In search of a feeling

Labor Day has come and gone, and so has my first week of classes. I am a total nerd. I cannot believe how incredibly geeked I have felt to be back at school. There are several other returning, adult students such as myself, but by and large I would have to say that most of my fellow students are people just fresh out of high school. They roll their eyes and whine and complain about how they just can't believe that summer is over. And oh my, how they bemoan their academic responsibilities. In order to not completely ostracize myself I smile politely and do kartwheels on the inside.

There is something incredibly different about being back at school now that I'm in my late twenties and I've done this all before. I suppose the biggest difference is I have such a clear idea of what I want and what I'm after. The sense of purpose I have discovered is the biggest driving force behind my newfound enjoyment of academia. The first time I was in college I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to do. I switched majors three times. And if I am completely honest with myself I will say that I was absolutely, without a doubt much more concerned with my social life and friendships than I ever was about my degree. I do not regret the time I spent at Calvin. The shared experience I had was wonderful, challenging and maturing. I'm glad I went because of the chance it gave me to spend some time with some great people, form some lasting friendships, meet my husband, and allow me to work in the creative industry for a few years.

Things are differnt this time around, however. I am on a mission. The OT program is INTENSELY competative. GVSU only has thirty spots open each year and beleive me, they look at your grades. That means I don't have time to be screwing around. Especially because two of my classes are so challenging: Anatomy & Physiology and Intermediate Algebra. So far so good. My profs are nice people that actually like to smile and joke around (which I find to be incredibly rare in the world of mathematics). My classes are very interesting and I'm excited about what I'm going to learn (is it sad when you get to feeling passionate about digestion?).

It all seems kind of strange to be back in college after five years, but I also feel like I'm right where I'm supposed to be and that is one of the best feelings in the world.