Half Full Friday and Blog of the Week

It's that time again - Half Full Friday!  Hook up with Mr. Linky at Eyegirl's to join in the fun.  No need to be shy, I'll be there too and I'll even introduce you if you'd like. 

~I'm happy because...

My financial aid appointment went really well!

I won April's giveaway!  This is the second giveaway of hers that I've won.

I picked a friend up at the airport and to thank me, she bought me a McD's Fruit Smoothie!  Can't get enough of those.

This same friend got me a really pretty bracelet as a souvenier from her trip!

We finally got some rain this week!  I don't know why but I've been wanting a real downpour and we finally got it.

The landscaper's mom and I talked and kind of cleared the air a little bit over my rosebushes yesterday!

*****

I had my appointment with financial aid on Wednesday.  Before, I was only going to be offered a $400 pell grant.  After filling out the proper paperwork, providing all the necessary documentation to back it up and a letter to state my case, the woman I spoke with said that she thought she could get me a $2700 pell grant.  She then informed me that if I was approved for the additional grant, my loan amount would go down.  I asked if this meant that I'd still be getting the same amount of money, just in different increments (pell grant, subsidized loan and unsubsidized loan) and she said yes, she thought so.  Twelve or more credits per semester is considered a full-time student there at a cost of $2650 per semester.  If I get that pell grant, my schooling would essentially be free and I'd only truly be financing books and various other fees.  Whatever was left over is what I would live on.  I know finances will be tight but they've already been tight for the past year.  So I left the campus feeling like I was floating on air.

I had also asked about getting work study but was told there isn't much money for that right now and hardly anyone is being awarded it.  The woman said she'd put my name on the list but that there was no guarantee  I'd get it.

And then...  Last night, the school provided an online chat for incoming freshmen to ask any questions.  It was kind of difficult to follow because there didn't seem to be any order to the questions being answered.  Two or three administrators would all answer one question while others weren't answered at all.  Some of the participants seemed to think it was more about chit chat and didn't ask questions that pertained much to the school.  I was lucky enough to have a private chat with two separate administrators.  One said that living off school loans solely was extremely difficult.  The other one didn't say much about living off loans but did explain more about how work study works.  He's also a business and economics major and he loves it.  He says that particular program is one of the university's strengths.  I'm still feeling pretty good but then he goes on to tell me there's math in economics.  WTF?  I just cannot catch a break where math is concerned.  I have to take two math classes, plus there's math in economics and I have to take 2 econ classes.  So essentially I'll be taking four math classes!!!  Not cool!  I may have to rethink this whole major thing!

*****

This week's Blog of the Week is actually two different blogs, both by the same originator.  I found them both just yesterday when Jen was kind enough to leave a comment on my last Wordless Wednesday post.  She has three blogs total but these two are waaaaaaaay cool! (Not that the third one isn't.)

Location Central

The objective of this blog is to locate other bloggers in your area.  It lists all 50 states and several different countries.  Essentially, you just leave comment under the state or country where you're located.  This can be used to create business partners, organize get togethers, make new local friends and just find out who else is blogging in your area.  I haven't added my own blog yet but I did check out the other blogs in my state.

This next one is my new favorite blog of the moment. I absolutely LOVE it! 

Bits of Truth... all quotes

This kind of reminds me a little bit of the Postsecret website.  They're two totally different sites as Postsecret includes secrets on a postcard but this one is similar in that it has positive quotes with cool pictures.  She says she found most of the quotes on weheartit and books.  This blog's objective is:

"To show you we've all been there.  To encourage you to keep going.  To prove love exists.  To get you through the day.  To remind you to be strong.  To celebrate you.  To fight right along with you.  And to remind you to be happy & live life!"

Since she created some of the pictures herself, I didn't want to steal them.  Here are some of my favorite quotes though.

Don't ever place your happiness in someone else's hands because once they're gone, so is your happiness.

Just because today is terrible doesn't mean that tomorrow won't be the best day of your life.  You just gotta get there.

Life isn't about finding yourself, it's about creating yourself.

Forget what hurt you in the past but never forget what it taught you.

You told me to move on.  But where am I supposed to go?

This is one blog I'll be visiting regularly!