We've Moved!

I'm sorry to say that you've wandered into the wrong nest!

New Nest has moved to: http://fredgoeswes.wordpress.com/

The Comeback

Don't be fooled by the smile; college is terrible ;)

One month of college has passed me by. My hair has grown long. My spirit, at times, has been defeated.

But now, on this otherwise unremarkable Monday evening-- the last day of September-- I am triumphant, having been through my first round of exams and lived to recount the tale.

On that note, let's not go into detail. My focus and diligence has wavered over these past few weeks. My eyes have been bigger than my stomach; I am still reeling at the amount of commitments I've made. Studying was not only seldom, it was inefficient. I often reviewed the wrong material or used a terrible technique in lieu of my usual methods.

I've been affected greatly by peer pressure: I have succumbed to taking notes on my laptop, just like almost all of my classmates. Whereas in high school, laptops are largely not allowed, they are the status quo in college classrooms. Only now am I starting to get a handle on my study methods.

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As mentioned before, this blog will be transitioning into largely picture-based posts. I'd love to prattle on about my every activity, but let's face it, we both have better things to do.

With a post tonight focusing on the activities that coalesce around the Olin Library, the largest on campus, the transition will be complete.

NOTE: the link takes you to WordPress, which will be hosting my blog in the future. I hate the format of Blogger and I've hosted several WordPress blogs in the past, so I'm more used to it. More on the transition soon.

Also, still expect wordy posts in the future. It simply isn't healthy to walk around with as many thoughts as I do without letting them out somehow.

Where the Hell Have I Been?

No, I'm not dead; just overworked.

This upcoming week brings three exams on Monday-- one of which I have to turn in two essays for-- and another on Wednesday.

After that, I plan to make your lives vastly more entertaining with my photos and thoughts on life at college.

In the meantime, here is a photo of the immense fog we sometimes experience:

Felt just like Scotland!

Love,
Fred

UPDATE: Ch-Ch-Changes

Hey Readers,

Another quick note before the forthcoming much-anticipated Week 2 post:

New Nest is undergoing a structural change. Instead of me prattling on about my daily life and classes, trying to be as densely descriptive as Cormac McCarthy, but as brief as Ernest Hemingway, I've begun to take pictures more often.

A picture says a thousand words-- something that would take me about a half-hour to write-- and saves me loads of time. If you're wondering why I'm so pressed for time, take a look at my whiteboard:

Stay tuned for more fantastic updates!

Love,
Fred

Week 1: Chemistry and Biology and Calculus and Philosophy. Oh My!

Pre-Preface:

A few days late, but this was last week's post.

Preface:

Instead of the my original plan of having biweekly posts, I've opted to write weekly posts.

Why? Because as you'll see, writing about just one week of college takes up an inordinately amount of space and will waste, oh, about a half-hour of your time

As for its structure, this post is divided up into each day of the week, starting on Monday, 9/2/13. And this, my friend, is what you're in for:

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Day One:

A total of seven class hours today. Four of which were consecutive, including two straight hours of calculus. WHOO.

Chinese: turns out that I'll be sticking with it. I made a real connection with the teacher this morning and it seems like it would be extremely valuable to stick with it for the year. Perhaps I'll get Rosetta Stone or Fluentz for further learning during the summer and possibly even earn a scholarship from the government to study abroad in China during summer in 2015 (Chinese is, apparently, a 'neglected' language).

Biology: currently auditing the class. The last time I uttered the word mRNA or ribosome polymerase was about four years ago, so naturally it felt like I'd never left the Chinese classroom. The professor, however, is a really cool British man who sports open-toed shoes and uses abstruse analogies that I'm sure I'll grow to love.

Calculus: damned if I do, damned if I don't. This class is way too easy for me. I'm currently requesting the next level up so I can take advanced economics classes, e.g. ecometrics or mathematical economics, come junior or senior year. However, the next level up is going to be a huge challenge for me, based on my hallmate's homework, which I just saw.

So, for now, I'm stuck. Odds are, I won't get into the other class anyway (they're twenty students over enrollment), but I'll hope for the best.

Crew: I seem to be built for the sport. According to the coach, I'd be a good Bow #1-- the guy right on the end of boat. Rowing on the erg machine was a bit of a struggle; I couldn't really get the form down, but I'm sure I'll be fine in a few days.

Philosophy/Film: Michael Roth is extremely hilarious. Based on the syllabus, it seems like the class is going to be extremely interesting (you can view the schedule of movies we'll be watching here; you're welcome, Wickersham).

We watched a documentary entitled Night and Fog. Very graphic portrayal of the concentration camps, right down to the latrines and bunks used by the prisoners. The theme this week is the question of whether images can portray the truth (see Plato's Allegory of the Cave). Although we can witness, some seventy years later, the brutal and inhumane treatment faced by those in the concentration camps, can we really feel anything? There are emotions evoked to be sure, but we'll never truly be able to experience such a hell.

