ethidda

 There is something to be said for the adage "less is more." Now, I have a two-bedroom all to myself. I have a double bed, a TV, a kitchen, and a bathtub all just for my use. I can wander around naked, or yodeling horrendously and nobody would complain. I've moved into a much better living situation compared to the dorm life I had just left behind, and I've been rudely reminded of what it means to be lonely.

I come home and turn the music on loud, because there is nobody to mind the noise, and because there is nobody to converse with me to interrupt the apartment's sleep except for noise I create. I look at the empty fridge, the pristine stovetops. Sometimes, I consider making something, but then I remember that I would sit at the table alone, eating leftovers for the three days afterward, and I lose all my appetite. I think about watching TV, but whom would I talk to and gesture wildly with?

I admit it: I'm not used to living by myself, so far away from all my friends. I don't like it, and I can feel the loneliness attacking me like a forgotten stomach virus acting up again.

Then I wonder if this is what it would mean to be an adult: the monotonous work, the empty home, the rare weekend holidays because the last remnant of adventurous spirit still struggles against its inevitable death. I do not have a bad or harsh or uncomfortable life by any means, yet I am not as content as I should be.

I guess in a sense, I miss driving hours to save a few hundred dollars at the outlet mall. I miss going late at night to cheap fast food restaurants and the false scares the hooligans there give us. I miss the failed attempts at baking out of the box, because we got the cheap dollar easy-mix cake mixes. I miss driving my two-grand car down the highway at midnight at twice the speed limit. Now, I would just lie on my double-bed with my fast internet and watch the torrent bars move as my torrents download because I have nothing better to do.

Just found out I've been living in the same hall as the founder of LiveJournal.

Awesome.

You must've all heard of this by now: Recent grad from Monroe College sues college because she can't get a job. Read the CNN article here: http://edition.cnn.com/2009/US/08/03/new.york.jobless.graduate/

Now, the whole thing is retarded, but even worse, the comments on news.aol.com were even more retarded. (Though, I guess that just goes to who what kind of a person would still use aol.)

Some people are claiming that colleges are just tuition black holes, that they make extravagant promises which they don't deliver, that they have salespeople who will promise anything. I can tell you that while this might be true for some colleges, it's not true for most.

For one thing, I've had plenty of colleges ask me thoughtful questions for considering their university. It also should not be news that colleges reject some applicants. This is because they're not just out there to rake in the tuition.

Secondly, $70k is actually not a lot of tuition. I mean, sure, it' s not cheap, but it's not super expensive either. Expecting to earn big bucks by paying minimal tuition would be magic. Such guaranteed schemes don't work. What colleges say is that there are jobs you can only get with a degree. They do not guarantee that you would get a job with such a degree. That would be up to you.

Thirdly, Monroe College was established in 1933. That's a pretty long history. Not ancient, but decent. If it's really a scam, you would've been able to read about it online. (And if you don't do research for the college you want to attend, you're an idiot. Idiots should not get hired.) And they probably would've been sued way more than... never.

Also, what is a "business management in information technology"? Her GPA is a grand total of 2.7. In my university, that's barely passing, as most courses require at least a 2.5 for it to count for anything. Her only supplement to her GPA is her stellar attendance, meaning she has had no internships or other work experience and no leadership experience at all. For management positions, she's probably also competing against recent MBA grads. Besides, have you read her handwritten note to the court? It's riddled with misspellings: "reinbursment," "sueing"... Please, it's obvious you lack common sense and general knowledge, Ms. Thompson.

Regarding her claims about HR. Does she have any idea how many applications get sent in for each available position, especially in this economy? Interviews take time, and if they already know they're not going to hire you (because they have a better applicant), then an interview is simply a waste of time. Of course, it would be polite to send a rejection email, but the company is not obligated to do so, and the school certainly cannot make rules for the company. It is simply absurd to expect companies to spend time on subpar applicants.

Well, now, everybody knows about her, her lazy attitude, and her proclivity to blame others. Nobody would hire her now that she's made herself into a laughing stalk.

P.S. I sympathize with her unemployment woes, truly, but if she wants to have financial security, she's doing the entirely wrong thing. Even if she wins the case in full--which I don't think she will--it would not be enough for more than 3 years, if she lives frugally. She would still need to find a job, and doing this has greatly reduced her chances.

P.P.S. Some of my friends and I have all had trouble finding jobs. Last year, I searched for 4 months. This year, I gave up preemptively and was only lucky that I got a job, considering I applied to exactly one position. But really, a lot of times, it is just about luck... and determination not to give up. Oftentimes, people can sense your attitude towards life, and are much more willing to hire you if you sound cheerful, regardless of your skill level. Last of all, reality sucks; learn to compromise.

P.P.P.S. Seriously, I'm pissed at this Trina chick. Take responsibility for your own bad grades. I worked hard for my higher-than-passing grades and I damned well expect "preferential treatment" when it comes to job placement.

(meta-)drabble / meta-post... (Yes, I know the meta meme was so three years ago. But I like it.)

~

I often thought about writing a memoir. I think my life would be interesting to read about, if not completely unusual. Sometimes, I think I will start it like this:

If I picked a song to be my song, it would be Survivor by Gloria Gainor. This might be an odd thing to say if you know me, since my one tepid relationship lasted for a scant month. Or it might be strange because you know I grew up in a million dollar house and went to private schools where it was strange if you haven't vacationed in another continent. Or it might be strange because my life--first coddled by my grandparents and then pampered by my mother--seems as trouble-free as any child's can be. Though in that case, you might just be thinking I'm late going into my adolescent rebellion as I write this. But that's not the case...

But I wouldn't think that would give you enough motivation to keep reading. After all, self-justifications are so boring and so commonplace. If I had a penny for every excuse, every lie, and every omission I've made... Well, so you see? So then I think perhaps it's better to start where my memories start. And I would say:

( I was three, living in Boston with my mother and my grandmother... )

The forecast for today from yesterday had been: Work all day and all night for a project that had no hope of finishing tomorrow at 9am. In the meanwhile, study for an oral exam, for which I knew nothing. (There were equations and derivations and letters, for which there was no real world interpretation for me... and I can't memorize equations for beans.) And because of the above mentioned two, snack on fruits for dinner instead of having a real meal, and then get hyped up all night on instant coffee. Oh, and drool at that Sprungli chocolate cake I pass by everyday on the way home.

Instead, I got a week long extension for the project (the extension was for everybody, so I didn't even have to ask for it)! The economics professor was extremely nice and asked me which questions I wanted to be asked. And even if he hadn't, I knew the material, since I had time now to talk with a friend in the class about the exam. So in celebration of doing well on the exam (my friend did well, too), we got top quality pre-marinated steak, baked potatoes, Austrian red wine, and a sweet, ripe melon. We sat and ate dinner for over 3 hours. To top it off, a friend had his birthday (elsewhere) and had one piece of Sprungli chocolate cake left which he gave to us to share.

So now I just have to finish writing this essay before 7am in the morning. I might wake up early and do it though, as I'm slightly sleepy from the wine.

Still as far as I'm concerned, this day has gone perfectly!