A new semester has started. Hopefully I’ll keep my resolution not to procrastinate. But I have to say, I’m not too sure how that’s gonna go. I am a master procrastinator.

I’m taking dysphagia (swallowing) this semester. It’s a hands on class takes place at a nursing home and I’m really excited about it. I was dying to get my hands dirty (didn’t have any clinical practicum during the first semester). This past Thursday was our first meeting and we were warned that “this is the one class where you can actually kill someone”. Scary stuff, but I’m also excited about the work. All the girls I met who already took that class raved about it so I know I’m going to learn a lot and that it’ll be fun learning. I’m so jazzed about it J (since this is a blog, I figured smileys are ok. I successfully tried to restrain myself last semester, but since this is a blog, I decided I can be free to be me).

Boy sighting: There’s a guy in another of my classes that I didn’t know last semester. So we’re at a total of 3 men that I know of in the program.

Ok, so I’m no longer nervous or intimidated. I’m surprised how fast  I came around, especially since that first undergrad day scenario lasted most of the first year and I remained pretty reserved til graduation. Well that’s a good change.

Ok, so the syllabi: the only words that seem to make sense in all of them are “midterm” and “final”. There’s a bunch of other assignments on there that I’ve never done before, so I have no clue what they mean! Well, at least I’m not alone: the other new girls feel the same. Quite a relief actually.

And my God, the work load is IMMENSE! My school is focused on research so we have a lot of writing to do – All things that I’ve never done before of course: critical reviews, research proposals… For each class, the most that the midterm and finals account for is 45%. Now that’s scary. To have so much of the grade based on work that is new to me is quite unsettling. Hey, the more advanced students did it, so that’s a reassurance that it’s doable.

Oh and the lone guy is not so alone, there are two of them in one of my classes. They must feel a little awkward... But I guess there was undergrad to get over that.

Today was definitely a bit nerve racking. Nothing like in undergrad when all my things kept falling on the floor: I’d bend down to pick up a pencil, then my pen would fall. I’d go back down for the pen, then my ruler and whiteout would go down. It was an embarrassing cycle. Today was more because I felt like a novice.

I expected to be in classes with first semester grad students only (I’m not saying girls cause there was a lone guy at our orientation), but instead, more advanced students were also in the class. Didn’t expect that. So yeah, I thought I’d better keep my mouth shut. Wouldn’t want to say something wrong that would be basic knowledge for them. I guess that’s called being intimidated. Yep, I think I was.