Home bound to Baltimore! ...wait...

Haha, yeah home's actually around the corner but it's a totally different perspective on Baltimore when you live away from home (but that's a totally different post later :). As of yesterday, I am officially on break for SIX WEEKS where I plan on sleeping....and sitting in front of my Netflix when possible (lol).

Anyway before I head into my six weeks of student hibernation I just wanted to say it was awesome meeting some of you ladies yesterday at Open House. If you missed it, don't worry--there's another one January 12th! Either way, it was definitely a great way to end the semester meeting the potential students of 2017 and 2018. Here's a candid of my fellow SA's as we all head home after a great morning

Oh and if you've been following up on us, Brenner and I have not had headshots yet and so while in our uniform walking back to sign out and go home, we decided to do this:

Considering this was done on a phone, I'd say not bad!

Oh, and more great updates for you fellow nursing majors out there: the new building HAS A ROOF. I know that sounds silly but looking at it simply gives me hope and encouragement to weather the next semester.

And with that ladies, I bid you goodbye...till next year! See you all in six weeks!!!!

the "life" of a college student

Whoo-hoo!! I have officially completed my fall semester of sophomore year which means...ONE MORE SEMESTER UNTIL NURSING SCHOOL!! ahhhh I'm excited :) My application and everything is all in and I hope to hear back soon

 *sigh* even the sunset agrees with me on this day! Such a gorgeous view from my balcony! I haven't seen the sun all day because of exams. Now I get to relax and enjoy this hangout spot.

Back to the fun stuff!

I know my last post was just a little somber and serious but sometimes that's college...typically on exam week haha! Anyway, here's the other side of college you'd probably want to see. So last Friday (I know, I'm so out of order!) my friends and I had our own mini Christmas dinner. I'm such a big Christmas fan and I definitely may have gone a little overboard on the decorating but it sure makes it feel like Christmas despite the 70 degree weather we were having last week. Too bad Santa didn't get me the real tree I wanted...haha


Ahhh, finals....aka the nerd post

Late night study break breakfast (the tradition of staff, faculty, and even the President serving us a late night breakfast because let's face it, coffee and ramen can only be endured for so much haha). I TA for the School of Nursing's Chemistry and here are some of my students taking a break from esthers and thiols and acids base and all that fun stuff. 

I know I already posted a study picture but I really thought this was a wonderful motivation quote from our Service Sorority on campus (they made study care packages for everyone with handy quotes like this to get us through finals week). I know it definitely made me smile as I was writing my genetics paper on cancer and the gene associated with it.

Student Ambassadors?

The people behind the scenes of Admissions...well, aside from the counselors, of course. This is us at our Christmas party/gift exchange on Tuesday. Yep, great team right there! top L:R Christine, Morgan, Brenner, me, Jazmin, Christina bottom L:R Liz, Cavill-Matthews, Rachel We're missing Kristen and Christina in this pic :( Don't mind Brenner below I think I reminded her of our exam here. Aww look there's Morgan, too!

Making the most of campus life

Today was the end of my 3 day study streak and I decided to make dinner. Our suite has an unoccupied room with a lofted bed. This is what happens when you put coffee, sugar, testing, dinner, sleep deprivation, and a lofted bed together. Oh how I love my friends...

Seriously, though, college has taught me to cook...and make delicious hot chocolate s'mores drinks. I think I'm gonna go sip this now and catch a movie. After all, I do have the next six weeks homework free, right? It still feels weird to not have any school work to do, though... Toodles till then!

Btw, Admissions is having our Winter Open House on Saturday. I hope you'll be there! I promise, no cameras this time :) Don't forget to come say hi!

Along the Home Stretch

It is currently 12:28AM and my nose is still in my psychology book and my ears filled with orchestra music from the Age of Enlightenment. Just in case you were wondering, it's the weekend before exam week and all the through the halls are the sounds of pages flipping, pens writing on paper, and computer keys a-typing. Yep, it's the end of the fall semester. Just one more week of exams standing between us and winterim (six weeks of vacation--a time for catching up on sleep, internships, and even taking a class, or studying abroad!). Me? I'm just looking forward to cuddling in my bed and reading a book that's not for class. So what's the point of this post aside from me taking a break from studying? Just a few words of encouragement: during this season of applications, don't get discouraged by road blocks of tests and essays. Just like me looking forward to vacation, just think when you finally have all those applications (if you haven't yet sent one to us ;) how much more time you'll have. And remember, if you have any questions or concerns, the friendly counselors and my fellow bloggers are here for you! Anyway, it's now 12:38. Break time is over, sadly.

