This week is called dead week and it is going to be very stressful because finals is the week after. We just got back from Thanksgiving break and it was amazing. My family came into town and we spent Thanksgiving at the coast. We got a house in Florence and had a very relaxing holiday. We ate a lot of good food, baked cookies and watched Christmas movies. On Friday we drove back to Eugene and went to the Civil War football game. It was my brothers first time going to a college football game and my first civil war game so we had a blast. It was really cold, which made it hard to sit in the shade but it was so worth it. The fans get crazy and the overall atmosphere is great. The game was surprisingly really close towards the end, which was very surprising. Overall, break was a lot of fun and very relaxing.

Now that break is done I have to focus on finals. The idea of finals is really nerve racking and I’m kind of scared because finals are worth a lot and they could make or break my grades. I am preparing for my finals by gathering all my work and notes I have accumulated throughout the year and I am putting together or completing the study guides. I am reviewing all of class lectures and re-reading all of the reading assigned during the year. I feel like History will not be too bad but I am scared for my math final. I do not have a writing final and my ethnic studies final is a take home assignment, which I am very happy about.

Now that fall term is coming to a close I am very excited for winter term. I look forward to my classes and I really like my schedule. My schedule is not too busy and I have a perfect amount of time between each class. Going into winter term I would like to improve my study habits and I would like to get more sleep. This term I didn’t put enough time into my studying. I kind of messed around a lot and instead of studying I hung out with my friends. I did good in school but I think I could’ve done a lot better if I focused more on school than my social life. This term I also got no sleep. I have been going to sleep every night around one o’clock in the morning, which makes me very tired during the day. I have been staying up really late with my friends watching movies or talking, but that needs to stop next term. I need to get more sleep so I am energized and ready to learn. Fall term has been great with a lot of memories but I look forward to my future here at the University of Oregon.

A big event that happened this term was the Paris terrorist attacks. Although this did not take place at the University of Oregon and directly affect me it still affected me emotionally. It is never easy to hear about an attack and the killing of many innocent people. On November 13^th, 2015 a series of terrorist attacks shook up the city of Paris. There were suicide bombings, shooting and a hostage situation that resulted in the killing of 130 people. A total of 89 civilians were killed in the hostage situation and mass shooting in the Bataclan Theatre. Bombs went off throughout the city. One place was right outside the soccer game and you could hear the bomb go off while watching the soccer game in person or on TV. Hundreds of people were also injured during this terrorist attack. The fact that this was the deadliest attack on France soil since World War 2 is very sad and awful. ISIS took credit for these terrorist attacks.

I chose this event because it is huge event that took place during this term and has changed the entire world. To start off our world was already having problems with ISIS before the Paris attacks took place. ISIS has been causing problems throughout the world by killing innocent civilians to bombing and ruining homes throughout the Middle East. There terror has caused many residents to leave their homes, which has resulted in a Syrian refugee problem. Syrian refugees are trying to find a safe place but the problem is that there is not enough room for them or that many countries sadly do not want them. ISIS has also threatened several states in America causing fear to arise among American citizens. The Paris attacks shows just how much fighting and hatred there is in this world. I think the Paris terrorist attacks are just the beginning of problems this world is going to face if all this fighting and abhorrence keeps up. It is time for this world to band together and stop being each other’s enemy. There has been too may deaths and sadness, which is why peace and love need to take over.

On a happier note another event that took place this term was my floors sink broke and fell out of the wall. My friends and I were all hanging out and all of a sudden we heard a loud “bang” noise. I thought a person fell down the stair well but instead our sink just dropped and fell on the concrete ground. It literally fell right out of the wall because the pipes and everything were in it and that they just popped out. I chose to talk about this event because it is really random but funny at the same time.

College has been really great up to this point but I have struggled academically a little bit. When I’ve needed help I have turned to my teachers and friends. My teachers have been really great with helping me. They always answer their emails and are willing to answer questions in class and during office hours. My teachers are also very approachable so I feel comfortable going to them for help. I also turn to my friends when I need help. A lot of my friends help me with school and we all help each other in subjects we are good at. My floor in my residence hall has study sessions almost every day so I turn to them for help academically and sometimes even socially. I turn to my friends whenever I need advice on how to deal with certain situations or other social issues I might face.

