This story was originally published on my vet school blog, “Wet Cleanup on Aisle 5.”
The first week of school has come and gone, and already I’ve discovered things that do and don’t work for me.
Doesn’t work: the trusty backpack I’ve had since the first time I was in college. It’s too small for my ginormous notebook. 🙁
Does work: sneaking in the exit doors to get a better seat in the lecture hall.
Here are my top ten observations for the week as a back-to-undergrad thirty-something:
1. Cell phones are ubiquitous!
When I went to college, cell phones were non-existent. Now they are glued to the ears of half the students you pass. For me, it’s a bit disconcerting, especially in the restroom! What’s up with that?! There is no one I need to speak with so badly that I need to call them up while I’m sitting on the toilet…
2. Way more cleavage.
Where are these girls’ mothers? 😀
3. Time moves faster when you’re older.
A week of school already gone? What, class is over already? I think it’s a good thing, because I don’t have time to get bored. And, the corollary:
4. “Boring” things are far more interesting.
In my genetics class, we’ve been learning about Gregor Mendel’s famous pea experiment. Here I am, hanging onto the professor’s every word, thinking, “Mendel was a genius!” Meanwhile, the kid next to me is drooling. I’ve turned into a sponge–maybe it’s due to the natural breakdown of age. You get more holes in you, and you can soak up more things.
5. The beauty is in the details.
I think I probably noticed a lot of details my first time through school, too–a pretty bush, an architectural flourish–but I probably didn’t think much about the janitors or mechanics or landscapers or plumbers or electricians who work behind the scenes so that campus is a nice place to be. Now when I notice the beautiful details, I think of those people, too. Somehow, everything has far more meaning.
6. I no longer have the stamina of a twenty-year old.
Phooey. Maybe the yoga classes I’ve signed up for will help remedy that.
7. There’s no pressure to fit in.
I don’t think I consciously worried about this as an undergrad, but it must have been an issue for me because I also remember feeling as though I didn’t fit in. Now, “fitting in” has no meaning for me. I come to class, I go home, I do my homework… no social pressure! Good times!
8. My inner nerd is blossoming.
Back in the day, I had no idea how to structure my time, and I was a huge procrastinator. Now, I am memorizing information that I won’t be tested on for at least a month, and working on papers that aren’t due until December. Experience definitely has its advantages.
9. Free food is like a magnet.
True then, true now. Except I’m a little pickier about what I’ll eat. But not much.
10. Commuting sucks.
