College, A Response to a Response
I do not think all college students are drunks. That would be such a far stretching stereotype that would be impossible to defend in its flat out false nature. Almost all of the people I care about are in college and really enjoy every aspect of it. It just seems that most of the people I meet are consumed by the party life. It might just be in an attempt to fit in, or make friends by adapting, but the reasoning means little. I am far from naming names because this is just a piece of their personalities that, as a whole, are otherwise unique and worthwhile. I guess the problem is with me. I must be backwards in wanting more meaningful interaction. It might be my insecurity when it comes to these situations that makes me tense up or feel distant no matter the alcohol, or lack of, in my blood. I love my friends. No matter what I am doing with them I will have fun in their company. Drinking is fun with them, and so are many other activities, even those considered mundane in other circumstances. I would do anything for them because they have my best interest in mind and I theirs. These people that I have meet at random parties may have these qualities but they hide them in exchange for what the mass of people desire. I consider myself lucky that I have meet such honest and devoted friends that I would do anything for. I realized that the main reason I wanted to transfer to UO was because of my friends. I am only not going there to help with my financial situation and to be closer to my family in this time when there is a lot of strain. UO would have fit every academic piece that PSU had except that UO had the upper hand when it came to the location of my friends. It was bad that what I saw as being practical and the best choice was not in the same location with my friends. I think it would be a lot of fun and a good place for my education down at UO, but I have to take other issues into account. Frankly, it sucks that I cannot just enjoy college with out really screwing over my future. So I am sure that I will most likely be spending many weekends down south of Portland with my friends who I will miss being close in proximity to but not miss the important friendships.

What’s Going On.
Well it has been a long time since my last post, and much has gone down in my life that I would like to get down in print. Well first of all, this last week was about the most hellish of any so far in my schooling career. It started with my psychology midterm Tuesday afternoon, which I did not have to study for too much, but it worked as a successful obstacle to my massive paper. I had a ten page term paper that was due on that Wednesday with a full weekend of work and that bothersome test. This paper on a very dense book on Roman life was just awesome to read, but I had to wade through it in a 14 hour session that ended at two in the afternoon with me dropping it off in my professor’s office with only a few hours to spare. I was delirious, but I think it turned out well. I then had another final paper due that Friday in my criminology class, which I got some sleep, but not much, to get that research piece in on time and then head to work. It then followed with the worst two days of work in the history of my job. These days were only brightened by the fact that I put in my two-week notice to finally leave this job which, as I have always said, drain my will to live.
The reason I was able to escape the Mexican food trap is because I am moving back to Milwaukie. I am going to spend the summer back in the construction field making much more money than my over worked minimum wage salary provided here in Corvallis. The kicker to all this is that I will be starting at PSU in the fall. This came as a shock to some, but it has a good amount of pluses that I could not overlook in the face of leaving the few good friends I have here at OSU. I will be moving back in with my father and taking care of his house, seeing as how he hardly lives their with the amount he travels for work. This simply means that I do not have to pay rent and I still get my freedom. Tuition will be cheaper with better access to jobs, and I might get a chance to not work during school, it will really help me out with college... I hope. Also, PSU actually puts some money into its liberal arts department unlike OSU, where if it is not science engineering or business you are left to fend for yourself. I do not blame the school, or the rich graduates who donate their money back into these programs after they graduate. You do not see any filthy rich historian philanthropists beefing up their universities programs, because none of them make any money. This is how the world works and I guess in some strange way I always enjoy a challenge to my success, something to overcome. It seems like a good fit for me at PSU. The only thing it lacks is that college life aspect, which it very played out. I do not need the drunken mobs of students wasting, their parent’s money, their education, and my time acting like children in this their last step before they actually have to take responsibility for their actions. For my future plans, if I plan to teach in the horrible Oregon school system, I might also go to grad school there to get my masters in teaching. It has an abundance of placement opportunities which I can find a place in the state that I could really fit. And lastly, I might also be stupid and try and walk on to the football team. I am a bit worried about the shape I am in when it comes to my legs and the strength of my lower back, but I know I could do it if I prepare properly and do what I know I can do. I am debating this fact because I might just be ready to solely focus on my education with the distraction of work and bills out of the way. I want to have this focus, but the chance to be able to get back out there and play is also very alluring.
This is a huge change in my life. I love it down here at OSU but it is just not fitting my needs. I started my blog by talking about moving to Eugene and being a duck, but I think I need to be more responsible and do the practical thing instead of running off to be with friends. I think UO would have been a good fit for me, but then money is always an issue. I do not have a lot of it and neither do my parents. If I was planning on getting out of college with a degree that would start me off with $50,000 a year I would go to any college I wanted, but I have to be realistic, like I always have to be. Well for anyone who actually reads this and goes to OSU, I will miss you guys and I will be back to visit. You guys can also come up and visit me, because as we all know it is far easier to come up to Portland to visit than to go down to Corvallis and face the smell of livestock.