Arrival To Copenhagen

I just arrived to Copenhagen after eight hours in the air. The flight was very comfortable, especially since my ticket had been upgraded to economy extra.

There was a snowstorm the morning I woke up so I was a little worried that the plane had been cancelled. I checked online and there were no messages about any delays for my flight, but I took the bus to Newark Liberty Airport a little earlier because of the storm.

I arrived about three hours prior to when my plane would leave so the check in had just opened. Everything went smooth and when I checked in my uncle had helped me to upgrade my seat from economy to economy extra.

I had a lot of space on the plane and I got more drinks and better food. I will definitely consider upgrading my tickets in the future.

The only thing that has gone wrong so far is that my baggage has been lost. The staff says that the bag arrived to Stockholm instead of Copenhagen and that they have to send it back to Copenhagen.

I am glad that it is not missing or have an unknown status though; at least they know where it is. I am still worried, however, because I have some valuable stuff in it, such as my laptop, tripod, and Christmas gifts.

What is good is that they will drive it home to my address when it arrives to Copenhagen so I will not have to worry about going to the airport again.

My dad will pick me up at the airport and we will go to by some alcohol for Christmas afterwards. The reason for that is because the alcohol in Denmark is a lot cheaper than in Sweden.

There is only one company in Sweden that is allowed to sell alcohol so it’s a monopoly. I guess the state wants to control the consumption of it, bit it really is not a very good thing because alcoholism is still a big problem in Sweden and I would love it to be cheaper.

I will go to meet my dad now. I did not sleep on the plane so I will have to stay up for a whole more day, which is tough. I will probably decorate my grandmother’s Christmas tree today or tomorrow, and I am really looking forward to doing that. 

Done With Finals

This quarter is finally over after a tough week consisting of four finals. I studied a lot last weekend and it definitely paid off.

I had three tests yesterday so I was a little nervous about it. I did not worry about the math though because that class has not been very hard for me. I have gotten 100% on everything in that class so my professor told me that I only had to do ten out of the twenty questions on the final.

I finished in about half an hour and went to a computer lab afterwards to study. My teacher had posted my grades just about ten minutes after I had turned it in to him, which I thought was very impressive. I got all answers right so my final grade will be A.

The next test in business law was almost killing me. I was very nervous because there had been a lot to study. I studied very much for it but it did not help my nerves. The test was not easy. There were more true or false questions n this one than on the midterm and I hate those questions.

True or false questions are hard to answer because there is always an “IF” factor. If I am insecure of what the right answer is, I usually write something next to the question explaining why I chose that certain answer. I am not sure if it helps but at least, sometimes, it justifies my answer.

I felt very doubtful after the test. I looked up some of the questions so I knew I had at least two wrong answers from the true or false section. The rest of the test was not a problem for me though.

The professor posted the grades an about an hour after the test and I was very relieved when I saw that I got 92 out of 100 on the test. My final grade in business law will therefore be A.

My last test yesterday was in microeconomics. I was not nervous about it and the test was not hard for me. I finished first in class actually and I checked my grade today, which showed up to be A.

I had my last test today. It was in consumer behavior and covered about ten chapters. I studied a lot for it yesterday and I felt ready for it this morning. The test was not easy but it was not too hard either.

The hardest thing about it was that it was multiple-choice questions and many answers were very close to each other. I think I will get an A though. I also got back my term paper from that class and I got an A on that one.

Right now it looks like I will maintain my 4.0 GPA, which is great news for me. 

Shoes

Shopping for shoes in New York is not really one of my favorite things to do but my fiancée loves it.

We went to DSW, which is a chain store that sells shoes only. Their stores are huge and they have all kinds of shoes there. It is pretty impressive how big they are. I took a picture last time I was there so that I can show you the size of it.

This is my last study day before the finals. I have studied business law mostly and I think I know most of it now. The subjects I have to learn include real estate, contracts, torts, and wills.

It is very interesting actually and the view people get in Europe that the laws in the United States are crooked does not really make since anymore. The truth is, most Europeans do not have a clue about how the legal system in the States works.

I also looked over the math I need to know for tomorrow. I need to know everything from the matrix system to exponential equations. It is not very hard if you put some effort in getting familiar with it.

I have also studied for the microeconomics test. My professor posts review questions online before every test so there are a total of three review question sheets online right now. This is great to study before the tests and it basically means that you will be fine on the test if you can answer those questions. 

