When Enough Isn't Enough

I don't know if you've noticed by now, but I LOVE to learn about interesting little things I've never thought about. Have you ever thought about how a clock works, or whether or not your life is just a dream within a dream?

In fact, during high school, I founded a philosophy club so I could discuss these things with people. It was also intended to stimulate students to ask deep and difficult questions. Getting people excited about learning, and thinking and discussing with them proved to be very rewarding!

In addition to holding themed discussions (once the discussion was about the movie Inception!), we also got in touch with the University of Chicago's Cascade program, which is an after-school enrichment program. They offer classes taught by university students and professors in a wide range of subjects. High school classes may sometimes not be enough to satisfy some students' curiosity, and these classes certainly provide these students with satisfaction.

If you're thinking about going to college, you probably enjoy learning as well! The thing is that you don't have to enjoy it alone--one of the best ways to develop yourself as a learner is to share your opinions, thoughts, and knowledge with others. While you may be a hard worker who works best alone, it is very important to know how to learn and work in a group, which is often what these classes do.

There are a wide variety of programs that are sponsored by Learning Unlimited all across the country! Check out the map and the different programs to see if there are programs near you because it is definitely worth it.

As a college student now, I can say that these classes helped me understand the wealth of knowledge there is at universities, and it simply got me excited because I was able to interact with university students on campus.

You should be interested in these classes because of your interest in learning more. ;) Further incentive, however, lies in the fact that becoming involved with programs like these are great ways to show interest and commitment in higher learning on your college applications.

Sometimes, high school classes aren't as interesting or engaging as you'd like them to be. If you agree, I encourage you to do some research on what opportunities you have. (There are probably more than you think!) When enough isn't enough, it's up to you to make up the difference.

Focus.

I don't know why it is that you care to get an education, no, to put yourself through getting an education. Why is it that you challenge yourself, and motivate yourself to stay awake through lectures, homework, and more homework?

 Really, my mom could be making me caldo de pollo right now.

It's so easy to get into this mentality sometimes. There are, however, motivating factors that give reasons for the endless toil. Maybe your goal is to get a degree so you can earn a lot of bucks when you get older. Maybe your parents are always on your case about grades and you  just know that you're going to go to college at the very least to please them. But are these reasons enough?

Unfortunately, people often get into the habit of thinking about work and college in a negative light, especially when things get competitive and stressful, and I'm not the exception. Thoughts like, "well, I know I could do better if I wanted to, but I don't have to, so I won't" or "oh my GOD this is so hard, I could be doing something much easier" are very easy to think when you're very stressed.

  However, it is this way of thinking, I believe, makes students unmotivated and unexcited about college. The mentality of "no one is going to support me, why should I even plan on going to college," or "my parents are never going to want to pay for my education" are thoughts that also often demotivate students.

If you have any one of those mentalities right now, stop.

Really, stop reading, and take a nice, deep breath because you're probably stressed or scared or confused on what you want to do.

I don't know your story. I don't know what you've had to go through during your lifetime, or what kind of problems or struggles you've encountered or are going through at the present moment.

But in the end, I think the message I'm trying to relay can apply to pretty much anyone.
Let me tell you a little something about the world in which you live:
                       
It is plainly and simply (and wonderfully!) your classroom.

The world is your classroom. That's right. No matter how much you hate school right now, or no matter how much you are struggling, how much work you have to do, you will never stop learning. (muahaha)

Put that into focus, and you should be confident that you'll make it through. You don't have to be perfect. You just have to give it what you've got. You don't have to show anyone anything. You just have to learn to be curious and appreciate the fact that there are things to understand, and they're waiting to be understood by none other than yourself.

You're reading this online, right? This means you have the whole of the internet at your disposal. You know what that means? No, not an infinite amount of funny youtube videos to keep you awake at all hours of the night. (Only sometimes.) This means, my friends, that you have a TON of people (like myself, and anyone involved with Latinos in College, and a plethora of other organizations) that can help you get through giving yourself an education.

