All good things must come to an end!

As this is my last week of classes, I could not be any happier! I feel like I have taken a big step in life and could not be any more proud of myself. The only things that stand between me and graduating are a paper and finals week! I feel like I have been in school forever, but it seems like it has gone by too fast. I always look back to how life was in high school and sometimes miss how much easier life was back then. Everyone keeps telling me that I will miss school once I'm done and I know that will be true someday, but for now I am glad knowing that I am almost finish. While having a semester off before starting law school next fall, I really want to take advantage of this time to try new things. My number one goal is to travel a lot, as I have always wanted to just spend a few weeks exploring new places. I just hope all of my hard work and dedication count for something in the end. This blog assignment has also been a new experience for me. I've never kept a journal or written in a blog before, but I can honestly say that I did not mind it as much as I had previously imagined I would. I am glad things worked out they way they did for me this semester and wouldn't change it for anything. I am also glad I got to take my Poli Sci 100W class with Professor Wood, as she is one of the most entertaining and enlightening teachers I have had in a long time.

Words I learned this week:
Muslin (N)-Cotton cloth in a plain weave
Arid (Adj)- Having little or no rain

Too much of family isn't a good thing....

As lovely as it always is to spend time with my family, I believe I spent a little too much time with them this past week. On Thanksgiving day, we went over to my uncle's house, as we usually do every year. I had a great time seeing family and cousins which I rarely get to see. We chatted, ate and laughed, making it a great day overall. As glad as I was to see my entire family, I knew I wouldn't have to see them all for at least a while. Well to my surprise, I was blindsided when my parents told me we were all getting together again that saturday night! I couldn't believe. I would have to sit through another family get together two days later! Who thought of that idea?? Well as un pleased as I was, I knew I had to suck it up and get it over with. While sitting with my family saturday night, I kept thinking to myself what we could talk about. I mean I just saw this same group of people two days earlier and got asked the usually questions like "How's school going?" and "What are your plans after your done school?" While sitting there with a pretend smile on my face, I couldn't help but to glance at my watch every few minutes. I felt as if time was going extra slow that night. Eventually the time came where people got up and complain about the long day full of errands they had the next day and slowly started saying good night; while the whole time I couldn't be more grateful that this long and tiring night had come to an end. As much as I love my family, I just hope no one gets any idea's for a
post Christmas" get together!

Words I learned this week:
Julienne (N)- To cut food into short, thin strips.
Genuflect( V)- to bend the knee

Almost the holidays!

What do you call a cow with no legs? Ground beef!

So I spent most of my weekend at home because I was starting to get sick. I didn't wanna take a chance on going out and getting really sick, so I took the cautious route and stayed in. As this would usually suck, I decided to take this opportunity to catch up on a few thing. I finally got to clean my room, which I had been putting off for a while now and I got to watch some movies. Overall it was a boring, but relaxing weekend. I sometimes realize after writing my blog entries, that I had a pretty boring weekend. Nothing really crazy or exciting occurred for me to write about, so to anyone who reads this in hopes of reading something exciting, I apologize. I will however make it up by adding an addition joke this week! Good compromise huh? What lies at the bottom of the ocean and twitches? A nervous wreck! Ha!

And once again, another blog entry....

"Having sex is like playing bridge. If you don't have a good partner, you'd better have a good hand!"

I think as the end of the semester is getting closer, I'm tending to become more lazy and unfocused. For example, as I was doing a paper earlier today, I decided to take a break and grab coffee with my friend. While sitting there talking with my friend and just chatting away, I decided to continue my break and grab food with another friend afterwards. While grabbing food, we decided to start drinking a little, which I know wasn't the best decision but oh well. Finally after a few drinks, I came home and decided to continue with my homework. I looked at the clock and realized my little "coffee break" lasted almost 4 hours! As guilty as I felt procrastinating my homework, I just needed a break away from my books in order to keep my sanity. On a brighter note however, I got my cap and gown yesterday. I felt a bit weird cause it really seems like not too long ago I was just starting college and now knowing that it will be over soon just makes me wonder where the time has gone. I guess all good things must come to an end though.

