This Autumn has certainly been a season of change in more ways than one. I have been so caught up in my own world. My relationships, environment, and being are all changing and, sometimes, I cannot see beyond those problems. But on this day, Thanksgiving, I am reminded of all I have to be joyful about and where my priorities are at the moment. In the midst of all the craziness that comes with life transitions and growing up, it's easy to lose sight of the important things...the things that make our life worth living and inspire a grateful heart. So, here are my musings about what I have to be so doggone happy about:
My friends that all text me after the GRE to see how it went, my crazy beautiful husband who is everything I'm not, my friendship with my mom that has really begun to blossom, completing my degree!, a cozy little apartment decked in boughs of holly, the opportunity to encourage others at my current job, living in America, my new/big family, flannel snowflake sheets, a full week off from work and school, good health, foods of all variety and amazingness, and a Sovereign God.
Despite all my fears, God is good. Always. Regardless of the outcome of graduate school or the coming and going of friendships, He remains steadfast and faithful. A love so immense, that He took my place. A heart so vastly beyond my comprehension, I should feel nothing but awe. He loves me unimaginably and this perfect love casts out all fear. When all the smoke has clear, there reamins a grateful heart.
Happy Thanksgiving.
The Test
I took the GRE last Monday. It went pretty well. The test is divided into two major sections: verbal and quantitative, each with a max score of 800. There is also a third, writing section, that is scored on a scale of one to six. If you're going to take it soon, here are my tips:
-The two essays in the writing section are really easy. Just use big words, references to current or historical events, and, most importantly, a clear outline of your basic points.
-If you feel like you are a math idiot and you're bombing it, you might be. BUT, more likely than not, you're probably doing fine. I say this because, I felt like I knew the answer to about two questions, but, according to my score, I knew a few more than that. Some people said that memorizing geometry and algebra equations was one of the most important things you could do to help raise your score. When I got to the quantitative portion, I felt like I really didn't use many of those equations; but, then again, maybe that was because I had no idea what I was doing on that sections. Your call.
-The verbal sections is considered the hardest, but I felt the best about that. It is essential to study vocabulary words. Books such as the Princeton Review include what is called the "Hit Parade." This is a list of words that commonly appear on the GRE. Start early, and memorize these words and their definitions! I saw a TON of these words on the actual test.
-Lastly, relax. If you're decently intelligent, you'll do fine. If you got a respectable score on your ACT or SAT, you'll likely get a respectable score on the GRE.
I studied for about 2 months. I think I could have taken it in six weeks and done just as well. With this amount of study time, I scored about 100 to 200 points more than some of my friends that took the test after studying for only about a week. Depending on the schools you're applying to, more or less studying is in order. Check the school's website to determine what their minimum score is. Then, take the stupid thing, go get some drinks, lay in bed all day reading New Moon and, finally, stuff yourself on turkey and Thanksgiving goodness! I surely have a lot to be thankful for this year :)
-The two essays in the writing section are really easy. Just use big words, references to current or historical events, and, most importantly, a clear outline of your basic points.
-If you feel like you are a math idiot and you're bombing it, you might be. BUT, more likely than not, you're probably doing fine. I say this because, I felt like I knew the answer to about two questions, but, according to my score, I knew a few more than that. Some people said that memorizing geometry and algebra equations was one of the most important things you could do to help raise your score. When I got to the quantitative portion, I felt like I really didn't use many of those equations; but, then again, maybe that was because I had no idea what I was doing on that sections. Your call.
-The verbal sections is considered the hardest, but I felt the best about that. It is essential to study vocabulary words. Books such as the Princeton Review include what is called the "Hit Parade." This is a list of words that commonly appear on the GRE. Start early, and memorize these words and their definitions! I saw a TON of these words on the actual test.
-Lastly, relax. If you're decently intelligent, you'll do fine. If you got a respectable score on your ACT or SAT, you'll likely get a respectable score on the GRE.
I studied for about 2 months. I think I could have taken it in six weeks and done just as well. With this amount of study time, I scored about 100 to 200 points more than some of my friends that took the test after studying for only about a week. Depending on the schools you're applying to, more or less studying is in order. Check the school's website to determine what their minimum score is. Then, take the stupid thing, go get some drinks, lay in bed all day reading New Moon and, finally, stuff yourself on turkey and Thanksgiving goodness! I surely have a lot to be thankful for this year :)
The Christmas Delivery
Do you ever have those mornings that you wish you could just do over? Or skip altogether? I had one of those mornings. One of those mornings where you just keep hoping and trying to make things better, but inevitably you accept the fact that it is just a "tomorrow will be better" kind of day.
