Day Twenty Seven

First day of graduate school! The day had an eventful beginning when I realized that my alarm failed to go off, causing me to wake up an hour later then I intended to. Perfect. Good thing I didn't have to be anywhere until 1pm. So...the car inspection I was planning on getting done this morning didn't happen. Though I will be thoroughly inspecting my alarm tonight.

I didn't get to campus until about 10:30am, and was extremely worried about the parking situation I would encounter at such a late time. Well, turns out I didn't need to worry at all. Apparently not many people want to park out in the boonies by the baseball fields like I do. There were at least 15 parking spaces open (thank goodness). The shuttle ride was once again a success, and it's much nicer having them arrive every 7 minutes rather than every 20 minutes (like yesterday). I got to listen to a guy behind me talk about his struggle in choosing the right college to go to, and how when he began attending UT he finally felt "right with God." Um, why didn't I move to Texas sooner? You would never hear this on any form of public transportation in Olympia. I loved it. Once I got off the shuttle by main campus there was a gigantic sign that said 'ARE YOU LOST?' in bold letters. It was hilarious, yet completely relevant. Then I got a free UT pen from the UT Library booth. Then I passed the UT Polo booth where they had an actual horse in a cage hanging out in the center of campus. I can't say I ever had that particular experience at St. Martin's.

And, as expected, there were undergrads everywhere. I sat on a bench in Welch Hall (the chemistry building) for a good 20 minutes just watching undergrads try and navigate their way around the building, often failing completely. Some were brave and came to ask me for help, and thankfully I was able to point them in the right direction as a result of my own aimless wanderings last week during orientation. It was such a surreal experience knowing I was there as a graduate student, an actual real chemist who will soon be teaching some of these undergrads. It was surreal, but it was awesome. I also made good use of my time and created a two-photo collage on my phone to commemorate the day.

I couldn't go to my first day of grad school without my periodic table
Toms.

After I had my fill of lost undergraduates, I moved to a shaded outdoor area attached to Welch and read a novel. Then I happened to look up and around me and realized I had this view. Isn't it beautiful? This may be my current favorite spot on campus. And it also happened to be right outside where my class would be taking place. Hello, convenience.

Tower view from Welch Hall.

Class went well, but was pretty uneventful. It mainly consisted of reviewing the syllabus and going over chemistry concepts learned waaaay back in high school. Remember significant figures, and how much you despised them? Well, if you're a chemist (especially an analytical chemist), they never ever go away. The guest prof (our actual prof is out of town this week) was fantastic and hilarious, and made 50 minutes of review material go by in a flash.

After class, I was back on the hunt for a place to get my car inspected. I tried a couple places around campus, only to be told there was a 3 hour wait. Um, no thank you. Back to South Austin I went, where I found a place right next to my house that could inspect my car right away. Goodyear, you are the BEST. The blueberry (aka - my car) passed with flying colors, and was rewarded with an official Texas Inspection sticker to proudly display on it's windshield. You go blueberry! Tomorrow will hopefully see me getting my car registration worked out. I'm officially convinced that moving to a new state is a pain. Don't ever do it. Just stay where you are.

My car is a rock star.