Chapter 38 (cont.)

 

Hitting the Books, Pounding the Beer

 

“I remember the group of guys who started the '1000 Beer Semester,' right around the time of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant to curb binge drinking on campus. This guy pledged to get straight A’s while still drinking 1000 beers in a semester. They had t-shirts and a big party at the end. I thought that was clever. I was an honors student; got good grades, completed Veterinary school, and I’m now a doctor. I still believe that we should work hard and PLAY harder.”

 

- Danielle, UD '00

 

I’m Done for the Day

 

“My senior year, I actually never missed a class. My roommate used to make fun of me, reminding me that there is no ‘perfect attendance award’ given out at graduation. My sophomore year was when I skipped classes the most. I had a class that ran from 11-ish to 12-ish and then World Religions at 1-ish. I never felt like waiting that hour for my second class, so I often just walked back to the Towers, where I lived that year. Conveniently, there was a nail and tanning place on the corner of North College and Cleveland, so sometimes I'd treat myself to a manicure or a tanning session on my walk back.”

 

- Jennifer, UD '02

 

C You Later!

 

“I skipped Physical Science all the time. I was an English / Women’s Studies major, so math and science weren't my strong points. I was really good at going to lectures the first month or so, but I bombed the first exam. I'm talking like 40% or something. Upon reading over the syllabus, I realized I could get an F in lecture and still walk out of the class with a C, if I got an A in discussion and lab, at which attendance was mandatory.

 

So, I quit going to lecture, got some extra sleep, and worked really hard in discussion and lab. I knew a guy in the class through my roomie, and when I showed up for the final he was shocked. He thought I'd dropped the class. I think he was mad I passed, too. I ended up with a C+ or something. I have never been so happy with mediocrity in my entire life.”

 

- Kristen, UD '05

 

One Out of Four Ain’t Bad

 

“Wow, what class didn't I skip? Freshman year Calc; chillin’ or going to breakfast always seemed like a better idea. My sophomore year I actually took the time to keep track of how many classes I attended, because I realized I was missing so many…I made it to about 25% of the classes. Turned out to be my worst GPA at UD. I turned it all around after that, and started paying attention and doing better…except my 8 AM T / R classes. Who came up with that?!”

 

- Julie, UD '98

 

Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda

 

“Second semester, senior year. Family Resource Management at 8 AM, M / W / F. ‘What kind of bullshit class is that?!’ That's what I told myself all semester when I slept in and missed at least two-thirds of the classes. I could have gotten an easy A, but because of attendance, I walked away with a B-. Oops.”

 

- Leah, UD '01

 

Sleepus Interruptus: Actually, the Oppositus

 

“Talking about cutting class is probably the least satisfying type of nostalgia EVER!  Especially when most of the time when I cut, I was sleeping. That doesn't do crap for me now, especially since I will be paying off my student loan for the next 15 years. Paying for all those mornings of sleeping in! Sometimes I would drag myself to my 8 AM class and fall asleep instantly. If it was a big lecture hall, I would always sit in the front row, right in front of the professor, because I thought that would keep me from dozing off…but it never worked. Sometimes I cut night classes to see the film series at Trabant. Man…I am such a nerd.”

 

- Carrie, UD '02

 

The Power of Persuasion

 

“Second semester of my sophomore year was, academically, the worst of my college career. I basically spent that entire year teaching myself Photoshop and playing Beer Pong…we had a regulation size table in our dorm room. Not the best idea in hindsight.

 

I was taking Macro Economics for the second time; I attended classes the first time, but slept through most of them. I was cramming the night before for the 8 AM final. My roommate had finished his exams and was at the next dorm over, drinking in celebration. He somehow convinced me that a couple of beers would be a good study break and would get me back in the mindset to study. Thirty minutes later, I was crawling down the hallway, military style, with an army helmet on.

 

The rest of that night involved daiquiris, drinking with the RAs, and a visit from Newark’s finest boys in blue (they were looking for a suspect from another crime scene on campus).

 

The ‘horror’ part came the next morning when I woke up just before 10 AM (remember, the exam began at 8 AM) and I pulled a Stripes moment. Me: ‘What time is it?’ Roommate: ‘10 AM. Doesn’t your exam start at 8?’ Me: ‘Yeah, I still have two hours.’

 

The only people left in the lecture hall were the TAs, who I pleaded with to take the exam for the remaining half-hour. Of course my story of tardiness included late-night studying and ‘sleeping’ through my alarm. They informed me I’d have to take it up with the professor, who happened to be in his office on the third floor of Smith. The pleading began again, this time with the professor who was ready to head out for the summer, complete in Hawaiian shirt and flip-flops. He was kind enough to find a small room on the third floor for me to sit in, and let me take the test.

 

All good, right? Well, in the maddening rush to get to the exam (brushing my teeth and then pedaling as fast as I could to get to Smith from Ray Street) I failed to notice the rather poor (hung over) condition my body was in. I was sitting there taking the test for about ten minutes when the professor walked in with other students who had missed the exam as well. By the time the third student was ushered in, my mouth started watering, a clear predecessor to the impending regurgitation I was about to suffer.

 

I excused myself from the room, just in time to find the Men’s room on that floor and, after throwing up three times, cleaned myself up and went back in to finish the exam. I can’t quite remember what I got on the exam, but I passed the class. It still remains the most memorable exam experience I have.”

 

- Troutman, UD '01