If I counted correctly, I have had twenty two “first days of school” : pre-school and elementary, high school, college (two semesters per year), study abroad (in Paris), and now this one. When I was younger, my dad used to take a picture of me and my mom outside of our apartment building on the way to school; I was usually wearing a “party dress” to celebrate the occasion. I remember sitting in the assembly auditorium with him on the first day of Kindergarten, as I first saw new that I would, over the next six years, get to know intimately.
At the ripe old age of 23, I didn’t ask my dad to join me yesterday morning for my first day of the post-bacc program (which is the first leg of my six-year journey toward my physical therapy degree). He’s a very organized person and always knows just what to plan ahead for, so I tried to channel his foresight as I got ready the night before.
The kitchen looked a little like a war zone while I pre-cooked a few things for the week!
I also fell in love with a new product that I won from Janetha: XPress Smart Cups. Now, why would I use a paper/plastic product when I could just use a thermos?
Because these cups are portable French presses! You brew coffee in it the same way you would in a standing glass French press: pour in a few heaping spoonfuls of coffee, add hot water, wait three minutes, stir, and push down the press. With the cup, you put the stick (which looks just like a golf tee) into the little plastic hole at the top of the lid, and push it down until you hear a little click!.
I put the ground coffee into the cup the night before, and in the morning, added the hot water while I got ready. After three minutes, I added my milk, gave it a stir, and pressed. I carried the cup- and the rest of my packed lunch- with me on the way out. Such a timesaver!
My first class of the day was at 9 AM, and it was Math 101. For someone who hasn’t taken a math class of any kind since her senior year of high school (doing the math on that one makes me cringe), this was a little daunting. I got to campus really early and was the first one there, so I wouldn’t have to worry about being late or finding another room if I happened to be in the wrong one.
I found an area with a coffee shop and a few seats, so I sat down (and rested my heavy backpack on the floor) to eat. Breakfast was the ultimate portable powerhouse: overnight oats.
All prepared overnight:
- 1/3 cup Ambrosial Granola muesli
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 T chia seeds <—- for super voluminous cookie-dough oats!
- 1 banana
- cinnamon
- last scrapes of Nuttzo
Once I found my way to class, I was surprised to find myself actually excited about fractions and exponents and all that jazz. My high school math came back to me almost immediately, and I had fun working playing around with numbers. I was, however, clearly the oldest person in the room… this is new for me.
Since pre-school, I’ve been one of the youngest in the class, but today I was surrounded by 17 and 18 year olds, and I felt it. It was kind of invigorating to be taking this class- the most basic mathematics class offered at the school- because I wasn’t required to take it to get my college degree, but I’m taking it now, as an adult, as a tool to help my career. Everything that I’ll be doing over the next six years is my choice, and it’s thrilling to feel so “in control” of my life, which is definitely not how I felt in college. Hooray for adult education!
I ended up having four hours between classes, and since my math homework is always going to be posted and submitted on the internet (!), I just went home to have lunch and drop of my textbooks.
On Sunday night, I tried out a new recipe: 101 Cookbooks’ Ten Minute Tasty Asparagus and Brown Rice. I used millet instead of rice and added a little extra lemon to the tahini sauce, but kept the rest of the recipe the same. It was delicious!
Toasted nuts + chickpeas + tahini + asparagus = happy Katie.
Lunch was a hodgepodge of delicious fresh food:
- kale salad (kale, lemon juice, macadamia nut oil, avocado, nutritional yeast, hemp seeds)
- red peppers
- carrots
- Ten Minute Tasty Asparagus & Brown Rice
I ate my other snacks (apple, Chocolate Pumpkin Protein Bar) throughout the day, but I was hungry for lunch so early. I forgot what eating lunch at a “normal” time (11:30 -12:30) is like! I’m going to have to make sure to keep enough emergency snacks in my bag.
