When classes started, I chose the left side, middle aisle for a seat, mainly because the front rows were prime real estate for individuals who got to class at 7:45 A.M. and set up their pencils in an organized manner. I began to call these seats the "cheap seats" because the people who sat there 1) were stragglers, having the audacity to come in at 8:04 A.M, and 2) had not yet found their five best friends they would do everything with (short of sharing underwear). Sadly, only one person in that row would talk to me – JPL. Even JPL, though, would get tired of me saying weird things to him, like "You have a crush on [insert older male professor’s name here]," and he would tell me "sssshhhh" so he could learn how to be a doctor. It was a lonely time.
One day, second row, right side aisle invited me to sit with them. Although the company was enjoyable (hi Emily, Jack, and Christy!), it was emotionally disconcerting because I could see the teacher so well. I could see the teacher's mannerisms, his facial features, but most importantly, I had to pay attention. So, I moved.
Then, Block 2 began. I walked in (late) and saw Sarah, a student with a husband (hi Adam!), sitting in the back row, left side. Since Sarah never came to class, she was like a rare flower that only blooms on a certain day in December during the winter solstice; my excitement upon seeing her was quite understandable given the circumstances.
My move to the back row, left side was an excellent decision as it led to the creation of this blog. The back row, left side is accepting of my weirdness (except for Tahir who thinks that I "have already mapped out the conversation before I even talk to [him]," an accusation with a tragic ring of truth). The back row, left side is awesome because (mostly) everyone here is exactly like me (mainly Farrah, the Iranian, more emo version of me). In conclusion, although my journey around the classroom was like Odysseus’ torturous wanderings to get back to Ithaka, the wonder of the final destination has made the temptations I had to withstand completely worth it.
--By Mariam, who likes to eat chicken carcasses whole (No, just kidding that was a reference from Amelie)
14 comments:
This torrid tale of your journey through the classroom embodies the emotional feelings of medical school angst. Two very heartfelt kudos for you.
Journey??? What journey? You pick one place to sit at during block 1, then block 2 starts and you decided to sit next your friends who sit next to really cool kids (me, Shlee, and Elvis) and decide to stick around because, hey these cool kids (not your friends, but us) are not as boring as you and your friends, and you call that a journey? One switch is a journey? You know, this really dissapoints me. I had such great expectations about this blog, and all that dissapeared faster then a fart in the wind. How dissapointing, so dissapointing I think I will go read a book called HOW TO COPE WITH DISSAPOITING BLOGS. Wish me luck.
If by "older male professor" you mean white-haired, distinguished man who sings to us... Totally HOT.
If, however, you are referring to older man who talks about "tight skin", "diagnostic features" and "viagra" NOT hot, not at ALL hot.
i never thought that someones quest to find a seat in a class room could be so interesting, good stuff homie keep em coming
ps. Sarah is a rare flower :)
(and one sweet labpartner and gym-buddy!)
It is true that Mariam is a great writer, and that she is very entertaining. Thank you, Mariam, for entertaining yet again!
I'm pretty sure it's impossible for the blog owners to "get a life" as you so helpfully suggest. They are med students, and I think it's illegal for med students to have lives. I'm fairly certain there's a law about that.
Well, after a blitzkrieg of propaganada about this awesomely, super cool (I never use those words in real life) blog from Mariam herself, I have finally decided to comment. Although, I must say that I started reading this a long time ago, and I love it!!! Everything from the comic book style cartoons on the side to Mariam's hilarious stories, to which I can totally relate to, being a small, Muslim, brown girl myself. I especially love this journey to find your seat one-SUCH an overlooked topic but something I STILL struggle with to this day. I wonder if I will ever find my seat as Ive gone from far back right, to back left to front center and back. AARGH!!! Its exactly like Odysseus's journey, although sadly I have no guy Penelope to look forward to reuiniting with. DAMN IT! Anyhoo, Mariam, you are really a superb writer.. I sort of knew this already but English essays are just too dry of subject material. Here you shine, keep at it (Dont I sound like your sixth grade English teacher) PERSERVERE, MARIAM!! hahaa. Anyway, the rest of you are equally entertaining and I love reading your stories. This site is going to be my new addiction along with facebook.
okay, i'm commenting now not because i was forced to, but because i am so impressed with the writing in all of the entries!! mariam, i never had the privilege of reading your writing before and i really enjoy your refreshing style!! you make me want to read faster :) anyway, i thought i'd tell u how i found my seat. it wasn't as tortuous as your journey but i realized within the first week and a half of med school how territorial my class is! I began sitting in the front row mainly cause our classroom is crazy tiny and sitting anywhere past the 2nd row made me feel mildly claustrophobic. pretty soon everyone found their seat and their clique and sitting anywhere outside the 2 seat radius of where u are now would create the dirtiest looks you've ever seen (okay im exaggerating but u know what i mean). So soon enough, the front row became the first row to get filled up--i don't know why. i soon found myself rushing to get to my seat in the front not because i really liked it, but mainly due to its popularity. also, i think i enjoyed learning my weird prof's mannerisms and that's good because it kept me from actually learning in class.
okay, anyway keep up the good work! and talk to me woman!
