First day of college…again

Today was my first day back to school. I switched schools this year leaving behind the state university that hates doesn’t really accommodate non-traditional students and went back to the very expensive small college I was attending when I was pregnant with Caleb. (In fact I missed my final because I was in the hospital having just given birth the day before.)

I had forgotten one very important piece of information about very expensive small college. For a college that costs more than a brand new car for just one semester you’d think they’d be able to invest in some damn air conditioning. Because I got to tell you. The big oscillating fan at the front of the room? Did nothing. Nothing at all. I spent the entire class glowing (you know, because girls glow and boys sweat). In fact I was glowing so much I could almost wring out my shirt.

In the mornings I have Introduction to Mass Media Industry. In this class we will be discussing the law, ethics and history of mass media. Looking at the syllabus I was starting to get a little scared. There is a helluva lot of reading. Like at least three chapters a week, sometimes four. And each Tuesday we have a study guide to complete and a 2 page paper to write. And every Thursday we have a quiz. That’s a lot of stuff to do each week for a girl with five kids who works full-time and has a small blogging obsession. I hope I don’t have to give up my night time reading. Because I’m right in the middle of Jen Lancaster’s Bright Lights, Big Ass and I. must. finish. it. She is so funny she almost makes me pee my pants when I read her books.

My professor is also the adviser for the school newspaper and he’s pretty gun ho about it. I think he mentioned the newspaper no less then 47 times. He even had the editors that were in the class stand up so he could introduce them. And if we volunteer to right an article for the newspaper we get extra credit. He’s also my academic adviser and when I went in to meet him for the first time and pick my classes for this year he told me I should write for the school newspaper. So he’s a big school newspaper pusher.

At night I have Photography I. Now I enjoy photography and I have that super awesome camera so I was excited about this class. Until I read the syllabus and found out I’m going to have to spend a few hundred dollars for supplies. I have to get a 35mm SLR camera. Who uses a 35mm camera these days? Nobody. Well, nobody except my instructor. He’s old school and you can tell it’s just breaking his heart that film cameras are almost obsolete. He was willing to admit that nobody uses film anymore (even National Geographic uses digital now), but he still wants us to use one. He wants us to process our own black and whites in the dark room. It sounds very interesting to learn about developing film in a dark room, but is it necessary? Is it a skill I will ever use again? No. I will use Photoshop and a printer and get the same result. Or better.

But it’s not just the camera I have to buy. I have to buy a particular type of paper. A particular type of paper that will cost me $72 for a pack of 100 sheets. $72! You know what I could do with $72? I could pay my gas bill with $72. You know how I could save $72? I could have Walgreens develop my pictures for about $12 a roll. And I could get doubles. Or even better. They will develop my digital prints for $0.15 a photo.

Sigh.

But at least I’m a senior now. I may actually graduate before I turn 40. Woo hoo.

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