So as my first semester of college life has come to an end, I have to look back at it and consider what I have actually learned. I know I've learned more than just book knowledge, that's for sure. Here's some insight from my perspective as to what college seems to be really about.

For some people, college is a whole new experience and can be either very stressful, or it can be a very enjoyable event in one's life. I, for one, have enjoyed my first semester thus far.

First off, I have learned that grocery shopping sucks. It really does. Knowing how much I need and what I really need was a hard concept to learn. When I first arrived at college, I was going crazy on groceries and buying whatever "looked good" to me. Looks like Wal-Mart does a good job at advertising....oh well.

Secondly, I've learned how to manage my time better. Classes are tough to keep up with if you don't write down everything, and I do mean everything. Papers have this funny way of creeping up on you. Even though the professors, being the intelligent people they are, give me 2 months to complete a paper, I somehow think that I'm smarter and only need one day, or even one night, to complete it. I found out real quick that that's not the way things fly in college.

Lastly, is the topic of relationships. Don't bank on finding that "special" person within the first few months of being at college, it just doesn't happen. Patience is the greatest key to finding that person. Well, it's actually more of them finding you it seems. No matter how hard you try, you aren't going to find the companionship by hitting on everyone you think is "compatible" with you. It gets you nowhere as I've learned from personal experience.

So, I have quite a few semesters ahead of me in college, but hopefully they'll only get more enjoyable from here.

Tree ya.

Labels: Chattanooga, college life, UTC, Wal-Mart

So I know that this is a topic that is probably well covered and has been re-hashed over and over again, but I want to bring it up.

In today's society, college means partying, which HAS to mean alcohol is involved. What happened to the days of going to so and so's birthday party and just hanging out. Nothing mattered when we were younger, why should it now? Yes, I know how prevalent alcohol and many other substances are in college, but why must it automatically be associated with it as soon as the word "party" is mentioned. Also, why must college be all about drinking and making decisions that you'll probably eventually regret?

Even though I've only been here for a week, I've been able to meet enough people to know that alcohol, drugs, sex, and many other things are a common occurrence around here. So, I've been thinking...why? Because it's one of the only ways you can fit in, right? Wrong.

Many of the newer students come here knowing close to no one and one of the only ways to meet new people is to go where there are lots of them, otherwise known as parties. It's obviously not easy enough to strike up a conversation with someone in between classes, or in the lunch line. You have to be inebriated before any conversing can happen, that way you can pretty much act however you want and no one will know any different. It seems to me that that philosophy carries on from year to year in a never ending cycle.

What made me want to write about this is a conversation Tyson and I had with a few girls we met today at lunch. They were telling us about how they weren't "alcoholics" as I claimed they were. So I asked one of them "Well, how often do you drink?" She responded with "Not that much, just probably about every weekend." Yeah, she's an alcoholic, and the first step to recovery is admitting your problems =]

They were both shocked when Tyson and I said we didn't party/drink. It was as if we were some foreign beings, and the fact that we don't drink didn't register in their minds.

Everyone chooses the path that they travel in life, ours happens to be a lot different from most others in college. Oh well, we still have fun.

-Bobby

Labels: alcohol, Bobby DeBarge, college life, generalizations

So, this morning was pretty interesting. Let me just start by saying that Tyson is very prone to injury and will likely get hurt multiple times throughout the course of the year.

After waking up Tyson and I usually just sit there for a moment and wake up slowly. As I looked over I realized that Tyson was now out of his sheets and adjusting them slightly. Then I closed my eyes and I hear the sound of the springs in the bed compressing and being released...a bouncing sound. I look over and Tyson is on his knees bouncing up and down trying to be funny. I find it pretty funny and start to laugh. Right here is where I start to see things going downhill.
As he's bouncing, I notice that the weight of his body is shifting forward and the end of the bed (which is wooden) is near. He is obviously oblivions to this health hazard as he continues to bounce. As he bounces his head, more notably his nose, makes contact with the wonderful wood bed frame that UTC has provided us with.
He proceeds to yell out in pain with words such as "Ow" "Oh wow...that really really hurt" "Gosh dang it, my nose is now bleeding profusely"

It was the perfect way to start the day and is a great memory to remember at the end.

-Bobby

Labels: bed posts, Bobby, Chattanooga, college life, nose bleeds, Tyson