Sleep Data Comparisons

Posted by Braden

I've got the stats on my winter sleep patterns! By themselves, the stats aren't too astounding. The comparison with fall semester is rather amusing, however.

The trend lines are the most interesting to me. Whereas fall semester saw bedtime gradually getting later and later throughout pretty much the entire year, winter semester remained fairly constant. And what's even more intriguing: both semesters had the same average bedtime (1 a.m.-ish) over the course of the semester! At the start of fall semester I was going to bed early, then I realized that I could stay out later and later until my average bedtime was around 2 a.m. By winter semester I knew approximately what I could handle, and I stayed nearer to that bedtime pretty much all semester.

Looking at the day-by-day comparison, in fall semester, my bedtime gradually got later each night from Monday up to the weekend. In winter semester, I started out the week going to bed late, then got more sleep each night during the week until the weekend came, at which time I went to bed as late as I did fall semester.

Final Food Showdown

Posted by Braden

With checkouts around the corner and lots of leftover food in our cupboards, our ward decided to organize a potluck Thursday night before a lot of students went home for the summer. I was expecting stale, half-opened bags of chips and straggling Hot Pockets. I forgot to consider that these same students also had meal plan money that needed using up, so instead of a "junk-food, leftovers" meal, we had a smorgasbord! Smoked salmon, funeral potatoes, lasagna, garlic bread, macaroni and cheese, a 3-gallon tub of ice cream, sloppy joes, etc! What a delicious meal! I think that meal had more variety than any other I've had all freshman year, except, perhaps, for when I ate at the Cannon Center, but it would certainly be a close call.

Bonuses

Posted by Braden

So today I went to the bookstore to sell back some of my textbooks, not really expecting any of them to be taken. One of my professors had said he was almost done with a new edition of the book, and that class only has one section available in spring term, so I figured that if the book was returnable, the quota would fill really quickly. Another professor told me that this was his last semester using our current book, and I knew that one of the other two professors who teach that course was already using a different book, so I didn't think the Bookstore would be accepting it. On top of that, I bought this book online, and it showed up in pretty bad condition. With a few well-placed pieces of packing tape, I had it looking much neater, but still, I didn't think I'd be able to return it. But then, surprise! I left the Wilkinson Center with $133 of cold cash in my pocket. It was like finding a quarter on the sidewalk, or reaching into the pocket of a jacket you haven't worn for a while and finding a dollar bill  . . . only like 532x or 133x better! Better yet—I bought both of those books used, one for $20 before selling it back for $50 today, and the other for $55, which I sold back for $83! What a wonderful, beautiful thing. :)

End-of-Semester Woes

Posted by Trevor

Finals are almost over. As the semester winds down, I've found that my life has become more complicated than relaxing. I recently found out that I'm not eligible to stay in on-campus housing, so I must move home and try to work out how I'm to commute to Provo twice a week for my Spring class.

As if that wasn't bad enough, I need to find a job in my hometown, which is easier said than done in this economy. Though I've picked up several job applications, none look too promising at the moment. This is quite a problem when spring tuition is due in two days and my mission is coming up in just a few months.

So, rather than enjoying a care-free last few days of the semester, I'm freaking out trying to get all of the loose ends that will govern the rest of my spring and summer tied up. Who knew the end of school could be so stressful?

Good Steak Dinner

Posted by Mitch

Last Saturday I cooked a great dinner for two girls: bavette steak with golden potatoes and beurre rouge. It took two hours, but it was well worth it.


To top that off, one of the girls made an excellent angel food cake with raspberries. It was a delicious meal! I know that it's not typical, but it just goes to show that with a little brain power and a few extra bucks, great things can happen at college.

Sneaky Subconcious

Posted by Braden

As late nights and busy days increase, I give my body less and less sleep, and my body is finding sneakier and sneakier ways of getting the sleep it needs anyways. I take precautions: to keep from falling asleep in class, I sit in the front few rows, never slouch enough to get comfortable, and eat sugar before and during class. To prevent sleeping through my alarm clock, I use my own recorded voice on my cell phone alarm in conjunction with my alarm clock and watch alarm. My subconscious recently discovered a real devil of a trick, though—it convinces me that even though I can hear my alarms, they're not important.

I don't know how to explain it, but somehow, within my dreams, I just know that that alarm isn't really for me. It's to help wake up somebody else. Or it must have been left set from the previous day. Or school has been canceled today, so I don't really need to get up. Or somehow, within my dream, I earned the right to sleep in a little longer with no negative consequences. Or time won't really start again until I acknowledge the alarms, so if I ignore them long enough, I'll get extra sleep without losing any time. Or even though it's terrible to sleep in, if I do wake up, then all these people here in my dream with me will die when I hop out of that world and into consciousness.

