What I'm Reading Fall Semester 2014

Remember back when I said my course load included 30 books this semester? I'm going to regale you with a list of all of them.

When I thought of this post, I was super excited about telling you all about the books I get to read this semester. Now that I'm thinking about it, this could be really boring to anyone not related to me. So I'm going to excite you all with awesome pictures, witty writing, and the promise of an update of school so far in this issue of "Below the Line."

(Also, disclaimer: classes are still subject to change. One stack of these might be replaced with another.)

So now that you're hooked...

Let's begin:

Nature Writing

Only a shocking two books for this class:

• Wildbranch, edited by  Florence Caplow and  Susan A.Cohen. A collection of nature writings. Hopefully they'll inspire my own :)
• The Book of Yaak, by Rick Bass. Any idea how to pronounce Yaak? I've been going with "yak," like the big, wooly animal.

Environmental Crisis Lit

Now that I've eased you in with my Nature Writing class load...

• Silent Spring, by Rachel Carson. A classic I "read" last semester and that I'm going to try to "skim in-depth" this semester.
• Odds Against Tomorrow, by Nathaniel Rich. The odds against this book are low- it looks interesting.
• Flight Behavior, by Barbara Kingsolver. I am SO PUMPED for this book. It had me at "Kingsolver."
• The Windup Girl, by Paolo Bacigalupi. Wind 'er up and watch 'er go!
• Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit, by Daniel Quinn. Ooooo, an adventure!
• Ecology of a Cracker Childhood, by Janisse Ray. I read her essay collection Wild Card Quilt last semester and really enjoyed it. I have high hopes for her first book.
• Body Toxic, by Susanne Antonetta. Judging from the summary on the back, it sounds like one depressing book. Then again, I am in a class about environmental crises.
• Parable of the Sower, by Octavia Butler. I read this last semester and wasn't the biggest fan. I'm not really into apocalyptic literature, and this didn't do anything to change my mind.
• The Future of Life, by Edward Wilson. The future of life is about doom and destruction. (Or at least, that's what most books seem to say.)
• Gain, by Richard Powers. I have a feeling Gain is really about losing.

U.S. Women's History: 1700-1900 (the potential change)

And we move into our history half of this post:

• Elizabeth Cady Stanton: An American Life, by Lori D. Ginzberg. Something tells me this is a biography... (Title: D).
• Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, by Harriet Jacobs. A primary document- historians love that stuff.
• Women's Rights Emerges within Antislavery Movement, by Kathryn Kish Sklar. Really a bunch more documents, in disguise. Don't get me wrong, I love reading this stuff. There's just not much to say about them before reading :)
• Out of the Shadow: A Russian Jewish Girlhood on the Lower East Side, by Rose Cohen. Out of the shadows of this book list comes a really intriguing autobiography!
• A Midwife's Tale, by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich. There are babies, and blood, and a heck of a lot of screaming.
• Mollie: The Journal of Mollie Dorsey Sanford, by (you got it) Mollie herself. She went to the West and lived to write about it.
• To 'Joy My Freedom: Southern Black Women's Lives and Labors after the Civil War, by Tera Hunter. I'm pretty sure this will rile up the feminist in me. Oh joy.

Civil War/Reconstruction

With such a clever class name, surely the book list will be awesome:

• For Cause and Comrades: Why Men Fought in the Civil War, by James M. McPherson. Famous author, known for analysis- not for titles.
• Great Speeches, by THE Abraham Lincoln. He said a lot of good stuff, so someone wrote it down.
• The Last Best Hope of Earth, by Mark Neely, Jr. Spoiler alert: it's Lincoln.
• A Short History of Reconstruction, by Eric Foner. Another famous historian, this time we turn to the one with the Reconstruction obsession.
• This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War, by Drew Gilpin Faust. Oh. A cherry fellow, Faust.
• The Confederate War, by Gary W. Gallagher. The Southern perspective, something this Northerner doesn't get much of.
• The Fate of Their Country, by Michael F. Holt. The U.S. was fated...but for what? (ooo intrigue).
• Civil War Stories, by Ambrose Bierce. So what was it really like at the front, Bierce?
• The South vs. The South, by William W. Freehling. An interesting argument about how the South was its own undoing.
• Half Slave and Half Free, by Bruce Levine. But neither fully one or the other.
• Our Lincoln: New Perspectives on Lincoln and His World, ed. by Eric Foner. A collection of documents to motivate me to see "a new perspective!"

So that's it for this semester! It's quite a load, but I only have a few more books this semester than I did last semester, so I think I can keep up (fingers crossed!)

What books are you reading for school? Do any of these books look interesting to you?

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Below the Line:

•  Classes are getting under my skin already (stress levels are high). Welcome back to college!
• On that note, I'm going to do my best to keep up the twice a week schedule. But bare with me if posts don't go up every Tuesday and Friday morning. I'll keep you updated.
• After attending each of my classes, I'm really excited for the Civil War course. The professor is really passionate about the material and has structured the class in a way that fits my learning style. The rest of them... well, I just need to get adjusted to being back at school. :)

What's on My Desk: College Edition

I have two desks: one at home and one at school. At home I use my desk occasionally for work or blogging, but I tend to end up on the living room couch instead :) At school, my desk sees a lot of use. I do quite a bit of homework at my desk, as well as sorority work (and now, blog work!). I like to make it as homey and perky as possible. Plus, it's also used as an "all-purpose" table, for food, crafts, breaks, and anything in between.

