The official Fall 2007 Back to School Thread

[U2democrat]

For teachers, staff, students and parents classes are starting up again!


I'm sitting here having moved in to my new room (and it's a single, all mine!). I'm SO excited about this new semester and new year, hopefully everyone else is excited about starting with a clean state.


I git tuh learn me good!

 

[anitram]

I start back the day after Labour Day so I won't be moving back until next weekend.

Great schedule this year, though. Yippee!

 

[Lancemc]

Classes start Monday for me.

Just moved into my dorm suite Wednesday.

 

[love_u2_adam]

god i can hardly wait
my high school is such shit
nothing like high school musical

 

[LMP]

School started a week ago for me. This is the year where I actually have to work hard, Junior year in high school. My schedule's pretty good this year, at least compared to last year. It's gonna be fun.

 

[impy13]

It's my junior year, as well. I moved into my new condo on the 14th and classes start this Wednesday.

And our football season starts Saturday against Arkansas State

 

[namkcuR]

Summer should last forever.

 

[BonoIsMyMuse]

I just got my first full-time teaching job, in the writing department of a college in upstate NY. I'm teaching three classes there and tutoring four hours a week. Our classes start later this week.

I'm also teaching an advanced creative writing class at the university I graduated from this spring. The first day of that class is Monday. I'm excited to be taking my students to hear John Irving read at our university, and to hear Salman Rushdie read at another university a month later. Field trips

This is going to be my busiest semester of teaching yet, but it's also going to be my first time making real money and having a full faculty benefits package.

Feel free to send paper writing questions my way

 

[Carek1230]

Good luck to all of you returning to school!

 

[Bonos_Lemon]

I'm going to be a freshman in college and I have 4 days left till I leave. Basically I am starting to freak out. I'm going to have 2 roommates, and right now I only live with one other person so it will be weird at first. I don't even know my schedule yet, I plan it when I get there but I have to take 2 classes.

Any advice for me, like what didn't you bring but wish you had etc.

 

[Vincent Vega]

Semester holidays here last til October.
Next semester I'll start on planning my semester abroad, and it's likely to be Dublin.

 

[anitram]

It depends on what kind of place you'll be staying in. Thankfully, I never lived in a dorm (always suite-style) residences, so I didn't really bother bringing things like flip flops and so on since we had private bathrooms. If you are using a common bathroom, I'd probably bring a pair of cheap flip flops, a decent bathrobe and some type of basket-thingie to carry your toiletries in. Also, bring more towels than you think you need, that way you can toss them in the washer when you've got 4 or 5 to wash, instead of 1 or 2.

Bring headphones if you have roommates in your room, and even if you don't, still bring headphones. It's just common courtesy.

If there are snacks or foods that you don't think you can get at college, bring a few with you. It's a little thing but I found it really helpful to have some of that home type of stuff with me.

I would also always take more pairs of underwear and socks than any person really needs (we're talking like 20 of each or more), because I hate running half empty washers and my rez always had the huge industrial sized washers, so this let me accumulate a good 2-3 weeks of laundry before things turned desperate. Heh.

Most of all, have a great time! Roommates are an adjustment, but I've met some wonderful people that way and if you're flexible as a person, you can deal with most people. And really make the best of your orientation week - go to all the events, do all the things. You will meet tons of fellow students that way and have an awesome time. I kind of cringe at the thought of my law school o-week last year but it was absolutely fun and I can't wait to join in this year. Free food, free booze, new friends and old ones you haven't seen for a summer - what more can you ask for?

Semester holidays here last til October.

But you guys also end later, don't you? I'm done the 3rd week of April usually.

 

[Vincent Vega]

Actually, earlier. We start in October and finish in February, then rest of February and March off and summer semester is April to July.
Only the term papers are often scheduled for some time after the exams, like mid-August or mid-March.

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

All this talk of people going away to college gets me jealous. I'm starting classes again after having the summer "off" - from school only, as I have to work full-time, too, but it'll be worth it when I get that degree.

 

[anadgemila]

We started back last week and so far so good . I'm looking forward a more learning-driven environment since I'm teaching all honors and AP courses. I'm really lucky

The school is building a new building so next semester all the teachers will be teaching out of moving boxes...should be fun!

Good luck to everyone going back to school in the near future

 

[anitram]

Actually, earlier. We start in October and finish in February, then rest of February and March off and summer semester is April to July.
Only the term papers are often scheduled for some time after the exams, like mid-August or mid-March.

Thankfully we have no summer semester.

Although I worked this whole summer. Feels like I never left!

 

[Vincent Vega]

Thankfully we have no summer semester.

Although I worked this whole summer. Feels like I never left!

Good for you, we have no summer.

I wondered why we have so short semesters, now I know.
Some Unis only have winter or summer semesters either. I expected it to be that way and was surprised to have both summer and winter semester.
We still have the advantage that we don't need half the year to work as hell to pay our fees.

 

[phillyfan26]

This is the year where I actually have to work hard, Junior year in high school. My schedule's pretty good this year, at least compared to last year. It's gonna be fun.

