ch-ch-changin

      Well, it's officially over. I am no longer a college student -- pending Dr. G. posting my bio grade, which I expect to be at least passing, and that will be sufficient. So the big question seems to be, "How does it feel to be a grown-up?" This makes me laugh because I already went through this a few months ago after graduation, when I had to explain that I would still be in classes until the end of summer. Now it's a little different. My new task is explaining to people that I'm not going to college more; I'm going to graduate school. I'll be a graduate student. It sounds so much more sophisticated and intellectual and somewhat tortured.
      Think about it. What do you think when you hear "college student"? The first thing that pops into my head is pizza. A few weekends ago Maria remarked, "Look, we're finally real college students, eating pizza in the room on Saturday night." Not just pizza, but pizza out of a box on my bed in the dorm room. There are also such associations as ramen noodles, overflowing laundry baskets, strange characters always showing up to hang out, thumping music in the hallway... kind of like being a teenager, but with less cash.
      Now, what do you think when you hear "graduate student"? I think of a twenty-something living in an apartment, riding a bike to save gas, eating leftovers for three days, table covered with books, staying up late in the name of erudition (new word I learned from Dr. B.), and for some people maybe a glass of cheap wine instead of a cold beer (of course I prefer a very large cup of coffee). I'm not sure where I got this mental image, and it's probably all wrong. I'll let you know when I find out.
      But you have to admit, when someone asks if you're a college student, you see or at least imagine a raised eyebrow and some kind of speculation about how you probaly went wild when you left home. It could just be me, but when I hear someone claim to be a grad student, I think, "Oh, must be pretty smart." Yeah. Don't even act like you don't do the same thing.