Find something you are just as passionate about as you are of this, and run with it. The world needs you as much as it needs everyone else. Become inspired. You only live once after all. It's not an easy life, but people will help if you ask for it, and like I said, there are so many out there that will if you ask, but in the end, it's all up to you.

Just focus. It's scary, I know, but it'll get you through if what you really want is to go to and get through college to learn and develop yourself as a person. Trust me, you can get through the college apps and stressful nightmares of your future.

Focusing will get you through anything.

Maximum Efficiency

Only a year ago, I would have said that my organization skills were just fine. I mean, no, I wasn't the kind of person that would plan everything ahead of time on a calendar and be ahead of my work, but things somehow worked out for me. I had a planner. I wrote the homework I needed to finish by tomorrow in it. Most days I didn't even need to look at it! The end. I don't know whether I considered myself lucky that things worked out or if I thought that organizing my time was not important.

It doesn't really make sense because I was in a bazillion clubs and pretty hard classes. Sure, I had some really late nights of frantic work, but I managed it somehow in the end. I thought procrastination could be fun (and it can in certain circumstances). And then I got to college. I laugh at my old self who thought time management wasn't a vital part of daily life.

My first week here was orientation week--a whole, entire week dedicated to fun, games, free food, and meeting new people. Merry times they were. They had balloons, a free trip to the aquarium, a volunteering day with more free food, steak and lobster events, ice cream events, and the list goes on and on.

Bam. 5 classes, 2 jobs, 2 extra-curricular activities, 3 problem sets, an upcoming "midterm" (what, already?!), 0 meal plans (which means actually planning to cook and eat) and only 2 weeks later, I find myself living my day-by-day life absolutely dependent on my daily calendar. A year ago I would have laughed at the thought of ME having an online planner. (I'm more of a paper-pen person.) However, the accessibility of online documents and Google's amazing color-coding selection forced me to change my opinion. Now I walk around nearly bumping into people because of the attention I pay to my ipod in which there is a calendar which looks like:

Ironically, it  took me forever to figure google calendars out,
 but it was worth it!

If there is one thing I wish I had done differently in high school, it probably would have been to be more organized. Sure, I rolled along high school just fine, but maybe if I had learned to manage my time I would have been able to accomplish more with it. Finding a balance between fun spontaneity and hardcore scheduling is difficult, and it just gets harder when you are put in an environment full of events (e.g. college) as well as responsibilities (e.g. cooking, sleeping, and blinking among many).

Good, healthy eggs are basically the only thing you can cook when you have a pan smaller than your face.

I believe I'm getting the hang of it, slowly, anyway. I haven't found a way to completely maximize my time, but at least I haven't starved. I have found the grocery store (~10 min. walk), and apparently, they sell my kind of products:

I HAD to take a picture.

Getting organized is so much more than putting things on a planner and expecting your device to tell you what to do. It's really a mentality that needs to be exercised every single day in order to get used to. It boils down to discipline, and it's hard to figure a routine that works when college is so new and in-your-face real.

I suppose the experience is different for everyone, but no matter what your schedule looks like, it's important to find a balance. I don't know if I have found mine yet, or if I am completely comfortable with it, but I'm in the process of figuring all of this out.

One of the best pieces of advice I have received has been to go to sleep knowing exactly what you need to accomplish the next day. It may seem completely unnecessary, but once you're on your own, little tasks like washing dishes or getting groceries get clumped together with studying for exams or finishing homework. If you tell yourself what the most important things are that you need to do before you go to sleep, you won't have a cloud of tasks floating around in your head the next morning.

For instance, getting curtains was not very high on my priority list.
But they matched my lamp AND were on sale, so the decision was simple.

I'll keep you posted on what I'm up to perhaps in more detail next time! If you have any questions, let me know and I'll include it in my next post!

La Bendicion

Chicago cried the day I left for Boston. Well, it was only raining and the sky was all dark, but now I've got your attention. In reality, it was the other way around. I mean, I wasn't going to be able to enjoy this place in a long time:

I've been coming here for tacos since I was a baby. Aww.

