Last Week Before Finals!

Oh man! Its already down to week 10! I have tons of papers and assignments to make up!

Throughout the summer, I had a couple of late assignments due to emergency absenses (family/hospital/floods) so I have tons to make up before finals week. Luckily, my professors are cool with handing in all the assignments for late grades.

This weekend, I plan on locking myself in my room and getting everything done. I was to hand in the best assignments I can. Sure, its the end of summer and all I want to do is have one final bash before the rest of my friends go back to school...but there's always next weekend! It'll be the weekend after everyone else starts, so they'll be just as amped to enjoy the weekend!

Now, I have to get working on these papers (and get to treating my millions of bugbites.)

If Its Free, I'm In

I just picked up one of these free Time Out New York magazine that the Berkeley library has put out for students. I scanned through it really quickly and already decided that this will be my "Fall Quarter Survival Guide." This lists a bunch of ways to save money on everything from toiletries (hair products, shower essentials, etc.) to clothes.



I admit, since I've started school, I've found myself with only $20 for transportation and food per week. I learned how to budget and mastered the art of sale-hunting. Nothing a little planning (and some walking) can't help. I found the buses with the cheapest fares (one zone crossings cost less than two zones) AND I bring my own lunch sometimes when I'm low on cash.

I suggest that everyone pick up a copy over at the library. :-) They didn't name is "Survival Guide" for nothing.

The BerkeleyBlue Card EXPLAINED!

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  So, I finally got an explaination on what this infamous card is all about. If you're one of the many students who still don't get that this card is all about, then read this. I'm gonna break it down for you. Go to BerkeleyBlueCard.com and follow these steps:
  
  
  
  
  BerkeleyBlueCard.com is pretty much the place where you confirm that you recieved the card in the mail.
  • In the bottom right of the site, it will ask you to type in the 16-digit number on your card, then click activate. "Activate" pretty much means "submit", meaning you're submitting the confirmation that you did recieve the card.
    
  • After you click "activate", you'll have to authenticate the card. This is how you verify that it's really you activating the account.
    
  • The next screen will ask you to make a log-in name and password. This is so you can log-in to the website at any time if you want to change some info.
  • In time, you'll get to this magic window.
  
  
  This is where you get to choose how you want your refund. You can open an account with HigherOne and use the card as a debit card, you can choose to receive your refund through direct deposit to a current bank account you have (meaning they'll send the money to an account you already have at your bank), or you can choose to receive a paper check through the mail.

This is what BerkeleyBlueCard is all about. Its suppose to be a way to choose your preference in how you will receive your refund!

The rest of the process is cakewalk.

But remember, that "activate your card" reeeeeeaaaally means "choose how you want to receive your refund."

Man, talk about misinterpretation!

I hope this helped everyone out! I was confused about it, too. I'm not gonna lie about that. It doesn't hurt to do asking around about this stuff. So, if you're still a little confused, feel free to email me at vanessa-gomez@mymail.berkeleycollege.edu.

Shakespeare Manga Comics

In English 103, we just started reading Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. I looked online for some e-help on the relationships of the characters when I clicked onto this little gem. Check this out. Shakespeare manga comics! (from SelfMadeHero.com) I can definitely dig this. They used the actual dialogue from the plays so that's a fun little twist on adaptation. Usually, Shakespeare's plays are modernized beyond the point of recognition! (example: 10 Things I Hate About You AKA The Taming of the Shrew)

Fever and Foot-in-Mouth disease

Today didn't go exactly as I planned. I woke up at nice and early and started to get ready for school. On my way to grab some breakfast, my mom stopped me and told me I wasn't looking too good. She felt my forehead and told me I was on fire. After a thermometer reading of 102 degrees, she refused to let me go to school. Not only I was starting to feel sick, I was also fuming that I missed class again! All day, I was in bed coughing, sniffling, going in and out of sleeping. The whole time, I was thinking...."oh, I had a make-up exam. Oh, I had this due. Oh, I had that due." Missing school absolutely stinks! I'm so behind on everything!

Tomorrow, I'll hopefully be at a normal 98.6 degrees. I only have one class early in the morning (8:00am to 9:45am) and since the Berkeley Shuttle doesn't operate until 1:10pm, I'll have plenty of time to do all my work and get cleared by financial aid so my fall schedule can be all official.

I just read what happened to Aleksandra on her blog about how she pretty much has to activate her BerkeleyBlue card to get her refund. Man, I hope that doesn't happen with me. I mean, the card is still in my drawers but as I've said before, I'm not too excited about the card at all.

Well, I'm gonna go take a nice little Tynenol Cold and rest up for tomorrow. Nighty-night, kiddos.

Mother Nature doesn't believe in Summer Semester

As of next week, there's only 4 weeks left this quarter! My Managing Informational Systems professor brought that up today. If that wasn't enough of a reminder of how short the quarter was, the classes handed in their midterm exams also. I'm guess this isn't going to impact me as much until its the week before finals. It always happened. That means most if my September will be full of cramming and feverishly going over all the notes I have written.

Last week, I was barely in any of my classes. Wednesday's giant storm (the one with the Brooklyn tornado) caused my town to be completely underwater. All the buses and trains were shut down so I couldn't make it to school. The next day, my little sister got a fever so I had to stay home and take care of her. (I live with my mom and its next to impossible for her to get off work.) This week, I swore I would make it all my classes on time. Well, today, I got to use the car so I figured "hey! i'll leave at 7:30" because it only takes 15 to get to school by car. Well, its 7:35 by the time I hit the highway. As soon as I get to route 3, I see the biggest traffic jam I've ever driven in. I swear, it was going an inch a minute. I got to Berkeley at 9:30. My class ends at 9:45. At that point, I was angry and decided to call a friend in Montclair and grab some breakfast. I came back for my 12:45 class on time but I was still angry about the traffic.

Tonight, I'm getting everything ready so I can get up, get ready and get going tomorrow. There is no way I'm missing any more classes. Noooo way. I'm already at the point where if I'm absent again in any of my classes, my grade will be affected.

:-\

This cold my sister passed on to me isn't helping either.

RIP Jalisa Watson

I just got an email about a memorial service being held for Jalisa Watson, a Berkeley College student who passed away in a car crash on Sunday. I didn't know her personally but I know a couple of kids who did. There's even a Facebook group dedicated to her. (Here's the link if you want to check it out.) It's definitely a big loss for Berkeley. It's really a sad way to kick off August.


The service will be held in the Community Room during Activity Period on Wednesday.

Perfectly Good Reason for Taking a Day Off

Today, I stayed home from school. I only have one class on Mondays but I'm not a fan of missing class. Not to mention, midterms are this week and next week so this is pretty much a bad time to be missing anything. I have a perfectly good reason for staying home today.

...

I'm sore all over and I can't move. I tried to get up this morning so I can go to class but just getting out of bed took me about an hour. My lack of speed made me miss my bus, which in turn made me miss my train.

The reason I'm sore all over is because I went to Warped Tour in Englishtown yesterday. I figured I would be fine and go to school the next day. I should have guessed again because 14 hours of mosh pits can take a toll on a 19 year old girl.

Right now, I'm reading MacBeth and doing my e-mailing my quiz. I may be home but I'm not slacking. :-) That's what I really like about Blackboard. I can still get my work done and email it to my professor from the convienience of my room. Blackboard is a lifesaver in situations like this. :-)

Tomorrow, I am definitely attending class. I'll wake up early, take an advil, and go to school. I'm really really not a fan of missing class.