Winding Down.. Uh no.. Try winding up

Some are saying the semester is winding down and coming to an end. To them
I say.. huh! I feel as though every teacher put off everything until the last minute! I am working on getting all the final papers, projects, and study guides done. As we speak I doing what I do best, procrastinating. On top of classes winding down I am also trying to get as many of my study abroad questions answered as I attempt to prepare for Spain. I have decided that instead of combining everyday life with my travel life I would create a separate blog for Spain, paige-in-spain.blogspot.com. For more information about my preparations read that blog :)

So what's been going on since my last post, a whole lot of nothing. Well of course that is a lie, I have have at least 20 classes, a few tests, and at least a couple papers. I also attended Dan's military ball at at beginning of April. We had a nice fancy dinner and then a little dancing. It was a good time, and it's hard to believe that in a two weeks he will get his commission and become a captain and graduate! Also, earlier today Dad visited and took a load of stuff home that way I will actually be able to make it home without tying things to the top of my car. It was nice to see him and I am happy to be going home and seeing all of my family. It's weird to think I won't be coming back here next year, unless I visit before I leave for Spain.

Well I have to go study, unless any of you want to do it for me :) I will update once the semester ends.

Love you all!

Me and Dan all dressed up for the Military Ball

To do.. To do.. To do..

Oh boy has life gotten busy lately! I made an impromptu trip home last weekend to protest in Madison with the rest of my family which was a great experience. I was happy to stand up for what was right and it was nice to see my family.

This week has been preparations for a big festival thing at my school called the international bazaar. Different organizations around campus represent a country by decorating an 8 by 8 booth (with paint, construction paper, and tissue paper on styrofoam), performing some type of entertainment (singing, dancing, readings, etc), and cooking a native food. Yesterday and today were the days allowed for decorating and I will have to say it went AWESOME! I was a little worried that we wouldn't have enough people helping out but we got a majority of it done yesterday and finished today 2 hours early, I was very happy! Now this Friday and Saturday the booths will be open to the public and they will be able to see what we decided to represent and cook.. I'll put up pictures later this weekend.

I will not be able to work the bazaar friday as I won concert tickets to Rascal Flatts through a drawing :) The concert is about an hour and 15 minutes away but I am very excited! It will be a good break from all of this.

Then next week is Midterms :'( I have a very busy week.. 4 tests, 3 quizzes, and who knows what else.. it's going to be rough. At the end of it though is SPRING BREAK, which will make it all worth my while. I get to go home again and spend time with my family, and work :( I will also be able to bring my new laptop back down to school with me afterwards :) . My very wonderful and loving parents bought it for me in preparation for Spain and I think it will be very nice to have it at school for the rest of the semester and I am happy they are letting me bring it back down! But then it will back to the salt mines to finish up my semester.. I cannot wait till this summer!

I will post next week with pictures while I am procrastinating eh emm I mean taking a study break at some time :P

Hope you are all well!

A teacher learning to teach

The necessities (above)

Text books for 19 credit hours/6 classes)

Another break over.. another semester started. It was lovely being home and seeing my family but it's back to WIU. I will be taking 19 credit hours this semester so it's going to be a little intense. I have two lesson plan classes (Math and Science), Biology with a lab, Spanish for teachers, Educational Psychology, and Linguistics. It will be rough but I am going to do the best that I can. I also am going to take a (free) kickboxing class at the Recreation Center here on campus and try to work out quite a bit! Before I know it I will be home working and getting ready for SPAIN!! I will also be getting everything ready here at the University to travel to Spain!!

I'm signing off for now! I'll try to update as I go on.. in the mean time check out my picture project (http://365project.org/pdw/365)

Christmas :)

Merry Christmas!! Hope you all got everything you wanted from Santa this year ;) I know that my Christmas was wonderful. I was trying to take it all in because I will be in Spain next year for most holidays, it's a little bitter-sweet

Early in the week I took a two-day trip to Chicago with Dan to see Wicked and go to Dinner (dinner was actually a late Birthday present because I had my wisdom teeth taken out when we originally planned on going). We were walking around Chicago looking at the lights and the tree... and he proposed, so I am now engaged! The wedding will not be for a few years so no worries there (it will not hurt my grades Dad!). We want a long engagement and for both of us to finish school first.

