And So It Begins

This is it! I'm back at school with a full course load and a seasonal job at the bookstore. Yes, I am insane (but you all knew that), yes, I am a little daunted (but who wouldn't be?), but I am not partially, not cautiously, but completely and totally optimistic. Chances are good I won't have much of a social life, but I've never really had much of one, anyway, so I'm not missing out on a lot.

This semester, I am being taught by a cast of characters including a troll (in all senses of the word), Sean Connery after 20 years in America, Mr. Smee, a re-tired Southroner (he worked for Bridgestone), the can design guy from Monster's University, and a humanities professor. This semester will definitely be interesting.

I mentioned earlier I have a seasonal job at the bookstore. I have been really busy this week and putting in a lot of hours because I can and because it's really busy there right now. I'm working textbooks on the floor, which mainly involves helping people find books, restocking the shelves, and making things look pretty. It's pretty fun, and really interesting - you wouldn't believe the kinds of classes that are taught here. There's stuff on the rise and fall of capitalism in America next to Latin American Erotica next to an introduction to rocket engines and all sorts of other fascinating books. I'm also making some money and meeting some interesting people, and that's good, too.

In engineering, they say, there is no syllabus week. So far, I've found that to be mostly true - I've already got homework due next week. "On what?" you may be asking, "You've only had three days of class!" Good question. Pretty much all my classes are hitting the ground running - we're leaned about how to create differential equations, defined systems in thermodynamics, gone over some basic kinematics in dynamics, and have readings to do in my gen eds. I mean, engineers are supposedly all about efficiency. Why wait?

This is the semester that really begins the major specific courses, and most of my classes are at least 75-80% male, which was expected. My only female instructor is my dance teacher (I'm taking an Introduction to Modern Dance). These are the classes where we learn how (not) to blow things up and how things really move and work together. I'm also finishing up my gen eds this semester.

With all that, I'm still in Rube Goldberg (it's cathartic) and SWE and hall council, though if things get tough, and they will, I'll pare it back.

So right now I'm feeling in the middle of "Bear Down" and "Here It Goes Again." Wish me luck, Imma need it.