Sunday, July 20, 2008
Orientation and stuff
It's been a while. I probably should have updated this sooner, but I finally caught the summer fever and got lazy about things. I've been stressing about things with VCU and the apartment situation, but I've also been playing a few videogames, which have been taking up most of my free time lately.
My orientation went well, and so did my brother's orientation. However, with him being a freshman and having the two-day orientation rather than the one-day session that I had, I think his orientation was slightly better than mine. That isn't to say that I didn't enjoy a few extra benefits by attending his orientation, though. I was able to get two free VCU t-shirts at his orientation (compared to the zero I received at my own), and I was able to attend the bus tour for parents and guests at his orientation, though I personally think that tour would have been more beneficial to the students than the parents. I was also able to walk around the campus and ride around on the shuttle bus to see how I would be getting to all of my classes while my brother was registering for his classes.
Well, I guess I've written enough about his orientation, but I haven't really said anything about my own orientation. To be honest, I think one of the most exciting parts of my orientation was getting to walk by myself from the art foundation building to one of the dining centers on campus. Of course, it wasn't my first time walking across the campus, but it was the first time I'd done so by myself, and it was pretty exciting to be able to figure out where to go by myself without having the help of another person or a group of people who already know where they're going.
It was also pretty exciting to finally register for my classes; it really started to give me a sense of being an actual student of VCU and not just an applicant. However, it wasn't a very organized process; I was expecting a one-on-one session with an advisor who would tell me what classes to take, but instead we got a computer lab full of students and maybe five advisors who didn't all exactly know what we should have been taking. I'm also a little concerned because one of the credits that should have transferred to VCU didn't transfer, and I don't exactly know why. However, the advisors recommended that I skip that requirement in case it transfers later.
I was impressed that my drawing classes at my community college both transferred, though. They transferred as credits for VCU's drawing studio and project classes, but I'm taking the drawing and project classes at VCU anyway because they'll help me keep full-time status and because I want them. My community college drawing classes were great, but since they were at a community college and not a full-blown art school, there weren't a lot of resources for models and other things like that (even though their new easels are quite nice :3), so I think that I would benefit from a drawing class at VCU.
After my orientation we drove around the neighborhoods where the apartments I was interested in were located, and surprisingly most of them weren't in such great neighborhoods. We ended up eliminating all of the apartments that I hadn't been able to make appointments to see prior to the day of my orientation, plus two of the four appointments I had already made.
The two apartments that we actually looked at were okay, but in the end I decided that the best choice overall would be to get the dorm. A lot of factors went into my decision, but in the end I think the two biggest things it came down to were the question of whether my boyfriend could keep up with his half of the rent without a secure job yet or any backup money, and the fact that I probably wouldn't be happy living in either of the apartments for the whole 3-4 years I'd be at VCU. The apartments only offered 12-month leases, and it would have been either very difficult or very expensive for me to try to find a better apartment later.
So I'm going to be in a dorm for my first year at VCU, and I'm going to look into getting an apartment in the spring so that I'll be able to grab one right as graduating or transferring students move out. If for some reason that isn't possible, I might try to get into one of the apartment-style dorms for upperclassmen for the next school year.
As far as other things in my life go, I'm really behind on updating my website, and I haven't really drawn anything since my last CafePress design. I just haven't felt like it, but it probably isn't such a bad thing. I'll be in artist boot camp starting on August 21st, so it's probably not such a bad idea to take a break so that I'll feel rested and ready to work when classes start. If I feel like it, I might draw my characters a bit before the fall semester starts because I'm not going to let myself draw them at all during the semester, but I'm not going to pressure myself to keep drawing just to stay busy. However, I will try to update my website to add my latest drawings sometime this week.
Oh, I mentioned that I've been playing videogames, right? Well, I put Silent Hill Origins on hold because I started itching to play Final Fantasy X-2 again. I started a New Game Plus, but I kind of rushed through it because I really just wanted to finish getting 100% (I had 99% previously) so that I could get the good ending, but for some reason I didn't get it. I got pissed off about that and started playing Final Fantasy X instead. I started getting really excited about totally owning Yunalesca this time around because she gave me so much trouble in my first game, and I beat her last night. Now I'm at the point of the game where all of the sidequests are available with the airship, but I'm already getting bored with it and I want to play something different. It's frustrating because I really wanted to get that AP trick so that I can over-level Yuna and make her hit harder than Auron, but I'm also impatient about getting the items that allow me to do that trick. I think I'll take a break and play something different and maybe come back to FFX when I'm ready to do that.
