New Beginnings

New Beginnings
Cati is trying to leave her past behind and start fresh. She is having difficulty shedding her deep dark soul wrenching physical and emotional agony. While no one on campus at Corinthian University knows the story or that Cati has these deeply rooted scars; she still feels as though it is all over her face. She throws herself into a busy schedule so as to distract herself from the agony she carries around.
Cati is focused on gaining a 4.0 GPA and being involved in activities on campus. She has hand selected a double major of psychology and sociology with a minor in art. Art is a guilty pleasure of hers. Cati intends to develop a new side of her personality that she can truthfully live with and not feel ashamed. As orientation begins Cati meets her roommate Jerianne during the move in process and they decide how to organize their small room. They choose to bunk the beds against the back wall., the dressers along the wall with the door in it, the desks by the windows. Their tv is up above the closet in a cabinet. Cati picks the top bunk and climbs up to make the bed. She puts sheets with blue and orange stripes and a light blue down comforter on her bed. She then notices as Jerianne puts sheets on her bed that the coordinated without effort. Jerianne's sheets are orange. They start discussing who get which dresser and desk and organizing the rest of the room. Jeri and Cati decide how they will decorate the room after the orientation is over.
Cati, Cati's parents, Jeri and Jeri's parents go to lunch in downtown Bloomberg, Indiana. Cati is from Stockton, Illinois and Jeri is from Marxville, Ohio. The parents sit at one table while the girls pick another table to have a private conversation with each other during lunch. The parents talk about how amazing this experience is for their girls to be out on their own for college and their mutual happiness that the girls are getting along so well. Across the room at Jeri and Cati's table the girls discuss what the semester will entail for them both and what they are majoring in. Jeri is a double major as well she says it psychology and communication. Lunch ends and everyone heads to Lansdale Library for a new student meet and greet with professors for all the departments.
Following the meet and greet Cati says goodbye to her mother and stepdad as does Jeri. Jeri and Cati head back to their room and unpack some more before the rest of the evenings events occur. As they unpack they discuss what type of music they like and what high schools they attended. Cati attended Hillside Prep and learned how to study in a more effective manner than when she was in grade school. Jeri attended James Monroe High school.

Jeri: What was Hillside Prep like?
Cati: It was highly academic. An extremely competitive high school everyone was trying to out due not just themselves and their enemies but also their friends. What was James Monroe like?
Jeri: Well, it was drama-ridden and classes were fairly simple unless you took AP or enriched classes. I think we need to head to the next activity but we can talk more on the way.
Cati: I think your right. Let's go.
They headed to department meetings. They both started with the psychology department and the department chair explained the program and how many electives they would need. Then they split off to the other major they had in mind to learn the same information about those programs . Following that they both filled out the major declaration forms for both of their majors. They headed to dinner and decided which department they would go to the desert event for. They both decide to attend the psychology departments desert.
The girls have an hour before the desert social so they head to the quad and enjoy the weather. They sit and discuss their schedules and see if they have any classes together this semester. Each girl is only taking fourteen credits this semester to be sure she can handle her course load. Cati glances at her watch and declares we best head for the science building so that we do not miss the psychology department gather and direct us to the location of the social. They immediately jump up and run to the science building.
Once they return from social Cati and Jeri have a debriefing with one another and discuss what extra psychology courses they will take. After they finish debriefing they talk about the shows they enjoy watching and what DVDs they each brought with them. Then they decide to get some sleep since tomorrow is filled with activities in the morning and investigation time in the afternoon.
The morning begins with a new student canoe trip on the river which ends at noon. The students return to campus around One pm. Cati cleans up and changes before she and Jeri head out to do a bit of campus investigation. They start out together and check out the science building, library, student center and workout center. Cati then breaks off by herself and goes to investigate the art building. Cati returns to the dorm and chats with Jeri for about an hour before they head to dinner and then change for the student movie in the upstairs of the student center.
At dinner Jeri and Cati meet Larsen, Cameron, Lena and Marena. Larsen and Cameron are roomies. Larsen is a music major and Cameron is undecided. Lena met Marena during the move in Lena is in a single room and she is deciding between Education and Art. Marena is a chemistry major. They talked about the mixer that was going on tomorrow. All the girls started discussing what they would wear but decided they would help each other decided tomorrow morning. Larsen asked Cati if she would meet him at the student center thirty minutes before the movie and she said yes she would. Dinner ends and there is about an hour before the movie.
Lena, Marena, Cati and Jeri start coordinating their outfits for the movie. They begin with Jeri's outfit go all the way to what the makeup will look like. Cati's outfit is next because she has to get ready to meet Larsen. While Cati is getting ready to go meet up with Larsen the rest of the girls help Lena pick out her outfit. Cati finishes getting ready and heads to the student center. They sit and talk about how they decided on Corinthian.
Larsen: What drew you to Corinthian?
Cati: I wanted a school with a great psychology program and distance from my family. How about you, why did you pick Corinthian?
Larsen: I liked the music program and love the campus not to large but not so small that everyone knows everyone. What is your favorite band?
Cati: Right now I'm really into 80s music at the moment so probably Aerosmith. Should probably head up to the movie now so that we can find good seats and get the refreshments before everyone picks them over.
Larsen: Sounds good then we can talk more after we find seat while we wait for others to arrive.
They pick a seat off to the side on the couch. They talk for another five minutes as the movie area fills up. The movie starts and they find out that it is Farris Bueller's Day Off. Cati loves this movie because she would watch it to escape her pain when she was younger. This movie comforts Cati more than anyone knows. After the movie Cati and Larsen talk for another hour and then he walks her back to her dorm.
The girls get up early and meet to pick out what they are going to wear to the mixer. Then they all head to breakfast and sit out in the quad afterwards. At the mixer Cati and Larsen dance half the time and the rest of the time Cati hangs with the girls. Larsen mingles with more intended music majors and gets to know some of his potential classmates.


