Sometimes I think I'll just lose my mind. Other times I love the people here and the atmosphere. People's moods here swing back and forth like some kind of sick pendulum. Now you might say, "Duh, you're at a women's school!" but it really wears thin my nerves.

Everyone seems to enjoy picking at others. They want to be better somehow, even if that means shoving someone else's face in the muck - ignoring their existence completely is even better.

I find myself longing for "me" time. Just five minutes here or there when I can just sit still, in the quiet for a bit. Some time where I could relax, maybe even read a recreational book or two. It was no lie that class speed would pick up. I have five major exams this week. Strange as it is, I spend more time doing work for my college intro class than I do for any of the others. It's frustrating though because every bit of it is busy work, not assignments that are actually teaching me anything useful or new.

Sometimes I feel like my science teachers hate me or at least find me to be some strange species of freshman. I'm finding that I'm more and more grateful to the high school for a pretty decent science program. While I was in it the classes seemed adequate at best, but now that I see what others have been stuck with, I'm truly grateful. There are girls here who have never even touched a microscope or done chemistry lab work - ever.

The weekends are a relief. I can go home with several people any weekend I'd like, eat a home cooked meal, and shower with hot water and a stall equipped with normal height shower heads (ours stands approximately level with my chin). We manage to find activities in the middle of nowhere or make something up.

Over all I'm pleased with my college experiences thus far.

Now just to survive until Thanksgiving. All I really want right now is to see my family.