I wake up five minutes before my alarm goes off. My roommate is still asleep, so I slide into the bathroom and grab the first shower. He’s sitting up in bed when I come out a few minutes later.

"What time is it?"

He squints at his clock "just after seven."

I still have a half hour before I have to catch my ride. I grab a breakfast bar and look out our 3rd floor window. The city is wide-awake.

"Nervous about the first day?"

"No," by which we both know I mean yes. I finish getting ready and head for the elevator.

I meet Caitlyn and Zac downstairs. Zac's room is a few doors down from mine. We met while moving in and agreed to take turns driving. I jump in the back of his old Civic and we're off. It's a quiet ride from The Regency to campus.

Everyone travels light the first day. I have a few pencils and a notebook in my orange messenger bag – my mom bought it for me at the bookstore during orientation. And, of course, I have my sketchbook. I'm doodling as we pull up in front of the big geodesic dome. Caitlyn and I pile out while Zac parks the car.

I still have some time and the classroom is empty so I wander around the Texas building. There's a big crowd by the bookstore. Across the hall they’ve posted what books and supplies are needed for which classes. I'll come back later. I go back upstairs and a girl with purple hair is playing the piano in the lounge.

The purple hair belongs to Claire, a painting major who sits next to me during our first class -- something called Visual Design 1.

We spend the first day introducing ourselves and going over the syllabus. This class is going to be a ton of work, but it seems interesing so I'm looking forward to it.

At 10:50 everyone on campus goes to lunch. On my way down stairs I bump into Andrew, who I met at orientation. He and a bunch of animation guys are going to check out this burrito joint around the corner, and they ask if I want to come. My exploration of the Underground Cafe will have to wait until later in the week (I heard that the sushi is better on Thursdays, anyway).

My afternoon classes go by in a flash, and before I know it I'm back in my room at The Regency. I recognized some people at dinner -- we stake out the "RMCAD table" and tell first-day stories. When I was in high school I felt like an outcast. At RMCAD I fit in.

I started a sketch for Visual Design and I have about 10 pages left to read for Art History. I should finish just in time to meet up with everyone in Claire's room to watch a little television.

Not a bad first day...