My Spring Break

So I just had my Spring Break, and I can honestly say that even though there was pretty much no time for relaxation, I had a wonderful time. I am the type of person to get overwhelmed by trips and commitments, but learning to be organized and manage my time well, I found that anyone can cope with a busy spring break, like me. Even though Leslie and I did completley different things and went to radically different places, we both possessed the skill of time management.

A week before Spring break, I knew that I was going to be going to Aspen, Colorado with my friend, Allison, who graciously invited me to go skiing with her family. I was nervous because I knew I was going to have very little time to spend with my family. I would be dropped off at my house in Houston on Friday the 12th and then would fly to Colorado with Allison the following Monday, only three days later. To keep myself from getting overwhelmed, I did some homework and even studied for a test I would have. It is good to do homework before going on trips because having the thoughts of homework in the back of one's mind can make one go crazy! Luckily I got my work done so that I could focus on having fun.

Skiing was a lot of fun with Allison, but it did not last forever. We were scheduled to fly home on Thursday at 4:30 PM. This made me nervous because I knew that the following day my friend Katherine, and I were going to drive to New Orleans to visit my friend Veronica at Tulane University. The drive is 6 hours long, so I knew I had to be well rested. Responsibly, I went to be early on Thursday, woke up at 7 on Friday, picked up Katherine at 8, and we headed our way over to New Orleans. By driving carefully and being well rested, we maintaind a positive mindset to visit one of our dearest friends.

When we got to New Orleans, Katherine and I were exhausted. We took a little nap before going on adventures with Veronica and her Tulane friends. We went out to dinner at a restaurant called Cannon's and then hung out with her friends at local clubs. It was a lot of fun to dance and get to know the people the Veronica was surrounded by.



(Veronica, Me, Katherine)

The next day we went on a picnic by the sea. We ate delicious pizza and took lots of silly pictures. After the picnic, we took a streetcar to the French Quarter and ate beignets at Cafe du Monde. I had a lovely time, but I was exhausted. We promptly took the streetcar back home.

The next morning Katherine and I woke up at 8 to leave New Orleans. We arrived in Houston at around 2:45 and I was picked up by a friend to drive back to Trinity at around 3:30. Although I had very little time to spend with my family, I found that I could keep myself from being overwhelmed by recognizing that organization is key.

Dorm Cleanliness

How many times can you remember your mother nagging you to clean your room? If you were one of the billions of children that were regularly nagged in regards to room cleanliness, then you probably greatly appreciated college for the freedom it provides for you, including freedom to clean the room whenever you want. Almost all of my friends have a serious problem with keeping their rooms clean, which I find quite grotesque. What many college students need to remember is that clean rooms are rooms that more people will want to hang out, positive environments and healthier.

The idea of having to keep a room clean can seem like a daunting task, even though it is actually quite easy. The Cleaning Service that Trinity University provides for their students only consists of vacuuming and bathroom cleaning. What students seem to forget is that your actual room should be clean too! It can be easy and fun if you take my advice:

1) Get our your computer and play your favorite music. The music will get you pumped and entertained while cleaning your room!

2) All you need are these materials:
One container of disinfectant wipes
One multipurpose cleaner
A roll of paper towels
A vacuum cleaner (your RM/RA should have one in his/her closet)

3) You can use disinfectant wipes to wipe down all areas in the bathroom such as the counter, the mirrors, the toilet seat and door knobs. The bathroom daily becomes steamy due to showers, creating a warm and wet environment for germs to incubate. Regularly cleaning these surfaces will kill germs that are probably incubating in your bathroom right now!

4) Use a multipurpose cleaner/spray to disinfect and dust objects in the room. It is important to do this because when dust accumulates in rooms, the inhabitant is much more likely to get allergies, which are incredibly uncomfortable. Places that accumulate dust are usually flat surfaces facing the ceiling, such as your desk or Television set. Dust these with the multipurpose cleaner and a paper towel.

5) Last but not least, the vacuum cleaner is important in keeping your carpet clean. People often track dirt and other nasty particles into a room without thinking about it, which accumulate over time. Make sure to vacuum all areas of the room, including the closet, to insure that your carpet is clean!

After completing all of these steps, you will be pleased to be living in a much cleaner study and sleep environment. More friends will probably come to your room and notice the cleanliness. Perhaps over time you will see changes in your sick spells, in that they will occur much less often than usual. After all, a clean room is a happy room!



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