...to Prove to Dad that I'm Not a Fool

In my last post, I shared the more interesting details about my move to Denver, my new apartment, and my efforts to furnish the place.

Since that bit of reflection, I've completed my first week of classes and things are going fairly smooth thus far. Now that I'm in a Ph.D. program and on the quarter system for the first time, I'm still adjusting to the fact that 9 credit hours per term is considered full-time enrollment. Most courses are worth 4 or 5 credit hours so I am taking only two classes this quarter. One was determined for me coming into the program.

There's a course entitled "Theories and Methods in the Study of Religion" that all new students must take. Interestingly, the class syllabus does not include a final exam or a term paper. My grade will be determined by how I perform on 4 3-page reading response papers and 30-minute presentation on a classic book in the field.

By contrast, the other class I'm taking (a philosophy course on Nietzsche) is backloaded to the point that 80% of my grad will be determined in the final week of the term when both a term paper and a take-home final must be handed in. The mix of the students in this class is quite unique. First of all, it has an astonishing number of people in it given the subject matter- easily 20 or more. And, second, the class is made up of undergraduates, masters students, and one Ph.D. student (me). The other 20% of the course grade is earned by weekly participation in a reading group that meets outside of class one hour each week. My group consists of myself and two college sophomores. We had our first meeting today and it felt like I was the leader of the world's smallest colloquy.

Both of the classes I'm in convene only once a week so I spend the great majority of my time outside of the classroom. I've already made a friend in the program named R.J. and we work out together in the morning on MWF. When I'm not in class, lifting weights, or shopping for groceries, I'm either reading, surfing the web, or watching a DVD. This past weekend I did little more than study and watch all three Lord of the Rings films in their extended cuts. It was actually an enjoyable weekend despite the relative solitude. I don't spend much more time alone during the week than I was over the summer in Indy, but this was the first weekend I realized how much I've been keeping to myself since arriving in Denver. From what I can tell, Iliff doesn't have the active Back-to-School social scene that Candler had.

I cook for myself about three nights a week. Now that I'm selecting all my own food and footing the bill for it, I'm eating a bit better and a fair bit less than I had been over the past year. Now that I'm also getting back into a workout routine, I'm already feeling lighter even though I can't say for a fact I've lost any weight. And I must say that I enjoy having an apartment to myself for the first time in my life. Having a good roommate is a rewarding experience (and I've had several very good ones) but living alone has some undeniable benefits. My reading is never disturbed no matter what time of day I chose to do it, the apartment doesn't get any messier than I allow it to get, and I comfortably spend the first hour of nearly each day in my boxers. A mixed blessing is that I talk to myself a lot more (I say "mixed" because I find myself to be quite entertaining which is likely a dual symptom of inner gladness and madness). And the major downside of not living with someone else is that I know roommates are often responsible for far more pleasant surprises than they are unwelcome ones.

There are only few things left to be done before I can say I've fully settled in to my life in Denver. The most notable one being that my student loans are still pending. It could be as long as three more weeks before any loan money comes my way, so I'll be spending a fair bit of time this week begging various authoritative persons not to charge me late fees when I'm unable to pay my bills on time due to circumstances beyond my control. My various new masters all seem quite benevolent so I should be able to escape this frustrating situation unscathed. The second unresolved matter is that I still plan to by a sofa/loveseat. However, I'll need some loan money to supplement my present funds before I can afford to make such a sizeable purchase. Other than loans and couch, I've pretty much got my life arranged in manner I'm comfortable with.

Well, friends, I'm quite tired now and the little clock display on my laptop is informing me that its only five minutes until my self-appointed bedtime (not that there's been anyone else who had the authority to mandate my bedtime over the last seven years). I promise to proofread this post, as well as its immediate predecessor, in the very near future.