My Very First Blog

Hello all! This is my very first entry on my very first blog! I am really excited about starting this out, and I hope all the readers out there will find my life as interesting as I find it. This will (obviously) be my first of what I hope to be many blog entries, so just keep coming back to find out more!

Just to let everyone know a little bit about my life as of late, I am a first-year college student at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. I am originally from Powell, Tennessee, a suburb just north of Knoxville, so being in Ohio is a great leap for me. It is about 4.5 hours from home, which when driven, is not really that bad. So far, my classes are going very well; I am actually surprised at how easy they are right now! I am a Biology major, so most of my classes reflect that major choice. Right now my classes are as follows:

General Chemistry I MWF 10:30-11:20 AM
Intermediate Spanish I MWF 12:30-1:20 PM
Theological Foundations MWF 3:00-3:50 PM
General Biology I Lab MW 4:30-5:20 PM
General Biology I TR 8:30-9:45 AM
" " F 1:30-2:20 PM
General Chemistry I Lab R 2:30-5:20 PM

So, as you can see, my Mondays and Wednesdays are very busy and late, while my Tuesdays are very early, but very easy. So far, I haven't had any problems with getting to my classes on time and keeping up with the schedule, so that is very good. I have had some problems with buildings and classrooms, but that was on the first day. Plus, the reason I went into the wrong rooms was because the scheduler gave me the wrong rooms! So, there's modern technologies for ya!!

Another new thing for me is living on campus with people I have never met. Of course, this means living in a dorm with a roommate, an experience that can change one's life for the better, or for the worse. I'd have to say that for now, my experience with a roommate is going great; no problems whatsoever. It is something I'll have to get used to, but I don't think any major problems will arise. As you must in an inclosed space, we are sharing certain appliances and media, as duplicates of anything will provide one with much less space. Of course, there are also personal objects for one-person use, like computers, beds, desks, etc., but those are no-brainers. Sharing a room is something I haven't experienced in quite a few years, but I'd have to say things are going great. I actually couldn't have asked for a better roommate! More on that as the school year progresses.

Though I do like it here in Cincinnati, I do miss home, even with all the quirks and problems that arise. My plan was to try to visit home about once a month, over the weekend. So, I brought my car up here with me ('97 Saturn) so that I could make that drive. Alas, the car was the first problem that arose when I arrived on campus. The MINUTE I drove on campus, the engine was smoking and fluid was leaking. Obviously, this is not a good sign. This was just about a week ago, and Tuesday I took it in to a local repair shop.

It was raining cats and dogs that day (thank you, Katrina), so I had a fun time walking out to my car, which is all the was across campus. I added the fluid that was needed (which I found out to be coolant...luckily I had some in my trunk) and checked to make sure nothing was leaking. To my surprise, I didn't see any leakage, so I naturally thought everything was okay. But, to my horror, the mechanics used a pressure test and found that my radiator was cracked and leaking fluid. I actually got to see this phenomenon, and it was quite shocking how much it was spraying out. Then, for the biggest shock of all: the bill of $646.80 for parts and labor. Now, as a first-year college student, there is no way for me to have that kind of money!! So, the only thing I can do is wait to either raise the money by myself or get some aid from my parents. Either way, this will take a while, so no visit over Labor Day like I had planned. I am hoping and praying that I will get to make a trip either later in the month, or sometime in October, but we'll just have to wait and see.

So, besides school, nothing is really going on for me at this time. I will make sure to keep everyone up to date on how classes/college life are going, as there will be much to report some days. Although, do keep in mind that there are going to be a lot of boring days, so just bare with the mundane topics I vent about on here. As for my very first blog, here is the end of my first posting! I hope that as time goes on, I can continue to post information and receive feedback from readers everywhere. Until next time, stay healthy, stay close to God, and stay true to yourself.