Today was my first day at school. I was actually supposed to start Monday but the school was closed for bad weather. So you might say that it hasn't got off to a very good start, especially as I fell on the sidewalk walking in.
First I went to the bookstore and got all my books except for one that hadn't come in yet. There are five for the first class and two for the second. Then I went to the classes. A lot has changed since I last went. Now, on top of the reading, they want us to watch videos. Not short, 5 or 10 minute videos, but lengthy hour-long videos. This has me worried because first, I don't know if my DSL router will allow me to watch videos of that length (I haven't tried yet) and secondly, my boss wants me to make up the time I take out of the day to attend school (it's called flex time). I figure between the two classes I will be gone at least 8 hours a week. If I am working until 7 or 8 at night to make up this time, I can't use the library or school computers. This puts me at a disadvantage. Reading I can do almost anywhere at any time, but not watching videos. And, before someone says, but you can always get such and such a device, unless they are willing to pay for it, it's not an option. I guess I switched over from dial-up just in time.
Anyway, there is one aspect about school that I haven't seen mentioned in the forums, and that is the behavior of some of your fellow students. There was one very large (and I do mean large) fellow who came in late and sat down right in front of me blocking my view. That was not enough for him, though. He began inching his chair back until he was almost on top of me. I moved backwards. He moved backwards. I said to him, hey, you are crowding me. He said, oh, sorry. Then resumed the backing game. By the time it was over we must have covered three feet. I physically could not go back any farther, and I said to him again, You are crowding me. What a look of innocence he gave me. All this time I am trying to listen to the professor go over the class schedule and a confusing and overwhelming one it was. And if backing up into my desk was not enough he had the fidgits. Put an arm over his head, further blocking the view. Then rummage noisily in his book bag. Then, worst of all, scratching the scabs on the back of his neck while leaning back over my desk. If I am lucky he will end up dropping the class next week and I will be free of him. In the meantime I am going to make darn sure I am not sitting behind him even if I have to sit on the window ledge. And I know the other students witnessed his shenanigans. The thing is, you are trapped, at least if you have been socialized to be polite like me. Next time, I won't be polite. If he ends up sitting in front of me, I will get up and move and I don't care who gets offended.
Then there are the pen-clickers and bottle-crackers . . . I'm pretty sure in the next four months a good deal of my Aspie nerves will be put to the test, as well as not having any life. It's only until April. It's only until April.
First I went to the bookstore and got all my books except for one that hadn't come in yet. There are five for the first class and two for the second. Then I went to the classes. A lot has changed since I last went. Now, on top of the reading, they want us to watch videos. Not short, 5 or 10 minute videos, but lengthy hour-long videos. This has me worried because first, I don't know if my DSL router will allow me to watch videos of that length (I haven't tried yet) and secondly, my boss wants me to make up the time I take out of the day to attend school (it's called flex time). I figure between the two classes I will be gone at least 8 hours a week. If I am working until 7 or 8 at night to make up this time, I can't use the library or school computers. This puts me at a disadvantage. Reading I can do almost anywhere at any time, but not watching videos. And, before someone says, but you can always get such and such a device, unless they are willing to pay for it, it's not an option. I guess I switched over from dial-up just in time.
Anyway, there is one aspect about school that I haven't seen mentioned in the forums, and that is the behavior of some of your fellow students. There was one very large (and I do mean large) fellow who came in late and sat down right in front of me blocking my view. That was not enough for him, though. He began inching his chair back until he was almost on top of me. I moved backwards. He moved backwards. I said to him, hey, you are crowding me. He said, oh, sorry. Then resumed the backing game. By the time it was over we must have covered three feet. I physically could not go back any farther, and I said to him again, You are crowding me. What a look of innocence he gave me. All this time I am trying to listen to the professor go over the class schedule and a confusing and overwhelming one it was. And if backing up into my desk was not enough he had the fidgits. Put an arm over his head, further blocking the view. Then rummage noisily in his book bag. Then, worst of all, scratching the scabs on the back of his neck while leaning back over my desk. If I am lucky he will end up dropping the class next week and I will be free of him. In the meantime I am going to make darn sure I am not sitting behind him even if I have to sit on the window ledge. And I know the other students witnessed his shenanigans. The thing is, you are trapped, at least if you have been socialized to be polite like me. Next time, I won't be polite. If he ends up sitting in front of me, I will get up and move and I don't care who gets offended.
Then there are the pen-clickers and bottle-crackers . . . I'm pretty sure in the next four months a good deal of my Aspie nerves will be put to the test, as well as not having any life. It's only until April. It's only until April.
