call and have Chinese food within 15-20 minutes on a less-than busy night (even quicker than Domino's 30-minute promise.)  The food's not too expensive either, and so when you throw in the delivery charge and the tip, it's not bad.  You'll have quite the spread for your dinner.  My favorite dishes to order from them are Chicken with Garlic Sauce, Sweet and Sour Shrimp, and Ginger Chicken.

2. Bamboo House:  If you can somehow access a car (if you have one on campus or you can find a friend with one), the Bamboo House is another great Chinese Food option.  Of the two, I actually like this one better.  The only drawback is that this place can't deliver, and you'll have to go out into the highway to get to it.  But it's really not that far from campus.  About a 5-10 minute drive, the Bamboo House is off of the Bush River Road exit on I-26.  It's cheaper, and in my opinion, the food tastes even better.  My favorites are crab rangoon, fried baby shrimp, sweet and sour chicken, and egg drop soup!

Even my American boyfriend who used to only enjoy plain food--no onions, no peppers, no sauce, please!--even enjoys eating Chinese food with me.  This is not to rave about great Chinese food as if it were authentic, but hey, it hits the right spot when I'm craving and I can no longer go without my white rice.  I really want to go home soon.  I've already told my mother a list of Filipino food that I would dearly love of her to prepare for me for my first week back home!

Well, catch y'all later on the flipside and enjoy your mom's cooking (and appreciate her because Mothers' day is right around the corner!), Gamecocks!

Posted by Kriska at 04:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm back.  I feel like I went on a really long vacation, except I didn't go to Hawaii or Disney or Paris.  Worse than being stuck in the airport waiting for a series of delayed flights, my long vacation that kept me away from blogging and keeping you guys updated was a hibernation to my desk.  And let me let it be known that that desk was not much of a happy place.  Piles of practice exams, binders of notes, and textbooks galore!  The crazy thing about it all was that I was only studying for two finals!  Finally, I was really lucky to have only two exams this semester, but the "exam gods" would just not let me have it my way.  My only two exams were back-to-back and scheduled for the first two days of exam week.  Although I am excited and thorougly happy to be done with worrying about exams, I sure would have appreciated a break and some time to study.  The 3-4 days right after lecture classes were just way too stressul! 

(A side note to my Anatomy and Physiology classmates and any individuals who may get this:  Thank the Lord that my cortisol levels were pretty good.  I know that my adrenal cortex was putting in some major hours making sure I had those glucocorticoid levels maintained....oooohhh those stress hormones!)

But don't let me get y'all started and worked up about college finals.  Just like the end of the year assessments, Advance Placement, and IB exams that y'all may be taking in the next month and a half...the key to avoiding any and all stress that I obviously got myself into is really just getting organized.  Study early.  No pain, no gain, right?  You really have to have your game on if you want to do well, especially if you are taking classes like Organic Chemistry and Anatomy and Physiology, yikes!  (As y'all may recall from a previous entry, games aren't just played in the courts and the fields.  They're also played in the classrooms, and you always have to have your A-game on if you want to win!  Here's the link, to those who may want to brush up on that!)

I was also always told that you also never really have to study very hard to do great in classes.  You just have to study WELL.  What's the difference?  It's not necessarily going to be the time that you put in to studying, as much as it's the quality of the work you do in that time that you spend.  It's insane because you don't know just how much time you can actually spend doing something that  may seem like a great study technique but results won't show the same.  Find the thing that works for you, and find it quick!  Notecards?  Practice exams?  Re-writing notes?  Re-doing homework?  Whatever it is, find it!

It truly is the finale of finals for me, and I'm sure glad that this is the case.  It is perhaps the first and only finale I have ever truly looked forward to.  (I'm still bitter about "Friends" being over!!!)

Well, good luck on y'alls finals.  Rest assured, I'll be blogging more often again!

Catch y'all on the flipside, gamecocks! 

Posted by Kriska at 03:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Drum roll please...

Here are the much-awaited answers to yesterday's quiz.  I hope that y'all got to try it out and that now y'all can see how you measure up to other Carolina students.  Make me proud guys!!!  The score to beat is 9 out of 15, so here it goes!

1. The score at last season's first home football game was a win against the LA-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns.  We beat them 28-14.  I remember being at the game, being actually quite worried that we weren't going to come out victorious.  It was an expected easy game that turned out to be a bit more challenging, but nevertheless, the Gamecocks had a win on their first game on home turf!

2.  So how many TV screens are there in the Barnes & Noble Bookstore in the Russell House?  If you've ever visited campus for a tour or just because you were in the neighborhood, chances are you've been inside the Student Union.  Surprisingly, a lot of students missed this question.  I don't know if it was because the choices were so close or those TVs by the magazine racks just look so big and we're generally too distracted by the latest Cosmo for the ladies or Maxim for the gents...but in total, there are 4 TV screens!

3.  Williams-Brice Stadium is probably one of my favorite places on campus!  So, what exactly is its official capacity?  A whopping 80,250.  Although, for the record, the WBS was able to hold about 85,000 during the rivalry game with Clemson back in 2001.  In the same year, we had about a hundred shy of that record for the Florida game at 84,900 spectators.  WBS can get pretty packed for those big games!

4.  Charlie Strong's 3-3-5 was the defensive formation when he became the Defensive Coordinator for USC's team.  Strong is quite a big name in the NCAA.

5. Tricky, tricky, tricky.  After reading the question, those who would know what the name of the Health Center would immediately go blank after they read the answers.  Is it with the "p" or without the "p"?  So, what do you guys think?!?  Dun, dun, DUN!!!  And the answer is:  WITHOUT THE P!!!  It is the Thomson Student Health Center!

6. The ever-unforgettable Carolina-Clemson Brawl.  Tsk, tsk!  See this link to the entry to a Wiki page about the Brawl.  Oh, and the answer is 2004!

