My First Few Weeks at Mac

BY NEHA D. MACINSIDERS

Three words -Oh My Goodness.

I say that only because I didn't expect it to be so intense. The first few days into the week I already had (what felt like) a 100 little assignments to do on ELM. Skills labs for bio, quizzes for chemistry AND bio, readings on top of readings, my regular labs starting in a week and midterms already?! And I have to check ELM everyday because there is always something new on there!

I felt everything was moving too fast for me and I JUST started. I know in high school I did NOT have this much to do in the first few weeks. What really shocked me was the fact that midterms were so soon- which meant that I had to start preparing NOW. With five courses to keep on top of, I started to get stressed. How was I going to get through 5 chapters of assumed knowledge in chemistry and read chap 3,4 in advance for bio, along with psychology lectures (each of which takes me 2 hours to make notes on), math homework and assignments (due every week), prepare for my chem. lab and bio skills lab ALONG with studying for midterms? NOT to mention trying to get involved with clubs, sports and opportunities within my rez and my faculty.

I also have to try to prepare for all those iClicker questions that count for marks. I ALWAYS panic when I see those on the screen; I hate the time-pressure. Did I mention I have two labs together in one week also to prepare for?

This was definitely not high school.

I will admit that I miss high school; miss the time spent doing nothing, the expectations that weren't as high as they are now and those countless worry-free evenings.

But, my first few weeks felt great because I loved the feeling being in University. I loved the freedom, the independence, the environment, the opportunity to make new friends, the new experiences and the ability to learn new things. I absolutely enjoyed Welcome Week- Airbands, PJ parade, faculty day, the screaming and yelling and cheering, and the patriotism we showed being Mac students. I learned about some truly awesome groups such as the Maroons and the IRC etc. and I enjoy the feeling of being part of a huge and caring community.

My first few weeks here at Mac was definitely a mix- a mix of hard work and fun. Obviously things are new to me right now and yes, I feel like I have too much work to do, but I also know that because it is my first year, I have a chance to learn more and prepare more for my next years.

So, what did I learn from all of this?

To Work Hard and Play Hard.

Yes... this is when you begin to really miss your childhood. No more cries of, "I wish I were grown up!"