First "real" week

For the two previous weeks, Fran was getting her feet wet at her school, along with all the other new students.  They attended one survey class 4 hours a day, 5 days a week.

But on Monday this week, they were all thrown into the official beginning of the semester, and Fran went from being an intrepid beginner to a long-distance runner.  Last night she was up until 3 completing assigned homework from 5 classes.  She said she was tired in the morning, but by the time I saw her at about 5 this afternoon, she was wide-eyed and energetically focused on her new regime. 

She said that her professors, especially her calculus teacher, said that he didn't want to hear any complaints about the workload, and that it was to be expected that students would work long hours and stay up late.  He said if he caught anyone yawning or drifting off he would send them home immediately!  No eating in class.  No trips to the bathroom.  Alert attention at all times!!! 

Fran said that the students at her school are not sloppy.  Their hair is neatly combed and cut.  No baggy pants or too much make-up on the girls.  The teachers are nice, but extremely strict.  A high level of discipline is expected...not like the students and faculty at Benito Juarez University (Fran's comparison).  I was glad to hear all this, and I think Fran appreciates the strict expectations too. 

She signed up for a math tutoring class at the Learning Center, 3 evenings per week.  And she attended for the first time this evening, taking along her calculus homework.  For now, she thinks that calculus is going to be her most difficult class, so I am glad she has found a way to get some extra help.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays she is in class from 10 to 5 with no break.  So I am trying to make sure she has some kind of snack in her purse.

Fran is very very happy, even though she is on the tips of her toes to meet the challenge.  It is a joy to see!