End-of-year reflection (MY way)

It's almost New Year's Eve. I could be all whiny, and quiet, and reflective. Or...I could do this...

What I wish I'd known my first semester of college

All-nighters = BAD IDEA. I can't stress this enough. If you have a test in the morning, for God's sake go to sleep. You won't do any better on the test, I guarantee it. You'll be a groggy idiot who can't remember the answers. The only situation in which all-nighters potentially work is when you have a big project due the next day...but ONLY if you don't have tests or important in-class exercises in any of your other classes that day, or you'll be--you got it--a groggy idiot who can't remember the answers. Even if you're a total night owl like me, aim for AT LEAST six hours a night. It's worth it, I swear.

Better solution: Study in advance. What I found worked for me was to start studying about a week before the test (if it's a subject you're having a hard time with, add time; if it's a really easy class or a subject that comes naturally to you, feel free to subtract a day or two). If you've got a big project coming up, start thinking about it the day that it's assigned--don't wait until the last minute; teachers can almost always tell the difference between a paper written at four A.M. the day it's due and a paper that was started three or four weeks ago.

Do not skip meals. I learned this the hard way. What happens when you don't eat (or eat nothing but chocolate or chips) all day, and then suddenly eat a big dinner? DISASTER, that's what. Once I actually threw up because of this...and what's worse than throwing up right after your grade-making (or potentially grade-killing) Spanish test? Getting a crappy grade on that test because you've spent the entire hour trying not to throw up.

Better solution: Everyone says, "Don't keep food in your room," but actually, you should. Here's the trick: Don't keep Pop-Tarts. Keep apples, granola bars, Go-Gurt, those little 100-calorie snack bags...anything that you can grab as you're running out the door. And if you have literally nothing in your room and absolutely MUST go to the dining hall? DO IT. Think of it this way: 5 minutes late to class vs. night/day of feeling nauseous and ten minutes of barfing. Which would you rather do?

Don't ignore the people in your morning classes. I know, I know. It's early. You have morning breath. You're wearing your pants inside-out. You forgot your homework. The last thing you want to do is socialize. Believe me, I've been there. (It's even MORE "fun" when the guy right next to you is ridiculously cute...yeah, that happened to me.) But guess what? If you skimp on the socializing, or even just the small talk, you're going to miss out on some very valuable allies.

Better solution: Talk to the people in your morning classes. Make small talk--a simple "Nice t-shirt" can work wonders. Ask to borrow a pencil, even if you already have one--it can be a good lead-in to another conversation. Don't be nosy, but if you ask about someone's test grade and it turns out they got an A and you got a C, ask if you can study together for the next one. In short: make friends with the people in your class. You'll be thankful for it later, when you're sick and need someone to drop off an assignment or get notes for you.

Never, EVER try to cheat. One of my friends got in massive trouble and almost didn't get to take her final because she was caught cheating. When I say "cheating," I don't mean sneaking looks at your friend's paper. (The teachers will be prepared for that anyway, and either take preventive measures or catch you faster than you can say "failed exam.") I mean hanging around outside the exam room and asking the people who come out what questions were on the test. I mean looking at an upperclassman's test from the semester or year before (in the event that the teacher gives the same test every year). I mean writing answers on a rubber band or on the back of your pencil case...you get the idea.

Better solution: Don't cheat. Just don't do it. I don't cheat, but I know a lot of people who think it's a perfect substitute for studying. Ask to study with a friend. Start studying in advance, so you don't have to cram. And take notes! Take LOTS of notes. Take lots of ORGANIZED notes. Don't just write down a few words and underline them. Date your notes, color-code your notes, and use those little divider things. Study, study, STUDY! And if you don't study (for whatever reason), still don't cheat. It's not worth getting suspended or not getting credit for that class. The way I see it, a 60 on a test is better than a 0 in a class.

DON'T MISS ASSIGNMENTS. Just don't. Even if you're sick. Even if you have to rush off to a study-abroad meeting at the exact same time as your class (yes, this happened to me). Even if you have ten other assignments due that week. Yes, even if it means missing Glee. I had to learn the hard way that missing even one or two assignments--especially if you don't have 100% on everything else in the class--can have serious repercussions on your grade. I got a B+ in a class I should've had an A in because I missed two three-point assignments.

