I’ve spent the past two days immersed in orientation activities. I have chatted and networked and bonded and bitched and been overwhelmed all in a very short time, and there’s still plenty more to come. But I have noticed several things within the past 48 hours:
- There will always be “that girl” who wants to go above and beyond everyone else who’s going above and beyond and who doesn’t realize (or care) just how obnoxious she’s being. And I don’t have to be friends with her – even if she is in my program.
- There will also always be “that other girl” who, at the networking reception has one drink too many and proceeds to knock empties off the table, so that they shatter on the patio. And, because we’re all still high schoolers at heart, the rest of the class will say, “oooooooohh!”
- I’m no longer either of those girls. (Or, at least, I wasn’t yesterday.)
- There is a bigger difference between a 22-year-old and a 25-year-old than you might initially guess.
- Riding a bike back home after the aforementioned reception probably wasn’t my best idea, but I learned that it is doable. For future reference.
- And speaking of biking in the city, I think I’m ready to check off that whole “comfortable riding in the streets” thing. Because when I yell at drivers (mostly when they can’t hear me), I know I’ve started to bike like I drive. For better or worse.
- First impressions are SO important, and will undoubtedly set the tone for whatever friendships follow.
- If all professors had British accents, I’d pay much more attention in class.
- Grad schools are apparently the new eharmony/match.com/chemistry/etc, considering nearly every administrator mentioned stories of students meeting their current spouses and having babies. That should be a perk, not your selling point.
- And finally, judging from all the information I’ve gathered in the past couple days, I was right about having no life once classes start. I’m torn: I love being right (who doesn’t?), but I’ll miss my sanity. Or rather, what was left of it.
Anyway, I’ll be finishing all my back to school shopping this weekend, along with a healthy dose of softball tomorrow. So long, sweet summer.
Happy Friday!
