I'm going to tell you a little story about my freshmen year at Seattle University. Imagine little freshmen Mandi from California, pinkish-purple Jansport backpack packed and ready to go for her first ever class in college, this was before Mandi knew it was cool to have a Timbuk2 or a hipster bag that makes you look like you ride a bike everywhere you go. Anyway, Mandi went to find her math class in the Bannan building (5th floor I believe it was). Mandi made the huge mistake of entering through the Engineering building, which has a sign that says Bannan (what is with that!?). Mandi was then late to her first ever class in college by 20 minutes because she was waiting outside of a 5th floor class in the Engineering building instead of Bannan, wondering where the rest of class was. This was Mandi 4 years ago.
Let me tell you a little story about my first day of fall semester at Columbia. Backpack packed, ready to go, this time my customized Timbuk2, moving up in the world from Jansport. Had my classes all written down in my Columbia planner and ready to go to room 405. Little did I know that I had written the wrong classroom number down for my very first class. You know that feeling when you think something is wrong or out of place, but are not sure what? Yes, I had that feeling. As I look around the room and realized no advanced standing kids were in my class and there were 7 guys (7 GUYS!?! What is this, an engineering class!? Haha), must have been all of the guys in the whole program, haha just kidding but seriously probably. About halfway through class my professor (who was awesome bee-tee-dubs) calls roll and wants to hear where our field placements were. At this point I just knew, I just knew my name would not be on the roll sheet. And there it was, the question after she called everyone else's name, "is there anyone's name I didn't call?" I was mortified, but think I played it cool saying "oh yeah my schedule's been really screwed up, Mandi Thomas is my name and social work is my game." Well I didn't say that last part, I added that for flair for your reading pleasure. Anyway, after I left I moseyed over to my next class hoping no one would know I was not supposed to be in that class and hoping that my actual professor would forgive me for missing the first day of class. It felt like freshmen year all over again. Needless to say, I found out my class was supposed to be in room 305 (3 & 4, easily messed up right?!) and my professor, I think, forgave me and I will be seeing him this Tuesday. The rest of the day went smoothly though, don't worry, here's the highlights.
Class one: Wrong class, awesome professor, 7 guys.
Class two: Huge class, sat in the group of advanced standing kids, rad professor, but probably a little boring class since it's an evaluation class (so basically research, but like not).
LUNCH: Went to the Kitchenette (which if you come visit, trust me I will take you there, it's amazing) and had a delicious maglicious veggie sandwich and giant garlic potato wedges, om nom nom. Plus recapped my morning to my friends and we all talked about our schedules. Everyone's quite excited.
Class three: Human Sexuality. Hilarious professor who is a sex therapist. In it with my roommate Jill and friend Bethany, met a girl who was wondering why she's never recognized me before until I told her it's because I'm advanced standing therefore made a new friend. Had to make a list of all things sex, our list was extensive and included: orgasm, missionary, making out, well I think you catch my drift and I would like to keep my blog PG...but trust me that our list was not PG and it was probably the most outrageous thing I've ever done in a classroom haha.
Class four: Health Care Policy. I am SO EXCITED about this class. I almost did Policy at Columbia so I cannot wait to learn more about one of the things I am most passionate about. Plus our professor is from Portland, Northwest represent! She's awesome and we are reading some great books, one is a comic book that helps explain health care policy easier. Winning. I'm also learning how frustrating health care is.
Class five: Chemical dependency. My professor is HILARIOUS. He is an outrageous man who tends to go on and rambles about random stories and picks on you in a funny way. For example, I sneezed (for those of you who know me, my sneezes are strange...) and he was like "was that a sneeze?", I was like yeah, my sneezes are really weird. He then went on to laugh at how I did a "public health sneeze" into my elbow. Ridiculous man. I feel like this class will be far too similar to my undergrad addiction studies course, but am looking forward to broadening my knowledge on the subject as it is one that interests me greatly.
Now if you add up all of those classes you will see that yes, I did have class from 9:00am until 8:00pm, but do not worry about my sanity because it is only one day a week! And I even get Wednesdays off! Go hump day! As for my practicum at Bellevue Hospital, we are at a stand still. There are quite a lot of drama llamas hanging around and I will not be starting my internship on Monday as everyone else is. Columbia and Bellevue are in some sort of contract war and therefore all of us at Bellevue this year are not "approved" to work there yet. Talk about frustrating! I'll keep you updated on that hot mess of a situation, hopefully I will know more this week and will be starting as soon as possible. In the meantime, more time to do the piles of reading I have been assigned.
Until next time, I'm off to sweat another day. If I were to ever live on the East Coast long term, I would indeed need to purchase a home in the Hamptons, you know just your normal mansion to cool off in for the summer...haha. You know that sinking feeling you get when you are sweating underground waiting for the damned subway and it finally arrives and you step onto the car and WHAM you insta-realize it is the one car not air conditioned. Yes, these are the daily issues I deal with. Talk to me when it's the dead of winter and I am begging for that moment in the subway.
Love from the big apple,
-Mandihattan
