At Penn, I am a typical Korean girl.  I hang out with Korean-Koreans (even though I do speak English with them, they are still Korean-Koreans, not Korean-Americans).  I had to worry so much about rumors about me going around.  I had to worry about eating a meal with a guy friend because before you know it, people are gonna think you two are dating.  Well, anyway, coming to DC and spending time with new people have been so much fun.  I like how I can be open about so many things without worrying about people being judgmental. 

So last Friday, I went down to a club with a friend of mine to see a concert.  He just had an extra ticket and my dinner with other friends happened to be cancelled that night so I thought "oh well I might as well enjoy my time at a club than staying home."  So I decided to go.  The concert was about four hours long I think.  I remember the door opened at 8 pm and by the time we got home, it was 1 am.  I was pretty much exhausted after the concert especially when I literally danced for four straight hours.  I really like how I don't know people around this city because I can actually do anything I want without worrying about people seeing me and talking behind my back.  (Not that I was doing anything bad.  I am always self-conscious about myself around people I know.) So it was worth my time and energy, and we had a great time at the concert.

Saturday was my shopping day.  My roommate and I went to Du Pont Circle to see the Embassy Road and some boutiques but it was just waaayy to hot.  I think that day, it went up to 100'F.  So we decided to go shopping at Pentagon City where I went on a shopping spree.  I bought two dresses at Forever 21.  haha funny.  The last time I bought anything there was back in high school.  But this time, their dresses were actually adorable.  I am totally going to wear them when I go out with my friends :)  Then I went to Abercrombie and Fitch to get swimsuits because I've had my old ones for four years now and also i left them back in vegas.  Getting ready for the beachhouse on 4th of July wknd!   Then we walked around a bit more then came home exhausted once again. 

Sunday, I went down to Smithsonian to meet up with a few of my friends from Penn.  We ended up going to Museum of National History (I think?) and look at some fossils, gemstones, and some interesting stuff.  Then we couldnt stand the heat anymore so we decided to go to my friend's place for lunch.  We had some Korean food (I was so excited since I haven't had Korean food for over two weeks) then I took the metro to get back home.  Since on the weekends, DC metro does check-ups on Green/yellow lines, my train was delayed by 40 minutes, which was very annoying.  It took me two hours to get home.  Then I went out to Cafee Paradiso for dinner with my roommates, met one of my roommates' bestie Phon, talked, and came back home. 

It was a long, eventful weekend and I am dead tired.  And it's only Monday.  Oh well, still loving DC though!

When I was in high school, I thought college was everything.  Getting into a good college seemed to be the path to success.  When I had trouble with grades, did horribly on the SATs and even when I lost in my NHS elections, I was only mad because I thought I wouldn't get into a good college. 

So after getting into an Ivy school, I thought I was all set for the future.  I thought every company would want to recruit me for positions.  I thought after graduating, I would have a job set up for me already.  But now that I think about it, I was completely wrong.  It is not the name value that gets you the good-paying jobs.  Everyone here tries harder and harder everyday to move up.  The effort he/she puts in to his/her work is what brought a consultant position at McKinsey or an i-banker position at Wall Street. 

So all you high-schoolers/middle-schoolers who are stuck at an SAT school studying your ass off for that 2400/2400 on your Collegeboard score reports, continue to study hard - since it will be beneficial eventually - but re-think about what you really want to do with life.  Getting into a good college may give you (and your parents) the pride, but sometimes, it may be better to find a school that can provide you the resources and atmosphere for what you want to do.  Because Ivy schools often try to be a well-around school so that they can be one of the top ranks on the annual US Newsweek college ranking report, they tend to spread their funds throughout their numerous programs in different areas. 

Don't be devastated just because you got a point off on your U.S. history exam.  Don't be disappointed because you didn't get to serve as the president of the National Honor Society (I lost to one of my friends in my senior year).  After all, it is just one more item that you put on your college apps, and admissions officers would probably care much more about the big picture not those little details.  Look around and find what you are most interested in.  Do it early. It will help you in college and in your careers afterwards.