A Very Lucky Girl

This week is the halfway point in my academic semester here at the University of Dundee in Scotland. Before I left America I received many well-wishes and one in particular sticks out to me at this stage in my journey. My friend, Tracy, told me in a Christmas card: "You will start seeing the world through new eyes." She should know, she spent a fall semester during her college years studying in Vienna, Austria. I FaceTimed her when I packed for my adventure and she urged me to NOT bring my entire tshirt collection. I admit, she was right. I really didn't NEED two pairs of Nike shorts.  I wanted to take a post to reflect on what I've learned about the world and about myself through my experiences at Dundee.  This semester is spurring me on to graduate as soon as humanly possible. December 2014 looks to be the magic date, which means...I've been a senior without realizing it.  Beyond an academic future, my weeks abroad have reaffirmed what I thought I already kne...

It's that time of year again when I need to study instead of writing blog posts. So I will be momentarily abdicating the throne as queen of averyluckygirl-taylor.blogspot.com until next Sunday, when I will resume the customary 3-posts-a-week routine. My sincerest apologies for not providing you with fodder for your procrastination attempts.  One final word of advice before posting the obligatory #finalsprobs tweets and status updates: your finals are not worse than anybody else's. Everyone's final projects and tests are the worst thing to ever happen to them in their opinion. So don't bother tooting your negative horn.  Happy finals from A Very Lucky Girl and may the odds be ever in your favor!

I'm well into the second step of preparing to study abroad, which in my case is saving, saving, saving. I met with a study abroad advisor a few weeks ago to discuss destination options and we came up with three different ideas. Reading, England. Dundee, Scotland. Hertfordshire, England. I'm already in love with the idea and opportunities that Dundee has to offer. I still need to wade through the process of selecting which courses I could take that would match what OU offers for my major. The worst case scenario would be to come back from a life-changing journey, only to discover that my credits won't transfer. I am determined to graduate in 4 years, after all.  That is one daunting sheet of financial math. And unfortunately, I did all of my math right for once. So I have a question for all of those that have traveled and studied abroad. Is this an accurate assessment of cost? What would cut back on expenditures? Obviously, keeping outside travel to a minimum would s...

Sharbear asked me a hard question the other night. I had just finished holding a two hour review session for my Gateway kids. Two hours that absolutely sped by, I had so much fun with them! I answered their questions about the study guide with some help from the book (but seriously, I probably could have aced this test with minimal outside studying) and created a jeopardy review game to further insure knowledge that would STICK.  The best part was the last 30 minutes or so. I had promised to stay from 7-9 so I didn't feel right about leaving early, just in case someone else showed up. Two students hung around with me, talking about everything from home to dirty roommates. I was so honored that they would sacrifice some of their own free time to continue keeping their TA company.  Anyway, back to the tricky Sharbear question. I spoke to her on the way home (almost cementing my demise: cause of death? by bicyclist) and apparently something in my voice when I recounted the ev...

Have I mentioned before that my math skills are sadly lacking? I am trying to take College Algebra at Oklahoma City Community College this summer. Key word being "trying." You see, when I took the math placement test at OU I only received a high enough score for remedial math. Which means that I would have to pay to take two insignificant classes that I would not receive credit for before I could attend the actual class that would count towards my degree. Incredibly frustrated, I assumed OCCC wouldn't subject me to a placement test. But since my SAT scores are so out of date (Never thought I would say that...I feel extra old), I was ushered into a torture chamber, also known as a testing room, and handed one of my least favorite technological devices: the calculator. I struggled through the questions and ended up with the same results I had at OU.  Unlike at OU, I have the opportunity to take the test again on Tuesday. So I've been trying to study. But since our Int...

Tried to turn it into a Pinterest Project to increase my interest Hi my name is Taylor Arceneaux and I am the worst procrastinator in the entire world. I honestly think that studying is the most boring task I have ever encountered. I truly fell asleep cuddled up with my geology study guide masterpiece twice in the past hour.  work. of. art. Things that I would rather do: Clean the room. Not just my side (which can't really get any cleaner), but even the roommate's side. Which is a scary tornado disaster zone. Count the popcorn kernels that didn't pop despite their thorough stay in the janky microwave. Last time there were 148. What even is that!? Gain weight (that one is actually a lie, I've lost 18 pounds since Novemberish and I wouldn't put them back on again for anything). So instead I would spend 7 hours on the treadmill. Cut pills. I did that the other night instead of working on sociology (not a druggie, it's necessary to halve pills f...