Though I haven't heard back from the graduate schools I have applied to, I am already starting to wonder if I should go down that road, or stay here and keep the job I have now. I absolutely love my job as a marketing assistant, and now that I am taking on a lot more responsibility, I know that I could have enough to work full-time after graduation.

His fur is all white and incredibly soft, an attribute that he deserves all the credit for. His charcoal gray ears often stand straight up and his bluish-gray eyes give him a humanistic stare, one that I prefer over the bright red eyes that white animals usually have.

I listened as the orchestra played and then as President Obama was sworn into office. The radio station announced that the president would be giving his speech at any moment, and so I stepped on the gas, hoping to reach my office in time to watch it live on the computer.

 As I waited very impatiently at the red light, I listened as the president took the oath and stumbled over his words, forgetting what the orator had just asked him to repeat. Instead of thinking that this was a sign of weakness, I felt it was a sign of how real and genuine Barack Obama is. The sense of nervousness and anxiousness in his voice was powerful for me and reinforced the decision I made months ago to vote for him to be our next leader.

As a literary journalism major, I especially experienced conflicting opinions about whether getting my master's degree would benefit me in the near future. Some say that in terms of being a writer/reporter, a master's degree was not especially significant considering that the field is focused more on a skill of writing, and a person who has not gone to college could quite possibly be a better writer than someone with a Ph.D in English. On the other hand, one reporter in particular told me that he regretted not going to graduate school because even though it may not have helped his writing career, it would have benefited him greatly now that he wants to retire and become a teacher.

The topic of my blog entry today is the very controversial Proposition 8, which, if passed, would "eliminate right of same-sex couples to marry" (taken from official California election website). I am a 21-year-old straight female, and the thought of this type of law angers me beyond anything I can remember.

All literary journalism majors at UCI are required to take writing workshops, and one of the professors is known to be very straightforward and critical. I have been warned about her and have so far succeeded in avoiding her wrath. This quarter, I could not avoid it any longer and willingly enrolled in her workshop.

I mentally prepared myself for what criticisms she may give to me because I am typically a sensitive person, and I was very apprehensive about going to our first session because I knew we were going to read our pre-class assignments out loud.

College has been a different experience for me, however. I have always been a very dedicated student, but in high school I only had to give a little bit of effort in order to receive an A. Here at UCI, though, I have definitely had to force myself to schedule time to write papers and study for tests (I also really do not like to study). Even though these tasks are common for every college student, it has increased my stress level substantially because instead of being confident that I will get a good grade on an assignment, I now worry about it until I get the assignment back (college professors are also very unpredictable with their grading and students are oftentimes disappointed).

The fact that, as a female, I must always be on guard is an issue that I find very frusterating, both because it is one-sided and also because there isn't much I can do about it.

This came during the period when I had been working hard to teach their son to read and write so he could start kindergarten. I am sorry, but a 4-year-old does not need someone to do everything for them at all times because he is just going to become dependent and insecure (which he already was).

I soon realized after starting college that the world is not what you think it is during high school, and that moving to a completely new area brings a completely new dynamic and way of life than one is used to.

These are the sounds that often fill the classrooms here at UC Irvine, where almost every student owns a laptop and cell phone. It is extremely common to walk into a random classroom and find more than half of the students with their laptops open -- class notes on one side of the screen and Facebook or Myspace on the other.

It has become obvious that my generation (including me) is very dependent, and borderline addicted to their various technological gadgets, which are carried around as if they were an added appendage to our bodies.

For example, I went to Target last weekend, and when I saw a woman coming around the corner, I stopped and waited for her so that we wouldn't have a collision. However, instead of thanking me, this woman gave me one of the meanest looks I've ever received. She made it seem as if my presence in her path was a horrible thing and that it was all my fault for startling her when she came around the corner.

Right now, I am taking an Asian American studies class that focuses on the development of "race" and how that is played out in society. The concept of race is something that was created by man and has been used throughout history to justify treating groups of people differently from one another (such as with slavery). In today's society, the concept of race is still used by the government to justify the distribution of goods, as well as qualifying certain people for scholarships etc. Furthermore, ethnic-based organizations, such as the ones on my campus, work to promote awareness and respect for their cultures.

When the professor announced that our first assignment would be to write a profile of another student he would choose at random, all I could think was "Please, anybody but her! Please don't make me write about her!" I was slightly intimidated by her and her perceived ability to write good stories, and the last thing I wanted was to have her read a story I wrote about HER.

Three years later, I have realized the true meaning of spring break for a UC student: TIME TO RELAX! (At least for me) During the quarter, I am so busy with work, school, homework, cleaning, and grocery shopping that I barely have time to relax. There is always something to do, especially homework, and it takes a lot of my time to get it all done.