Words I learned this week:
Feral (adj)- Wild, savage
Inept (adj)- not capable, no skill

Before you know it....

Why did Beethoven get rid of his chickens? Because they kept saying "Bach, Bach, Bach."

It's already November! I do not know where the time has gone but it has gone by fast. As the end of the semester slowly approaches, I noticed that the dates for my final papers for my classes are creeping up on me. I know that I mostly bitch about my work load and other problems I have throughout my week, but it sometimes helps me keep my sanity being able to vent to someone (or a blog in this case) about stuff. Thankfully though, I can honestly say that I am enjoying my classes this semester, especially my 100W class. I am truly happy that I will be finishing college on such a positive note. People always say that I'll miss school as soon as I'm done and out, but I say it's better to miss it after your done then to dread it while your still in. The only thing which frightens me is the fact that there are no more "I'll do better next semester" excuses to use, since you don't get many second chances in the real world and career's. However, I am definitely ready for a change and excited to go out and do something new.

Words I learned this week:
Lethargy (N)- A lack of energy; sleepiness
Banal (Adj)- Lacking in originality or interest

And so the fun begins!

I am pretty excited that its almost Halloween! Behind Christmas, Halloween is my favorite holiday for some reason. I guess I enjoy the idea of free candy and scary movies being repeatedly played on t.v.. Unfortunately Halloween night falls on a Monday this year, but that's not going to stop me from celebrating. First I have to sit down and eventually get started on some applications, which are a lot more time consuming then I have originally thought. Between my applications and school work, I don't know when I am going to have the time to go out and enjoy myself without being stressed. More surprisingly to me is the fact that October is almost over. I mean I really do not know where the time has gone!


Words I learned this week:
 Abhor- (V)- To hate, detest
Extol- (V)- to praise enthusiastically 

I've never been the type...

Why do seagulls fly over the sea? Because if they flew over the bay, they would be called bagels! 

I have never been the type to keep a journal or blog or anything else which required writing in on a weekly basis. I figure that might be why it is so hard for me to keep up with these blog posts ever week. It's not that I don't like expressing myself or sharing a funny joke, I just never got in the habit and now I find it difficult to really come up with different ideas to share with everyone. I can always complain about my week or talk about my family, but I don't believe that would interest people too much. I just enjoy expressing my thoughts and opinions face to face with a person, rather then writing a paragraph or two on a blog for students. Another issue I have is that I just sometimes forget until the last minute to write a blog. With all that I have going on, a weekly blog just isn't up there on my list of priorities. Not to say that I do not enjoy this class or the joyful humor of Professor Wood, it just slips my mind sometimes. 

I was thinking today about how much I want a dog. Growing up, the only pet I ever had was a goldfish, which usually only lasted a few weeks. My dad has always been a fan of getting a dog, but my mom always hated the idea. I decided as soon as I am done with school and have some free time, I am going to get a dog. Not just any dog either, I want an Alaskan Husky! I just wish the end of the semester could get here soon! 

Words I learned this week:

Typology (N)- A classification according to a general type. 

It never ends....

I am about halfway through the semester and I just keep thinking to myself that all of these papers and homework assignments never seem to end. I know december is not too far away but for some reason I feel like it will never come. Every time I finish a homework assignment or a paper, I feel like 2 more take its place. I am working on a few papers simultaneously and I am afraid I will start discussing a topic in one paper that belongs in another paper, resulting in two bad papers. I am just trying to keep my head up and hoping it will all be worth it in the end. I am definitely taking a vacation after I am done! I heard Europe's nice around winter time.

As I was browsing the news this morning online, I found two things which caught my eye. The first was a IMF speaker at a university in Turkey who had eggs thrown at him. I didn't find this politically relevant, just funny. The other article, which I did find politically relevant, was about who pays a fair share of taxes. I found this article to be interesting about how President Obama wants to change the tax laws and how the Republicans want to change it as well.

