The Background to my Peculiar Use for Post-Its.

Hello everyone, and welcome to my new blog.

I am an undergraduate male student at Swarthmore College, and I am currently working on campus doing research with the education department this summer. Home is only an hour and a half away, but I am living on campus. As one could expect, I have quite a bit of spare time between work hours. One thing that I enjoy doing in my spare time is folding post-its into small triangles, and pricking my fingertips with them--it is a great feeling. True, it is a peculiar use for a post-it, but it holds some sentimental value in it. When I was younger, I used to fold the corners of my blanket into a similar point and prick myself, and I loved it. And this love has continued with me into college, into not just folding blankets, but papers, magazines, letters... and post its. A peculiar use for a post-it.

Like most underclassmen (and upperclassmen) college students at liberal arts colleges, I have no idea what I want to do with my life. Having all this extra time this summer has been somewhat of a blessing and a curse, as I've also been doing a lot of thinking (another thing that many underclassmen and upperclassmen at colleges do) and it has allowed me to both be more reflective about myself and who I am, and then realize that I have no idea who I am.

I grew up in a suburban town in Central Jersey (forget those people who tell you NJ is only split into North and South. It exists. AND I am damn proud of my state), in a upper-middle class Asian family. I lived what most would call a relatively "easy", sheltered life, and attended a supposedly "good" public high school in my area.

There was no way that my public high school could have prepared me for Swarthmore. Swarthmore is a great place, and I love being here. I love being challenged by my friends and I love learning about new things. But at the same time, I can't help but feel a bit on the outside of things. Many people here have great passions for things that very few people at my high school had. Politics, classic movies, books, philosophy, international relations, health, food, the news, fashion, music. Sure, you must think SOME people at my high school enjoyed those things. But not at the level of some of the people here at Swarthmore.

What are my passions? I have no idea. I don't care too much for politics, movies, or fashion and art. I like poetry and music, but I'm not too good at it. I love reading, but my mind is sometimes somewhat sieve-like. I like sports. And I go to a college with no football team. Sometimes I feel out of place. But that's expected--I've only finished my first year, and I will find something that I love. I just would hate to lose my high school experience, because as much as I am excited for learning these new things about myself and being challenged in my ideas, I don't want to forget who I am.

So until then I will probably continue to feel somewhat at odds with everything and everyone. I don't agree with many of the things that people on campus believe, and I don't enjoy many of the things people on campus enjoy. I'm quite peculiar, one would put say. And here is where I plan to divulge any problems or ideas or anecdotes or discussions that I may have as I DO become more aware of myself and my passions, and as my college life progresses. Here is where I will post it. Commonplace or normal things that a Swarthmore student might say. Or peculiar, outlandish, unusual things. A peculiar post-it.


P.S. If anyone has any idea what my affinity for pricking my fingers with pointy objects is called I would love to know. "Googling" "poking fingers" leads to some very questionable results...