This semester I tried something new. I became an online tutor for AP Chemistry, and it has been a super fun and rewarding experience. It started off as a way to use my talents to make some extra money for the semester, and I quickly figured out that I enjoy teaching, and that I was learning a lot myself. I decided it would be fun to share what I have gained from the experience. Continue reading
A few weeks ago, my entire floor section in Redding got involved in a game called “Spoons” (known in other settings as “Assassins”). The rules of the game were as follows: every player received a target whom they had to get out by tapping them with a spoon and getting video evidence of the act. The only safe zones were bathrooms, classrooms, and in Redding. Every day, an “immunity”— something that you had to do or wear, like wearing socks over shoes or holding a fresh fruit in your hand all day — would be released by the game master, and if you participated, you would be protected from being taken out by whomever was after you. The game would last until there was a winner. Continue reading
Some songs will bring your mood up no matter what — a necessary thing in stressful times like this finals week. Whether you like to listen to music while you study, or while on snack breaks, every college student racks up the minutes on Spotify (or their other choice of music streaming service). End the semester with these songs and you’ll surely ace your finals.
1. Too Much Coffee – SWMR
Let’s start with a relatable song for those pulling all-nighters before their exams this week. This song ramps up the energy for the punk band SWMRS, and will keep you awake just long enough to finish your cramming session. A catchy guitar riff is laid overtop the drum-and bell-center beat, distorted to achieve a grunge sound. This is then contrasted with the melodic background vocals and finally joined by the calming and defiant lead vocals. A youthful song for a youthful time in our lives, no exam will stand a chance against anyone listening to “Too Much Coffee.”
2. Ballroom Blitz – The Sweet
Need a throwback to study for a history exam? Look no further than this rocker classic. Another guitar heavy song, the singer’s vocals undergo many changes from a whisper to shouting. Sharp dead notes provide perfect tempo behind the vocals, but once the guitar is free to sound, its power chords will resonate in your earbuds. Anyone near you in the library might be surprised when you start dancing, but there’s always time for a break in Club Morris. Once the overdriven guitar solo hits you, you’ll be grinding out any remaining you work you have in no time.
3. Another You (feat. Kanye West) – The World Famous Tony Williams
A Kanye song you haven’t heard before? Such a thing won’t exist again after you press play on this bop. Bass thuds start this song, which quickly shift into jazzy piano and a drum beat. Tony Williams brings the soul on this track with a smooth chorus and verse. Kanye jumps in with heart and as always, the heat. Study sessions will feel shorter with this rhythmic and melodic track as you bump your head in time with the bass line.
4. When I Grow Up – NF
The eerie chime of a glockenspiel starts this rap banger before NF jumps straight in with a verse. The drum jumps in, followed by a heavy triplet kick as the tone grows darker and heavier. Once the chorus hits, students can follow along and consider a musical career if their finals don’t end up going as planned. This is a great song for relieving stress, whenever your roommate isn’t there you may be jumping around while you sing along.
5. Home (Remix) – Snoh Aalegra feat. Logic
Another jazz track, ghost notes on electric guitar set the mood of the song even before a slamming bass line or smooth vocals come in. The slow buildup from the intro verse to the pre-chorus and chorus makes the lyrics pop out at any listener, especially with the layers of background vocals assisting the depth of the words. Logic hops on the remix with his own blend of quick fired raps and slowed down lyrical breaks. The two then combine their musical talent on the ending chorus for a powerful feeling of comfort. If you ever need to take a quick walk to stretch your legs during the study grind, put “Home” on for your stroll.
One of the reasons I chose the University of Delaware was for its campus. It is just the right size and has a cohesive and collegiate feel. The trees that line the long brick walkways and the historic buildings you pass along The Green make my experience here better. I love to show off the school when friends come to visit, and I’ve noticed that it is almost unavoidable to compare our campus to theirs; the restaurants, dorms, and academic buildings are all up for discussion, but what seems to be the most drastic difference is the size of the school and the commute students have to make. To friends from smaller schools, like UMBC, the walk to classes we are used to every day is shocking and tiring. In the same amount of time I can make it to Morris Library they could walk the entire length of their campus!
This year, in moving from Redding Hall to Sharp Hall, I now feel like I can have this conversation with myself. Despite my original expectations, changing where I live has made the University of Delaware feel entirely different. When I moved into Sharp Hall, I figured it would not be too much of a transition, that a dorm was a dorm, that I would never mind walking to Cesar Rodney Dining Hall, and that the slightly shorter walk to classes on The Green would not make much of a difference; I even refused to follow others’ leads when they chose dining plans that offered more points and less swipes in anticipation of purchasing more in Trabant (directly behind our building) than swiping in at CR (about a 10 minute walk.)