7.  And so the question about meal plans!  You guys will get awfully familiar with this system and will probably do your best to work your ways around the times and the values and the Bonus Bucks to get the maximum value of your plan...You guys will figure it all out.  Don't you worry!  So, what's the breakfast retail amount?  A whopping three dollars and eighty-five cents!  Hooray!

8. So, back to that Brawl.  If you still didn't click on the link to find out about the Brawl, all you need to know was that it was bad, and it basically resulted in both the teams declining invitations to the bowl.  Naturally, team players were upset and more things happened...but yeah!  SIGH!

9.  Yet another tricky question.  Most people who have tried to communicate with the Housing Department through AIM would know that it's quite a pretty efficient way to get your questions asked about housing matters, but is it USCHOUSING or is it the one with an extra C?  Naturally, y'all probably wanted to pick the one with no extra C because it would only make sense, but that will leave you waiting for forever because the right answer is USCCHousing.  Why the extra C?  Personally, I don't know.  Maybe I should send a quick IM and find out why!  Hehe!

10.  Steve Spurrier had his days in the NFL, and boy were those some good days.  But 0-14 was probably not the good days I'm talking about.  Spurrier once played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and that 0-14 record...OOO-weee!

11.  You know, the result for this question was very intriguing to me.  Only about half of the students who took this trivia challenge knew the correct answer.  I'm not quite sure what it means because personally campaign and elections week was so huge around campus, and quite frankly there was no getting away from the politics of student government.  But for the winner of next school year's Student Body Treasurer....JONATHAN ANTONIO!

12.  Iron wall sounds kind of hard to break down.  Lock n' Load sounds pretty serious business.  Cock n' Fire sounds appropriate as we are Gamecocks and the whole gun-fire picture.  But nope.  None of those three are correct.  FIRE ANTS.  Darn, those fire ants and that's exactly what was the the nickname of our Gamecock defense back in 1984.

13.  So, what about that 2001 that plays to cheer on the entire team by the entire stadium going crazy and Cocky going nuts in his cage?  Thanks to Coach Joe Morrison, 2001 has become a Carolina tradition not just in football games but in other sports and Carolina events where Cocky makes his appearances!

14.  And the Gamecock's All-Time Leading Receiver Award goes to........STERLING SHARPE!

15.  So, this has screwed me up before.  I went to the mail room cutting it close to 5PM and found that I had a yellow slip in my mailbox.  Yellow slips bring joy to my day because this means that I've got a package!  But 5PM-shmishm, the mail room center is closed!  I decided that before I run late to my morning class the next day that I would rush to the basement first and pick up my package and start my day off great but of course I didn't check the time that they would be open.  My class was quite early that day, and so, I was at the basement by 8AM.  Oh, and I was the only one there!  I learned that day that the mail room center...they don't open until 9 in the morning!

So, how did y'all measure up to the test?  I hope you guys did well and enjoyed the lil trivia!

Catch y'all later on the flipside, Gamecocks!

Posted by Kriska at 11:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

So, I'm not sure if y'all are familiar about how the night at Relay for Life goes.  For those who don't, it's not your typical night of debauchery--although it is a lot of fun!  Basically, all the teams come together for one final push for fundraising, and each team puts up a site where they have all things from a bake sale, to hosting a cake-eating contest, to raffling off a bike, to setting up a TV and letting people play Guitar Hero...anything and everything to get people to donate more money for the American Cancer Society.  Since my team this year decided to go for a Tailgating Theme, we decided that for our fundraising activity on-site that we would host a Carolina Trivia Quiz.  A quiz to test your Everything-About-Being-A-Carolinian Trivia from football, to meal plans, to facts about the Russell House and more!  We had as a first prize a DVD player plus a DVD movie of "Radio" just to add to the whole football theme and for South Carolina pride!  As a second prize, we had a $10 gift card to Wal-Mart (who couldn't use another $10 for good ol' Wal-Mart!)

For an itty-bitty donation of 50 cents, students tested their Carolina Trivia Knowledge and competed to win for the two prizes...Overall, it didn't seem like our students really knew much about football.  Tsk tsk!  There were two guys who tied for first place with a score of 9 out of the 15 questions!!!

I wonder how YOU GUYS will fair my team's trivia quiz.  Check it out and see how much you know about good ol' Carolina.  We gave everyone who took the quiz about 5 minutes, but you know...I can't tell if you take any longer!  If you're brave, you can leave your answers as a comment...but either way.  I'll have the answers up by tomorrow.  I'll give y'all at least 24 hours to try out the Carolina Trivia Quiz! 

Good luck, and catch y'all later on the flipside, Gamecocks!

Posted by Kriska at 12:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today's Social Psychology lecture was on Attraction, Liking, and Love.  Yes, m'dears.  We talked about the "L" word.

The world's greatest poets, philosophers, and great thinkers have left us with some of the most beautiful (and sometimes the cheesiest) thoughts about love.  Voltaire said, "Love is a canvas furnished by nature and embroidered by imagination."  Plato said, "At the touch of love everyone becomes a poet."  And then there's this quote I've heard but do not know who said it, "Love is like playing the piano.  First you must learn to play by the rules, then you must forget the rules and play from your heart."  I guess when it comes to love, we're all just a bunch of artists!!!

So, why am I blogging about this?  Surely one lecture about the "L" word does not make me a "Dear Abby"-esque expert nearly that fast.  Well, what I'm going to blog about is how the laws of attraction that applies to love (as the text says so because we all know that love is a textbook kind of thing) also applies to selecting college institutions.  Yes, guys.  The Laws of Attraction for College Institutions.

Follow me along with my textbook of Exploring Social Psychology with Dr. Myer: 

1.  "One powerful predictor of whether any two people are friends is sheer proximity."   Now let me rephrase:  One powerful predictor of whether a prospective student and a college institution is a good fit is sheer proximity.

