Misc. Info.


College Station, TX
I am enjoying living in College Station. College Station is bigger than Norman, OK, where I usually live. The traffic flows so much better here, there are more restaurants, and the mall is so much bigger. Dillard’s still smells here, but it smells like pencils and not nursing homes and macaroni and cheese.

If you come, you should see the Bush Library and Museum. They have a whole section of the Berlin Wall on display there. I had never seen a chunk bigger than a rock. The piece is about four feet wide, and it's as tall as the original wall.

I had a hard time finding an apartment here because they only do 9-month and 12-month leases. I had to find someone to sublease from without coming here to meet the person or see the place. I finally had a deal with a girl, but she decided not to sublease at the last minute. Luckily, I was able to find someone else to sublease from, and I made her sign a contract as soon as I could. It ended up costing about $450 more than the other deal, but at least I have a place to live. I’m living in Briarwood Apartments. It is right across from Post Oak Mall and only two miles from campus.

I decided to buy a parking pass instead of riding the bus. The buses only run every thirty minutes during the summer, and they don’t run after 6. The pass cost $69! My summer pass at OU last summer only cost $20. I can’t imagine how parking is here during the school year because it’s hard to find a space during the summer.


Online Classes
ACM has given students free access to most of their online classes. I took an online class on SQL already this summer. I'm going to take a class on databases next semester, but I didn't know that when I signed up for the online course. Now, I am taking a class on web applications. I'm hoping to finish it soon, so I will be able to take other classes this summer.


Motivating Book
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith had more impact on me than any other book. I read it the summer before coming to college, and after reading it, I felt absolutely determined to try my hardest and to take advantage of all opportunities presented to me. The book follows a young girl and her family living in poverty struggling to make a better life in the early 1900's.