Brady and I finished Lon-Capa last Thursday night. I was proud of us. But I still had my Computer Science 101 homework to do that was due Friday. The thing was- a blizzard was expected to sweep through the Denver Metro area. And although I knew Mines never, ever gave snowdays off, I was counting on it all evening until I gave in and decided to do my homework. It started snowing- a lot. But not enough. So I did my homework, and went to sleep at around 2 a.m. This set the tone for the coming week.
I didn't have to wake up until 10:30 on Friday anyway..but when Sara told me class got canceled, I got so happy and fell back asleep. I awoke to two texts asking if I wanted to go sledding. People were in the hallway of my floor sitting and talking because there was no school. I looked outside and was surprised Mines canceled even though it was blizzard conditions. I put on my ski goggles and a skirt and went sledding. That's right.
When we got to Sorority Hill, I realized there was a lot of snow. Like, dude. It made a bank at the beginning of the parking lot and when you reached the bottom, you were covered. There were quite a few people up there already including some of my Bradford friends and some IV kids. We made a huge chain of disks and long sleds and everything else and went down at once- yeah, it was crazy.
Krista told us her great idea about ambushing the Sparkly Mancave...so after getting food from the Cruplex and sitting and drinking hot chocolate, we got a text that the Sparkly Man Cave residents were going to be sledding also...hmmm, the perfect time for an attack?
Seven of us went down to the Cave. Us three girls stayed on level ground, while the guys decided to built forts and arsenals on top of the roof. Yes, the roof. We packed the snow and engineered the trenches in the Cave's backyard and waited for them to return. A call was received...the response was given to not be suspicious: "Just chillin' with peeps". Indeed, it was chilly. Daniel got back and saw one of the guys on the roof. No biggie- just a friend on the roof, having a conversation. Then someone yelled, "This is Sparta!!" and we attacked with our awesome snowballs. Some more friends were expected to arrive from the front, so we made some more walls and waited. And waited. And got wet. And waited. And got cold. And shyly looked up when the targets finally arrived..."oh hi, there...".
Our jean fabric garments were not very comfortable, so we dried them and played Halo. I like guns. But I'm horrible, so playing with a few noobs was fun. Big guns are even better. And sniping. Aw, yeah. Connor and John walked it to find their houses overtaken with Halo playing people, some of which with fashionable blanket skirts. Some of us decided we were hungry so we went to Woody's and all had the buffet. Then we went back to our respective residences for a little while until going back to the cave for game night, and fashionably so. I remember being so tired though...walking up and down a hill is a lot of work- more than I do in PA.
And that was Friday, and that was epic. I woke up with the same amount of homework and tests coming up, but one less day to complete preparations for them. Here's what I had on my plate:
- Mathematica Project
- CompSci assignment
- Two weeks worth of Calculus homework due for a quiz
- Nature and Human Values paper
- Nature and Human Values extra credit paper (well...I never got to that, so I'll do it this week)
- Another CompSci assignment
- Physics studying (practice problems, test, studio)
- Math Worksheet
- Math studying (notecard and practice tests)
- NHV debate prep about GMOs
- Yet another CompSci assignment
- Laundry (to be continued)
How was I supposed to do this? One day at a time, I guess. I woke up early on Saturday and Sunday to get stuff done- which was good. The worst thing I knew looming was the Physics test and the Math homework I had to complete due before that. I studied for Physics most of the time, because it was fun. I revised my NHV paper after that, because that was also fun...not really. My teacher gave the advice "(such and such section) could be more clear". I looked over it and banged my head against the desk because I had no idea who wrote this paper and what they were trying to convey. I tried to give it to friends but they didn't know either, but said it was fine. Sigh. I mean, I do my best writing past midnight, but apparently before 3 a.m. It was kinda bad.
After Sunday morning, I had nearly done all the practice problems for Physics. So as much as I didn't want to move on to studying another subject, I had to get some Math done. Some IV kids were getting together for the Super Bowl. We brought homework and were actually surprisingly productive between cheering for Tom Brady's legs to break and watching commercials. Still- math never ends. So yeah, I stayed up late Sunday, but not as late as some. Good thing I did Capa (but that also means I got to help people with it too).
Wake up. Classes. Lunch. Classes. Some homework. Dinner. A lot of homework/studying. Get to bed at 3. Repeat.
Physics test was fun, but challenged me mentally. It also didn't help that I started freaking out a half hour before. And the kids waiting outside of Metals Hall were being so loud...it's funny how kids act when they know they're about to fail a test. But anyway, I freaked out and stopped having the capacity to think until I got to the projectile motion problem, smiled, and went on. Phys I scores are posted the morning after (and I was almost up when they posted them). So I couldn't sleep soundly, not to mention just getting 6 hours after having to do the Math Worksheet. Whatevs.
Wednesday...oh gosh. Normal stuff all the way til it came time to study for Calculus II- the worst math class known to normal mankind. I had t -20 hours to learn everything. I was so screwed. A few of us on the 1st North had the same test and occupied the study room: the room I had barely left the past week. I came to terms I would likely not get to sleep hardly at all. But thought about my schedule the following morning and then came to terms this would not be the night to pull my first non-recreational all-nigher. I started writing out my notecard, but it was looking like everything wouldn't fit on it. So I took notes of my 8923843298 thus far pages of notes, and then took notes of those and made my notecard. 3 a.m. I started working over a past test. I yawned. "Let me give you a Red Bull. Stay up with me," Brandon pleaded. I declined, knowing I needed some sleep. So at 4:45 I finally gave up and Brandon ended being Survivor: Mines Study Room while pulling an all-nighter. I still couldn't sleep. 5 o'clock, and I can't sleep?! I thought about how much this sucked. And then thought if I'd remember that night, or if I'd remember the fun part of the night with all of us there, laughing every so often, working hard, hearing stories of superstition, and realizing "I'm in section F....that can't be good!" (cries).
I woke up alive and energized, but I still thought I was doomed. Maybe a little less now that I had studied, but still doomed. (Not sure if I went to Digger Den and bought two glasses of Starbucks then, or Tuesday....). But I was awake all day. Got through NHV debate. Realized I forgot to do an assigned reading and muttered "Oh, crap" under my breath as she passes out the quizzes. But yeah. I was pretty much reviewing up until exam time, something I never like to do (I have my pre-test routine, yo). But got through it. And was so, so happy when it was all over and did my post-test routine and when to Digger Den. Then we ended up having a jam session in Maple into the wee hours way past the time when the music practice room is supposed to be open.
Yeah, tons of craziness this full week. And then I woke up and did my last CompSci assignment for the week. Luckily I have work tomorrow (Go Orediggers!), RA interviews Sunday, and only the CompSci test this week. Only. Oh, and laundry.
