The Student Life, part 2
So, I was in college when I started this journal. It feels odd to be here again. I'm a little older and a little wiser, maybe, but I really don't feel that differently. Well, other than a new-found work ethic. I used to pride myself on my procrastination skills, but I think that part of me got left at a bus stop somewhere along the way. I'm ahead on all my reading, which is saying something, because there is a lot of it.
Anyway, UPenn is totally different from UF. I always felt kind of abandoned at UF, to be honest. I think there was just such a huge student body it was easy to slip through the cracks, especially if you didn't live on campus (I did not). Here they have a huge 1 week New Student Orientation, where the incoming freshmen can learn various things about campus through activities all around. They took a class picture from a helicopter, and there were parties every night. The best part of being a GA is that I got to go to all of them...trust me, grad school orientation was not nearly as cool! Some of the best events were a dance party at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (exactly what it sounds like...we rocked out in an amazing art museum) and a dessert buffet put on by the president of the university, who is basically a celebrity here. Cameras and all. They also had demos by various groups on campus, dancing almost every night, comedy nights, open mike nights, you name it. Amazing stuff. Good times, but kind of busy for the RA/GAs. I must have made 15 bedsheet togas for the toga party, which turned out to be lame, apparently. haha
Then classes started. My classes are hard. I was expecting them to be hard, but maybe not this demanding. I have 2000 pages of reading this week. I remember once I read the uncut version of Stephen King's "The Stand" in a weekend; I'm drawing on those same skill sets now to read about...everything. Because I am not good at it, a lot of my courses focus around planning and research. I'm learning a lot about qualitative research in particular. This is going to be great for me. The professors are brilliant, the readings are interesting, and I got a job! Very excited about that, but unfortunately it reduces my loan eligibility a bit. That's ok though. It will be good experience for me. It's managing a team to promote UN awareness in public high schools...right up my alley.
America is strange, and I'm starting to hate the food. In Japan foreigners always wonder how Japanese people can eat rice with every meal. Well, let me tell you, I do not understand how Americans eat sandwiches all the time. I'm starting to hate them. Really and truly. Nothing sounds appetizing to me at all except sushi and noodles, which I haven't managed to find yet. Going to try a noodle place tomorrow though because I can't take it anymore. haha
Well, that's all for now. The photos say more, so take a look if you have time!
Anyway, UPenn is totally different from UF. I always felt kind of abandoned at UF, to be honest. I think there was just such a huge student body it was easy to slip through the cracks, especially if you didn't live on campus (I did not). Here they have a huge 1 week New Student Orientation, where the incoming freshmen can learn various things about campus through activities all around. They took a class picture from a helicopter, and there were parties every night. The best part of being a GA is that I got to go to all of them...trust me, grad school orientation was not nearly as cool! Some of the best events were a dance party at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (exactly what it sounds like...we rocked out in an amazing art museum) and a dessert buffet put on by the president of the university, who is basically a celebrity here. Cameras and all. They also had demos by various groups on campus, dancing almost every night, comedy nights, open mike nights, you name it. Amazing stuff. Good times, but kind of busy for the RA/GAs. I must have made 15 bedsheet togas for the toga party, which turned out to be lame, apparently. haha
Then classes started. My classes are hard. I was expecting them to be hard, but maybe not this demanding. I have 2000 pages of reading this week. I remember once I read the uncut version of Stephen King's "The Stand" in a weekend; I'm drawing on those same skill sets now to read about...everything. Because I am not good at it, a lot of my courses focus around planning and research. I'm learning a lot about qualitative research in particular. This is going to be great for me. The professors are brilliant, the readings are interesting, and I got a job! Very excited about that, but unfortunately it reduces my loan eligibility a bit. That's ok though. It will be good experience for me. It's managing a team to promote UN awareness in public high schools...right up my alley.
America is strange, and I'm starting to hate the food. In Japan foreigners always wonder how Japanese people can eat rice with every meal. Well, let me tell you, I do not understand how Americans eat sandwiches all the time. I'm starting to hate them. Really and truly. Nothing sounds appetizing to me at all except sushi and noodles, which I haven't managed to find yet. Going to try a noodle place tomorrow though because I can't take it anymore. haha
Well, that's all for now. The photos say more, so take a look if you have time!