Well, that's about all I wanted to write today. I'll try to start updating more regularly. :3
My orientation went well, and so did my brother's orientation. However, with him being a freshman and having the two-day orientation rather than the one-day session that I had, I think his orientation was slightly better than mine. That isn't to say that I didn't enjoy a few extra benefits by attending his orientation, though. I was able to get two free VCU t-shirts at his orientation (compared to the zero I received at my own), and I was able to attend the bus tour for parents and guests at his orientation, though I personally think that tour would have been more beneficial to the students than the parents. I was also able to walk around the campus and ride around on the shuttle bus to see how I would be getting to all of my classes while my brother was registering for his classes.
Well, I guess I've written enough about his orientation, but I haven't really said anything about my own orientation. To be honest, I think one of the most exciting parts of my orientation was getting to walk by myself from the art foundation building to one of the dining centers on campus. Of course, it wasn't my first time walking across the campus, but it was the first time I'd done so by myself, and it was pretty exciting to be able to figure out where to go by myself without having the help of another person or a group of people who already know where they're going.
It was also pretty exciting to finally register for my classes; it really started to give me a sense of being an actual student of VCU and not just an applicant. However, it wasn't a very organized process; I was expecting a one-on-one session with an advisor who would tell me what classes to take, but instead we got a computer lab full of students and maybe five advisors who didn't all exactly know what we should have been taking. I'm also a little concerned because one of the credits that should have transferred to VCU didn't transfer, and I don't exactly know why. However, the advisors recommended that I skip that requirement in case it transfers later.
I was impressed that my drawing classes at my community college both transferred, though. They transferred as credits for VCU's drawing studio and project classes, but I'm taking the drawing and project classes at VCU anyway because they'll help me keep full-time status and because I want them. My community college drawing classes were great, but since they were at a community college and not a full-blown art school, there weren't a lot of resources for models and other things like that (even though their new easels are quite nice :3), so I think that I would benefit from a drawing class at VCU.
After my orientation we drove around the neighborhoods where the apartments I was interested in were located, and surprisingly most of them weren't in such great neighborhoods. We ended up eliminating all of the apartments that I hadn't been able to make appointments to see prior to the day of my orientation, plus two of the four appointments I had already made.
The two apartments that we actually looked at were okay, but in the end I decided that the best choice overall would be to get the dorm. A lot of factors went into my decision, but in the end I think the two biggest things it came down to were the question of whether my boyfriend could keep up with his half of the rent without a secure job yet or any backup money, and the fact that I probably wouldn't be happy living in either of the apartments for the whole 3-4 years I'd be at VCU. The apartments only offered 12-month leases, and it would have been either very difficult or very expensive for me to try to find a better apartment later.
So I'm going to be in a dorm for my first year at VCU, and I'm going to look into getting an apartment in the spring so that I'll be able to grab one right as graduating or transferring students move out. If for some reason that isn't possible, I might try to get into one of the apartment-style dorms for upperclassmen for the next school year.
As far as other things in my life go, I'm really behind on updating my website, and I haven't really drawn anything since my last CafePress design. I just haven't felt like it, but it probably isn't such a bad thing. I'll be in artist boot camp starting on August 21st, so it's probably not such a bad idea to take a break so that I'll feel rested and ready to work when classes start. If I feel like it, I might draw my characters a bit before the fall semester starts because I'm not going to let myself draw them at all during the semester, but I'm not going to pressure myself to keep drawing just to stay busy. However, I will try to update my website to add my latest drawings sometime this week.
Oh, I mentioned that I've been playing videogames, right? Well, I put Silent Hill Origins on hold because I started itching to play Final Fantasy X-2 again. I started a New Game Plus, but I kind of rushed through it because I really just wanted to finish getting 100% (I had 99% previously) so that I could get the good ending, but for some reason I didn't get it. I got pissed off about that and started playing Final Fantasy X instead. I started getting really excited about totally owning Yunalesca this time around because she gave me so much trouble in my first game, and I beat her last night. Now I'm at the point of the game where all of the sidequests are available with the airship, but I'm already getting bored with it and I want to play something different. It's frustrating because I really wanted to get that AP trick so that I can over-level Yuna and make her hit harder than Auron, but I'm also impatient about getting the items that allow me to do that trick. I think I'll take a break and play something different and maybe come back to FFX when I'm ready to do that.