Although many of you probably want to get away from your state and explore the wide open world, as I also found myself about 3 years ago, you might find it surprising how well your state institution might just be the best fit.  USC was just right for me, as it was away enough for me to be independent and truly experience the college lifestyle while still also close enough for me to enjoy the company of my family and old friends.  Trust me that you'll truly miss mommy's cooking and laundry!  This idea of proximity isn't only about geography but also about psychological closeness.  When you've also interacted with a certain school, the tendency to fall in love with it is greater....meaning: Use those senior days and visit schools that you're interested in.  Research them in great detail and get to know the kind of institution that particular college really is.  You'll most likely find out a lot of information that can definitely help you make your decision.  Also, you might find additional quirks about the school that the hundreds of brochures you received may not have.  You just might find that personal touch on your next school visit.

2.  "Physical Attractiveness: Good looks are a great asset."

DUH!  Need I say more...well, on behalf of USC, let me just let y'all in on some of the great features that USC's "physique" has to offer.

• Great facilities and amenities: Just check out the Strom Thurmond.
• Beautiful "park":  Have y'all seen the Horseshoe in the spring when the azaleas are in bloom?  What about a nice warm Columbia day on the Horseshoe?  Students put on their suits to lay out in the sun.  Some throw a frisbee or a football around.  It's like a day at the beach!
• Functional Student Union:  Oh, the good ol' Russell House.  With the student bookstore, the dining facilities, meeting rooms, and many other resources, student living is well-supported at the RuHo.  Being on campus has never been easier!

And last but not least...

 3.  "Equity: A condition in which the outcomes people receive from a relationship are proportional to what they contribute to it."  WHAT?!?  That was a mouthful, wasn't it?  Let's translate this:

What do YOU have to offer?  What do USC have to offer?  Plenty of things on both ends, I'm sure.  If and when you decided to come to USC, you'll be sure to find that what you put in to the university will be greatly matched and reciprocated if not doubled or tripled of your own investment.  The experts of love say that relationships are only satisfactory if both parties feel that the gains for the investment of both are proportional.  When you come to USC, the resources will be endless.  It will truly be up to you how you use them.  In return, USC just expects you to be an involved student.  As a speaker at one of the USC orientations I attended to said back in my freshman year, "Engage in the Carolina experience!"

Well, my dear Gamecock readers.  I may be no "Dear Abby" but I sure hope you found my little insight helpful!

Catch y'all later on the flipside, Gamecocks!

Posted by Kriska at 11:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

At first I thought it was spring allergies or something.  With everything back into full bloom, everything seems to be green with pollen these days.  But something just told me it wasn't the fault of the Bradford pears.  I was in no severe conditions so I figured that I would just monitor how I was feeling and after closely following my symptoms, I finally came up with a great diagnosis.  I am in fact experiencing some kind of allergies--college student allergies.  To be more specific, I am experiencing spring breakitis manifested by some beachsickness (kind of like being homesick but of the beach), procrastination, and denial.  After a week of blogging about the glorious beaches of South Carolina and the gazillion tons of fun I had over spring break, karma has come after me as I find myself also drooling over the past week's adventures.  Being back to school is really cramping my style!  Hahaha!

An exam in Organic Chemistry was something to look forward to this week, and now that I've put that one to rest, I am just completely ecstatic!  Two "Orgo" exams down, two more to go.  I know it's not going to be a breeze, but heck...it's a step closer to the end!

I really wish I could be back at the beach dipping my feet in the cold water, feeling the sand in between my toes, picking shells, and taking a ton of pictures!  I'm so glad that this weekend is Easter.  I can at least go home and be with my family.  All this time away from them has actually gotten me a little bit homesick.  Man, do I miss my mommy's cooking!

Well, I hope y'all are doing great.  Another round of rain is around our area.  It's been raining cats and dogs for quite some time now.  Definitely not the beachy weather my friends and I got to enjoy!  Oh, well.  I guess I better stop being beach-bummed!  Gotta get right back into the groove and swing my way through my classes!

Catch y'all later on the flipside, Gamecocks!

Posted by Kriska at 05:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Two exams this week, and yet I'm still excited.  Why?

Because Spring Break is only days away and not even two exams can damper on my getting-jiggy-with-it-Spring-Break-is-coming-dance!  (Okay, well, an exam or two can put a slight damper and some late nights and early mornings, but overall, the energy is still up and running!)

I'm really trying to keep my motivation level up so that I can focus on getting some great studying done for my exams.  Having Spring Break right around the corner is quite the distraction, I'm not going to lie, but with my great ninja-like skills with regards to studying, I'm still ready as ever for my tests.

So, what are these ninja-like skills, you ask?  Well, listen my little karate kids.  The sensei is ready to impart her knowledge!

1.)  As Mr. Miyagi once said, "Wax on, wax off!"

Silly right?  What wax?  What on or off?  Well, let's paint a scenario.  When you're notes don't seem to make sense or you just have way too much to study at one time, it can get really frustrating, right?  When you're feeling just completely overwhelmed, you start to feel anxious and you begin to worry.  When you're stuck with a Calculus or Chemistry problem (yikes!), you start to freak out.  Well, DON'T!!!   JUST BREATHE!  And that is exactly what "Wax on, wax off" is.  It is more like a breathing exercise.  Think calmly.  Think lightly. And, just relax.

2.)  Another Miyagi thought: "Go, find balance."

Before even attempting to "Banzai" your way into that pile of notes, books, flash cards, and all sorts of other acadamic paraphernalia, you must first find balance.  Like we all know, too much information can get really overwhelming.  Prevent getting in that situation by first finding the balance.  What notes will be on the test?  Which chapters from the book are relevant?  Do you have time to make flash cards that you can actually flash through?  Organize all of your notes and prioritize the material that you need to know.  If you're pressed for time, make sure you hit the material that you may have the most difficulty.  That way you can spend more time on them.  You might not even need to really study some of your notes because you already know them quite well.  You shouldn't waste your time on that material.  Prioritize and find the balance!