Better solution: Try--yes, really try--to keep up with those little assignments. You know, those things you think you can skip because they won't damage your grade? Here's a tip: THEYCAN HURT YOUR GRADE. Like, a lot. For these, it's totally okay to watch TV or listen to music at the same time (as opposed to studying for a test, where you'd damn well better not be trying to multitask)--whatever it takes to get you to do them. And for those times when you have four massive projects due for each of your classes, and you think it's better to "prioritize" and do a great job on one and not turn in any of the others, do all four of them anyway. It's better to get a mediocre grade on something than not get a grade on it at all.

Partying is soooo not worth it. I love how everyone thinks that once you get to college, you can just get loaded or get stoned without consequence. Here's the truth, darlings: NO. That does not happen. Here's what does happen: 1) You go to a party. 2) It's lame, so you leave. 3) The next morning, there's puke in your shower and used condoms all over the floor in your lounge. Ew. OR: 1) You go to a party, 2) you get wasted, and 3) you fail all your tests/quizzes or forget to turn in your assignments/go to class the next day. Yeah. Either way, you lose.

Better solution: Okay, okay. I know this is incredibly lame, but here's what I do: Join clubs. The big thing for me right now is InterVarsity Christian Fellowship--but please don't think that all we do there is pray and read the Bible; we have pizza parties, game/movie nights, girls' nights out, trick-or-treating, Wednesday Night Worship, all kinds of stuff. And for the record, I have a blast hanging out with my IVCF friends. You don't have to be Christian (though I have met people who think you do), you just have to know that there are better ways to have a good time than getting so plastered you can't remember your own name.

Doing your homework is more important than reading IndieWIRE. (Or checking your Facebook, or going on YouTube, or playing Disney games, or online shopping...whatever your procrastination activity of choice may be.) I learned this the hard way, too. And it's so funny how "just five minutes" can turn into three hours, am I right? And then next thing you know, you have half an hour to complete an important assignment, or study for a test that could make or break your grade.

Better solution: Don't leave work off until you have to cram for a test or do a project an hour before it's due. My latest discovery: If you work for thirty minutes and then break for ten or fifteen, it's much easier because you're not forcing your brain to work like a servant for hours on end. (Just make sure your work time is longer than your break time. And no, that does not mean working for 30 minutes and breaking for 29.)

Your professors are not out to get you. But it's also not going to be like Interlochen (or any high school, really), where you bond with a lot of your teachers right off the bat. There will be teachers you will not love. There will be teachers who you do love, but who aren't that impressed by you. Here's what you do not ever do: Alienate your teachers right off the bat. This includes mouthing off, texting in class, sending e-mails that LOOK like a text message, or (worst of all) doing all of the above.

Better solution: Don't kiss up, but please, for the love of all that's holy, TRY to bond with your teachers. Participate in class. Doing your homework is important, yes, but raise your hand, ask questions, say (intelligent) things about the assignments. And God help you if you sleep through class (yes, that actually happened to me once) or, even worse, fall asleep in class. (Do you even have to ask?)

So, all that practical advice aside, here are my favorite, FUN lessons from my first semester of college:

