In Which I Overcommit
Posted on 4th September 2014
Today was my first physics class. I was excited to begin quantum mechanics, yet, when I arrived it turned out I had already missed a full hour of class the previous day. Unbeknownst to me, while I was sorting out my enrollment, the first tutorial slot had already been filled by a lecture! However, given the fact that I had just recently completed my degree in physics, it was not to difficult to catch up on the few bits of linear algebra revision I had missed.
Following the lecture, I returned to Hillel for lunch and browsed the student activities fair. The student activities fair was a giant array of tables and stalls set out along locust walk, with every student group represented. I signed up to pretty much everything, wanting to gather information on all the opportunities available on campus. In retrospect I probably signed up to a few too many and would later start un-signing myself from a number of clubs that I prematurely joined.
At 7PM I raced back to my room for the ‘hall meeting’ in which I met the ‘graduate associate’ for my floor, an adviser from the graduate body who provides pastoral care and support to all the residents. The meeting was uneventful but not un-enjoyable and Karen, the GA was very relaxed. Soon after I sprinted over to the Annenberg Performing Arts center for a sound check to arrange an upcoming concert, and following that to Ware College house for another hour long gig. This gig was particularly high on energy and the numbers that I wasn’t in all sounded excellent and were highly entertaining.
The following day was mostly empty and I spent much of it in my lab, reading papers and getting some homework done. Other than that, the usual running around to arrange my new life. I took a nap in the early afternoon to rid myself of the last vestiges of jetlag and subsequently it was time for Shira Chadasha at Hillel. The service that evening was particularly beautiful but also packed full with people. I’d estimate over one hundred and twenty people had crammed into one small hot room, all singing, all dancing. Dinner was at Hillel again, nothing special to report, but I hung around for a long time to chat with a number of old friends.
Before going to sleep I made a quick pitstop at the ‘glouse’ (glee club house/residence), said a quick hello and then was fast asleep, not to wake till late the next morning.