Week One and Done

It's finally the beginning of the fall semester for us poor college kids! The Freshmen are pouring in and wandering the campus in their confusion. The Seniors are already working on term papers and searching for jobs. And then there's me, living it up for one more semester before I officially gain my associates degree!

I still remember my first week at college. Sure, I didn't have to move into a dorm, but the shock of jumping from the rigid structure of high school to the freedom that comes with a college campus was overwhelming at first. There weren't teachers roaming the hall and ushering students from class to class or a bell ringing and warning me to rush to my next course. No one was there to tell me I couldn't wander around outside in my free time or simply pack up and skip. In the classroom was even stranger. Professors don't have time for you to ask to use the restroom, or say you need a nurse. If you want, just hop up and walk out.

Well, amidst all of this chaos, I was on the hunt for a spot to call my own. NVCC Woodbridge is a small campus. We have three buildings (four if you count the tiny one next to the bookshop) and each one is packed with places to hide and sit for a few quiet minutes. This is great since sometimes I had to wait up to 3 hours before my next class would start. On one memorable occasion, I waited 6 hours. 6 HOURS! So it's important to find your own quiet spot to recuperate. Mine happened to be the old cafeteria in the crappiest building. It's also the perfect people watching spot, but that's just a side note.

While I got used to the campus, I also learned that the first week (or two if you have dynamic courses) is the time to determine who are the good students, the fun students, and the least likely to come back for week 2. This is crucial if you have a professor who likes group projects.

The Good Student
The good student is always on time. They show up with the printouts in a neat little stack and any assigned homework completed. They take meticulous notes that can sometimes be color coded. They are always down for a study session, though beware the Grumpy Good Student, because they only work alone. This is the student you want to befriend, because they will be your key to success in a class you may not understand.

The Fun Student
The fun student is mostly on time, with the exception of having to stop for some Chipotle on the way to class. They show up and make the class laugh, often cracking a smile from the professor. They have creative minds, but sometimes can't back it up with talent (but that's okay). You can always count on them to be friendly and outgoing. This is the student you should strike up conversations with because they'll always have an interesting story on hand.

The Least Likely to Return
Don't get attached to this student. They may not be coming back, no matter how awesome a person they are. They may even normally be a Good Student, but this is not the class for them. Usual reasons for leaving include:

• They found out they don't even need this class anymore, so why waste the money.
• The professor is their least favorite person in the world, and they'd rather not deal with them.
• They showed up day one to get the run down, then don't return until the finals, where they find out if they don't get a perfect score, they'll have flunked the class

Really though, people are crazy and unpredictable. Make friends with who you want to and have a great time learning together.

So with all this learned and primed for use, I think this "Week One" was a success. I felt little to no stress and managed to enjoy observing other peoples week ones. It is oddly fun to stalk people's social media in the first week of school.

*Side story*

So this relates to the topic of week one because this happened to me this past week. I'm taking 5 classes this semester in an attempt to not come back in the spring; Photography 101, ITE, Interpersonal Com, Art History 2, and Cultural Geography. Well, all but one of these classes started without a hitch. So Tuesday, I exit my IT class and head for Cultural Geo, only to be stunned by an email I received on the way. My professor had emailed the class 10 minutes before it was scheduled to start to say that he would no longer be teaching the class and that we should seek out the Dean to find a new professor.

WHAT THE HECK!?

Keep in mind, this was after having 2 of my classes cancelled 2 weeks before school started, so, I was beyond pissed. I was on my way to yell at a councilor, when I noticed a large mass of students heading in the same direction. Turns out my Geo class had formed a mob and were headed for the Dean. I joined in and we had to navigate our way across buildings 3 times before we were finally told that they would find us a new professor by Thursday.

In the end, they did get us a new professor, but that just goes to show, your first week could be worse.

Fantastic Fiction

Fantastic Fiction (and where to find it).

Get it? Like JK Rowling's new movie "Fantastic Beasts And Where to Find Them" except not nearly as well written nor as anticipated. Unlike Rowling's movie, my new blog will not be filled with famous actors and action packed wizard fight sequences. Actually, it might, because my new blog is going to be an eclectic compilation of poetry, short stories, scripts, etc.

That's right folks, I write. I write a lot actually. More than most people ever want to. The problem is that none of my manuscripts ever see the light of day (much like myself) and remain hidden on my laptop. Yet, I love my stories and the insane way they're told. And so, as a gift to all of you, I created my new blog:

Much Wow.

Alright, now that that announcement's out of the way, let me tell you why I haven't been posting.

STRESS.

Stress from work, stress from the upcoming semester, and a lot of stress from organizing my schedule. I am in my last official week of the internship I have been a part of for 3 months. Literally all summer long! It's been equal parts great and horrible. Great, because making money is always great. Horrible, because I lost my entire summer to copying and pasting documents in an office without a window.

I'll admit that I learned a lot while working for InfoReliance. They taught me how and why the government uses contracts. I learned more about Word and Excel than I ever have. Really, it taught me a whole new skill set that is required for working in a professional office environment. My coworkers were all incredibly friendly and totally ready to help me whenever I needed it. And there was free food. Lots of free food. They had multiple kitchens stocked with snacks, soda, coffee, HOT CHOCOLATE, etc. It was like a dream come true. There were also the typical down sides.

While it was a novel idea having an office of my own during the first week, I quickly came to resent the cramped death cubicle. There was no window, and for some reason it was perpetually hot like a dry day in the desert. The work I was given was exciting at first, until I realized that all I had to do was copy and paste from one document to another. All summer long. My fingers are traumatized. Add on 3 hours of driving - minimum - a day and that just equaled a lot of crying and repeated One Direction traffic parties.

Seriously though, it was totally worth all the headaches and morning crying sessions. 9/10 would recommend.

The best thing to come out of all of this is that it solidified my determination to never work in a traditional office environment. It's something I think everyone should do once in their life time, but dear Lord, no one should want to willingly spend the prime of their life surrounded by beige everything! SO MUCH BEIGE!