Trip of a lifetime
Seeing all the tiny kids running around Uni this week reminds me of way, way back in the day when I was a “prospective student” visiting Uni. At that time, I had no idea what to expect from University Laboratory High School. The experience was pretty intense. In retrospect, I have to say that it was one of the greatest adventures I’ve had so far.
First, picture me five inches shorter and sporting a haircut reminiscent of this cool dude. I was just another Asian boy who was prepared to experience Uni for the first time.
I have to say, Sam Klein (who was my subfreshman buddy), made my day at Uni special. Before I actually went to any actual classes at Uni, I had my first extraordinary experience nearby.
It was lunchtime, and since I didn’t bring a lunch, Sam took me to a place called Derald’s. To be honest, I was skeptical at first about food prepared by some guy in his truck. I mean, how good could his double cheeseburger get?
Well, you can say that it was love at first bite. And if you know me, then you probably know that I still enjoy Derald’s once in a while.
Anyway, after that, Sam took me to his Japanese class. On the way to class, the messy hallways and the open lockers at Uni surprised me. It was totally different from the more structured scene at Urbana Middle School.
In Japanese class, it was nice to see the openness and the enthusiasm in the students. I liked the casual atmosphere.
I also remember seeing other little kids my height tagging along with their buddies, afraid to lose sight of them in this wild jungle. I was nervous at first, but I felt welcomed, and Sam showed me a good time.
Overall, it was a pretty cool experience. Although I was slightly nervous at first, I felt more and more comfortable as the day went on. And like I said earlier, it was one of the greatest adventures of my life.
— Ranny Ma