As I write this it has been about a week worth of classes at school. As I am a freshman it has been a first dose of everything for me. I think I will use some time to reflect on some experiences of this wet-behind-the-ears-gasping-for-breath-thank-heavens-I-survived-double-cohort student at the University of Toronto.
My first day on campus started off pleasantly enough, with blessings and a few dineros from the family. I heard how expensive school is, so I thought the more money the better. Little did I know how true that statement is. As I walked to school (in hopes of saving money), I stumbled into the school bookstore. The price for the textbooks-I was mad enough at the incidental and the ancillary fees-but the textbooks… Oh my, the textbooks! They were all $70 plus. Except for my one theology course, where I have to read One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. God bless my theology course. While in the bookstore there were some girls bumping into me, with one of them proclaiming, “Oops, I did it again,” on the second bump. I think it was accidental. I wasn’t too interested-it made me think of the girl that left me for a Sophomore. This made me a little sad, considering I found out about it the night before my first day of classes. Another burden of being a freshman is all the competition from the older guys. I got over that particular girl after my first class in Victoria College, when I saw the Vic girls. Boy did I sign up for the wrong college! Not only were they attractive, but there were so many of them.
As I made it out of the bookstore, I began to think: are books essential to the university experience? The jury is still out on that one.
Then on the weekend before the start of school, I decided to show the true Blue in me. I took in the Blues vs. Golden Gaels football game, to cheer until I could cheer no more.
As I sat in the makeshift Varsity Stadium, I was excited to see so many supporters. All my excitement died with the first play of the game, as the Blues received the kick off. On the first offensive play for the Blues, the crowd shouted, “Defence! Defence! Defence!” I was literally behind enemy lines, on my own home turf. They had taken over our stadium. The Blues fans were greatly outnumbered. At times, so were the players on the field-not counting penalties. I left with five minutes left on the game clock, the score then 65-0 for the bad guys.With that behind me, I went to my classes-or tried to. Since I did not go to any of the U of T tours or to Frosh Week, it was a little hard finding my classes. I decided to sit at the back, which had it’s ups and downs. I could talk to my friends next to me, but at times I could not see the overhead. I tried to answer a question but I was not loud enough, and my answer was stolen.
Then I get hammered with a plethora of reading assignments. When I think about it, it is a lot of reading. I better get right on it-right after I take a break from all the reflecting I have just done.
Closing my rant, I would like to say I am here in the pursuit of knowledge, discovery, and to give those lame froshkids a hard time. Yeah, it is going to be an interesting year.
