New and Improved SRJC!

Hola all!
Wow it's been a really long time since I updated...Sky is kicking my butt. But here I am. I have finished, luckily, with my homework a little earlier than expected and I figured that before I go over to the bookstore to get myself a new binder, I would update and tell you all how things are. It's funny to say you all, since I never really know who reads this. For all I know it's me and Skyler just reading each other's posts. Anyways, check out all his posts with all the awesome pictures and the video from Lauren's surprise birthday. All that was super fun and the pics, of course, are awesome. Anyway, I am here, at my school, just basking in the newness of our library. Our library is so awesome! Personally, besides Snoopy (the automated retrieval system), I think our library is way nicer than SSUs. And theirs is really nice, too. The thing I like about them both is the natural lighting and the variety of places to be. Our library certainly surpasses SSU in the amount of computers just available to anyone, though. But SSU has a much richer collection of media and books alike. Obviously since they needed a whole new indexing and retrieval system. But wow. The $45 million put into this is totally worth it. Every time I come in here it is truly packed with people doing work. I always though no body did work! Everyone I talk to is like, "Yeah, I haven't got that much homework." But I seriously am slaving over homework at least 2 or 3 hours a day. And that doesn't include the days I work, in which those 2 or 3 hours is transfered to another day totally 4 or 5 hours. But it's alright because I have a really great resource now. I don't know if any of you had been to the old library here, but let me tell you a little bit about it. That library was openned in 1971, meaning it was designed sometime in the 60s and then finally gotten started in 1969-1970. Now, from what I hear from those days, those were not boring or sad times. But from the look of this hellhole of a library, you could safely assume that NOBODY used it in those days. How could they? There was a total of maybe 8 windows. And they weren't even windows, they were doors that were sealed shut except for emergency exit. Now, when you get in there, with the yellow (yes, not happy flourescent or even white) light, you may have become suicidal without even realizing it. Maybe that's why college became about smoking and drinking: libraries were far too dark and boring and depressing that people needed some way to get happy. You know!? It's absurd. I studied there maybe about ten times last semester, usually right before a chemistry test. I did that too the semester before, again for chemistry. I would try to get a seat by the "window" so that I didn't have to worry about dying before everyone else who couldn't get out should the San Andreas fault decide to shift. Ay. Pretty pessimistic sounding, but still, it's the way it was. It was just way too depressing. But moving on to better things: the new library!
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Things I love about the new library:
1. Four floors of nice, quiet study areas and big spacious tables. (The old library had little partitioned desks that I thought were sorta clausterphobic.)
2. The fantastic lighting and beautiful fixtures. Everything is modern and streamlined. Perfect for the new college student. The freshmen are lucky to not have had only the Plover Library for a year or more.
3. 282 computers! No more, no less. The old library had about 18, if not less. And there were 6 sitting ones and the rest standing. Now they are half and half, and brand new DELLS that don't have shitty monitors with the SRJC Library homepage burnt into the pixels or whatever.
4. Cool architecture. The building inside essentially sprouts out from a central lobby. In each lobby there is a directory telling you where you are and where you can go from there. Even what is on the floor for you. It's ingenious. So, what would you call it, museum-y in an informative and useful way. Not to mention, the outsides still matches the rest of the campus. It's just so nice.
5. Panoramic views of the campus. The windows lining EVERY side of the building give you a birds-eye view of the campus. When you're locked up in one building for the whole semester (like me) you rarely get to see everything. This way I can enjoy the sights and make super good use of my time to get my work done so that I can sleep at night and have a social life.
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You got it right? It's simply (in an english accent) SPECTACULAR. Alright, enough raving about the library. On to my classes! I am currently taking Math 1B, Philosophy 3, Engineering 6, Engineering 25, and Physics 1. Now, math is no easy feat. Second semester calculus is intimidating to say the least. But I do love my engineering classes. Both classes I am the only girl. That is sorta intimidating as well, but at the same time empowering. It makes me feel as though I was the only girl brave enough to get myself out there and doing these things. I have joined the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) through my teacher, so that should be cool. All that is left to do is contact some peeps at Cal Poly so that I can get on track and be there for fall of 2008! It is going to be so exciting. Well, I think that is about all I have to say about that. My other classes are just other classes. Besides, now I gotta get to my personal life. =D Have a great holiday weekend everyone! I'll update again soon! Leave us some comments, we sure love 'em.
~Monique
vvv...Pretty new Library...vvv

Van Huesen Party

The surprise birthday BBQ!