3.) And last but not least, my own personal insight: Take a break (once in a while)!

When you've sat down in the library for 3-4 hours and you've had your back hunch over your Mt. Everest notes, it can get really exhausting!  There's no sense in pushing yourself another hour if you've got no more brain power.  It's like trying to drive around the block when you know you're running on empty.  You're going to have to get out of that car and stressfully push it in neutral.  It won't get you very far and you've only exhausted yourself.  You need to gas back up and recharge!  Take a power-hour nap.  Take a break and maybe even watch a little bit of TV.  Whatever you do, step away and give yourself a break!  A brain that is fried is just as good as a brain that's raw.  Okay, maybe not exactly the picture that I wanted to paint, but you guys get the idea.

One exam down and one more to go.  Spring Break right around the corner...You bet that I'm ready to go!  But before I do, here's some parting words from Mr. Miyagi, "Lesson not just karate only. Lesson for whole life. Whole life have a balance. Everything be better. Understand?"

Catch y'all later on the flipside, Gamecocks!

Posted by Kriska at 10:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Yes, guys, y'all read it right.  It's election time and the ballots are waiting to be cast.  I know it's not yet November, nor have the candidates for either parties been officially chosen (although some may probably disagree), but I'm not lying.  It is election time.

For the past two weeks, Student Government candidates have been campaigning all over campus.  From promises of off-campus use of the Carolina Card to paying parking ticket fines on-line, from textbook vouchers to lowering of textbook prices, from better wireless technology to cheaper and healthier meal plan options...the platforms of our very diverse and much qualified candidates touch on many different topics that are major concerns of our student body.  The past week has been the hard push for most of the candidates.  They've had debates at the Russell House.  They've made speeches at many organizational meetings and even in some classes when professors would permit it.  Campaign materials are not limited to your high school homemade posters as our candidates go for the big bite and have professional banners, posters, and flyers all over campus, as well as T-shirts, stickers, pens, and many other freebies.

In high school, most students don't care to run for student government even if they want to make a difference in their schools because they feel that the student elections are just popularity contests.  It's better to just join an honor society, a booster club, or some volunteer organization, if you truly wanted to make a difference.   But this campaign season is no joke.  Every single candidate means serious business.  This is definitely the big boys and the big girls going for the big one.

For these candidates, campaigning is an experience to gain much knowledge from even if they do not win the office.  Like I said, they mean serious business.  Just like Obama and Clinton and all other presidential candidates, they have written letters, talked to businesses, and solicited money for their campaign.  (Freebies and posters don't come cheap!)  Their debates are well-organized and mediated much like the debates we've been seeing on CNN.  Running for Student Government is kind of like a preparation for those who may see themselves going in to law school or politics or some kind of social reform program.

Have you ever been a part of your school's student government?  Have you ever wanted to see some things happen in your school?  Have you ever felt the urge to make a difference? 

Maybe now is the time for change...Hope you guys are making a difference!

Catch y'all later on the flipside, Gamecocks!

Posted by Kriska at 11:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So, every once in a while Gamecock Connection sends an e-mail out to most students registered  to the network.  What is Gamecock Connection you ask?  Well it is exactly what the name stands for...a means for connecting all of us Gamecocks!

It's one of those networking sites, much like the MySpace and Facebook crazes, but this one is tailored to the best of the bests...the Gamecocks!  You can create your profile and get connected with several other proud Carolinians.  There are discussion boards to talk about anything and everything--from the Democratic Primary to your favorite top 5 bands, from winter break plans to tips on exercising, pretty much whatever floats your boat.  There is also a features page where you can find articles, videos, and other resources for many topics that college students are concerned about.  Whether it be about your concerns of exams or paying your bills, or concerns about politics and privacy, or even concerns about health and lifestyle, there are lots of things to browse through on this link.  There is also a place to find out what people are into--the favorites page.  You get to see what  things you may have in common with others and post those on your profile.  And many more.  These are just a few of the many things from that are available on the network.

I have created a profile myself and have gotten started.  If y'all want to get into this, y'all should visit www.gamecockconnection.org and get registered!  Y'all can look for my profile and add me as a friend.  My profile name is krissyka.

I write about the Gamecock Connection because I think it's such an innovative move on the part of Student Life Offices here at USC.  They are making every effort to bring such a huge university feel like a truly small and personal college experience.  There's no need to feel lost in Carolina because there are so many ways to get connected.  There are so many ways to get involved.  There are so many ways to be a part of a great community.

Well, I hope y'all check out the site.  I'd love to see you guys on there.  Just register and add me as a friend and introduce yourself to me!  I'd love to put a face to my readers!

Catch y'all later on the flipside, Gamecocks!

P.S.  Stay connected!

Posted by Kriska at 01:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As y'all probably guessed from my last entry, I was a very happy person Sunday night.  All Giants fans, can I hear a "Yoo-hoo!!!"?  All I could think of in those last 2 minutes and some-30 odd seconds was I really hoped that my Eli could get a really good drive down the field and not lose the ball.  It wasn't much time, but I knew it was long enough for my favorite team to get the edge on the Patriots...and boy did they get it! 

So, with all the football talk going around from Super Bowl Sunday recaps, I got to thinking how school is much like a football season.  Let me give you guys a sample play-by-play...

It's been three weeks into the semester.  The notes are in the books.  Lecture time is over, and the professors have called you into the field...errr...I mean, they've called you in for the test.  It's exam time, GAME TIME!

