by Crystal Pham
I can’t believe my first year of college is almost over! It’s crazy how quickly time flies when you’re in a new environment. In the last blog entry I wrote, I talked about all the adventures I had with my roommates and all the fun classes I was taking Fall Semester. Out of the three classes I took, Sociology, Sculpture, and Writing, my favorite class was Introduction to Sculpture. For our final project, we were told to create a life size model of our head out of clay. It was the most interesting assignment I have ever been given throughout my academic career.
This semester I am taking Nutrition, Math, Core, and Economics. I’ve enjoyed my Nutrition class so much that I am seriously considering exploring further into classes that are closely related to health.
Outside of class, I have been spending a lot of time hanging out with my Peer Mentor, Kristi, who is really cool. Besides offering me academic support, she has also helped me find a job. One of my favorite memories from Spring Semester is when Kristi and I spontaneously went to Modesto after class for a day of shopping! Although the drive was 40 minutes, our breath was taken away by the four stories of clothing Forever 21 had to offer us.
When I’m not spending time with Kristi or my roommates Pauline and Kristina, I’m hanging out with my boyfriend Nick and his roommates Ben and David. I often spend time doing homework with the boys in their room, and it always seems that the funniest things happen when I’m there. I remember a few weeks ago I had the sudden urge to become tan without burning myself by sunbathing outside, so I bought a self tanner at Target. After applying 2 coats within the first day of buying the tanner, I had the most orange hands in my life! Nick’s roommates called them “Oompa Loompa” hands and made fun of me for the longest time!
As the year is coming to an end, I am still trying to succeed academically but have fun at the same time. A couple of weekends ago, I was able to play in a double-header softball game against UC Davis and USC. Although we did not win, it was still exciting because I got to play the entire time! I was definitely exhausted by the end of the second game but got to rest back in my dorm. Later that night, my boyfriend and I watched the award winning movie Blind Side with Sandra Bullock. Recently UC Merced had Bobcat Preview Day where I was able to volunteer my dorm room for tour groups to view. I ended up meeting many prospective students and their families as well as answer some questions they had. It was crazy to see that I was in the shoes of these high school seniors just a year ago!