i'm leaving a comment not because i was forced to, but because i'm so throughly impressed by how good this blog is! mariam, i never had the privilege of reading your writing before and i love how refreshing your style is! you make me want to read faster ;) so i thought i'd tell you how i found my seat in med school. within the first week and half of school, i quickly realized how territorial my class is! i began sitting in the front row mainly due to easy access and our class room is crazy tiny. sitting anywhere past the 2nd row made me mildly claustrophobic. Soon enough, people found their fav seat in the whole world and developed their cliques, so sitting anywhere past the 2 seat radius of where you are now would elicit the dirtiest looks you've ever seen (okay im exaggerating but u know what i mean). so for some reason, the front row became the fastest row to fill up and i found myself rushing to get my seat not cuz i liked it so much, but because of the competition! anyway, i learned to get used to my prof's mannerisms and learned to focus on that rather than actually learning in class. so anyway, keep up the good work!! i can't wait to see what you guys have next!
mariam, u really really should watermark all your pics and end all your sentences with this url just like u know who ;)
i'm leaving a comment not because i was forced to, but because i'm so throughly impressed by how good this blog is! mariam, i never had the privilege of reading your writing before and i love how refreshing your style is! you make me want to read faster ;) so i thought i'd tell you how i found my seat in med school. within the first week and half of school, i quickly realized how territorial my class is! i began sitting in the front row mainly due to easy access and our class room is crazy tiny. sitting anywhere past the 2nd row made me mildly claustrophobic. Soon enough, people found their fav seat in the whole world and developed their cliques, so sitting anywhere past the 2 seat radius of where you are now would elicit the dirtiest looks you've ever seen (okay im exaggerating but u know what i mean). so for some reason, the front row became the fastest row to fill up and i found myself rushing to get my seat not cuz i liked it so much, but because of the competition! anyway, i learned to get used to my prof's mannerisms and learned to focus on that rather than actually learning in class. so anyway, keep up the good work!! i can't wait to see what you guys have next!
mariam, you really really should watermark all you pics and end all your sentences with this url just like you know who ;)
i'm leaving a comment not because i was forced to, but because i'm so throughly impressed by how good this blog is! mariam, i never had the privilege of reading your writing before and i love how refreshing your style is! you make me want to read faster ;) so i thought i'd tell you how i found my seat in med school. within the first week and half of school, i quickly realized how territorial my class is! i began sitting in the front row mainly due to easy access and our class room is crazy tiny. sitting anywhere past the 2nd row made me mildly claustrophobic. Soon enough, people found their fav seat in the whole world and developed their cliques, so sitting anywhere past the 2 seat radius of where you are now would elicit the dirtiest looks you've ever seen (okay im exaggerating but u know what i mean). so for some reason, the front row became the fastest row to fill up and i found myself rushing to get my seat not cuz i liked it so much, but because of the competition! anyway, i learned to get used to my prof's mannerisms and learned to focus on that rather than actually learning in class. so anyway, keep up the good work!! i can't wait to see what you guys have next!
mariam, you really really should watermark all you pics and end all your sentences with this url just like you know who ;)
i'm leaving a comment not because i was forced to, but because i'm so throughly impressed by how good this blog is! mariam, i never had the privilege of reading your writing before and i love how refreshing your style is! you make me want to read faster ;) so i thought i'd tell you how i found my seat in med school. within the first week and half of school, i quickly realized how territorial my class is! i began sitting in the front row mainly due to easy access and our class room is crazy tiny. sitting anywhere past the 2nd row made me mildly claustrophobic. Soon enough, people found their fav seat in the whole world and developed their cliques, so sitting anywhere past the 2 seat radius of where you are now would elicit the dirtiest looks you've ever seen (okay im exaggerating but u know what i mean). so for some reason, the front row became the fastest row to fill up and i found myself rushing to get my seat not cuz i liked it so much, but because of the competition! anyway, i learned to get used to my prof's mannerisms and learned to focus on that rather than actually learning in class. so anyway, keep up the good work!! i can't wait to see what you guys have next!
mariam, you really really should watermark all you pics and end all your sentences with this url just like you know who ;)
i'm leaving a comment not because i was forced to, but because i'm so throughly impressed by how good this blog is! mariam, i never had the privilege of reading your writing before and i love how refreshing your style is! you make me want to read faster ;) so i thought i'd tell you how i found my seat in med school. within the first week and half of school, i quickly realized how territorial my class is! i began sitting in the front row mainly due to easy access and our class room is crazy tiny. sitting anywhere past the 2nd row made me mildly claustrophobic. Soon enough, people found their fav seat in the whole world and developed their cliques, so sitting anywhere past the 2 seat radius of where you are now would elicit the dirtiest looks you've ever seen (okay im exaggerating but u know what i mean). so for some reason, the front row became the fastest row to fill up and i found myself rushing to get my seat not cuz i liked it so much, but because of the competition! anyway, i learned to get used to my prof's mannerisms and learned to focus on that rather than actually learning in class. so anyway, keep up the good work!! i can't wait to see what you guys have next!
mariam, you really really should watermark all you pics and end all your sentences with this url just like you know who ;)
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