I don't even know *who* I want to pit

[asterion]

Something else that might help is to get out of town. Seriously. Get both off campus and out of Santa Fe. Just for a day. Here are some possibilities (though you do need a car or an interested friend):

Head to the outlet mall on I-25 south of Santa Fe. (I’m assuming it’s still open. Never been there myself.)

Head all the way down to Albuquerqe. You’ve missed the State Fair, but in a couple weeks the Balloon Fiesta starts, and you owe it to yourself to get down there for at least one mass ascension. Plus, there’s more commerical stuff to do.

Go to Bosque Del Apache. Bit of a drive here, as it’s south of Socorro, and probably not quite as worth it now. In a couple months, though, there will be all sorts of sandhill cranes, geese, other birds, and maybe even some whooping cranes.

Go to Bandelier National Monument. It’s fairly close, gets you outdoors, and is pretty interesting. Along those lines, there’s also Los Alamos nearby. Not a whole lot I can think of off the top of my head for Los Alamos other than the historical WWII stuff.

Go to Chaco Canyon. It’s another long drive, but once again, pretty neat.

Head up to Taos. Nothing off the top of my head for Taos, but I’m sure there’s plenty.

Head into the mountains. You’ve got the Pecos Wilderness, the Jemez Mountains, the Sangre De Cristos, the Sandias, and the Manzanos all fairly nearby. Nothing like a nice day hike.

Hit one of the many state parks in the area. Near Albuquerque is the Petroglyph National Monument and the Coronado state monument. In the same area, you could spend some time hiking the extinct volcanoes on Albuquerque’s west side.

I know that it can be hard to do anything without a car. (Trust me, I made it three years in a tiny town at a small school in the middle of nowhere without one.) When I got depressed a few times after starting school, just being able to get off campus and walk around was nice, so that’s why I really think any of these could help. Especially if you like the outdoors and would like some exercise.

And I really do suggest you do whatever it takes to get down to the Balloon Fiesta. It’s really something to see.

[Anne_Neville]

@NinjaChick

I freely admit I’m used to being one of the most intelligent people around, and suddenly I’m definitely not. I feel stupid in one of my classes, compared to everyone else, and for once it’s because I truly don’t understand the material, not just “I’m unprepared because I’m lazy as hell”.

Probably a lot of other people in that class feel the same way. I had a physics class like that my sophomore year of college. The professor was nuts. He raved about how wonderful this book we were using for the course was, but I found it hard to understand. Finally, about halfway through the semester, I talked to someone else in the class about the book. He described reading it as being “like walking through three feet of snow.” I felt better.

@NinjaChick

My roommate’s too goddamned perky every single morning.

Ugh, perky people. If it makes you feel any better, the perky voice that our voice mail system used when I was in college annoyed the heck out of me.

[Rilchiam]

Ninja, please keep an open mind with Aigla. He’s not a dictator; he’s one of the most sympathetic tutors on campus. He just doesn’t want you doing stuff he hasn’t taught you because then he’d have to deviate from the lesson plan he’s already worked out. Forgive me for sounding corny, but he does have a lot to teach you!

Also no offense, but you really shouldn’t be calling your hometown friend so much. Not saying you are homesick, but you should be concentrating on what’s happening now. You’ll have better stories to tell him at Thanksgiving or winter break, whenever you see him again, if you allow yourself time for new experiences to develop.

Sorry about the movie. I went through the same thing with Dangerous Liasons. Three promised rides; not one came to pass. Screw them and walk.

While you’re walking, see if Galisteo News is still open. Perhaps you can meet someone. Or do some reading. Or just chill.

asterion, I don’t think she’s gonna have time for a road trip. My recommendation is to do a half-day hike. It’s almost impossible to get lost, but it is possible to get a good workout and burn off a lot of excess energy.

Jayn, the cafeteria workers having to “balance” the vegetarian/carnivore options is not an excuse. SJC has always been overwhelmingly vegetarian. I think the problem is that SAGA has to make do with what the corporation sent them.

People were “complaining” when I was there, and the stopgap solution was Co-op. Students would make one entree, like cream of mushroom soup, with what components the cafeteria could provide, and if turned out bad, they had no one to blame but themselves.

[Anecdote]Students going through the line ordering their dinner entrees.

A: “Veggie lasagna.”

B: “Veggie lasagna.”

C: “Veggie lasagna.”

D: “Meat lasagna.”

C: “What are you, a WEIRDO?!”[/anecdote]

[js_africanus]

@NinjaChick

And it’s not the food in the region, it’s the food in the cafeteria. It’s just - ick. Aramark tends to put frostingn on muffins (like, corn muffins and such) and call them cupcakes.

Dorm food can be a great way to maintain a fairly healthy style of eating. When you’re living off campus, get a one-meal-a-day meal pass so that you can get lunch or dinner. Before long, you will become so sick of the nast food that you’ll start sticking to salads for at least one meal a day, because you don’t want to waste your daily meal. Worked great for me.