nontrad drag

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
non⋅trad drag, verb, (abbr: nontraditional drag)
where in a nontraditional undergraduate student - typically older - shows an unconventional zeal for academics, as evidenced by their habit of carrying and reading books that Aren't Even On The Required Reading List!
i.e. extra books = burdensome drag (for nontrad); extra zeal = buzzkill-annoying-as-hell drag (for trads)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So this summer I started back at my alma mater for a post-baccalaureate year of undergrad classes. I know, scary right? And this past week I found myself sitting in my first "quiz section" in something like seven years. It was just as I remembered. The walls: institutional white. The students: half asleep (8:30 class). The TA: Venky - impatient, discontent, very familiar. The chairs: those same desk/chair combo things with the obnoxiously small and useless wedge of desk surface welded to one side of the chair. Remember?

TA: "So I assume you've all completed 142 & 152." (prereq's to Chem-162, my course).

Class: "..."

TA: "Has anyone not taken Chem-142 & Chem-152?"

Class: "..."

TA: "Alright, so you're all familiar with using WebAssign to submit your homework?"

Class: "..."

me: "Hey Venky... I'm not really familiar with WebAssign."

TA: "You said you took 142 & 152, right?"

me: "Yeah, well..."

TA: "It's the online system for homework and prelabs... WebAssign?"

me: "Yeah... well, it's been awhile since I took 142 & 152."

TA: "A while?"

me: "nine years."

Dude sitting behind me: "ph'whoa..."

me: "They didn't use WebAssign when I was an undergrad."

TA: "Okay, okay... talk to me after class."


So, yeah... I'm that guy. I kind of like it.