Being a student is just like being an athlete, except it's more on the mental side of things as supposed to a physical one.  Class lectures are like meetings to go over the playbook and the game plan.  Classwork and homework is like practice--on the field with the rest of the team or a personal workout at the gym.  Quizzes are like scrimmages, while the tests and exams are your big season games.  And, of course, who can forget the big Super Bowl event of academia...YOUR FINALS?!?

College and NFL football seasons may be over, but the academic field turf is only beginning its call.   Like I said, being three weeks into the semester, professors are expecting a lot of their students with exams pretty much creeping on by.  It's just like practicing on the field those first couple of weeks into the season.  Before you know it,  your team's first game is right around the corner, and you better be ready!  Athletes pack their gym bags with their cleats, uniform, and helmet, while I pack my bookbag with my calculator, eraser, and definitely several #2 pencils!  (You can never have too many #2 pencils or extra lead.  Like I said, BE PREPARED!  The last thing you want is to have to get up and sharpen your pencil and disrupt the entire class! Oh, those horrible stares and glares!!!)

Now, y'all may not be as excited about tests, exams, and finals as you would be for those football games, but as a student you should always try to keep an optimistic and enthusiastic approach when these things make their way thru the calendar.  There's nothing worse than feeling completely bummed and discouraged about an exam.  I'm not saying that I cheer for when exam times come as I do with Gamecock and Giants football games, but I don't try to get too bogged down about them.  So, anyways, now that I've used up a good amount of time giving you my little blurb about classes and such...I should head out and get my studying on.  It's GAME TIME, baby!

Catch y'all later on the flipside, Gamecocks!

Posted by Kriska at 09:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So, I've been thinking about something clever to write about, since it seems like it's been several days now since I've last blogged.  I figured I could write about how my classes were going, but nothing too exciting going on there for right now so I'll skip that one.  I thought I could write about the movie my friends and I watched last night at the Russell House--30 Days of Night, but I don't really have much to say about a vampire movie.  And well, after much more thought, I have decided to just write about what y'all are probably going to care about today...

SUPER BOWL XLII!!!

Super Bowl Sunday is yet upon us, and so let's bring on the chips and dips, wings and pizza, and the good ol' couch for a great game and a ton of awesome commercials.  Oh, the classic American tradition!

We've heard it a thousand times over on every single ESPN channel: "both teams are about to make history."  With the Patriots seeking a perfect season all the way to the Super Bowl, they could possibly be the second team in American football history to complete such a feat.  With the Giants trying to prove that they're in it to win it, quaterback Eli Manning could get the most coveted Super Bowl ring and have the Manning name be back-to-back year winners.  Either way, it's going to be an amazing time for Brady, Manning, and of course their respective teams.

Personally, I am tired of hearing about the "perfect season," and I am really in love with Eli Manning.  So, I will most definitely be cheering for the Giants, no doubt!  Some friends of mine will be with me on this, while a couple are going for the team supported by the stats.  Even if the odds are against my team, I DO BELIEVE in ELI!  Hehehe! 

I have been looking forward to Super Bowl Sunday, and with all the hype over the past two weeks, I just cannot wait to see the two teams out there in Arizona.  Who wants it more?  I guess we'll soon see!

Hope y'all have a great Super Bowl Sunday, and catch y'all later on the flipside, Gamecocks!

Posted by Kriska at 03:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Do y'all ever get tired of the three to five mainstream local radio stations that you may have that play the same 10 songs, seeming as if they have chosen those same 10 "hits" and have put them on loop for all day long?!?  And see, as much as you hate those annoying songs, they are just so catchy that not only are they playing over and over again on the radio but they are also just stuck in your head! 

For a poor college student that I am who cannot afford a fancy XM radio, Yahoo! music and YouTube are my on-line go-to's when my local radio stations have failed to entertain me.  When I'm stuck underneath my cave-a-loft with my books towering over me as they await to be read, music helps me get through the day and helps me get most of my work done.  I'm a girl that pretty much enjoys anything and everything--from Indy rock to hip hop, from the oldies to some rap, and some select (VERY SELECT) country to good ol' acoustics!  And well, speaking of acoustics...as I was in the Student Government Offices in the Russell House putting in my office hours for Carolina Service Council, I couldn't have had a better music station than this guy out in the Russell House lobby putting on a lunchtime show.  It was some pretty darn good acoustic mini-concert.  He played and sang musical renditions of some of John Legend's hits (who is one of my absolute favorites!)  He transitioned form Rihanna's "Umbrella" to a good ol' classic, "Killing Me Softly."  Oh, and he also amusingly played an acoustic version of the Electric Slide! 

R&B and Soul Artist, Rudy Currence is the first of a series of musical performances that Carolina Productions have put together for some select Mondays of the spring semester.  The series is called the "Multicultural Music Middays."  The performances are bound to really live up to the series' name as a diverse group has been carefully selected by CP.  Performances are set at about noon, and the performers booked for the semester range from jazz to soul to traditional folk and Gospel.

Events like this mini-concert help us students get through the daily grind.  We all know how school work can get so stressful sometimes.  These events are especially stress-relieving as they are very light on the budget--THEY ARE MOSTLY FREE!

Well, until the next beat comes by my way...I hope y'alls week has gotten off to a good start!  Happy Monday and catch y'all later on the flipside, Gamecocks!

Posted by Kriska at 12:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ugg boots. Check.  Long-sleeve sweater.  Check.  Scarf and gloves.  Check.  Coat.  Check.

Oh, and class schedule.  Check.

It's great to be back in Cola, but man has it been cold.  Walking across the brick pathways from building to building between classes hasn't been much fun these past couple of days with the cold weather.  But I won't complain too much because last night we had quite the buzz around here on campus....IT SNOWED!!!

