I told my mom the other day that I wished I could home school college.
She laughed. Rightly so. I mean, what an absurd idea, homeschooling college. In reality, if you go the Clep route it is almost the same thing, just slightly more intense. I am totally considering Clep-ing out of the rest of my basics. Sheesh. What a waste of time and money they are.
Anyway, so the reason I actually started writing this was because I am taking three very interesting courses right now. Odd, how weird they sound when you share them with others.
One class I have already finished as it was an 8-week intensive course out at the army base. That was History and due to some unfortunately chose topics that my teacher didn't like (Martin Luther being a good person not an evil reformer out to shatter history [granted, he did have some rough spots, but come on]) I ended up with a final grade of a B. My papers and work truly deserved an A, and I don't say that totally out of a sense of pride (it is there) but because my final grade was an unfair, biased relation to my happily given admission that I was one of those crazy Christians.
Anyway, I kind of needed to spill that. Apart from that, I am taking an Intermediate Grammar class, Japanese 101 and Anthropology. Out of the three do you know which one is my major concentration? I'm not even sure, although I do know that Anthropology is definitely not my calling. Out of all my classes, though, I am enjoying it the most. Not because of the subject or topics, but because it is the least stressful class. I only have three take-home tests and two papers. Both I excelled on. I'm not sure whether I should be proud that I can spit lies back out into 110% papers, or if I should be appalled. I figure since it isn't cumulative it is just in one ear and out the other.
And I just completely ran out of steam. I'm going to come back and finish this post later.
10.22.2010
It's Bad
You know it's bad when you can spout millions of random interesting facts about the Tennessee/Kenucky/W. Virginia/North Carolina/Indiana/Illinois area, but what is worse is when you start taking over all the financial aspects of moving for your parents. I know exactly how much it will cost us to move from Alaska to Nashville/Clarksville Tennessee, and the advantages of flying, driving, (or a combo) out of here. I can tell you that it is cheaper to ship our worldly possessions through Northstar than any other, and that campers and trailers down in Washington would be a much cheaper buy than up here. That is calculating money spent on food, hotels, etc. to get to WA, too. And versus the alternative.
I know how much we should sell our house for and what it is worth. Call me the cheap appraiser. I did all the research for free. Right now, entering winter, our house would probably be able to sell for about 300grand. Later in the spring we could get anywhere between 310 and 325, depending on the market. I know that If we can put so much money down on a house in TN, the monthly payment with taxes would be considerably more reasonable than here, and that even with the sales tax and all the other ridiculous taxes we would come out ahead. The problem therein lies with the job my dad gets then. He'd have to be making as much as he is now, and job opportunities down there are not as prominent. So, we will want to go a bit cheaper on a house/land so that we can make up for any deficits that may occur regarding jobs.
I know the benefits (financial and physical) of buying a 'used' home versus new, versus modular, etc. We know we do not want a mobile home, but something more permanent, preferably 4 bedroom, but more is always nice, 2.5 baths (my mom is stickler about this one, according to her, we must have a guest bathroom.) We want no less than 2200 square feet if possible, and a nice big front porch is preferable. We would like to have a separate laundry/facility room, and at least a detached garage; a basement would be nice as well rather than a crawlspace, but prices jump a good 10 to 20 grand. Another preference which I could see being the clincher for us is an extra room somewhere that we could convert into a library/study with a big dining table in the middle for doing work, research and the random huge puzzle on. The final thing that we are really looking for, and which is more important than anything but the 2.5 baths (my mom is very certain about this...) is we want at least 10 acres of land, preferably more. A good 20-40 would be excellent. (Wooded mainly, with just a little cleared or pasture land. We want some privacy and quiet.)
So now that I've discussed what it is that we want in a new place, I've gone and looked at every possible option for getting that. (What we are leaning toward now is buying a nice plot of land with a small, but decent mobile for a good price, and then getting a modular home built to our desires.--Then we would possibly sell the mobile home to a couple who are looking to move to the same area [they are family] or use the mobile as a mother-in-law apartment for grandparents. [Which is why it needs to be in decent condition.]) Anyway, there are about 3 million possible options for things to happen and I feel that I have researched everything but maybe the last ten, so if there are any questions concerning any of this, I'm your, uh...go-to-girl.
This was an intensely boring and random blog but since I don't care and its nice to spit the basics out, I wrote it anyway.