I thought I would show you around my desk so you have an idea of where I'm working and what organization/set-up options have worked the best for me!

Let's begin, shall we?

My built-in shelf holds a storage box, my makeup container, all thirty of my books, and my notebooks and folders held in a pretty magazine holder. It's nice having a shelf on my desk. Everything's within reach without cluttering my desktop (which, as you can see, I like to keep as clean as possible).

Say hello to my little friends... ;) These guys just hang out on top of my printer paper, cheering me on! The Mickey "12" was a graduation gift from my friend Nikki. The fox was a Christmas present from my mom and dad. The camel is a recent addition. My best friend Hattie went to Russia this semester, and kindly brought it back for me. It's made from a mineral natural to the area where she worked. I think he's rather cute- and also an excellent people-poking tool ;)

Now we move to the lower portion of our tour. There's a little bit more excitement going on here. I have my letter sorter in the corner, my Ikea cork containers, a picture of my parents and me at my high school graduation, and my beloved pencil cup.

The bulletin board has pictures of my friends and family along with a couple decorative cards. I also have my dry-erase weekly calendar on the right. I love this thing. It helps me to remember every day where I need to be when. Since it sits right in front of me every morning, I'm less likely to forget something.

The Ikea containers just hold some jewelry, my watch, my headphones, and lip balm. This is a new addition this year. I wanted a place to store the random bits that sat around on my desk. I haven't decided yet what to put in the bottom one, but I think my camera and blog notebook might end up in there. My letter sorter holds any incoming and outgoing mail and papers.

Finally, we move to the right of my desk. Sure, it's pretty simple looking but I love my new wall calendar. It's the perfect size to fit on my wall, and looks so dang cute. I'm almost sad I have to write the due dates for papers and tests on it... but at least the calendar itself will cheer me up while I look ahead to impending doom :)

So that's it for the desk tour! What do you think?

How did you set up your desk for this semester? Do you like having more things within reach on your desktop? Or are you like me and prefer a clear surface?

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Below the Line:

• Move-in went smoothly Saturday. I dare say it was the easiest one yet. I have an idea now for what goes where and what I actually need for the space I have. Still, it's been weird coming back. I was so used to life at home that it's time for adjusting all over again. Good thing I've had three days to do it!
• Tomorrow is my first day of classes. I'm nervous, in the "I know I'm going to have so much work to do and would rather keep sitting around" kind of way ;)
• On that note, good luck to all of you who have already started classes or are about to!

College Organization Tips (+ My School Supplies!)

The college blog posts continue with an exciting ORGANIZATION POST! If that doesn't push you to the edge of your seat, how about a peek at my very own school supplies? :) I just want to start by saying organization is a very personal thing. I know people who throw caution to the wind (I mean, they don't use a PLANNER) and somehow wind up getting everything done on time. I know people with flash-card obsessions and detailed, color-coded notes as pretty as they are useful. I am somewhere in-between.

You know where you fit on the spectrum. I encourage you to take these suggestions and make them work for your personal organization style (or lack thereof :)).

Without further ado: the tips

Color-code. While my notes are black and white, my folders are a different story. I assign a color to each of my four classes each semester (blue, red, green, and purple). I use that color for two things: my folder for that class, and the assignments I write on my wall calendar. I can quickly glance at the current month and see what class has something big coming up.

Give everything a place. My folders and notebooks go in my magazine holder. Books line up next to that. My planner is either in my backpack or on the left side of my desk. My laptop is always on the right. My letter organizer sits in the top left corner. And so on. Giving everything a home (on your desk and throughout your room) makes it less likely you'll lose something. It also lets you know where to put something (thus avoiding too much clutter).

Put what you're using in front of you. New assignments go in the front of your folder, as do printed readings. Books you're currently reading sit at the top of the stack/front of the row. This goes for class, studying, clubs, anything! Life gets a lot easier when you're not constantly searching for a frequently-used item.

A planner is a girl's (and guy's) best friend. I'm a very forgetful person. I'm constantly over-correcting that flaw with alarms, reminders, emails, a dry-erase weekly calendar, and my planner. A planner is the best way I've found to remember what I have to do and when I have to do it. How you decide to use it is up to you, but writing things down means it's way more likely you'll remember them.

If at first you don't succeed... try, try again! The system you think is going to work doesn't have to be the one you stick with. Freshman year I had decorated, color-coded binders I loved, but never really used. I had single-subject notebooks for each class, but never filled them up. It took a little trial and error, but now I have a system I love. Don't be afraid to try out different organizing styles before settling on one that works best for you.

