Packing for Purchase

It was a nice break while it lasted.  It was almost strange to be home and not have to run anywhere and not have piles of homework to go through.  In fact, it was even stranger making dinner for my family every night, but I am sure they appreciated it.  

Hopefully they did not get too used to those home cooked meals because today was move in day for the B&B Program at Purchase College!  For the next five weeks, I will be sharing a dorm room in a small apartment in beautiful Purchase, New York.  Another three credits, another lesson learned and I'll be home before July 4th to enjoy the rest of the summer.

Sometimes I feel too old for the crap!  I have to share a bathroom and kitchen with people as old as The Boy, and I already know what kind of messes he can make.  But so far, roommates seem nice and neat.  We'll see how it goes.  It's a three bedroom apartment, but we are only using two and it's pretty beat up from the college students who lived here the past semester.  The walls are all messed up and it could all use a good painting, but this place is not permanent.  It's only a temporary resting spot for the education that will be permanent.  My class is a mix of Psychology and Humanities.  We'll have class in the morning and the afternoon free for independent study and research for our final projects, which we will be presenting on July 3.  A piece of cake!

Here is my temporary home for the next few weeks.  As you can see, I tried to make is a comfortable as possible.

Since this program is not as intense as Vassar was last summer (two classes verus one class), I plan on going home at least one night during the week and every weekend, so maybe my family will still get those home cooked meals!  Let's hope they will making them for me!

Graduation Memories Keep Coming

Here is a pic from earlier in the day when I received my certificates for being a PTK National Finalist and All-New York First Team awardee. The awards for the same award just keep coming! I am standing with our PTK Advisor and all around great professor, Dr. Navina Hooker. Signing up for classes at DCC? Registration for Summer and Fall classes is happening now. Links are the the right and be sure to sign up for one of Dr. Hooker's classes.

Now that it's all over, I am worried about losing touch with my DCC friends. If you are one of those people, please be sure to send your email address to me at cathyfurlani@gmail.com so we can keep in touch!

It's Official!

I did it!  And with honors too!  Yay!

Graduation!

(double click image to see bigger)

Tomorrow is the big day and here is your invitiation! The more the merrier. I'll be sitting in Row 3, Seat 11.

It's hard to believe that when I started DCC (and this blog) a little more than two years ago how fast time would fly and I would soon be a college graduate! And the first in my family. I am just thrilled!

Look here for pics of graduation and my future plans. Sure I am done with DCC, but I am already reading for the summer program at Purchase and getting a physical done for Bard in the Fall. The fun never stops!

Yay! I am graduating!!!!!!!!

Golden Books

It's my final week at DCC!  Since this will be the last time I will return books to their bookstore, I am thinking that these books are gold and they will be extra nice to a graduate and give me more than $8 a book.  What do you think?  My Statistics book is brand new since we used an online version of it instead and my Psychology book is brand new too since we just never got past Chapter 4 all semester.  I'm hoping to buy some DCC souvenirs too, so anything over $8 would be very helpful!

Then it's off to the Registrars office to make sure that my last transcript makes it to Bard so they have all my credits to transfer.  I've received lots of core credits and when I visited the college they assured me I would be able to graduate in two years since I had so many core credits.  That also means that I will be buried in work for my intended major - English and Literature - next Fall.  My Statistics teacher advised me to keep taking some kind of math because I was good at it, and I just might to mix in between all the English classes.

And while I'm on campus this afternoon, I'll go pick up something they call a "cap and gown." You know, it's those long flowing robes you get to wear in the bright sunshine and listen to a few speeches in.  Then they call you up and hand you a "diploma."  

I'll be sure to walk slow around the campus today instead of rushing like I usually do.  I want to be sure to see it all today in its uncrowded quiet.  Am I happy or sad?  Not sure yet.  I'll let you know after graduation.

Exposed 2009

It's hot off the presses! Exposed 2009 is out and about the DCC campus! Pick up your free copy wherever fine publications are given out on campus, or email me and I'll be sure you get one.

It was a great experience being Editor and Lit Mag Club President these past two semester in preparation for the 2009 issue. I am so proud of this issue. Here is a pic of the wrap around cover. It a room from an old farmhouse that is clearly exposed! We even left off the name of the Lit Mag to enchance the effect.



(Artwork: "1850s Farmhouse VII" by Peter Nicholson)


Since we had a smaller issue this year, we had enough in our budget to include twenty fabulous pages of beautiful artwork! We were even considering a music CD this year, but we ran out of time and money. There's always next year guys - plan early.


Thanks to everyone that helped to make this issue possible. Here is a copy of our Art Editor receiving an award at the DCC Club Recognition Dinner last week. It was well deserved. Thanks Joanna!