Links:
Egg throwing video: http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2011/10/14/nr-imf-egg-throwing.cnn
Tax sharing article: http://money.cnn.com/2011/10/14/news/economy/class_warfare_taxes/index.htm?iid=HP_LN

Words I learned this week:
parochial (Adj)- relating to church parish
Ombudsman- (Noun)- An official appointed to investigate individuals complaints against public authorities.

So two peanuts walk into a bar....

And one was a-salted! Ha! That joke never gets old. I sometimes feel that a little humor goes a long way. I am a huge fan of comedy, from comedy movies to funny TV shows to stand up comic performances. I feel like every time I have a bad day or something goes on, a good laugh can always get me out of a rut. For example, one of my favorite shows is Modern Family and when I am having a bad day or just need something to cheer me up, I just watch an episode or two of it and I feel just a little bit happier. I feel like sometimes people should just take a minute out of their day to read a joke or watch something that makes them laugh and the world would be a better place.

The other day I was complaining, like I normally do, to my dad about how tough school is and everything else I have going on. My dad, like he normally does, just kept nodding his head as he watched TV pretending to listen me. In the middle of me complaining, I brought up the issue of law school and how one of my biggest fears is not getting into the schools I want. As I continued to talk, he looked over at me and said "so what?" Thinking that he meant it in a way to say he doesn't care what I have to say, I got upset, but after a minute of thinking I realized he didn't mean it like that, he meant to say "so what? It's not the end of the world." I told him that getting into a good law school meant a lot to me and If I didn't, then I would feel like I let him down. He then looks over at me and says for the first time in a long time "I'm already proud of you no matter what. So what if you don't get into a great law school? It's not the end of the world. I know you'll be successful no matter what, it doesn't make a difference what you do." After hearing my dad tell me that, I definitely knew that my parents backed me up no matter what, which was a great feeling. That talk with my dad definitely made my week just a little bit better.

Words I learned this week:
Zaibatsu- Japanese industrial or financial conglomerate
Chaebol- A Korea family owned business conglomerate

Almost over!

I have been awake since 6 this morning and I feel like this was the longest day of my life. I can't wait for this week to finally be over. I have been studying day and night for the past two weeks for this stupid LSAT. I can not wait for it to be over and after saturday I will not have to think about it. The fact that I have been studying and also trying to keep up with school has been overwhelming. Once this test is done, then I can focus on school and finally be done this semester! I am excited. Once I graduate, I will really feel like I have accomplished something and can finally be happy that I am done (until law school anyway). One question asked of me the other day which caught me off guard was if I had a back up plan in case I end up choosing not to go to law school, Ive never actually thought about it. I should have a backup plan, shouldn't I??

I was reading the news for the first time in days and I find out that Bank Of America will be charging $5 to use their debt card! I was kind of irritated when I heard this. There definitely needs to be some charges in how the banks are managed!

Words I learned this week:

Gerund- The usage of a verb as a noun.
Cajole- To urge or pursue 

I miss my childhood....

I was talking to an old friend a few days ago, one that I have not talked to since high school. We talked for what seemed like a long time about how life has changed since high school, but mostly about our memories in high school. After we got off the phone, I went into my closet and managed to find my old high school year books. As I went through them year by year, I could not help but just reminisce on my memories of not only high school, but my childhood as well. I started to remember my old friends from middle school and all the embarrassing moments, which I look back and realize that there were a lot of. I keep thinking to myself how much I miss my childhood, where things were a lot easier and simpler. I feel like my life has gotten so complicated that sometimes I don't even know how it got to this point.

On a political note, my favorite news article of the week is definitely the one about the internal audit which was done on the Justice Department and found that they spent $121 million on department conferences in 2008 and 2009. As you read the report and the article, it mentions that the average cost of a muffin during these conferences was $16 and that an 8 ounce cup of coffee came out to $8.24. I mean seriously? $16 for a muffin? I could not help but laugh at this because it gets harder and harder to take politicians seriously after you read about things like this. I just hope congress gets there act together soon or else this country will have more serious problems in the years to come.

