Chapter 11:
Christmas Break:
“Arriving
Successfully”
November-December
2012
The two weeks after Thanksgiving
flew by just as the rest of the semester did. Even though the last two weeks
were filled with exams and the anticipation of Christmas break, it felt as if
it didn’t happen.
During the
two weeks exams kept me very busy, but exams were not my only time distraction.
The Tar Heels played basketball at home every Saturday until my departure, and
I had the opportunity of watching my first ever “finals streakers.” (No need to
worry we will get to this topic later.)
Finals Week. I just
want you to get used to the word because it comes fast and eight times (let’s
hope only eight times) as a college student. It is a time that sends students
into an irregular sleep pattern, creates a tremendous amount of stress, and can
be outright brutal to first year college students. It is a test to see if you
can take multiple amount of test in very little time. Even though the thought
of finals can seem unfathomable, I believe that I found a cure for this
stressful time. I know that each person deals with pressure differently I just
wanted to share a little bit of my journey through finals week.
My first finals week was not as hectic as everyone had made
it sound. My exams were pretty spread out, so it gave me time to study for each
one. Even though two of my exams were back to back I was able to study
thoroughly for each topic. My first college exam couldn’t have been any easier,
but I studied my heart out for it. It was LFIT (Lifetime Fitness) and for some
reason I studied more for it than I did my other tests. I guess because it was
my first ever college exam and I wanted to make sure that I made an A. Also, a
quick bit of advice, you can never ever study too much. Since my LFIT exam was
earlier in the exam week and my next exam wasn’t until December 8th,
I had plenty of time to study for the one on the 8th and 9th.
The test I had on the 8th was a 4pm exam in the class that I
disliked the most, which was Decision for Economic Models (really who would
like a class with that name), and the exam on the 9th was at 8am. In
16 hours I had two exams, and I knew I needed to study a bunch in order to do
well in the both of them. I figured out that taking turns with each subject
helped me study more efficiently and felt like I was getting something out of the
studying. I can’t give you all of my tricks because if I did that would ruin
all of the fun of learning. That is something that each college student should
learn on his/her own. The art of studying is something that will be beneficial
to your success in college. The greatest feeling in the world, well in my
little world, is walking out of an exam feeling like you did the best you could
do. Yes there will be times where you feel like you rocked an exam and you
actually failed it, but life goes on. My last exam (Astronomy 101) was on
Monday the 10th, and it was also the day that I was leaving for
break. It was probably the longest exam that I had taken of the four because I
was anxious to get home and complete my first semester of college.
The final exam week is not only filled with studying at UNC.
It is also filled with basketball games, and the wonder tradition of watching
the finals streakers. Since I am a huge UNC basketball fan the idea that exams
were going on at the same time basketball games were going on, didn’t faze me a
bit. I still made it to all of the basketball games that were at home during
the exam week. I also showed up on the front row all decked out in my usual
Carolina blue paint. Painting up for basketball games is kind of rare at UNC
because so few students get basketball tickets; however, I made a promise via
tweet that I would “paint up” for the UAB game on December 1st. For some odd reason I thought it would be
cool to tweet at Luke Davis and tell him that if he would follow me on twitter
I would “paint up” and bring a fan club, and to my surprise he followed me. I
couldn’t believe that a UNC basketball player would follow me, but he did, and
I followed through. I didn’t bring a huge fan club, but two of my friends
Kristin and Matt decided to throw on some paint and joined me.
The basketball game definitely relieved some stress and
allowed me to make another appearance on ESPN, and not only tweet at, but get
tweeted back at by a UNC basketball player, which is on the bucket list of
almost all UNC students. (Well the basketball fanatic ones) Finals streakers is something you will never
find in the small town of Valdese, NC. In fact, it is rare that you will find
it anywhere that it is actually allowed. However, at the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill it is a tradition that still lives to this day.
Students of all shapes and sizes streak through the libraries on campus on the
night before the first exam day in order to show their excitement for the exam
season. When I first heard about it I really didn’t believe it because I
thought that it would have to be illegal, but I soon found out it wasn’t. The
funny part about the whole ordeal was that the cops actually protected the
streakers as they flaunted their “stuff.” Even though becoming a finals streakier
was is not on my list, the experience of watching it definitely made my college
experience more memorable.
When I walked off of the steps of Carroll Hall I gave one of
those Tiger Woods fist pumps because I had just completed my last final exam
for my first semester. Just wait, you’ll experience it.The fist pump was
followed by a phone call to my parents, informing them that I was ready to come
home!
