Day One

Our first day was filled with clinics, sessions, discussions, meetings and, of course, introductions. We are the first summer cohort of 70 students, with another cohort (70+ more) arriving next Thursday, entering the "bootcamp" experience of the LEEP on-line format. This being the fourteenth year of the LEEP program, we are referred to as 14.1

With a considerable number of English Majors in the room, I feel inferior to their prowess in writing and assume they are more well read than I. Perhaps my only hope in catching up in that respect, is that I have a few years on them! The introductions of classmates lead me to believe there is much to learn from them, perhaps as much as from the course instruction. Looking forward to it!

The amount of technology training, computer orientation and set-up required is not surprising, considering it is a distance learning program. But, the day seemed to be especially full of dealing with computing issues.

If we can keep all these laptops going, about 70 in the room at once, we'll make it through. I can't imagine what my undergraduate work would have been like with a computer. My experience was lined paper and pencils. Now, it is all contained in this little device that is no bigger than some of the textbooks I lugged around years ago.

The Dorms, of course, are another major topic of discussion. Too many memories of undergraduate living come flooding back. Concrete walls, sharing bathrooms, narrow beds and bedrooms, small desks with no reading table by the bed, all seem to bring a negative memory. Yet, it is not so bad. The pace of this course desn't allow for much other than the studying, researching, reading and writing. So the dorm situation is tolerable.

To the right, is Sherman Hall, a graduate student residence hall just across the street from the GSLIS building, where most of us are staying. So, the "to and from" classes is about 2 minutes, room to room. Wouldn't we "Chicagoans" like that commute every day!

Good night.