I skipped out on you guys for a few days just to keep you on your toes.

:P

Actually, there have been some problems with boyfriend's mom. I have been hesitant to post about it but I am getting sooo frustrated with the situation and I don't want to put my boyfriend in the middle even more than he already is.

The problem *seems* to be that our personalities just don't mesh well. I rub off on her the wrong way and visa versa. It also really doesn't help that I am the first girlfriend she has had to deal with. This is unchartered territory for her.

Boyfriend thinks mostly it is that I am such an independent person that bothers her. I have always been this way- my parents said even was I was just a few years old I was always very independent. I don't get why this is an issue, but apparently it is.

And she wants me to fix everything, but I don't know what to do. She won't talk to me and the times we do talk about what is going on, she just tells me that she knows we are both stressed and everything will be ok. So how am I supposed to fix what is going on if I can't get a straight answer?

Le sigh.

So last night I totally forgot that I didn't have school today because of spring break and I started to do my homework. I was working on Diff. Equ. and finally got so frustrated with it that I threw my pencil down, threw my hands in the air, and said "Pfffffttt." My boyfriend then asks me why I was doing homework when it was spring break.

My reply? "I forgot that it is spring break. Why didn't you tell me sooner?" paired with an evil glare.

His reply? "I dunno."

He just likes to see me suffer.

Work was interesting on Saturday. I forgot to call and get my schedule today so tomorrow I will call them.

Boyfriend and I did some window shopping today. It was a lot of fun walking around town with him and looking at everything in the stores. All we bought was lunch (I think it was about $10). Wednesday I am having lunch with friends and Thursday boyfriend and I may be going to spend the day at the lake. Maybe. I haven't decided if I actually want to go.

I wish boyfriend was here right now. I really just want to watch a movie or something with him. I need to relax somehow.

Today my dad, boyfriend (yes! I convinced him to come!), and myself went shopping today.

We had a lot of fun. The first couple stores I went into I walked out empty handed. I had debated getting a Wii for my birthday but decided against it. After looking at the various games, I figured I wouldn't use it very often. If the price drops to below $200 I might reconsider. After several hours of shopping I ended up getting: a Coach wristlet and small pouch, a Dooney & Bourke Lily tote, and several pairs of jeans.

While we were in a store my dad said he was going to sit down and that I "had free reign of the store". My boyfriend replied, "That's a dangerous thing to say to her."



(Excuse the mess in the background. We had to move some pictures and things from the dining room to the living room.)

The above is what we bought today.

After shopping we took a break and then went out to dinner. Tomorrow we will be having cake.

I have been thinking more about what I want to do after college. I am going to make an appointment with my advisor to talk about grad school for next week. I am still unsure of what I want to do but talking with my advisor should help, or at least clear up some questions I have about grad school. I am also thinking that instead of going to grad school right away, I work in a bank or something to see if I really like it. I know I love law enforcement (I have done internships in that area), so I guess it is a question of which I love more.

The interest I have earned on my IRA has skyrocketed to 4 cents.

Woohoo! :P

Today was a pretty good day. My boyfriend and I slept in until 11 am (it is really rare for me to sleep that late) and then went on a bike ride. Afterwards, we went to a local diner for brunch. There was a surprisingly large amount of people exchanging gifts there. Our waitress even asked us why we weren't exchanging gifts.

Then we went to Walmart to look for a couple things. Boyfriend was looking for a game that the thinks has been discontinued and I was looking for a carpet cleaner and a shoe rack. I wanted one that stood on the floor and was tall but all I could find were ones that went over the door or were longer than tall. I found a carpet cleaner, a small one, for $37. My dad has given me the green light on buying it so tomorrow when I do some grocery shopping I will buy it.

I recently dropped my most time consuming class and had to repeal to get the money back. Instead of a 100% refund, I will be getting a 50% refund. That is still a couple hundred dollars, so I will take it.

Tomorrow I need to go to the mall to pick up my gold chain. Then I want to go to a few craft stores and look into sewing lessons. Then I need to hit the gym and I am hoping I drag my boyfriend along. He made plans to play Dungeons and Dragons with his friends tomorrow so I doubt I will succeed. But I can try.

Overall it was a good day.

Textbook shopping.

