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Just Chirpin’
Introducing Act II:
Scene I
Brittany Ulman
It is simply unbelievable that an entire three months passed so
quickly—seemingly without my knowledge. It feels like just
yesterday I was packing up all of my things in my miniature dorm room
in Dehority, about to head home for the entire summer.
Where did all of the time go exactly?
Well…
First there was my online Spanish class that lasted a grueling five
weeks—five weeks that seemed like an eternity. Numerous
compositions with a required three paragraph minimum, in addition to
using the vocabulary that I just learned a mere moments before. A
weekly quiz that provided only a measly thirty minutes to answer twenty
extended response questions. Not to mention the weekly fifteen
minute conversations I had to have with my peers and professor in
Spanish. The final came and went, without much stress. I
might have finished the class with an ‘A’ but it did not come easy by
any means.
Second, there was work. For almost the entire summer, I worked
third shift at the Whirlpool factory in Greenville. Now, I
absolutely loved my co-workers. They made such a monotonous task
so much fun. There were days that I actually enjoyed going to
work. The overtime changed that a little. Sure I loved
making the extra cash, but having to go in an extra two hours seemed
like the end of the world at the time. Since I did work third
shift, as soon as I got home, I showered and went straight to
bed. Waking up at two in the afternoon made me feel like I was
sleeping my day away—but I needed to sleep. So on those many
overtime nights, I woke up at two only to get ready for work again at
six. This is where my summer disappeared. But, I made some
money to pay for that summer Spanish class plus a little to put towards
my student loan, so it was definitely worth it. Not to mention,
working at a factory doesn’t look bad on a resume by any means.
Now I’m back at school for round two.
I might be a sophomore, living with a different roommate in a different
dorm building, but falling back into the swing of things was a lot
easier than I thought it would be. I figured it wouldn’t be too
bad, but I never imagined it would be this simple.
After learning my lesson last semester, I made sure all of my
professors came highly recommended—and boy did it pay off. This
semester cannot be coined with the term of easy, but it’s definitely
less stressful. My classes are difficult enough and very time
consuming, but it’s nothing I cannot handle. It’s so nice to not
feel the need to yank my hair out every minute of the day. It’s
especially nice not to be so weighed down with homework to the point
that it’s all I’m doing outside of class. I can actually sit back
and enjoy a time period in my life that’s essentially going to change
everything.
The semester isn’t all peaches and roses though.
Because of course, there’s the prospect of next year presiding over my
shoulder—constantly.
It seems odd to be thinking about next academic year already—especially
since I don’t even know for sure what classes I’m taking next
semester. But, finding an apartment for next year starts
soon. As in, now.
After touring a dozen or so apartments, my parents and I finally
narrowed the list down to two. It sounds like it’s going to be an
easy decision, but it’s not. Both apartments have several of
their own benefits and drawbacks, and I could easily see myself living
at either one. So naturally the tiebreaker would be price,
right? Wrong. One hundred dollars is the difference maker
between the two. Not one thousand or even five hundred…one
hundred. So, my decision is stuck right in the middle.
Now, since I’m not going to live here forever, it shouldn’t matter that
much. Which, it doesn’t. Where I live next year is most
likely not where I’m going to live for that one semester of my senior
year. But, I do have to live with this decision for an entire
year. And when you add in homework deadlines, pop quizzes,
midterms, and finals, the right apartment can be key. So here I
am again, not sure which place I’m going to call home next year.
Luckily, school is not that stressful right now, so I can focus more on
this seemingly crucial decision. Let’s just hope next semester is
equally as calm…and hey, the following year and a half can be like that
too. I’m not going to complain.
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