First Day of School!

Today was my first day of school for web development - a one year course that teaches how to design and build websites.

I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. I was quite stressed about all of the important things about school: I lay awake at night, mentally planning what to wear on my first day. I wanted to look nice, but not too nice, but not too casual, but not over-dressed. Yes, I tried on a few outfits the day before. And I woke up with PLENTY of time to catch the bus, and checked and rechecked the schedule and route. Do I catch the bus on the right or left side of the road? Will the 8:17 get me there in time or should I take the 8:03? Should I take my laptop or is that too dorky? What if everyone else does? But worse, what if no one does?

The day began early, with I guess what you'd call a student assembly: we all gathered in one room and the teachers talked to us. They handed out swipe cards, temporary IDs, and jump drives around a stylish Natcoll neck thingy (I can't remember the name of those things but you can see the picture above). We did a traditional Maori greeting and a Maori guy came in and sang and recited a poem in Maori -- I had no idea what he was saying but he had a really mellow voice. If anyone remembers the PBS painter guy Bob Ross, that's what this guy was like.

There were three classes total starting today: my class, Computer Graphic Design and Digital Production Media. After that, we split up and attended our first real class.

Now I'm home, checking my email, saying hello the cats, while Iain is at the grocery store buying champagne to celebrate.

Here are my observations of Day #1:

1. Clearly, Computer Graphic Design is where all of the cool kids are. Everyone else: dorks. I found this out by approaching all of the normal looking people who looked over 30, hoping to GOD they'd be in my class and be really funny and we'd become friends and hang out and have drinks after school together and our husbands would meet and maybe they'd have cats.... No such luck.

2. As we sat in the student assembly, I kept looking around, checking out who's who. Most people were pretty non-descript and young. There were a few stand-outs like the 14 year old (I'm not kidding - he's a CHILD) with bad teeth who looked way too confident and irritating - he reminds me of some kid on TV (the kid from Mr. Belvedere?) but I can't think of it. There was the guy with long hair wearing a trench coat - not sure what his deal was. There was the chatty Asian chick who knew a bunch of people. Then there was a really loudmouthed guy who took out his black MacBook Pro to show off to everyone. The kid next to him actually did a quick intake of breath when he whipped it out (I'm still talking about his laptop). I think he was the only one who brought his computer - I was SO glad I'd left mine at home (esp. since mine is only an iBook G4...) Every dork I'd see I'd think, "Please don't let that guy be in my class."

3. All of those people (except for chatty Asian chick) are in my class.

4. There are 20 students in my class. 4 of them are women. I don't think I'll need to worry about what to wear to school every day. If I'd worn acid washed jeans and a sleeveless tshirt with that image of the burning twin towers with the crying bald eagle, I still would've looked cooler than 99% of my classmates.

5. There is one potentially normal looking woman in my class -- we exchanged a brief hello earlier in the day, and she tried to sit next to me in class but we have assigned seats. Damn.

6. 14 year old prodigy brat (F.Y.O.P.B.) with his long surfer hair and buck teeth nodded emphatically and laughed at everything the teacher said in this knowing , "Oh my god - I've been there!" way, like they're colleagues or something. I think FYOPB might be American. Great. Way to represent, jackass.

7. One of our teachers has a habit of walking around clenching and unclenching his fists in order to crack his knuckles. I'm not sure how much of that I'll be able to stand. Knuckle-cracking is pretty high on the pet peeve list (right after gum cracking and chronic sniffling).

Cattiness aside, I'm sure this is going to be a really challenging year. It seems like an excellent course - I'm pretty excited. And I might be the only one in my class who's been to a prom, but these kids will probably wipe the floor with me and my amateur webskillz.

I'm so glad the first day is over, though. The anticipation is the worst. Tonight, we celebrate! (but not too much -- it's a school night!)