We were getting ready to drop off some boxes stuffed with Christmas presents at our church. The boxes are for children in poverty-stricken countries that would otherwise not have a Christmas. We stayed up late last night and were both a little on edge. Still, we both keep attempting to be relaxed and generally civil to one another....here's how our morning went:
ATTEMPT NO.1
Mr. Twentysomething: "I'm sorry for being crabby. I really need to work on that, especially when you're pregnant." (Have no fear, we are not pregnant and do not intend on getting pregnant anytime soon. We just talk about babies incessantly...we really need to get a dog.) This led us to discussing labor pains and the curse after the "fall of man." Then, Mr.Twentysomething wants to discuss evolution vs. creationism with me. Insightful woman that I am, I knew this would be a terrible idea given the morning that we were having. You see, Mr.Twentysomething likes to debate and analyze. It usually leads to an argument rather than accomplishing anything of value. Therefore, I thought we should change subjects. Long story short, we ended up arguing about how much a Christian should study evolution in order to have an informed conversation about the matter.
ATTEMPT NO.2
Mr.T thinks that I am a cold, heartless witch when we argue (Okay, so not in so many words...) so I went over to hug him because I know he appreciates that. Normally this would work, but not today. Today, the marriage gods were against us. We finally decided that a change of scenery was exactly what we needed and that, if we could just get our butts out the door to church, we would magically quit bickering.
ATTEMPT NO.3
Sweet, Mr.T took the liberty of dropping me off by the church doors so I wouldn't have to walk in the rain :) I successfully deliver the Christmas packages and place them under the glittering Christmas tree...a symbol of hope and joy. When I turn around, Mr.T is now standing in the foyer of the church and is obviously struggling with my umbrella that is stubbornly not retracting. I go to help him with it because I know how to operate the thing...but out of frustration, he insists on forcing it closed. Bad idea. It shoots back open and hits him in the....er, crotch (karma). We decided it might be best if we didn't attend the service this morning....tomorrow will be better.
Santa Shmanta...pretty sure he gets cookies and magic to help him through the gift-delivery process! But when all is said and done, it's worth it. Mr.Twentysomething reminded me that our morning of frustration is minor compared to what these children deal with every day. Hopefully the boxes bring cheer to their hearts and a message of hope. That's what Christmas is all about. So, even though it's a little early, here's to a merry Christmas and a sweet, peaceful holiday.
http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/OCC/
We were getting ready to drop off some boxes stuffed with Christmas presents at our church. The boxes are for children in poverty-stricken countries that would otherwise not have a Christmas. We stayed up late last night and were both a little on edge. Still, we both keep attempting to be relaxed and generally civil to one another....here's how our morning went:
ATTEMPT NO.1
Mr. Twentysomething: "I'm sorry for being crabby. I really need to work on that, especially when you're pregnant." (Have no fear, we are not pregnant and do not intend on getting pregnant anytime soon. We just talk about babies incessantly...we really need to get a dog.) This led us to discussing labor pains and the curse after the "fall of man." Then, Mr.Twentysomething wants to discuss evolution vs. creationism with me. Insightful woman that I am, I knew this would be a terrible idea given the morning that we were having. You see, Mr.Twentysomething likes to debate and analyze. It usually leads to an argument rather than accomplishing anything of value. Therefore, I thought we should change subjects. Long story short, we ended up arguing about how much a Christian should study evolution in order to have an informed conversation about the matter.
ATTEMPT NO.2
Mr.T thinks that I am a cold, heartless witch when we argue (Okay, so not in so many words...) so I went over to hug him because I know he appreciates that. Normally this would work, but not today. Today, the marriage gods were against us. We finally decided that a change of scenery was exactly what we needed and that, if we could just get our butts out the door to church, we would magically quit bickering.
