I just bought mine and my parents' plane tickets to San Diego!



This actually beginning to seem real.

Classes

I registered for classes yesterday. I got all of my first choices, so I am very excited about that. I still have to register for one more once I get to the ship so that I can stay a full time student at ONU, so hopefully there will still be something open that I think is interesting and that is approved by ONU when that time comes.

I'm taking:
Global Studies, which is mandatory for everyone. Most alums have said it was boring/awful when they took it, but I am holding out hope that it is interesting. It should be, if it is taught correctly.
Natural History of the Earth. This class has more presentations than I would like, but I need to get over my fear of public speaking sometime, so I might as well do it taking a class about something that I am interested in.
Oceanography. I'm kind of excited about this one.
World Art: Traditions and Interactions. Truth be told, I'm excited about this one too. I took a course in Eastern Art at OSU when I was in high school. I'm hoping I like this one just as much.

I hope to add Geology, Art and Revolution, Archaeology of Hierarchy, Politics of the Past, or Science and Religion. I have approval for a couple other ones, but I'm not really interested in taking them. Hopefully, things work out so that I get one of my top alternate choices.




I'm already missing my Alpha Xis.

Little by Little

The school year has flown by in an unbelievable fashion. I have one week left at ONU before I'm out for the summer. I have 2 job interviews this week, one with Panera Bread and one for night stock at Kroger's. Hopefully, I get them both. I need them both so that I can have some traveling money for SAS. It seems like it was just the end of November when I applied to go, but now the time has come to start filling out visa applications, get my last set of immunizations, and figure out which courses will transfer back to ONU and which ones won't.

I got my financial aid package from SAS yesterday. I got a $2000 grant. It wasn't what I was hoping for, but I am extremely grateful that I recieved it. From what I can tell, there are several people who got less than that or nothing at all. I'm enrolled in the tuition payment plan, through help from my parents. In just getting ready for this experience, I've realized how truly blessed I am that I have the parents that I do. None of this would have been possible without them. Not everyone has parents that give their children nearly as much help chasing their dreams as I have gotten from mine.

As far as picking out classes goes, I think I have what I want to take narrowed down, provided I can get into those particular classes. I have approval from every department but the biology department, and I'm working on getting that this week. Little by little everything seems to be falling into place.