First Day of Uni

So I had my first class of University last Thursday. It was a Fine Arts course, my Academic Instructor told me I needed an arts course and a culture course for my breadth requirements. It was alright. I need to have a pattern for Tuesday, and I've already chosen one. Course will be divided evenly over three projects with an additional grade put toward sketches and showing my work. We were supposed to order some kits, but the door to the room where we were supposed to place our orders was locked, so we couldn't do that. Class let out really early.

I'd built everything up so much in my mind. I'd just finished my first sleep shift at the group home, and there was five hours between work and class. Decided it wasn't even worth it to go home. Big mistake, took less then half an hour to get to the University and spent the rest of my time getting anxious about it. Was having flashbacks to my first day of college and my first day in grade nine. First day in a new school really is a unique sensation.

After I finished the class, I felt really odd. Kind of like that deflated feeling you get after Christmas. Just the release of all that hype. I've got four new classes to attend this week, but my anxiety's not at the same level.

The day before, I went to the university to make sure that I could find all my classes and to get my student card. I thought it would be a lot harder than it was. The bulk of my classes are in a separate building called Renison, even my culture course is in there. Then each of my classes except my art one are shared between two rooms, which are next to each other.

Place makes me feel old. I support a guy who sometimes likes to go to the geology museum there, and I think I've mentioned on this blog that the place has enough resources that, if you lived on campus, you would really not have to leave for any reason. It has enough resources that it is completely self-sustaining. It's like a village where everyone is between the ages of 18-25.

So I thought it would be harder to find things than it was. I needed to find the Student Life Centre to get my WatCard. So I walked around the perimeter, assuming that such a central feature would be displayed openly. It was. Went in, found the line up. Handed in my student number and a piece of photo ID and I got my WatCard on the spot.

Then I looked up a map of the college, found out I only needed to find two locations for all my courses. Got a rough grasp of the geography of the place, wandered a bit and found everything I needed.

I'm using OSAP this time around. Ontario changed the laws so that, if you live under a certain financial bracket, they will pay your tuition and a chunk of your living expenses as a grant, meaning you don't owe them the money back.

I still don't have the money, though. At first I thought it was coming September 1st. Then I thought I remembered reading September1-6. Then when that time period closed, I called in and apparently it's "4 to 6 business days after your studies begin"... Which was September 7. So now I have to wait until potentially Thursday. Beginning to better understand old classmates complaining about OSAP not coming in.

It's funny, my brother goes to Guelph, where they have the Guelph Gryphons as their mascot. My brother's name means "Dark skinned warrior" and now I'm in Waterloo, which has the Waterloo Warriors.