-Insert information about Dan: He is a senior at WIU, we meet last year because we lived on the same floor in the dorms (and we live on that same floor again this year). He is Majoring in Law Enforcement and graduating this Spring. He is planning on attending Grad School next year but he has to get permission from the National Gaurd (which he is in) first.

Well back to the blog... That was my biggest Christmas present but I got some other things as well. I got boots and mocisons that I wanted, a book, money to iTunes, Target and Walmart gift cards, purses, purfume, a 12 language translator (YEAH! getting ready for Spain), an adaptor (yeah Spain!), pajama's, make-up, a coffee thermos, etc. etc. etc. It was so nice being home and it was a white christmas!!! Of course the house is filled with other toys from my sisters and brother's gifts which were all opened as soon as they could be! The house was crazy this morning and I am sure it will be for about a week longer :) They all seem to be very happy with all of their gifts, I think we all had a very nice Christmas here.

As well my grades were posted this week for the semester and I recieved a 3.4 GPA. WIU recently changed to a plus/minus grading scale which messed us all up a little bit and if it weren't for the new scale I would have gotten a 3.6. But I guess it's all woulda, coulda, shoulda. I also was sick with Bronchitis for all of my finals so I think I could have done a little bit better if it were not for that. I am only just now getting over Bronchitis :( but at least it will be over soon!

I am working while I am home of course, saving up money! I have no other big plans this year.. We will have to see what 2011 brings!!

Merry Christmas Again and Have a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

LOVE,

Paige

Another Semseter Down..

and still many more to go. This semester was by far my most crazy! I have 6 classes, tutored for and hour and a half each week, was President for one organization, and secretary for another!! I am surprised I survived. I am lucky that I have people here and at home that keep my spirts high and always encourage me. To top it all off I am getting all the paper work ready for my Study Abroad experience beginning next fall. So after weeks of classes and 4 final exams I am offically ready to go home and have a relaxing break.

Speaking of break I have some wonderful things planned. I will be traveling to Chicago with my boyfriend to see Chicago! Of course there is the Christmas Eve party at my house with family, Christmas at Grandmas, but this year I have an addition to the line up.. I'll be going to Christmas with the boyfriends family the day after Christmas. Of course I will be working all break at Steak n Shake. I will eat too much food, watch too many movies, sleep in way too much, and not think about school one little bit!

Well with that there is not much else. I need to finish packing, of course no matter how much I double and triple check I'll still forget something, grab food, and hit the road!!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

Finally a break!

So long no post. School and my organizations are keeping me really really busy. I have turned in multiple lesson plans, planned many meeting for my ABBES group, and studied a few to many spanish words. I am improving very slowly in my spanish though, I can now (almost) confidently write 250-300 words in Spanish about a story or stories that were in Spanish and get a B on the test... and to me thats AWESOME! I still need to improve and Studying Abroad will be very helpful. I have been doing very well on my lesson plans as well. Although, I will never have to write as detailed lesson plans again. All of my classes are getting me PUMPED to become a teacher.. only 3 more years to go!

I still try to have a social life while I am here and its going well. My roommate and me get along very well (which of course means that we talk more than we study some days :/) and me and my boyfriend Dan just celebrated one year of being together. I know I always have people to talk to and to distract me from that pesky homework.

But after all of this.. I GET TO GO HOME TODAY!! I am so excited for a break.. although I still have homework to do! I am looking forward to seeing my family and a little excited to work as well. I miss some of my co-workers. It will be nice to get away from all of this here in Macomb and see some other loved ones!

Phonics, Lesson Plans, and Study Abroad Planning OH MY!

Well it is now the middle of the third week of school already! My classes are going well, very busy, but well. I actually am starting to understand quite a bit of my spanish which is exciting. I have my first ever lesson plan due next week which is slightly scary. From there I will have countless more to write and work on for sure. My planner not going to waste this year! Two of my classes also require us to take tests on the material that the students actually take, such as the state capitals (thats later on in the semester) and my Phonics test is a week. I would like to say that I can speak English pretty well, but breaking it down and doing all this Phonics stuff is a little harder. This weekend will be devoted to studying for that.

I have also made a big decision this past week or so... I am going to, cross my fingers for approval, study abroad fro the entire year next school year! I am just beginning the process of figuring it out, but I am finding a lot of people very supportive of my decision and I am getting very excited!!!! I will keep everyone posted on that progress of course!

My clubs are going well, we had the activities fair this past week and I went between both of them, thankfully they were only a table apart.

Well its off to start my day of classes and homework! I'll post again soon.