On the eve of the last meeting....

before classes start. (yes, there will be more meetings, I know).

Tomorrow is a campus wide meeting--time to get out of my college and mingle. Although I don't expect to get much in the way of pertinant info at this meeting, it should provide some campus basics (hopefully). If not, there at least looks to be a good lunch planned and an evening reception (maybe with cocktails? boy do I deserve one after all the meetings I've sat through!).

What I still need to know:

• How to get a key to the building (and eventually my office)?
• How to log onto the university library system?
• How to get the computer programs I need on my office computer?
• How to get a blackboard site up and running for my courses?
• Where is my mailbox?
• Why does my computer give me an error message everytime I log on?
• Where do I make copies? Do I need a copy code?
• A million other things I can't think of yet....

What I have learned:

• I am the only new faculty member in my college who got a reduced course load as part of the deal
• My class is full (but I don't know how many students that is).
• Where my classroom is for the first day.
• The bookstore has possibly ordered the wrong book (?).
• That my office is now vacant (but still needs to be cleaned and painted)--I have chosen a lovely light shade of orange.
• Lots of other misc. things about the new U--but basically I just jotted down website to go to when I actually need some of this info.

What still needs to be finished:

• Obviously, I still need to settle into my office (maybe next week??)
• Syllabus is still not done. . .
• Need to make a to do list of research projects/presentations/ due dates, etc. Can't even remember half of what I have going right now.
• 3 remaining boxes to be unpacked at home.

All in all, even though the new semester is about to take off....the settling in to a new city stuff is finally winding down and my new house is starting to feel like home.