Things I've Learned This Semester

Another semester has come and gone, and therefore, it's time for another installment!

• People can be not only the normal age of college students but can be MY age and still act like they're in junior high. Starting rumors among a department in a university? SERIOUSLY?! Grow up.
• As much as I hate my education department and some of the stupid classes and awful teachers I've had to endure, I feel like I've learned how to teach better than some of the professors in the theatre department. I have one in particular who has the WORST classroom management skills I've ever seen. If he were to set foot in a high school or junior high, he'd be slaughtered.
• Disneyland can be fun with Matt and Melinda after all! You just have to pick and choose who else comes. Lindsay was a good choice.
• There are always going to be people who think they're better, smarter, and more talented than you. Chances are, if they feel this way, it's because they're terribly insecure, and if you give them some rope, they'll hang themselves.
• Apparently, my lesson plans DON'T suck. Even though one teacher keeps slamming them and giving them horrible grades (and gives Laura great grades for essentially the same plans), my other education professors are giving them good grades.
• If I ever find myself describing a show as "brilliant" or "theatrical" it will surely be cancelled. Goodbye, Pushing Daisies.
• Not only am I getting back to being confident in my acting, I'm actually enjoying it again. I took not one, but TWO acting classes this semester that were not required. I loved both of them. I also wanted to be in a show badly enough that I made my life more stressful by doing A Christmas Carol. And I've loved all of the feedback I've gotten.
• It is totally impossible for a female to ever like me as more than just a friend. Unless, of course, she is crazy bojangles. CRAZY. BO. JANGLES.
• If you put off even thinking about Christmas presents until after finals, your brain will be fried and you'll have a hard time figuring out gift ideas.
• Having an arch-nemesis is fun. Especially when they think they're the superhero and you're the villain.
• I'm never going to be able to play Rock Band as much as I want to, unless I somehow find a way to get paid to play it.
• Diet Dr. Pepper really DOES taste like regular Dr. Pepper!
• A flawless profile, a perfect body, the right clothes and a great car can get you far in America, almost to the top. But it can't get you everything.

Things I Learned This Semester

• Don't EVER be working on three shows simultaneously. It's way too much stress.
• That said, it's fully possible to work on three shows simultaneously and have them turn out really well. I was blown away by how good Dinner for Four, The Wizard of Oz, and especially Smokey Joe's Cafe were. I had expected it for the first two, but I didn't expect SJC to be nearly as good as it was.
• Speaking of SJC, it's possible for divas to just be misunderstood, stressed people. "Rosie" pulled me aside, and with tears in her eyes, she apologized. I accepted and promised that she could be on my friend waiting list. As soon as a spot opens up, she'll be back to normal friend status. :) (I told her that to lighten her up, as I was afraid she was going to totally cry.)
• Writers' Strikes are not the worst thing in the world. In fact, they allow you to not spend so much time catching up on TV shows every night before bed.
• Some people are never going to be happy, and to compensate, they try to make other people around them miserable. If you befriend them (which you definitely should do, because they NEED that), don't get too close and don't trust them with any information. Especially if they are very two-faced to their other friends and you've witnessed it firsthand.
• If you have a gut feeling that you shouldn't do a show, and you really don't want to, DON'T DO IT. Especially when other people in your department are actively trying to sabotage it because they're bitter and angry that they're not involved. If your heart is not in a show, don't do it. Let the whiny problem-causers take over.
• If you don't date when you have the time for it, you'll regret it. When you have somebody you want to date, you'll be way too busy to find time to do it.
• It IS possible for a normal, non-freakish, non-ugly, non-deceptive active LDS girl to have a crush on me.
• I'm NOT the world's worst actor.
• I may never get over the need to prove myself to people who have messed up my confidence in the past.
• Evil sisters-in-law may not be around for ever. Treasure each moment with them while they last. hehehe.
• Disneyland is the best place ever for white trash breakdowns.
• Even if you've been teaching kids for 10 years, you do NOT know how to teach kids. Also, even if you're close to getting a degree in theatre, you don't know as much about how to teach theatre as a science teacher does.
• There is a major teacher shortage in this state (and country, for that matter) and yet the Education Department insists on trying to scare off as many students as possible.
• True friends will still be friends even if you have a stretch of many weeks when you have no time to even call.
• Extra special friends will still insist on keeping up with you when you're incredibly busy and will make the effort to call or text as much as they can to make sure you're okay. Or, they'll come to all of the shows that are keeping you busy just so they can see you for a few minutes.
• I'm tired of waiting around for The Fray to release a new album. I mean, come on! They had enough good material for at least half an album when they played Usana last July. What's the hold up?
• No matter what happens, I will always love Kelly Clarkson and feel confident that one day I'll marry her.
• Even if you have a new harddrive- DON'T TRUST IT. Back up everything.
• Some people who work as "techies" for theatre are doing it because they're too brainless to work fast food, and people take pity on them and give them jobs. Even if you're yelling "GO!" in their ear, they can't figure out that they need to push "Play" on a CD player.
• If you get too comfortable in your Church calling(s), or if you vocalize the fact that you wouldn't mind being released because of the stress, you'll end up with a more stressful calling and you'll sense that God is up there laughing and saying "Take that!"