First day of School
This morning started off like many mornings these last few weeks in Durham. My alarm goes off. I groggily try to turn off/hit the snooze/or attempt to adjust the alarm to a later time all so that I can catch a few more zzz's. Before I could accomplish my goal, however, I realized that today was different for some reason. My sleepy brain new that something different was happening today and it took me about 3 whole minutes of thinking to remember, "Oh yeah, school starts today!". XD
Of course, once I realized this, I still wanted to roll over for a few minutes before putting my feet on the floor, but my mind just wouldn't let me. It started focusing on all the things I have to do, all the things I haven't done -- especially those that I was supposed to finish before classes started-- and my thesis. The mere thought of thesis puts my mind into a tizzy, so with no hope of getting a few extra minutes of sleep, I decided to get up and start my day. :P
So far I have only been to Chinese class where my fuzzy brain had to recall all the Chinese that has been slowly seeping out over the summer despite conducting interviews and conversing in Chinese in Japan. This class was particularly interesting since I had yet to acquire my textbook. Most of the class hadn't purchased their textbooks either, so even though the professor was surprised and probably disappointed, I didn't feel too bad. :P
I have since acquired my Chinese textbook, planner, and my notebooks for the year, but since I didn't know the numbers of my other courses or wasn't sure if I was going to keep all of the courses I am currently registered for, I abstained from purchasing all my books. Tomorrow I will hopefully bring some of my books back for them to be bought back (Money!), and maybe purchase a few more necessary textbooks, if my professors ever get them to the bookstore. If my initial scouting is correct, then none of my classes have books at the bookstore right now.... That just sounds bad. >.>
Books, classes and thesis aside, the frat pledges on campus are infinitely amusing. XD They have been dressed up in graduation robes and are being forced to walk around doing these strange motions periodically. They also have to yell something in response to some yell leader every now and again. Perhaps the most startlingly thing that I've seen this crop of pledges have to do is that whenever they enter a library, they have to yell their names along with something else at the top of their lungs. Yay for us quiet library folk being startled out of our wits. :P How Duke doesn't have like a million hazing trials, I don't know. Perhaps this treatment is tame and doesn't make the pledges feel de-graded. Or maybe our council at Davidson was just particularly strict since members of certain organizations almost got in trouble for just blindfolding their initiates, even though it was part of their prescribed ceremony. I mean, the Duke frat guys aren't making their pledges buy the senior members groceries or forcing them to binge drink. But they do make them simulate Basketball camp-out, which are some pretty grueling conditions sometimes. :P Not my problem I suppose, but it does have the former eating house pres in me wondering a bit. :P
Alrighty, I should do some work. Wish I had brought an extra bag with me so that I could just checked out my library books right now instead of later. :P Oh well. Hope everyone else who is starting school today or soon or recently has gotten off to a good start!
Of course, once I realized this, I still wanted to roll over for a few minutes before putting my feet on the floor, but my mind just wouldn't let me. It started focusing on all the things I have to do, all the things I haven't done -- especially those that I was supposed to finish before classes started-- and my thesis. The mere thought of thesis puts my mind into a tizzy, so with no hope of getting a few extra minutes of sleep, I decided to get up and start my day. :P
So far I have only been to Chinese class where my fuzzy brain had to recall all the Chinese that has been slowly seeping out over the summer despite conducting interviews and conversing in Chinese in Japan. This class was particularly interesting since I had yet to acquire my textbook. Most of the class hadn't purchased their textbooks either, so even though the professor was surprised and probably disappointed, I didn't feel too bad. :P
I have since acquired my Chinese textbook, planner, and my notebooks for the year, but since I didn't know the numbers of my other courses or wasn't sure if I was going to keep all of the courses I am currently registered for, I abstained from purchasing all my books. Tomorrow I will hopefully bring some of my books back for them to be bought back (Money!), and maybe purchase a few more necessary textbooks, if my professors ever get them to the bookstore. If my initial scouting is correct, then none of my classes have books at the bookstore right now.... That just sounds bad. >.>
Books, classes and thesis aside, the frat pledges on campus are infinitely amusing. XD They have been dressed up in graduation robes and are being forced to walk around doing these strange motions periodically. They also have to yell something in response to some yell leader every now and again. Perhaps the most startlingly thing that I've seen this crop of pledges have to do is that whenever they enter a library, they have to yell their names along with something else at the top of their lungs. Yay for us quiet library folk being startled out of our wits. :P How Duke doesn't have like a million hazing trials, I don't know. Perhaps this treatment is tame and doesn't make the pledges feel de-graded. Or maybe our council at Davidson was just particularly strict since members of certain organizations almost got in trouble for just blindfolding their initiates, even though it was part of their prescribed ceremony. I mean, the Duke frat guys aren't making their pledges buy the senior members groceries or forcing them to binge drink. But they do make them simulate Basketball camp-out, which are some pretty grueling conditions sometimes. :P Not my problem I suppose, but it does have the former eating house pres in me wondering a bit. :P
Alrighty, I should do some work. Wish I had brought an extra bag with me so that I could just checked out my library books right now instead of later. :P Oh well. Hope everyone else who is starting school today or soon or recently has gotten off to a good start!