UMass

After my first week at UMass I think I can safely say that this place kicks ass. Aside from the very pleasing change in landscape from Tucson, the social atmosphere is a refreshing change from the U of A as well. I suppose it might be possible that it's less the fact that they're so awesome here (as at least one of my cohorts has mentioned the snootiness of "Massholes") and more the fact that anthro grad students earnestly give a damn about what you have to say. Another cool thing is that I'm living in the grad student dorm, which wouldn't seem to be very cool, especially having had a room of one's own for three years, but the people here are really awesome. The vast majority of students here are international students, probably precisely because few American grad students would want to go back to dorm life after years of houses and apartments. It's an anthropologist's dream; everyone is so interested in experiencing American college life and I get to be there alongside them as they do.
My classes thus far seem pretty cool, mostly discussing readings and writing papers. They're about three hours long so every one of the five to ten people in class gets plenty of opportunities to speak up. I'm also rather puzzled by the fact that there are so many redheads here. One or two in each class of less than a dozen people. I'd get the Irish thing what with it being Massachusetts but they can't all be from here. Probably just because they vaporize in Tucson that's why I haven't seen many before.
I've been in this strange mood all week where I feel like every second I'm not out meeting people I'm wasting my time. To the point where I feel like a total shut in for even being on the computer at all. Never mind the fact that I've been going out at night with people every single evening this week, going to all the luncheons and introductory meetings for grad students and generally being very social. Somehow, my mind thinks that every moment I spend not hanging out with people, like the time I set aside for class readings, is a waste of time. Hopefully this is some first week, new school distorted equilibrium thing or this will be one rough semester...