Mothers Day Presents

Did you child wake you up with breakfast yesterday for Mothers Day? Perhaps you had breakfast in bed or woke in the morning to coffee and toast? I sure hope so. My own son woke me up with a bigger surprise - a tree in my dining room! Here is a pic of one of the pieces piercing my dining room ceiling:

Yes, it was quite the mess. It has a matching one a few few away because as you can see from this next photo, the branch is forked and probably came down with some force to pierce my roof and ceiling like a needle through fabric!

I spent the rest of the day getting the power lines and cable lines repaired because, of course, that is the corner of our house where they come in! The rest of the rather large tree that uprooted causing the additional damage you see here, is laying all innocent in my yard now with a "wasn't me!" look on its bark.

It could have been worse - my kids could have tried to make me breakfast too and then there would have been two messes to clean up. I am pretty lucky after all!

Hapoy Mothers Day!

I almost broke a tradition being so buried in final school work!  Here it is!  My annual tribute to all mothers.  Be sure to call yours, or the next closest thing, today.

My brother's mother is my mother too

And my other brother's mother is my mother too

And if I had another brother, he could call my mother. . . mother

But my mother still would be . . . my mother too.

It's Really a Happy Sad

Yesterday was another busy Thursday for me at DCC - classes, clubs, finals, even a party - but it was kinda sad too. It was also a day of a lot of last things for me too.

It started with our PTK meeting where we talked about last night's induction ceremony and it starting hitting me - this was my last PTK meeting! The ceremony was for next year's officers and members and it seemed that PTK has already moved on to its next big thing.

Then it was History Zone's last meeting where we talked about our futures instead of our histories. Another last meeting I realized. I started seeing where this day was headed. The trend had already started.

Off to Peer Tutoring class where half of us read our final essays aloud to the class, including me. I even handed in my portfolio of my semester's work. Before I could start wallowing in that last bit of work for me for that class, a chocolate cake arrived to celebrate not only the professor's birthday, but the 20th anniversary of the Writing Center being open at DCC.

Then I went to Psychology where we had a final test. Not my last class with this professor, but our last one on Tuesday will be only to get our grades on our last two tests.

Then it was off to my last Statistics where I had another final. Final test, final class. Afterwards I rushed to the PTK induction after-party, but that was already winding down. I did get to see some people, probably for the last time!

I came home feeling a little melancholy. I might have brought home balloons and extra cake for The Guy, and I might have done really good on my tests and received lots of compliments and goodbye's and congrats on my DUE award, and any other day I would have been really happy about all that, but I couldn't help but realize that my time at DCC was rapidly coming to a close. It's not just the semester ending, it's my whole time at DCC ending! Sigh . . . .

Time to go get ready for that last Creative Writing class. At least another party. I get to bring the bagels and ask if they want to a schmear of goodbyes with that bagel . . .

What Do You Do for a DUE?

Before I answer that, you might be already asking what does a DUE do? DUE awards are given by professors to students for academic excellence. Dutchess United Educators nominate students within various academic departments and every year about 15 or so are given DUE Awards. Nice! I was given the Cindy Feldman Founder's Award - who started the union for the professors at her own kitchen table many years ago, and it was a gift from the English Department to me. It was really nice to hear the professors at the ceremony go on and on about students they enjoy having in their classes. It was especially nice to find out that I already knew a lot of those students who received awards. I guess the whole birds of a feather thing is true. We do flock together!

It was also a much needed break from all the studying and preparing I have been doing this week. Today I read a seven page paper to the class about a Writing Center session with the focus on me and not the student I tutored. Then I am off to a brief Psychology test and then after that I have my Statistics final! Yikes!

Good thing that PTK has its induction ceremony tonight so after my final I can go over for the party! I'll miss the induction of next semester's member and officers, but I'll join the party for a little while anyway. A party is a party!

Week-o de Finals

I know there are parties happening everywhere today for Cinco de Mayo, but for me it's Week-o de Finals.  For the next seven days I'll be studying, writing and do whatever else I need to do to end my time at DCC on a high note - and hopefully that note will be an "A".

I also hope the week doesn't go too fast because I want it to linger just a bit.  Especially the time I am on campus since this will be my last actual week of attending classes on campus.  I'll ready to enjoy it too.  When a professor tells me, "Oh by the way, just one more paper," I'll smile and laugh and thank him for it.  When another one says, "I forgot to mention one last group project," I'll chuckle and shake his or her hand almost grateful for the work.  

At least my last few days working at the Writing Center will bring new me a wide array of topics and papers - even if they are not my own.  One of the best things about working there is being introduced to subjects for classes I had never taken and letting the tutee explain it to me. I learned a lot this semester and I hope they learned a lot too about paper writing and formatting and grammar.  Just last night I learned about crime scene investigators and the person I was tutoring learned how to introduce books and authors into her paper.  It was win-win for everyone!

On second thought, I have enough work to keep me busy this week so professors if you are reading this - no surprises!  Promise?  Great!

Now to see if The Guy wants to celebrate Week-o de Finals with some take out . . .