1. Egg salad wrap after day of not eating + a truckton of Christmas candy + trouble sleeping + Nutcracker score + friend knocking on your door to give you a Christmas present + long, LONG weekend of studying ahead of you = perfect excuse to go and have a two-person dance party with your hallmate at five-thirty AM in the building where half your classes are held.
2. Tony the Tiger can waltz into your cafeteria whenever the hell he feels like it, and this will provide infinite laughs for you and your classmates.
3. It IS possible for you to meet three film majors named Pat, all of them male, all of them two years older than you, within two years. I'm seeing a trend here...
4. Riding a scooter to church is ONLY a good idea if Daylight Savings Time has NOT ended yet.
5. College students will eat pizza anywhere, anytime, regardless of who makes it.
6. Getting tackled by a very small Irish girl with a very loud voice is very, very painful. Particularly when it is on a non-carpeted floor.
7. The fire alarm will go off when it feels like it, regardless of whether or not there is an actual fire.
8. The night that you have a midterm to study for will be the only night that your hallmates feel the need to throw a party right down the hall from your room (a.k.a., your favorite place to study).
9. Michigan is colder than Maryland. It's easy to forget these things when you haven't been in Michigan for three months.
10. Your dorm room will never, ever be the temperature you want it to be. You have two choices: 1) Incubator, 2) Refrigerator. You cannot win.
11. Question: What is the correct time to dance barefoot in the quad? Answer: During a thunderstorm, of course!
12. That random chick with the manatee necklace, who you just so happen to meet when she stands behind you in line at the student store, can and probably will turn out to be one of the best friends you have ever had.
13. McDaniel Campus may or may not have the largest population of Monty Python fans of any campus in the USA. Research is still being conducted.
14. Having family in the state is amazing...especially when that family involves a political writer uncle, an aunt whose personality closely resembles that of Lorelai Gilmore, and a cousin who owns three dogs that are so hyper that you think they may actually be related to Stitch.
15. That guy you loved in high school, who you swore was unique in every possible way? Yeah...he has a sixteen-year-old counterpart: a freshman physics major who will actually sit at the dinner table and complain because he won't have a PhD by the time he's twenty-one years old. No, before you even ask, I am NOT making this up. Such a person does exist. And no matter how smart you think you are, you will rethink your own intelligence after spending five minutes with this kid. And he will make you laugh. Hard.
16. Audition for Vagina Monologues. Just do it. You will feel like an idiot, but I'm telling you, it is sooooo worth it.
17. People do not feel the need to go to bed at normal hours. I don't care how late you're up, there will ALWAYS be someone else who is awake.
18. Harry Potter fans are just as rabid in college as they are in high school.
19. The Philosophy Club is the coolest club on campus, because they wear glow-stick underwear and hold dances outside and sit on rock waterfalls in meetings and randomly text you and make Inception references at just the right moments.
20. Best part of all: All those crazy, weird, stupid-as-hell things you did in high school, that you thought would have to end in college? Wearing cloches and long skirts for the hell of it, and dancing in the pouring rain, and staying up all night just because you want to see the sunrise, and watching RENT instead of going to a party, and reading Cyrano de Bergerac for the 100th time, and cuddling with your guy friends, and acting like a four-year-old with your guy friends, and just generally being crazy with your guy friends, and calling your girl friends at two AM because you think you might be in love with one of your guy friends? Guess what?

You can still do them.

Always.

Always, always, always.

Happy New Year, fellow beatniks.

Vive la résistance, forever and ever.

Look How Far We've Come...

Last summer, before entering my senior year, I wrote a post about how I felt before and after high school...without actually having left high school. Good going, Beatnik Belle. So I realized when I sat down to write this post that I had already said much of what I wanted to say, about how I've changed and how I've seen things changing around me. So what the hell am I supposed to write about?

I remember back at the beginning of the school year, how excited I was to be a senior until I realized that roughly 70% of my friends had scattered off to college. As I told my friend Miles, an underclassman, "The first week you come back, you'll miss everyone and you won't want to talk to any of the newbies; you'll just cling to the people you know. The second week, you'll start to make new friends and start to forget the graduates, and by the third week you'll have a whole new crew of people who you love as much as, if not more than, the people who left." That's so true--but now I'm worried that my underclassman friends will forget me, just like I was worried that my graduating friends would forget me last year. (For the record, they didn't. Not the truly amazing ones, anyway--you know who you are. <3)

Interlochen underclassmen, if any of you read this, here is something that you need to know, right now, depressing as it is: You will not retain every single friend you make at this school. Out of everyone you meet here, there will perhaps be a few people--a few really amazing people--who you will be friends with after you graduate or after they graduate. But here's the good news: After awhile, you won't miss them as much, because the people you really love will be the ones who stick with you, and who you will want to stick with. (Yes, I KNOW that sentence was not grammatically correct. Give me a break, I'm trying to pack, burn DVDs, write letters, and blog all at the same time here.)

There are people at this school who I love, there are people who I like, people who I dislike, people who I couldn't live without, and people who I wish would fall into the nearest active volcano. I will remember them all--but who knows how many will actually stay in contact? Only time will tell...but I've got a feeling I know who I will never let go.

