The time has come: get ready to line up at the bookstore, to stay up late studying, and to make the best of those classes that still do that first assignment where you have to tell everyone a little about yourself, or play a name game (it’s painful, I know). But there are so many good things about September, and so many good things about Camosun. Here are five things about starting classes in September that you might have forgot are actually pretty cool.
Food
Let’s be honest: if you can find me a student who eats at Milestones by the harbour for lunch, I wouldn’t be the only one wondering why they’re even at college. We’re not going to Milestones for lunch, so what options does that leave? The Lansdowne campus cafeteria actually has some pretty bad-ass dishes if you know what to look for (notice I didn’t say healthy: nutrition and taste have yet to arrange a rendezvous in the caf); the Interurban food options are even better. And at Lansdowne, there’s even some entertainment in the form of the friendliest cashier ever. He’s known among students as “the chatty guy with the ponytail,” and he brings the quality of life at the feeding trough up by about five notches. He cracks a joke, laughs, and makes you feel like a million bucks every time. The service is part of a decent meal and this guy defines service with a smile.
Textbooks
Those bloody bookstore line-ups for textbooks have a bit of learning curve. Who doesn’t love to stand in the courtyard for 45 glorious minutes and listen to that group of people in front of you gossip to kill time? Do you ever wonder how they seem so happy to be doing something that appears strictly to be a pain in the ass? Then, of course, you’ve got to leave your bag in a messy pile with all the others, just in case you try to swipe one of those books that’s about half your pay check from a dead-end summer job scooping ice cream into waffle cones… Chill out, dude. That’s why you’re here, to ensure that scooping ice cream isn’t the extent of your lifetime employment. Think of it what you will, but I’m going to try to enjoy the small idiosyncrasies of getting there.
Tuition
Huh? Hear me out. We all love to hate tuition, but it’s there to help students. I know I’m most definitely the bad guy by saying this, but let’s not forget that Camosun is actually relatively mid-priced in terms of tuition. There are many schools where you would be paying two or three times the price for essentially the same thing. But it’s kind of like the Red Sox and the Yankees: everyone’s got their two cents on this one and those opinions are not easily swayed. Next time you open your wallet to find that $20 bill is gone, just breathe and think of it this way: who wants to die rich? If you’re lucky enough to complain about tuition, taxes, and interest, you’re lucky enough.
Study breaks
They’re essential, and they’re fun. Winston Churchill credited much of his success in life to the 20-minute catnap. Take a seat in one of the chairs looking out on to the roof on the second floor of the Lansdowne library or outside the Interurban library, set your timer on your phone, and drift. Don’t be self-conscious: no one can tell the difference between a nap and a really long blink when they’re walking past, right? Or pull up Netflix and watch a quick episode of your go-to mind-numbing comfort show. Go to the figure-eight pond by Wilna Thomas at Lansdowne. Play some basketball outside at Interurban. The possibilities are endless.
Professors
We all know that person who sits in the back row, avoids eye contact, and doesn’t raise their hand. And that’s chill; maybe they’re shy. But profs are people too; they’ve usually been around the block a few times and they want to help you, even if it sometimes seems like they’re making your life difficult. Just remember that they have two hours of lesson prep to do for every hour of your homework, plus an endless pile of marking. They are in it with you. And they’re there for you: use them to your advantage. They could end up writing you that reference letter once your time at Camosun is done that makes all the difference for your career, and for your life.