A freshman's start to the second semester

My alarm wakes me promptly at 6:45 a.m., and so, second semester begins. All of my high school friends have returned to their respected colleges and all of the Christmas leftovers are gone, as are the mornings of sleeping in until 11:30 and spending days frivolously. A pile of books and a backpack are tidily leaning against my door, a reminder of the work ahead of me. As I manage to drag myself out of bed and pour a cup of coffee, flashbacks of the first day of fall semester peek through the folds in my brain and I am relieved that I do not feel the same nervousness and anxiety for this one. Now I only wish that college didn't mean waking up so early.

After a quick workout--necessary to my New Year's Resolution--I arrive to class one, day one, second semester. This particular classroom is strange to me, seating 109 people. The large classroom setting, while intimidating, also excites me. "What a new experience," I think to myself and take a seat next to a girl who I had a class with in the fall semester. We chat about winter break and the weather until Professor Paul Thompson enters the room. We are both excited about managing a seat in his Jazz Appreciation class due to our wonderful experience in his UI100 class. Of course, the class is full of introductions and reading of the syllabus, but Thompson's enthusiasm succeeds in raising my spirits about waking up early and being at school. "Remember, college is pretty cool," my brain tells me as he turns on a bit of Miles Davis.

I'm fully awake and ready to take college by storm once again by the time I make it to SN 200. "Hola!," the class says in unison when prompted by Profesora Merget. My interest in Spanish perks up my attitude even more, and by the end of the class, I'm reminded of all of the things I like about our campus and attending school here. While I'm patiently counting down the days until spring and summer breaks, I am very confident that I will enjoy my experience on campus until then.