I’m sick again. Started on Saturday morning with all the same signs as a severe allergy reaction. It got worse until I had to admit even to myself that I was getting a cold. I’ve been sniffling and sneezing and coughing ever since. Joy. Woke up at 4am this morning, just suffocating in snot (mmmm, yummy) and decided to get up instead of continuing to keep Mike awake. Finally fell back to sleep on the couch around 5:30. Enh. I hope it goes away soon. I should also remember to carry alcohol gel in my bag so I’m not making all my classmates sick.

Ahh yes, today is the start of my second week in university. I have class at 4 but I’ve already been on campus once today to drop off my portfolio pages and get a new Onecard. I managed to lose my student card in less than a month of having it. That’s absurd. Twenty bucks and a visit to the library later and I have a new card and I can access the library from home.

This is good since I have an assignment due for my tutorial class on Wednesday. I have to use the internet as a research source and explore if it’s a good resource or not. The answer to that one is no, Bob. Anyway, I’ll do it because I’m a massive keener when it comes to school and I want obscenely good marks.

Not going to be hard. Everyone, meet my new friend, arrogance. But oh my god, university is easy. Show up to lecture, make good notes, introduce yourself to your professor and ask questions if you have any, do the work as it is assigned, keep up with your readings, and figure out a system for all this that works for you. I cannot comprehend the kids that come to university and then bag their classes.

Maybe it’s because I’m coming in as an adult, but I’m acutely aware of how much this is costing me and my family. Each course cost about $500, before books. We dropped $1500 on this term alone. That’s a major payment towards clearing off our car loan, or a chunk towards a decent down payment on a house. In many ways our lives are being put on hold, well more our life plans are, so that I can go to school. We’re investing in our future.

It’s the same for everyone. Someone pays that bill, be it OSAP, parents, yourself, whatever. It’s a bit more expensive for me as a part-time student, but not that much more. So why do these kids skip class? Is there a sense of entitlement there? That the degree is owed them because they’ve paid? That showing up is optional?

I don’t know. It’s been interesting interacting with the administration and services on campus. I’m 30 years old, I worked at Laurier 12 years ago, I know in many ways the way universities work, what I need to have as a student, I’m motivated and driven to succeed there and I will milk all the services I’m paying for to the maximum I can. Put that up against people who are used to dealing with 18ish year old that apparently don’t know their heads from their asses, and it’s been frustrating in many ways.

For example, I went into the health clinic to get my depo-provera shot done. I was honest and said I was outside the recommended limit of 13 weeks for re-injection. Oh my god, they had to have a pregnancy test. I stated clearly that 1. I’m not pregnant. 2. I know exactly the last time I had sex. 3. I don’t pee on a stick for anyone. Oh nos, still had to see the doctor. I had another appointment, so I didn’t sit and wait like a good girl for the doctor to say “ok, she doesn’t need a pregnancy test.” I came back later. And surprise, surprise, I didn’t need a pregnancy test.

The reasoning given to me for their blanket insistence on a pregnancy test was that they frequently get women in there who are blatantly lying about their sexual history. That there’s a real chance that these women could be pregnant and the depo would cause major problems. That there are women coming in and saying “he pulled out, I can’t be pregnant!” to the staff.

Shit, man. When I was in my 20s I was fairly promiscuous and I was never that stupid. Sex makes babies. I know, shocking isn’t it? Sex also spreads sexually transmitted diseases. I’m just full of these amazing and foreign concepts. *shakes head*

I’m finding what I need to do when I run up against the people that are unable to deviate from their “idiot teenager” script I just need to try and find someone that actually looks at *me* and realizes that I left idiot teenager behind quite some time ago. The doctor was like that and she’s going to help me with some additional therapy options. Awesome.

It’s a weird world, this university land I’m now a member of. I love it though. My classes and professors are amazing. The work is easy peasy.

And that’s 30. Time to keep working on re-creating my morning routine.