Exploring UChicago

I woke up before my alarm clock this morning because I wanted to get ready for the day and then go to breakfast. Things didn't go as planned. I took one look at the time, turned off my planned alarm and then I went back to bed. It wasn't until 10 AM that I woke up. I don’t know why I slept in so much but it was probably for the best seeing how the first day of class is tomorrow from 9 AM to 4 PM from Monday-Friday, so it was probably a good idea.

After I woke up and got dressed, I went down to the West Lounge for a mandatory presentation of the health services that the campus had. It wasn't much of a presentation because it lasted about 7 minutes and we got free highlighters. It was basically telling us that there is a health service available to us here and we were told of some of the services that they offer. Once we were dismissed, I went exploring around the campus with my cohort and some friends that I made.  We wanted to go to the library because some of the BioTech kids need to get some books but it wasn't open yet so we went to the gym to kill time. The gym was really big and had everything in it from a basketball court to a weight room. Jimmy and Vicky made themselves right at home while the rest of us decided to go back to the library.

The Library

The library we went to had two separate buildings. One of them looked like a normal building while the other one to me looked like an Easter egg cut in half and placed on the ground. The BioTech kids couldn't get their books then but to make up for it, one of the librarians gave us a tour of where the library books are stored. The books were stored six stories under the building and whenever a certain book was needed, you would type it in the computer and a huge crane would go to where it is and pick up the drawer that it is and bring it up. One of the claws is bigger to accommodate some of the older and larger books that the library holds. The really valuable books aren't placed on the bottom level but the upper ones, just to be safe in case of flooding and other emergencies. There are five claws in total and about 7-10 rows of books that are about 6 stories high. There is an inner wall built around the books to protect them even more so that nothing happens to them. The outer wall is covered in concrete and has beams through the walls which are there to be pressure absorbers. The librarian said that this was one of 18 storages that are like that and I feel incredibly lucky to have been able to go see it all.

Residential Services and Safety Meeting

After our tour, the group split up so some of us went to the get lunch on campus while others walked off to get bagels. I think I shouldn't skip breakfast anymore because by lunchtime I was starving and I ate like a pig. When we were done eating we looked all over campus to find a foosball table but we couldn't find one. We had completely forgotten that the World Cup was on and as soon as we saw that someone was streaming it on the TV, we decided to sit down and watch it instead. We didn't get to watch the game fully because we had a mandatory transit orientation and a residential services and safety meeting. I didn't mind that much because I would rather be briefed on how to get around and safety than watch the game.

In the residential and safety meeting, we talked about the importance of being safe around the campus and using common sense all the time. We were also let known where we could find stuff like the basement, where to do our laundry, and where we could find the vacuums and irons. After that a UChicago police officer gave us a presentation on campus safety. He gave us the university police number and made sure we all had it saved on our phones. He then talked about the emergency blue buttons placed all over the campus. We could push the button for things like for medical emergencies, if we feel unsafe, or if we needed somebody to escort us where we need to go. I hope that I don’t have to push the button while I am here at UChicago but it is nice to know that it is there for me to use just in case.

 

"The Great Hall"

After our meetings was dinner time. Everybody had the option to go with our RA’s off campus to go and get something to eat but I decided again to stay on campus and eat. Earlier in the day I found a space in the dining room that was similar to the Great Hall in Harry Potter and I couldn't resist sitting in there for dinner. It was really nice and I felt like I was actually sitting in the Great Hall. When we were done eating, we decided to sit in the courtyard and enjoy our free time. At our study break later that evening, I met a girl named Bailey and I was glad to find out that she would be taking the same class as me tomorrow. I've been on the hunt for kids who would be in my class and so far I've only found two including Bailey. She seems really nice and energetic and is someone that I could get along with without any issues at all. It’s calming knowing some people who are taking the same class as me before it starts.

I’m ready and excited to start my class tomorrow. I've done my research and I know where the class will be. Luckily it is about a five minute walk from my dorm room and that is a plus. My cohort member, Dani’s class is all the way on the other side of the campus. This time I won’t sleep in and I’ll wake up on time and get myself out the door in a timely fashion. I’m going to eat breakfast because the class ends in the afternoon and I don’t want to crash in the middle of the day. At this point, I’m not nervous at all for my class tomorrow and I’m more excited to see what unfolds than nervous so that’s a bonus. I have my alarm set, backpack ready, and a positive attitude so I feel ready to take on tomorrow.