Disclaimer: In case you hadn't guessed by now, I don't own Wolfblood. I blog stalk Debbie Moon because she has some great things to say about storytelling. But, that's about as close as it gets. Too bad, because I make really good brownies, and I would totally use that as a bargaining chip to get Aimee Kelly to come back to the show.

Also, I did not attend MSU or get an ecology degree. Everything I write about the characters' college experience is fiction. While it may (I hope) be a reasonably believable description, any resemblances to a real-world degree, professor or university are purely coincidental. Please don't make any decisions about college based on my story.

Chapter 5

Shannon stared at her schedule for the day, trying to memorize it on her short bus ride to campus. It went as follows:

8:30 - Biology 1610

9:30- Chemistry 1210

10:30 - Math 1210 (Calculus I)

11:30 - free period

12:30 - Ecology 1210

1:30 - Photography 1100

It was the same schedule on Wednesday and Friday, except on Wednesday at 2:30, she had a chemistry recitation. Tuesday, she had a biology lab, followed by a chemistry lab. Thursday was just her biology lab. She would spend the rest of Thursday and all of Saturday working for the professor Becca had set her up with. She was meeting with him today during her free period to discuss her duties in the lab.

Shannon got off the bus and walked to her class. She had convinced Maddy and Rhydian to spend a good part of the day yesterday familiarizing themselves with the campus. It paid off - she found the building where her biology class was held without a problem. She walked into the classroom and was shocked to find a massive auditorium.

So not only was the campus bigger than her school back home, but the classes were as well. She found a seat in the middle of the room, feeling overwhelmed. She leaned over, tapping the girl in front of her on the shoulder. "Is this Biology 1610?" she asked.

"Yeah," the girl replied, "at least I think it is. Seems like the right place. Ilooked this class up online and it says five hundred people are in it. I've done a rough estimate on the number of seats here, and that looks about right." The girl's brown, naturally curly hair was pulled up in a messy ponytail. She wore wrinkled grey t-shirt with the words, 'Byte Me' on the front.

"Oh," said Shannon.

"Of course I've heard that the lectures are recorded for this class, so hardly anyone shows up after the first week anyways."

"Where did you hear that?"

"Oh just some people who had this class last year."

"Was there some sort of opening social that I missed, or something?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, how have you already met other students?"

"Oh you must be freshman."

"Yeah," said Shannon.

"I'm a sophomore. I'm studying computer science. I'm Lauren, by the way." the girl told Shannon.

Relieved that she hadn't missed anything, she replied, "I'm Shannon. I didn't know biology had anything to do with computer science."

"Oh, I'm doing an emphasis in Bioinformatics."

"I've heard about that field. It must be fascinating."

"Nah. Just pays well. It's just like any other macrodata analysis career," Lauren said casually, "So where are you from?"

"England."

"Where in England?"

"A little town in Northumbria called Stoneybridge."

"Oh is that near London?"

"Not at all. Much closer to Scotland actually."

"Well geography was never my strong suit. Um, cool... So what brought you here?"

"Well its sort of a long story, but the short version is, I'm studying ecology here. A friend got me a position in a research lab on campus, studying the ecological impact of a keystone species' reintroduction into an ecosystem," Shannon explained, excitedly.

"Wow, that's a mouthful."

"Wolves. I'm studying wolves."

"You could've just said that in the first place."

"Sorry. Well, it looks like the professor's here. Better turn around," Shannon said, anxiously.

"Oh the first day of class lecture is always the same."

Shannon looked worried. "But this is my first class here, ever."

"Alright. I'll let you pay attention. Don't cramp your hand taking notes. The syllabus is online," said Lauren. And with that, she turned around, opened up her laptop and began playing Minecraft.

/

Chemistry was in the same lecture hall as biology. Shannon got up during the ten minute break between classes and stretched her legs. "I hope all my classes aren't this big," she said to herself.

Lauren had been right. The 'first day of class' lecture in chemistry was remarkably similar to the one in biology. Mostly logistics, the course schedule, and some pointers on how to do well in the class. There was one exciting moment when the professor demonstrated a chemical reaction, and the gasses from it caught fire. Then there was the announcement that there would be no labs or recitations this week and a reminder that the students needed to purchase lab coats and goggles, and students were dismissed.

After Chemistry was over, Shannon gathered her things, got up, and walked to her maths class. It was in a different building, and she was grateful for the chance to be outside for a few moments. It was a beautiful day.

Calculus was in a much smaller room - it looked like there would be about forty students in the class. While this was still bigger than she was used to, it was better than a five-hundred person lecture hall.

