Back to School Again!

After a long hiatus, I'm finally headed back to the classrooms of CU. Tomorrow is the first day of school. Almost everything is ready; my books are purchased, I didn't need any new supplies, and I have my parking and bus passes. I still need to file a little bit of paperwork for my brand-new Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits. Luckily, in the Financial Aid department, my new status as married and a veteran means that only my own financial situation is considered, not my parents'. And since I'm a poor college student, I'm receiving a lot more tuition grants.

I'm pretty excited about being a student again. Riding on my recent wave of inspiration, I realize that being pushed back a year means I'll be in a different group of student colleagues. That gives me an opportunity to change people's perception of me. I can be the guy organizing study sessions and going to review sessions and office hours. I can be the guy that hangs out in the computer lab and helps underclassmen with their projects.

And it's as much of a change in the way I perceive myself as it is the way others perceive me. For years I've been following the same mediocre study habits; do the homework half-heartedly and only complete what's assigned, whether I really feel like I understand it or not. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't. I kept this pattern because it was what I knew, and it was easy. This year-long break has given me an opportunity to change that attitude.

‘They always say that time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.’

-Andy Warhol