It's easy to begrudge the start of school. No more vacation. No more unscheduled, pick-up-and-go summer. Time to write the syllabi. Prepare for the 8 AM class, knowing the students who aren't morning people are equally concerned/in denial about meeting that hour 4 times a week. After a summer of Tevas, back to closed-toes shoes that rub. Back to fitting more than you thought possible into a day--
BUT, yesterday I walked across campus and saw that the freshmen have arrived on campus for their various orientations. They walk across the green, hugging their new notebooks, checking their maps, standing near people they have just met who they hope will be their new friends, wearing the clothes they have carefully chosen to look just right. I remember walking past the English building and catching a glimpse of myself in the window at Williams and just being so incredibly proud, thinking, I'm in college now. You can feel that uncertainty and excitement out on the lawn today.
Leaving the office: the perfect reset button. I am excited to meet my students.
