The Lecture Series

Before the Lecture (Part 2)

Prequel to After the Lecture

The leaves fell on the soft, green grass indicating the arrival of autumn as Gulf Kanawut glanced around the university campus for the first time. He was nervous as hell as he pulled the edges of his jacket closer and aimed his stare towards the dorms he would be residing in, the tall building covered in stone and glaring glass windows. He inhaled deeply, the fresh scent filling his nose as he took his first step towards his home for the next four years. 

He wasn't good with new people or crowds and he was overcome with anxiety as he realized that college was specifically those two things. Before applying, he had come to the conclusion that he could carve out his own niche, and yet facing it seemed like a daunting task. One foot in front of the other he repeated to himself as he sauntered towards the front entrance, hoping to check into the dorm with little fuss. He had waited for the crowds to disperse and was in luck when he was stopped by the dorm assistant, only a few people lingering in the lobby with their belongings. The young woman directed him to the front counter, and he provided his information as the dorm manager loaded his information into the system and assigned his room and set up his security details.

"You'll be on the third floor with primarily first year students" she explained, handing him a key card to get into the main entrance, "You're in a single room with no roommate so if you need anything just holler at us and we'll help as much as we can" she continued, reassuring him of their offer of support.

He nodded, hoping to end the conversation as he examined the lobby, locating the elevators and all the exits. You could never be too safe these days. Picking up his bags, he shuffled to the elevator, riding up to his floor and exiting swiftly, searching for his room, his shoes clacking on the hard floor. He stood in front of the heavy door to his new home and took another deep breath before swiping his card, the door clicking unlocked and he pushed, the door opening easily. The room smelled of dust and stagnant air. He opened the window to get some air flow and sighed in relief as the odor began to melt away. This was definitely going to be an adjustment for him.

Taking stock of the room, he noted the small refrigerator/microwave combo in the corner of the room and the uncomfortable looking bed. He sighed, even as he reminded himself of the luck of receiving a dorm with no roommate. He was fortunate compared to the other residents.
He unpacked the sparse belongings he had carried with him and made himself comfortable on the bed as he prepared for the schedule of his first day. Most of his classes were general classes he had to take before being allowed to take the courses in the department of his degree.
His eyes caught on the two classes he was dreading this semester, as he wasn't interested in the subject material at all. His business course was first thing in the afternoon with a Professor Suppasit and a calculus class following afterwards with a Professor Tambi. 

His degree was focused on communication and education, and he hoped to make a final decision after getting a feel for the classes and which one sparked his interest more.
Laying back with his hands behind his head, he decided to catch a quick nap before roaming the campus and tracking the paths he would take on his upcoming first day of classes. His eyes slowly shut as his thoughts circled on his expectations of university and he drifted into a fitful nap.

Two days later he startled awake as his alarm blared. He reached in the darkness to grab his phone and quickly shut off the loud, incessant tone by muscle memory, his brain not quite aware. Switching on his bedside lamp, he sat up and stretched as the covers pooled in his lap and he yawned as he rubbed his eyes awake. Today was the first day of classes and he couldn't wait to get started. He enjoyed school and although he wasn't a genius, he did enjoy learning new things that interested him. Stumbling out of bed, he grabbed his toiletries and made his way to the public showers. Most of his floormates were already up and gone at this time of day and he enjoyed the peace of an empty shower, thankful that his classes started so late. He wasn't really a morning person.