I Got the Admissions Fever

Cue the week-long heart attack.

I just applied to the University of Pennsylvania's College of General Studies -- which is generally what one does when one wants to take only a course or three. See, there is a larger academic plan in play: the Department of History and Sociology of Science. While those conversations will be going on throughout the fall, I'll be taking a bioethics course. If all goes well, I'll apply to the graduate program in December.

You know there's a Nervous Nelly under all of this cool reserve. It's been about 10 years since I graduated from Lehigh and I haven't even glimpsed at the GREs. And I'm applying to an Ivy-League school? Oh, for the love of geez, Nicole, what you you think you're getting into?

...if you're lucky.

This morning, I'm running to the more beefy model of my music security blankets: British pop-rock, or whatever the hell is the acceptable phrase these days. Started with Blur's "Crazy Beat," and now iTunes is randomly popping up tunes from Super Furry Animals, Bloc Party, Supergrass, and even Coldplay. (Try as you might, you just can't deny.) You know, what college kids used to listen to.

And if I want that warm, reassuring male voice, I just keep coming back to the Editors. Long forgetting that I once mistook Tom Smith for David Byrne in "Bullets," it's now the sound of an antidote. Yes, this once, just this once, I need something to lean on.

Thank you.