I need four textbooks this semester. Seems oddly low as the past semesters I've needed 6 or more.

I have bought two so far: one for French Culture, one for Data Structures. If I had bought these two at my school, it would have cost $103. I paid $47 and that includes shipping for the books.

I am looking at a Linear Algebra book that costs $65. I am waiting for a reply to a question I had for the seller before I buy it.

The Diff. Equ. book is selling for $225 at my school! I can't believe how much it costs! I haven't found it on half.com, but I will check out other sites for the book. I am keeping my fingers crossed that it is available elsewhere (and for a lot less!).

I went to the bank today. I deposited about $350 into my IRA! I am very excited!

$12.38.

I have bought one present to date.

I plan on donating $40 to the OCRF as a gift to my aunt and grandma. I also plan on getting my brother a $20 gift card and one more thing for my Dad.

I think the total cost will be just over $100.

I think that's just a little more than I spent last year.

Good news is that I've been working a lot this pay period so the paycheck I will get on the 20th will be a good amount. Because the 20th is a Saturday, payday will be the day before, on the 19th. If I am not working that day I will be able to go to the bank. I am, I don't think I will be able to cash it in until I get back from vacation. I leave the 20th and won't be back until the 30th.

School is almost done! I have one. more. final. to go. Monday is my last final. 2 o'clock on Monday I am free until Jan. 20th!

I always seem to get sick around the holidays!

My brother was sick over the weekend and he was so kind to give it to me. Thankfully, I got sick AFTER my Calc III exam on Tuesday, but I was not well enough today.

I was able to enjoy all the food though. My dad, brother, and myself went to my boyfriend's parent's house for Thanksgiving dinner. His mom made a wonderful meal and sent us home with two pies: Apple and Pumpkin.

I feel asleep soon after I finished eating.

Overall, it was a good day.

Onto financial news....

I have not been working since my mom died. I am scheduled for a couple hours this Saturday but that's it for this week. Also, I will have to dip into my savings soon. I will need to take $225 out for December rent as I have obviously not made anything this month. But that's what savings are for, right?

The only other expense I will have in the next couple months is textbooks. I am expecting to buy 5-6 books and spend about $300. But I plan on reselling a few of my current textbooks so I may recoup some of the cost. My dad will be paying my tuition, which is $600. Tuition spiked for the spring ($7 increase/credit!) and there is a rumor that they are thinking of increasing it by 25% for next fall!

I must remember to write to the governor and senators complaining about the tuition spike...

I am currently at 46 credits and after this semester I will be at 60 credits.

I'm a sophomore but because at the end of this semester I will be a junior, I got to register yesterday instead of Tuesday.

I got all the classes I want at the times I wanted too.

I'm so happy!

MWF: 11-11:50 Linear Algebra, 12-12:50 French 4th Semester.

MW: 2:30-3:45 Differential Equations

TR: 1-2:15 Data Structures, 2:30- 3:45 French Culture

Over the summer I will be taking another Core Humanities class and possibly another computer science class. I'm thinking of taking a class over winter break but I am not sure.

Due to budget cuts my school is getting rid of the math center at then end of this semester. Students used to be able to get tutoring for free but this semester they've had to pay for tutoring.

Next semester my job will be closed because of construction. I am going to tutor kids in math so I can have some income.

I'm thinking of charging $15/hr for 1 student and $25/hr for groups up to 5 students. Do you think these prices are reasonable? I'll be offering tutoring for up to Calculus 3.

My classes for next semester are:
Math 330: Linear Algebra
Math 285: Differential Equations
French 212: 4th semester French language
French 221: French culture class
Computer Science 302: Data Structures

If I get the schedule I want, I will be in class for 3-4 hours a day.

I had midterms this week.

And I survived.

It wasn't all that bad. I had two papers due today for the same class and a French exam, Calc III test and a huge Geology lab that I am still working through.

But just to make sure that I did not end the week on a happy note, my boyfriend decided that he was going to get into an accident today.

He's alright, thank God, but his car is in no condition to drive. The car he hit is just fine. It was a huge Ford F150 and the only damage it sustained was some paint scraped off. BF's front right wheel nearly came off and his suspension (I think) is ruined.