Next, she had her meeting with Dr. Rutledge. His office was on the second floor of an older building, lit with industrial style florescent lighting. The brick walls were painted a pale yellow and covered in posters depicting research finding, probably from the labs in the building. The floors were linoleum, stained in places. This floor of the building was a maze of offices and laboratories. Luckily, she saw a map on the wall. Realizing the professor's office was on the other side of the building, she picked up her pace, her shoes clicking on the floor.

Finally, she saw a sign that read, "Rooms 230 - 239," and turned down that hallway. The second-to-last door on the left had a blue plastic placard on the wall indicating that it was "Room 237, Professor Calvin D. Rutledge, PhD." Shannon knocked timidly.

A voice from inside called, "Come in." Shannon opened the door, revealing a chaotic office, with papers and textbooks stacked high on the desk and piled haphazardly on the shelves that completely filled one wall. A few scattered photographs depicting the professor at ski resorts and mountain bike tournaments were the only noticeable personal touches in the room.

"Hello," said Shannon.

"Hi," answered the wiry man at at the desk, standing up to shake her hand, "You must be Miss Kelly." His hands were heavily calloused and his face was tan and beginning to wrinkle. Shannon guessed he was in his late thirties or early forties. He was clad in a plaid button-up shirt and well-worn blue jeans.

"That's me," Shannon responded.

"Great," he replied, "Come with me, I'll give you a tour of the lab."

He showed her the workbenches and computer area, then the storage room for field equipment.

"While we're in the lab, you'll spend a lot of your time cleaning equipment," he explained as they walked, "That's where everybody starts out. By this time next year, you'll be doing mostly data analysis, and we'll have hired someone else to clean up."

"Fine by me, sir."

"Good because you don't have much of a choice." He laughed good-naturedly, then continued, "As we discussed via email, you'll be paid $7.50 an hour for work here, and a hundred bucks a day for trips into the field. The trips'll be a school excused absence, but you'll still need to make up the work and tests you miss. Just double checking, you don't mind camping, right?"

"Not at all."

"Good. That's all but required for any ecology work that involves field studies. And in my opinion, that's the only kind of ecology that matters." He then proceeded to rant about an his former grad student who never wanted to leave the lab. Then he asked Shannon, "Dr. Whitewood told me you're good with a camera?"

"Well I was in the photography club in high school, and I'm taking a photography class this semester."

"Excellent. Mike and Trevor are great at most fieldwork, but their specimen photos look like shit."

"Oh," said Shannon. She pursed her lips, then asked, "Who are Mike and Trevor?"

"They're my other Undergraduate minions. Trevor's always around the lab, you'll meet him soon. And you should see Mike in class tomorrow. He's the TA."

"Class?"

"Damn, I forgot to send the email. I did that last year, too. I require everyone who works in my lab to take my population modeling course."

"Well, I already have a full schedule. Can it wait until the spring?"

"Sorry, but no. I only teach it in the fall. There'll be another course I teach in the spring that you'll need to take, too. Don't worry, they both count toward your degree, you're just taking them a year early. You've already had calculus, right?"

"No, but I'm in it this semester."

"Oh that'll be fine. We don't actually derive any equations until the last month or so."

"O-kay," said Shannon, nervously.

"You'll be fine," the professor assured her. "I did the same thing to Trevor last year, and he turned out alright. I'll just write the counselor a note and you can head down right now and change it."

"Um, I actually have a class in just a few minutes."

He looked at his watch and asked, "Is it Joan's class?"

She pulled her schedule out of her pocket, "Um, it says Dr. Erickson.'

"ECOL 1220?"

"Yes."

"Yeah that's Joan's class. She just hands out the syllabus, talks for about five minutes and then lets you leave. You'll have plenty of time after that to visit the adviser's office. Especially because Joan's class and the office are both in this building. Now run along. Joan hates it when her students are late."

"Thank you, sir. Goodbye."

"See ya Thursday."

"Yes, sir."

Dr. Erickson talked for closer to fifteen minutes, but after that, just as Dr. Rutledge had predicted, she had let the class go early. From the fifteen minute lecture, Shannon got the impression that, while this professor had high expectations for her students, she also loved a good laugh. Shannon was fairly certain this would be her favorite class.

The counseling office was just around the corner. Shannon explained her situation to the secretary who said, "Your adviser's with another student right now, but you can see her after she's done with him. Have a seat over there," she pointed to some chairs in the corner of the office, "and I'll call you over in a few minutes."

Shannon sat down and thumbed through the course catalog on the table in front of her. She found Dr. Rutledge's class, ECOL 2260. It was a sophomore-level course, and the prerequisites were three classes Shannon was taking this semester (biology, calculus and ecology). The brief course description included two words she'd never seen before. It was also an early morning class - 7:30 am on Tuesday and Thursday.

