Freshman Fall Beginnings: Part II

Okay, so I'm not going to write a long post because I'm mentally exhausted and I need to go to bed. Today's classes went well. I think I'm going to enjoy my Holocaust Literature and Film class, and my writing class seems pretty chill too. The former has a thorough mix of students (as in freshmen, sophomores, etc.), and I'm assuming my writing class has a lot of freshmen but I could be wrong.

What really bothered me today was the walk from one building to the other. In fact, I already spoke with my writing teacher about being late every class just because there isn't a faster way to get around campus, and he's okay with it. A more urgent topic though is all the communication I've been having with the professors. I met with my Physics professor today to talk about my math class, and he concluded that I should try moving to a higher level math class lest I be screwed over next semester in PY252.

So that was pretty discouraging, and then I had this whole correspondence going with three professors and a teaching fellow (TFs, exactly like TAs). It's very exhausting, and now I'm scheduled to miss my MA123 discussion to attend a MA124 lecture... more info on how that goes later.

Ugh... I just need to talk to so many people. It doesn't help that my writing assignment is due in approximately 24 hours, and my physics homework (which is going horribly) on Friday. I just don't know what to do right now... I'm planning to stop by the pre-med advising office tomorrow because I feel like they know everything, but I hope I don't have to wait for an appointment or anything because in the state I'm in that would be absolutely horrible.

Freshman Fall Beginnings: Part I

So today was... interesting. I had Physics and Calculus today and they weren't anything like I imagined.

I mean, I knew Physics was going to be a lot different from what I encountered in high school, but today was just review and I was still having trouble understanding what was going on. I rewrote my notes, so I realize now that it actually isn't bad at all, but I don't want to have to sit through class feeling like a moron. And it doesn't help that there are those kids who are just way too overeager to participate. Seriously, there was an equation on the board and kids seemed to be rushing to beat each other. One person called out the answer, a smile on her face - and oh with such confidence! I almost laughed out loud when the professor flatly said to her, "No."

Then I have Calculus immediately after so I was a little late. Of course the professor already started speaking about the syllabus so I'm already a little lost when it comes to what the homework assignments are and such. We covered limits today, and I'm not sure if I don't know it or if I learned it two years ago and just forgot it. Either way, especially after expecting to recognize everything, I was a little flustered to find myself not fully understanding the material at hand. But it's not something I'm going to worry about right now... according to the rules of my physics class, I might need to find an alternative math class to take anyway.

Looking beyond that though, I suppose my day was actually pretty enjoyable. The two professors I had so far both seem really nice. I had breakfast with a girl I met at Orientation. Then I met a girl in my Physics class and she seems pretty cool. Since I came late to Calc, I didn't really get the chance to make friends there, but the RAs held a dinner thing for all the freshmen in my dorm building so I finally got to see and meet them. Acquaintances were made, but some of them definitely stuck, so I'm happy to have experienced that.

In other news, there was apparently an "abandoned package" threat while I was in class (good to know that I got the warning to stay away from the area after it happened), and for some reason the fire alarm went off in my dorm building. (If I may quote the wise words of an upperclassman, "Guys, back away from the building... BU doesn't conduct drills." Well at least I know from this point on that if I ever hear the alarm go off, I should probably take it more seriously than I usually have in the past...)

First of September

So we had Matriculation this morning but this morning wasn't so great. See, I slept through my alarm for twenty minutes meaning I only had ten to fifteen minutes to get ready when I finally realized what time it was and sprang out of bed. Then to my dismay, the crowd arrived earlier than the scheduled time. (The way matriculation works here is that freshmen meet outside their dorms and then join the mass of other freshmen as they make their way from one end of the campus to the other.) So I was essentially still getting dressed as I saw them pass by on the street below... not cool.

Luckily, a few other people came down the same time I did (all guys, does that say anything about my habits?), and we were able to catch up with them when they stopped at another dorm building. Still, I wasn't happy about the walk. I looked it up on Google Maps last night, and I found out that the walk is approximately 1.6 miles long. REALLY not cool.

Then the Matriculation Ceremony was boring itself of course, and so that didn't really put me in a good mood when I started running into other people. Seriously... sleepiness + fatigue + hunger = irritated girl bordering on being an inconsiderate bitch.

Splash (a club fair sort of thing) put me in a slightly better mood though as I put food into my system and started getting excited about what they had to offer. I think I ended up signing up for the school newspaper, kendo, figure skating, and sailing, and then I also put my name in for getting free tickets to the Boston Symphony Orchestra which would be nice (though honestly I didn't know what I was doing at the time... hah). Of course I won't end up doing all of them, but the newspaper was really lax about submissions and the Charles River really does inspire me to do some kind of water sport so I might try that too. But we'll see.

It was extremely hot by that hour though and all that walking really took a toll on me. I went back to my dorm to relax and write a bit, and by then I was feeling much better. Around that time my roommate finally moved in too, and I was extremely relieved to find out that she's as super nice as I thought she would be.