I did those questions this morning. I got 100% on all of them so I think I am ready for the test tomorrow. I will probably look over it tomorrow again, before the test though.

My business law teacher decided something last week that I really like. Every student who shows up 15 minutes late will have five points deducted from his test score. The number one thing I hate is when people show up late for class so I really like this decision.

This is especially good on the final because many people are nervous and if someone suddenly walks in, right in the middle of the class, a lot of people might lose their concentration.

I have not studied much for my consumer behavior class but I have read my notes a couple of times. I will spend a lot of time tomorrow to study for it though, so I am not worried that I will not have enough time for it. 

Vaccination Day

I went out today to vaccinate my kitten for rabies. It has been a month since I got her and because she was too young to get the shot when I got her, I had to do it today.

She got really scared when my fiancée and I took her outside. We carried her in a special bag made for cats and dogs so she could not run but she was making a lot of noise.

She got a little calmer when we got on the train but every time we switched train or walked outside, she started to make sounds. She was also shaking a little but everything went fine other than that. She is sleeping right now, obviously exhausted after a tough day.

I have started to study for my finals now. I have typed my notes and printed the documents and I have reviewed it a couple of times.

There is a lot to review for the business law class but most of it makes since. The hardest thing about it is to remember definitions and elements.

I also have a lot of chapters to read for my consumer behavior class. I have tried to limit the number of pages I have to read by highlighting and writing down certain page numbers that are important.

I will not study consumer behavior that much these days since that test is a day later than the other tests. I will put more energy on studying business law and microeconomics.

My fiancée convinced me to watch the movie “Gone with the Wind” so I tried to watch it yesterday. Unfortunately, it was very late so I could not watch the whole movie. I like it so far actually even though it is very old.

I tried the white chocolate with mocha at Starbucks a couple of days ago. It is absolutely fantastic and I really like it with whip cream. I have only bought it ones but I am sure I will get it again.

I am going to Sweden soon and I am really looking forward to that. I need a break from the busy life here in New York and I think that my eight days in Sweden will be perfect for that. I will try to relax most of the time. My sister and I have planned to go barbequing in the woods.

We used to do that when we were kids and it is a really nice place. I am sure it will be very cold though but we will set up a campfire. I am looking forward to take many pictures and I will definitely post some of them on the blog. 

How To Study For Your Finals

Now that most students in the United States are preparing for their finals, I was thinking that I could talk a little about how to best prepare for it.

I have four finals to prepare for this quarter and three of them are on the same day. I have never had that many finals packed into one day but I still feel confident about getting a good score on all of them.

The key to pass with a good grade is to start studying in time. I usually start about a week before but the first stay is just small preparations. I think that it is important to type down your notes in word or some other similar program.

While doing this you should also have the book next to you and, if you have to, add missing information from your notes. By doing this, people will get a great outline and an easier sheet to study.

If people do this about a week before the finals take place, they will also get a great review that makes it easier to remember things on the day of the test. I do this all the time and it really helps me.

I have about 45 minutes with train to school and this is a great time for me to review and study the material needed. This is a total of 90 minutes (to and from school) that I will study for the test. Since I do this, I also do not have to study much at home.

I have a lot of free time because I plan my studying this way. A very important step in studying is to take breaks, which I get by studying on the train and come home and relax a bit before starting again.

90 minutes every day is 7.5 hours a week. How much time people need for preparation to a test differs but for me, it is definitely enough. Since you might have three tests the same day, like me, you will need to study more than that though.

Many people also do the mistake that they think of something else while reading their material. After reading all the pages they simply cannot remember it because their minds were somewhere else. It is very important that they focus on the notes and after reading a paragraph ask themselves: “what was it about?”

I constantly ask myself what I am reading and ask myself questions while reading. I do not only do this while preparing for a test, but also when reading magazines such as The Economist. It is a fact that I learn more that way.

I hope this gives people a basic understanding and idea of how to study. This might not work for everybody but it will definitely help most of you. 

First Snow This Winter

I went to Rockefeller Center last Saturday to see the tree. I did see it, but I have never seen that place so crowded after the lighting ceremony.

The place is crawling with tourists and the best viewpoint was impossible to reach. I brought my camera and tripod but I decided not to take any pictures because I really could not get a good view of the tree.

My fiancée and I went back to Times Square later on and checked out some stores. It started snowing for the first time this winter and that was very nice.