I think that's all of the excuses that it has come up with so far. It doesn't happen every night, but it does happen a lot of the time--maybe 2 of every 3 nights. In a way, it's sort of exciting to wonder what new way I'll think up to trick myself into sleeping a little longer. In another way, it's really terrifying. I never know who's going to be smarter: the unconscious me that's sleeping, or the unconscious me that's scheming. And me making it to class on time is in the balance!

Braden's Brilliant Burritos

Posted by Braden

I made another wonderful batch of burritos today. Here's the recipe I used:

Pour 6 cups of water into a large pot on the stove with 3 cups of rice. Let it simmer until all of the water has boiled out. In the meantime, pour the following ingredients into a very large bowl (not a huge bowl, just a bowl that's a little bit bigger than what you're thinking of right now):

1 can chili
1 can pinto beans
1 can black beans
1/2 bag of grated cheese
1/2 lb sour cream
1 jar cheese sauce (or "salsa con queso")
1 jar of salsa

Stir the concoction a bit, then heat it in the microwave until the consistency is that of a rather thick, odd-colored, chunky soup. Then stir some more. Add the rice at this point in time, as well as cut-up little pieces of meat, if you so desire. Stir some more. Heat the tortillas (about 30 tortillas are required for this amount of filling). Then start packing the burritos.

Put a large spoonful of the mixture in the center of a tortilla and wrap it up. Stick the wrapped burrito in a sandwich bag, and don't worry if burrito guts begin to ooze out of the tortilla edges—it'll all freeze, and the frozen filling has no problem sticking with the burrito when you remove the burrito from the bag.

When you feel like eating one of the burritos, pull it out, microwave it for two and a half minutes, and voilà! Deliciousness will come to you.

Lovely Dependency

Posted by Braden

My dad was in town the past few days, and he gave me cause to remember just how lovely being a dependent really is! We went shopping for mission stuff, and I didn't have to double-check the receipt after paying, because I neither paid with my card nor kept the receipt! We went out to lunch and dinner a few times . . . and I got free food! Normally, when making returns to stores, I have to head up the transaction. But not so—when we had to return a pair of shoes to the store, Dad took care of it! In everything we did, it was understood that Dad was kind of in charge of the situation, so I was able to just enjoy doing whatever we were doing! Being "independent" and "in control of my own life" is fun and all that, but it's really nice not having to be in charge every once in a while—or at least not having to be 100 percent responsible for my well-being. Pity that this feeling is going to be so rare in the rest of my life. . . .

Supplemental Income

Posted by Trevor

Extra money can be a little hard to come by when you're in school. Somehow, we need to be able to afford rent, groceries, textbooks, etc. This past week, in order to mitigate some financial troubles, I became one of the many BYU students who earn a little extra money by donating plasma.

At first I wasn't sure exactly what to expect. I've rarely been to a doctor, and I must admit, this was my first real experience with needles since my required kindergarten shots. But, as it turns out, I can keep my composure even when being poked by thick needles. After an hour or so of sitting in a chair with a needle in my arm, I got to go to the magical machine that spits out money to compensate for the pain and suffering endured. With a little extra income, I may be able to afford more schooling after this year's money runs out.

Sixth-Week Slump

Posted by Braden

The sixth-week slump is finally here. It happened last semester, and it's happening again this semester: EVERYBODY is tired.

Perhaps it happens because we've all gotten comfortable in our schedules, so we start pushing the envelope on how late we can stay up. Perhaps it happens because people are starting to get to know each other better, so they start spending more time together, and that results in later nights. Perhaps enough weeks have passed since all those New Year's resolutions, and the vast majority of students are now giving up on getting to bed earlier this year.

Whatever the cause, it's definitely true wherever you look—there are fewer kids in class, and of those who are in class, more are asleep. The moans and groans of "I'm SO tired!" are becoming more audible and prevalent, because EVERYBODY is tired.

The Hunt

Posted by Laura

It's that time of the year: people are out searching for the apartments they'll be living in next year. A bunch of girls have knocked on our door, asking for a tour of my apartment and interviewing me about the ward, the boys in the ward, rent, and maintenance. Even though it's still the beginning of winter semester, you have to start thinking about the location and the roommates you are going to live with next fall.

The apartment complex that I am living in is really competitive to get into, and the management holds its drawing for contracts in February. I have loved my apartment! Even though I am one of the minority freshman who decides not to live in the dorms, I have loved the location, the ward, the roommates, and all of the new experiences that have come with my apartment.

I've also had a few of my close high school friends, who are planning on attending BYU next year, over for a weekend. Incoming freshman often don't know how important it is to start the housing search early, whether they are looking for off-campus housing or reserving a spot in on-campus housing.

