Almost four months have passed since she came to college, and Maja Middleton still cannot believe how fast the time gone. The UW-Madison freshman from New Berlin, Wis., seems to be loving her surroundings and has managed to maintain a long-distance relationship.
\It was an odd adjustment,"" she said as she thought about college life thus far. ""I felt like I was on vacation or something, until I started getting homework.""
Classes have been a challenge from Middleton, but she has studied rigorously this semester and hopes her grades will pay off-likely receiving all A's and AB's.
""We'll see after finals,"" she said somewhat nervously, admitting that right now she is more worried about a 10-page paper due in sociology Wednesday.
As Middleton begins studying for her first set of finals, UW-Madison freshman Jackie Bateman is reluctantly beginning to write an ""absolutely ridiculous"" 15-page paper that is due for her English 100 class during exam week. She has a Spanish oral exam this Wednesday and a written test next week, along with art history and psychology exams.
While not particularly worried about a specific class, in some cases her finals will serve as a reminder of an important lesson Bateman learned this semester.
""I've decided that I don't want to take any more intro classes--ever,"" she said. ""One, they're boring, two, they're unnecessarily hard.""
Although not too concerned about exams, Bateman does have something else on her mind lately--her major, or lack thereof. So this winter break, between seeing her friends and family and working at a paper-producing corporation pasting samples into catalogues, Bateman has another goal.
When her frustration has hit the ceiling, she will quietly pack a bag with her computer, course catalogue, journal and a bottle of wine and drive a few hours to spend the night in an unknown hotel.
""I'm going to figure out my life,"" she said matter of factly.
Bateman is not the only one with her eyes on the future. UW-Madison freshman Aaron Rea can't wait to graduate.
""The sooner I can get out of college, the sooner I can start my life,"" he said. ""I can't wait to buy a house.""
Not that Rea is unhappy here. Besides his economics class, where he worries he still doesn't understand anything, Rea expects solid grades this semester.
He loves exploring the city as well and looks forward to the weather improving so he can run outside again. He still goes home to see his girlfriend every weekend--the couple celebrated their seven-month anniversary last week.
And to top it off, Rea is making $34 a week in cash for spending an hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays donating plasma.
While it might sound painful, Rea has endured worse. One time in high school his McDonalds co-workers dared him to stick his hand in 460-degree oil and get a chicken nugget. He earned $10.
""I figure it's the same thing, I'm feeling some pain and getting a little bit of money for it,"" he said.
But not all freshmen have a steady flow of income this semester. In fact, perhaps UW-Madison freshman Cale Ryan's biggest regret this semester was not getting a job. At home in Colorado, he had worked since the age of seven.
Other than that, however, Ryan seems pleased with his first semester of college.
He expects to get all A's and B's, though grades are not on the forefront of his concerns.
""The class thing was just kind of a side note,"" he said. ""I didn't go often. I was busy making connections.""
He has made life-long friends and has enjoyed aquainting himself with his new home.
On his schedule for next semester, Ryan is signed up for a second-semester German class. However the last time he took German was in sixth grade. But somehow after testing, he was placed into the class, probably because of reading he does on his own time.
And although he has not chosen a major, Ryan has one long-term goal in mind: to learn 20 languages by the time he is 60. Is he worried he won't meet his goal in time, since he has studied less than five so far?
""Why would I?"" he said. ""I'm only 18.""