Had a special moment in the dining hall this evening-- on a sidenote, I've also been taking photos of each one of my meals; you can view them here.

There were a few middle-aged dining hall workers talking in a corner. From what I heard, some of them are taking classes here. I was comforted by that idea. I don't know if the university offers a special program for them or anything, but knowing that they too were trying to obtain the most valuable investment, education, gave me peace.

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Day Two:

Chinese: learned about all the wonderful tones that the language has to offer. Also learned about the slight differences between the zh, ch, and sh in the languages. Yeah. Ain't nobody got time for that. Switched into chemistry in order to fulfill a requirement for the Earth and Environmental Sciences major.

My super fly faculty advisor

Had interview with admissions office today. I absolutely killed it. Talked with Evan, one of the senior admission officers, who actually read my application.

Math: audited the next highest level. It's way too hard for me. So, with biology vying to be my hardest class, it seems that I'll be sticking to the easier class so I can maintain my sanity.

Philosophy and Film: can we really know what we know?

Pro tip: eating beets is hard; eating near-stale beets is even harder.

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Day Three:

We're not going to talk about how I accidentally ate macaroni and cheese. Definitely not.

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Day Four:

I've taken procrastination to a whole new level-- I've been practicing 'active procrastination' where I do somewhat useful things (such as editing this blog...) instead of tackling that one hundred pages of biology reading I still have to do.

Unintentionally, I arranged and rearranged my schedule so that I don't have any classes on Thursday. Whoo-hoo! Trust me, I needed this day off.

Ever since our impromptu swim test for Crew on Tuesday, I've been feeling sick. It's the common cold. Nothing more. A sore, raw throat and an unbelievably stuffed nose. And this is not the first time it's happened after swimming. My conclusion: I think I may be allergic to chlorine.

Also, for demonstration purposes, I served as the coxswain today, mainly because I was one of the smallest guys there. I'm 5'11", about 160 lbs; gives you a little perspective on my rowingmates teammates. The assistant coach, Steve, shared a special perspective on the art of coxswaining:

"They're just like the Marines: last ones in, first ones out."

This is dangerously close to heaven

I'm making loads of friends on my floor. In fact, I'm typing this from the room of a hallmate right now. We often have lunch or dinner together-- breakfast is my reserved time for mediation over two piping-hot bowls of oatmeal.

I've also taken to being very creative in the dining hall. I've made what I call the PB&J bowl.

There's probably over 1,000 calories in that bowl.

Recipe:
- A dozen about scoops of peanut, almond,  and/or cashew butter.
- Small scoop of chocolate soy butter, because God, I have to live a little.
- A few scoops of strawberry or raspberry preserves

I am in heaven.

On a similar note, I've also been able to maintain a gluten free diet here, eating non-wheat, protein-heavy grains like brown rice, quinoa, couscous, and lentils. For vegetables, I have a lot of broccoli, spinach, and green beans.

I find that most people tend to write what we shouldn't. One of my favorite quotes:

Her name is Sydney! 

"I didn't have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long letter."

It's ironic, because I always tend to ramble in these posts-- but I have a reason! I want you, my reader with very fine tastes, to experience everything I see, eat, and listen to along with me.

But in honestly, it is truly more difficult to write concisely than to blabber on about the lily that Darian bought for our room.

While I'm at it, I'll state that I love the simple and powerful fact that I am alive right now, experiencing life in its most pure form. Feeling the soft breeze against my skin and the goosebumps abound.

I love looking back at history, at the faces of Wesleyan generations past. What did those men experience? Better yet, who are these men?

"You die twice. One time when you stop breathing and a second time, a bit later on, when somebody says your name for the last time.”

I want to be eternal. No matter whether or not there's an afterlife (a question we all ultimately ponder), we live on in the thoughts and memories of others. Only when every memory of us walking on earth is gone do we truly stop living.

And yes, I did complete over fifty pages of biology reading tonight.

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Day Five:

Feeling a lot better, thank you. Back to classes.

Chemistry: now hosted in a large lecture hall, I feel like a forgotten number, which is precisely why I didn't choose a big state university. Oh well.

Biology: I don't know why, but Professor Weir is so damn giddy about everything. Honestly, whenever someone brings up protein synthesis, he can't help but jump out of his shoes and sing the high praises of polypeptide chains.

Crew: really starting to love the sport. We were out on the water for a good half-hour before working for another twenty on the erg machine. Really a great group of guys, too.

Just having the mindset of a collegiate athlete is otherworldly. I don't want to have any more of that vegan ice cream anymore. I want to eat nothing but nuts, grains, fruits, and vegetables. I want to be the strongest version of myself.

