Yeah, it's been a while yet again. I was inspired while sitting in the Undergrounds Coffeehouse at the computers after my "crew team" was finished setting up Orientation Late Nite. Both Rachel, Dave and Clair started updating their live journals/xangas, and I thought, well, that might be a good idea.

The last week has felt like one long continuous day. Last Monday, I woke up at 6am, and have largely been sleep deprived since then. An orientation session lasts from 1pm on Day 1 to 4:30pm on Day 2 for the orientees, but for us it lasts from 8am on Day 1 to 7pm on Day 2. Within there is setting up, checking in, helping everyone with their schedules, Late Nite, registration, cleaning and filling out good ol' RCRs (room condition reports) on each room, and a wrap-up meeting, among tons of other stuff. The way I help my orientees is by sitting down with them individually and plugging in the holes in their schedules with what they want, what they need, and what they have time for, while giving them backups in case their primary class closes. It's more than likely the closest thing Harpur School freshmen will ever get to real academic advising during their time at Binghamton, which is sad, because they greatly appreciate the help and need it. You can't just tell a kid once that this is the gen ed they need, and that some gen eds are Harpur requirements and some are all university, and have that be the only time you tell them. You need that individual help, even if you read the catalog and think you understand everything.

So I stay up till 2:30am, 3am helping my orientees schedule their classes. I get up again at 6:15am and run around until 2, where I start the actual registration process with them. I teach them the computer system, give them their codes to enter and their computer lab admission ticket, and take them over to register. This took till 4pm first session, and till 3:30 second session. I don't have students again until Thursday (OA groups rotate between three separate duties, student, family, and crew), so we will have to see how long they take. Then I clean their mess they may have left behind, check the rooms, pack up my stuff (we sleep on the floor with the students in various buildings in Dickinson, and our room is always changing), and go to our wrap-up meeting. Crew is way different, much more relaxed and fun. I have family duty for the first time on Tuesday. All in all, there are nine sessions in July, and one right before everyone moves in in August, plus New Student Days and Welcome Back Weekend.

We earn our money.

All in all though, this is a great job, I've met great people, and it cements my desire to venture into higher education admin for at least a while. I think I'd like to specialize in academic advising, most likely with transfers, because that's what I like to do the best: take someones needs and likes into account and suggest a class schedule around that. That means, though, I could never work at Binghamton, because their academic advising, unlike everyone else's, does not do that. I'd also like to work with alumni development as well, as well as residential life...I think whatever is open at the time in the geographical area I want when I get out with my masters is what I will do. At some point I would love to go back into sports and event management, but I realise what a difficult field it is to get into (I was speaking to an orientee last Monday about that, because that's what she wants to do), and how many more qualified people exist in the world. Should of stuck with the original plan...but, as has become my motto in the past few months, who knows what can happen? I just like to plan, that's all. I like to plan and plan and plan some more. And while that's excellent for my career and education, it screws up my social (i.e. love) life. Because unfortunately, you can not plan who you like and plan who will like you back. You can not order a boyfriend anytime you want one, and you can not get over people as easily as you can throw something away. And while if you asked me a year and a half ago if I minded not having anyone, I minded but I really didn't care. But now, I sit here and I really mind being single. Because I'm getting older, and gosh darn it, I want all of that unconditional love stuff. I want to be able to brag and gush about someone again. Having someone around in a relationship sense is important to me now; it wasn't back a year and a half ago or so. But as you get older, I think you learn that there is more to life than just you. And I have learned that, and I have this need to share things--expierences, time, whatever--with someone.

I guess you could say I've grown up.

But what I must keep in mind is that anything can happen, and anyone can walk into your life tomorrow. But I'm impatient. I want that person today. It's a flaw of mine--I'm working on it.

And in the meanwhile, I'll lose sleep scheduling my orientees, and be distracted by my never ending work. Because I'm heading down the home strech--and I don't ever go out with a wimper.

Music: The new Michelle Branch CD, especially "Where Are You Now?", which is the story of my life, I swear. The whole CD is, actually. She is stalking me and writing songs about it, I swear.