Week One is Done

It’s kind of crazy that we are now a third of the way through our course. I feel like we just walked into class, but at the same time the week has felt very long. I think the reason for this is that I’m keeping myself busy so the time flies, but at the same time accomplishing so much with my time makes the week feel long. I appreciate the way time is passing here.

 We spent the first half hour of class discussing our thoughts on UChicago and our course, and it was good to hear that most of my classmates are experiencing similar concerns and surprises. After this check-in, we got into class. One of today’s amusing observation of child behavior was the marshmallow test, which measures a child’s ability to delay instant gratification. The video is very entertaining, and I suggest watching it. You can find it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yo4WF3cSd9Q

For lunch today, Grace and I had planned to go to the food trucks that park themselves on Ellis during lunch time. The food at the dining commons is getting boring, and I very much enjoyed my tamale from a small Mexican food truck. I’d like to eat at the food trucks for lunch again sometime, as there was a pierogi truck I was particularly interested in. Meals have been a bit of an issue for me because I hate wasting my paid meals at the dining commons, but my body is depressed by the food there. Ah well, I suppose it’s all part of the college experience.

Food truck fun

Class this afternoon was productive. We watched videos relating to types of attachment, reviewed the readings from last night, and then had time for group work to begin planning our introduction and literature review. I’m very grateful for how well Grace, Kathy, and I are able to work together, because it enabled us to create a thorough outline of our topics and sources that should make writing the Intro and Lit. Review much easier.

I was determined to get at least a minimal start on my paper this afternoon, so I sat down and worked on my introduction. Once I was satisfied that I had a decent beginning, I let myself relax for the rest of the afternoon. In the evening I went swimming with Tiffany, one of the girls in my class, which was remarkably rejuvenating. Tiffany is Chinese-American and from the Bay Area as well, so we have a lot in common to talk about. Tiffany also plays the piano, so later in the evening Tiffany, her roommate Jaden, and I went down to one of the music practice rooms to mess around with piano and singing. I’m really glad that they have music practice rooms here, and even though I’ve only been using them for about 20 minutes each day, those 20 minutes remind me that music is an important part of my life that I want to continue in college. Music helps to lessen my stress, calm me down and generally put me in a better mood and it’s been lovely to find lots of other people here who also appreciate it.

I thoroughly enjoyed myself today, and I’m looking forward to this weekend, as there are many exciting events planned.