One Down, Hopefully About 30 to Go

I wrapped up my first year as a full-time college history instructor yesterday.  A few observations about the job, in no particular order:

• My nemeses are the mean versions of the nerdy know-it-all archetype.  I had a "can't we all just get along" attitude at the start of the year, but now I know better.
• Conversely, I get along famously with just about all of the veterans and jocks (none of whom, to date, are nerdy know-it-alls.)  Who knew?
• An hour and fifty minutes a class is a lot of time to fill when you're a shameless chalk-and-talk / sage-on-the-stage lecturer like I am.
• I 80% love the shuttle to and from campus.  I love it because it's free and I can read or grade while I'm en route, but I don't love it a little because I get sick a couple of times a term and because I have to be on their schedule.
• I wish my campus looked less like it was designed to sustain direct artillery barrages from the Wehrmacht.
• Likewise, I wish it was part of an actual neighborhood that featured things like cafes and food carts.
• I like my colleagues a lot.
• My student evaluations are positive.  Some students are still taken aback by the fact that I insist they use proper grammar in their papers, however.
• I dress the part.