The Adventure Never Ends!!!

I start classes again in two weeks. Sitting here thinking about it I've realized that this is both a blessing and curse for me. The only real upside of this situation is this is my final year at Columbia, and it's mostly fleshed out with electives like Nutrition and Spanish so the actual academic substance and challenge should be near to none. The downsides of this are few but rather large, chief among them being time management.

Most every class I have starts at say 3pm and ends at 7pm. My work day starts at 5 am, going until 1:15pm. So, without this feeling too similar to a word problem in high-school algebra, I'm left with time to get to Chicago from Elgin, though not much else. After class, I have some free time that I plan on spending with Traveler and then the process will repeat for 15 weeks.

During those weeks, I'm expecting I'll assume the attitude of turn on, tune in, drop out (i.e think, interact and ignore) like I usually do, all while watching the ever-widening age gap increase between myself and the student body at large. Being 28 in the midst of 18 and 19 year olds has it's downsides, mainly in the form of listening to the english language get butchered or seeing fashion trends that leave me scratching my head and muttering something that basically equates "get a haircut", though all the while I'm a grown man with hair well past my shoulders. Shows you what I know. Mainly though, I'm happy to be around the "youngins". I often find myself laughing after hearing some kids story about a party or helping classmates with coursework and loan advice, as I've been jumping through those hoops for almost 4 years now. This leads me into ranting about the person that I can't stand in my classes.....the "Older Student".

The OS, as we'll call them, can be identified right from the start of classes. They sit away from everyone, they're too cool for small talk, and will critique every last person in the room-often times glaring at groups of students who are having too much fun. They love to point out that they can buy booze and other adult things. When they find out that I'm older as well, they instantly try to form some kind of bond with me, telling me how they don't need to be there; they've got a great job and just came back to "keep things fresh".

Interesting. I like to keep things fresh too, maybe I should take Soviet History in standard GPA form!

This guy (always a guy) will sit on his lofty throne of douchebaggery throughout the year, being mocked by nearly everyone, and making me glad I didn't turn out like he did. All in all, I'm taking the two above mentioned electives, Pilates again, and Deaf Culture, to learn some sign language and well, about deaf culture.

I can't wait to start swearing at people with my hands in new ways.