Little sisters

Hello little sisters! My name is Tu Anh but feel free to call me Annie. I am a music major just like you guys, and I’m here to tell you a little bit about my freshman year here at Converse!

Because I’ve been a music major since my freshman year, I understand how tough your schedules must be. I struggled with balancing my practice time, studying time, homework time, and somewhat of a social life. As a high school student, I believed I had the power to bend time and make it work for me, but college used the time that I wasted and threw it in my face. The evidence was shown clearly under my eyes, which I considered as bruises. However, college isn’t your bully; it’s your friend. Everything you do here is preparation for the real thing out there. If you’re so sleep deprived to the point that you want to knock out wherever you are standing, then you probably need to organize a better agenda. If you don’t have time to work on an assignment, then maybe you’re spending too much time on something else. If you don’t have a planner now, get one, because it definitely helped me adapting to college life. I remember when I shoved 4 chapters of psychology in 2 days before the big exam, when I typed an essay at 4 in the morning, and when I practiced MacGAMUT for 4 and a half hours in a day, because it was due the next day. What positive results did I get? Nothing! I lived like a zombie for weeks before I actually discovered the usefulness of planners. You shouldn’t start on your assignments at the last minute, and you definitely should not cram. Also, make sure you realize that you are never alone, which was one of the most remarkable things I noticed when I first entered Converse. The friendly environment here stripped an ample of my shyness away, and I hope you’re feeling the same way. If not, take my word for it and ask any questions you might have.

Have you ever felt like you don’t fit in as a music student here at Converse? Professors here have the super human ability to pick out true talents. If you weren’t Converse made material, you wouldn’t have gotten accepted. Find the areas that you need to improve on and take advantage of what Converse has to offer! You will go far with a humble amount of ambition and strong motivation in chasing after what you love. Only you could be the shackles to your success.

Dilly-dallying

The taste of coffee used to make me squint, but now it's what keeps me from falling over during a lesson. I have a habit of not planning ahead and procrastinating, so everything usually gets stacked up then completed at the last minute. As a result, I'm drowsy and stressed out most of the time. I could get through highschool with ease, but now the habit is at a great disadvantage to me, and I'm trying really hard to develope a healthier habit. Procrastination is my biggest problem; however, I have also caught the deadly epidemic that's rapidly spreading among teenagers: social networking websites. I have two Myspace accounts, a Facebook account, and a Skype account. I used to go to these websites when I needed a break from an assignment that I'd been working on for a while, but now going to them is like an instinct from seeing a computer. I have also realized that it's easier for me to focus on what I find interesting. For instance, writing a reasearch paper on a historical event makes my mind wander to distractions like Facebook, Myspace, or a burger, because I tend to "feel" hungry from concentrating on the paper for so long. I'm actually getting better at organizing my agenda; nonetheless, the other issues are going to take awhile.

Decision Decision

Why college?
Honestly, as strange as this may sound, I've never asked myself that question. It's similiar to those cases where the decision has already been implanted in your mind so deeply that you think the alternatives should just cease from existence because of how inferior that one chosen decision made them seemed. My mom didn't go to college, so she spent 18 years of my life venting about how I would end up working in a smelly factory or becoming a hobo if I didn't get a proper degree for a proper career. Obviously, it worked. My brother and sister also influenced me, because they're both enrolled in colleges. However, I have also realized along the way that I need to be led into the real life. I enjoy feeling prepared, because that comes with confidence and as of right now, I'm simply unprepared.
The Petrie School of Music!
Converse was on my "definitely not attending" list, so how did I end up here? I was undecided throughout most of my highschool years, so all that mattered to me was getting accepted into a coed college. I applied to many colleges like USC and Furman with thoughts of majoring in journalism or accounting because of the satisfying salary. The proverb "money can't buy happiness" truly applies here, because I felt more obligated than excited about either of those decisions. I desired music, but I doubted my ability to succeed in it as a performer. My hero finally came to relieve my stress sometime during spring break through airmail. Berkeley School of Music sent me a booklet involving the courses they offered at their school, and I stumbled upon music therapy. After reading the description, music therapy seemed like a perfect fit for me; it puts my talent into good use. I had heard from many resources that The Petrie School of Music was an excellent music school and they offered music therapy, so I decided to apply. After having a successful audition and meeting with the professors, I threw away the other applications and checked yes for Converse. Moreover, the money given from Converse sternly nailed my feet to its ground.
Sandwiches all the way!
If I had to give up either cereal or sandwiches, I would definitely go with cereal, because I find cereal boring to the taste. I do eat it on occasions, but whether its invention happened or not is out of my things-to-ponder field. Sandwiches, on the hand, taste differently depending on where. America has its own sandwiches and so do other countries.