On an exciting note, I'm attending an authentic Japanese Kabuki on Sunday evening, and although I don't have a kimono, I'll go dressed in style. ;)
--Moving Girl
I know how much we should sell our house for and what it is worth. Call me the cheap appraiser. I did all the research for free. Right now, entering winter, our house would probably be able to sell for about 300grand. Later in the spring we could get anywhere between 310 and 325, depending on the market. I know that If we can put so much money down on a house in TN, the monthly payment with taxes would be considerably more reasonable than here, and that even with the sales tax and all the other ridiculous taxes we would come out ahead. The problem therein lies with the job my dad gets then. He'd have to be making as much as he is now, and job opportunities down there are not as prominent. So, we will want to go a bit cheaper on a house/land so that we can make up for any deficits that may occur regarding jobs.
I know the benefits (financial and physical) of buying a 'used' home versus new, versus modular, etc. We know we do not want a mobile home, but something more permanent, preferably 4 bedroom, but more is always nice, 2.5 baths (my mom is stickler about this one, according to her, we must have a guest bathroom.) We want no less than 2200 square feet if possible, and a nice big front porch is preferable. We would like to have a separate laundry/facility room, and at least a detached garage; a basement would be nice as well rather than a crawlspace, but prices jump a good 10 to 20 grand. Another preference which I could see being the clincher for us is an extra room somewhere that we could convert into a library/study with a big dining table in the middle for doing work, research and the random huge puzzle on. The final thing that we are really looking for, and which is more important than anything but the 2.5 baths (my mom is very certain about this...) is we want at least 10 acres of land, preferably more. A good 20-40 would be excellent. (Wooded mainly, with just a little cleared or pasture land. We want some privacy and quiet.)
So now that I've discussed what it is that we want in a new place, I've gone and looked at every possible option for getting that. (What we are leaning toward now is buying a nice plot of land with a small, but decent mobile for a good price, and then getting a modular home built to our desires.--Then we would possibly sell the mobile home to a couple who are looking to move to the same area [they are family] or use the mobile as a mother-in-law apartment for grandparents. [Which is why it needs to be in decent condition.]) Anyway, there are about 3 million possible options for things to happen and I feel that I have researched everything but maybe the last ten, so if there are any questions concerning any of this, I'm your, uh...go-to-girl.
This was an intensely boring and random blog but since I don't care and its nice to spit the basics out, I wrote it anyway.
On an exciting note, I'm attending an authentic Japanese Kabuki on Sunday evening, and although I don't have a kimono, I'll go dressed in style. ;)
--Moving Girl
10.16.2010
Time
I was just updating the log settings when I came across the option for time...It has always been easy for me to pick which one is mine since Alaska so wonderfully has its very own time zone...I have noclue what in the world Tennessee/Kentucky time is called. I like mine how it is right now.
--Moving Girl
--Moving Girl
College Search
I've commenced with the hopeless task of trying to find a college or uni that I wouldn't mind going to once we move down to TN/KY. It really is a frustrating task. This is what goes on:
First I look at tuition. If it is enormously out of my price range (like $56,000 for Vanderbilt U) then I don't even bother. If the tuition is below $30,000, feel free to look tentatively, carefully examining both room and board as well as scholarship opportunities. If it looks like the cost still might be doable with the grand help of God, then look at the academics.
Does it have an English BA? What are the concentrations in? (I prefer Creative Writing to Lit.) Does it require a minor? If so, do they have Japanese? If not, what do they have that looks even a little bit interesting? How many GER credits are required and would my current ones transfer easily? (This is a preliminary possibility. I look at the titles and level to see if they correspond. If not, then I'll have to wait until I'm seriously considering the school to find out.) Now how many credits in the subject matter (English) am I required to have and what do those classes look like. Are they interesting? Good. If so continue to see the total amount of credits required and how long it looks like it'll take for you to get out of there.
Next is the Student Life. A very important aspect. I am SO not going to a college that is made up of fraternities and sororities. Not my thing. So what are the living arrangements like? Do I prefer a single room (absolutely, I am not sharing a room with anyone). Do I want air conditioning but smaller room? Which building/hall is closest to what? Will I need a car? (Definitely. I'm going to be visiting my family all the time.) Are the buildings coed (again, not doing), or not. What type of meal plan will I be forced to buy? Do I get stuck with freshman or can I have the senior hall option as a Junior. (Most often yes.)
Then there is location. This actually usually goes before tuition, but for the purpose of most important, it goes here since my family still has no idea where we are going to land. Is it smack dab in the middle of Memphis, the 24th largest city in the US? Is it out in the middle of nowhere? (I prefer a smaller town or city, but not completely deserted.)
Is the school Christian? If so what denomination? (I am not desirous of going to a Catholic school, not because I'm against them in any way but simply because of my beliefs.) Is it Southern Baptist? Methodist? What? These questions here matter because they are going to determine what type of education I'm going to get: which way the classes will be taught regarding different beliefs. Although most denominations are united under the banner of "Christianity" not all of them believe things I do. --f I don't know about a denomination I look it up. Learn more about it and see if they are a church I'd be willing to attend.
