"though the faces may have changed, the hassles are just the same!"

That's a quote from one of my many spirit animals, Jerri Blank.

So, yeah, I'm back in school after a deliciously lazy month off. I love the beginning of a new semester, because it presents an opportunity for a fresh start. Brand new courses, professors, newspaper editors, and chances for growth and change.

Since I'm one of those lucky National Merit Scholarship kids, the beginning of the semester also means I get a big fat check. I'm not so good with money, so I'm trying to use my new riches for good. I put quite a bit into savings, and today I went to Target to buy various organizational items for my apartment (I'm super excited about my brand new magnetic dry-erase calendar, and the dish drying rack my apartment has been sorely lacking since June). I plan to get to work on a budget this week, so hopefully in the future I won't end up broke as a joke and not sure how to pay for a $92 repair for my truck.

I'm only two days in, but the semester looks good so far. Here's a little breakdown of my classes, which I know everyone is sooooo interested in:

Women and the Law

I think I'm going to learn a lot in this class. Also, the professor is one of my favorite WGS faculty as well as a personal inspiration. She's intelligent, witty, opinionated, a mother of two, and manages to maintain the spirit of a college student. Looking forward to drinks at the Library after class.

Writing the Short Story

I think all but three people from my Intro to Professional Writing class are in this one. We all got to know each other far too well last semester, so I'm sure the next 16 weeks will be equally enlightening. I am pumped to write six short stories though.

History of Journalism

BRING A BOOK.

Seriously, this shit's gon' be boooooring. At least I have a friend to roll eyes and creepily grin at when our professor (good ol' Cha-Cha-Chavez) says something weird.

Intro to African-American Studies

Well, I needed an elective this semester and I figured, hey, why not depress myself even more with weekly discussions of oppressed peoples? Seriously though, I don't know why this course isn't required just like history is. My professor seems really cool, and I appreciate that he doesn't say things in a "diplomatic" way, to use his word. I'm PC, but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate when people get real. It helps when I agree with those people, which I'm sure I usually will with this guy.

Spanish-American Literature

Well ... I needed one more class to finish my Spanish minor. Here I am. I hate hate HATE Spanish Lit. classes, but at least the professor seems animated and interesting. 13 women in the class; no men. Should be fun.

And that's the story of this semester. On top of my classes, writing for the Daily, and 15 hours at the Y every week, I should keep myself out of trouble (unlike Jerri Blank).