New Semester. New Blog. New Classmates.

This semester, I have three rhetoric classes. Yipee! I'm loving it already. I also have two others: A linguistics/science class and a "signature" course for freshmen that is part of UT's core curriculum, and which I am required to take despite being 1) A transfer student, 2) A senior, and 3) 32 years old. More on that (the class, not my age) anon.

Two of my three rhetoric classes are with the same teacher, and her method of class participation and grading is for us to each create a blog for posting assignments and commenting. As you all have probably learned by now, I'm among the world's worst commenters. And yet, it is required, so who knows? Perhaps this new habit will carry over when I visit the rest of the blogosphere. In the meantime, if you are desperate to know what a rhetoric student writes about, you can come visit me at Rhetorically Speaking. There is a list of my classmates' blogs there, too, if you are really really interested.

Since the new blog is listed on my profile right next to Cheekyness, some of my delightful classmates may wander over here from time to time. Which is fine (hello, delightful classmates! Shouldn't you be studying?), but unfortunately that does preclude me from giving them all nicknames and telling you amusing stories about them. Which is a pity, because I was already plotting a couple of good ones, but I've decided I'd like to actually have some friends.

So, about the signature course. This is my last class with the freshies, and I'm not at all sorry about that, but I do intend to squeeze all the delightfulness out of these baby geniuses that I can while I have to be with them. The actual class is one of those massive 200+ people lectures, but there is a discussion section with 15 people, which is much more manageable. At our first meeting last Thursday, they kept me giggling without even knowing it.

In addition to all the freshie-babies in the discussion section is another energetic young man, hereafter known as New Guy, who is a non-trad like myself (although I'm still the old one in the class, dangit). He's brand-new to college this semester, and he said something about his first week being like "drinking from a fire hose", which the TA misunderstood to think he meant he had been hitting the bars. I guess that's not as common an expression as I thought? Or maybe it's just her. Anyway, after class I took a flying leap out of my normal comfort zone to introduce myself to New Guy, welcome him to UT, and assure him that the non-trad life is totally worth it and lots of fun. He seems really enthusiastic about this new adventure, and if my own experience is anything to go by, he'll need every drop of that enthusiasm.

What's your favourite clever expression/cliché?