I also had a migraine at work (I wonder why?) but my supervisor let me off early.

I have a test on Monday that I need to study for but tonight I plan to watch Mel Brooks movies with my daddy.

Semester grades are in and I'm very pleased about what I got:

App. Stats: A-
Dance History: A
Calc II: A
Nutrition: B+
Comp. Sci: B

I'm very happy that I got a "B" in C.S. Last semester I got a "C" in CS 135 and I'm very pleased that I was able to get a better grade in a harder course.

Work was interesting today. Another "Banquet Girl" and myself were busy serving 120 people for lunch but apparently there many, many arguments between employees today. One cook quit today leaving the already short-staffed kitchen struggling. We have a lot of banquets and weddings coming up so I really hope they replace the cook (and hire a couple more!).

I got my economic stimulus check about 2 or 3 weeks ago. I was expecting it to be $600 but I got $300 instead. I've spent most of it- I bought a couple of pieces of clothing but most of it was spent on prescriptions. What's left will be saved.

The past week and a half has been very relaxing and I hope the summer continues that way.

Didn't think there was such a thing.

Earlier I wrote that summer classes will cost me $1034 + books. Well, that is no longer true.

My friend is taking core humanities (require classes for our university that are like English) at the local community college and was telling me how easy the class is. Since English is not my forte, I decided to take the CH at the community college as well.

Besides an easy GPA booster, it also costs half as much ($185 compared to $380) and I will not need as many books (at the CC you need 2. At Uni you need 7). And it will completely transfer.

I had to move my schedule around for summer and fall so I'll be taking two classes over the summer instead of 3. I will be taking the next level of CH (there are three total) at the CC but I still had to be enrolled in 12 or more credits at my Uni in the fall. So one of the classes I was planning on taking in the summer I will take in the fall to keep me as a full-time student.

This also makes my cost for the fall semester much cheaper and the course load is going to be easier. I'll probably be able to work during the semester.

I can't believe it's April already...

Most important news: I turned 19! A month ago actually, on March 7th. I still can't believe that I'm in my second semester of college and 19.

I quit my job. I'm taking more classes this semester and the homework for each class has increased. My boss says I'm welcome to come back anytime.

I have to work during summers but I'm not sure I want to continue working during the semesters. Especially now that I'm getting into more higher up classes and the work load is only going to increase more. I want to have some free time instead of going from class to homework to work. I will decide on whether to continue working or not during the school year later.

I've registered for my classes for Summer and Fall terms [Summer term is optional]. I'm taking 3 classes over the summer. On the upside I don't have to worry about taking these classes over the regular semester, putting me a little ahead of schedule, but the scholarships from the school don't apply to the summer term. It will cost me $1,034 for the Summer term. I've stepped up my scholarship search and applied for two more (the scholarships are outside my school. I found them on Fastweb.com). Luckily the $1034 is not due all at once.

I filed my taxes early this year and got my refund a couple weeks after I quit my job. Perfect timing as my refund will get me through April and May. I put it in savings to collect interest and will withdraw it as needed.

I will be getting an economic stimulus check of $600. Yay! This will go towards tuition and books for the summer.

I haven't contributed to my IRA in awhile (bad Cassandra!). I will over the summer though. My goal for the summer is to spend as little as possible (just food, gas, rent) and save everything else.

That's pretty much it. I don't expect to be online much over the next month: finals started in one month!

It's been a long time since I've been on here. And so much to update on!

First college is going well. I have a love-hate relationship with my Computer Science class. Love it when my programs work, hate it when they don't.

I'm experiencing some computer problems. Last week, my hard drive failed. Taking 3.5 of the 6 pages of my English essay that is due a week from today with it. Even worse, I have nothing, absolutely nothing, backed up. I know, I know! So I bought a 2 GB flash drive yesterday. If something happens to my flash drive, I will cry. I learned my lesson though- after spending $230 on the new hard drive, the service fee, and the flash drive.

There was a bad communication problem at work. Even though I was laid off, they still consider me an employee so I'm on call for the weekends. I'm happy that I get to stay there, I like where I work, but I don't really like being on call. The good news is that they said they would let me know by Wednesday of every week if they needed me on the weekend. So I'm still working, not as much, but the past few weeks I've been doing overtime so it's slightly making up for it. I'll also be serving a lot of banquets in December, which means I'll be making tips.

