First Week of School
Well, the first week of school has come and gone, and already I’ve discovered things that do and don’t work for me. Doesn’t work: the trusty backpack I’ve had since the first time I was in college – it’s too small for my ginormous notebook. 
Does work: sneaking in the exit doors to get a better seat in the lecture hall.
Here are my top ten observations for the week as a back-to-undergrad thirty something:
1. Cell phones are ubiquitous!
When I went to school, cell phones were non-existent. Now they are glued to the ears of half the students you pass. For me, it’s a bit disconcerting, especially in the restroom! What’s up with that?! There is no one I need to speak with so badly that I need to call them up while I’m sitting on the toilet…
2. Way more cleavage.
Where are these girls’ mothers?
3. Time moves faster when you’re older.
A week of school already gone? What, class is over already? I think it’s a good thing, because I don’t have time to get bored. And, the corollary:
4. “Boring” things are far more interesting.
In my genetics class, we’ve been learning about Gregor Mendel’s famous pea experiment. Here I am, hanging onto the professor’s every word, thinking, “Mendel was a genius!” Meanwhile, the kid next to me is drooling. I’ve turned into a sponge – maybe it’s the natural breakdown of age. You get more holes in you, and you can soak more things up.
5. The beauty is in the details.
I think I probably noticed a lot of details my first time through school, too — a pretty bush, an architectural flourish — but I probably didn’t think much about the janitors or the mechanics or landscapers or plumbers or electricians who work behind the scenes so that campus is a nice place to be. Now when I notice the beautiful details, I think of those people, too. Somehow, everything has far more meaning.
6. I no longer have the stamina of a twenty year old.
Phooey. Maybe the yoga classes I’ve signed up for will help remedy that.
7. There’s no pressure to fit in.
I don’t think I consciously worried about this as an undergrad, but it must have been an issue for me because I also remember feeling as though I didn’t fit in. Now, “fitting in” has no meaning for me. I come to class, I go home, I do my homework… no social pressure! Good times!
8. My inner nerd is blossoming.
Back in the day, I had no idea of how to structure my time, and I was a huge procrastinator. Now, I am memorizing information that I won’t be tested on for at least a month, and working on papers that aren’t due until December. Experience definitely has its advantages.
9. Free food is like a magnet.
True then, true now. Except I’m a little pickier about what I’ll eat. But not much.
10. Commuting sucks.
Self Portrait
Aug 30, 2008 | 0 | Non-Traditional Students