In fact we happen to get along wonderfully I think so I'm glad I can go to bed without worries. Plus I got to bond with my friend's roommate at dinner and then after along the Charles River, so I feel a lot better about making friends.

But tomorrow is the day I'm really looking forward to. Friendships begin here. BU, bring it on!

Taste of Success

So today was rather nice. I can't really boast that I've stepped out of my comfort zone yet, but I'm a lot happier than I was a few days ago. And who knows? Maybe that's the way it was meant to be, or at least for now anyway.

I helped the old friend I mentioned yesterday get her books and such and we went to the Terrier Tailgate together (although they lied to us about the free food which totally sucks). I was wrong about the girls I met up with yesterday; they didn't ignore me like I thought they would. The girl I knew did text me about going, but I was the one who decided to be an asshole and kind of blow her off. I mean, maybe I should have given it a chance, but I doubt they missed me. I didn't feel that comfortable around them and I'm sure they had fun as a group, so personally I think it worked out.

Plus I finally got to meet this other freshman I've been talking to for months. It was a great experience and I was really happy that I got to meet someone completely new (in the sense that I didn't meet him face-to-face before). I just hope everything works out.

Tailgate was relatively fun though, even if they lost in the end. BU was leading 2 to 1, but UMass-Amherst scored in the last four seconds and put the game into double overtime. After the first overtime though, Amherst quite literally just took the ball and ran with it. One of their players just charged straight through everyone else... and scored.

It was a pretty horrible feeling, especially since this was a "grudge match" and victory would have been sweet. But oh well... maybe things will work out in the end for them too.

So yeah, going back to my last post, if I could label this day with any adjective, despite the setbacks... I think it's pretty close to being fantastic.

Ehhhhh

So today was a little better. I walked around campus multiple times this morning to check out where my classes were and how far they were from each other. Then in the afternoon, as much as I wanted to meet completely new people, I finally decided to text people I met at Orientation. I met up with one who introduced me to the group of people she was hanging out with, but I'm not sure if that's where I belong.

Then coincidentally, on my way into my cousin's building, I actually ran into one of my old friends from the city, and to my surprise she happened to be living in the same dorm. I hung out with her and her roommate for a couple of hours, and to be honest it was rather nice. We've made plans for lunch tomorrow, so I feel a little better. Plus, I have plans to meet up with another freshman for this other event going on tomorrow, so I'm looking forward to that too.

Ugh, I know this is getting very very journal-like, but I guess that's just what's on my mind right now. But I can't help it. It took me twelve years to secure the friends I would keep for life. How long is it going to take for me to find a group of real friends here? Sigh... I guess we'll see. Maybe tomorrow will be fantastic... and if not, I guess it gives me a reason to look forward to class.

Dawdling

So due to my lack of friends thus far, I've admittedly been feeling rather lonely. I've been with my cousin, but now that her friends are beginning to move in I really need my own group of friends. Seriously, I spent the night alone in my dorm and I was dying to talk to someone. I did meet a few people in my hall yesterday; one of my neighbors to my left I actually met back at the lab three years ago and one of my neighbors to my right seems really nice too. When I told him I was a freshman though, he was like, "Ah, that's why you're doing the door-to-door thing." Hah...

Ugh, but I can't wait until tomorrow when half the freshmen are moving in. To be honest, I even sort of want classes to start so I can meet people. (I know I'm going to regret that wish...)

Oh, and in other news, McCain apparently chose Palin as his running mate. Seriously? What is that? And I though Obama screwed himself over by choosing Biden! He must be playing on the idea that he's going to die in office if he thinks women are going to vote for him . Please, I would hope women aren't that shallow!

Blogging from Boston

So after a long process I'm officially in Boston and settled in. I arrived on campus around 1 PM, and thanks to the magnificent Boston streets I finally managed to reach my dorm around 1:30 after going around that part of the city twice. (One way streets + no left turns + city traffic = annoying.)

I've met my suitemate, who seems pretty nice. (My roommate isn't coming in until Monday.) I've found a place for all my things and finally finished unpacking around 1 AM (don't worry, I didn't spend all 12 hours on it). After going out to dinner my internet finally began to work too, which was a relief, although I still need to go through this complicated process to renew my student e-mail account.

I do have the help of my cousin though, which is awesome. After helping me unpack yesterday, she slept over, and today we're going to see her parents and sister off and then run a bunch of errands around campus.

But I really can't wait to start the day. I mean, I have to admit, yesterday I did feel strangely. I was optimistic and hopeful, yet feeling so vulnerable at the same time. I've never worried about leaving, never thought I would miss my parents, but I can't really deny that I was actually a bit sad to see them go. I've been telling everyone that college was like a really long trip, that there's no reason to be sad because you'd see everyone again, but regardless, I found it pretty difficult to follow my own advice yesterday.

But oh well. Today is a brand new day, and today I start a new chapter of my life. From this point on I'm going to be strong... as long as I find some friends first. Hah...

Stay tuned for pictures...