Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Back In The Day//Random Fact #4



To recap:

  1. Random Fact #1 -- I was a cocktail waitress in Nevada
  2. Random Fact #2 -- I was married to a professional gambler
  3. Random Fact #3 -- I am multi-racial

Random Fact #4

I graduated from college in 3 yrs (actually 3 years 3 months). 

I started to college two weeks after I graduated from High School.  I was so excited to move away from home.  First time I had ever been able to make my own decisions, choose who I would date without asking permission from my father.  The freedom was quite mind-boggling.  But I loved living in the dorm, choosing how my days would progress, making new friends. 

During Summer School, only one dorm was open back in the day.  So it was co-ed with sections for girls & sections for guys.  I went to school back in the day when girls were still locked in after certain hours & you had to sign in & out of the dorm when you left.  I lived in co-ed housing during the Summer & an all girls dorm Fall & Spring semesters. The guys had no such restrictions.  Can you say double standard!!!????!!!  But still it was more freedom than I had ever known in my life.

I advised my parents that so long as a dorm was open & classes offered I would not be coming home.  I didn't go home on weekends, I only went home on breaks & between semesters when the dorms were closed.  I took classes anytime they were offered.  I went regular semesters & what was then called mini-mesters (classes offered between regular semesters).  In doing so, I was a Freshman, a Junior, a Senior.  I completely skipped my Sophomore year because of my credit hours. 

I dated an art student, several Viet Nam vets, & finally my first husband.  We were "dropped"(a pendent with his initials), promised (I got a very small , can you say chip, diamond promise ring one Christmas of which my dad made fun), engaged the following Summer (a 1/4 carat diamond ring he picked out which sadly I never liked. May have foretold the direction of the marriage), & finally married our last year in college & lived in Married Student Housing.  I liked being a wife.  After all, my parents by their own admission had sent me to college to find a husband.  I wanted to go to law school, travel to Europe, but none of that happened. He graduated the following May & I graduated in August.  We both worked at the bookstore on campus plus my Mom continued to pay for my tuition & books.  He was going to school on the GI Bill.  For college students we were very well off.  Our friends ate at our apartment often because I cooked & we had the money to grocery shop for steaks, etc.  It was a good time.  I baked all the time so our friends who worked on the ground crew were always knocking on the door for snacks.  That was one of the best times in my life.

So, I earned my B.A. in Education (major in Drama, minor in English) in 3 years (1970-1973).

Go Tigers!!!!



blessed be...

2 comments:

Jennifer Chronicles (jenx67.com) said...

you know, it's really impressive. i'm glad you told me. you're so not one to tout, but it's good to know about your interests and education. 3 years is impressive. i as on the 4 1/2 year plan myself. hahaha!

Bigg said...

I found this fascinating. Thanks for sharing!