Steps of spring

Today marks the end of spring break 2011—an unfortunate day of the year.

I will now be sitting in class twiddling my thumbs, doodling whatever random scenes pop into my head and abusing group work time to chat with my friends.

I anticipate that a bit of a spring break “hangover” will make this first week back, or at least the first several days, not very productive—as is the case with most breaks. If I, in fact, have a lapse in productivity, it will be in stark contrast to last week.

Although spring break is a vacation from school and an excuse to forget all responsibility, there were still some very important steps in the college process that needed to be taken care of.

On March 31, I was finally able to apply for housing at Kansas. Going in, I was hoping to have a room in Templin Hall, a large building with four-person, suite-style rooms. Unfortunately, Templin did not have any more places open in the male rooms and I had to use my second choice, Oliver Hall.

Oliver Hall has a large number of residents, more than 900, and was my second choice because it is near the recreation center, has its own dining center and is located near several of the sports venues on campus. It is cool to imagine making the short walk to play basketball at the gym or enjoy lunch with friends at the dining hall. I am proud to have finished another big step in the college process.

After choosing where I will live next year, I decided it was time to pay the registration fee. With a decision finalized on my side of things, I was excited to make it official and really make a commitment to KU. It feels as if I have finally finished the process of searching and applying and can simply focus on making the next four years as smooth and enjoyable as I can.

Finally, I received my financial statement in the mail that shows all the scholarships I received and the loans that I have access to. My parents and I didn’t know exactly what to make of all the different types of money awarded and will have to talk with a high school or college counselor to figure out exactly what money to accept. But to see the scholarship money that the school is willing to give me to ensure that I choose them is a cool and humbling thing.

The Twins season started up this past week, which means I will be working again soon. I will have to do a lot more working after school during the week this season because I will leave in August for college and I must work a full 40 games. I am looking forward to—and, in some aspects, dreading—juggling school, work and other obligations.

The weather is improving quickly and you can feel the spring spirit of new beginnings. Hopefully that spring spirit will help me stay focused for the last quarter of school—and perhaps cheer up some teachers to the point that I see less homework and more partner tests.