Help was very easy to find at college. Everybody is willing to help you and they want to watch you succeed, which is something I love about college. All the teachers, GTF’s and other works want you to do good so you can be successful in the future. The University of Oregon offers a lot of resources for students to get help at. There are counselors and classes open to students to get help at.

The freedom of college has been very liberating but at the same time stressful. I can’t say it has been more liberating or more stressful but in the middle of the two. Having freedom has been liberating in the sense that I can basically do whatever I want as long as I take care of my responsibilities. I no longer have a curfew and having more freedom has made me very independent. The freedom of college has also been stressful because I need to manage my time in order to get work done and have fun. With all this free time I sometimes mess round and get no work done, which ends up being very stressful.

If there was one thing I could redo since the start of school it would be to study more for math. My math grade is really suffering and I wish I took the class more serious at the beginning of the year. I would redo my study habits and spend more of my time studying for math than hanging out with my friends. I would also take back the times I didn’t go to my math teacher’s office hours. I wish I went into office hours and asked more questions. I should’ve taken advantage of the math resources offered to me. If I did that than I probably would be doing a lot better in math class.

Being away from my family has really put a damper on family traditions. It’s hard to keep up family traditions in college because I am away from my family and most traditions take place at home. A long-standing tradition that has fallen during my time at college is my family’s annual Halloween and fall party. Every October my family and I would have a party to kick off fall and celebrate Halloween. We would carve pumpkins, eat fall inspired dishes and spend time with everybody. I have a pretty big family so the times we have to all be together is amazing and I like to take advantage of it. Another tradition that has fallen because I am away at college is Sunday family dinners. Every Sunday my entire family including grandparents, aunties, uncles and cousins would go to my grandparent’s house and eat dinner together. It is a good time to check up on everybody and see how everyone’s week went. It is also a nice opportunity to relax, eat good food, and spend time with loved ones. Other activities I miss not being able to do with my family is going to sports events such as football and baseball games, watching Sunday Football at our local sports restaurant and playing card games in our family room. Not being able to participate in these traditions makes me very sad but at the same time I realize that they will always be my family and the traditions will go on forever. The traditions will not all of a sudden stop while I am at college and I can always celebrate these traditions once I move home or visit.

During my first half of the first term here at the University of Oregon my friends and I have established a tradition known as “family dinner.” I love it because we actually call it family dinner and it reminds me of home. We try once a week to all go to dinner together and it gives us the chance to catch up with one another and discuss school or any other things going on in our lives. I really enjoy family dinner times at the UO because it allows me to see all my friends, which is very hard because we all have busy schedules. Another tradition my friends and I have established while attending the University of Oregon is going extremely early to football games, getting second and third row seats and having our own little tailgate. We get in very early and because of that we have a lot of time to kill. We all go together and eat food, play music and hang out while we are waiting for the game to start. Even though we get there almost two and a half hours early it is worth it because we get good seats and we have fun waiting.

Week five consisted of studying and midterms. The thought of taking a college level midterm made me very nervous so week five was extremely long and tough. My first college-level midterm was extremely hard, which made me nervous for all the other ones but my other two ended up not being as difficult.

I prepared for my tests this week and last by going over my notes and making a study guide. I put all my notes into one packet and just reviewed them over and over. I also studied by re-reading my textbooks and readings. After studying all weekend I felt pretty confident going into the test. Of course I was a little nervous going into it because it is a college-level midterm but at the same time I felt prepared and ready. After my math mid-term I felt awful coming out of it. I have always struggled with math and that is a normal feeling after every math test so I was used to feeling bad after a math assessment. I always overthink problems and misuse formulas. After my history and ethnic studies mid-term I felt very content with it. I felt like I did pretty good because I knew almost every question and felt extremely prepared. History is one of my favorite subjects so I wasn’t too nervous for the test.

