College Moment: The Journey of a Mom and a Student

Biology 101

1/19/06 Our first day of class was Tuesday. I felt Nicole and I walked into our very own sitcom. Upon entering the classroom, there were people already seated and the instructor was standing at the front of the class. We couldn't have planned any perfectly as we walked in to find 3 open seats smack dab in the middle of the room, front center. As if those seats were made for us! Odd, I know. First day of class is usually a little slower than normal in that we have to get orientated. Each professor has a different system so it's always good to know how they prefer to conduct lectures, accept homework assignments, etc. We later moved into the lab where we had our first hands-on assignment. It was basic knowledge of handling a microscope and we were given 2 slides to view. Our main homework assignment is to memorize the parts of microscope. Professor Mayo has a web site that he updates frequently. He allows students to download lectures and study guides as supplemental material. Some important rules to follow are: 1) No food or drinks in the lab; 2) TURN OFF ALL CELL PHONES; 3) Wash your hands upon exiting the lab; and 4) You MUST sign out before leaving class. Wouldn't you know it...Nicole and I got caught up in our discussion with Professor Mayo about Thai food and other cultural interests, we completely forgot to sign-out! I emailed Professor Mayo the next day about our neglecting to sign-out and he said it was okay and to basically remember going forward. Whew! That's 1 point off for each time you forget to sign-out! We'll definitely adhere to that rule, that's for sure.