Personal collegiate facts

Here are five things almost no one knows about me regarding my old college days. These, in particular, I reflect on often:

1. I took Italian in highschool for the primary reason that I thought it would help me understand the lyrics to Italian opera. I took French in college because it really was the coolest language to learn, and studied my ass off just so I could get more French talk time with my teacher (Claire), with whom I was greatly infatuated. That motivation got me straight A's.

2. I once told my Advanced Differential Equations professor, after not showing up for the midterm, that I was dropping her class because I simply didn't study for the test and didn't want to get anything less than an A. (That was, in fact, the plain truth. And I was actually surprised at myself for bluntly saying it.) She then refused to drop me and rescheduled a makeup for a week later. I was so touched at her gesture that I studied my heart out and got a 100% on it as well as all A's on the remaining quizzes and final. I've since forgotten her name, but have never forgotten her.

3. I got into college on a whim. I scheduled a casual interview with the director of admissions to learn more about the university's School of Music while he was visiting locally to audition applicants. At the end of our short chat, he surprised me by asking that I play something on the piano. I sincerely had nothing prepared; I f*cked up bigtime trying to play a piece by memory and didn't even finish. Finally, he said to just go home and rerecord my performance on cassette tape and mail it to him along with an application, which was already way past the deadline. A few weeks later I got my admittance letter.

4. I failed out of college primarily for being stubborn, among other things (like thinking I could be both a party madman and brainer). I was the last out of several students in my double major program to insist on sticking with the intense curriculum even against the advice of one of the directors, mainly out of foolish pride. But in the end, I was really biting off more than I could chew and caused the inevitable heave ho to happen. My chest seemed so hefty on the final car ride back home; it must've weighed at least a ton. I really felt that I was that close to dying of a heavy heart. The lack of a degree has never stopped eating at me since.

5. I did not snap a single photo in all my dorm years at school. It's one of my biggest regrets of college.