And the amazing thing is...I graduated yesterday. I actually graduated high school yesterday. Wow. Isn't this where I'm supposed to freak out about college and growing up and leaving home and getting a job? Because that hasn't happened yet...

I expected that I'd spend the entire day crying my eyes out. Didn't happen. I teared up a bit during the ceremony--one of the advantages of being at the back of the alphabet is that you get to watch all your friends get their diplomas first--but other than that my eyes stayed dry. For the most part, I was just freaking happy. I don't think I stopped smiling the entire day, even when I got teary-eyed during the commencement ceremony...I was just like, "Holy crap, I actually did it!" the entire day. I took about a thousand pictures. Didn't get a picture with everyone, unfortunately, but most of the friends I didn't get pictures with I already have pictures of (just pretend that sentence made sense, ok?), so that's not a tragedy. The important thing is, I have pictures of my best friends (you know who you are, and if you don't, you'll figure it out really fast...), so I'm good.

I spent the last night before graduation pretty much freaking the f-word out. I didn't get recognized in any way during Honors Convocation, so I wasn't too happy about that, and I freaked out over that, but recovered pretty quickly and went to the reception--for all of about five minutes--with Isaac and Morgan. My entire family had come up to see Festival, but they left after Convocation so I could spend one more night with my friends. There was a dance, which we ended up not going to; instead we shot the last scene of What's Left of You (thank you, Alex and Annie!) and then spent the half-hour or so before sign-in writing "Vive la résistance!" in rocks on the Osterlin mall...which was pretty epic...and then I went and cleaned the lobby in DeRoy. Fun.

Graduation day, I woke up at too-freakin'-early 0'clock to shower, do my hair, pack, and get everything ready before lining up in the concourse at 9:05 (of course I was late), so we could process at 9:30. It didn't feel like I was graduating; it felt like a dress rehearsal. It was only when my aunt popped out and started taking rolls of pictures that I realized, "Holy crap, this is real!"

I had Pomp and Circumstance stuck in my head for the remainder of the day, but other than that, graduation was epic. Like I said, I took about a few thousand photos, then I went and had lunch with my family (no more Stone food = HELL YEAH). After that it was off to my room to finish packing, with the assistance of my aunt, cousin, and parents (sorry guys), and THEN it was time to go home.

I posted on FaceBook today, "'Isn't it so weird to be home?' Well, no, it's not being home that's weird, it's knowing that I'm not going back to Interlochen when I leave." And that pretty much sums it up. This fall I'm going to McDaniel, and who knows what'll happen there?

There are some truly incredible people who I have to thank right now, for the amazing experiences I have had this year and for their help in making my last year of high school my best, and there are some senior year stories that I'd like to share with you. This is going to be another extremely personal (and probably waaay too long) blog post...so please bear with me, I promise the next one will be more fun, upbeat, and contain more stolen dialogue and Ben Busch quotes.

First off...my amazing parents. Mom and Dad...Wow. Wow, wow, wow. You did it. You let me go, you let me grow up. I know it's been hard on you guys for the last couple of years, with me getting progressively closer to adulthood, but you have held up so well. You were there with me every step of the way, helping with college apps and SAT prep, showing me new ways to get where I needed to go, and providing much-needed kicks in the butt every now and then. I love you so much and can't wait to spend the summer with you. Thank you, a million times, for everything you have done for me, both for these last two years and my entire life. <3

My best friend, Isaac...Yes, I know I say this way too much, but I honestly don't know how I would have made it through the year without you. Whether it was physics homework, unnecessary drama, Dead Poet stunts or a film shoot, you were right there every time I needed you. Thank you so much for being there for me all year, you have no idea how grateful I am for your friendship.

Travis...Oh my God. Oh my freaking God, where would I be without you? To say that you kicked ass this year would be an understatement of breathtaking proportions. You made my senior thesis brilliant and gave me a long-overdue wake-up call. You gave me a chance that I would not have had otherwise. Most importantly you were my friend, you were not just a collaborator who disappeared as soon as the shoot was over. Thank you so much for your time and your friendship, you made my senior year ten times better than it would have been.