Yes, guys it snowed.  It didn't quite stick on the ground so we still had classes this morning, and that was pretty disappointing.  But last night, we had such a racket out on Preston Green that that bit of snow we got was still pretty darn awesome.  It was quite hilarious running around like little kids, and while most of my "northerner" friends on Facebook laugh at my status about the joy that the snow last night brought, those snowflakes were pretty darn big!  Haha!  I would probably classify last night as light snow fall but definitely not just snow flurries, okay?  Hehe!

But back unto classes, as I haven't given y'all an update about that.  My schedule this semester is no less busier than last semester, but I feel pretty good about it.  Except for my Anatomy and Physiology course with close to about 200 students, all of my other classes are not so large.  My other classes are no bigger than 50 students, which is good because I feel like there are more things that get done in those smaller classes.  There is generally more student-teacher interaction and dialogue in the smaller-sized classes, and I feel like I get more out of them.  But most teachers here in USC are pretty great, so even if the classes are big, they will still go out of their way to keep their office hours and offer their e-mail addresses to students who may have questions and need extra help.  No worries about being in a big university.  Around here, we like to feel like we are one big family!

I've still got lots of back-to-school business to take care off these next few days, but rest assured I'll be fitting in more time to catching you guys up about the happenings here in Cola.  It's been pretty hectic since I moved back in, so I apologize for not having blogged already!  But to make up for my lack of blogging, I will leave y'all with my snowfall party pictures...ENJOY!

And for some funnies...

Here's my pants post-football in the "snow."

Catch y'all later on the flipside, Gamecocks!

Posted by Kriska at 03:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Just wanted to share the great news with everyone:

The waiting game is finally over!!!  The verdict is up, and the grades have been posted on VIP!!!  And it's going to be quite a very merry Christmas, with my blooming grades!  Time to tell the parents and make 'em proud.

But before I go and cut this blog short, I'm not sure if y'all know much about VIP, yet...so here's my lil spiel about it.

The VIP I talk about is not your common layman's term of "Very Important Person."  VIP stands for "Visual Information Processing."  In addition to your e-mail and Blackboard account, VIP will be site assigned to USC students to access lots of very important information.  Using your Social Security number and a 4-digit number password, you can access the site for some secure and personal University data.  Once in the site, one can choose to activate a personal VIP ID.  This can be used in place of the Social Security number for security measure.

The site has 4 main page links within it: ACADEMICS, FINANCIAL, PERSONAL, and TECHNOLOGY.  Within the Academics page, you can access an unofficial transcript, ways to obtain an official transcript, your class and exam schedules, and a link to the Barnes & Noble University Bookstore.  You will also use the Academics page to schedule your classes during course sign-up.  Within the Financial page, you can view, edit, and pay for your tuition, dorm, and meal plan fees.  Whatever scholarships and loans you may have will show up within this page as well.  Under the Personal page, you can access lots of different information--personal data about yourself that you would like to make available on the University directory, your post office box number and combination, housing assignments, and many others.  Lastly, in the Technology page, you'll find all the different internet accounts that the University will give you access to--network names, passwords, wireless access, and software distribution.

Once on campus, you'll get to know your VIP account very well as you will definitely use it very often.  Within this past week, between checking for updated grades and finalizing my spring semester class schedule, it feels like I've visited VIP at least three times a day.  You'll almost use VIP quite "religiously."

Well, enough babble for now...time to get a-goin' and get chillin'!  Catch y'all later on the flipside, Gamecocks!

Posted by Kriska at 01:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

One...Two...Three...Everyone.......HOOOOOORAY!!!

Yes, please.  Everybody indulge me and join me in one big hooray for exams are finally over!!!  This morning, at 9AM, was my date time with good ol' Organic Chemistry exam, and although, we hit it off pretty well in the beginning, things got kind of rocky towards the end.  I felt pretty confident about the things I thought I knew about Orgo, but of course, not all dates are perfect!

Hehe!  Enough creepy thoughts about my exam!

I'm really just excited and relieved for all of my exams being done.  I'm ready to get on packing and get all my things together.  My parents are coming early tomorrow morning to pick me up and bring me on home!  Oh, home sweet home!

Well, have a great weekend everyone!  Catch y'all later on the flipside, Gamecocks!

Posted by Kriska at 11:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As y'all may have guessed from the slacking in entries, exam week is getting to me.  Slightly worn down already, I have three down and three more to go.  My morning exam in PSYC 440 was actually not so bad.  It was a fairly easy exam, and I count on getting an A in the course.  It was my afternoon exam today, however, in BIOL 243 (Anatomy and Physiology) that has really sucked the life out of me!

I spent hours and hours going through about 60-70 pages worth of facts about the complexities of our bodies' inner workings, and as much as I am worried that my GPA might go down a bit because of today's final, I'm just quite glad that that ordeal is now over.  This is the incentive you get after taking an exam--the feeling that it's over!  There's really nothing that you can do anymore but just wait for the grades to be posted up on VIP.  In general, grades are supposed to be up within 72 hours of taking the finals, but not all professors will be able to do so.  The number of classes and number of students within each class can make the whole grading process a little longer.  Some professors will also have to coordinate with the class's Teaching Assistants (TA) for some of the students' grades.  This will be the case for practically all science classes.  Some non-science classes, like history and English, courses will have TA's too.  So there are definitely a lot of different things that go into putting all of the grades together.

It's not a fun game to wait around for the grades to come up on VIP, but thanks to the Holiday season, there's something to keep your mind off the anxiety.

Anyways...I'm just a bit tired now, so I'll get some rest.  There is still so much more to study for the last three exams.  Back in high school, our midterms were not scheduled until after Christmas break, so that wasn't very cool.  It did give more time for studying, but it was also more time to forget.  It also made the break a little less fun because we had to study during it.  Well, I hope y'all aren't in that situation.

Catch y'all later in the flipside, Gamecocks.

Posted by Kriska at 08:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

One down...five more to go.