As for Christmas gifts... I have a few gifts already but I have no idea what to get my father, boyfriend, or grandma for Christmas. I'm hoping that the light bulb will suddenly go off and I'll know just what to get them.

I'm hoping I'll be able to come back and update more, but with limited access to a computer (I'm using my father's), I can't say when I'll be back next.

Happy Thanksgiving!

College offers a lot of opportunities for free, or at the least very cheap, fun. There was a concert at the music hall entitled "Ethos" for $7. It was a classical concert and normally I would jump at the chance of a cheap classical concert...

BUT

At Walmart, there was a FREE Plain White Tees concert in the parking lot. It was also a lot closer, so by going I not only saved on the ticket price, but I also saved on gas.

The only reason I went is because a friend of mine really wanted to go and didn't want to go alone. I had never heard of Plain White Tees prior to the concert, but now they've earned a spot on my "Music To Buy When I Get Around to It" list.

Someday I'll remember to log onto iTunes Music Store or stop by Target to get their CD. When that will happen I don't know...but someday.

My dad had a couple interviews last week and both are setting up offers. If they offer him enough my parents will give me a monthly allowance of $300, which means that I will be able to save all of the money I earn.

On a fairly unrelated note, I love college so far! The first two weeks I didn't really care for it, but now that I've adjusted and I'm completely settled into my new home and routine, I love it. I could do without the homework (can't we all!) and I'm not liking Sociology as much as I thought I would. Sociology 101 is interesting but... it just doesn't "fit" with me. So I'm going to change my minor but before I declare another minor I'm going to take several elective classes to find something I really like.

I still love Math so no changes there.

Computer Science is hard but I'm becoming better at it. Not my favorite subject, but I'm kind of glad it's required for Math majors to take CS (I believe we have to go up to 300 level classes).

As for Geology... I like looking at all the pretty pictures in my textbook.

What a shopping day!

Today I went down to the university to pick up my school ID and to find my classes. I went with friends which was a big mistake. I was able to find each of my classes, but I didn't find them in the order that I have the classes plus I also followed my friends to their classes. I'm going to take another trip down to the university in a few more days by myself.

I also got a list of books I need for my classes. 5 books are required with a 6th book being optional. I'll wait until the second or third week before I decide if I need the optional book.

I managed to buy all 5 required textbooks online today. It took me a couple hours, but I finally found the best prices for each book. 5 books for a total of $250 (including shipping). The most expensive one being my Calculus book at $78. The university sells it used for $110 (new is $150), so I saved quite a bit of money! Best of all, the same Calc book is used for the next Calc level. If I had bought my textbooks at the university it would have cost me between $361.42-501.72.

Not only did I buy my textbooks, I also bought a few basic supplies. I bought a 5 subject notebook (I'm taking 5 classes so it works out perfectly!), a large binder that has a pencil pouch and expandable file in it, a large tote bag, and some pens and pencils. The bag is huge-I'm fairly certain that I could fit in it. I spent about $40 on the supplies.

It was a fun day. I enjoyed the hours it took to find everything.

My state offers a scholarship to residents who are attending any 2-year/4-year in-state college (funded, I believe, by the tobacco industry here).

The only requirement is a certain GPA (3.25).

I received a letter today from the treasury stating that I had been awarded said scholarship (yaay!) and for every credit up to 12 credits, the scholarship will pay $80. That's $960/semester.

Subtracting the other scholarships I received, all I have to pay for the first semester's tuition is $592.50.

That doesn't include books, registration, all the other fees, etc. All in all, I'm expecting the first semester to cost about $1,200.

I've also been thinking about pledging a sorority (don't know which one), which will cost about $700-1,000/semester.

I'm very lucky, paying for undergrad will not be a problem.

Today I had my practice for graduatioin (2 more days!) and I had to park in the metered parking lot. Not knowing that the campus police weren't going to be enforcing the meters that day, I put in almost $2.00 in coins into the meter.

That gave me almost 2 hours. The practice lasted barely an hour and a half.

Ah well. I believe that this is the only time I've parked in a metered lot and I doubt I'll do that again.