As I was riding back home on the train from Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, I reminisced about all the unbelievable things I had seen and done during my first semester as a wizard. From nearly losing an ear to an accidental explosion in potions class, to learning how to ride a broom, and seeing a hippogriff, the semester had been nothing less than eventful. Living in the Gryffindor dormitory, I had made loads of friends and acquaintances after many sleepless nights of practicing spells and working out ancient runes. Already, I had forged a strong friendship with some that I know will serve as a more powerful weapon against the dark arts than any magic. The last couple weeks of OWLS had been draining, but at the same time we managed to squeeze in some time to go out and enjoy some butterbeer. Nonetheless, it was neat to see our class progressing together through all the hurdles of studying as a wizard at Hogwarts.
Now, I wasn't really at Hogwarts, but I sincerely felt like it when I was riding home on the Amtrak, through all the snowy mountains to my desert home in Utah. Why couldn't it have been?
 |
| Girl's floor gift exchange |
As I was riding back home on the Amtrak from Mines, I was reminded of all the crazy things I had seen and done in such a short time. I felt like I had learned more in 6 months than I probably did for a whole year in high school; my brain felt stuffed. From igniting experimental rockets in Chemistry, to pranking the guys' floors, and seeing a Hippo (Denver Zoo), the semester was one I'll never forget. Living in the Traditional Halls, I had made tons of friends after many sleepless nights of writing lab reports, doing online biology homework, and stuffing inconceivable numbers of people in a single room to watch movies. Even in this short time, I know I have discovered friendships that are a more powerful weapon against zombies than any Nerf gun. The last couple weeks of finals had been grueling, but at the same time we were able to squeeze in some necessary down time to go out, play in the snow, and enjoy some legendary pizza at Woody's. At the very least, it was rewarding to see our class progressing through all the hard times and red boxes of studying as an engineer at Mines together.
Just recently, the floors of Bradford Hall in the Traditionals (Gryffindor, obviously) were engaged in an intense Christmas decoration war, resulting in a night of shirtless guys wrapping their entire wall in wrapping paper and stewing up more crazy ideas for their plot to beat the girls. The second floor's decorations were complete with lights strung up and down the entire hallway, a cardboard Christmas tree, and even lights in the windows spelling out "PEACE", a sight seen all the way from Sorority Hill.
 |
| The guys' Christmas Wars decorations, complete with broken sleds after some late-night sledding |
|
|
Now a summary of this last month wouldn't be complete without a brief description of Finals and Dead Week. It was something I had been dreading since August, and it definitely involved more time spent just sitting down and studying than I had previously experienced. However, with the support and help from some good friends, a lot of the weight of Finals seemed to be lifted off my shoulders. And contrary to popular belief, I find it hard to say that Dead Week is actually "dead". Classes still go on, and there are still people out and about making snowmen, putting up Christmas decorations, and doing other such things. There are also great Pre-Finals Workshops, tutoring sessions, and study areas specially available for the students this week, showing that there is quite a bit of help and guidance if you only go out and ask for it. Me personally, I found it was most effective to get together with a friend or two, leave the dorms (due to enforced 24/7 quiet hours making the dorms alarmingly quiet), and go to a separate building, in our case Brown Building so we could listen to people playing the piano, and as down-to-earth as it sounds, spend some quality time with the books, former exams, and our notes. Friends don't let friends fail. At least not at Mines they don't:)
Anyhow, It's been a wonderful semester, and I can't wait to come back for the next! That is, after a much-needed break to catch up with family (and on sleep). See you next semester!