Christmas Break is by far been awesome. It has been filled
with food, family, and friends. It has also allowed me to really reflect on my
first semester and think about what my life is actually becoming. I felt
confused and I still don’t know what I will be doing with my life when I
graduate, but I am more comfortable with that unknown now after a talk with my
parents. I believe sitting down and talking with your parents is a great way to
interact and learn something from your parents. I actually wrote my mom a
letter describing my feelings.
Dear Mom,
I wanted to
write you a letter because I believe that I just needed to reflect on the past
year, and about the thoughts that run through my head on a daily basis.
I can
remember each of our college visits like it was yesterday, and I believe after
each visit I said I liked that school the most.
I often wonder what my life would’ve been like if I would have gone to
Pfeiffer and played tennis. I would probably be a couple pounds lighter,
rocking all A’s, and without a doubt everyone would know my name lol (maybe not
that much, I got a little carried away). But I believe that conversation we had
in March at the table was the most important talk we had ever had. Remember it?
I listed all the positives and negatives about each school, and I thought UNC
was the better one. Well I was 100% correct. I really can’t believe how it has
all played out, how everything and I mean everything has happened perfectly.
From the sports games, to me meeting with professors, the people I have met,
and all of the interviews I have rocked; things have just seemed to fall in
place. God has defiantly got his eyes and hands on little buddy. However, there
is one thing I have a problem with and that is realizing what I want to do with
my life.
I know mom
that it will come and it will be evident on what I want to do, but I guess I
just get impatient sometimes. It’s like I just want to graduate tomorrow, and
come back home and work. I really don’t know how to explain it. Or it could be
that I hate who I have to live with lol. UNC is a wonderful place and I love every
minute of it, but sometimes I wish that I could just fast forward it and become
the person I am supposed to be. I continue to look at my goals and I think I
have truly realized that success is not going to come easy. Yes, I was
motivated enough to make the goals, but I don’t think I realize the difficulty
level of it. High School no big deal, but the first goal, my goodness. Kenan
Flagler business school doesn’t accept you just because it is one of your
goals. “Have my first kid”, I am nowhere ready for that. I think this list was
the best thing I could have done for myself. It is really a wakeup call. If I
truly want my dreams to become a reality J I have to work my butt off. I guess I thought it would come easy, but I
was majorly wrong.
The goal
sheet has also kept my head on straight during this year of change. In this
year I changed my mind on colleges (huge decision), graduated high school
(still unbelievable), broke up with Brenna, lost my hero (I didn’t know that it
would change stuff so much), started college at UNC, embraced the UNC life like
no other , became an uncle, and made the UNC Dean’s List. If you were to tell
me last January that all that would’ve happened; I would have never have
believed you. Since I have been home for a little over a week, it has given me
time to really reflect. I am truly blessed, in every way. You and Dad have done
things for me that I am just now realizing. The way you have prepared Anna and
I for life is remarkable. The way Anna treats Luke just gives me insights of
how we were treated as babies. As my life, and I guess our families life
continues to rapidly change I know that I will continue to be impressed by your
love. Thank you for everything mom and I hope this upcoming year doesn’t knock
me with surprises like the last. But I will be ready this time if it does!
In four
years I will be writing this letter as a college graduate, and it will probably
be hard to fathom then. I don’t want to make any predictions because I will be
terribly wrong, but I know that if God has anything to do with it, it will be
nothing but special!
I love you
Mom,
Austin
After I read the letter to my parents they both gave my
encouragement that I could have never received from a book like this one. My
mom told me something that really stuck hard, she said, “Beginnings are scary,
endings are sad, but it’s what happens in the middle that matters most.” The
more I thought about it the more it made since. As I reflect on high school, I
was scared to death the first day, but as I became more comfortable the
memories and moments I shared were irreplaceable, and the end was somber
because we all knew that a new beginning was knocking at the door. I have
learned and I hope that you learn that your parents are your best teachers.
When I wrote that letter I was so confused, but the more my parents spoke I
became more relaxed and I now know that it doesn’t matter what career path I
choose, but how I choose it. I am going to attack this next semester just like
it was my first semester, chasing every opportunity and becoming the best
student I can be. I made the Dean’s List and I plan on making it again!!!
Well, it’s back to the grind, 20 hour semester…what am I
thinking!