Nap Time

Posted by Braden

I've tried really hard to do better this semester—really, I have. But no matter what I tell myself, I just can't seem to get in bed before midnight. There's too much happening late at night to sleep through it all! At the end of last semester I was averaging a 2 a.m. bedtime. This semester started with an average around 1 a.m., a minor improvement. However, my schedule also changed; my first class no longer starts at 11 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Now my first class starts at 8 a.m.! So I save one hour of sleep five times a week and lose three hours three times a week; that's a net loss of four hours of sleep per week for Braden!

I have remedied this with the reintroduction of nap time! (Reintroduction in that nap time WAS once a part of my schedule, but I was 3 feet tall then). I suppose it isn't necessarily a scheduled thing. Usually it happens just two or three times a week; I get in bed in the middle of the day and set my alarm for an hour or two later. These naps are nothing big, but they sure do help me keep my head during the week!

(Not) Hungry? Why (Not) Wait?

Posted by Braden

It has taken a while to transition, but at last I think I've made the change: I no longer eat at mealtime, I eat whenever I'm hungry.

It's a big change. At home I couldn't raid the kitchen whenever I felt like it, because I was going to "spoil my dinner." Not only that, if one kid gets to snack whenever he feels like it, then all the kids in the family can—and that would be chaotic. Furthermore, at home I didn't have those delicious, homemade frozen burritos to fall back on whenever I was hungry.

I started first semester eating at somewhat set times, but I have since digressed. Yesterday, for example, I wasn't hungry when I woke up, so I didn't eat breakfast. I had class until 2 p.m., after which I came home and had a mega-meal (roughly equivalent to 1.67 meals in mass), followed by a regular-sized meal at 10 p.m. night and a .33-of-a-meal-sized snack around 12:30 a.m. I'm still getting three meals a day—I'm just not quite so picky about the shape, size, or order they come in. I'll eat when I'm hungry and not a moment before!

Thanks for the Haircut

Posted by Braden

The other day I looked at myself in the mirror and thought, "Wow, I have a lot of hair." It was getting a wee bit scruffy in the back, too. I remembered seeing one of my hallmates with haircutting accessories, so I asked him if he'd give me a nice little trim—you know, just clean up the edges and thin it out a little bit. So he started cutting. We got to talking as he snipped away, having a good conversation. Then he finished and said, "Go see what you think." I got up, looked at myself in the mirror, and thought, "Wow, I don't have very much hair." My bangs went from 3 inches to 1 centimeter. It looked good, just not what I was expecting. I thanked him for the haircut, told myself that it'll all grow back eventually, and continued on with my day. On the positive side, I'm not going to need a real haircut for another few months now! I'll probably need a trim somewhere there in the middle, but now I know to ask one of the girls in my ward next time—I imagine they'll be a little less likely to give me a buzz.

Do You Want Fries with That?

Posted by Elise

This semester holds a lot of firsts for me: It's my first time taking a dance class, living in the snow, choosing my entire schedule on my own (no Freshman Academy envelope this time). But most importantly, it was my first time getting a real job. And by real I mean my boss is someone other than my dad.

So the first week of work was . . . well, actually it was kinda fun. I work at the Scoreboard Grill in the Cougareat. And, yes, that means I’m flipping burgers for minimum wage. But that’s the best way to start out, right? The people I work with are so fun to be around; everyone is joking around and chatting while we work, even singing at times.

There is rarely a dull moment at work because I work the lunch shift--rush hour! Being busy helps the time pass quickly. And here’s the best part about the whole thing: I get to go straight from work to my last class, choir. So of course I walk into choir smelling like burgers and fries. Now let me tell you, that’s an attractive scent right there! I just wanna bottle it up and use it as perfume. And for those of you who did not catch the sarcasm in the last few sentences, "gullible" is written on the ceiling.

My Own Room

Posted by Braden

I have my own room this semester—and it's SO nice!



I no longer have any need for a lamp, because I turn off the lights when I go to bed, and nobody ever wants them off before I do.

I no longer need headphones, because everybody in my room likes the music that I play when I play it.

I have floor space—more than just enough to walk on! I can come in, take off my shoes, and leave them in the middle of the room. Then I can hang my coat on my extra chair to dry.

I have two closets—aka "a ridiculous amount of storage space"—and I've made sure to put something in every single one of the drawers, simply because I can.

I'm getting so spoiled from all of this! Realistically, this is probably the last (it's also the first, coincidentally) time in my life that I'll have my own room. I should have plenty of time to readjust before my next semester—sharing a room with a missionary companion for two years ought to do that for me.

Moving In Again

Posted by Braden

At the end of last semester, I packed up all of my stuff into suitcases and boxes again, and moved it down two floors into the kitchen of my new apartment. When I arrived at my apartment Thursday night, the unpacking process began . . . again . . . in a way awfully similar to the way first semester began.

