A COLLEGE AFFAIR

THREE

Her first class was with the first year students. Mr Frederick introduced her to the class. After that she didn't do much but watch him and watch the students. She noted tactics from Mr Frederick and responses from students. From the coming week, she would teach this class all on her own. Mr Frederick here was basically showing her the ropes.

The following week, Aurora could say she did fairly well on her own. There were one hundred and eleven students in their first year. But she knew, as Mr Frederick said that the number was bound to reduce in higher levels. Architecture was not an easy discipline. As much as the Students were composed, there was of course, the occasional snickering. Not to mention paper throwing, the spectacle of perpetual late comers strutting in and not of the least, the walkers of the 'walk of shame' bearing along testimonies of bed hair and frazzled clothes which would cause the class to erupt into giggles, sneaky remarks and knowing looks. Aurora didn't let any of this faze her, they were once high school students after all, but so was she, more than that, she was once an undergrad, handling tutorials here and there. She also had the experience of being an high school teacher for a little over a year. With all these, she could say she had sufficient training for this job.

* * * * *

Exactly four months later, Aurora woke to a surprising email. Mr Frederick would now be taking the third and final year students. Consequently, she would be assisting him with third year students. Aurora didn't know how to feel about this. She was just getting used to the first year students she was teaching. Year three students would be a bigger challenge. The email said the development was due to; structural changes within the department. The next day at work, she was called to the Dean's office and was informed that management decides to support her in getting a second degree which would qualify her up to standards for taking the third and final year students as per her new job requirement. Beyond the moon, Aurora left the office, thanking whatever highly being was watching over her.