How many people actually read this thing?

So, the other day I was thinking (probably a bad idea) about how many people actually read this blog? The K Bookers pour their emotions into this thing, but for who? I’ve decided to find out.

Finals are, unfortunately, coming up. It’s time to eat Cliff bars for breakfast…and lunch…. and a big sloppy burrito for dinner. It’s time to stay up way too late and see just how little sleep you need to survive. Most importantly, it’s time to see just how creative you are in becoming a hermit and how good you are at finding a secret little nook to study the day away in. I must admit, I’m pretty dang good. As a part of my research on our readers, I’ve decided to tell you about my favorite little hermitages. If they’re crowded in the coming weeks, I’ll 1) be really ticked off that I told people about them but 2) be happy that people are actually reading this junk. So. Here it goes:

1) The M.I. King Library Geology Floor

Get on the elevator in M.I. King and press 4R. Yes, it will take you past the recently renovated floor full of comfy chairs and study rooms…but it will deliver you to a studier’s paradise – a quiet, dimly lit floor with windows to watch the December rain and huge tables to spread all of your ideas out on.

2) The William T. Young Library Newspaper Reading Room

Imagine one of the “reading rooms” on the 5th floor shrunken to about 1/10 of the size and you’ve got the Kentucky Newspaper Reading Room. It’s tucked away on the second floor right above the University Drive entrance so you think this place would be obvious. Nope. It’s not. It’s quiet with huge windows to watch those jerks who don’t take tests frolic and be merry.

3) The Lucile Little Fine Arts Library

This one isn’t that hidden at all, just underused. Wide open spaces to study in. It’s usually open til midnight giving you an ample amount of time to be very productive. The window thing applies here too.

4) Chandler Hospital Lobby

If one of your finals is a research paper or a poem or a test that you need inspiration for in order to complete, check out the multi-million dollar hospital we just built. This place is begging for someone to study in it. TONS of comfortable chairs, a few tables, ambient piano music, a waterfall and a security guard to throw out those who get too loud. Go here.

5) The Medical Center Library

Apparently medical students need their own library or something. If you’re looking to get some stuff done before midnight, you can use it too! It’s located in the medical school on the first floor right across from the elevators. NO WINDOWS. NO TALKING. They’re serious there.

There. You’ve got ’em. My secret spots. If I see you there I might thank you for contributing to my research right before asking you to leave…after all, they’re my spots.

Freshmen! Freshmen! What’s your cry?! V-I-C-T-O-R-Y

I recently found myself making fun of a former K Booker for beginning a blog (americatoamman.blogspot.com: check it out). I usually scoff at this whole “share your feelings with the world” stuff. But. Here I am. Blogging.

The past two weeks have hit me in the face like a pile of books, literally, but it’s good to be back in the swing of things. Homework. Studying. Bleeding Blue. Stressing…and spotting freshmen.

Spotting freshmen, for upperclassmen, is a sport. As you walk to your 9am class, we see you. As you scarf down your Jimmy Johns, we’re watching. Spotting. Hunting.

Unfortunately, it’s becoming less of a sport. It’s just become way, way too easy. How, you might ask? I’ll tell you.

Just as a hunter looks for tree rubbings and squirrel nests we, too, look for classic signs of freshman year.I’ve compiled a short list below. Embrace them. Love them. We’d give at least a finger to be a freshman again and get away with this stuff.

Lanyards: They come in all different colors these days, and I’m sure you grabbed at least three during K Week. Lanyards are great at keeping your keys and your student ID in a convenient spot at all times..around your neck.

Cargo Shorts: High school didn’t really prepare you for carrying around 25 pounds of books on your back. Heck, I don’t even think I carried a backpack in high school, so I can see why all those pockets might come in handy! You can carry your calculator, drinks, snacks for the road, anything you’d need to make a good day great. Now that you’ve received that diploma, stick with a backpack.

High School Swag:” YOU WERE IN BAND TOO?!” T-Shirts and letterman jackets serve as a great get-to-know-you tool on your way to class. While fantastic for the first few weeks of school, you might want to start replacing them with Kentucky attire; you’re in college now.

Soccer Slides: At one point or another, the majority of us spent our weekends growing up running around some type of athletic field. Aside from the snacks from the soccer-moms, nothing felt better than slipping our aching feet into those iconic black slides after a game. While comfortable, especially with knee high socks, they SCREAM freshman. But, if comfort is your thing, stick with ’em. My podiatrist always says that a sound body starts with healthy feet.

Froofy drinks at Starbucks: UK boasts having multiple Starbucks locations across campus and you’ll soon find that this warm, caffeinated nectar is your lifeline, particularly if you scheduled 8am classes. You’ll also find that this is where a lot of freshmen out themselves. If you’re ordering a tall non-fat, soy, double mocha frappuccino you aren’t really that tired. Let the semester wear on you a little and before you know it you’ll be asking for a venti black coffee, without room for cream or sugar. The faster and more concentrated you can get the caffeine, the better.

Bright-eyed optimism: Move-in day is my favorite day of the semester. So many freshmen. They’re everywhere. Somewhere along with the milk crates and worrisome parents they’ve brought with them enough optimism to conquer the world. I wouldn’t cry if freshmen cut some of the pockets off of their pants or put the lanyard away; I would, however, be devastated to see this thirst for life disappear. It is at this point in my “Blog” that I do the unthinkable and insert a quote (Help-I’m about to barf). Bob Dylan, my favorite singer of all time, once said “Colleges are like old-age homes, except for the fact that more people die in college.” Amen. Do yourself a favor and ask an upperclassman if they stopped pushing like they did when they were in your shoes. Ask them if they wished they would have tried harder. Ask them if they wished they were once again a new, invincible freshman ready to change this University, ready to make a difference. They’ll probably say yes.

My point is, don’t die. Figuratively or, of course, literally. This is your time. Get lost in something—and find yourself. Fight for what’s yours. Keep your curiosity alive. It’s your chance to be an astronaut, to be a doctor, to be the best darned second grade teacher that you can. Get up. Get going. Do it.

…Whoops. I think I just got emotional. On a blog. Yack.

K Book Love,

Ethan