This week wrapped up my first month in the Building Construction Technology curriculum at my local college of applied technology. Here are a few takeaways from my return to college:

1. Construction school is kind of like Lord of the Flies, in that whoever holds the tools commands authority. Tools are power; you gotta bring your own.
2. Leftover drywall screws in your pockets wreak havoc on laundry.
3. Sawdust is surprisingly good for oily hair.
4. Knowing how things are made makes everything look different.
5. Overalls = awesome.
6. Lots of men really like to talk about woodworking, which is 10 X better than sports.
7. Pink is not popular in the woodshop wardrobe. Blue. Everything is blue.
8. Students at the college for applied technology get a discount at AT&T. I just saved $120 for my cell phone plan this year.
9.  A little confidence goes a long way. We won’t get to the plumbing unit for another trimester or two, but I’m so jacked up on self-reliance that I spent the morning snaking out our kitchen sink. Nothing I have learned in the first month has prepared me to snake a plumbing line as sclerotic as ours was this morning, but there’s no way I could go to school tomorrow and admit to calling a plumber.
10. School is fun when you choose it for yourself. I’m writing this on Sunday evening, and I’m looking forward to Monday morning.