Saturday, September 19, 2009

the stressful side of college and letting loose

Beaverbrook Feline

I hadn't realized how long it's been since I updated.

My college work-load has increased: last Tuesday I got three assignments (two major) in Communications and Student Success alone.

That night as I was working feverishly on one of them (the mock-up for a poster) I started thinking about all that I had to do and the stress started to overwhelm me to the point that I was doing homework and crying at the same time. I thought, "I need to talk to someone now! SALLY!" (She's the education proctor.)

I went downstairs and found her in the kitchen. She asked me how I was and between small sobs I told her about the stress that I was feeling. There was one little problem, though: the kitchen wasn't the most privet place in the world and we both knew it so she suggested that we go to my room.

Once there the first thing she noticed was the lampshades (I have two of Mom's and one that I made). She asked how they were made and I told her.

Then we got down to business and I started to cry again. Sally did most of the talking, including reassuring me that I'm not the only one who's going through this (I know that, but I still need to hear it). She suggested that I see a councillor, which I'll do at the first chance I get. NBCCD's councillor is away until either December or January (BOOOOO!!) so she said that she'd see if I could go to someone at UNB.

During UNB's Orientation Week (the week before Labour Day) the proctors, don, etc., told the newcomers that they are here for us if we need to talk and that whatever's said will be kept private unless the person is in danger of injuring themselves or of being injured. That doesn't apply to lampshades apparently--when I came down from doing homework last night Andrea (hall proctor) asked me about giving a "tutorial" about how the shades were made before I could say anything. I was surprised and flattered and agreed to do it. Only thing is, I don't know when this is going to take place or who it's for (just a few people? The whole residence?).

This weekend is the Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival (which involves more than just those two genres) and there are concerts going on all over downtown. There's even a tent on the NBCCD campus. Although I'm not going, I've been listening to the concerts from my room and in passing while I'm running errands. I might go next year--the music's really good.

Last night we celebrated Rosh Hashanah, which is the Jewish new year. There were construction-paper posters up for about a week beforehand, including one in the lounge saying that it was MJC's second year celebrating (thanks to Tori).

We danced the hora around one of the posts in the lounge. Tori taught us the lyrics to Hava Nagila but I was so focussed on the steps that I didn't bother singing. Nonetheless I had a blast.

The celebration was extremely short (due to the fact that MJC wants to make everyone feel welcome, regardless of race, sexual orientation, religion, etc., and doesn't want to shove religion down our throats).

...and almost twenty-four hours later I still have that song going through my head!

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