After the excruciating task of deciding which things to leave and take was (somehow) complete, my last day "at home" was spent everywhere but home--cruising around Chicago taking pictures of places that had some meaning to me, hanging out with a couple of friends, going to the dentist to get a tiny cavity fixed (this is no big surprise), and visiting my abuelos who were luckily in the area. 

After talking to them for about an hour, it was time for me to go my way. So, in the spirit of tradition, I asked for their blessing. Except now I wasn't with my family going away on a small trip. Now, I was alone, going off to college.

If I ever see one of these in Boston,
 I will run up to it and
give it a hug.

As I bowed my head and kissed their hand, I couldn't help but to think of my kindergarten days and remember that phase in which I cried because I thought I was never to see my mom again.

After they were done, my grandpa asked, “Con quien vas a ir?” See, in the town my family’s from, it’s quite common that students who wish to further their education go away to study with a sibling or cousin. Often, this even means that one of them waits a year or two so that they could enter together. Not wanting to expose the fact that I basically was going to have to figure things all on my own, I replied with “some compañeros I met in a summer program last year will be there.”

Of course, my grandpa then proceeded to make some variation of the /:| face and asked me to clarify—I was going away to study with a bunch of boys?

Sadly, this dentist office was once a
 Fanny  May. I guess Karma does exist?

On the way to the airport, my mom reminded me, like she had always done in high school, “Acuerdate que sin comer ni dormir no vives.” Ironically, this was said all while eating some chicken that had been my idea to bring. Nevertheless, I told her that she was right—what’s the point of going away only to die from starvation?

And then of course there were my sisters who called me 

yesterday, my first night here, to inform me that they keep on reminding mom to “wait for Ana”, and that THIS made them realize they missed me. :’D I’m glad to know that their enthusiasm for "their new place to listen to music" (my room) eventually dwindled down to a more normal level. 

In any case, I can still feel the gravity of college. I can still hear some tension in my parent’s voices when I call. I guess this "feeling" is as much a reminder of their sacrifices as it is my inspiration to give this college thing all I've got.  This whole experience gives off an odd kind of adult feeling. But alas, the many bendiciones I received this past week are still hovering over my head, as I sit here in my dorm room, in a whole new chapter of my life. And I really couldn’t be more excited!!!

Memoirs of a Previously Clueless Highschooler. Part 1.

It's August already, and I've definitely had my share of the typical carne asada and guacamole that comes with it! (Unfortunately, watermelon has not been so prominent in my diet this summer. This needs to change.) As I get ready to continue my education far, far away,  I'd like to go back to the good ol' high school days and tell you about them. That is, before time manages to either alter or delete them from my interestingly-humored memory. You deserve to know the facts in their full-fledged glory.

The first glimmer of high school I have was at a band rehearsal. It was during the summer, before classes even started. I knew no one, and no one knew me. That wasn't so bad because I was obviously expecting it. What really got me was how everyonewasALREADYtalkingtoeachother
SOmuchandOMGthisandthat...

With three considerably younger sisters, I experience some variation of chaos on a daily basis. But this was a whole new ball game. Sure, I wanted to make friends, but I didn't want to interrupt anyone's intense conversation. Instead, I carried out an intense conversation with myself:

"What if I say something ridiculous? Well, heh I guess I could turn it into a joke or something. What if they don't hear me? It's pretty loud. I don't have that strong of a voice. How would I know if they were ignoring me, or if they simply need to clean out their ears? What if I start babbling and they secretly start wishing I never started? What if...what if..." 

Before you start questioning my sanity, let me explain that I had gone to a very, very small grade school. My graduating class consisted of twenty-something people, and the majority of my social time was spent talking to my one best friend. I was used to inside jokes and comfortable conversation. Small talk wasn't really a clearly defined phrase in my head. 

