Hey there! Happy Thinking Out Loud Thursday! Appropriately for the spirit of this post, my mind is scattered and going a million miles a minute. So, let’s link up with Amanda, have some shakshuka, and we can chat about what’s happening in our lives.
Sound good? Cool.
1.) Over the weekend, I did a whole bunch of schoolwork, went to Target and Trader Joe’s, cooked delicious things, and got a massage. It was about as perfect as weekends involving a lot of schoolwork get.
2.) I also attempted to take off my gel manicure. The last time I did it, it worked beautifully. I just repeatedly alternated filing at the gel and soaking my fingertips in nail polish remover. It took a while, but not more than an hour. This time was not so successful. I still have little red streaks on my nails that won’t come off. Tips?
3.) The second week of winter quarter is Kuvia.
That is, UChicago students wake up early to stand in line (outside) at one of our gyms before going inside and doing calisthenics and some workshop type stuff. You do it for a week and get a T-shirt at the end. I started it during my first year and, despite the fact that I wake up just about that early anyway, decided it wasn’t worth it. You spend more time waiting in the cold to work out than actually working out. No thanks.
My roommate is doing it, though, which has made me realize that if you don’t naturally wake up as early as I do, waking up early is kind of terrible.
4.) In my 7 quarters here, the only classes for which I’ve had to regularly turn in assignments are my physical science classes, math/econ ones, and Spanish. At most, I’ve had two of those per quarter. Every other class has basically just required a lot of reading and occasional essays or exams.
This quarter, as I mentioned, three of my four classes have weekly assignments due and three of my four classes have substantial reading.
This pretty much lends itself to me being stressed about everything I have to get done from Tuesday to Thursday (my class days) and then getting everything together Friday through Monday. I mean, at least I have a system?
5.) Three of my teachers imposed explicit “no screen” policies. As in, you can’t have phones or computers or tablets out during class. This is one of my favorite things to happen this week. Why? When everyone around me has a computer out and is on Facebook, sending an email, or finishing an essay, all I can think about is the fact that I have 28953 things to do, too, and if only I’d brought my computer I could be multitasking. Also, sometimes I read people’s Facebook/text conversations off their screen.
Basically, I get distracted and frazzled and the lecture doesn’t seem that important. When there are no screens, I feel like the only place I really need to be is in class and I can mostly pay attention for an hour and a half.
6.) I’m sorry if you don’t find weather interesting, but what is this weather? It goes from bitterly cold to warmer but raining sideways to all that rain being ice to warm again in a week.
7.) The hardest part of Whole30 is no Diet Coke. And it’s not even that hard. It’s just… when I’m stressed, do you know how weirdly natural it feels to turn to Diet Coke?
8.) I made a big mistake on the way home for winter break. I wasn’t in the mood to read and I was caught up on podcasts, so I played Candy Crush for the first time since the summer. Aaaand now I’m hooked again. HELP.
9.) I almost thought I wouldn’t have enough time to go to the grocery store last night, but I was out of bananas and apples and almond butter and bacon. All at once. Not okay. No worries, I squeezed in a quick trip and am eating all those things except the bacon right now.
10.) And now I want to leave you with some of my favorite recipes + reads from the week.
- Simply freaking genius. –> 4-Ingredient Homemade Protein Bars
- Making a whole chicken isn’t hard! –> Whole30 Rosemary Chicken with Root Vegetables
- I LOVE chicken piccata. –> Whole30 Chicken Piccata
- You totally have time to make these. –> Healthy 3-Ingredient Dinners for Busy Weeknights
- The sweetest, most heartbreaking thing. –> Guess How Much I Love You
Your turn:
Do you prefer to take notes on paper or electronically?
What groceries can you not be without?
Anything else I should know?
During undergranduate, I was a notes on paper person. During graduate school, notes on computer. So I would be torn if you asked me my preference at the moment!
You’re versatile!
I guess I don’t really have advice about the gel manicure, but I alway think they are so pretty! 🙂 <3 This winter weather is crazy. 🙂
It is indeed!
I love it when professors don’t allow students to use electronic devices too! All it does is distract me from class and make me focus on things not associated with school lol!
Exactly!
Haha! Don’t worry that you’re hooked on Candy Crush – I’m currently hooked on Disney Emoji Blitz 😛
I definitely prefer to take notes on paper vs the computer. I find I remember waaaay more as I have a photographic memory and can remember exactly how I’ve written things.
Hahaha I’ve never heard of that one ?
People always think I’m crazy when I say that, but it’s so true! I can remember where something was and what it looked like on the paper I wrote it on.