Day 2: Lecture Roulette

I woke up today feeling slightly more settled. Day one jitters? Gone. Today, I was ready to face the world—or so I thought. Faisal had other plans.

“You have a class at eight, right?” he asked, yawning as he leaned against the doorframe of my room.

“Yeah. Why?”

“Well, it’s 7:45. Just saying.”

Panic. I got out of bed, scrambled into the first pair of jeans and shirt I could find, and grabbed my backpack. There was no time for breakfast, and I sprinted out of the dorm. Faisal’s laughter echoed behind me. Great start to the day.

The first class was Business Statistics, which already sounded like a form of torture. I slid into the lecture hall just as the professor, Mr. Ling, was pulling up his slides. My seat? Front row. Why? Because the back was already full, and I didn’t have the energy to argue with anyone.

Mr. Ling, a small but surprisingly loud man, started the session with a pop quiz. Yes, a pop quiz—on the second day. Half the class groaned audibly, myself included.

“Numbers are your friends,” he declared, handing out the papers.

By the time I finished, I was convinced numbers were not my friends. They were, in fact, my mortal enemies.

The second lecture of the day was Principles of Management. The moment I walked into the room, I knew this would be interesting. The professor, Dr. Lim, had an aura about her. She was a mix of no-nonsense and “I’ve seen it all.”

“Management isn’t just about bosses and employees,” she began. “It’s about managing yourself. And most of you can’t even manage to arrive on time.”

Cue awkward silence.

Dr. Lim went on to describe the course structure, and while her bluntness was intimidating, I kind of liked her. She didn’t sugarcoat anything. She even asked us to write down three personal goals for the semester. Mine?

1.Don’t fail Business Statistics.

2.Speak up more in class.

3.Survive semester three without embarrassing myself.

Lunch was the first breather I got all day. Faisal met me at the cafeteria, grinning like he’d just won the lottery.

“Guess what?” he said, plopping down with his plate of fried rice.

“You found a way to be more annoying?”

“Close. I switched out of Business Statistics. No numbers for me this semester.”

I glared at him. “You’re the worst.”

“And yet, you still sit with me,” he replied, taking a dramatic bite of his rice.

The last class of the day was Marketing Strategies. I was actually looking forward to this one, mostly because it seemed less soul-crushing than the others. The professor, Ms. Farah, walked in with a bright smile. She has the energy of a motivational speaker. Or maybe could rival some.

“Marketing isn’t just about selling,” she said. “It’s about creating something meaningful. It's about creating a story.”

Now that caught my attention. I could already tell I’d like this class.

The best part? Amanda was in it, too. She sat a few rows ahead, scribbling notes like a pro. I debated waving at her but decided against it. No need to embarrass myself on day two.

By the time I got back to my dorm, I was utterly drained. Faisal was sprawled on his bed, watching something on his laptop.

“So, how was your day?” he asked without looking up.

“Exhausting,” I muttered, collapsing onto my bed. “But… not terrible.”

He smirked. “High praise, Eddie.”

Each class felt like a piece of the puzzle that was semester three, and I couldn’t wait to see how it all fit together.

Lesson of the day: Sometimes, in life, you don’t know what you’ll get, but you’ve got to roll with it anyway. Like the roulette wheel.