That doesn't really matter though, because the people at my first rehearsal were NOT having small talk. Many freshmen knew each other for they had gone to the same elementary school, and on top of that, the all-powerful upperclassmen were also present. As a result of me trying to take this all in, I think the only sounds I really made that night were the few notes that came out of my trumpet. Just like that, there were 370 students in my class, and the band was huge compared to my former 5-person musical ensemble. 

U.U Yeah. My pre-high school world was a very small one.  

Just to highlight the twisted, unpredictable nature of this universe, I'll admit something. When I was three years old, I was an ever-talking guacamaya! Strangers were the perfect, interesting people to talk to. Nothing could stop me from speaking anything and everything on my mind. However, all people change, and for one reason or another, I did not have this same facility (or obsession with?) making conversation upon entering high school. 

Can you say Awkward Turtle? 

To say that I became discouraged by everyone seeming like they knew each other for decades would be a bit too exaggerated.  Sure, I noticed other people knew each other well and such, but I didn't let it eat me or my confidence. Plus, I was too excited about and concentrated on learning new things! (!!!!!) 


At any rate, I'm a good listener, and for the majority of my freshman year, that is what I did. I listened, made a few close friends, and listened some more. Slowly but surely, I started to "fit in", whatever that means to the overrated cliques that make up the typical high school experience.

Looking back, the process of fitting in would have been funner and easier if I had just revived and unleashed the inner guacamaya in me. Eh. Who knows where that would have led me, though. As for this portion of my reminiscing, I can say that I am very content with the way things turned out. I was always myself, and I think that's what matters in the end when you're off to meet new people and experience new things.

After all, if you lose yourself, you lose everything. (As...cliche and mushy as that sounds.) Spend some time figuring out what you want from life, and follow your passions. It will take work, but in the end, if you're simply yourself, you'll have true friends to help you along the way.

Feel free to comment with your own high school memories, questions, ideas, or insights! Rest assured--intense conversations with people I don't know overwhelm me no longer.

~Ana

If you liked this blog, you'll probably also enjoy: 

• http://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/making-friends-at-college
• http://ivanacastellanos-latinosincollege.blogspot.com/2011/03/is-being-single-getting-you-down.html

What's Cookin', Freshman?

It’s midnight and you still haven’t finished studying for that insane test you'll have to take today. The moonlight is bright, but you don’t even notice because you’re too distracted by that unavoidable, monstrous-sounding roar of your stomach that screams out, “Why are you still awake? FEED ME NOW!” 

As I prepare to embark on the journey to college that will undoubtedly lead to the aforementioned situation (and as I coincidentally munch on a tostada), I can’t help but remember my first bite of being on my own and thus having to completely manage what I eat while being very VERY busy. Let me tell you that this first "taste" of independence was not 100% successful. It happened during my MITES experience, a 6-week program which you can learn about here. 

Fast, Easy, Greasy.

Imagine being given seventy dollars a week to spend on food and an unlimited buffet-style dinner practically every weeknight. This is a generous meal plan scenario that you would probably find yourself in if you’re going to college. When I heard that this was what I would be dealing with I thought, "Hey, I don't even need to think about it. I'm definitely not going to starve, and there's nothing difficult about eating!"  I was very right.

Unfortunately, my naive self hadn't considered that avoiding horrible foods like this at late hours of the night isn’t as easy-peasy as it used to be. 

During my six weeks, I admit I encountered pizza and chocolate-covered pretzels more than what was reasonable, and now that I’m about to be put in the same time-restricted, stressful situation again, I’ve been thinking that I need to remind myself to ear right from the mistakes I’ve made firsthand as well as the advice others have given me. Without further ado, the list of thoughts and advice I will memorize by the time I leave for college regarding food and being healthy:

This is my attempt to cook like my mother.
Not too bad, ay?