Let me just leave you with this picture because what would my blog be without them? 

This is the view from my roommate's bed. Yes, that is a post-it Christmas tree. There were more presents yesterday but we opened them last night during our gift exchange with our friends. Oh, and excuse the mess--it IS finals week :) 

"Christmas..." Part 3: Christmas Dinner '12

Fair warning, when I said this was a blog of pictures, I kind of really meant it. What can I say? I like documenting memories :)

As before, Christmas dinner was so much fun! It was kind of interesting this year for me because I was a lot more involved this time around with Campus Ministry and the prayer service to SGA and the tree trim. Also because Molly was such an awesome subject for my videos :) This year I was with Sam and Molly (btw, they're all admissions counselors!) See the above pics! on the left, L:R Laura, Molly, Sam. I know, they look like elves, right? LOL On the right, me and my friends

I always tease Sam and vice versa. This is the "nice" pic because in the one she has on her camera (if you check out the admissions facebook page, I'm sure it's there...) I made a face, because that's just how we are. Gosh, I really AM short...

More pictures!!! These are roommate pics. These girls are pretty much my college besties. I love the part where you get to be all dressed up like a real Christmas dinner with family. Then again, I guess they are my family, and campus is home now. Also, note our scarves obsession. Liz likes them too but I don't think she had any to go with her outfit...

Last one, I promise! We're here posing with our chaplain who will do just about anything to NOT smile in a picture. Throughout this picture he kept talking about how he doesn't know how to smile. Needless to say, I made it my point to get a candid of his smile. Once I sift through all my pics, I'll let you know if it was a success. 

Anyway, from our "home" to yours, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday Season. We're not really following advent timeline here but we're not here for Christmas so I guess Advent is just going to have to be early!

"Christmas..." Part 2




Table buddies last year!!!

It's T-5 hours until the entire campus goes on full Christmas mode for Christmas dinner! Already the entire campus is full of excitement. As I was giving a tour earlier, my prospective said, "It feels so Christmas-y with all the reds and greens everyone is wearing." Every year we have a tradition of a night of Christmas celebration starting with an Advent prayer service and then everyone going to Doyle Formal for the tree trim (as the Christmas tree in the tower is being lit!) and then we head over to the dining hall for an awesome dinner served by the faculty. Oh and did I mention they give us presents :)

Last year's dinner: Om nom nom

 Last year I had Angela Baumler, our chaplain Father Bob Kennedy, and the then president's husband serving my table. We had really good food, all the hot chocolate we could want, Christmas cookies, and caroling all through the night. Check back here or the Admissions facebook for pictures from tonight!



Just a Bit More Complicated than Do Re Mi

Did I mention I LOOOOVE music? Oh, well now I did :) This is my second semester with Notre Dame's Music Department and voice lessons. I'm a soprano I and my teacher is AMAZING!! I don't have pictures tonight but I do have a video which I guess is a little better than pictures for this instance? There might just be a few sharps and flats in there that shouldn't be but bear with me--I'm a science major haha! Sorry for the rough vid but I accidentally left it on VGA quality. Anyway, I am singing Les Berceaux by Faure and Placido  Zeffiretto by Righini (my prof jokes that she will singlehandedly bring him back into musical repertoire lol) 

Christmas on campus Part 1

It's officially December and the Christmas spirit is in full swing on campus!!

  

 After dinner tonight, my roommate and I decided to take some pictures around campus. She also pointed out that I have no picture of myself on campus. Haha! Anyway, here are the results. Above, I'm on the left and my roomie is on the right!

Caroling to the School Sisters

One of my projects within Campus Ministry as secretary/treasurer is caroling to the School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSNDs), the order of sisters that founded Notre Dame. Today we went caroling to the sisters at "the mother house" Villa Assumpta which houses about 90 retired sisters. Despite practice having only happened this morning--an hour before we left--and getting lost trying to get there, we all had a lot of fun and because we were invited again, I can only assume that we were okay voice wise. I am so thankful to these girls who came last minute to help cheer on the sisters.

Back to the basics...

Hello there! My name is Anna and I am a second year nursing student at Notre Dame of Maryland University interested in music and photography. I hope through this blog, you, too, can get to know the Notre Dame that I have learned to call "home." Whenever you visit campus, look around for the girl with the camera and say hi--it's bound to be me :)