Today started the first day of my last semester of college. As I do about many things on a regular basis (i.e., what I’m going to eat for lunch on a given day, when I can’t get the Netflix to work, when I notice the slightest hint of disorganization or messiness in my apartment-thus setting off my OCD tendencies) I panicked.
I would like to think that I’m fairly mature and responsible, and I know that when I graduate I’ll be ready for it, but still, the thought of being out in the real world seems kind of daunting. I still don’t even know what the heck a 401K is. Until very recently, I thought it was some sort of a race or marathon. Do I have one? How do I get one? Maybe I should ask the payroll lady at Kroger. Or my Mom. Or Google.
Also, I feel like I don’t have any of those trendy, professional adult hobbies. I don’t golf, eat sushi, smoke cigars, play chess, or go to wine tastings. Instead I watch Celebrity Rehab, still order the funny face pancake off the children’s menu at IHOP, and wear out the “Fat Booth” iPhone app with my friends so we can see what everyone we know would look like if they had 6 chins. Sophisticated, right?
Anyway, as a second semester college senior, I don’t prepare as much for the first day of class as I used to. Freshman year, I pre-ordered all of my textbooks, and had bought a notebook and folder for every class two weeks before school started. I was that guy. This year, I came to class empty handed but I still got there about 30 minutes early. At Tennessee Tech there is this unspoken code that you do not move from the seat that you choose on the first day for the rest of the semester, and I learned the hard way sophomore year that if you don’t arrive to class early on the first day, you end up sitting by the kid that smells like a mixture of cigarettes, a wet dog, and tuna fish for the entire semester. I’m not doing that again.
After class let out, I went to work. I wasn’t scheduled to be there, but one of the technicians made lasagna and as we’ve established, there is very little that I won’t do for a free meal. This was my text message conversation with my pharmacist, Lisa, this afternoon:
ME: Is lasagna still happening? And how tacky would it be if I came by and got some?
LISA: Pretty tacky . . . [She was kidding. I think.]
ME: Well how about if I came to say hi to everybody and then just happened to take some lasagna while I was there?
LISA: Still tacky. But then again, we’re used to you.
ME: Okay I’ve been sitting out in the parking lot waiting for the OK. I’m walking in right now.
I have no shame.
Hope you’re all having a good Thursday! Stay safe out there in the crazy blizzard (read: flurries and light rain).
-Jonathan
I’ve technically been an adult for a little under two years and I still have no 401k, watch too much Tv and avoid the golf course. I did, however, buy a washer and dryer ..which depressed me for two weeks.