Well, that's about all I wanted to write today. I'll try to start updating more regularly. :3
Labels: apartments, art, dorm, drawing, orientation, vcu, videogames, website
Sunday, June 29, 2008
More character art~
The third design in my current CafePress series was surprisingly quick and easy to finish. Here she is:
I haven't made a shop for her yet, though. I might do that later today. I'm also thinking about combining Em's design with Jade's design to make a group design, but I'm not sure if their sizes and proportions will match up enough for that. If it comes out all right, I might also make a combination of Hikari and Rose and maybe even a group design featuring all four of the girls.
I'm getting really excited about finishing this project. The only girl I have left to draw is Rose. :3 I'm planning on putting her in a yellow babydoll dress with a blue trim that will hopefully help connect her to Hikari's design. I might put off making Em's shop until after I draw Rose, depending on what I feel like doing today.
I'm starting to get anxious about VCU again. It's making me restless, and I think that restlessness is turning into frustration about other unrelated things, and somehow I think it's turned into frustration and depression about shoes again. However, I've made a list of things I need to do in preparation for my orientation, and I've planned out some other activities for me to do this week that will hopefully keep me busy.
On another short note, my gradual sunless tanner is already starting to work! :3 I'm not sure how I'm going to like the final results, but I might ask my mom what she thinks when I see her.
I haven't made a shop for her yet, though. I might do that later today. I'm also thinking about combining Em's design with Jade's design to make a group design, but I'm not sure if their sizes and proportions will match up enough for that. If it comes out all right, I might also make a combination of Hikari and Rose and maybe even a group design featuring all four of the girls.
I'm getting really excited about finishing this project. The only girl I have left to draw is Rose. :3 I'm planning on putting her in a yellow babydoll dress with a blue trim that will hopefully help connect her to Hikari's design. I might put off making Em's shop until after I draw Rose, depending on what I feel like doing today.
I'm starting to get anxious about VCU again. It's making me restless, and I think that restlessness is turning into frustration about other unrelated things, and somehow I think it's turned into frustration and depression about shoes again. However, I've made a list of things I need to do in preparation for my orientation, and I've planned out some other activities for me to do this week that will hopefully keep me busy.
On another short note, my gradual sunless tanner is already starting to work! :3 I'm not sure how I'm going to like the final results, but I might ask my mom what she thinks when I see her.
Labels: art, cafepress, characters, orientation, self tanner, vcu
Friday, June 27, 2008
Body Issues and Improvements
I hate having irregularly shaped feet. I always find the cutest shoes online at really good prices, and my problem is always either that they don't have my size, or they have my size but I'm not sure if the shoes will turn out to be too long or too narrow due to size variations, and I can't buy them because the site doesn't allow returns on clearance-priced merchandise. Even if the shoes are only $7-10 plus shipping, I still can't justify that kind of waste of money if they don't fit. ;(
I guess it's better to spend a little more money on a shoe that I know I will be satisfied with or get my money back, but I'm still sad that I can't take advantage of some of the insanely cheap prices I've seen out there. I might try my luck sometime anyway, if I find a pair of shoes cute enough to be worth the risk. At least I could try buying them a half-size larger to make sure the shoes won't be too narrow and then get some insoles if they turn out too long.
I succeeded in finding some good lip products today. I bought a plain lip balm, a colored lip balm, two lip glosses, and a Maybelline lip plumper. I've tried the plain lip balm and one of the lip glosses, and I'm so happy with both of them that I'm thinking about throwing out my old tube of Chapstick, but I'll probably just put it away in a drawer until I run out of the new lip balm. I think I might try the lip plumper a little later tonight or tomorrow, and I hope it works and looks good on me.
