Chalkboards, mortgages and rising interest rates

Now is when the weeks start to fly by in a blur, day after day gone as students trudge to classes and back, doing homework, attending class, and working. 

My classes this year are interesting. My global communications professor is a 66-year-old gentleman who does not like to use electronic presentations as many professors do, and instead prefers to write with chalk on a chalkboard. He writes down the main points and calls that his “presentation” then rants to us about what-not the rest of the class period. I have learned a lot already in that class, though. I’ve learned about house mortgages and the fact that, say in a 30-year house mortgage, you are paying only the interest the first 20 or so years. It is only after that you start actually repaying the money you borrowed in the first place. That was new to me. I also learned about radiation and why a person’s hair falls out if they have cancer and are going through chemotherapy. 

In my multimedia production and storytelling class, we received our audio equipment today so that we can do audio interviews for stories for class. I felt very fancy and professional as I wore the big headphones, the recording device and microphone, then interviewed a classmate about their favorite dessert during childhood. We even get to bring the equipment home, which tempts me to start a podcast of my own. So many opportunities. 

For my intermediate news reporting class, we took a field trip to the capitol this week, which was interesting. It was actually my first time in the Minnesota State Capitol because when my grade was supposed to take the field trip there in sixth grade, it was under construction and we never went. So as a junior in college, I finally got my tour of the capitol, given to us by Alex Dosier, a Pioneer Press staff reporter, who covers legislators. One of the reasons we took the tour for this class is because we not only are going to be writing a legislative story, but the University has a partnership with Pioneer Press, and we as students are allowed to use the Pioneer Press’s office space in the basement of the capitol. It’s actually kind of funny that all of the press offices are in the basement. The rotunda and the rooms and other offices on the main floors have high ceilings and marble floors–very refined. But when you walk down the steps, you notice the low ceilings, the concrete and bricks, and the carpeted hallways where all the press people work. It’s an interesting, but fun, vibe. 

As for what I’m doing outside of class: nothing. Well, I take that back. I have found time to work out on a fairly consistent basis, which is the only thing right now keeping me sane. There’s already so much homework to do with textbook readings, interviews to do, assignments to write up. And then there’s work, where I’m expected to crank out two stories every week, along with editing other stories three days a week. 

But I don’t want to do any of that. How I really want to spend my days is sleeping, reading, watching “Breaking Bad,” and baking. But alas, I must grind and work with the rest of the world. 

It’s not actually that bad, I just don’t know what else to write about. 

My Determination:  “I’m probably fine. But I also might be dead.” – Jessica Day, New Girl