Also, what are their statistics? (I find this to be not only interesting but very telling about a school.) For example, what is the men to women ratio? If it is <:>, then I'm happy. If it is equal I'm cool with that too. Also, what is the racial/ethnic ratio? (I've found I'm very sensitive about this.) I have grown up around people who are not like me. First in Japan for seven years where I learned to be the minority, and then later in Alaska, which if the US is the great melting pot of the world, Alaska is the melting pot of the US. (It's thanks to military bases, I think.) Anyway, I like diversity. I enjoy going to a university where more than 30-40% of the people there are not white Caucasian. This preference makes it really hard for me to imagine going to a school full of 99% white, with the remaining <1% from the minor outlying islands. (And this school claimed to take transfer students from over 40 states--what? only the white ones?)
Anyway, (the above is a sensitive subject for me) Extra-curricular activities are next. What do the students do on the weekends besides study? Does the city/town/whatever have a movie theatre? Do they have other attractions like a mall, a Costco, parks, etc.? What sports are important to the local area and how often are there events to attend. Does the college/uni get many guest speakers, professors, and other important people? Are they into Homecomings (yuck)? Are there clubs and other organized activities? (Not that I generally would attend, but it's important to know.)
And finally, what are the rules. Things like how to qualify for in-state tuition, and what gets you put on the Dean's bad list. Is there a curfew? (I found two schools that required you to be in your room by ten each night and any unexcused absence got (points?!) taken away. They even monitored the halls of the college as well as the grounds for any 'immodest' relationships.
My word, talk about paranoia and serious control issues. The leaders couldn't be gods elsewhere, so they created a school where they could be... (sorry, another sensitive area.) The moment you start restricting people's freedom by trying to mold them to your beliefs (not God's!) you are going to have couples sneaking around and people breaking curfew. I just don't understand such a legalistic philosophy.
Otherwise, these are all most of the things I look at when browsing schools. You can see how it could get overwhelming once you are on to your 11th or 12th college.
Oh, and finally, (how could I forget?) where is the library? If the school doesn't have a library, however modest, then it is off my list. Thankfully most of them do have a library, and some of them have AMAZING libraries.
So that is it. And I am once again exhausted. More later.
--Moving Girl
First I look at tuition. If it is enormously out of my price range (like $56,000 for Vanderbilt U) then I don't even bother. If the tuition is below $30,000, feel free to look tentatively, carefully examining both room and board as well as scholarship opportunities. If it looks like the cost still might be doable with the grand help of God, then look at the academics.
Does it have an English BA? What are the concentrations in? (I prefer Creative Writing to Lit.) Does it require a minor? If so, do they have Japanese? If not, what do they have that looks even a little bit interesting? How many GER credits are required and would my current ones transfer easily? (This is a preliminary possibility. I look at the titles and level to see if they correspond. If not, then I'll have to wait until I'm seriously considering the school to find out.) Now how many credits in the subject matter (English) am I required to have and what do those classes look like. Are they interesting? Good. If so continue to see the total amount of credits required and how long it looks like it'll take for you to get out of there.
Next is the Student Life. A very important aspect. I am SO not going to a college that is made up of fraternities and sororities. Not my thing. So what are the living arrangements like? Do I prefer a single room (absolutely, I am not sharing a room with anyone). Do I want air conditioning but smaller room? Which building/hall is closest to what? Will I need a car? (Definitely. I'm going to be visiting my family all the time.) Are the buildings coed (again, not doing), or not. What type of meal plan will I be forced to buy? Do I get stuck with freshman or can I have the senior hall option as a Junior. (Most often yes.)
Then there is location. This actually usually goes before tuition, but for the purpose of most important, it goes here since my family still has no idea where we are going to land. Is it smack dab in the middle of Memphis, the 24th largest city in the US? Is it out in the middle of nowhere? (I prefer a smaller town or city, but not completely deserted.)
Is the school Christian? If so what denomination? (I am not desirous of going to a Catholic school, not because I'm against them in any way but simply because of my beliefs.) Is it Southern Baptist? Methodist? What? These questions here matter because they are going to determine what type of education I'm going to get: which way the classes will be taught regarding different beliefs. Although most denominations are united under the banner of "Christianity" not all of them believe things I do. --f I don't know about a denomination I look it up. Learn more about it and see if they are a church I'd be willing to attend.