•      The freshman fifteen is not a monster that will undoubtedly come and attack every freshman. It is merely a consequence of poor and/or rushed decisions. 
•      Take the TIME before leaving for college to learn how to make healthy meals. Learn not only from websites and cookbooks, but from whoever has been providing for your food! Gone are the days when I came home to lovely meals like this from my mother, but that doesn't mean I can’t replicate it!
•       If you cook your own meals at college, make sure you MAKE time for preparing and planning meals. You’re busy, I know, but it’s worth it. Cooking can be healthier and cheaper than getting your food already made, but it does require more work!
•      If you have an unlimited buffet-style meal plan like I did last summer, do not splurge on a daily basis. This seems obvious, but it only takes a few times for dining like a king or queen to become routine. Trust me.
•          Exercise! (Chewing, doesn’t count, mind you.) Walk places, run, and play games like ultimate frisbee, sports, etc. instead of watching a movie or sitting in front of the computer on Tumblr to relax. Walk to the grocery store instead of walking to McDonald's. 
•     Cheerios will always be healthier than large amounts of Lucky Charms. (I used to have quite an obsession with my Leprechaun friend.) 

I won’t promise you I’ll be able to follow my advice all of the time, but I’ll promise you that I’ll try!

Bon Appetit!

Crossing the Menacing River

Recently, I got my first job ever as an office assistant and found myself with a plethora of advice coming from my parents. They shared their own work experience stories—their successes and failures, which gave me a stronger idea of what it’s like to work, as well as a stronger sense of self-confidence.

I was, however, very surprised to find all of this coming from my parents. Throughout my middle school and high school experience, my parents weren’t able to smoothly guide me by giving advice as they did for my first job because they, as immigrants, were not acquainted with the American school system. In addition to this, neither of them had finished high school in their home town. That is not to say that they were not supportive, as they did instill in me a good work ethic and hope for success as any great set of parents would.

But due to due to circumstance, my journey to college was perhaps filled with a little more confusion than the average student. While many parents were planning to enroll their students in study programs for the ACT/SAT tests, I was explaining to my parents why I needed to take them and what they even were. Our first teachers are our parents, so it can be daunting if you need to plan important things like college without their continuous help. Added to that, when you’re in a family that’s, generationally speaking, barely starting out here in America and learning the system, dreaming about going to college is a cinch, but actually taking the necessary steps to go the whole way and make it is a completely different story.

Why? Because not having any experience or information about something can be scary. Imagine the journey to college being like getting to the other side of this river: 

(The sign reads: Beware, Flesh-Eating Fish)

 If you have people that are close to you helping you through it, they become the people giving you supplies to build your own raft across, and the whole process becomes more manageable. You know what you are doing, you have advice if you need it, your confidence is up and running, and you probably have a better chance of even making it over the river. Sometimes, though, advice and information isn’t readily at your fingertips or a phone call to mammy away.

There were definitely times throughout my stages of preparing for college that I got frustrated and wondered where to turn. I remember feeling very clueless and lost when it came to filling out a variety of forms and paperwork, for example. It really could be a horrible feeling:

Never become discouraged, though. It’s never too late to learn to swim in the sea of resources out there for you.
Also, notice how I forgot to draw our theoretical friend a hand...

My parents were still there to listen to me ramble worriedly about exams and college essays they had never heard about before, and along the way I found myself communicating with counselors and other people who could give me the tools and ideas I needed to get to make it over the river. (Well, I’m not done crossing it because I haven’t exactly graduated from college yet, but still.)

In any case, if you feel discouraged or at a disadvantage when it comes to going to college, take the initiative and find sources of inspiration and information that can help you. 

• Don't be afraid of seeming "ignorant". Ask questions!
• Discover online communities (like www.latinosincollege.com ;) ) that can help support your dreams!
• Visit college websites.
• Talk to your college counselor.
• Always have an open mind, and don't get discouraged.

The people you are close to want you to become educated and follow your dreams, even if they can’t help as much as you want them to! Even I want you to succeed, and I have no idea who you are! Think of it as a fun challenge when the river looks like an ocean. You WILL grow in the process, and most importantly, you WILL get to the other side.

As for me, I’ve almost grown to like the piranhas.

Buena Suerte,

Ana

By the way, this is an article about Latino parental guidance in education that I found rather interesting:

http://www.education.com/reference/article/important-role-parents-latino-youth-succed/?page=2