The End is Near: A Look Forward at May 2019

Hello, readers! Apologies for being a bit late in posting to my blog. Following the publication of my “vlog” installment (see previous post), I had two extremely busy weeks, including, most notably, enrolling in four courses for Fall 2019. Following several hours of thought, I decided that, in addition to pursuing a psychology major, I will attempt to complete a sociology major, as well as a German minor. I actually spent quite a bit of time mapping out my future courses and how I can meet the requirements of each major/minor. Although pursuing three separate tracks of study will certainly be challenging, I find these fields quite fascinating, and definitely believe that I am capable of managing the coursework necessary in each of these courses of study.

In addition to this development, it is worth mentioning the awesome Easter break I had! Following my last class on Wednesday, my dad (having driven to campus) and I took off for TD Garden in Boston, MA once again. This time, we watched our beloved Celtics in Game 2 of their first-round sweep of the Indiana Pacers. This marked our first time attending an NBA playoff game, and the atmosphere was electric. I’ve already promised myself that I will save up enough money this summer to catch some weekend games next season.

Easter back home in Rochester, NY was relaxing, as expected. My nineteenth birthday was actually on Holy Thursday, and although I had to spend much of the day traveling, the time I spent with family and friends back home made it more than worth it. As I drove out of Rochester on Monday, I simply could not believe that it was the last time I would be leaving my hometown for college during my freshman year. I have mentioned this in previous blog posts, but freshman year has absolutely flown by. To think that I will be home for good in just nineteen days seems absolutely crazy. That said, there is still business to be taken care of! Here is my list (in no particular order) of the top five things I still have to look forward to in the next three weeks:

1.  My 5v5 intramural basketball team, the Kimballers, has its first playoff game  tomorrow night! We are 2-1 on the season, but Thursday night’s matchup promises to be a very challenging contest, seeing as we will be facing off against a number of Club Basketball players. I have served as the captain of this team, and I must say that I am proud of how the team has played over the past few weeks. Now let’s get this win!

2. The housing selection process for next year is coming up in a couple of weeks. I’ve already registered with my roommate for next year, so now we are just waiting to be able to select our room for next year! My new roommate lives in Rochester as well, so that should make buying things for next year even easier. Naturally, however, all of my friends and I are maneuvering to try to live near each other next year, so fingers crossed!

3. For my Fundamentals of Music course, I am currently completing a song analysis of “Rainbow Connection” from The Muppet Movie (1979). This project, which is part of my final exam, has offered me a unique opportunity to apply everything I have learned all semester in this course to a song of my own choice. The project includes analysis of melody, harmony, rhythm, meter, lyrics, chord progression, key changes, etc. I’ve found my work on this song to be a difficult, yet rewarding experience. I will admit, however, that I am becoming increasingly tired of this particular song, seeing as I have now listened to it in its entirety dozens of times.

4. Speaking of music, the Holy Cross Spring Concert is fast approaching! This year’s concert, sponsored by Campus Activities Board (CAB), will be headlined by Loud Luxury, as well as Jay Sean. Although I am not particularly familiar with either artist, I still think that the concert will be an awesome time, especially seeing as it will be the last “true” weekend of the year. I’ve already purchased my ticket, so now all I can do is wait!

5. Lastly, these last three weeks will simply be a great opportunity to spend time with the friends I have made this year. It seems impossible that most of us will have to go over three months without seeing each other. Such is college, however, seeing as students come from all over the U.S., or even beyond. That said, these last few weeks are going to be a blast, and I’ll definitely savor every moment.

Hopefully this post wasn’t too lengthy! I definitely had a lot to share, and was glad I finally found a bit of spare time to be able to do so. To all students, best of luck during these last few weeks of classes! Stay tuned for updates on how the aforementioned events unfold, as well as some concluding remarks on my amazing freshman year at Holy Cross. Peace!

A Day in the Life: Aidan Ruppert ’22

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hello, all! I decided to try something a bit different for this week’s installment to my blog: a vlog. Follow me around as I work my way through a very busy day at Holy Cross!

“Guten Tag!”: Studying a Language at Holy Cross

A German textbook on the windowsill of Clark residence hall
German is just one of the many languages available to Holy Cross students!

 

 

Hello everyone! Colder weather seems to have arrived here in Worcester, but students’ spirits remain high. The mornings, though brisk, are quite beautiful here on campus, and make getting out of bed just a bit easier. That said, I’m not sure I’ll feel the same way once we start experiencing snowfall. We shall see…

In transitioning to Holy Cross, one aspect that I feel is worth sharing is my personal experience in studying language in college. I am currently enrolled in German 201, and will be taking German 202 next semester, thus fulfilling the language component of the common requirements at Holy Cross. Both courses are intermediate level offerings. Having taken four years of German in high school, I was able to skip the introductory level courses via an online placement test that I took prior to enrollment.

High school language classes, however, are entirely different from those offered at Holy Cross, and presumably at most other colleges. Having always performed extremely well in German classes, I entered the course quite confident in my knowledge and ability. On the first day, however, this confidence quickly dissipated. Much to my surprise, the entire course was taught in German. I now realize that only a very small percentage of my high school courses had actually been taught in German. For the first couple weeks, I did not think I could succeed in the course.

Luckily, however, I decided to persist. German was my favorite subject in high school, and I realized I needed to find a way to rekindle the pleasure I once took in learning languages. I worked extremely hard not only in completing my coursework, but also in reviewing vocabulary and grammar from past years. Gradually, I’ve found myself able to understand most of the discussions that occur in class, and I am thoroughly enjoying German once again. I’m not sure if I intend to pursue German after this year, but I’m certainly open to the possibility.

It is worth noting that not many freshmen choose to take a language in their first semester. For those considering doing so, however, I would advise against being too confident. Once again, taking a language in college is incredibly different from high school. Classes are based on active discussion and participation, and daily practice is a necessity. That said, my German class has thus far been a rewarding experience, and I am performing quite well in the course.

Thank you for reading this blog post! Be sure to check back soon for a recap of  my forthcoming second semester enrollment!