Also, what are their statistics? (I find this to be not only interesting but very telling about a school.) For example, what is the men to women ratio? If it is <:>, then I'm happy. If it is equal I'm cool with that too. Also, what is the racial/ethnic ratio? (I've found I'm very sensitive about this.) I have grown up around people who are not like me. First in Japan for seven years where I learned to be the minority, and then later in Alaska, which if the US is the great melting pot of the world, Alaska is the melting pot of the US. (It's thanks to military bases, I think.) Anyway, I like diversity. I enjoy going to a university where more than 30-40% of the people there are not white Caucasian. This preference makes it really hard for me to imagine going to a school full of 99% white, with the remaining <1% from the minor outlying islands. (And this school claimed to take transfer students from over 40 states--what? only the white ones?)
Anyway, (the above is a sensitive subject for me) Extra-curricular activities are next. What do the students do on the weekends besides study? Does the city/town/whatever have a movie theatre? Do they have other attractions like a mall, a Costco, parks, etc.? What sports are important to the local area and how often are there events to attend. Does the college/uni get many guest speakers, professors, and other important people? Are they into Homecomings (yuck)? Are there clubs and other organized activities? (Not that I generally would attend, but it's important to know.)
And finally, what are the rules. Things like how to qualify for in-state tuition, and what gets you put on the Dean's bad list. Is there a curfew? (I found two schools that required you to be in your room by ten each night and any unexcused absence got (points?!) taken away. They even monitored the halls of the college as well as the grounds for any 'immodest' relationships.
My word, talk about paranoia and serious control issues. The leaders couldn't be gods elsewhere, so they created a school where they could be... (sorry, another sensitive area.) The moment you start restricting people's freedom by trying to mold them to your beliefs (not God's!) you are going to have couples sneaking around and people breaking curfew. I just don't understand such a legalistic philosophy.
Otherwise, these are all most of the things I look at when browsing schools. You can see how it could get overwhelming once you are on to your 11th or 12th college.
Oh, and finally, (how could I forget?) where is the library? If the school doesn't have a library, however modest, then it is off my list. Thankfully most of them do have a library, and some of them have AMAZING libraries.
So that is it. And I am once again exhausted. More later.
--Moving Girl
10.15.2010
I don't know what I'm doing...
And it is crazy because I know that whenever I start a blog I kill it on accident. Some people can't keep plants alive: I can't keep blogs alive.
I figure I'll try now, though, since I have something to write about that is slightly more interesting than myself. At least I think so.
So let me explain the title, it will be the only time. My story started almost seventeen years ago with a small Sunday school service in Misawa, Japan. I first excepted Christ at that time. I was two. And as much as people tend to smile and smirk a little when I say this, chalking it up to influence and youth, let me tell you something. I believe their is a faith and understanding that children have that far surpasses that of grown-ups, and I truly believe that Jesus entered my heart that day and I began my journey.
So my story started. Since then I've been walking an extremely interesting life. A lot of really difficult times and issues, as well as times that I treasure. I know it's the same of a lot of people. But my difference, and the difference of any follower, is that God is the one directing my steps. And so I begin another part of my journey.
Moving.
It's an interesting word that evokes all sorts of emotions and thoughts and memories. For me, the greatest one is excitement. The second is a memory of moving from Japan to Alaska, where I currently live. Odd memories. Fun, too. I can't wait.
So I'm writing this blog in an effort to sort out my thoughts and see what happens. I'm also curious to see the journey in words, and a blog is an easy tool to keep track. So I hope that this blog won't end up dead like the others, but instead that God would bless it and allow others who are perhaps in the same place to be encouraged and comforted.
Welcome. It's a wild ride.
--Moving Girl
I figure I'll try now, though, since I have something to write about that is slightly more interesting than myself. At least I think so.
So let me explain the title, it will be the only time. My story started almost seventeen years ago with a small Sunday school service in Misawa, Japan. I first excepted Christ at that time. I was two. And as much as people tend to smile and smirk a little when I say this, chalking it up to influence and youth, let me tell you something. I believe their is a faith and understanding that children have that far surpasses that of grown-ups, and I truly believe that Jesus entered my heart that day and I began my journey.
So my story started. Since then I've been walking an extremely interesting life. A lot of really difficult times and issues, as well as times that I treasure. I know it's the same of a lot of people. But my difference, and the difference of any follower, is that God is the one directing my steps. And so I begin another part of my journey.
Moving.
It's an interesting word that evokes all sorts of emotions and thoughts and memories. For me, the greatest one is excitement. The second is a memory of moving from Japan to Alaska, where I currently live. Odd memories. Fun, too. I can't wait.
So I'm writing this blog in an effort to sort out my thoughts and see what happens. I'm also curious to see the journey in words, and a blog is an easy tool to keep track. So I hope that this blog won't end up dead like the others, but instead that God would bless it and allow others who are perhaps in the same place to be encouraged and comforted.
Welcome. It's a wild ride.
--Moving Girl
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