At 7:30, my parents and I had dinner at Blue Water Grill, the restaurant I’d wanted to go to last week for Restaurant Week. We had such a nice time: a cozy table, fabulous conversation, toasts to multiple celebrations. The food was delicious, the wine crisp, and we left stuffed to the gills.
Unfortunately I forgot my camera when I went home to drop my books, but you can check out the menu here. The real reason I wanted to go here- aside from always wondering about the beautiful bank-turned-restaurant on the corner of 16th street in Union Square- was because of the dessert: a sweettart ending to a day of new beginnings.
Lemon Meringue Tart with Pistachio Ice Cream and Blackberry Jam
In your current environment, are you the youngest, the oldest, or about the same age as those around you? At work, I’m about the same age as everyone around me, but at school, I’m a good five years older!
im the SAME agee…. so its quite nice.. im slightly older, but only by a fraction!
i love that nut, chickpea and tahini combo!
hurrrrrrrrray for first days!!!
I am older in school too, from the years of full time skating and only ticking away part time in school………and sometimes it’s frustrating, but oh well!!
Weird though when I am older than some of my TAs!!
happy schoooooooooooooooooooooool day though!!
I am excited for you!
I’ve just started going to college again as well! I’m not the oldest in any of my classes, but I am slightly older than a lot of the students!
I’m sure all that math jazz will come right back to you! Good luck with the new school year/semester/whatever!
I just love your kitchen! It’s beautiful! Right now my husband and I are living in an on-campus apartment (he’s in grad school), so it’s pretty plain – I’m jealous of yours!
congrats on your first day! i’m starting a new job but it looks like there are a couple younger than me, some the same age and a couple older. a nice mix! no one is over 50 though!
Oh my, that lemon meringue tart sounds so friggin’ good! Being back at school definitely affects my appetite too. I always come prepared with snacks because I’m either hungry way before lunch, or hungry at all until an hour or two later (when I’m back in class and it’s too late!).
Yay for your first day of school! Amelia and I are actually going to Blue Water Grill on Friday. So glad to hear the food was awesome!
I thought that “23″ was a typo, at first…
At work, I’m definitely one of the youngest… the average employee age around here is probably 75, or something!! That’s why my insurance is SO expensive. As for school… it’s a mishmash. There are people straight out of undergrad, and there are people who have been in one field for twenty or thirty years and just want a change! So I’m probably right in the middle.
Good luck with your first semester back!
<3 <3
Congrats on your first day! It must be so much fun going back to studying! I’m the same age as most of my work mates and recently when I went back to uni to study my MA we had a massive range of ages. I think its better to have people of different ages in a class as it makes discussions more interesting!
Ryan and I are definitely some of the youngest faculty members at the school that we teach at, which can be kind of frustrating sometimes. All of the other professors have teenage kids, and all we have are our dogs, ha!
I love the description of those coffee cups!! How convenient!
Yay! I’m so happy to hear that your first day went spendidly! It’s kind of nice being in college knowing exactly why you’re there and what you want – lots of people don’t. And at least you didn’t have to take an embarassing picture with your backpack. Oh those were the days!
So glad to hear your first day went well! I’ve definitely been the oldest person in the room. I was a good 5 or 6 years older than my General Chem classmates when I started. My study buddy was so impressed that I was old enough to drink! However, I found myself to be younger than a lot of my classmates in the nutrition courses I took too. You’ll probably start to meet post-bacs of all different ages.
i’ve got my first day of classes in about 4 minutes hahaha better get to it! i love your excitement! you’re gonna be so happyyyy! we need another date soon! let me know if you’re int he city on tusdays around lunchish! maybe we can meet up for coffee or a bite soon!
I have always been the youngest everywhere too (graduated high school when I was 17). I give you a lot of credit for going back to school. I think that’s really awesome and you should be so proud of yourself!
When I transfered from Winona State to the U of M Twin Cities my senior year, I had to take a few requirements ( like the liberal arts foreign language requirement)and I was 22 when EVERYONE was 18. Not to mention, most of the 18 year olds had just completed many years of German in high school the previous year, and the last German class I took was in 8th grade! That’s a good 9 years for me to lose it since I didn’t use it.
