Recently, I have made the decision, whether it be wise or insane, to move to a whole different state. This is proving to be a new experience. For the first time I am living in an apartment and laden with the burden of having to keep track of things myself.

This is proving to be quite an experience. You don't think of the sheer magnitude of a university until you actually attend one. The campus is so extensive in size and walking from class to class is a longer walk than traversing all the way across campus at my old college. I still refuse to buy a bike, because I like the exercise (not because I am too cheap). I showed my true preparation for my first class here when I missed the class completely. This is because I did not realize the importance of the parking pass at a large university. At my old college, one could park their car in the lot for a week without a pass and just get one within the first week (unless your name is Josh, then you'll get like four tickets on your car). This is not the same case here. I spent an hour driving around the crowded campus nervously searching for a place to park with no avail, until I parked in a nearby apartment complex and walked to the parking center where I waited in line for half an hour to get a parking pass. Halfway through the interminably long line, I forgot my license plate number.

After muttering some choice words in my head, I texted my parents to see if they could find out for me. They replied with the wisest and most prolific allegories since Confucius roamed the Earth. "Check your license plate". It truly changed my view on the world and was very helpful to my situation. I thank them very much for their valuable and wanted insight. Fortunately, I had pictures on my phone of the license plate.

The magnitude of the classes here, both in information and size is astounding. I have never been in a lecture hall with hundreds of students where attendance almost didn't matter. This is the first time when I've been interested in school also. For once I pay attention to every word instead of zone out and imagine something else for three fourths of the lecture. It's interesting to learn all this new information. I've checked out 20 books from the library on top of textbooks and am reading all of them. Of course, I'm still watching an unhealthy amount of "It's Always Sunny in Phildelphia", but what are you going to do? It's difficult to meet new people there with the sheer amount of people there. It's also hard to impress people here, namely women, when there are a some guys here who have met people like Jay-Z. I've got them all beat though, because unbeknownst to them, I've met John R. Erickson, the author of Hank the Cowdog.

I'm missing all my extraordinary friends from Columbia College. So far, this feels less like a family than Columbia College did. I wish I could bring everyone from there with me. It was hard to leave because, namely in this last year, Columbia College has felt more like home to me than anything else ever has. With its small campus, great group of friends, and exemplarily palatable cuisine of Dulany dining hall, the people there will always feel like my family.

Still, I love this music program at Tennessee.