Semester One = Done

As semester one draws to a close, I believe it's about time to reflect on my initial college experience. Over the past 3 months, I've witnessed the vast majority of the initially over-zealous, intensely studious folk around me crumble with exam stress and fret about whether they have chosen the right course, whilst binging on Reece's Pieces and ready meals. Oh and I'm one of those, by the way. College has hit hard, and we're all struggling to keep on its good side, but we stand united. There's nothing more comforting than hearing the words "I haven't started yet either" from a fellow student, or lying in bed missing your 10am, knowing your also-still-in-bed roommate is doing exactly the same. We thought this would be easy, now that the dreaded Leaving Cert has been conquered. It's the hardest thing you'll ever have to do, they say. College is a walk in the park after that nightmare, they tell us. Lies and deceit.

Let's take this one step at a time. Attendance for example. First few weeks - perfect, 'golden weeks' all round. After that, people start missing their 9ams because they were out the night before - I'm baffled and even appalled, I mean think of all the vital information they are missing out on!? Eventually a night out breaks my streak, and next lecture I realise I haven't missed anything much at all, no harm done. Then the essays and sleep deprivation kick in and we get a little lax on the 'golden week' idea. 12 weeks deep and there's only one person turning up our Irish language lab (not me), and the debate to go to a lecture or stay in bed or Christmas shop is a valid, heart-breaking one. Now those of you who don't go to college may judge us, but we know what we're doing. If a college student feels a wave over productivity coming on, and is so in the mood to make a start on that essay and get shit done - we know full well that this is a rare blessing, one which much be respected and rolled with, even if it means sacrificing some note-taking practice. And if it's one of those days when we really and truly can't drag our ass out of bed into the cold, ever-raining outside world without crying, we give ourselves that time to recuperate, mentally. In other words - we got this, we've been playing systems for years now, college is no different.

Except college is so different. Not even the course itself, but the very idea behind it. This is what we have chosen to do for the rest of our lives, like as a career... Or at least it's what we have committed to doing for 4 whole years of our valuable, unrefundable youth. So if we've made the wrong choice, we're to blame, and we're pretty much stuck here. Yes, yes, change of minds, I hear you say - but the deadlines for that kind of stuff is pretty early on and once they are gone, the deal is sealed, and short of dropping out and paying full fees to do something else (every mommy's dream, right?) we're sealed in tight. So we are all one by one coming to terms with the consequences of that decision, and eventually accepting and dealing with it, in as positive a light as we can muster.

Also, college is the place where straight A kids start to see the value in just passing - a concept which filled us with horror a few months back. One must bear in mind that it's a Trinity experience I am telling here, and that I spend my days surrounded by the contents of the extreme right of the bell-curve. You need to be smart to get in here - that's a given. But you need to work your little tucus off and possibly sell your soul to the devil to be one of the smartest of the smart kids (most of the time we can agree that having a vaguely active social (and/or sex) life is more important).

All of this, coupled with the actual experience of living away from home is pretty overwhelming, I'll admit. One never realises how costly it is to get around, or to feed oneself until they move out (parents, we now appreciate you raising us, but question why on earth you signed up to this in the first place #didyouchecktheexpirationdate?). Not to mention that the prospect of having to make dinner day in day out is frankly preposterous and I refuse to believe anyone actually goes through with it. Pasta is dinner - we have spoken. Don't underestimate its power to fill bellies in minutes.

With all of the above sounding quite on the ranting side of things, it's understandable to assume college is terrible and we all want to drop out, but that's not entirely true. These are the things we have all had to come to terms with, and grow accustomed to in the past few months. Valuable life lessons are being learned, yada, yada, yada, and we have our (almost) fair share of fun. And the most important thing of all: we get to claim the #studentlife as our own, an extension of ourselves, if you may, adding to our legacy.

Nervous Nintendo Types, Mario Stress, A New Wii, and Reliving A Childhood

Good evening, yes, it's that time again. That time where I fill you in on all my antics and musings. Welcome (back, if applicable) to The Life And Times of a Silly Little Lady.

Not a lot has drastically happened in the past couple days, except my lil' sis' has acquired a Wii. Y'know, those crazy Nintendo things where you have to move to play video games. It did surprisingly well for something forcing you to exercise. Saying that, I only know of a handful of people who haven't trading their Wiis in for some other less daring console. But there are Nintendo people, and not Nintendo people. I, am what I guess I'd call a "Nervous Nintendo" type. Don't worry, I'll elaborate.


