Fall rolled in. Or did it? I, for one, have decided to declare summer a has-been. I am looking forward to the fall like crazy, mostly because it means we’re getting closer to winter. But also because of my brother’s birthday in September and mine in October. And Halloween. And trees changing color. And rain. And cute clothes; hats and boots and coats and scarfs. And hot coffee before the lectures. And quiet evenings in bed with a book when it’s getting dark much earlier. All that and so much more. Summer’s been here for months and months and months this year, I feel like. I’m done with that. NEXT PLEASE.

But more importantly, today was my first day back at uni and if you’d ask me how it went I’d probably be like, meh. That’s how it went. Just: blah. What is it about school that destroys all motivation you build up over the summer within the first two hours? Seriously, why is that? The first lecture was fine but since it was the intro lecture, the lady also talked about the work load for the course (no reading lists provided at all this year, we’ll have to find everything ourselves – how? no one knows) and some wonderful treats it includes (think debating competition).

DEBATING COMPETITION.

I think I like the general topic – the course is titled Network Society – because it deals with all things internet and social networking but also global networking in business and economy and all that, and the effects on culture and society. Which is an okay topic, right? I think it could be pretty interesting. (Oh, speaking of inneresting as in WHY WOULD WE DO THAT: we’ll be watching Easy Rider, attendance mandatory. That’s probably the best – and, one might say, the most mysterious – part of the course.) I guess I’ll be talking about all the boring details on here in the weeks to come, and then maybe have you comment on what you use the internet for as we did in class today and see if anybody dares mentioning blogs or porn because, apparently, in my class NO ONE EVER USES THE INTERNET FOR BLOGGING OR PORN BUT ONLY TO STAY IN CONTACT WITH THE FAMILY AND CHECK THE WEATHER. Yeah, right. I don’t know if I can accept that we start the year off based on lies, people.

The lines at the front office were ridiculous all day so I still didn’t get to sort things out as far as my registration and my schedule go. I hope I can get it done tomorrow, though, or at least before the end of the week. I ended up going to class with Sandra so that I didn’t miss anything. We had met up before to get coffees at the bookstore, and then later met some other people at the faculty. But I didn’t even know half of their names, or their faces. They didn’t know mine, either. And frankly, I didn’t care. I shrugged it off. Maintaining a social life seems too exhausting most of the time.

I also talked to the student adviser about the courses I failed last year and still have to make up. The problem with that is that it’s almost impossible to deal with that kind of doubled schedule, you know, and then pass this time. She said I can always try (and quit if it turns out to be too much) but what it comes down to is these two options: a.) I don’t go abroad during the fifth semester and do an internship or a minor here in Maastricht so that I’m in town and can make up the courses, or b.) I stay for a fourth year (BAs usually only take three years over here). The latter is more or less out of the question because I don’t have the money. [Insert lengthy explanation of financial situation.]

So that was the bad news of today; something I had anticipated, sure, but I had hoped that the student adviser – her name is Miranda and she is such a nice lady – would have something up her sleeve. Heh. She didn’t. What that will most likely mean for you and me is this: no Berea, no Kentucky in 2010. The funny thing is, I typed up an entry yesterday to be posted on Friday (for Kentucky Friday!) about the Berea situation and you’ll see on Friday why that’s not what I’m upset about. It’s not that I won’t be able to go to KY, it’s that I likely won’t be able to go anywhere. And that scares the living shit out of me because I have a tendency to go crazy when I’m forced to stay in place for a longer period of time, especially when I had thought I’d be able to go.

I don’t know. That’s what happened, in a nutshell. It’s probably confusing if you weren’t there and if you’re used to a different school system and everything. But I guess we’ll see how it all unfolds, right? It doesn’t do anyone any good to make predictions one way or the other. I have to try to take it one day at a time, although I suck at doing that. I love making plans and looking forward to things because it’s the only way I can motivate myself. But then- I just have to try. That’s what Miranda said, too, and of the entire session it’s probably what stuck with me most. Just try, she said, and things will be fine. So I’ll try.

What more can you really ask of a person, right?