Summer Mix-up
It’s the first day of class. With fifteen minutes to spare I got to class and made sure to sit in the second row where I was comfortable. I scoped out the other students who came early and froze.
I realized that the students in the other seats did not have the same textbook that I bought. I asked the person next to me what class we were in. It was not strategies for success.
Lesson: Triple check your schedule. Summer term B did not start the way I expected it to, but during fall I had my schedule organized directly into my phone.
Test of Wills
I started drinking more water to keep hydrated. This means more bathroom trips throughout the day. Before my statistics class I thought about going to the restroom, but decided against it. This was a big mistake. More than half-way through the lecture I really needed to go.
This would have been simple if I didn’t sit in the second row and in the middle. I thought threw an exit strategy, but I sat near the middle of the row and backpacks were on the floor. All I could picture was everyone’s eyes and attention on me.
After 15 minutes, I finally convinced myself to go and everything I pictured did happen. I had to hold on to the seats in front of me in order not to trip over the backpacks, the students in the front row turned around, and some heads turned to watch me leave.
Lesson: Don’t sit in the middle of the row. Go to the bathroom before class even if you don’t think you need to go. At this point I’m like a pregnant woman.
In the moment it may seem like the end of the world. You’re rushing to get to the print lab before class to print out that worksheet you forgot about. Immediately after walking in, you trip over the carpet and you’re heart nearly falls out of your chest when all you can see is the floor.
You finish washing your hands in the restroom on campus and realize that you broke the faucet. Take it from me, (yes all of those things happened to me) instead of worrying about how you looked to others in that moment and find a way to laugh about it. If you saw this happen on television it would be comedy gold and you would laugh.
Also find ways to learn from your embarrassing moments. You’ll be prepared the next time it happens again.