First week
Cati lands herself a job as the assistant to the Psychology department chair. She also learns the lay of the land as she focuses on her classes. Most of her classes are general education except her art class. She has fourteen credit hours and works ten hours a week in the psychology department.
Cati alongside the psychology department chair is updating to the department webpage. She has to put events and activities up on the site’s calendar and edit the course descriptions and offerings. She starts with the calendar which takes about two minutes because the only activities and events for the semester thus far include the psychology mixer for all psychology majors and the Psychology panel. All the course descriptions stay the same just a few of the titles change. Cati and Dr. Barton are working on the mission statement for the department and editing staff biographies. Normally she will be helping grade and input grades for upper division courses into the online grade book.
Cati has created a very strict plan for herself in terms of study plan and schedule. Cati loves to exercise and is extremely spiritual. She has her private time with God and then continues her day. Cati is healthier than most of her peers on all fronts. For day one of classes Cati gets up does her 30 minute bible study and prayer. She gets dressed and goes to the workout center and runs five laps and then swims five laps. Cati takes a shower and gets ready for the day. She heads back to campus for breakfast and then grabs her backpack from her room and heads to classes.
In between her first two classes Cati goes to the library and does reading or research for papers. She is extremely organized and works head on course work so that she doesn't need to ask for any extensions. She loves to keep busy and learn as much as possible. Cati seeks out knowledge in any way she can. That is why she decided to double major in psychology and sociology.
At lunch Cati grabs a to go container and heads to the courtyard to do some reading while she eats. She does her psychology reading while highlights key words and phrases. Then she takes notes while continuing to read after which she answers the chapter questions from the book to prepare for the online quiz and prepares her own questions to ask during class. On top of her detailed personal notes she also takes even more detailed class notes but she also uses shorthand for her notes so that she can keep up with the slides and add in any extra information that the professor adds to the lecture. Cati prefers to be thorough rather than lax on the information she includes in her notes to make studying easier.
Every Monday through Thursday from 6 to 10 PM Cati spends time in the library to review lecture notes and do research for papers she has to write during the semester. Prior to which she meets up with her group of friends and eats dinner. On Fridays Cati spends time with Larsen in the student union or on walks. They discuss their courses and slowly start asking each other personal questions. On their current walk they discuss options for things to do together on Sunday after church.
Larsen: I think we should get our group together and have a movie marathon up in the viewingroom.
Cati: I was thinking maybe we could do something just the two of us any ideas?
Larsen: You and I could watch a movie in my room what are your thoughts?
Cati: I don’t really feel like watching a movie. I was thinking we could grab some lunch off campus and then go for a hike over at the state park. Any of that sound good?
Larsen: The hike sounds amazing but I say we have lunch on campus. After our hike we could have a small bible study and then grab some dinner before we return. Does that sound good?
Cati: That’s awesome actually. We just need to be back before the library closes so that I can do some more research.
Larsen: I will be looking forward to these plans all week. Why do you need to do research on a Sunday night? You have Saturday for that.
Cati: Research relaxes me and I enjoy learning new things.
Occassionally Cati joins Larsen for lunch during the week but most of the time she either eats with Jeri or does the to go. Cati enjoys the time during her solo lunches because she gets to gain new knowledge and relax a bit before more lectures. Cati often asks questions during lectures to get information clarified or just ask general question related to the material.