Lauren McDonough '14 – Page 2 – Just another Holy Cross Blogs weblog

November 17, 2010November 18, 2010

Turkey Time!

Dark at 6 pm? Already? November is in full swing at Holy Cross with chilly weather , exams, and preparation for Thanksgiving. I just got back from the Hanselman Coffeehouse in the common room where some of my fellow Self Cluster students performed songs and poetry and exhibited their artwork. Hanselman is so small and close that I knew all the performers, so it was cool to see their talents!

My sleep schedule has been thrown off lately, which is partially my own fault for staying up late and getting up early, but today’s an exception. I came back from class and napped from 4-6 so I can get up at 2 am to watch the meteor shower. Hopefully I’ll be back in bed at 4 to sleep until 6:45 so I can register for classes at 7 am! I have heard lots of disaster stories about the internet being too slow and STAR logging students out who are trying to register, but hopefully it will work out. I only need to get a spot in one class – psychology – because my other three classes are guaranteed. Calculus is two terms, I’m automatically placed in organic chemistry with my professor from Atoms & Molecules this semester, and Montserrat continues next semester. I’m really excited for next semester in Montserrat because our course changes from “Popular Music and the Construction of Identity” to “Rap Music and Self-Expression”. If you’re thinking about attending Holy Cross next year, definitely consider my Montserrat class. I look forward to class every Wednesday and Friday; we talk about awesome things in popular culture and manage to relate it back to the core questions of the Self Cluster. My professor, Daniel DiCenso, is great, as well. Definitely try to take a course with him if you can!

After registering tomorrow, I have a chem lab at 8 and a chem lecture at 1. Then, it’s Thanksgiving at Kimball with turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie! My friend Julia and I are seriously considering camping out from 4:30 to 8 to get the full Thanksgiving experience.

Just four more days of classes then I’m home for break! I can’t wait to see all of my family and chill at home for a bit! Have a great Thanksgiving, everyone!

November 9, 2010November 11, 2010

Being Productive!

Cold and flu season has hit Holy Cross with full force, and although I got my flu shot at Health Services two weeks ago, I still caught a nasty cold this past week. (On a positive note, however, I made it out to Amherst and back this weekend with no problems and had a great time catching up with my cousin, sister, and best friend!) After resting a bit on Sunday and Monday to tame my cough I’m back in studying mode to prepare for my Chemistry exam on Friday. I was in Dinand Library for almost four hours tonight with my friends Jane and Mav, and surprised myself with how productive I was there! I’ve been studying in my room most of the year, but a change of scenery really seemed to help and I accomplished a lot in a short time.

It seems like work comes in spurts here – I’ll have a week with very little to do followed by a week like this one with an exam, two quizzes, and paper due – so time management is really important. I usually procrastinate and save a lot of things for the last minute, but I have a feeling that if I get myself on a Dinand schedule, I’ll be on the right track.

We got a few flakes of snow on Sunday night which excited a lot of students who aren’t from New England (and some who are!), but none of it stuck and it soon turned to rain, so the excitement was relatively short-lived. I can’t wait to see the campus covered in snow, but being from Massachusetts myself, I know we have plenty of long snowy months ahead of us! (One of the best things about being at a school built on a hill is the ample opportunity for sledding!)

Thanksgiving break is sneaking up – only two weeks from today! – with finals and winter break quickly following three weeks later. It’s amazing how fast the semester is going; with plenty of due dates and exams ahead before the holidays, I know I’ll stay busy these next few weeks!

-Lauren

November 1, 2010November 1, 2010

Is It Really November 1st?

I can’t believe that I’m already halfway through the first semester of freshman year! After a fun Halloween weekend, I’m back to work! My friends and I got into the Halloween spirit on Friday and Saturday by dressing up, watching scary movies, and visiting the Healy Haunted House. People get really into their costumes at Holy Cross, and we saw everyone from the Teletubbies to Lady Gaga. By the time the actual holiday rolled around on Sunday we were ready to order Chinese food and chill in Hanselman common room.

I have a busy week ahead with a math midterm on Wednesday night and a CRAW (Creative Reading and Writing) Poetry paper due on Friday, so I’ll have plenty of work to keep me occupied this week. Tomorrow, I only have one class in the morning then I’m done for the day, so my grandma and my mom are coming to take me out to lunch! My grandma has never seen Holy Cross before , but she’s coming just in time since the last of the foliage is clinging onto the trees.

Next weekend, I’m venturing off the hill to UMass Amherst – only an hour away- to visit my sister, my cousin, and my best friend. I’m excited to see them all since it’s been so long, but I feel like I’m missing out by leaving Holy Cross for the weekend! Nonetheless, it should be a great chance to catch up with everyone.

Thanksgiving break is rapidly approaching as well, and I have plenty of due dates looming for projects and papers so it’s definitely going to be useful to start scheduling my time. Speaking of scheduling, freshman registration for spring semester is November 18th. I’m only changing two classes in my schedule since Montserrat and Calculus are year-long courses; next semester I’ll be adding Organic Chemistry in place of Atoms & Molecules and Psychology in place of my CRAW Poetry class.

I have a lot of work ahead of me tonight so I better get started! Check back in towards the end of the week, I’m sure I’ll have lots to talk about!

-Lauren

October 25, 2010

Time Flies

I’ve been at Holy Cross for about eight weeks now, and time has flown! To all you prospective students – if you think senior year is going fast, wait until you get to college. I’ve been really busy so far with papers, projects, and extracurriculars along with meeting new friends and getting to know the campus (which doesn’t take long!).

I saw lots of tour groups around campus today (must be the beautiful weather and foliage that’s bringing everyone out now) and it doesn’t feel like it was a whole year ago that I was in the same position! On the other hand, although time has gone by fast, it feels as if I’ve been at Holy Cross forever. I was lucky to find a school that I felt comfortable at right away. That – along with a great roommate, an awesome group of friends, and a cozy room – makes school feel like a second home.

Classes and homework take up most of my time during the week, but my friends and I have found lots of great things to do on the weekends in our short time at HoCro. We’ve taken the shuttle offered by SGA into Boston where we ate and shopped around Faneuil Hall, taken the shuttle to Blackstone Valley Shops to see a movie and shop, and enjoyed lots of events offered by Holy Cross like the Escape Retreat, comedians, and dances.

Life at Holy Cross has been pretty exciting, so far, but I’ve had plenty of lazy moments as well. Sunday afternoons are usually a time for homework, facebook, music, and food for my friends and I and today was no exception. I woke up at 10 and went to brunch, then hung around Hanselman until it was time for me to go and do my radio show with my friend Mimi at 5. After long and busy weeks, I really look forward to the weekend as a chance to unwind.

I have Calculus bright and early at 9 am tomorrow – great way to start off the week! (If you can’t sense the sarcasm here, I’m in the pre-med program but am an English major above all so math is not really “my thing”.) Wish me luck!

– Lauren