I also bought some gradual self-tanning moisturizer for my pale legs. I'm hoping that it'll make them look less flabby because I've heard that tan skin doesn't show cellulite as much as pale skin. I don't want to use it on the rest of my body though, and I don't know if it'll look weird when my legs start to be a little darker than the rest of me. I guess if it looks too bad I can just stop using it because I definitely don't plan on tanning my torso, arms, or face. :\
I hope that by the end of the summer my long-term makeover will be complete. I've been trying to make a lot of little changes with myself in preparation for my new life at VCU, and I think that I'm nearing the final stages of my transformation. All I have left to do is to finish clearing up my skin and getting back into shape. :3
My orientation confirmation arrived in the mail today, finally~ I think I'm going to go start reading the handbook that came with it after I check my email and see how my dad's doing.
I guess it's better to spend a little more money on a shoe that I know I will be satisfied with or get my money back, but I'm still sad that I can't take advantage of some of the insanely cheap prices I've seen out there. I might try my luck sometime anyway, if I find a pair of shoes cute enough to be worth the risk. At least I could try buying them a half-size larger to make sure the shoes won't be too narrow and then get some insoles if they turn out too long.
I succeeded in finding some good lip products today. I bought a plain lip balm, a colored lip balm, two lip glosses, and a Maybelline lip plumper. I've tried the plain lip balm and one of the lip glosses, and I'm so happy with both of them that I'm thinking about throwing out my old tube of Chapstick, but I'll probably just put it away in a drawer until I run out of the new lip balm. I think I might try the lip plumper a little later tonight or tomorrow, and I hope it works and looks good on me.
I also bought some gradual self-tanning moisturizer for my pale legs. I'm hoping that it'll make them look less flabby because I've heard that tan skin doesn't show cellulite as much as pale skin. I don't want to use it on the rest of my body though, and I don't know if it'll look weird when my legs start to be a little darker than the rest of me. I guess if it looks too bad I can just stop using it because I definitely don't plan on tanning my torso, arms, or face. :\
I hope that by the end of the summer my long-term makeover will be complete. I've been trying to make a lot of little changes with myself in preparation for my new life at VCU, and I think that I'm nearing the final stages of my transformation. All I have left to do is to finish clearing up my skin and getting back into shape. :3
My orientation confirmation arrived in the mail today, finally~ I think I'm going to go start reading the handbook that came with it after I check my email and see how my dad's doing.
Labels: appearance, cosmetics, feet, lips, makeover, money, orientation, problems, self tanner, shoes, vcu
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Anxiety
I wasn't able to register for Monday's orientation after all. Friday morning I woke up early to call about the apartments and start making the appointments to look at them on Tuesday, but I first went to VCU's website to see if my response had been processed yet. It had been, but unfortunately the only orientation date left to me was the July 7th orientation. At least I didn't have to go through the trouble of making the appointments in the first place and then having to cancel on them, but I hope that there will still be a decent selection of apartments for me to choose from by the time I get up there.
I also still haven't received my information packet yet. To say the least, I'm not surprised, but I'm very disappointed that my prediction, which was not meant to be a serious one, that my information packet wouldn't arrive before Monday came true.
To be honest though, I'm a little relieved that I wasn't able to go to Monday's orientation because this way I will have a little more time to mentally prepare myself to deal with everything. I will also have a little more time to actually receive and read my information packet and also an orientation packet, which is supposed to include all of the details about my orientation. I'm still feeling anxious about everything though, and I'm getting worried that I won't feel better until after I actually start my classes.
In other news, I've been kind of bored today, since there isn't really anything left that I can do about my orientation right now. There are a lot of other things that I could and probably should be doing, but I just don't feel like it. I don't want to be bored, but I just don't know what I really want to do right now, and it's really bothering me. I think that it might have to do with my anxiety, but I don't know how to get rid of it.
I know it's terrible, but I really want to go shopping again, and I don't know if I can wait for my mom to get home on Monday or Tuesday, but I don't want to go by myself or with my boyfriend because either way I won't get the opinions I want on the things that I want to look at, and now that I'm unemployed, I really can't afford the extra gas, either.
I also still haven't received my information packet yet. To say the least, I'm not surprised, but I'm very disappointed that my prediction, which was not meant to be a serious one, that my information packet wouldn't arrive before Monday came true.
To be honest though, I'm a little relieved that I wasn't able to go to Monday's orientation because this way I will have a little more time to mentally prepare myself to deal with everything. I will also have a little more time to actually receive and read my information packet and also an orientation packet, which is supposed to include all of the details about my orientation. I'm still feeling anxious about everything though, and I'm getting worried that I won't feel better until after I actually start my classes.
