First Day of Classes

Feeling like a first year again, this voyage has been filled with firsts. Though I have sailed twice already, it never ceases to amaze me how much I feel like a first year all over again when I’m on the ship. I have to meet new people again for the first time, complete with awkward conversations about where people are from, their major, and year. I will say I learned from Rush a few good conversations starters like, if you could be a breakfast food what would you be, or would you give up chocolate for the rest of your life if you could wake up perfectly primped every morning? With only 26% of the student population on board this summer being guys, the other 74% women have really like the latter question- most giving up chocolate without batting an eye.

But although the social firsts have been numerous, I’m technically here to study while at sea, so today was a first for classes. I would be lying if I tried to hide the fact that I am a complete nerd and love the first day of classes. I went to bed an hour early just to make sure I didn’t miss them (even though my first class wasn’t until 11am…) This year’s course load consists of Investing in a Sustainable Future (taught by my father), Environmental Communications, and the typical Global Studies course that everyone aboard the ship must attend.

Investing in a Sustainable Future is my favorite class so far. I’m trying to be unbiased because I think my dad is one of the most engaging and funny professors I’ve ever had, but in all reality- he really is. He could make learning about algae fun- in fact, he does in some of his courses about bio-algae fuel. I normally expect the first day of class to be all about the syllabus, but of course my dad jumps right into the material explaining the IPAT equation and how our environmental challenges actually present unique and exciting opportunities for business to help solve problems in innovative and profit-reaping ways. As this is ultimately what I would like to do with my life, this class is clearly the most interesting for me. (Even the 3 readings and a video I had to watch for homework tonight were riveting!)

I realized that last paragraph gave away more of my nerdy tendencies than I had intended to let on, so I will back off on the next two course descriptions. My environmental communications class is new for me because UVA does not explicitly offer communications courses. My professor is nationally well-known and the Dean of the Communications school at Elon, so I am excited to soak up any knowledge I can from him. He also had a professional career in PR, so I may have to whip out my networking skills that McIntire continuously has urged me to use. Global Studies is my least favorite class, but I suppose a necessity. This year it seems to be taught less by rotating faculty, but instead by a single Canadian professor. He speaks well, and tells history in terms of engaging stories… but unfortunately it is located at the front of the ship and usually results in me nodding off to sleep… hoping that I don’t snore.

The classes this summer seem like they will be more work l than I anticipated, but its all fun and interesting, so I doubt it will really feel like work when I can do my readings on the deck in a swimsuit, and write papers listening to the quiet crash of waves against the port side of the ship.