I headed back to my dorm around midnight. Not from a night of partying, no. Instead, I was at the library with my head in my biology and chemistry books, wishing my friends the best of luck with their party hopping.

On a sidenote, I'm pretty sure I was the only one in the entire library that night.

Lonesome Fred.

UPDATE: New Nest on Hiatus

Readers,

The demands of college life are quickly piling up.

I have somewhere around 200 pages of reading to complete, mounds of homework due by Friday, and a short essay I have to turn in tonight.

In addition, I'm trying to master the art of rowing, prepare for a marathon, run for the student assembly, have a job in the Office of Admission, maintain a semblance of a social and romantic life, and eat a healthy diet.

There are still phone calls I have to make, emails I have to answer, and photos I have to post, but academics always takes precedence. Thus, although I dislike it greatly, my family might be kept out of the loop over the next few days.

Whenever I was routinely burning the midnight oil earlier this year in preparation for AP exams, I would repeat this stanza by Robert Frost to myself in the mirror:

"The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,

but I have promises to keep,

and miles to go before I sleep,

and miles to go before I sleep."

Once I find my groove and a routine I can stick to, New Nest will return to its former glory. Count on it.

The Warmest of Regards,

Fred

PS-

Take comfort in this photo of me and my friend studying:

Orientation, Day Five: Cruising Altitude

Something was different this morning. But let's backtrack to my night.

After enduring several more orientation events (don't get me started on their inanity and dullness; no, in fact, start me up! Even if I wasn't so sleep deprived (five hours is the new norm), I would've fallen asleep in them anyway. It's like yes, I get it, I need to stay safe on campus and we're open and welcoming and the Bestleyan and there are resources of your wildest dreams available whenever you want them, but just lemme learn about calculus and biology and philosophy already), I prepared to spend the night galavanting with friends.

And yes, if you're wondering, that was one sentence. Writer extraordinaire over here.

I spent time at our open mic night before heading out. Saw some great folk musicians, one with a harmonica holder, and some terrible stand-up comics (talking endlessly about your experience at Hooters is neither entertaining nor impressive). But God, Wes is talented. Bravo.

I then left for the night, spending a half-hour at 'Wesleyan's best kept secret', Pine Palace. By the time I left, there were over a hundred freshmen congregating around the house. Clearly obstreperous teenagers struggle to keep a secret. Nothing new there.

What was new for me, however, was a red concoction called jungle juice. A long line of innocent underclassmen, red cups shaking in anticipation, stood around a canister in the kitchen sink, ready to unknowingly consume copious amounts of cheap alcohol.

Now, kids my age have a word for something like this-- 'sketchy'. No, it's not derived from the popular and functional shoe brand. Instead, it describes when something is a bit off.

And thus, once the modest two-story woodframe house began to fill with all those famished freshmen, I eagerly escaped the Pine Palace to casually convene with less foolhardy friends and delicately discuss the idiomatic issues that prominently polarize our wonderful world.

But before I could head back to my dorm, I had to tail a drunken couple as they stumbled back to their dorm. My hallmate, Jennifer, had watched the girl in question drink somewhere around, oh, 30 ounces of that good ol' jungle juice. (Our RAs' biggest advice was to stay away from it. Hmm.) I wanted to make sure that the guy wasn't going to take advantage of the situation.

I had a talk with him about her current state and I could see in his eyes that he was completely genuine about helping her get back home. I'd watched them stumble for five blocks, but I hadn't realized that the gentleman was simply trying to hold her up; he wasn't inebriated at all.

My judgment didn't fail me; I saw them both earlier today. Nothing had occurred the night before. She'd gone straight to bed.

I, however, shutter to think what might have happened in a similar situation. I suppose some of those orientation events were useful after all. There was a lot of discussion about sexual assault and staying vigilant to ensure it has no place on our campus. And that involves all of us, working together, keeping an eye out for others.

I finally got back to my dorm and talked with friends. Another hallmate and avid reader of this increasingly glorious blog, Maia, grabbed her guitar and began to strum tunes as the little hours of the morning came upon us. We even got to play one of my favorites, Wagon Wheel.

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Home, sweet home!

When I awoke this morning-- long before I wanted to-- things were indeed different. I didn't sleep enough, but the quality of sleep was superb. My bed no longer felt cold or clammy. Instead, it was warm and comforting. Best three hours of sleep I've ever gotten.

But even that wasn't it.

I stared out the window at the overcast morning, took a deep breath, and realized why I felt so different:

I finally felt at home. This cardinal has found his... New Nest.

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So ends the drawn-out five-day orientation week (o-week, yo!) and so begins classes. Also, so begins getting more sleep. Speaking of which...

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If you're feeling a creepy mood, you can view more pictures of my dorm room here.