I quickly realized that not only would I miss newly built Redding Hall along with its integrated central air, large hallways, and considerable amount of study rooms, but I am now farther from the Harrington Pod, the Hen Zone, and CR. I miss being able to take a quick study break to play ping pong at the Hen Zone, and it takes a lot more motivation to grab a quick lunch or dinner at the dining hall.
This is, however, a tradeoff. I am now closer to Trabant and my classes on The Green. 8am classes are made much more pleasant when there is not a mile-long walk to dread. I also have discovered Trabant as a good place to sit and study, and find myself taking full advantage of the new late-night meal exchanges on campus now that I am 5 minutes from a Chick Fil A. I also cannot tell you how excited I am that my 20 minute walk to choir rehearsal is cut in half!
Changing my home on campus has changed how I live at the University of Delaware, but it will not change my appreciation for a walk along The Green or a journey up to beautiful North Campus. I am happy that a change in location has forced me to have a new perspective, and it makes me look forward to switching up my experience within these 2000 odd acres over the next three years.
It’s time for midterms yet again. Gone are the long summer days spent relaxing in the sun and hanging with friends. It’s time to go back to the books and back to stressing out over classes. Because I am now a sophomore, I wanted to look back at my previous year, and see how much I have grown since then. I learned many lessons through trials and tribulations. Here are four of the major lessons I learned last year:
As a freshman thousands of miles from home, I knew I needed to create a home away from home. My first semester I was extremely homesick, I had attempted to put myself out there a bit, but I didn’t click with anyone I had met so far. So, when Panhellenic recruitment came around, I almost didn’t join. Why would I want to try something yet again to figure out it wasn’t for me? However, everyone I met had such great experiences being in a sorority, all saying it was one of the best things they did during college. So, I figured I would try again because I could always quit if I didn’t like it. Who would’ve known how big of an impact on my life that would have? I met my best friends during recruitment and after I joined a sorority. I found sisters, who are always there to comfort me when I’m feeling down from missing home, and who make me excited to go to UD events like football games and UDance. My sorority truly is my home away from home and makes me want to become the best person I can be.
I learned this lesson the hard way. For me, Chem103 was an absolute nightmare. I hadn’t ever really struggled with classes as much as I did then. I was used to just putting in the effort and getting good results. However, with chemistry, this wasn’t the case. I didn’t get it, and because of that, I avoided studying. This turned into bad test scores, and instead of going and getting the help I needed, I thought I could solve the issue on my own. While I ended up passing the class, it wasn’t the grade I wanted, and I knew that if I did more I could’ve done better. So, when It came around to take the next chemistry class, I dedicated myself to it. When I had questions, I asked the TA or teacher for help, when I had a test coming up, I prepared ahead of time, not just the night before. When I got back my tests, my results paid off greatly. That lesson continues to be extremely important as I head into harder classes such as organic chemistry and microbiology.
This goes along with my second lesson, however this has to do with me personally, rather than my academics. In my second semester of freshman year, I was dealing with depression, due to some events in my life that had affected me. It was more than just not wanting to go to class, I felt like I couldn’t even get out of bed and go. Even though I was getting more involved and therefore should have been happier, I just felt nothing. It got to the point where I knew if nothing was going to change, I was going to have to drop out of UD and go back home, which I knew wasn’t the solution. So, I went to UD’s Center for Counseling and Student Development (CCSD) and scheduled an appointment with a counselor. After meeting with them for the rest of spring semester, I was able to pull my grades up and start going back to class. While I knew there were many different resources to help students here, I didn’t think that anyone used them and that asking for help would be strange and difficult. However, after making that first step to use the services provided, I realized how important they were and how, even though it may seem strange or embarrassing at the time, there are so many other students that may feel the same way. I never would have recovered from the hardest period in my life without the CCSD, and I wouldn’t be where I am today, enjoying what I’m doing and thriving in my classes.
My whole life, I’ve always been planning for the next step. When I was in high school, I was already thinking about where I should go to college and what I would do next. Because of this, I feel like I didn’t enjoy myself as much as I could have. I stressed over things that don’t matter and didn’t branch out and enjoy the process of growing up. Now as a sophomore in college, I realize that while the future is important, so is the present. While I can’t stop myself from thinking about medical school, and what I need to do to achieve my dreams, my whole life is no longer just focused on that. Many people say that college is supposed to be the best years of your life, and while that may not be the case for everyone, and may not feel true to me right now, I want to slow down and do things that I know will make me happy, not just things that I have my whole life to think about.
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