GREat

I just registered for the GRE.

To say that I'm terrified is probably an understatement. The score I receive on that one test determines if I go to graduate school, and which school I go to. Basically, the rest of my college career hinges on the score from this one standardized test.

Sure, I can retake it, but I would really like to do well the first time around. Your first score doesn't disappear, and given my perfectionism, it'll bother me if I have two scores.

Not to mention its an expensive test. Yikes.

Anyways, my life is pretty much going to look like this for the next month:

Stay tuned.

~Megan

Woosh

That's the sound of all my time flying right past me.

Between my job (which I am still loving) and this mountain of homework, I haven't really had time for much of a social life lately. Not that I'm complaining (much).

It just makes me all the more grateful for the people I do get to share my time with and the things we get to do. Sitting out on the plaza or grabbing lunch with Tony, making plans for late dinner with Elsa, getting to know all of my co-mentors, and spending more time with Elyssa are all valuable ways for me to spend my time.

While I don't have much else to say, I do want to thank everyone that's keeping me sane this semester. It's going to be rough, but worth it.

~Megan

Well, Hello Stranger

The stranger is me.

I was reminded recently that I do, in fact have a blog here, and that it's annoying that I don't update it.

Sorry!

I started the fall semester a week or so ago, and before that...I have no excuses.

But I started the fall semester! 18 credits, my heaviest course load yet. I'm taking almost all Anthropology courses and one math class. Unfortunately, they do make you take math, and they don't just let it slide since you're so close to graduation. Darn.

I'm also in full mentoring swing in the Student Success Center on campus. I'm assigned to mostly returning adult students, and so far I've met some really cool people! I'm super excited to be working with this demographic, because I feel like I understand where they're coming from (says the 24 year old college senior).

My co-mentors are really awesome people as well. I'm feeling really lucky to be part of such a high achieving group, never mind having such a great leadership position. 

I have a feeling that fall is going to fly by so fast. I mean, I don't want it to, but I'm anticipating that I'll be kept really busy with all of this new responsibility.

I do get to go to a leadership retreat at a camp this weekend though! I've never gone to a day camp before, so it's a new experience for me in more ways than one. I'm really looking forward to it, even if I do have to stock up on bug spray.

That's my life in a nutshell recently, but I'll do my level best to update this blog more often and with more interesting stories.

~Megan

Farm Fresh

Today was pretty much the best.

Andrew and I went to a farmer's market nearby. Being August, just about everything is in season and crazy delicious and fresh. Fresh, as in corn that was picked this morning. 

I really can't wait to get cooking with some of the stuff I got:

•   Four sweet onions. These things are huge. Man it's gonna be good.
• Fresh green bell peppers. 
• Six ears of corn picked this morning.
• 18 fresh eggs (9 of which I will be bartering for some tahini in the very near future).
• A thyme plant, which hopefully will become part of a nice little herb garden outside my door.
• Red potatoes, which were mashed with pureed edamame to go with dinner.
• Pork chops (for the husband, naturally), locally raised.

Because we were on a roll, we stopped by the Public Market to get some salmon for myself for dinner, courtesy of the St. Paul Fish Market. This place has seriously every kind of fish, including Blue Marlin. It's all flown in daily and the quality is probably the best in the city.

The evening was then rounded out with a giant dinner with friends, a few glasses of wine, and Dr Who (which coincidentally blew my mind).

And to think, it's only Saturday!

~Megan

Lifestyle Shock

It's been a few weeks since I left my job, and it'll be a few weeks until my new job starts. This is a huge anomaly for me. I've been working since I was 16 and I've never been unemployed. This is the first time I've allowed myself to live on basically no income.

You can imagine I've had a bit of a shock.

For example, I did a really stupid thing and miscalculated the total amount of my last paycheck from my job. By a lot. So much so, that I overspent my financial aid on I-don't-even-know-what, and found myself in a very interesting financial position.

See, I'm just not used to not having a disposable income. It may not have always been much, but I've always had one. I've always been able to buy my morning chai without feeling too much guilt. I've amassed a decent collection of shoes as well, thanks to my ability to drop some cash every couple weeks on footwear.

So this is definitely weird for me.

But, I like a challenge. From here on out it would seem I need to actually stick to a budget and exercise some common sense when it comes to spending.

Or I could just find that money tree everyone keeps talking about...

~Megan

Making Money in College

You know, without taking your clothes of or anything of the like. 

(Not that I have anything against sex work whatsoever. Work is work. Read about it)

Anyways.

I'm a poor student now, after leaving my full time bank job to finish out my senior year.

Soon, I'll be a Campus Ambassador in our Student Success Office, mentoring incoming transfer students. I'm super excited for the opportunity, not only to make money, but to gain skills, make friends, and generally be more involved on campus. 

In the meantime, however, I'm a little uh...cash poor.

So I opened my eyes.

There are a lot of opportunities to make money through a university. There are various studies being done all the time. Some pay a lot, some pay a little. But for just a few hours of your time, even a small amount is pretty good.

For example, there's a couple fliers for an alcohol and energy drink usage survey. It's an hour long survey and pays $20. There's another (super confidential) brain imaging study for both users and non-users of marijuana. It takes 8 hours over 5 sessions, involves things like getting an MRI, measuring physical and mental fitness levels, and completing thinking puzzles. It pays up to $340 and you get a souvenir print of your brain MRI.

Some studies involve things like behavioral issues such as test taking anxiety or things like smoking cigarettes. 

And, bonus, it's all for science! Science is pretty great.

So next time you're wandering around campus feeling the pain of an empty wallet, take a look, there might be an opportunity for a bit of cash hanging right on the wall.

~Megan

Good Night, Milwaukee

I've been dreaming of living in NYC since I was probably 15.

But you know the saying "Be happy with what you have". And let me tell you, Milwaukee is actually pretty great.

We have:

One of the best Zoos in the country.

One of the largest natural history museums in the country.

Some of the lowest prices on alcohol.

A vibrant arts and music culture.

And this:

A view of the Milwaukee Art Museum, which not only houses many fine pieces of artwork, also ranks high on the list of world's sexiest buildings. The Santiago Calatrava Brise Soliel is famous, and I'm proud to have it right in my city. (This was taken on my walk back from the world's largest music festival, held every year, Summerfest!)

I mean, New York City is great and all...but can they say that is has the largest four-faced clock tower in the western hemisphere? Yes, it is larger than Big Ben, which is the largest chiming four-faced clock tower in the world. Take that, London!

Not to mention plenty of beer, cheese, and sausage to go around. 

So I suppose for the time being, Milwaukee is a pretty cool place to call home.

~Megan