I entered college in the fall of 1980. The University that I attended was at that time on terms, rather than semesters, so we had a fall, winter and spring term and changed class schedules at each change of term.
I was an exceptionally clueless college freshman. I lived at home, which was about twenty miles from campus. I didn’t drive, so I was dropped off at campus at 7:00 am every morning by my stepfather and I walked to his place of work every evening right before he was ready to head back home at 5:30 pm
As you can imagine, I had no social life. Because I was on campus so early, I signed up for 8:00 am classes whenever possible. I had a lot of non-class time to fill each day. I studied, at least a little. I found some interesting places around campus – the Union Building had a café that was quiet for my morning coffee and newspaper. Later in the day I might hang out in the general TV area and people watch, or I might use the Women’s Lounge for a nap on one of the many saggy couches. The International Building was usually the place to eat lunch and meet up with study-buddies. I also found all the best places to study, write or read in the campus library. On nice days, I would head for a garden bench.
I also explored the college town and found, down a side street, a treasure of a bookstore. I wish I remembered its name. There were different sections and tucked away in odd corners you’d find a comfy chair and a little table with a lamp. It had a very nice children’s/young adult section and that is where I discovered that the “Wizard of Oz” and “The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe” were part of a series. I would treat myself every so often to one of those books. The store usually had a bargain bin set up outside where I would fine an interesting read from time to time. Nobody seemed to mind how long you spent there or how few books you actually bought.
As many college freshman find, the amount of reading is intense, and it usually is textbook type reading. I remember my little brother begging for a story when I was working on chemistry, so I read my text aloud to him. He snuggled in for a good 10 minutes before he declared, “This is a boring story!” and left me to read it alone.
Spring break happened between winter and spring terms. I had my class list in hand with the required books needed for each as I headed to the University Book Store to buy my books before break. One of my freshman Humanities/English classes along with whatever text was required, had a list of about seven novels to read for class. They looked really interesting so I read them all over spring break. (Later I found out we were supposed to pick one of them to read and write a book critique on it). Of those seven books, one had a real impact on me. It was “The Women’s Room” by Marilynn French. I had never read anything like that before and it was eye opening. I remember the beginning part when the main character, Mira, was a young married woman and kept a precise home for her husband and thinking, “Oh my gosh, this is my mother!” Then when Mira is divorced and goes to college, she meets women who are different from her and are feminists. Her friend is raped and it changed everyone’s life as they tried to navigate the horrendous legal system. Wow, yes, it stuck with me. I should read it again. Anyway, that is the book I chose to write the critique on. I wish I had saved the paper because it was one of the very few that I got an A on my freshman year. That in itself felt like a victory to me.
As my college career went along, I ended up moving to town and living with some girlfriends in a house near campus; my time roaming campus and downtown, finding little unique places to work or read was over. Most of my classes after freshman year were in the sciences, and I never had another class where I had novels as assigned reading. While I always had a book that I was reading just for me, it was slow going with all the homework. So, during breaks I’d go back to my parents’ house and “book binge”. My mom was not impressed with me holing up in my room for days at a time to only emerge blurry eyed and hungry at odd intervals.
1980 feels so long ago now, yet some of the books I read that year are still with me. I made those fun discoveries of “The Wizard of Oz” and the Narnia series. I read a book that helped to shape my ideas and who I would become as an adult. I had the time during breaks to read around the clock. It was a memorable year!
Wow, Cheri, you never cease to amaze me! I have never read the Women’s Room, but of course, back in the 80’s, I saw it in book stores everywhere. I will put it on my list. I can’t tell you how much I love hearing about your life and your experiences reading! It is one of the best ways to learn about new (to me) books, and new ideas. Also, your story brought back some earlier memories: I had a 4th grade teacher who read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to us aloud…I never knew what a huge favor she did for us back then.
As always,I love hearing from you and love your ideas! ❤️
Hi Lori! I am glad that I am helping to keep your “to read” list full. 😊 Sometimes the right book comes along at the right time and it makes a bigger impact than you even realize.
Hi Cheri,
Great writing even now! I just remember the summer before I started college and not wanting to really go there. I remember meeting you a couple of times in winter at the International Center for lunch and camaraderie. Other of your readers may not get this: MSU has a huuuuge campus. Bigger than most. Also, in winter it’s super cold. Walking everywhere on that campus, I only now wished I had gotten a bus pass. I was never astute enough to know/understand you could do that. It was good for me anyway at the time. The Curious Bookshop (is that the place you are thinking of?) is still in East Lansing and still in the same place, but there are other stores of his around, including at the Mid Michigan Mega Mall. The guy has been around awhile.
Hi Hope! I remember meeting up with you and it being just so wonderful to be with someone that I knew! With a campus of 40,000 students, it was easy to anonymous! Till you mentioned bus passes, I never even thought of that as a possibility! Anyone walking around campus as much as we did would have no trouble hitting their 10,000 steps! 😂 I think you are right about the name of the bookstore; thank you! It was kinda driving me crazy as I did spend a fair bit of time there.