It gave me a chance to reorganize my things, so that was nice. Little things that had bugged me all semester last year, but never enough for me to do something about it, were finally fixed. For example, "why do I keep my cans in the eye-level cupboard when I could be sticking my bananas and breads here and stick the cans in the cupboard under the counter? It'd make more sense to keep the heavy stuff lower, and now I won't need to leave my bananas on the counter." So I changed it. Looking at my closet now, I can see which clothes I didn't wear once last semester, and stuff them in an obscure cubby hole instead of having them take up the high-premium space in the main part of the closet. My wastebasket, instead of being placed by the door where I'd need to throw trash at it (only successfully so about half of the time), is now under my bed, within arm's reach of my computer desk chair, where I spend most of my time when I'm in my room. It's nice having a second try with all of these trivial things!

One thing that has changed--I was the second boy to show up at my apartment last semester, so I grabbed a very conveniently placed bathroom cupboard, and my favorite fridge nooks, and that little cupboard in the kitchen. Moving to my new room this semester, I was the last boy to move in, since I'm the only new roommate, so I grabbed whatever space the last guy had! Sadly, he didn't use my favorite fridge nook or particularly favorite bathroom cupboard. It's not a terrible thing, but I keep on opening the wrong doors in the apartment and being somewhat confused for a brief moment each time before remembering that even though this is the same layout as my last apartment, it's a different apartment!

Along with that have come other changes. These guys have dinner together most nights of the week. They do "community milk," and they use the dishwasher most of the time instead of hand washing the dishes they used and putting them back. I'll be curious to see what "apartment policies" I'm going to have to adapt to, because whatever they're already doing, the four other boys are already used to and most likely prefer! On the plus side, instead of hard rock heavy on the bass coming from the next room, I think I hear MoTab right now. :D

That Book Is How Much?!

Posted by Laura

Life is expensive. I have really learned the importance of budgeting my money while living away from home. The money that goes toward tuition, rent, books, food, and living expenses really adds up fast. When I was buying my books for the new semester, I figured out that I spent more than 25 hours working over the summer to purchase the books I need for just one of my nine classes. My lifetime of savings is being used a lot faster than the time it took to save it, yet I can also see that it's being invested in a priceless education. This makes me want to work even harder to not miss out on learning opportunities.

Braden v. Bookstore: Round 2

Posted by Braden

Today I experienced my second round of buying textbooks--and this time, I won. Last semester I spent over $600; this semester my grand total is . . . *drumroll* . . . $120!

I did buy one book online this semester, so instead of paying $140, I paid $55. When I return it at the end of the semester for 50 percent less than the Bookstore price, I'll be making $15, which means my grand total for this semester is ACTUALLY going to be something closer to $60!

I also used the BYU Book Exchange Web site to buy two books for my history of creativity class, paying a grand total of $45 instead of $119 (if I'd bought them new) or $89 (if I'd bought them used). But besides that, I just lucked out! Instead of having to buy $100–$200 biology, physics, and chem books, I bought a $15 mission prep book and a $15 engineering-graphics manual, and my student leadership and volleyball classes don't have any textbook requirements!

The money that I got from last semester's textbook sellback could pay for all of my textbooks for this semester multiple times over! What do you have to say that, you heinously overpriced textbooks? Go ahead, say it: this semester, Braden won.

Sleep Data

Posted by Braden

Every night since Aug. 29, I have recorded the time as I went to bed. At last, I get to see the results of my efforts!

My mean bedtime for the four-month period was 1:08 a.m., with a standard deviation of approximately 1.5 hours. The earliest time was 10:22 p.m. on Dec. 16, and the latest time was 5:50 a.m. on Dec. 26. Time spent while in bed before falling asleep was always negligible (always <10 minutes, and usually <5 minutes).

Looking at the chart that displays times by day, it appears that the time of getting into bed was the lowest on Sunday, and increased until Friday, which typically gave the week it's latest time. Saturday I went to bed at a relatively early time, since Sunday begins at midnight as far as I'm concerned. And on Sunday it all started over again.

Four weeks into the semester, I stopped attending my 8 a.m. health class on MW, so my MWF started at 11:30, and TTh started at 8:00. Interestingly, this doesn't appear to show at all on my bedtimes. Tuesday and Thursday do both have later averages than the preceding days, but that may just be following the weekly trend of later times as the week progresses.

I'll continue keeping track of my times until the end of Winter semester as well to see if this overall gradual trend from a midnight average time to a 2 a.m. average time will reoccur; or if now that I'm at a 2 a.m. time, I'll remain there; or if I'll delay two more hours with a final average time of 4 a.m.; or none of the above.

Click on a graph here to see it in greater detail.