I know that it's not finals week yet, but today was my first final of the semester.  Y'all may have read from fellowblogger Cory's entry "The 'Final' Countdown" that some exams take place before exam week.  My Organic Chemistry Lab final was one of those.  I had it this afternoon around 12:30PM.  Pretty much last night and all day today was spent preparing for the final--up to the last minute I was holding on to those notes, scanning them fast as I could.  We had to basically know everything in the lab manual--all 156 pages!  It sure was a lot, but it was still somewhat doable--provided you do not wait for the last minute to get studying (yet again, another reference to procrastination my dear friends!)

As Cory wrote in that entry, there sure are some advantages and disadvantages to having exams prior to the finals week.  Having it so much earlier means that you'll have to do a lot of studying earlier than other students may, but once you have finished it then it's done!  Like I said, one down, five more to go.

I'm not really too excited about all of the exams coming up, but then again, there will be the winter break at the end of it all.  The end of another semester is just right around the corner.

Well, I best get cracking on some books.  Even if the rest of my finals won't start on Monday doesn't mean I shouldn't start hitting the books already!  Catch y'all later on the flipside, Gamecocks!

Posted by Kriska at 03:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

With the Gamecock Football Season at a stand-still (let's hope that at tonight's announcement of Bowls that our team gets a chance), the Saturday was spent a little differently than most Saturdays of this semester.  Shawn has decided that he can finally join me at a Service Saturday, and two other friends, Aaron and Marvin, were also with us.

This Service Saturday was the last of the semester...and the YEAR!  (I really can't believe that it's already December of 2007!!!)  The theme was Serving Disabled Individuals, and hundreds of students came out again for another Saturday to serve the different sites of a private, non-profit organization serving the State's disable population.  The Babcock Center is perhaps the largest non-profit in the state of South Carolina whose main target are those with disabilities--from mild mental retardation to Down's Syndrome to even accident-related injuries causing health issues.  My particular group was sent over to the Shop Road branch where it seems people with disabilities would go and join in activities and training as well as perform jobs like assembling parts and putting things together in hopes that this exercise and practice will get their skills up again.  Some people spent the afternoon mopping and cleaning, while others were organizing the facility's storage areas.  I was with some others who did lots of washing of cars.  They had lots of minivans, caravans, and goshvans that the center uses to transport the patients, and we had to give all of them a good scrubbing down.  It was quite fun actually!  I couldn't ever reach the tops of the vans (especially the gosh ones), so there was always a much taller guy who followed my trail and scrubbed the spots that I missed.  Hehehe!

After an afternoon of volunteering, Shawn and I returned to Preston to just hang out and chill.  We figured that after our good deed for the day that we deserved a good resting.  Come time 6PM, we met up with our other friends and watched one of the movies that Carolina Productions had showing for free at the Russell House Theater.  I had already seen Rush Hour 3, but everyone else hadn't seen it yet.  I loved the movie anyways so I didn't care too much that I was watching again.  I was actually pretty psyched.

Bourne Ultimatum was set to play at 9PM at the theater too, and we had planned to make a movie marathon out of the night, so we were going to watch that as well.  But soon after the opening credits had finished playing and the story was just beginning, the fire alarms at the Russell House went off.  I think someone had forgotten to turn a fryer off or something.  I don't really know what happened.  My friends and I were quite disappointed that we had to miss the movie and were also worried that we wouldn't have our on-campus dining facility, but all seemed well today as everything has been in full swing at the RuHo.  I enjoyed some grits for breakfast today at the Gimp!  As also on another good note, Ultimatum is playing again tonight!  Guess we'll be trying to catch the movie tonight....Second attempt is a go!

Well, hope y'all had a great weekend!  Sad to see that the once #6 Gamecocks couldn't have played at the SEC Championship yesterday, but I am happy that LSU won over Tennessee.  Something about that orange that really just gets to me...hehehe!!!

Catch y'all later on the flipside, Gamecocks!

Posted by Kriska at 01:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So, I know my last entry was me whining a little bit about last night, but I forgot to tell y'all that I did have a pretty good time (for a break) at this year's Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony!

This year's ceremony had the iconic speech of our dear president, Dr. Sorensen, along with a message from our student body president, Nick Payne.  One of the school's hit chorus groups--Cocktails--was also there to perform, and man were they good!  It was the first time I had ever heard the ladies sing, and I was just amazed.  They're supposed to have a concert next week, and I might just go and watch them as my break from studying for finals!!!  The Logan Leopard Singers from a local elementary school also came, and they were just so cute and adorable.  Made me remember my good ol' days back in chorus!  And well, of course, a party would not be a Carolina party if my favorite buddy of all time weren't there....COCKY!!!  As always, our friendly furry mascot was there to bring in the holiday spirit on campus!

I got to enjoy the evening of carols with my friends from FASA, and it was such a nice break from my mad cramming.  As I showed y'all pictures some entries ago, we had decorated some ornaments for the tree, and we all searched the towering tree for them.  (They're all there...guess we really are creative! Hehe!)

Well, I thought I'd post some pictures from the night's events.  I took pictures of some other ornaments that I decorated at the Carolina Service Council Holiday Party.  All the ornaments you'll see below are decorated by moi except for the Carolina one, which was decorated by my boyfriend, Shawn!

Dr. McNulty shows his school spirit with Cocky.  Dr. McNulty is FASA's faculty advisor! 

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

P.S.  Here is my early holiday greeting card for y'all!

Posted by Kriska at 03:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The home stretch is really kicking my booty right now.  The impending Anatomy quiz and Orgo exam is brooding over me, and I'm about to lose my mind!