In other news, I've been kind of bored today, since there isn't really anything left that I can do about my orientation right now. There are a lot of other things that I could and probably should be doing, but I just don't feel like it. I don't want to be bored, but I just don't know what I really want to do right now, and it's really bothering me. I think that it might have to do with my anxiety, but I don't know how to get rid of it.
I know it's terrible, but I really want to go shopping again, and I don't know if I can wait for my mom to get home on Monday or Tuesday, but I don't want to go by myself or with my boyfriend because either way I won't get the opinions I want on the things that I want to look at, and now that I'm unemployed, I really can't afford the extra gas, either.
Labels: anxiety, boredom, orientation, shopping, vcu
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Not much luck yet
Well, I got my VCU ID number, but unfortunately it didn't do me any good because I can't reserve a spot in an orientation session until after they've received my response form. So my mom took my response form to the post office, and VCU should receive it tomorrow by noon. Hopefully I'll still be able to register for the orientation session on the 23rd by the time they get it. I hope it doesn't take too long for them to process my response.
I'm still anxious about getting my information packet, too. It still hasn't arrived yet, but I've already printed copies of my immunization certificate and final transcript request form online in case it doesn't arrive in time to get things done. I went ahead and got the shots I needed today because I was missing about five of them, but I need to try to go to my gynecologist's office tomorrow so they can verify my Gardasil vaccine dates and sign the form for me.
At least I have Silent Hill Origins to occupy my time and help with my anxiety. I bought it at Walmart yesterday, and so far I haven't gotten very far into it because I haven't played a Silent Hill game in so long and I've kind of become a chicken for it. I really love it already, though.
Even though I've heard that Konami didn't actually make Origins themselves, I'm very impressed that they've brought back the original characters and a lot of very familiar places and situations, and the creepy atmosphere I've loved about the previous games hasn't suffered at all. As always, Akira Yamaoka's music and sounds are top notch as well.
The only thing I haven't liked about Origins so far is that almost all of the melee weapons break eventually, which doesn't really make sense to me because it isn't easy to break a hammer, and even if you do break the heavy part off of it, you still have a large wooden handle that wouldn't deal as much damage as the entire hammer would, but it would still probably make a half-decent weapon. However, I do like the grappling feature, which has helped me out quite a bit in the game so far, and I also like the idea of being able to fight without weapons, even though I haven't tried doing that yet. There also seems to be a wider variety of items that can be used as melee weapons this time around, which is fun. I really like the scalpel at the moment, but I'm really curious about how the IV drip stand that I picked up yesterday will work, especially since the scalpel probably won't last much longer.
I'm still anxious about getting my information packet, too. It still hasn't arrived yet, but I've already printed copies of my immunization certificate and final transcript request form online in case it doesn't arrive in time to get things done. I went ahead and got the shots I needed today because I was missing about five of them, but I need to try to go to my gynecologist's office tomorrow so they can verify my Gardasil vaccine dates and sign the form for me.
At least I have Silent Hill Origins to occupy my time and help with my anxiety. I bought it at Walmart yesterday, and so far I haven't gotten very far into it because I haven't played a Silent Hill game in so long and I've kind of become a chicken for it. I really love it already, though.
Even though I've heard that Konami didn't actually make Origins themselves, I'm very impressed that they've brought back the original characters and a lot of very familiar places and situations, and the creepy atmosphere I've loved about the previous games hasn't suffered at all. As always, Akira Yamaoka's music and sounds are top notch as well.
The only thing I haven't liked about Origins so far is that almost all of the melee weapons break eventually, which doesn't really make sense to me because it isn't easy to break a hammer, and even if you do break the heavy part off of it, you still have a large wooden handle that wouldn't deal as much damage as the entire hammer would, but it would still probably make a half-decent weapon. However, I do like the grappling feature, which has helped me out quite a bit in the game so far, and I also like the idea of being able to fight without weapons, even though I haven't tried doing that yet. There also seems to be a wider variety of items that can be used as melee weapons this time around, which is fun. I really like the scalpel at the moment, but I'm really curious about how the IV drip stand that I picked up yesterday will work, especially since the scalpel probably won't last much longer.
Labels: immunization, orientation, silent hill, vcu
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