Sorry I lied....

So a few weeks ago I thought it would be my last opportunity for a nice motorcycle ride but today was beautiful and I got some pictures to prove it. Enjoy!

So I turn 21 in under a week... Any pointers?

So I turn 21 in under a week and was wondering if anyone had any pointers, positive or negative, I'd like to know your experiences turning 21. Let me know in the comments, thanks!

Chicago Marathon 2011

This Sunday was the Chicago Marathon and the course happened to pass right past my adjacent street which was quite exciting. My apartment was located near the 20th mile and I was able to roll out of bed early enough to watch the Kenyans run by which I have to say, those guys can run fast. I honestly think their normal stride is as fast as I can sprint, it was incredible to watch. More importantly this was my roommates first Marathon ever and even though he slacked a bit on training he still completed it which is very impressive. I don't think I will ever be able to run 26.2 miles, I'll just ride my motorcycle! Hope everyone had a good weekend!

Last motorcycle ride of the year and bring on the winter.

Recently, the weather in Chicago has been absolutely beautiful and I plan on taking my last, long motorcycle ride of 2011 this Saturday. The weather forecast for this weekend looks phenomenal so I hope everyone in the Chicago land area enjoys it because this winter is apparently going to be a rough one. Also, the Chicago Marathon is this weekend and my roommate is running it so I wish the best of luck to him.

Earlier I read an article that predicts this winter will have a large amount of snow fall with multiple blizzards possible and extremely cold temperatures. The article also said this winter will make people what to move but I have a hard time believing that. People who live in Chicago love the weather extremes. I just wanted to say have a good weekend and enjoy yourselves!

Hey everybody

So I haven't posted anything in awhile because I've been super busy these last two weeks but now I have a little time to write. School is getting quite busy but manageable and I was wondering how everyone elses year is going. So tell me how your classes are so far! Also if you're looking for any advise on technology(cell phones, laptops, accessories) just leave a comment and I'll throw in my 2 cents on my other blog! Have a good week everyone, I plan on writing a long one this week!

http://jakereviewstechnology.blogspot.com/2011/10/hp-touchsmart-tx2-personal-experience.html

Riding a bicycle around campus, pros and cons

Recently I have been riding my bicycle to class because my new apartment is a bit further than my place last year and I have to say it's quite nice. I originally had the impression that it would be a hassle locking the bike and finding a place to park but lucky my campus is fairly equipment with many "bike areas" and I wouldn't be surprised if all campuses are like this. Here's what I have learned after a month of riding....

PROS
- You can sleep-in an extra 15 minutes.
- You can bypass any people that would otherwise stop you and ask you to sign their partition against hurting "insert plant/animal/gender/culture" in "insert country".
- You are now part of the elite group of bicycle hipsters, unfortunately this is also a negative.
- Overall you save a good amount of time otherwise spent walking.

CONS
- Every car on the rode is trying to kill you.... Even the people parked on the side of the road... They will intentionally open their doors when you are passing by.
- Everyone will ask you about your bike when you could care less because you bought it on sale at Wal-Mart.
- Rain and water is the enemy. I suggest buying fenders.
- If you buy a mountain bike you will feel it necessary to jump every curb possible, even if it's entirely out of the way, which leads to the overall destruction of the bike (because it was purchased at Wal-Mart)

These are just some simple things I suggest you think about before you bring a bike to campus. I personally enjoy jumping all the curbs so I think the pros definitely outweigh the cons.

Freshman year away from home

Leaving home and being on your own can be very difficult especially if aren't very independent. Personally, I was very independent when I left for college so I had a very smooth transition but some of my friends found it problematic being away from home. One of my best friends knew exactly what he wanted to do after high school. He found the perfect school in the perfect town and was very confident with the choices he made. I told him that he should at least apply to other schools and think about having a backup plan if Zoology/Biology didn't work out for him, but he told me that was exactly what he wanted to do and there wouldn't be a point in looking into other schools. He ended his Freshman year with a 4.0 GPA and a severe case of depression. After the summer he returned for Sophomore and within a few months was having suicidal thoughts, in which the school placed him in one of their correctional programs, basically a prison for students. After coming back home, he went to the doctor and has been doing a lot better which I am grateful for but unfortunately, now that he has his head on straight has changed majors, changed colleges, and now has to basically start over because his new college won't accept the credits from his old college, mainly because it was a specialty institution(not having a wide variety of major). Just because you think you know exactly what you want doesn't mean you can't plan for the worst. Having a backup is very important in my opinion and it's something that everyone should at least consider. Also a good balance of school and fun is needed in order to now get too stressed.

My freshman year started with a change in relationship and a new understanding of independence. Most colleges "require" you to stay in a dorm freshman year unless you plan to be a commuter, but honestly if I could do it over I would have found an apartment from the beginning. The main reason they want you to stay in a dorm is so you can meet other people but if you are social at all you will meet plenty of people in your classes. Most dorms are extremely over priced so instead of going more in debt look into commuting or finding a cheap apartment. As I have said before in an older post, going into your Freshman year in a relationship can very problematic because you will meet a lot more people in which the opportunity to find someone more appealing is very likely. Going to parties and meeting people is all part of the game called college so it is important to have an open mind initially, but as time goes on you will start to hang out with specific people and friendships with develop, just like an adult version of high school.

College can very stressful at times but if you keep an open mind it can also be a lot of fun. Being responsible and making logical decisions in key for a successful college experience.