The semester is done and I'm celebrating! | Vlogmas Day 26

[@samward3331]

🎄🎅

[@AndreaJSeverson]

Thanks for watching!

[@malathinarayan4926]

🎄🎅Congratulations on being done with teaching for the year! I haven’t been to a Cheescake Factory in 4 years. There isn’t one near me. That menu is enormous. I think the lemon one is my favorite.

[@AndreaJSeverson]

The Cheesecake Factory menu is another level lol. I've been twice now in one month and that's more than I've gone in the last few years. Thanks for watching!

[@jessicadrake3016]

🎄🎅 Congrats on being done with this semester! My favorite cheese cake is cherry and peanut butter cup. I've been leaving my doors open with the screen door closed to help with the heat. It's ridiculous it's so hot this year. I miss cold weather lol.

[@AndreaJSeverson]

I'm missing the cold so much, it's just not getting cold so far this winter!

[@SDHegyes]

🎄🎅 I'm so happy you're finally on break (not anymore by the time I'm watching this). The difference in your happiness is palatable. It was evident you were starting to drag. I haven't been to the Cheesecake Factory in years but I recently tried a pumpkin swirl cheesecake and it was... Phenomenal! I think that's now my favorite. Better in cheesecake bite form than cheesecake slices though.

[@PagesAndPolish]

Haha that mug does look like it’s got a kind of dark angel on it. I loved hearing your thoughts on teaching now vs before the pandemic. Very interesting. 🎄🎅🏻 I love cheesecake but have never been to the Cheesecake Factory. Interestingly enough there is one singular Cheesecake Factory here in Canada but not in my province. Enjoy your break!

[@AndreaJSeverson]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who sees the dark angel lol! Thanks for watching Shannon!

[@TheCamilleNicole]

The cheesecake factory menu should be on your reading list for the year and as a re-read. 😂

[@AndreaJSeverson]

It really should count as a read for this year! That menu is massive!

[@randylhenderson1715]

Yay! 🎉 Congrats! You finished! I remember the feeling...relief tinged with exhaustion. School is an intense grind. No Cheesecake Factory near me but I do have an all gluten free bakery down the street. I love chocolate cheesecake and pumpkin is pretty tasty too. 🎄⛄

[@AndreaJSeverson]

I'm so glad to be done. It's been such a long semester!

[@TheKoffeeVerse]

I love all kinds of cheesecake. My favorite from Cheesecake Factory is their Pumpkin Cheesecake.

[@AndreaJSeverson]

The pumpkin one is so good!

[@bubble-oye]

I also thought it was a dark angle on the mug!!

[@AndreaJSeverson]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who sees it! :)

[@Mandy_James]

I've never been to the Cheesecake Factory. I rarely eat cheesecake but when I do I like it classic drizzled with caramel.

[@AndreaJSeverson]

Caramel on cheesecake is so good. :)

[@daj4740]

I dont have a Cheesecake Factory here in Maine. My favorite kind of cheesecake is New York style & tiramisu 😋🎄no Santa on my phone!!

[@AndreaJSeverson]

Tiramisu cheesecake would be so good!

[@Avionne_Parris]

🎄🎅 OMG, that Christmas tree in Kierland Commons was just, wow! All those pinks, purples, and blues - not to mention how tall and full the tree is :) Congrats on wrapping up your teaching work for the year! YAY! I so relate to that - I was right there with you, Andrea. We don't have The Cheesecake Factory in Trinidad but we do have a Cheesecake House... However, I've never been there since I actually don't like cheesecake. The only thing I know about The Cheesecake Factory is that Penny from The Big Bang Theory works there :P

[@AndreaJSeverson]

I love the tree at Kierland, the one across the street at the Quarter is also really pretty, that's in today's vlog. It's so funny, I never really liked cheesecake, but the Cheesecake Factory was always one of my favorite restaurants because they also do other desserts and they do the best chocolate fudge cake. :)

[@exbrickie]

I have such mixed feelings about The Cheesecake Factory. One part of me views it as all that is wrong in the culture of American excess, and the other part of me really likes the brown bread. I find their cheesecake to be a bit dry. My favorite cheesecake is at Joe's Farm Grill. I do think they are doing a great job with the Fox Restaurants. p.s. hiking while vlogging is a pretty impressive skill

[@AndreaJSeverson]

Fox does some great restaurants. :) But yes, the brown bread at CF is so good.

[@SDHegyes]

One of the things I've wondered about listening to so many students and teachers talk about school post-pandemic is how similar it sounds to shellshock post war. It's almost like we all have some form of PTSD from the pandemic in a way survivors did from major wars. I work at a care center and listening to some of the residents talk about post-war life, especially involving school, is fairly similar to that which post-pandemic students and teachers speak about it. And I'd love to get a psychologist's take on why. I mean, I understand why, but it would be interesting to get a psychological take on the similarities and differences.

[@AndreaJSeverson]

I'd really love to know if anyone is doing research on this. Because there really seems to be some sort of post-pandemic stress reaction. I'm sure people feel it in a variety of industries, healthcare and retail/hospitality dealt with a lot during the early years. But speaking for education, all my colleagues and students are feeling it.

[@alesswonderland]

I think looking at my brother who is a senior is high school with little push and will to apply to college, I think the newer students didn’t have those in person classes to teach and use the soft skills. So when they returned to school, say junior year after 2 years online, their teachers expected the previous knowledge of in person life, and didn't teach the students those skills. I'm not sure, my last 1.5 years of high school were online and struggled hard to transition into college and the new normal. I feel like I've been flailing and not getting through the last 4 years. I've seen people give up, but I've seen more of us crumble.

[@AndreaJSeverson]

I’ve definitely heard and seen similar from my students. I try to have as much patience and compassion as possible. We’re all doing our best. There needs to be more support for students instead of expecting them to keep up to the old normal standards. I know you feel like you’re flailing but just keep putting one foot in front of the other and try to enjoy your time in college as much as possible. This will ultimately be such a short time in your life, I promise it gets better.