Being a grad student is awesome

Today, I discovered the perks of being a grad student at a large school. They may not give me an office, and the grad lounge may be small and smelly, but here are a few things that made my life (today at least) amazing.

It all started when I met up with Alyssa, Tina and Megan for the Grad BBQ. Free food = perk one. After a little grub, we went to the music office to do some things. We left there with free tickets to see the dress rehearsal of Opera Lyra's Turandot at the National Arts Centre on thursday night. We are going to get fancy and go! How awesome is that! Perk two! Next we went upstairs to the score library because Tina needed the Merry widow score. We found out when she signed it out, that grad students get semester loans. As in, I can get any book or score out and keep it for a semester....A SEMESTER PEOPLE!!!! How awesome is THAT! Perk three.

We then ventured to the referance library. That makes the SECOND music library. So we head over, and wander around the main library for a while. First of all there is a second cup in the library for all your caffein needs. Also, (get ready for perk four...) we found out that because we are grad students, we dont have to buy photocopy cards. There is a chip on our student ID that means we just stick that in the machine and it photocopies. Now we still have to pay. Its not free...BUT, its one less card to carry. While wandering up to the referance library on fourth, we decided to go to sixth first. Sixth floor is just for grad students! How sweet is that! None of those pesky little undergrads running around! I kidd haha. But the whole library was just renovated, and is VERY nice. Its quite modern looking, with big leather chairs and fireplaces everywhere. The lights turn on by sensor, so its pretty neat to walk down a dark row and have the lights just turn on for you! I took pictures of the library that I will put up later. It is very nice.

So we finally make it to the music part of fourth, and I get my first look at what I'm working with for the next two years. Its pretty good. Not SUPER good, but pretty good. Its about 3-4x's what acadias referance section was, so I'm good with that. Overall, very happy with the library. And it seems very accomodating. I know that sounds like a weird thing to say of a library, but its something you look for! To feel welcome and able to find help when you need it? Wicked!

After that, Meg and I ventured to the Metro for some groceries, and I spent the rest of my day watching Wall-e. Very nice. Mid Wall-e, a group of probably...oh...150? 200? frosh went by my window chanting (I took pictures of that too). They were all in camo overalls and COVERED in some sort of goop. Looked like oatmeal. They were all tied together with a rope too, and the only words I could make out in the chant we're "...yeah, fuck yeah!"...so thats cool. Right now, theres a huge thunder storm happening. I LOVE a good storm though, so this is awesome.

Tomorrow is my first class! Its called "in search of musical understanding". I am VERY excited to go and see what its about. People keep saying its a kind of philosophy of music through the musicology of performing class. I dig that. I'm pumped. It'll be nice to finally meet everyone, and actually go to a class. I've been here so friggin long waiting for school to start that I've kind of lost that buzz. I'm sure I'll get it as I walk in tomorrow though.

I'm sure i'll write about my first day after it happens tomorrow! And, i'm sure you'll all be waiting with bated breath. Wish me luck!

Jacob