Midseason Stretch

It’s hard to believe that 2 years of university have passed. It sounds odd, but it seems like only yesterday that I arrived here on campus and, at the same time, it also seems that day was so long ago.

I’ve had a pretty good run here at Waterloo - can’t really say I regret it. It’s a good campus town. I’ve had a few misadventures and made a few more good friends. Of course, like everyone I have those Why-the-fuck-am-I-putting-myself-through-this-hell moments, but there’s a sense of satisfaction in knowing that you’re studying amongst the best of the best and that you’re working toward a ticket to six-figures and a degree that will be respected the world over – and it’s this drive that propels me forward.

Still, there are aspects of my pre-campus days that I miss and nostalgically long for. Sure it was authoritarian and fascist, but I actually miss high school. I guess what I miss most is the human dimension of it. In university it’s easy to feel like a faceless body, an eight-digit number in a seemingly indifferent institution and faculty - all the more so in the callous windowless environs of MC. I miss the diversity of high school – and by that I mean not just ethnic diversity, but diversity of personality and intellect. I miss the skaters, the rockers, the potheads and posers. I miss the slackers and the class clowns and the interesting personalities. I miss having dumb people in my classes. I miss exchanging jokes and arguing about the Leafs’ play last night in the cafeteria. I miss having teachers address me by name and that show (or in some cases feign) an interest in your progress. I miss the recognition and semi-adulation from teachers and peers alike for being the smart guy. I miss being able to walk the halls and knowing most of the people by name instead of the scores of identically anonymous Mongoloid faces I see here.

I guess I really wasn’t sure what to expect upon coming here to Waterloo – perhaps a part of me was expecting a bigger version of high school with smarter kids. But what I see here are a thousand boring clones of me - and I hate it! I miss relaxing! The world ‘chill’ is no longer in my vocabulary – there’s always some assignment to complete, some test or midterm coming up, and on top of that job interviews and fretting about finding a coop placement! The only release to this constant pressure is booze. This is the 19-year old kid in me forced to grow up too fast talking, but I miss the immaturity and the good old sober teenage fun! Is it possible anymore to have fun minus booze?

So a part of me wants to relive high school – heck it was a lot less work and a lot more fun. But of course there’s no turning back now…