Elizabeth...Holy crud muffins, it can't be the end of our amazing reign as Hottest Roommates already! I have never had a roommate like you before. No one has ever challenged me, confronted me, made me think as much as you have. With someone as blunt--but well-meaning and kind--as you as my roommate, I couldn't wallow--thank you for not enabling me. You have made me a stronger person, I have learned so much from you, and I will miss you like crazy next year. Thank you for being a great roommate and, more importantly, a great friend. <3

Mishka and Gustavo...Holy crud muffins, I love you both more than you can imagine. I was so afraid that I wouldn't see you back here for senior year--I have never been so happy to be wrong in all my life. You were the first true friends I made at IAA and I will never forget meeting you at that bonfire (talking about playwriting with Gus and stupid American boys with Mishka). I love our craziness and our adventures, but more importantly I love how close we are, how we can be insane with each other and not worry about image. Thank you for teaching me how to embrace my inner starving artist. VIVE LA RESISTANCE! <3

Morgan...You came just in the nick of time. Second-semester Physics would have trampled me had you not been there to remind me to lighten the f#$% up. Our inside joke list just keeps growing ("It takes less energy to jump over a two-meter hurdle...") and I want to keep it that way. Thank you for showing up when you did, for being an amazing friend, and for being the brilliant, hilarious person that you are. And when your hardest classes get you down next year, just remember...FMGWAC! ;)

Jamie...Yeah, it's me again. You keep saying you didn't do much--you don't know how untrue that is. You gave me a chance this year even after seeing me screw up last year. You saved my ass multiple times on both my junior and senior thesis shoots. You have no idea how much I look up to you. I have so much respect for you as both an MPA and a person. Thank you for all of your help this year, and keep up the amazingness at Arts Center and wherever you go from there.

Emily H-C...I didn't know you last year, and it turns out that I was really missing out. If there is a person who embodies "Vive la resistance," it's you. You are an individual. You are your own person and have no time for anyone who doesn't appreciate that. I will miss your wit, your perspective, and your bow ties. Thank you for letting me be one of your many partners-in-crime this year...and please, for the love of all that's holy, keep up that resistance!

Thomas...Wow. Holy crud muffins, OMG, Jesus H. Christ, all those other lovely things I say when I can't believe something's happening...and this time I can't believe how incredibly close we became in such a short period of time. Every single moment was epic--from Halloween to Holiday Dinner to MORP, from our college app nights to random dinner conversations to those nighttime walks with the Death Trap. Have fun in college, my spirit twin, I will miss you. <3

Miles...You are definitely my favorite caucasian MPA freshman day student. You were a brilliant art director and more importantly a brilliant friend. You listened to my tearful rants and were amazingly patient with both my crazy family and my incessant need for picture-taking (how many photos of you do I have now, exactly?), you knew what to say and when to say it and when to just shut up and let me whine. Thank you for being there when I needed you, and for helping to make my senior thesis beautiful.

Sheridan, Erin, Siddhartha, Harry, and Rowen...The most incredible cast I could have asked for. I loved working with you all so much and I'm so happy that we "clicked" the way we did. It was a weird, random cast (four theater majors and an MPA? whoa...) but we made it work, and I am so glad we did. Thank you so much, all of you, for doing such an amazing job and making my movie memorable.

Dani, Rachel, and Preston...Thank you for the music, the weirdness, the inside jokes, the randomness, the epicness, the smiles/laughs/awkward nervous giggles, and the overall awesomeness. I feel so lucky to have known and worked with you, thank you so much for sharing your talents and giving my film the "kick" it needed from your music.

Danny Daneau and Andy Hiss, my editing/directing teachers...There were so many times I felt like giving up this year. No, I was beyond giving up. I was at the just-throw-this-f**ker-in-the-trash phase with my thesis at multiple stages--you wouldn't let me do it. You said, "No, you're going to finish this film, and it is going to be amazing." From the first time I brought in my idea to the first screening, you were right there behind me, giving me that "What do you think you're doing?" look when I turned around, ready to give up. Thank you for not letting me stop until I succeeded.

