Chapter 1 (continued)

There is a crisp excellence about the winter air on a clear day. It feels fresh. It feels unsoiled. The cool crisp air has almost a magical quality to it. One of the properties of this magical quality is that it makes you more alert. It wakes up the sensory receptors in your brain and triggers a sensation of a psychological high. Well it didn’t take long before my heightened sense of alertness transformed into near panic. Sitting in the cafeteria I was trying to chow down on my Oriental Chicken Salad before my next class. Anyone who has set foot inside the BCC cafeteria can attest to the fact that it could very easily be called a Zoo. The rooms are crowed, the lines to the checkout stands are long (not to mention tediously slow), and the people are LOUD. So here I am, sitting at one end of this gigantic round table attempting to eat my salad while a couple of students (obviously acquainted to each other) sitting on the opposite side of the table began talking about their plans beyond BCC.

I almost stopped chewing because I was so eager to hear what they had to say. “Have they picked which schools they want to apply to? Have they applied yet? How far along are they in the application process? God forbid, have they already been accepted?” These were the eager, nearly perverse, questions that were running through my mind as their conversation slowly led me to the realization that I was already behind in the game. “I sent in my application to Western and Seattle U last week.” Said the girl wearing a red scarf with beautiful long blonde hair. The guy she was talking to paused to take a big gulp of whatever it was he was drinking out of this massive unmarked plastic bottle. “The deadline to apply to Western is at the end of the month, right?. I want to go to U-dub. I’ve already sent in my application. I think I have a pretty good chance of getting in because I have concurrent work experience and extra-curricular stuff to go along with my GPA.”

Wait a minute. I thought "U-Dub" was not accepting any transfer students anymore. Didn’t they tear-up the direct transfer agreement and shove it down the throats of community college students in hopes of permanently choking their dreams? Well, if this guy had just applied to the U-Dub as he claimed, it meant that all the hoopla about them closing the doors and turning their backs on transfer students was just a massive propaganda. Was it propaganda? It turns out that the U-Dub had only temporarily turned their backs and stopped accepting transfer students. They did so for a span of about two quarters until they could figure out what they wanted to do with the long waiting list of prospective students created by the direct transfer guarantee. Their business program (among many others) was overcrowded and students were forced to waste two even three quarters taking electives because they couldn’t officially be accepted to the overloaded program.

The University of Washington is a great school. It has a tradition of excellence, an aura of prestige, and a way of transforming all its constituents into members of a firm Husky community. I almost started to drool. No, not because the salad was outstanding, nor was I thinking about the girl with the beautiful blond hair. The thought of becoming a U-dub Husky had taken over all of my mental capacity—including momentarily disabling the control of any muscle function. “Is U-Dub the school for me?” “Why not?” After all, it is the largest higher education institution in the region. 50,000 plus other current students had chosen U-Dub as the higher education institution of their choice.

I went home that evening after class and called my friend who was also in the process of applying to four-year schools. He recommended doing further research about the school, its history, and its business program. He asked me if had thought of comparing various institutions and their respective academic programs. Honestly, I was too overjoyed at the idea of applying to U-Dub and had completely overlooked the need for creating contingencies. He told me that the best way to get a feel for the university, its culture, and its people is to go and visit the campus. “Genius!” I thought. What an incredible notion. Before deciding to go to a school, I should take the time to see if it truly fits me. More importantly, it is also an easy way to get a feel for whether I fit IT. I thanked my friend for his suggestions, placed the receiver back on the phone and immediately started planning my next steps. I had about four schools I wanted to compare and had a limited time window to do so before the application deadlines arrived.


Bonus: 10 Things You Don't Want To Hear In The Airport

10. "We have a lost child at gate D-4, the bidding will start at $20."

9. "I'm sorry madam, but we cannot allow you to bring your cat on board. We don't yet know the effects of high radiation on our feline friends. And we are required to check your bags."

8. "Yes sir, we are aware of the biohazard tag on your luggage and no, you don't want to know its origin. I recommend you refrain from opening your suitcase."

7. "Yes sir, importing Cuban cigars is illegal, that's why the security officer had to confiscate them. What? He's smoking them? Hey! You rat! Save some for me!"

6. "I'm sorry madam, but our insurance policy does not cover punctures in your bags caused by our checking attendants. No, it also does not cover airline crashes. It does cover explosions prior to takeoff, however, and is our most commonly purchased package."

5. "Attention all airline passengers, your flight has been delayed."

4. "For those who have never flown before or who have never heard about the concept of a flying machine: We are currently experiencing 'turbulence,' a common by-product of 'air travel.' Please refrain from screams of mortal danger until we've safely landed."

3. "Madam, please take your food now, the tongs are melting."

2. "We apologize for the delay. Due to extenuating circumstances, our pilot is experiencing difficulties with his sobriety level. Please allow sufficient time for him to have additional shots of tequila."

1. "This is your captain speaking, on the left you can now observe the majestic Mount Kilamanjar... oh, crap!"