Since I FINALLY graduated...

Paper topics I've written about:

• Globalization vs. Localization After the Indian Ocean Tsunami.
• The Development of Lanzhou, China.
• The Effect of Race on Body Image.
• An analysis of the documentary "Iraq in Fragments".
• A forensic analysis and interpretations of skeletal remains found in New Mexico.
• Independent living progams in the foster care system.
• An analysis of a garbage collection sample.
• The history of sugar and the power associated with it.
• A comparison of ethnographies on the Zuni Native Americans.
• 19th century Anthropological practices.
• The Maquiladora Industry in Mexico and Guatemala.
• A comparison of South Pacific ethnographies.
• Neanderthals and the debate about whether they had speech capabilities or not.
• A comparison of ethnographies on Andalusia, Spain.
• Alternatives to Factory-Farmed Meat.
• Ceremony and Ritual in the Ancient Andes.

Things I erroneously thought about it:

• That attendance didn't matter as long as you completed your work on time and that I could skip class whenever I wanted.
  • Wrong. Attendance counted towards my grade in every class in my college career. I skipped more in high school!
• That people would be more mature, open-minded and diverse.
  • Mostly wrong. There was the occasional amazing, fresh personality but mostly it was sorority girls in Ugg boots and North Face jackets and partying and getting drunk at every opportunity.
• That I would meet like minds and make life-lasting friends.
  • Wrong. This is probably mostly attributed to my social inhibitions but I have yet to make a good, close, lasting friend my entire college career.
• That these would be the best years of my life.
  • Wrong. I most looked forward to graduating and beginning my life after college.
• That my professors would be laid-back and treat us students more as their intellectual peers rather than a bunch of dumb kids.
  • Wrong. Again, there was an exception here and there but for the most part my professors were up-tight, pompous academicians that knew nothing of the real world outside of thick textbooks.
• That I would have to study all the time and have all-night "cram sessions" before exams and stress about assignments.
  • Wrong. I RARELY studied and did most of my assignments last minute and I still easily passed all my classes.
• That I wouldn't have as many forced presentations and participatory assignments.
  • Wrong. Even in college, professors haven't quite realized that some people are naturally shy and quiet and you are not going to "bring them out of their shell" at age 22.
• That my course load would lessen my very last semester.
  • Wrong. My workload increased ten fold my last semester and I worked harder than ever to graduate. It felt like I was being plotted against in the hopes that I would fail and have to pour more money into the college just to get out of it!
• That as I got into the upper level classes dealing with my major, that I would enjoy class more.
  • Wrong. In fact I hate it more than ever. Taking so many classes specifically in my major has actually had the opposite affect. It's made me wish I had chosen something different.
• That I would easily find a fantastic job dealing with my major after I graduated.
  • Wrong. I have been job searching for over a year now and can't seem to find either, A. any jobs open dealing with my major or B. any jobs that will hire me dealing with my major. I am working full-time at an hourly-rate job, toiling away, waiting for my opportunity to come.

Classes I've taken

• English Literature.
• Geography of the Developing World.
• Spanish Composition 1&2.
• Spanish Literature.
• Spanish Conversation.
• Western Civilizations 1&2.
• Intercultural Communications.
• Forensic Anthropology.
• Introduction to Anthropology.
• Introduction to Archaeology.
• Historical Archaeology.
• History of the Origin of the Evolution of the Idea of Race (Phew!).
• Native Americans of the Southwest.
• Anthropology Theory and Practice.
• Archaeology Theory and Practice.
• Economic Anthropology.
• Anthropology Senior Seminar.
• Human Evolution.
• Linguistics: Language, Culture and Cognition.
• Mediterranean Religions.
• Native Peoples of the Eastern Woodlands.

Schools attended

• College English and Psychology in high school.
• Germanna Community College.
• Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU).
• Graduate school in the future, perhaps.

Where I lived during it all:

• At my parent's house in Fredericksburg.
• In a town house with 3 roommates in Richmond.
• In a lovely one bedroom apartment with NO roommates in Richmond.