So far I am doing decent in school. I wish I was doing a little better in math but like I said math is my worst subject so I do not expect an A in the class, even though I would love one. I am doing as well as I’d hoped in history and writing, which is something I am happy to see because those two subjects were my favorite in high school. Of course I could be doing better in school but at this point I am pretty happy with my grades.

Almost all of my classes are structured very differently, which is nice because that way I get a mix of lectures and discussions. One thing I have come to realize is that I do not like lecture classes. Lecture classes are too big in my opinion and I have a hard time concentrating in them. I also have a hard time asking questions because the class size is intimidating. I really like discussion classes because the size is small and that allows one on one time with the GTF’s. Discussion classes’ help clear up any confusion about the lectures, which is very helpful. Taking these different types of classes have helped me realize what I want to take in my future. I know not to take a lot of lectures and more discussions.

Homesickness, time management and juggling academics and extra circular activities is a challenge for almost every college student no matter what year you went to school in. Week four is wrapping up and I see some of these challenges surfacing. One of them is homesickness. Moving away from my home and family is really difficult. I miss seeing my parents and brothers’ everyday and going to school with all my best friends. Although I love it here at the University of Oregon I think it is normal to be homesick. Going from one place you lived in your whole life than all of a sudden moving to a completely new environment is hard at times. Other than missing people I also miss the surroundings. Hawaii has a lot of sunshine and beautiful beaches and that is not something Eugene has to offer. The great thing though is that Eugene is beautiful in a completely different way. The greenery and cold weather is so refreshing and the climate change is a nice adjustment I’ve had to make. The forest-like surrounding is different in a good way. One thing I am so happy Eugene has is seasons. Hawaii has one season the entire year and the fact that the leaves change color and fall is a season here is really exciting. I have never lived in a place with fall so I am really looking forward to next couple of months.

Other than being homesick another challenge I’ve had to face and still struggle with is juggling academics and extra circular activities. This university offers so much ranging from clubs to intramural sports and making time to study and have fun has been a real struggle. Of course I want to do good in school but sometimes I just want to go out, meet new people and do really fun things. There always seems to be meetings or activities going on such a game night in my dorm and it is very hard to say no. Juggling school and fun is hard but I think I’m becoming a little better now that midterms are happening and the homework load is increasing. Time management is another challenge I face but it is not too bad. I faced this challenge in high school so I am somewhat used to this struggle.

College so far is amazing but it can be difficult at times. My time so far at the University of Oregon has been nothing but positive. These challenges I am facing are just a minor bump in the road. There is always going to be challenges but facing them head on and dealing with them is going to make me an overall better person.

The recent shooting was obviously a shocking incident to hear about in the news. My heart goes out to all of the families who lost somebody in that shooting. It is never good to hear about a shooting but the fact that it happened somewhat close to Eugene is scary. Being a college student and hearing about a college shooting scares me because that could happen at the University of Oregon. We never know when these crazy situations are going to happen so all we can do about it is be cautious of our surroundings and pray that nothing bad happens to our college.

On a happier note college so far is going really well. My classes are getting harder but that is expected because college is not meant to be easy. If there is anything I could change it would be the locations of my classes. A couple of my classes are so far and I don’t enjoy walking a lot in the morning. One of my classes is all the way by the cemetery, which is out of my way. Other than my classes being spread out all over campus I find everything else about college really positive. The food is extremely delicious. The Living Learning Center makes really good salads and I also enjoy GSH pasta bowls. A second thing I would change, which is very minor is the location of the library. Knight Library is kind of far from my residence hall so I rarely go there on my off time even though I should. The library is a great place to get my work done and study but since it is so far I end up just staying in my noisy dorm and messing around with my friends.

Presidential debates have been going on for a while in the country but I have not been paying a lot of attention to them. I have not been paying attention to them because politics first of all is confusing and I am not into the drama and fighting that goes on during the debates. The debates although seem very interesting I just don’t enjoy watching politicians argue over things on television. Maybe if I understood politics more than I would pay attention to the presidential debates.