Okay, a little dramatic, I know.  I'm just having one of those freak-out moments. Not to sound so discouraging or anything, it's just when the exam/quiz times roll along, they just happen to roll all at the same time.  As y'all saw on my schedule the other day, things are pretty hectic this week.  Actually, from the way my agenda looked like from Monday to what it looks like now, y'all just wouldn't believe it!  Pretty much, just imagine all the blank, empty spaces I had two days ago now being filled with "To-Do-Lists-For-the-Days."  There have been additional papers and the like to take care of, and it seems that I've been putting off my studying time for my two sciences.  So now I'm pretty much in cramming mode.

But not to fear, with my notecards and gazillions of notes in tow, I will face these two obstacles like Mr. Prince Charming with his sword and shield.  :-D  Well, I should leave y'all now and bid y'all adieu if I want to really make a killing!

Time to burrow in my desk and get my studying groove on.

Catch y'all later on the flipside, Gamecocks!

Posted by Kriska at 10:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Now that I've probably packed on about an extra 10 more pounds from the turkey, ham, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, and all the other goodies of Thanksgiving, you would think that I would be very well-equipped for the last three weeks of school.  Some last minute papers and reports, a few more quizzes for additional grades, and those squeezed-in exams before the last two weeks of finals are blinking bright blue lights like a cop chasing me, and man is that whole "objects in mirror are closer than they appear" is really applying to the dates on my agenda book.

It's that home stretch up ahead and boy am I really trying to get myself steering in the right course.  This week is going to be some week to get through as I've got an Anatomy quiz, an Organic Chemistry Exam, several movie review papers to write, and a research paper doubled with a group presentation to get cracking on!  Now, now, don't get too freaked out.  I perhaps should as the list of things to do may seem so daunting, but all will not be in complete disorder.  My handy-dandy agenda book may seem full and just plain hectic, but it's keeping me very organized and ready to go!

Tip #561 (Okay, I'm not really sure what tip number this is, but just go with me here.):

Get an agenda book! 

I pretty much survived all of my high school years without having to use one, and y'all may be doing just as well without it.  I know back in high school that at the beginning of each year, when my homeroom teacher would hand out that crip, new school handbook I would always resolve to use it so that all of my homework, extracurricular meetings, and other school events and such can be all written down.  I would always start off the year being very earnest in keeping tabs of things, but soon thereafter, I would forget to use the handbook and the only purpose it would serve was that it was my hall pass.  But trust me that it will really help you out in the long run if you get used to using an organizer. 

While  your high school teachers may constantly give y'all reminders of scheduled quizzes and exams and due dates for works, some college professors may find themselves in too busy of a schedule to remind y'all.  It's not that professors are just being mean and that they want to trip you up.  It's just that, as a college student, it will be your own responsibility to get things done and more importantly that they are done on time.  Granted that some professors may be willing to work some things out for some personal reasons, you shouldn't take the chance on just their good graces.

Anyways...the entire point is that when you start getting hectic weeks like this one that I'm having to go through right now, it helps to have everything mapped out so you know what needs to get done, especially what needs to be prioritized first.  Procrastination is my worst enemy.  Actually, my favorite quote from Ellen DeGeneres from one of her stand-up shows is that "Procrastination isn't the problem; it's the solution.  So procrastinate now, don't put it off!"  However much I like to procrastinate, however, I am trying to break these habits and keeping a list of things to do in my agenda book has been really helping me out in this endeavor!

Here's a little preview of the first half of this week:.

The feeling of checking off things as you get them done is also just another added bonus to making lists.  I feel that the day goes on more being productive when I can make that little check right next to a task.  As y'all can see, however, there are still some things left for today that have not been checked off.  I'm getting there.

So, bouncing out...catch y'all later on the flipside, Gamecocks!

Posted by Kriska at 09:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

With several late nights and waking up to only 15 minutes in the morning to get ready and to get to class during these past few days, I've had to scrounge around quick for a scarf, for some socks, for some comfy long pants, for a coat...for anything!  The temperatures have been dropping here in Columbia, and it seems like I have used up all of my jeans and even my warm "bummy" pants because I've had to wear them all these past few days.  Also, as y'all probably saw in the pictures from the football game over the weekend, Megan and I hovered over a portable heater due to the dropping temperatures once the sun hit it low over the Fair Grounds.  Yep, y'all, it does get cold here down south in mighty Carolina.  Summer heats may be sweltering in Columbia, but the chill of the cold can get to the bones as well!  The fall season is indeed in the air, but today for a change...the sun came back! 

I was getting worried about not having anymore long pants to wear, but good ol' Mother Nature gave me a break today, and the sun shined all day long.  I think the reported high for the temperature was in the high 70s, getting close to 80 actually.  It was quite nice to be able to put the flipflops back on again!  As I was starting to get used to those furry, big, brown boots and big old coats all over campus, the skirts and the dresses made one more peek before the season of the summer clothing can be put to rest.

But then again, Mother Nature must be going through her time of the month or something, because I just checked Weather.com and it seems like tomorrow is going to be a morning filled with showers and temperatures ranging all over the 60s!  Then, Friday is supposed to be quite sunny, but the temperatures will be quite low--anywhere between 35-52 degrees.  Oh, what fun!

Well, just wanted to drop by and say hello.  I hope all y'all who were planning to apply for the Honors College, especially the top honors scholarship, have turned in your forms.  Tomorrow (November 15th) is the deadline!

Catch y'all later on the flipside, Gamecocks!

Posted by Kriska at 11:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

1 Crunch...2 Crunch...3 Crunch........4.

5 Crunch...6 Crunch..............

In an effort to gain those high school bods we used to have (as inspired by a T.V. informercial), Shawn, Megan, and I have embarked on a group effort to do ab workouts every night.  Well, every night is the plan for now.

Since we only started last night, we set 100 crunches as our goal.  "Baby steps" is what we're calling it--4 sets of 25 crunches.  The first two sets were no biggies, but as soon as we got to the third set...it seemed like we were dropping like flies.  I won't mention which of the three o