Bad news is, it’s midterms week. Good news is, it’s spring break in two days. Couldn’t be better timing either. I think it’s easier to really buckle down and study when you know there’s break around the corner. I’m planning on going on a camping trip in NC with the Outdoor Club which includes white water rafting, massive zip-lining, backpacking, and overall relaxing. For one of the days, a friend and I have planned to sit out in boats in a lake with coolers of food and fishing poles to spend the entire day doing as little as possible. It’s hard to explain, but I feel like I enjoy the things I normally enjoy more when I have been working hard.

When I’m studying I try to make sure that I have time to exhale before starting on something else. Pre-med is probably the most competitive field in America, and I can see that on the faces of my fellow bio students. That’s why we try to plan to relax as well as planning to work. As you may know, I’m on the disk team and do a bunch of intermural sports as well. I know that the best way to succeed is to enjoy yourself while you’re working, and the school knows this too. That’s why clubs and sports are so well taken care of here. They know that if the students are happy, they will do better in everything else. They say learning goes outside of the classroom. It’s true. It follows you everywhere you go. And with that said, I must go back to studying Diels Alder reactions and benzene aromaticity.

Junior year is tough. Luckily, Alfred is a good enviroment for working hard. But let’s not forget that we are teenagers; we need to have fun every once and a while in order to work hard. This is the year we will be looked at under a microscope when applying to grad schools/professional schools so it’s important to have a good image. This goes beyond doing well in classes. Being a bio student who will be applying to med schools I know that it takes more than grades to stand out in the workplace or on an application. Luckily we have plenty of programs to be active in outside of our normal schedules. If you have been reading my blog, you know I’m part of the Disk Team and a tour guide. I am also an active member in Outdoor Club and vice president of Technical Glass Club. When I’m not spending the weekend camping or doing some Outdoor Club activity, I am blowing glass or going to a Disk tournament. I spent last weekend in Allegany State Park camping in cabins with the Outdoor Club. We did some sledding, cooking, and cross country skiing. I had enver cross country skiied before, but it was surprisingly easy, a great workout and unbeleivably fun. That’s me in the brown coat and hat with the bright red poles. We packed up food and water, split into groups depending on our skill and spent the entire day on the trails. If you have never cross country skiied. My group started off on some of the easier trails but we were up to the more difficult hills by the end of the day. A lot of the budget for these trips comes from the university and past Outdoor Club members donations, so the entire trip cost each person a whopping $10, which includes gas, food, rental, cabins, and supplies. This oppourtunity is open to any of our students man enough to camp outdoors in February. This trip was 14 undergrad students, a graduate engineer, and a chemistry professor. Some of the most fun of going on these trips is spending one on one time with faculty of Alfred.

Enrolling in college is more than studying your major, it’s transitioning into becoming a successful adult. Schools look for people who aren’t afraid to lock up their schedule doing the things they enjoy, and Alfred is a great place to do this.