Ah, here we go again. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the school year has started. The campus is packed, there are hesitant freshmen waiting at the roundabouts and oh man, is it hot outside.
I, for one, could not be happier. I spent my summer back in the Yay Area (represent!), chauffeuring my brother around and being subject to curfews (11 p.m., anyone?). Needless to say, it’s good to be back.
Now you might be wondering, who is this chick with that unpronounceable name writing about being back in Davis? (If you’re wondering how to pronounce it now, it’s “Made-uh”). Well, allow me to introduce myself.
I am a sophomore political science and international relations double major (which always elicits the “what do you plan on doing with that?” at Indian family parties). I could talk for hours about anything from Palestinian statehood to the shenanigans of Snooki and Deena on “Jersey Shore.”
I’m super tall (5’11″ish) and like blasting my ghetto rap music (my Dad calls it nonsense) while I attempt to run for more than a mile on the treadmill at the ARC. Also, I love sports; talk to me about the NFL and chances are I will yap your head off about my favorite teams and probably bash on yours. That’s just a little about me. Now, tell me about yourself!
Ha, just kidding, this isn’t speed dating. If you want to hear more from me or know when to avoid my column in the paper, I’ll be here every Tuesday, folks!
Although it’s good to be back in Davis, it certainly isn’t the same as it was last year. After two days of biking for what seems like forever from South Davis while Wiz Khalifa raps “Taylor Gang” in my ear buds, I long for the days of freshman year when the worst part of the bike ride was plugging my nose by the cows next to Kearney Hall (shout-out to my third floor kids!) in the Tercero area.
Transitioning from dorm life to apartment life is kind of a big deal, guys. Moving into my dorm last year was so incredibly easy compared to the pains and struggles of packing everything I could possibly think of into the family Honda. My daily trips to Target to pick up spatulas and closet organizers, among other things, certainly didn’t help the packing situation since there was too much to bring up in just one trip.
It’s only been several days since my second year started but I’m already missing those advantages of being a freshman. Gone are the times when I could hit the ARC late at night in the pouring rain before an econ midterm the next day. If I tried to do that now, I would have to fear being raped in the sketch, dimly lit bike path through the Arboretum. No thanks.
I could try working out at the gym in my apartment complex, which looked enormous at first, but only appeared that way due to the mirrors on the wall. Too bad the machines are old and semi-broken. It’s a good thing, then, that the daily bike ride to and from campus lugging my backpack and workout clothes is more than enough to get my heart racing.
Now, let’s talk about food. Who knew it would be so difficult to find the energy and time to cook after an exhausting day of classes? I can’t just walk the 30 feet over to the DC for dinner or even those delicious late night cookies that make me feel oh-so-guilty after stuffing my face full of them. My parents did offer to buy me a small meal plan, but I figured, hey, it can’t be that hard to throw some pasta in a pot, right? Psh, yeah right. I’ll just go back to nibbling on these baby carrots and eating my cereal.
Yes, there are perks to living in an apartment (no more quiet hours, among other things!), but freshmen, here’s some advice: enjoy this year in the dorms because pretty soon you’ll be fantasizing about ooey-gooey late night cookies and quick bike rides to class. Everyone else, I apologize in advance for getting the idea of late-night cookies in your heads. Sweet dreams … literally.
Reminiscing about freshman year? Looking forward to late night tonight? MEDHA SRIDHAR wants to know what you think. Look for that tall Indian girl on campus or contact her at mdsridhar@ucdavis.edu.