ATTEMPT NO.3
Sweet, Mr.T took the liberty of dropping me off by the church doors so I wouldn't have to walk in the rain :) I successfully deliver the Christmas packages and place them under the glittering Christmas tree...a symbol of hope and joy. When I turn around, Mr.T is now standing in the foyer of the church and is obviously struggling with my umbrella that is stubbornly not retracting. I go to help him with it because I know how to operate the thing...but out of frustration, he insists on forcing it closed. Bad idea. It shoots back open and hits him in the....er, crotch (karma). We decided it might be best if we didn't attend the service this morning....tomorrow will be better.
Santa Shmanta...pretty sure he gets cookies and magic to help him through the gift-delivery process! But when all is said and done, it's worth it. Mr.Twentysomething reminded me that our morning of frustration is minor compared to what these children deal with every day. Hopefully the boxes bring cheer to their hearts and a message of hope. That's what Christmas is all about. So, even though it's a little early, here's to a merry Christmas and a sweet, peaceful holiday.
http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/OCC/
The Vent Session
I went out with some lovely friends recently. These friends are at a similar life stage as I am and it was ridiculously refreshing. We spent the majority of our time together just whining about the impending change looming in front of us. But, if you know anything about girls, it was exactly what I needed. Boys punch things, girls whine. It's just a law of the universe.
Most people in my life at the moment cannot identify with where I'm at. Coworkers are much older with families already, friends have been out of college and in the working world for several years...or have several years left in college. Mr. Twentysomething has his whole life figured out and really can't understand my qualms. Everyone assures me that "it will be fine and you will adjust"....but, really, when did that kind of advice ever help anyone?
"It's okay that you have elephantiasis, Pam. Everything will be fine. Don't worry, you'll adjust!"
So, needless to say, some good whining was just the ticket. In other words, rumination...aka. think and talk about something until there's nothing left to be said and you want to gag at the thought of mentioning the topic one more time. Girls are known the world over for doing this. Boys ignore the problem and play video games or sports; girls ruminate. Just having someone that knows exactly what you're going through gives a sense of community and like you're not the only one that's freaking out about this huge life change.
I admit, I probably overreact to the situation at times. But, this has, by far, been the most fear-inducing event in my life. I am all about stability and simplicity, and this is anything but. The simple conclusion that we came to, but one that is probably the hardest to implement is the old saying, "roll with the punches." Many times in my life I have found that it is better to go with the flow and not hold so tightly to what we know or what we want. The fact is, college was not like high school and post-grad will not be like college, but it can still be good. Preconceived ideas of what life SHOULD be like and unrealistic expectations have always plagued me. As much as I liked my time as a college student, things change. They are neither good nor bad, just different (wow, Confucius anyone?) And I have to learn to be flexible. Don't worry...I'll keep you posted.
But for now, I'll leave you with more wisdom from my mother, "...you don't want to be one of those people that never leaves college." Thanks mom!
Most people in my life at the moment cannot identify with where I'm at. Coworkers are much older with families already, friends have been out of college and in the working world for several years...or have several years left in college. Mr. Twentysomething has his whole life figured out and really can't understand my qualms. Everyone assures me that "it will be fine and you will adjust"....but, really, when did that kind of advice ever help anyone?
"It's okay that you have elephantiasis, Pam. Everything will be fine. Don't worry, you'll adjust!"
So, needless to say, some good whining was just the ticket. In other words, rumination...aka. think and talk about something until there's nothing left to be said and you want to gag at the thought of mentioning the topic one more time. Girls are known the world over for doing this. Boys ignore the problem and play video games or sports; girls ruminate. Just having someone that knows exactly what you're going through gives a sense of community and like you're not the only one that's freaking out about this huge life change.
I admit, I probably overreact to the situation at times. But, this has, by far, been the most fear-inducing event in my life. I am all about stability and simplicity, and this is anything but. The simple conclusion that we came to, but one that is probably the hardest to implement is the old saying, "roll with the punches." Many times in my life I have found that it is better to go with the flow and not hold so tightly to what we know or what we want. The fact is, college was not like high school and post-grad will not be like college, but it can still be good. Preconceived ideas of what life SHOULD be like and unrealistic expectations have always plagued me. As much as I liked my time as a college student, things change. They are neither good nor bad, just different (wow, Confucius anyone?) And I have to learn to be flexible. Don't worry...I'll keep you posted.
But for now, I'll leave you with more wisdom from my mother, "...you don't want to be one of those people that never leaves college." Thanks mom!