Yeah, the big year for college. I'm a Junior this year also. We start after Labor Day. Like you, my schedule has improved exponentially. Last year I didn't get a lunch, rather a 9:00 in the morning study hall. This year? Fuckin' lunch! Hells yeah.

 

[anitram]

We still have the advantage that we don't need half the year to work as hell to pay our fees.

Haha, I need $25K/year...there is little chance to make that much in my semester off.

 

[randhail]

Yeah, the big year for college. I'm a Junior this year also. We start after Labor Day. Like you, my schedule has improved exponentially. Last year I didn't get a lunch, rather a 9:00 in the morning study hall. This year? Fuckin' lunch! Hells yeah.

You didn't get a lunch? What type of school allows that? That sounds more like Guantanomo Bay than high school.

 

[Liesje]

I'm done with school (finished May '06), but boy do I hate "back to school"! It's the worst time of the year at work, mostly b/c of the parents. They call ALL day long in these annoying whiny voices.."I bought my son a new computer and it won't connect to the Internet..." OMG, cut the umbilical cord already!!! Tell your SON to call so I can help HIM. The best is when the whole family acutally comes down to the office, the parents stand there bitching and moaning, and the kid who's starting college is standing in the back looking like he wishes he was dead, mumbling "mom, I'll take care of it later...mom let it go...". Ugh, the helicopter parents are the worst! Parents shouldn't be allowed on campus during move-in week unless they are doing manual labor.

 

[Bonos_Lemon]

Thanks for the advice, Anitram! I bought two sets of towels, maybe I'll get more when I get down there. I'm also bringing some kettle corn to share, haha. And I never thought I would say this, but I am so sick of shopping and I'm even done yet.

 

[Liesje]

Things I brought that I would not have lived without (and I shared a 9'x13' cell with my best friend and a bathroom with 3 people):

Fan - in winter, or dorms were really hot and stuffy. Also, I used the fan to cancel out other noise if I had to get to sleep early

Extra blankets - I had the bottom bunk and put extra blankets all around. I usually went to bed first, and that way I could have it dark and give myself the illusion of privacy.

Plants - I made my desk into a little jungle. Helped me keep my sanity living in the cement block cell all painted a weird cream color and just one window.

Shower Caddy - No way could we have fit four girls' shampoos and soaps in one tiny shower stall.

Lots of extension cords and power strips - I think we got like three outlets. Three outlets for a mini-fridge, two computers, printers and speakers, alarm clocks, fans, lamps, and a TV...yeah right!

Area rug - our dorms have the indoor/outdoor carpet so I used a rug since someone always had to sit on the floor. And, if we had any major spills, we didn't have to worry about losing our damage deposit.

Double alarm clocks, batterized and electric - Yeah I learned my lesson the time I woke up at 11:25 for an exam that started at 11:20.

I got by with one towel, one set of sheets, and very, very minimal amount of clothing, mainly b/c we didn't have any type of storage and only having one set keep me on task of doing the laundry and putting the bedding back right away.

 

[Liesje]

Ack! This thread just reminded me I need to get Phil a student loan. He starts right after Labor Day I believe....

 

[U2democrat]

Warning: Uber nerd moment coming up.


I'm thrilled to be back and all...but...WE NO LONGER GET C-SPAN ON CAMPUS!!!!!!!!!


What is a political junkie supposed to do without C-SPAN?!?!?!?!?!


They better be glad Blair doesn't do Prime Minister's Questions anymore otherwise I'd be marching to whoever's in charge of the TV stations and demand my C-SPAN back.

 

[phillyfan26]

You didn't get a lunch? What type of school allows that? That sounds more like Guantanomo Bay than high school.

The rule is that by scheduling more than 7.0 periods of class per day, you forfeit a guarantee for a lunch. In 10th grade, they make us have a double period for science in order to do labs once a week. Thus, if you take an elective and a language (95% of people do), you have 7.2 scheduled periods. Most still got a lunch, but I was one of the unfortunate ones.

 

[LMP]

The rule is that by scheduling more than 7.0 periods of class per day, you forfeit a guarantee for a lunch. In 10th grade, they make us have a double period for science in order to do labs once a week. Thus, if you take an elective and a language (95% of people do), you have 7.2 scheduled periods. Most still got a lunch, but I was one of the unfortunate ones.

That is completely insane.

 

[phillyfan26]

It'll make it all the sweeter having one this year.

I enjoy my schedule this year. Open and close the day with easy classes.

 

[arw]

I never left school so it hasn't really felt like summer. But I'm on the 15 month plan....started school last January, finish classes in mid Feb '08 and then externship until end of March and then I'm done I'm glad we just go until we're done. When I was in college the first time around I took a lot of summer classes. The few summers I did not it just dragged on until it was back to class.

 

[Lila64]

Warning: Uber nerd moment coming up.


I'm thrilled to be back and all...but...WE NO LONGER GET C-SPAN ON CAMPUS!!!!!!!!!


What is a political junkie supposed to do without C-SPAN?!?!?!?!?!


They better be glad Blair doesn't do Prime Minister's Questions anymore otherwise I'd be marching to whoever's in charge of the TV stations and demand my C-SPAN back.

Sounds like the first student protest should be started