News article: http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/20/us/justice-conference-costs/index.html?iref=storysearch

New Words this week:
Actus Reus- Latin for "Guilty Act" or an act in violation of the law.
Abscond- To hide or conceal.

Another week down...

For some reason, this week has been harder on me then previous weeks. My school course load is about the same and I am still studying for my LSAT's the same amount, but for some reason it has been harder for me. I sometimes feel so drained after a long day of school or after getting home from my internship, that I just hope it will all be worth it in the end. I sometimes wish there was a way to look into the future and just see myself in 10 years to see what happens. Moreover, the fact that my computer has been acting up all week has not made anything easier for me.

On a political note, I was reading an article on CNN about more disagreements between Democrats and Republicians (surprise surprise) and I just thought to myself, what's going to happen in fifty years to our government? Nothing will get done because people will be too busy going after each other rather then trying to solve issues. I mean I understand different opinions and believing different things are better for the country, but when everyone is too hardheaded to compromise and negotiate a solution, its the people of the country who lose in the end. It just makes me worried for future generations.

Words I learned this week:
Repose (V)- To rest or put into a comfortable position.
Judicious (Adj)- Having sound judgment; wise

My east coast trip!

This weekend, I came with my brother back to Pennsylvania to visit for a few days. He came back for a high school reunion and I decided to tag along for the weekend because I haven't been back in a few years. Well before we got here, many of our friends told us that there was a lot of rain. Well we didn't think it would be this much. Once we landed in Washington D.C., we realized that this was going to be an interesting weekend. We rented a car and while driving to Pennsylvania, we ran into a few flooded roads and had to reroute a few times.

Well we finally got to Pennsylvania and it definitely wasn't any better. The rain continued all through the night and into the morning. Finally this morning it stopped for a little but who knows when it will start back up again. While driving through York (where I am originally from), it was weird to see a lot of places that I haven't seen in many years still there. It was a nice trip down memory lane. I am excited to see some friends who still live around the area that I haven't seen in years. I am definitely glad I decided to tag along with my brother this weekend. However, the weather does remind me why I am glad to be living in California.

New Vocabulary words:
Purport- The meaning or nature of something
Limn- To describe something in words or painting

My first Post!

Hello, my name is Seana Azad and this is my first blog post ever so please excuse me if it is not as entertaining as you expect. I am originally from Pennsylvania and moved out to California before my senior year in high school. My family and I moved to Dublin, CA and I graduated from Dublin High School. After high school, my parents moved to San Jose and I attended Sacramento State University. After a year at Sacramento State, I decided it wasn't the right school for me and decided to move back to Pennsylvania for school. I went to college for one semester in Pennsylvania and decided it wasn't right for me, so I moved back to California. I went to De Anza for two quarters just to finish my GE classes. I then attended Notre Dame De Namur University for a semester. I then decided to go back to De Anza and take a few more courses. I then decided to come to San Jose State and have been here ever since. This is my last semester before I graduate so I am ready to finally be done with college. 

I love my family, even though they can be crazy at times. I have one older brother and no sister's. My dad's side of the family live all around the bay area, so I get to see them often, but my mom's side of the family all live in Iran, so I rarely get to see them. I enjoy having a larger family (11 aunt's and 10 uncle's) because it makes family gather's just that much more special. I believe that family is one of the most important things in life and thats why I am so close to mine. I enjoy spending time outdoors when I have time. I enjoy playing soccer and tennis mostly, but will play anything. I enjoy watching movies, especially older movies, and just hanging around friends when I have time. One of my favorite places to be is San Francisco and hope to move there one day. My dream is to become a lawyer one day so we will see how that goes. I hope you enjoyed my first blog post and hopefully they will be more entertaining in the future. 

Some new words I learned this past week: 

Benignly- Showing kindness and gentleness 

Polyglot- Someone or something that uses different languages