Adjusting to Stress

After a good 2 months of living down here in Columbia, I have found myself put in stressful situations, mostly from home and school work. I've been stressing about my dad getting better since i've gotten here, as the worst part of his sickness was taking place once i left. I've tried to find ways to avoid stressing and making myself more upset by being busy (going to the gym, homework, friends, etc). I try to stay positive. Also, i try to avoid stressing about my school work by managing my time well, and spreading out all the tasks i have to do. It made the studying or project seem less difficult and tedious. As i approach more stresses, i will try to stay positive with these tricks, and hopefully develop new ones.

Favorite Quote

My favorite quote, which i can't correctly arrange the words, goes a little like this;
Friends are people that you like, friends are people that like you.

I think this whole college experience (meeting new people, going out, clubs) really opens your eyes to the people that you really connect with. All throughout high school, I flip-floped around friends groups, as there was either too much drama, too many bitchy girls, or the people didn't end up being like me. I was truly satisfied with my friends by the middle/end of junior year. I'm not a fake person, and I won't be fake with people so I can be friends with them, and that's why my friends at home are the best friends I could ever ask for. They're very real, they care about me, and they truly love me. I know that i'm not going to find my best friends in a blink of an eye, but that's what college is all about; its about finding yourself and really realizing what kind of person you are, or who you want to become. I'm still working on it, but i see a lot of potential for amazing friends here at USC.

Dear Future Me

Dear Maisie,

I'm hoping that you've graduate college already, and left with a job ready for you. Hopefully, you still maintain connections with RSA films, as you did have an internship there as a senior in high school. They loved you over there, so don't forget to keep in touch. I also hope you've had more internships while you've been a college student. More practice, the better. As a freshman in college, you hoped to graduate as a very independent, strong, and confident human being who is passionate about accomplishing her goals. I also hope that you've worked your way through the industry and maintain some sort of producing job.  Work hard, maisie. It'll all pay off in the end.

3 Week Reflection

These first few weeks of college have been really great. I grew up as a really independent person, so I knew that moving somewhere that's 14 hours away from my home wouldn't be that difficult. I love the culture shock i'm getting; food, people, weather, lifestyle, etc. I love learning about other cultures/how other people live, and that's one of the main reasons why i decided to attend USC. I found my roommate back in the beginning of May. Her name's Phoebe, and she's a bio-chem major for Pre-Med. She's an awesome person and I see so many similarities between us. I love in Bates West, which are the apartment style dorms, so I actually have 2 other suite mates too! Brianna and Stephanie are also are really great people and are so much fun. We've already grown so close and it definitely helps with settling in. Yes, because i'm so far from home, I do get very homesick. My family is struggling with a lot at the moment, so being away from my family right now isn't easy. I am a fighter though, and all i've suffered has made me stronger. I think that being at an amazing school and keeping myself busy with classes, friends, and activities will help me get through this with high hopes.

The Postmortal

Honestly, before this book, i hated reading so much. I never understood what it was like to be lost inside of a book for hours or want to even pick up the book. I found that feeling with the Postmortal. I thought because it was so futuristic and had so many different chapters and events made it really incredible. I found myself so interested with John Farrell and his life in general. Farrell is a middle aged man living in NYC, the city of endless opportunities... The word about the cure for aging hits the streets and comes in contact with Farrell. He realizes that the cure for aging allows him to have more time and more options. He no longer feels obligated to have a structured life; have a job, get married, have a family, etc. The Postmortal is about John Farrell figuring out how to spend his time with the cure, and make it worth while. One of my favorite parts was when John took the end specialist job. I loved reading about why these people weren't happy with their choices about getting the cure and why they felt the need to no longer live. I'm very happy that this book was selected for our summer reading, and it helped me realize that i am capable of reading a book and loving it.

About Maisie

Hi! I'm Maisie Gibb. I'd like to think i'm not the typical freshman in college. I was born into a european family, and i wouldn't have it any other way. Both of my parents are English... Yes, they have accents.They immigrated about 20-25 years ago for work, and decided to not go back home. The rest of my extended family is across the big pond in England and Switzerland which definitely has an impact on my life. I was destined to be a traveller. At the age of 17, I've been to over 15 countries with my family, learning about other cultures, making memories, and growing closer as a family at the same time. The last place i travelled to was Greece and Turkey in July!
On a smaller scale, my family of 4 lives in a small town with lots of horses, no side walks, and a high school with no more than 500 kids. I'd say i live in the countryside, but it's perfect for me. We live in the town of North Salem, which is only an hour away from NYC by train or car. I have a younger brother named Jack, who is currently a junior in high school. Obviously, it wasn't easy moving away from him and my parents to a school that's 13 hours away, but this is what i want, and i'm going to make the best of it.
Both of my parents climbed high up in the Advertising industry for 30 years. Their characteristics are imbedded in me, and help me to realize that i want to be just like them. My Major at USC is advertising, but i'm more interested in media production which is closely knitted to advertising. I hope to be either a creative director, a photographer, or a producer. I chose USC because i found this school to be perfect in every way, for my academic needs and desired college experiences. I hope U101 helps me to realize how excited i should be for these next 4 years at USC, and all the opportunities that are offered to me.