Speaking of the system I love, now we move on to the show-and-tell portion of this blog post: my 2014/2015 school supplies! (I apologize for the sub-par photo quality...it's been cloudy in Indiana :))

• Five-Star three subject notebook. I used to have a one-subject notebook for each class, but I never needed that many pages. This three-subject suits me well (not too big, not too small). I've been reusing a one-subject each semester for my writing classes, since they don't involve many notes.
• Two-pocket folders. Here's the color-coding I was talking about. If a folder starts to get full (I'm looking at you, writing classes), I move old papers to manila folders.

• Pen and pencil. Basic, but oh so important. I use a pen for notes, a pencil for- you got it- scribbling in the margins of my books. My new favorite pen is the Pilot Acroball, but I also like the Bic Round Stic. My pencil of choice is also Bic; I'm not sure what model. It's just a mechanical pencil :)
• NEW Lilly Pulitzer Agenda. I could seriously write a whole post on this planner. The struggle to find it this summer was intense (in tents...). I might dedicate a post to it once school gets into full swing and I start using it more (let me know in the comments if that's something you'd like to read). I'm lost without a planner. I can't imagine surviving college without it.

What organization tips do you have for school? Any favorite school supplies?

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Below the Line:

• Tomorrow is the big day- I move in for my junior year. I made a packing list yesterday, so... that's a start :)
• Yesterday was also my back-to-school dinner with my family at The Old Spaghetti Factory. I just can't get over how amazing their pasta is- that Mizithra Cheese, man...
• My friend Sarah and I got pedicures Tuesday and I opted for this beautiful bright pink (the only place I really like the color is on my toes :)) I keep peeking at my toes!
• Have you started classes yet? How have they been going for you?

5 Tips for the Best Fall Semester Ever

Fall semester is my favorite semester now, but freshmen year it was nothing but stress, stress, and homesickness. Being prepared for what's going to come is a huge help, and I recommend finding out what life will be like at your particular college (your college's website and other blogs will help with this).

But fall semester can also be a ton of fun and more of a learning experience than a stressful one. Here are the five best things you can do to make your first fall semester awesome:

Talk to your professors during the first week. You'll hear this advice from everyone: your mentors, your peers, your professors, your parents, and especially your school. But it's the best advice you'll hear.

Establishing a relationship from the start gives you an idea of what your professors are like and what they will expect from you in class. It also gives you people you can come to during the semester. When you have three tests and a paper due on the same day, you'll feel better about coming to a professor and asking for help if it isn't the first time you've seen them out of class.

Figure out a time management plan. I always say my high school prepared me for the difficultly of my work in college, but not the quantity. I was a mess trying to get everything done freshmen year. I lived in the library until 6:00 except for class and lunch. I did not need to do this. I over-planned, thinking I needed to put more time in than necessary.

The next semester, I developed a plan that worked for me (reserving the library for my hardest work), but life would have been a lot easier if I did that sooner. So learn from my mistake. Set up your study/activity plan before all your "to-dos" take over your life.

Study outside the library. As hinted at above, my university's library sucked away my soul. (It looks like the 1980s touched it and never went away). But I assumed it had to be the best place to study- it's the library! Not until later would I understand how much better I worked at the Starbucks in town. When you're looking for a place to work, venture out from the library and try out several spots until you find the spot.

Go home (but not too soon). You need time to adjust to your new lifestyle, and going home the first four weekends isn't going to accomplish that. But once you make it a least a month (or two), feel okay about going home for your sibling's choir performance or your town's winter festival. Taking a break away from campus helps you to recharge, and some time with people you love.

Also, if you find yourself getting homesick (like I did- heck, like most freshmen I know did), you can also ask your family to come visit you. My parents and sister drove down to see me two weeks after I moved in for a Sunday lunch. It was such a relief to see them, but I avoided the anxiety of "going back to campus" you can get when you visit home.

Say yes to (almost) everything. Now this goes against what most of you have heard: "Don't be afraid to say no!" I'm here to tell you that fall semester is all about saying yes. When your floormate asks if you want to go to dinner, even though all you want to do is order pizza and watch YouTube? Say yes. When you're overwhelmed by the activities fair and just want to run in the opposite direction? Say yes to at least three sign-up sheets. When your classmate asks you to study together even though you already have the material down? You got it- say yes.

Fall semester freshmen year is all about new experiences. You'll never feel at home at your chosen university sitting in your dorm room day after day. Be willing to step out of your comfort zone this semester when given the chance. You never know what you might like.

Plus, meeting new people (even for you, introverts!) is so important those first few weeks. Friends going through the same changes as you make the whole process easier. Unless you know something will hurt you (i.e. a party the Thursday night before your chemistry midterm? Yeah, that's a no. Or if you're already an active member of two clubs and really can't take on a third), a "yes" will never be as regrettable as a "no."

What tips do you have for fall semester?

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Below the Line:

• Four days until my big move in! I'm both excited and anxious for the new semester :)
• Took a food allergy test yesterday :( I feel like I need to stuff myself with bread just in case gluten is taken away from me...
• Cookie butter= DELICIOUS. But then again, what did I expect? It's called cookie butter. ;)
• Coming up on Friday: a post for all you organizational/stationary fans out there.