Track 24: The Brittain Solution

For those of you who don't go to Georgia Tech, the dining hall for the east side of campus is Brittain Dining Hall. This is where I eat most of my meals at Tech. The food is fairly bad, and I've sure grown sick of it. Yet, the worst problem with Brittain that I can complain about is the atmosphere.

The way that Brittain is laid out encourages people to keep to themselves.

I go to eat at Brittain around 11 on Mondays and Wednesdays. During this time period, nearly everyone is sitting by themselves at these long tables and being lonely while eating. I hate eating by myself, but it's not socially acceptable for me to just go sit by a stranger and start talking to them. Brittain just doesn't work this way.

So I came up with this idea that I want to see implemented at Brittain. I want a section of two or three tables to be designated a social zone. People can come into this area, sit down, and just start talking to a complete stranger. There would be no awkardness in this zone. You just start talking to whoever is near you. I think this would be an excellent way to avoid looking like a loner and make new friends at the same time.

It's similar to speed dating, I suppose. However, you're not really moving around. The whole point is to share a meal with someone new. Someone who hopefully becomes a friend.

I feel something like this really needs to be implemented at a school like Georgia Tech where everyone might not be stellar socially. I am seriously considering proposing this to the people who run Brittain.

I really would like to hear some feedback on this idea, even if you don't go to Tech, because I feel like this is an idea that can be put into place at dining halls across the nation. Therefore, you should leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Track 22: Back On The Grind

So this is going to be one of the few personal posts that appears on this blog. I don't really like to do ones like this, but I have a decent amount of stuff to go over.

So, if you haven't noticed, the ads are no longer on my blog. I don't want to go into a long story about why, but there's really nothing I can do about it. For now, I'm just going to keep posting, and I'll sort out something new with the ads in the future.

Rush Week finally ended on Friday or Saturday (depends on your point of view). I really am excited about our new pledge class at Delta Sigma Phi. 13 pledges! However, no one ever told me that rush is so exhausting. It surprised me quite a bit that I would just be worn out at the end of the day.

I started using Last.fm instead of Pandora. Holy Crap. It is so much better. Much more variety with no ads interrupting music. There's also no listening limit, which is awesome.

School is going well. I can't really complain. I feel my Intro to AE teacher isn't really teaching me anything needed for the homeworks, but it's okay. I'll get by.

Last thought, I started learning how to ride a motorcycle today. It's a lot harder than I imagined. Heck, I didn't even know that most motorcycles have manual transmissions. But, I'm excited to keep learning it.

The next post will be better. I promise.

Track 10: Ten Dorm Room Tips

So, in celebration of me being back at my dorm in Georgia Tech, here's a list of dorm room essentials/nonessentials.


Essentials


1. Two sets of bedding. This is just for convenience mainly. You don't want to not have any bedding on your filthy perfectly clean mattress. Just bring two sets and rotate with your laundry.


2. A refrigerator. Yeah, you think that you'll get all your food and meals from the "delicious and nutritious" dining hall, right? Wrong. You need a refrigerator (preferably one with a freezer part) or else your body might just attack you to protect its own health.


3. Noise-cancelling headphones. If you don't have these, then you're probably going to hate your roommate more than you already will. Let's face it. There are going to be times when you just don't want to listen to anything having to do with your roommate.


4. A poster or two. I know it's pretty cliché with the college kid hanging all sorts of posters on the wall and going overboard, but you want to put a little pep in your room. (I have a poster from The Hangover and a poster of Muhammad Ali in mine.)


5. A desk lamp. You'll be studying late. I really don't think this one needs that much explanation.


Nonessentials


1. Cardboard boxes. These things just take up tons of space like you wouldn't even believe. If your family loves you, you'll get more boxes anyway. Just take the boxes out and recycle them.


2. A TV. I'm guilty of this one myself, but a TV is really unneeded. It just distracts you and wastes time. Most TV shows are easily viewable online now anyway.


3. Weed.  I mean, c'mon dude. You're in college now. If you're going to smoke it, don't be retarded and smoke it in your room. If you're half as smart as you say you are, you'll be able to find a good spot.


4. Too many clothes. I know you want to be fashionable and trendy, but chances are that you won't have nearly enough room for all of your clothes. Just pick out what you like and make sure to rotate your wardrobe.


5. Books for personal enjoyment. You're not going to have time to read all those books unless you sacrifice time from other commitments, and those books are just going to take up extra space. You should get a kindle for books if you want to have your library with you. (That's what I do.)

Track 5: The First Semester Findings

So it's about time for me to start turning my mind back to school and preparing for my second semester at Georgia Tech. Here's a little list of things that I've learned from my first semester.

1. Get out of your room and do stuff. I can't stress how important this is. If you don't make friends in the beginning or get involved with something, you are most definitely going to get left behind.

2. Finals are as hard as you make them. If you don't go to class all semester, don't do your homework, and don't even pay attention, there's no way that you're going to do well on the final. You can study for four days straight, but actually doing work throughout the semester is key to making good grades and performing well.

3. All-nighters are not good for your health or academics. You may think that you're really getting a leg up on that test and that you're going to show that teacher who's boss. But your body needs sleep to function. Not to mention that one of the main reasons that humans require sleep is to consolidate information into your memory. In other words, unless you sleep on it, you're just going to forget all that you just stayed up to learn.

4. Have Fun. Yeah, academics are important, but college is so much more than that. I've bet you've heard this before, but it's really true. I know I'm not going to remember what tests I got A's on, but I can tell you that I'll remember some of the parties for a long time.

5. Don't be afraid to confront people. You're an adult now. You need to learn how to solve your own problems. If you have an issue with someone, just talk to that person about it face-to-face. You'll be amazed how much that solves.

6. Be open to new things and new people. You're probably on your own for the first time in a strange, new environment. Just try to be accepting. I've made some weird, goofy friends during my first semester, and I would've never associated with them if I had come in all with my mind already closed off. Also, try to be respectful towards the culture of others.

7. Yes, the unlimited dining hall is very nice and convenient. Yet, please don't gorge yourself. The "Freshman 15" is true and does happens. Also, make sure to eat somewhere other than the dining hall once in a while. It'll make you feel better. I promise.

8. Enjoy your sports teams. This is probably one of the only opportunities in your life that you'll be this close to a high-caliber sports team. I don't care what your school is good at. Football, basketball, water polo, cross country. Go watch some games and support your teams.

9. Don't get bogged down by the school. Some schools (especially Tech) can just make you feel like crap at times. However, it's easy to avoid this if you always look on the bright side of life.

Well, that's all I have. Read this list. Know this list. Be this list.