Aaron...MPA Trifecta, indeed. When I tagged along you were always there to let me in. When I needed a production designer you were the first--and only--volunteer. When I screwed up, got kicked out of a production, needed a shoulder to cry on, needed a job to do, wanted out, wanted to leave the department, you were there with a hug and some distracting wordplay. Thank you for being my friend, colleague, and classmate...and for just being an amazing person.

Alex and Annie...I needed actors and you jumped at the chance. What's Left of You was an underground production with no budget, no backing, no assistance of any kind; any other actor would have given me a "What are you, on crack?" look, but not you two. You said, "When can we start?" Right up until the very last night of school--we shot the night before we graduated, for Pete's sake!--you were there, you were ready. Thank you so much for being part of my production, I literally could not have done it without you.

Mary-Carole...You are definitely much more than a study-party mate. Video games, fanfiction, watercolors, ranting, food service stalling, randomness, dance workout mocking...there was never a dull moment when we were hanging out. This year would have been incredibly boring without our chill-out sessions in DeRoy. Thanks for spicing up my year, I'm going to miss our dorm parties. Have fun next year starting your own resistance! :)

Krista T., my fellow Michigander...Every dance with you was my favorite, from the 90s dance to MORP. I have to say, you voice majors certainly know how to party ;) I'm incredibly lucky to have a friend like you, someone who knows how to have fun, someone who is up for anything (someone who didn't rat certain resistance members for their random activities...). You made my senior year special. I will miss you so much next year. YOU BETTER COME OVER THIS SUMMER, MISSY. <3

Finally, every single one of my friends from this year and last year--Leyla F., Keaton M., Connor E., Ethan C., Jeff K., Sarah B. and Anne C. (my suitemates!!), Josh A., Seneca S., Tressa G., Mick S., Theo E., Sam K., Michael M., Jess N., Danny R., Kylie C., Hannah F., Ruth and Rachel, Emily D., Sarah P., Mike H., Heidi and Camille, Wisty A., Ellie G., Mida C., Marco Z., Gus P., Johnny S., Ariel F., Lena J., Kelly C., Niki A., Colin C., Bonnie B., Annie G., Nic W., Geoffrey W., Pippa A., Rigo E., Nicole A., Zac C., Andrew W., and Julia H.; and anyone else who I may have (unintentionally) forgotten. I love you all and I will miss you so much, thank you for making my Interlochen experience incredible and memorable.

I've been home now for over 24 hours. I have cuddled with my parents (yes, I KNOW I'm technically too old to do that, but screw it, I might be a legal adult but I'm still their kid), gone grocery shopping, watched an amazing movie called Get Low (which everyone should see because it's brilliant), gone photo-crazy on FaceBook, gone through some McDaniel College stuff, gotten some mail, laughed hysterically over a friend's first-ever FaceBook status (because that's what you do when you love someone), edited some of my movie, done some laundry, and made another unsuccessful attempt to burn DVDs. (As always, it's Technology: 100, Beatnik Belle: 0. But it WILL happen. I swear, I WILL make those stupid DVDs work.)

And I've also made an executive decision concerning my blog, which includes good news and bad news.

The bad news: I will not start another blog now that I've graduated.

...

...

...

The good news?

I'm continuing this one.

Why? Here's why: In plain English, I freaking love this blog. I'm not ready to sever my connection to Interlochen yet--flawed as it is, it's still one of the places I've come from and I don't care how many bumps I've run over along the way, I'm proud of that. And who knows, maybe in a few decades, I'll be sending my kids to Interlochen...who could tell? The point is, I'm not letting go of The Bubble just yet. I'm just not ready. And so, Alien Water Torture will continue.

Here's what this means, though--I'm going to get a bit more serious in terms of what I post. I'm going to start putting myself out here, because, hey, I've got people in freaking China following this blog, why not use that to my advantage. I can use this blog to promote the films I've made, the films and music my friends have made, the amazing artists I know (hence the Artist as Badass posts that ARE going to continue *crosses fingers*), and that's exactly what I'm going to do.

So hold on, AWT readers. We're going for a wild ride. I'm going to freaking college! I'm going into the world, and I'm taking you with me.

VIVE LA RÉSISTANCE!