College

I started a class at Mason this week.  It's an undergrad photography class.  While very excited, I was also nervous about being the oldest in the class and out of the loop.  As I made my way to the bookstore and through campus for our first session, it felt good to be a "college student" again. 

I love the potential for people-watching on college campuses, especially in the JC or the building that has the main bookstore.  I hope that doesn't sound creepy, but there's just all kinds of fun folks to watch. 

I'm thoroughly excited about college bookstores.  Perhaps this is another oddball teacher idiosyncrasy but there's so many fun products there.  College apparel, cutesy gift items, pleasure reading, textbooks, school supplies!  I can't contain myself.  Although, I do think I'm more excited about buying textbooks now that I'm only taking one class and have a paying job.

Another thing that is strangely exhilarating to me about college campuses is the Absolute Pedestrian Right of Way.  This is not present in all campuses but is very evident at Mason and was also at University of Tennessee.  Pedestrians don't really even have to look before crossing the street as long as there is a crosswalk.  You just go.  And the cars just stop.  No joke.  The rumor at Tennessee was that if you get hit, the driver has to pay the rest of your college tuition.  We believed this rumor as doctrine and us out-of-staters jay-walked with wild abandon.  The same seems to be true at Mason.  For whatever reason, it is still endearing to me even as a commuter.  I stop at every crosswalk with care. 

There were a few drawbacks to returning to a college campus a decade after I first enrolled in one.  Notably, my class ends after my normal bedtime.  I'm not sure how to handle this except for to try and squeeze in a nap between work, dinner and class.  We'll see how this goes. 

Lastly, when I left campus at 9:15ish (yes, you read that right, a quarter hour past my bed time) I passed by the gym which has a windowed wall facing the street and noticed nearly all the ellipticals were full of college girls.  What are these crazy girls doing on cardio equipment past their bedtime???   I'll never understand.  :)