The mandatory snow post

It's snowing. Yay. :)

Snow picture with Allie.



So yeah, I have a lot to blog about from the past week. Look back a few posts to my comment about some exciting stuff coming out of left field; yeah, it happened. More to come. :)

I am a UIS Graduate.

Hey everyone! I am unofficially graduated! All my tests are done, and all my assignments are turned in. Now I just have to wait for that piece of paper we call a diploma. I can't wait to have it in my hands and realize that I am truly done with my bachelor's degree. I finished in 3 1/2 years, so I am going to go ahead and start my Masters of Business Administration in January. I take the GMAT test on Monday, wish me luck! I better not have to take it twice, it cost $250!! :-/ What a ripoff.

In celebration of the completion of my bachelor's, Kyle picked up some awesome tickets from our BOT Student Rep. for the Illini Game. Tier A, Row 3, Section 35, Seat 5. Sweet. In case you haven't went outside in the past 36 hours, it's nasty out. But we could not pass up the opportunity, and headed to Chambana. 85 miles and 3 hours later, we made it. It was windy and snowy, and the roads were horrible, but I am alive to tell the story. And since a picture is worth 1000 words and I don't feel like typing 6000 words, here are pictures. :)

So my car had a little bit of snow on it...


We got there, and Kyle was a little happy.


Kyle, me, Matt


Dee hits the 3 pointer in the first half. Replay to follow on ESPN, 10pm.


Chief Illiniwek at halftime. Does this look like a bad thing to you? I didn't think so. Don't get me started.



Dee hits a free throw down the stretch to help seal the game.


That's all for now blogfans. We're heading back to my hometown tonight for hottub action, all-you-can-eat pizza, movies, foosball, and more. Expect to see a post about it from Jordan and I.

Yours Truly,
Brad

Finals Week has begun!!!! (....for me.)

That's right, Finals Week '05, Part 2 has arrived. Every spring and fall, UIS students have the excellent opportunity to showcase their knowledge and talents in this crazy thing called Finals Week.

Let me offer the Brad J. Ward 5 Point Plan to an easy and stressfree Finals Week.

1. Pick your classes properly. Always sign up for at least 1 extra class. You might have to fill out a petition for 19-21 hours every semester, but it's worth it. Review each class after the first week. You heard bad things about Professor X or think the class is going to be a waste of time? Well..... don't take that class! Drop that 10am class like a bad habit while you sit at your computer in your PJ's.... I love technology.
Picking classes can be a grueling process, or it can be easy and relatively simple. I personally refuse to take a Thursday night class, which is one of a few reasons that I ended up going in to Marketing instead of Finance. It seemed like I could never get a class that wasn't on a Thursday night. Which brings me to the next point.

2. Make weekends as long as possible. A college student needs to be refreshed and ready to learn when Monday comes, so what better way to do that than to.... Take Tuesday-Sunday off? It's common sense kids.

3. Work ahead in your classes.
The unprepared college student: "*GASP* They give me that syllabus for a REASON??? Wow! I didn't know that they would tell me every paper I need to write ahead of time!!! I thought I had to wait until the night before it was due!!! If I started ahead of time, I wouldn't get to be stressed, miss sleep, put up zany away messages pertaining to my procrastination, or leave my room during Finals Week!!! Hey, wait... that actually doesn't sound too bad!"
The 5 Point Plan college student: "I'm going to play basketball, who wants to come with me? .... *cricket chirp* ....."
3a. Find friends who also work ahead in their classes.

4. Have fun in times of chaos and deadlines.
I heard some students having a jolly time in the lounge today, and captured some of it.
Click here to view video (~6.5 mb)

5. Take classes early and often. Not early as in Noon (Always start your day at 2pm), early as in freshman/sophomore years. Get those crappy prerequisites that you don't care about out of the way so you can enjoy your upperclassmen years. Also, take classes during the summer. Either online, at UIS, or a local community college (make sure they transfer). I prefer online at UIS, because (1) Online classes rock furiously because you can do everything at 2am if you want, and (2) UIS = not Rushville, IL. Love my Rushville people, hate my Rushville town.


Well there it is! If you have anything that should be added, I will entertain entries in the form of a comment to this blog posting, along with a $20 Paypal to my email address.

Keep working hard in your classes and finish up the semester properly. Don't forget that C's get Degrees, and Chuck Norris is the baddest man alive.

Sleepless in Seattle,
Brad

Hittin' the Homestretch

Well, the end of the semester is dangerously close. As I watch people panic, I enjoy the fact I get to sit back and relax. :)

The rest of break was good, almost too good. I already miss the hot tub, foosball table, and king size bed back home (and my family of course ;) ). Xmas will be here soon, and I will get to enjoy it again shortly. It was bittersweet to come back to the dorm and have to finish up the semester, but I'm here.

It snowed today. Yay.

Here is my schedule for the end of the semester:
Today (in 63 minutes): a 15-minute presentation on Amazon that I am procrastinating and have not really started on yet.
December 5th: 35 minute group presentation on Target
December 7th: GMAT Test
December 8th: Marketing Chapter Test
December 11th: MIS Take Home Final and 15 page paper Due:
December 12th: I'm done with undergrad college.
December 12th: Finals Week begins for everyone else. HAH.

It's gonna go fast, but it will be enjoyed. I've got a lot of exciting things coming up in life which will be totally out of left field, but everything happens for a reason. More to come!

Go Stars,
Brad