First Day of School

I felt like a proud parent sending Isaac off to his first day of grad school. I even made him take a picture on the doorstep wearing the clothes he had laid out the night before and had to resist the urge to dab my eyes and exclaim "oh, they grow up so fast!". But while I was worried about outfits, packed lunches, and making friends, Isaac was a little more grown up in his own concerns about workload, comprehension, and whether he could remember how to be a student again--it had been 5 years since he had been in school. It has now been a week since that first day, and I think that it is safe to say that Isaac has re-entered the student life with ease. He is doing really well and is enjoying all of his classes. He likes the idea of being at "airplane school" as Jack calls it, and finds it a bit easier to stay focused when he is studying something that he loves.

He is taking a full load of 4 classes which includes: applied aerodynamics, orbital mechanics, aeroelasticity, and transonic aerodynamics. He has found that graduate school has a much different feel than his undergrad. It no longer seems like the class is trying to weed him out, and the classes feel a bit more professional---people are they because they want to be there. Most of his required books are simply references, there is a heavy emphasis on lecture, the professors are eager to discuss class concepts and research, and he frequently attends seminars where professional companies come in and talk about their work and research. This does not mean however, that he is at a loss of things to do; there is still PLENTY of homework, reading, and research, but it is nice to feel a little more independent for a change.

Another first for Isaac is his new life as a minority. White, Mormon, American, and Republican is something of a novelty here---but what a great experience. Like any large, highly ranked engineering school, his classes are made up of such a big diversity of students; primarily Asian, but also several Indians, Arabs, African Americans, and the biggest shocker for a BYU engineer undergrad: women. Isaac likes to joke that the only reason that he even got into the school is that they needed a few more white guys to not seem racially prejudice. Many of the foreign students plan to earn their PHD's and return to their home country to teach, although it does need to be noted that we are not racists: yes, many students are American and have plans to live and work here. This really is such a good experience though, to be working closely with so many students with different backgrounds and experiences. It helps us to open our eyes to the world around us.

So all in all, Isaac is loving school, and I am loving the idea of having my husband in school--until he has homework to do and can't play with me :(