New Photos

IMG_2889.JPG
Originally uploaded by skylerf85.

While I'm gone, check out the photos I've been taking, but have been not getting online till this morning. Have a good week everyone!

After the Workout - Day 3

Sleeping is my topic of choice today. How much sleep do we need and how do you know when your getting enough? I've read dozen of articles over the years and I am never convinenced that someone knows it all when it comes to sleeping. I've heard things that you are supposed to get at least 8 hours of sleep, when your young. I've heard that you enter REM cycles every 90 minutes, so you should set your sleep schedule around that. I did that for a few years in high school and in college. Lately, I've read this great article by Steve Pavlina on Polyphasic sleep. It was were he was awake for 3 hours, then took a 20 minute nap. And he did this for about 5 months. You can read about it on his website. Just incase you don't see, he would be awake 22 hours a "day" and sleep only 2 hours. The guy is much older than me, so it makes me wonder again, how much sleep do we need? I always try to make my sleep time around 6 hours. I saw that, but some nights I sleep in longer. Today is was about 7. Its not because I ever want to get more than 6, but I forget to set my alarm clock and such. Well, just thought I would put that out there. Have a good weekend everyone, and I'll see you tomorrow morning!

After the Workout - Post 2

Welcome back you as well as myself. This morning was the hard morning to get up. But of course, I planned ahead for that. So last night I set 3 different alarms so I was sure that I would get up at the right time. Oh yeah, I get up at 5am. Now that might seem early, but my mom gets up even before that, so I don't think its strange to get up so early. You never feel like a rebel being the second one to do things. Okay, so to the meat of today's subject. Pushing yourself, that's what I wanted to talk about. When I was at the gym I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts when he started to talk about pushing yourself a little. That's when I found that if I kept doing the same thing I was doing, I was going to get anywhere unless I took myself to the next level. Wow, what a concept. Right away, I increased the weight, and went until I failed. Failed as in my muscles wouldn't push the weight anymore and I knew I would start growing. I know that once you push yourself to do something and your body isn't their yet, your body will grow to get to that point. That alone make me feel good knowing that I'll get to where I want to go. As long as I know where I want to go, I'll get there when I get there. It may take me 1 month or 6, but I will get there. Today I have a list of things I need to do, and I'm going to push myself to get them all done today. When I do that, I'll know what my real power is. And from there, I know I can do more and more.

After the Workout - Post 1

Day one of my week long "after the workout" blog posts. This morning, I thought I would talk about things to get people motivated. I talked with Monique yesterday about this, so I thought that other people might be interested in this topic. I like to ask the question, "How much would it take for you to get motivated"? I want to get you to think about that sort of motivation do you think you need to get going doing something. How much money do you need to spent, or how much time to you need to give to get yourself to do something. Since we were talking about exercise, my examples will revolve around that. For you to get motivated about doing a workout or exercise program, ask yourself, what do you really need to get going. Do you need to get a new pair of shoes so that your feet won't hurt, or do you just need a pair a shoes to feel good. Do you need to join a gym so that you feel like you can workout now? Maybe you have other non-material factors that will help you. Does the idea of looking the way you want make you want to get off your butt? For me, I know that the idea of not having to do something again is a bigger motivation than getting something good. As in, I'd rather just do some chore to feel good about not having to do it, as opposed to feeling good about doing it. I use to think this was not the way to think and feel, but I find that as long as I get the thing done, it works. Well, i'll be writing something each morning after I workout. Not that they will be about exercise, but i think exercise is a good metaphor for life. Have a great Thursday everyone!

How is fish's weight that Dora cat can carry?

You don't have to be from a foreign country or understand the language to have a good time. Along with listening to Opeta, I find that other content online and offline is great. Please watching this 10 minute clip from a Japanesse tv program. I was laughing in the library it was so funny. Mostly cause cats are just funny. ;-)