Equestrian Blog

Ah....Christmas has come and gone, along with the break, and everyone is back to Judson and getting settled in. Classes began at the end of last week so everyone is ready to get into the routine of everything this week or, we were...

The weather had other plans though and because of possible snow and the likelyhood of ice, classes were canceled for today, so we got an extra day to make sure we were really read for the semester and to catch up with friends before everyone got extra busy with schoolwork. It seems to have almost become a new tradition, getting out of classes at least one day during the first week back to school after Christmas Break. Last year classes were canceled our first Friday and Monday back because of weather.

I am ready for the semester to really begin, though. I am excited about my classes and for the first time since my arrival at Judson as a freshmen, I don't have an 8 a.m. class. In fact, on Tuesdays and Thursdays I don't have to be anywhere until 11 a.m. I guess I should be smart, though and use those mornings off to get some work done rather then sleeping in like I want to.

Other times, my schedule this semester is similar to last semester. I have two business classes,two web classes, two required “core” classes, and then, of course, my team riding class. I think I am looking forward to my java scripting class the most - what can I say, I am a bit of a nerd when it comes to computer stuff, I mean it is just so interesting. I decidedthe class that I am least looking forward to, is Research Comp, a required class where you take a semester to write a paper. I understand the importance of the class, I just don't like writing papers.

It should be a fun semester! Check back to see how it goes.  

I cannot believe that this  semester is already over! I only have two more days of classes before exams. 

I think that this has been my busiest semester yet, and although I feel like it has been forever since the beginning of the semester, it does not feel like it is time for the semester to end.  This may just be because I still have so much work to do that I am wishing I had two more weeks instead of two days. The list of uncompleted work contains two papers, three websites, one test, and then exams. When this is all going to get done I am not really sure; but I think I find myself in a similar situation most every semester and it has all worked out up until this point. So I have no doubt that it will all work out. It is just going to take some serious focusing and praying that God will help me through the next week with very little sleep. 

On a more positive note, my statistics group project is almost finished. Actually my group is finishing it up as I am typing this blog. ( I am playing supervisor on this one.) Really they are just finishing typing the paper to go with it and most of the work for it was already done.  They have been amazing. 

 I have also already done my Equine final, so that is one less thing that I have to worry about for next week. We actually do all of our Equine finals the week before "finals" so that we can have more time to study for our other classes. For our riding classes, the finals are a riding routine that we choreograph to music. This semester mine was to the song "Just Like a Prayer" Glee version and I dressed up like an angel.  And to stick with the tradition of me incorporating things I have never done before into my routine, I rode barefooted. It wasn't part of the original plan, but my boots looked really tacky with my costume, You should all check out the riding final videos on the Judson Equestrians Facebook page. (http://www.facebook.com/judson.equestrians )

I can't believe it is time for Thanksgiving break already. It seems like just last month I started my third year at Judson and now I am finishing up this semester's projects and beginning to get ready for finals. 

Some of my classes are ahead of others, like my riding class for example. We are already working on putting our final routines together and are going to go ahead and ride our final at the beginning of the week after Thanksgiving. I am pretty exited about mine; I am riding to the Glee version of  'Like a Prayer.' 

Other classes, however, like my Graphic Design class feel like we are still months away from being finished. So far in that class we have learned to use Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator, we still have to learn Adobe Dreamweaver. It took us all this semester to learn two programs and now we only have a week to learn the third, definitely feeling the need for another month in that class. 

The rest of my classes are somewhere in between these two extremes, we are not done yet, but the end is in sight. The biggest thing for most of my classes, including Markup Languages, Public Speaking, Statistics, and Human Resource Management, is that I still have major semester projects that have to be  finished. Once all of those projects are finished, I think  the classes are going to feel much more conclusive. Plus, I will be glad not to have any thing other then the finals to worry about. 

I guess that means I should be spending a good part of my Thanksgiving break working on homework so that I don't have to worry about it that last week of classes...  I just really wish that I could have a break from school work and not have to worry about classes and projects and stuff. Oh well, I guess that is just part of the college life... 

Just because it was a short week at Judson does not mean we did any less... Instead, I think we did more. Why is that, you ask? Well, I will tell you...

 It is because it is that time of year that professors have been eagerly awaiting and students have been fearfully dreading. It is time for …….. The First Test of the Class. 

Picture this with me: 

-----The weather is beginning to show signs of getting cooler (even if that only means 90 degrees instead of 100), and the promise of fall seems only weeks away. Students have been back at Judson for about a month now, classes are well underway and everyone is feeling pretty comfortable with them. Everyone is happy to have just had a long weekend ---- when they are reminded that they have a TEST only a few days away.

With this realization students react in one of two ways. They either: 

a) Go into that crazy study mode where they are freaking out because they don't know what the tests for their new classes are going to be like. They are studying extra hard in fear that they have been studying the wrong things or the right things in the wrong way and are just sure they are going to fail the test.

                                                              or 

b)They  don't study at all because they are sure that this is finally that class that is different from all the others they have ever taken and will require no studying whatsoever to pass. 

Now, there are some students that are already ahead in the game because their professors have already given the first, maybe even second test. 

For the most part, these students  know what to expect from their tests and are studying calmly and confidently.

There are others though that have one of "those" teachers and their worst fear did come true. Their first test was less than reassuring and they still don't know how and/ or  what they should be studying. 

See what I mean, all of this added studying really does make a week much busier , especially when it was a short week to begin with.----

Ok, so it really isn't that bad. I am pretty sure that professors DON'T await giving tests like it is some kind of torture they get pleasure from and taking the test really isn't that bad either.  Most of us really did know, if only subconsciously, that there was a test coming up.  As far as being prepared for the tests, it does take a lot of studying sometimes and  that  can seem like it is consuming our lives. However, the professors here at Judson are really great and it is important to them that we do well. They do their best to make sure we are ready when those test days do get here. 

Things have also been busy around the barn. The last of the construction on our new facility is being finished and the Judson College Equestrian Team is getting ready for our "full dress" day in class next week in preparation for our first show, which is only a month away. 

Check back in a few days for more details about our new barn and what the equestrian team members are up to from your favorite Equestrian blogger…me :) !!!!

Oh, and one last thing. A note of thanks to one of my dear Judson Sisters, Megan Kingsmore, for her assistance in helping me brainstorm ideas for my blogs. One day all of you may get to read that blog she thinks I should write about her but, for today, she is satisfied with simply being mentioned.