Its fun to be in a new envionment, though. I’m very excited for you!
Those are the COOLEST coffee cups!!!
Now that I’m a senior in college, I feel like I’m surrounded by children. While the freshman are only 3 or 4 years younger than me, those few years show a lot. The boys are still baby faced and the girls have yet to gain that freshman 15.
Good luck with your whole experience — you seem so ready and excited to start learning again!
Ah! Glad to hear the first day went well
I am a math nerd….I get excited whenever I get the chance to do math 
Great breakfast to start the day and the 101 cookbooks recipe looks SO good (can’t go wrong with Heidi’s recipes). Glad you had a nice dinner out too.
First days of school are the best!! It’s a fresh start and really exciting.
I’ve always been in the average mix age-wise, especially now that I’m in college. The barrier between 18-25 is sort of nonexistant.
I’m about the same age as the people around me, but I used to go to a class where I was a lot older! It was a bit awkward talking to the others at first, but we all got used to it
By the way, I am SO making those pumpkin protein bars of yours this week! I can’t wait- they look SO good!
That’s what I love/hate about my grad program – I’m not the oldest or the youngest – but I still feel old, for some reason…
Those cups are amazing – and great job packing for a day of eating! I have to do that too, but I always end up at the cafeteria, scrounging for tea and a salad around 7 pm!
hooray for your first day of school! So exciting, and I know what you mean regarding how different it feels this time around. I’m kind of in the middle age group in terms of my program, it’s fairly popular as a “second” career choice, I think.
I’m such a bad New Yorker – I haven’t even made any restaurant week reservations!
I am so glad you had a good first day of school! You are going to have a great semester, girl!
And, when I was in New York a few summers ago my family & I ate at Blue Water Grill. We had Sunday brunch there and it was SO delicious…we still talk about it!
Do you let the overnight oats sit in the fridge overnight? What a good idea!
I’m one of the younger ones at my job at 31…most are in their 40s. But at my last job I was the “baby” 10 years younger than anyone in the office…them calling me the baby got old fast.
Back to school back to school!
Glad you are adjusting nicely to your new schedule. 
Wow i cant believe you are really back!! Congrats!!!
I am the same age as many ppl i work with, but some of them have not mentally progressed past the 7th grade some days, i dont think
Congratulations, Katie! I love your attitude. You are totally in control of your education this time around. How many science classes will you have to take for your degree, out of curiosity?
So glad that you enjoyed your first day of school (part 23!). You’re right–education as an adult is an awesome thing
I work at a University, so I kind of fit in the middle with age–I’m the youngest professional person in the office, but I’m obviously older than the students who surround me on a daily basis!
Enjoy the rest of your week at class
I’m definitely the oldest- I report to a 26 year old and someone who is my age (which is only 29)…but amazingly, they have so much knowledge and expertise the age thing doesn’t factor in.
My undergrad major didn’t require math either, so I could understand the butterflys- taking control of your life and Choosing what you want is an amazing thing, and it changes your attitude about things you might have otherwise felt unpleasant.
Cheers!!
At school I feel older although it’s the normal mix of college students and I’m 21. At my internship I’m of course and intern so the youngest along with the other handful of interns. and at home I’m always the oldest a.k.a perfect child=)
Congrats on completing your first day back at school!
I’ve always wanted to try Blue Water Grill, I hear it’s amazing!
I love that idea, that you’re in control of your life now. I felt the SAME WAY when I headed back to school last year – and, yes, I was surrounded by kids 4-5 years younger than me. Good luck in your classes!
Funny but at my classes at John Hopkins I tend to be on the younger side….we had a party for a student’s 100 th birthday….can you believe that? So just be a cougar!
ahhhh so exciting! glad you seemed to have a good first day back
first visit and I just wanted to stop by and say hello there everyone.