Next, Shannon looked at her own schedule. Full time students could take anywhere between thirteeen and eighteen credit hours. Below that, they were part-time students, and to go above that, they needed special permission. Shannon was currently at seventeen credits. This new class was three credits, putting Shannon up to twenty credits. She double checked her math. Yep, twenty credits. She had been told that every credit corresponded to an hour of class time and three hours of homework time per week. Two of her classes also had labs, which didn't count towards that number. So, twenty hours of class time, up to seven hours of labs and sixty hours of homework. Plus ten to fifteen hours of work for Dr. Rutledge. And that was on the weeks when she wasn't going to be out doing overnight field work trips. So 102 hours of school and lab work, out of 168 hours in a week. That only left sixty-six hours. If she slept eight hours a night, that was another fifty-six hours down the drain, which left ten hours for food and hygiene. She hadn't even had time for lunch today, and the first day of school was supposed to be the easiest. Now that she was sitting down and thinking about lunch, her stomach grumbled. She remembered packing some snacks that morning, so she pulled out an apple and took a bite.

A few minutes later, the secretary called her over and she threw away her apple core and walked into the adviser's office. It was well-organized and bright, with a window on the back wall. "Please, have a seat, honey," said the plump, older woman behind the desk. Her accent sounded like she had come straight out of Gone with the Wind. "What can I do for you today?"

"I need to add a class, but I've already got seventeen credits, so I'll need special permission."

"Oh dear." She clicked her tongue, then asked Shannon for her name and student number. The woman - Mrs. Margaret S. Caldwell, according to the nameplate on her desk - pulled up Shannon's records on the computer. "Now sweetie, what class do you need to add?"

Shannon handed her the note.

"Oh that Dr. Rutledge. He did this to a student last year, too. You poor thing. Now, unfortunately, we don't let anyone who hasn't been here at least a year take twenty credits. Most people can't handle that sort of stress."

Shannon buried her head in her hands, "So what am I supposed to do?"

"Now sweetie, just take a deep breath and have a chocolate," Mrs. Caldwell said, pointing to the candy jar on her desk, "Let me have a look at your schedule and we'll see what I can do."

Shannon did as she was told, trying to compose herself.

After a few minutes, the adviser said, "Well, it looks like you can either drop Chemistry or Photography."

Shannon sighed, thinking for a moment, "I guess it'll have to be Photography, since I need Chemistry to graduate. I was so looking forward to it, too."

"Actually, dearie, you can take Chemistry next year."

"Really?" Shannon asked, perking up.

"Yes. About half of my students wait a year to take it. You'll be just fine. I'll just make the switch real quick and print you a new copy of your schedule. Dr. Rutledge's class will be tomorrow at 7:30 am, right here in this building."

"Thank you so much, Mrs. Caldwell."

"No problem, sweetie. And you can call me Peggy Sue. Mrs. Caldwell is my mother-in-law." She handed Shannon the schedule and said, "Ba-bye now."

"Bye. Thanks again."

Shannon checked her watch. It was 1:35, and her photography class was all the way across campus.

Out of breath, she tried to enter the classroom quietly, but everyone turned to look at her. Shannon saw that Maddy had saved her a seat. She sat down, smiling gratefully at her friend.

Author's notes:

I'm not planning on going into this level of detail for all three characters' first day of school, but school will take most of Shannon's focus and time this semester, so I wanted to show a window into that.

One thing that makes Wolfblood so great is its fantastic supporting characters.
This chapter, for me as a writer, was an exercise in introducing minor characters. I would love to hear your thoughts on Lauren and Dr. Rutledge as characters. What are your initial impressions of these people? Do you think I described them well (both in physical descriptions and in what they, themselves said and did?) If not, what could I have done differently?

A guest reviewer wanted to know what days I add new chapters. To be honest, its kind of sporadic. I've been sick this week, which means I have more time than usual. In general, I write when I have time, and it happens more on weekdays than on weekends. The best way to find out when I've posted a new chapter is to create an account and follow or favorite this story. That or check back every Wednesday (or another day of your choosing) and see what you missed. Sorry I can't give you a better answer. But thanks for the review :)

To another guest reviewer: I'll work on making chapters longer. Thanks for the advice. Looking back, I should have combined chapter 3 and chapter 4. Well, live and learn.

PS, I did a bit of research to make sure the swears in this chapter are ok for a T rating. Apparently even an occasional F bomb is allowed by the mods. If you guys disagree, let me know and I'll edit it.