While Nintendo are known as the good guys of the gaming industry (by good guys, I mean, for all the nerdy kids out there, no matter what age you are), I am a bit of an oddball when it comes to gaming in general. That's not to say I didn't have my nose constantly stuck in GameBoys and DSs throughout my (admittedly short) growing years (when it wasn't stuck in a book), bec- *was interrupted to do yet more chores, while my tea went cold*. Anyway. What was I saying? Yes, I was a complete Nintendo worshipper, but the games I frequented weren't Mario... I spent 100% of my GameBoy days playing Tetris, 80% of my DS time playing Animal Crossing (I nearly went out and bought a 3DS recently just so I could play the new Animal Crossing which seemed to have taken on board all my silent childhood suggestions and made them reality. I want New Leaf so baaaaaaddddd!!!!), 15% Nintendogs, and 5% 52 All Time Classics. And on the Wii, when I had one (before I traded it in...), I played 50% Rayman Raving Rabbids, and 50% WarioWare Smooth Moves. If you notice one thing about all those games, it's the fact that you don't constantly worry about dying, virtually, and having to redo the whole level all over again. This is why I was never a PlayStation or Xbox lady.

I did own both PlayStation and Xbox, but truthfully, I only played Lego games and Guitar Hero. I've often attempted to branch out into normal games, I tried to play Tomb Raider, and nearly had 7 cardiac arrests within the first level. Stupid wolves... So that didn't succeed, and I stuck with Nintendo. Now, most Nintendoers have completed Super Mario Bros. at least a handful of times, and most children find it easy, Nintendo are after all, all about the kids. Not me though... The amount of times I've fallen down those holes (ahh! fall!) and been killed by spiky fellows, I couldn't count. The amount of times I've completed a level I could. I'd estimate about 5 levels I've completed in total, and even some of those levels overlap due to me dying multiple times on the next level. I swear, it makes my blood pressure sky-rocket, and leaves me exhausted from all the stress. This is why I'd call myself a "Nervous Nintendo" type.


However, challenge me on the Super Mario Bros. mini-games and you've got a challenge, I'm such a mini-game type kid. Because I don't have to worry about death! It's enough to worry about in reality, I don't want reality invading my gaming time, especially not baby Nintendo! It's always fascinated me to watch all those proper gamers (even the not so proper Nintendo nerds I love so much) play their tension filled, thriller type games, and enjoy it, or even to watch children (or make-believe children) get through a Mario level with ease. The amount of "what? Mario? You can't play Mario? It's like the easiest kid game ever! How can that stress you out? Show me!"s I've gotten, and each time, I oblige, and fascinate them with my skills of stress and dying.

Only one person in the world, have I met, who understands this Nervous Nintendo disposition (I'm enjoying this term I've coined). And this person, happens to be my little sister. She, like I used to, watches her father play hours of terrifying games (in my day it was Resident Evil), and yet wouldn't play them herself with a ten foot pole. She actually comes to me if she's stuck on a Lego Batman level. And yes, I do feel like a boss when I succeed with ease (or without for that matter). She's gotten herself a Wii now, and no, she hasn't touched Mario yet, well, Super Smash Bros. is the closest she's come. Instead, she's been playing Just Dance (you've no idea how much I've fallen in love with this game), Wii Fit and *drumroll* Rayman Raving Rabbids. Ah childhood... My sister is just mini me, I'm aware of this.

I have definitely been reliving my childhood these past couple days, what with all the Rayman and the dance games (sadly, the latter were not present in my actual childhood). The cute thing is, my sissy rarely plays Rayman, but instead, watches me, the pro (hah!) play it. I have to say though, those dance mat style levels, step aside and make room for the champion. I used to restart the game if I missed a single Rabbid. I used to get my cousin to do any of the racing, flying or shooting games though... The shooting games were too stressful for me, even though I really wanted to rescue the baby Globoxes so much... And as for Just Dance, well, let's just say when my sister went to school, I played it for literally hours, no joke.


I think that's enough Nintendo talk. Apologies to all those grown ups and non-Nintendoers out there for my nervous nerdom.