Summer Courses at UT & Landscape Architecture

This summer I am taking four classes at UT. The first two, The Human Body and Campus Architecture & Planning, began at the beginning of this month and have been fun so far. I really need to make As in these classes in order to have a competitive GPA for grad school application, but it's tough to stay focused during the summer. After dropping a hint to my Dad, I now have a short-term incentive to make all As as well - a new camera! I made an A on the first test so we'll see how it goes.

I am now seriously leaning towards landscape architecture as my future profession. Ideally I would be accepted to the Master of Landscape Architecture program at UT for the fall of 2011, but I haven't even begun to assemble my application portfolio (in fact I don't even know when the deadline is). I need to get smart on both landscape architecture and the application process at UT if I want to stand a chance of getting into that program next year.

And you may have noticed I also updated this site ;)

Hope Had Died

I wrote this short story for my ANS 361 class, Suicide in Japanese fiction. It combines literary elements and parallels the contents of several works we read throughout the class. Part of this project also included a libretto detailing how the story related to our other readings. "Hope Had Died" is loosely based around real people and real events.

Hope Had Died

Another Sleepless Night

Disorder in the World of Suicide

Today

It's strange how oftentimes my life will become organized only after I suffer through an exceptionally turbulent period. For instance, on Wednesday night I couldn't sleep at all, so I got up at 6:30am on Thursday and started my day. This might not seem like a big deal, but let's just say that I'm not exactly a morning person. That night I was so tired that I went to sleep at a reasonable hour - midnight - but then woke up at 7:30 this morning with a pounding headache and a terrible realization that I had a paper due in class at 9. I hadn't even started the paper, and it wouldn't be accepted late.

Surprisingly, I busted out the paper in two hours in my living room and made it to class about 45 minutes before it let out. The paper wasn't my best work but I'm pretty pleased with myself considering the time constraints. After class I saw my adviser and sorted out a schedule that will allow me to graduate at the end of this year, which got me thinking about my future options for grad school and employment. I'm beginning to compare landscape architecture to structural architecture, and at this point the former looks quite appealing.

Inspired, I then visited the School of Architecture graduate office and browsed through the application portfolios of accepted non-majors. Some of them were amazing, but I on the whole I know I can create something very competitive. With this in mind I returned to my apartment and finished a painting I had been working on.

Here is the paper I wrote this morning for ANS 361 Suicide In Japanese Fiction.

And here is the painting.

A New Day

I'm Wide Awake It's Morning

Here's a paper that I wrote last night for ANS361, Suicide In Japanese Fiction. It's nothing groundbreaking but I'm kind of proud that I forced myself devote some quality time to it.

Two Audiences, One Message

by Tom MacDonald

SXSW

Wooo the SXSW music festival is about to begin!! For those who don't know, South-by-Southwest (AKA SXSW) is a week-long music festival in Austin that draws musicians, fans, and media-types from around the world. Even now as I look out the door of Café Medici I can see excited people on the street and feel an energy in the air.

Unfortunately, I have a problem. I have developed an unhealthy sleep pattern over the last two months that I can't seem to break. I tend to wake up at noon (or later), slog my way through the day cursing myself for not having enough time to live a worthwhile life, and then mess around on my computer until 4 am. A must admit that this pattern has much to do with my devoting too much time to girl-chasing, but regardless of the reason I need to stop screwing around. My grades are suffering and one of my New Year's resolutions was to become a "morning person." Also I want to enjoy every second of SXSW.

Today I'm going to finish writing a class paper early, go to my friends party later tonight, and then down some NyQuil by 1am. Hmm... Now that I think about it I don't think you're supposed to mix alcohol and cough medicine... I'll have to keep that in mind. At anyrate I WILL get up at 7am tomorrow morning. Today will be busy. Fun, but busy.

Invisalign

OK I really need to get motivated to study architecture somehow...but what to do? I'll just start by reading a few architecture blogs today.

In other news I just got back from the Randy Kunik orthodontist office in Austin and am wearing my first Invisiline tray. I can't wait to see what my teeth look like in 8 months! I hesitate to review Dr. Kunik's practice this early in my treatment, but so far I have been very impressed. Everyone has been very friendly, professional, and just generally classy. The physical office and interior spaces are first-rate as well. Thanks to my dad for helping me out with the financing, it means a lot.