What am I Getting Myself Into?

Yesterday I went to SUNY-Purchase to attend the first day of classes. My first class was the history class. When I walked into the room, the people in the room stopped talking because I think they thought I was the teacher! Okay, I was the oldest one in the room but then a woman older than me walked in. Yeah! Someone who was born before 1959! My professor is a short woman with a lot of energy. She handed out the syllabus and discussed the requirements of the course. There will be papers and 2 exams. She showed us the books that we have to have and then started to lecture. I think I'm going to like this class. It's about women in the Bible and the Ancient World. I know Ewa was interested in the books we'll have to read.

Then I had about an hour to kill between classes because the first teacher let us out early. I'll usually have only 20 minutes so I took advantage of the hour. I went to get my ID which I'll need for everything including the library. Then I headed over to the bookstore to try to buy some books. Most of my books were sold out. I went to the library so I can register into their system. Then it was back to class. This literature course is taught by a male professor. This guy knows his stuff. We have to do some very heavy reading. I started to get a little anxious. Will I be able to keep up? Will I understand the work? I'll be missing 3 classes, can I catch up? I was really getting nervous. I spoke to him after the class to explain why I'll be missing 3 classes. (He told us that 4 absences and you are out!) He understood and wanted me to make sure I get the notes from someone. I turned around and there was this tall kid standing there so I asked him if I can borrow his notes when I get back. He said yes. I met my first friend. His name is Mason and I met his friend Shane. Okay, I'm old enough to be their mother but hey, I need those notes. I'll bring them some candy to thank them. The older woman in the other class will lend me hers.

I came home and began reading "The Iliad". This is very classic literature. It is a big fat book written in Greece around the 7th or 8th century B.C.E. by a man named Homer. It really is a poem and I found it very intimidating. Yes, I am scared of this book! I have to read about half of it by the time I get back to class on Feb. 2nd. I can't even start reading for the history course because I don't have the books! I had to order them from Amazon.com. They should be here by next week.

So what did I learn today, my first day of school? I have to do the reading. The Literature professor said that there is no way to get through the course by just reading Sparknotes or Cliff notes. Sound familiar? He told us to read through the pages twice. The first time we'll skim, the second time, make notes on the pages or summarize each page on the bottom of the page. You should try it...at least try to read the book. Also, I learned that I have to get all the reading done so that when I walk into the class, I'll be prepared even after being absent. Something else you all should try.

I'll see you all on Monday.