The Triumph of a Gold Star September!

This is dedicated to Christie Docking (always referred to by first and last name). My loving SR who showed me the ways of skipping class. And then cramming for a test all night. Also to her roommate Sarah, for teaching the art of all-nighters. Thanks for being such good academic role models.

Both of my parents are teachers. Towards the end of my high school years, my dad became vice-principal. My mom taught kindergarten at one end of the school (K-12), and my dad taught shop and history at the other, his office in the middle of the school.

Thus it was extremely difficult to skip class. It was not a thing I had experienced until I came to university.

Even then, I did an incredible job of not missing class considering I had a 9:00AM on Friday mornings. I napped my ass off in first year. (Who am I kidding. I nap my ass off all the time.)

I remember it quite vividly. It was mid-October when RSA collected damaged fridges and replaced them with new ones. My SR Christie Docking came to get me because she knew our fridge was broken and that we would not have read the posters. I looked at her and said "But I have Stats! How can I get a new fridge?"

"Pfft! Who goes to class? I'm a second year business student and I don't!"

Enter the snowball theorem. As soon as you miss a class, you will return the next day and be lost, and be more inclined to not make the next class. The skipping continues until one day you arrive at class and realize you have no idea what the hell is going on. Your attitude is then changed to "There is nothing he is going to say that will make me understand what is happening. I'll just read like hell two days before our final. That jerk can't even speak english anyways."

While I have never really experienced the snowball effect, I have tactfully planned out which classes can be skipped. For example, COMS 363. No material from class will be tested, it isn't even relevant for your assignments. To me that screams absent without apology. I did make up for it though, doing a presentation at 3:00 on BSD. So it felt like I'd gone to more than enough class.

Now anyone who knew me last year, knows I might not have had impeccable attendance. But really, a night class before council? When our prof would just read the notes off of his powerpoint. Furthermore, you buy the same notes in lieu of a textbook. Sorry sir, I'll be missing your class from now until April. See you at the final!

I'm also the only Haskayne School of Business student to pass Finance 317 without attending a single lab or lecture.

"Pfft! Who goes to class? I'm a second year business student and I don't!"

Well folks I can happily report another gold star month. All classes attended for the entire month of September! I've even skipped Leafs pre-season games in favour of class. Albeit Jimi Hendrix: His Life and Legacy. And the fact that pre-season hockey is as relevant as the number of shingles on my roof (zero).

Dare to dream.... Gold star October? Gold star Semester?

Actually cher Docking is returning next week. We're going out for dinner. But, wait, I have a class at 5:00 Christie, I can't make it.

"Pfft! Who goes to class? I have a BCOMM and I don't!"

Also, a note to Mama B who I know reads this. I just used that finance 317 line just to make you cringe (betcha it worked!). Mom, I got 100% on the second test, it's simply not possible to do that without attending class. And Papa B, I'm exaggerating to make the story more interesting. Plus, I've failed most of these courses at least twice, so I've basically been going to two times as much class as everyone else!