Week three is done and that means midterms are coming up. Just the sound of that is very stressful but it is going to be ok because I plan on attending office hours and tutoring sessions. I feel like college has been in session for a long time but the fact that we have only been here for only three weeks is crazy. I am excited to see what this school year has in store for me.

Week two is official done and I still love it here. Classes are starting to pick up on the workload but it is very manageable. The one thing I find very difficult to do is get my homework done. There is always so much activities happening on campus and people are always hanging out in Carson’s common room, which makes it hard for me to buckle down and completer my work. This is a struggle but I think I am starting to find a balance between having fun and doing homework.

College and high school are two completely different things but the biggest difference I see is the amount of free time I have in a day. For high school I woke up at six in the morning went to class for eight hours and went to practice for another three hours. In college I don’t start class till ten and I don’t have classes everyday. I have classes at random times throughout the days with hours between each other so all this free time is something very new to me. I’m not used to having class for an hour than being able to take a nap than go to my next one. It is so nice having all this free time but I need to learn how to utilize it and not waste it doing just nothing. Another big difference between high school and college is having boys in my class. I went to an all girls’ school from Kindergarten to Senior Year so I never went to school with boys. I didn’t really interact with them on an everyday basis so I am not really used to it. Going to an all girls school was nice but I really enjoy going to a school with both boys and girls.

My favorite class up to this point is Writing 121. The theme for the class is Free Speech, which is something I believe is very important. Free Speech is guaranteed to us but nowadays people abuse that freedom. I like how Writing 121 has us analyze situations where free speech is in question and makes us actually think about what freedom of speech is. Writing 121 is my favorite class but I really enjoy all my other classes too. Ethnic Studies and History are great and I am learning a lot from my professors. The only class I am struggling with is math, but that has always been a difficult subject for me.

Week two is coming to a close and all I can think about is how lucky I am to go to the University of Oregon. Classes are doing well, I’m making new friends all the time and enjoying my time here as a student.

Before coming to college I was extremely nervous. I was worried that I wouldn’t make any friends, I would miss my family and I would struggle with all my classes. Although I am only a week into college it has been an amazing experience up to this point.

The first week of college has been nothing but a positive, fun, exciting time. I love my classes and professors. Every professor of mine is excited to teach, which makes me excited to learn. I am particularly excited about Ethnic studies because it addresses social issues people face today in our world. I also love my residence hall. Carson floor two is the friendliest group of people I have ever met. Everyone is so open to meeting each other and creating a tight knit community. Every night our floor plays games, watches TV or studies with each other. Living in Carson on floor two helps me to not be homesick, which makes college an overall better experience.

College is exactly what I expected it to be. I always heard from my parents and cousins how college is the best years of your life, but I never really believed them until now. College has just begun and I am already so in love with the University of Oregon. I always imaged college to be the place where fun and school coincide with each other, and that belief has been proven so far. I have attended every class and enjoyed my time doing so, which makes me excited for the next four years here at the university.

I am currently a member of the Hawaii club and joining the sports business club. Hawaii club is a great chance to hang out with friends from home and keep my culture alive. Being a part of the Hawaii club also allows me to share my culture with students at the University who are not Hawaiian. One day I want to be a sports lawyer, which is why joining the sports business club is important for my future career. Yes, business and law are two completely different things but the club will open my eyes to the professional world of sports and build up my knowledge in that field. A third extracurricular activity I have joined is intramural flag football where I will be on a team with the rest of floor two from Carson hall. My whole life I was a cheerleader on the sidelines watching football so I am extremely excited to be a member on the field playing the game.

Life a week or two ago versus today is different in the sense that I am not stressed about moving and getting settled in to college life. Two weeks ago I was scared and nervous for college but today I am ready for the school year and look forward to life here at the University. I am not worried about making friends or attending classes because I have already done so. Week one is officially done and I have nothing but happiness and excitement inside. The University of Oregon is my new home and I take pride in saying that.

Welcome to my blog! This blog will document my first year college experience at the University of Oregon. Enjoy!