First class

Well, I went to my first English grad class on Wednesday.  Here were my observations so far:

1. I'm glad it waited to get "freeze-your-face-off" cold until I had to walk across campus for the first time in 5 years.  I only said the f word 5 times.  As a positive, I still remember where all of the heat grates are on campus so you can get that burst of hot hair flying at you every 20 feet or so.  It makes the walk bearable.  Almost. I mean the wind still brought tears to my eyes and like I said, it still induced me to swear.

2.  It was your standard fare of grad students in the class.  You had your token foreign student, your token one guy, your token overly-enthusiastic and academically pretentious Ph.D student who thought EVERYTHING was so interesting and then your token I-know-I'm-not-going-to-care-for-you-because-you-think-you're-really-smart-and-I-think-you're-only-23, very abrasive girl as well.

3.  What I just found out on email is that the latter student is going to be my partner for our group presentation.  Isn't life funny?  So now I'm going to have to get to know her and stop judging her after only 3 hours of class.  At least we're both interested in the same topic:  children's theatrical productions and other literary works from the 19th century.  Maybe she'll be nicer than I thought.  Or maybe I'll have to hold my tongue every time I want to make a snotty comment about her Master's in "creative writing."  Bleh.

4. I really love my professor so far.  Granted, she did come to class wearing a very large sweater with a dragon woven on the front but she seems pretty lovely despite that.  And yes, I also assessed the rest of my classmates and determined that 80% of them probably needed some form of a makeover.  I mean, we get it, you're smart.  I like being smart, too.  But this girl still runs a brush through her hair and puts on mascara and concealer every day.  And doesn't wear cargo capris with her boots when it's negative 45 out.  Or ever for that matter.

5. Who knew people could know so much about so much crap?  And I'm saying that in an awed sort of way, not in a disgusted kind of way.  I'm kind of inspired.  But that will probably go away as I continue to read for 12 hours a week or more.  I think I should quit my job and become a professional student like the rest of them.

So there you have it. Oh yes, and I learned quite a bit already.  But I blog about the things that fly into my head that I probably shouldn't say out loud to people I don't know.  Thus, you have my commentary on physical attributes as well as my snobby digressions.  I already used all of my good thoughts about wet-nurses and the human's innate ability to love in class, ok?  Oh yeah, and a few comments about the horrific practice of swaddling in the 17th century.  I'm getting my full 10% credit of participation!  So take that, clicky Ph.D students.

Oh one more thing.  I also made it quite clear that I hate the nursery rhyme, "Jack and Jill".  We read it in class and discussed its origin and how everyone still knows it even though it's so old.  I chimed in  about how it gets sung to me often and how many people ask me where Jack is.  Or if they find out I'm dating a Jake, you can almost guarantee they're going to say something incredibly clever such as, "Ohhh!  Jake and Jill! Like Jack and Jill!  Did he fetch a pail of water yet?"  I generally courtesy laugh at that and say expletives in my head.