When most people think of spring break they think about crazy vacations with their friends. But for me this was hardly the case. I knew my break wasn't going to be anything special, but at that point it didn't matter. I needed to get out of Salem. The two weeks before break were hell between papers and midterms. I just needed a break.
To start every single one of my friends was on break the week before I was. So that alone pretty much killed it. Not to mention if our breaks follow that schedule for the next three years I will never be able to go on "spring break" with my friends from home. This year I didn't see it as that big of a deal because I at least got to see them for a weekend. And I didn't mind not going on vacation because when I get out of school I am going to Mexico with my family and my best friend.
So because I knew that I wouldn't really be doing anything I decided to just work. Because when I work I literally don't do anything for the rest of the day. Its a full time job that I have to wake up at 5 for and its manual labor, which I love but its exhausting. So I figured I could either make $300 or sit on the couch everyday and eat. Basically my entire break consisted of work, which I guess isn't such a bad thing.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
No guest privleges!
I live in Bowditch, but all of my friends live in Peabody which is where I spend most of my time. On a typical day I probably get signed in there at least four times. I have tried to move in on a number of occasions, but unfortunately it never worked out. It is so annoying to have to sign in and out that much. All of the people at the desk know me by name, know which two rooms I go to, and the names of my friends. Its also annoying to have to have to walk back at night in the freezing cold.
So last week someone decided to try to burn down the two buildings. Someone in both Bowditch and Peabody lit posters and bulletin boards on fire. The punishment, for everyone, no guest privileges! This is the absolute worst thing they could do. Because not only can you not sign in to either place, but you also can't have anyone up on weekends or anything. This is pure torture.
I have heard rumors that this might last until the end of the semester. I honestly don't know what I will do if this happens. Whoever did that is stupid, but I don’t think that everyone in the two buildings should be penalized. The way its supposed to go is that we’ll get them back when someone confesses. But who is going to confess to arson?
So last week someone decided to try to burn down the two buildings. Someone in both Bowditch and Peabody lit posters and bulletin boards on fire. The punishment, for everyone, no guest privileges! This is the absolute worst thing they could do. Because not only can you not sign in to either place, but you also can't have anyone up on weekends or anything. This is pure torture.
I have heard rumors that this might last until the end of the semester. I honestly don't know what I will do if this happens. Whoever did that is stupid, but I don’t think that everyone in the two buildings should be penalized. The way its supposed to go is that we’ll get them back when someone confesses. But who is going to confess to arson?
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Off Campus
Being on campus 24-7 could drive someone crazy. People stay every weekend, and I don't know how they do it. Not to mention that freshmen aren't even allowed to have cars on campus. So what are freshmen supposed to do? There are certain places that you can go that are within walking distance, but when its 10 degrees out who really wants to walk anywhere? There is transportation that the school provides which is the downtown shuttle. But no one really knows how this works. I've heard it runs every hour, but if you need to go to CVS to pick something up do you need to wait another hour to get picked up? Then there is always the dreaded bus. It took a lot of convincing to make my friends take the bus with me. Because other than having your own car it is the easiest way to get around.
Staying on campus all day everyday kind of gives me the feeling of spring fever. I think about places that I can go off campus, such as the mall, a restaurant, or even Boston and I get that anxious feeling just like you get spring fever. You are stuck inside all winter, and the only time you go outside in the freezing cold is when you have to go somewhere. So that feeling of being outside in the warm spring weather is well worth the three month winter wait. But I think the feeling of staying on campus is even worse than that. The dorms are tiny and stuffy, the food is terrible, and seeing the same buildings and faces everyday gets really boring.
Even if freshman were allowed to have cars on campus its a pain because there is never anywhere to park. Granted a car gives you an escape. But I don't know how people afford it. College is expensive enough, but then you have to make car payments, pay insurance and for gas. How do people do it? Next year I still won't have a car, unless I get a job because I will need to buy a new car. My car at home that my sister has been using died this week.
My friends and I try to get off campus as much as possible. But it isn't always that simple. It is a special occasion whenever we can leave Salem during the week. It is a treat, even if we are just going to Target to pick up some shampoo.
Staying on campus all day everyday kind of gives me the feeling of spring fever. I think about places that I can go off campus, such as the mall, a restaurant, or even Boston and I get that anxious feeling just like you get spring fever. You are stuck inside all winter, and the only time you go outside in the freezing cold is when you have to go somewhere. So that feeling of being outside in the warm spring weather is well worth the three month winter wait. But I think the feeling of staying on campus is even worse than that. The dorms are tiny and stuffy, the food is terrible, and seeing the same buildings and faces everyday gets really boring.
Even if freshman were allowed to have cars on campus its a pain because there is never anywhere to park. Granted a car gives you an escape. But I don't know how people afford it. College is expensive enough, but then you have to make car payments, pay insurance and for gas. How do people do it? Next year I still won't have a car, unless I get a job because I will need to buy a new car. My car at home that my sister has been using died this week.
