Wednesday, August 20, 2008

A Master Degree

Graduate school is in session. Although I plan to earn my Masters, I also plan to master a few areas: the bus and my watch.

On the first day of orientation I opted to ride the bus to class instead of dealing with parking passes and limited spaces. I mapped the route I'd ride. That morning - a drizzly morning - I arrived at 7:30. Orientation began at 8:30 - plenty of time. What I didn't realize was that UGA and the Athens Transit both stopped at my stop. I hopped on the first bus that came - the Athens City Transit. The route followed the UGA route for a few minutes but then turned away from campus. Uh oh... In the end, I rode the bus to downtown Athens, swapped to the UGA bus, rode back to a connecting stop, and got to orientation at 8:45.

Sigh...the first day of orientation. I will master the bus system.

The second item is my watch. I'm not a watch person. I own watches - I just don't wear them. My 'watch' is my cell phone. The phone method isn't very convenient though in class so I wore a watch the first day of class. At 12:45 I heard a faint beepbeep. beepbeep. beepbeep. coming from my wrist. I had no idea the alarm was set. How would I know? I'm typically at work or at lunch during that time. The alarm would have only had my jewelry as an audience. Not knowing anything about the buttons on the watch, I hit several until I found one to silence the alarm.

5 minutes later I heard beepbeep. beepbeep. beepbeep. My alarm had a snooze?! Again I hit several buttons and the alarm paused. Class would continue for another hour. Taking notes in 5 minute intervals just wouldn't work. I fiddled around and changed the alarm for several hours later.

5 minutes later: beepbeep. beepbe. I was prepared this time. I quickly hit what obviously was the snooze button. Realizing that the new alarm time hadn't worked, I changed the actual clock time. The alarm didn't sound again.

I can just see some student approaching me in the morning to find out the time. "Well, I'm sure it's around 9 although my watch indicates 7:22 pm."

Sigh...the first day of class. I will master my watch.

10 comments:

Shankar said...

After that, graduate school (i.e., the actual classes) will be a piece of cake.

Beth said...

You'll get your Master's degree - no problem. It's those other things that will test you for the rest of your life. Life is a never-ending education!

Coordination Queen said...

At least it was just orientation you were a little late for, not your actual classes. Thanks for that laugh, I needed it this morning!

Alice said...

I hate wearing a watch also. The snooze button is my friend and enemy. I always have to set the alarm about a 1/2 hr before the last possible time that I get up.

Natalie said...

after you figure out your watch, will you come try to figure out Josh's alarm clock? Nature sounds flood the walls of our house every day at eight, and I don't know how to make them stop.

Amie said...

Fancy - That sounds like a great story to start your Graduate career with.

ME said...

Dang, if you can master that watch you should be set for all your final exams. :) And that is why I don't wear a watch.

Bone said...

I think you're probably fine, as long as your degree isn't in Watchmaking.


My iPod beeps every morning at 1 AM. And I have no idea why. Sometimes I hear it. Sometimes I don't. Actually, I guess I just assume it beeps every morning.

Anonymous said...

HaHa, just think about all those who had to hear your wonderful alarm everyday until you wore it this time to school!

Unknown said...

Have fun mastering things. But I'm going to go ahead and guess that your watch is possessed and you won't be able to master it.