October 1, 2013

Dear Diary,

I can’t believe it!  I’m finally at YORK! And it’s AMAZING!

I can’t get stop thinking about how I haven’t seen mom for over a month!  It’s like heaven!  No one nagging me about clothes on my floor, or to my laundry or to do my homework, or to even take a bath.  I’ve been taking showers (every other day, not every day).One of the absolute best things here is the Professors.  They’re completely different from my high school teachers.

Today I was in a Politics lecture in a building called Vari Hall and the lecture hall was HUGE!  There were so many people there.  But it was so cool.  I can’t wait to back next week.

I have another lecture tomorrow in one of the Curtis Lecture Halls.  I think it says CLH D on my timetable.  I haven’t gone there yet so I hope I don’t get lost, but I’m wondering if it’ll be as big as yesterday’s Politics class.  I hope it is.  Then I won’t have to worry about the Professor picking on me and saying “answer the question” like my high school teacher did.

I’m just wondering what my tutorial for my Sociology class tomorrow is going to be like.

I’ve never gone to one before.  I was asking some of the older students and they told me that the grad students who want to earn money teach tutorials.  I think tutorials are just a place where you sit at the desk and catch up on your readings.  Everyone I asked sounded as if they hated tutorials.

But I’m wondering what a presentation there is going to be like.  It’s in the course syllabus that the professor gave us; it says that we have to give a presentation in tutorial for 10% of our grade before the end of the semester.

One of the other great things about classes here: Moodle.  All my professors are using it.  They put up the syllabus online and said they would post announcements online too.  They said they would even be a class chat online.

The other thing I still can’t get over is the meal plan.  I know dad is going to freak when he finds out I’ve been going to Wendy’s everyday for lunch.  But I’m just going to tell him that it was easy for me to get.  I could eat there right after a class.  I’m just a bit scared of what everyone calls the “Freshman 15”.

But I’m going to keep that weight away.  York gives all its students access to the Tait McKenzie Centre, a fully furnished gym with actual personal trainers!  I just have to go there and activate my membership and get a shoe tag.  I’m going to do that tomorrow.  I can’t wait to get a personal trainer.

Even the libraries here are great.  I’ve been getting up early to go there and study. It’s such a great place.  Sometimes it’s full so I use the McLaughlin Junior Common Room.  There are so many other computer labs that sometimes I have trouble choosing where to go.

Well that’s it for tonight.  I want to get a good night’s sleep so I can study and go to the gym after my class.

Love always and forever,

Incredibly optimistic first-year student who simply cannot wait to attend all classes, do all readings and participate at very given moment.

First published in MacMedia, October 2013, Volume 19, Issue 1
Rahman Mohamed (Humour Editor)
An article about the dream life of a first-year student at York University written in the form of a diary entry to provide humour