So, I have successfully moved into residence (for the next 2 months) and I am in my 4th week of my first part-time course. I haven’t written a blog about school yet because there are so many thoughts running around in my head and I haven’t had time to organize them yet. But today, I feel like I have something to say.

It is so amazing how different the people here are from people that I am used to being around. Not that the people I know/used to know aren’t great, but the people here are definitely not ordinary – I will try to explain what I mean by that…

In my first week of school, the BTD came up at lunch with some of my classmates. As it turns out, most people have heard of the BTD and many follow it to some degree or another. A couple of us follow it pretty closely and have done so for several years (I’ve been doing it for 4 years now). One of my classmates who had not previously heard of it was so interested after this discussion that she bought LR4YT on the way home from class and then asked me to type her blood for her that afternoon! Regardless of whether she decides that it is a benefit to her or not, I am so impressed that she was so enthusiastic to try something new!

There is a definite difference in the attitude of people I have met at this school that I am not used to experiencing. My classmates have such diverse backgrounds and knowledge that everyday there is the opportunity to learn about something new. I’m sure that is true whenever you are around new people, but in this situation everyone is also so open to learning and they seem to naturally show respect for differing views. Not that most people are not respectful, but I do think that most people (including me, at least some of the time) tend to be judgemental, particularly when the discussion veers outside of the ordinary. There is NO feeling of judgement here, which is very strange at first!

In fact, from my first contact with this school, I noticed that everyone here (staff, students, faculty, etc) is almost eerily nice! This place is like a little utopia, where everyone is beautiful, thin, healthy, peaceful, secure, and NICE. When I came in to drop off forms or cheques, people knew my name and welcomed me like I was a friend. When I walk through the halls, strangers smile at me and say hello! The staff here will offer to go out of their way to help you, whether it’s with moving, finding something in the library, or helping with a technology issue. The other students on my floor have also gone out of their way to welcome me and get to know me.

So, I am definitely not in my old world anymore, but so far the new one is lovely.