My friends and I try to get off campus as much as possible. But it isn't always that simple. It is a special occasion whenever we can leave Salem during the week. It is a treat, even if we are just going to Target to pick up some shampoo.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Always Sick
Being sick is never fun. But when your at school away from home it only makes it worse. Last week I started to feel sick on Friday. Being sick is pretty much the story of my life. I get sick more than anyone I know. Whenever there is something going around I get it every single time. It never fails. So I could feel it coming on, and I decided to play soccer on Sunday anyways. Not a good idea.
When I got back to school on Monday it only got worse. When I get sick I always get a little bit of everything. It started out with a cough, then a sore throat and fever, and finally got to my sinuses. I missed at least one class everyday that week. Sitting through class coughing irritates not only myself but everyone else around me.
It was getting pretty bad, and since the dorms are so stuffy I decided to go home for the night on Wednesday to see if that would help at all. For as sick as I get and how often it happens I HATE going to the doctors. But when I got back I decided it was finally time to go to health services. Enough was enough, I was only getting worse and I was missing too much work.
Health services was actually pretty helpful. They gave me a prescription, but I don't have a car so it was a pain to get filled. That medicine helped my sinuses, but my cough continued so my mom made me go to my doctor who 'knows my history.' So after getting more medicine I am still sick. Nothing ever helps. I just have to wait it out like always.
When I got back to school on Monday it only got worse. When I get sick I always get a little bit of everything. It started out with a cough, then a sore throat and fever, and finally got to my sinuses. I missed at least one class everyday that week. Sitting through class coughing irritates not only myself but everyone else around me.
It was getting pretty bad, and since the dorms are so stuffy I decided to go home for the night on Wednesday to see if that would help at all. For as sick as I get and how often it happens I HATE going to the doctors. But when I got back I decided it was finally time to go to health services. Enough was enough, I was only getting worse and I was missing too much work.
Health services was actually pretty helpful. They gave me a prescription, but I don't have a car so it was a pain to get filled. That medicine helped my sinuses, but my cough continued so my mom made me go to my doctor who 'knows my history.' So after getting more medicine I am still sick. Nothing ever helps. I just have to wait it out like always.
Deposit
Last week housing deposits were due. Its simple, if you don't pay by the deadline you don't get housing. The cut off was February 11th at 5:00. So not knowing what I am going to do next year I panicked when I woke up that morning. I didn't pay yet, nor did I have $225 to pay. I had no idea what to do.I know that I don't want to stay at Salem, there is nothing great that is keeping me here. But I don't really have any other options right now. Going into college I didn't really look around enough, and now I'm trying to do it again and its still not working.
Recently I got a call from my best friend who goes to Fitchburg. She wants to transfer down to a school in Florida and wants me to go with her! How is that an offer that anyone could pass up? Florida is where I have wanted to go for a long time. Its actually where I want to move when I graduate. I am just too scared right now to leave my friends and family behind. So as appealing as that idea sounds to me right now is just not the right time.
So where does that leave me? I have no idea. I ended up running to an ATM that morning to take out the money. If I didn't pay the deposit and didn't find another school to go to I was screwed for next year. So I just payed it. I'm still going to look around at other schools, even though I have none in mind right now. We'll see what happens.
Recently I got a call from my best friend who goes to Fitchburg. She wants to transfer down to a school in Florida and wants me to go with her! How is that an offer that anyone could pass up? Florida is where I have wanted to go for a long time. Its actually where I want to move when I graduate. I am just too scared right now to leave my friends and family behind. So as appealing as that idea sounds to me right now is just not the right time.
So where does that leave me? I have no idea. I ended up running to an ATM that morning to take out the money. If I didn't pay the deposit and didn't find another school to go to I was screwed for next year. So I just payed it. I'm still going to look around at other schools, even though I have none in mind right now. We'll see what happens.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
FOOD
It is no surprise that cafeteria food doesn't taste good. But unfortunately freshmen have no kitchen, and are required to buy the full meal plan. With that you get 2 meals a day in the downstairs dining hall, where nothing is good except the stir fry and that is if you feel like waiting in line for an hour to get it. Then you get $200 for upstairs and south which barely lasts me the whole semester. But at least that comes close to being real food. And the 75 flex dollars last me all of about two weeks.I have a bad addiction to White Dove. Everything there is so good, and I am guilty of going there at least once a day. Jade House is something my friends and I cannot stay away from, and usually go there once a week. So there goes all that money. And that is not even mentioning going to restaurants.As bad as it sounds eating food is one of my passions. Therefore I cannot live off of cafeteria food, which unfortunately leads to hundreds of dollars a semester being spent on going out to eat. I think Salem State should either make a better system for the clipper cards, or get real food in the dining hall. Because that is the only place you don't have to spend any extra money. And what college student has that kind of money to be spending on food? So because of the forced meal plan I end up wasting over $1,000 a semester for "food" that I don't even eat.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Biography
My name is Taylor. I am a criminal justice major at Salem State College. I am from Haverhill, Ma. Playing sports is my favorite thing to do. Soccer is my passion, and i still play it whenever I can. Even though I hate the snow I do love to go skiing and snowboarding. When I buy my own house I hope to get far away from New England, to go to warmer weather. I have two cats, Tommy and Mittens who are like my kids. I love animals, and hopefully I can work with them someday, even if its through volunteer work. I also like to watch tv, probably too much.
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