I had a quiz in math today. I think it was the most difficult quiz this quarter but I still got 5 out of 5 on it. The teacher is really fast with posting the results on the online blackboard, which I really appreciate because I want to know the results as fast as possible.

I will have a lot to do this week because of the upcoming final week. I do not have more tests this week though so that gives me some time to study and concentrate on my last week.

I think I will go out to take more photographs at night. I took a lot of pictures last Saturday when I went to Times Square. The darkness gives a totally new perspective in a picture and I am really happy with the ones I took.

I am going to type down my notes from my business law class later today. I have not done that since the midterm so I have a lot to type. The notes usually add up to about four pages in size ten so it takes a while to type it.

It is getting really dark in the mornings nowadays because of the winter so it is really hard to get up in the morning. It does not really matter how early you go to bed because the darkness itself makes people tired.

I am really looking forward to the Christmas break so that I can get some rest. It will last for about three weeks and I think that is a perfect amount of time to have a break. I do not really like breaks that last too long because I get easily bored.

My fiancée and I went to Burger King a few days ago to have a milkshake. What is really funny about that is that they have really thick straws. I actually think it is a great idea because it is always too hard to drink milkshake with the normal thin straws. The size is perfect but it feels weird to drink from it because of the thickness. 

Christmas

One of the greatest things about New York is definitely the Christmas decoration. Most stores have put up decorations now and the city looks fabulous.

The huge Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center was lit last Wednesday, but I missed it unfortunately. I am going there tonight to check it out and to take some pictures. I was there last year and attended the lighting ceremony, which was awesome.

The Christmas tree lighting ceremony has been a tradition since 1931. The tree itself is attached by wires so that it will not fall. There are over 30,000 lights attached to it. The wire with all the lights is about five miles long, which is pretty incredible.

New Yorkers are crazy about the environment so every year they recycle the tree for various purposes. For example, they ones used the tree for house construction purposes. Rockefeller Centers garden division picks out a tree every year but the tree itself my not come from New York.

They search in areas including Ohio, Vermont, Connecticut, and Canada, but I am sure they look in other places too.

Households are also starting to decorate their properties. My neighbor has decorated his whole house and it looks great. I think that people in Dyker Heights are decorating a lot but I am not sure. I am thinking about checking it out though.

I only have one more week left in school now. I have a quiz in math and the rest of the week will be pretty calm. The following week after next is final week though and that one will be pretty packed.

I have three finals that Tuesday. It is in math, business law, and microeconomics. I will be free that Monday, which is good because that gives me time to study.

I have my last final on Wednesday, which is in consumer behavior. Times has, as usual, gone very fast this quarter. I will go back to Sweden for Christmas and will stay for eight days. I am looking forward to see my family again and to get a short break from busy New York.

I will take a few pictures in Sweden that I will post on the blog. I will also put up a picture on the Rockefeller Christmas tree. 

Selling Books Online

This quarter is soon coming to an end. Time has gone really fast but I feel, at the same time that it will be very comfortable with some vacation.

I sold another book online today. I had set the price at $3 so it was definitely not worth it. However, I had posted the book for sale earlier for $10 so that was the reason I kept it there. It was a very old book so I just wanted to get rid of it.

I have a few other books posted that I want to sell but I am considering if I should sell it or not. I got a total of $5.20 for the book because I will be compensated for some freight charges. The freight charges are, however, calculated in advance and usually do not add up to the actual price.

My total expenses for sending the book was $5 so I made a profit of 20 cents. My opinion is that if you have a book for sale and you will get less than $10 for it. Do not sell it online because it is definitely not worth the work you have to put into it.

This week is relatively calm in school. I have not had much homework, but I do have a term paper to turn in. I will write it either today or tomorrow but I have already written one third of it.

My cat is getting pretty big now. It is growing very fast. It is still cute though and I think that it is getting a little calmer for each day, which is good. It wakes me up some mornings, which can be pretty annoying, especially if you have school that same day.

Google came out with a new version of Google Maps, which I really like. They have added new functions that make it possible to see when trains and buses arrive. It is pretty accurate too so it is much easier to plan on when to leave home before taking the train.

The subway and buses have also been integrated in the GPS system so you can now search for directions by transit and it will show what train or bus you will need to take.

I have a test in math next week. We are learning things about absolute value and logarithms right now and I do not think that it is very hard. I have a 100% score in my math class right now, which feels very good.