And so the semester begins

Alas! It has been a busy week, and I haven't written in a week! I apologize. My review classes have kept me very occupied (math and probability/stats last week, some macro- and microeconomics this week). There are approximately 17 people in my class, 2 of which have yet to arrive to Canada ~ they're coming in from Korea. I think almost everyone - besides myself and one or two other people - has more than one degree. Master's in this, Master's in that (a lot of Math and some Engineering or Physics degrees), MBA, one even has a PhD in math already and is going for his second PhD, I suppose. I guess it's a very ambitious group, and I'm one of the youngest of the 1st-years in the program, but only by a few years I think. There are 3 girls, including me. There's one other one in the Economics degree with us, and the other girl is in Finance, but the 2 finance students have to take all the same core (1st year) courses with us. I've basically just made friends with the finance students and a little bit with some of the other ones. Everyone is very amiable. The professors, too, are a great bunch. They're relatively young - under 45 and many under 40 I would say. The math is hardly a review class - there is a lot of analysis-type material involved, which I'm not very used to, but after working through the problems and realizing I'm perhaps a little more apt than I give myself credit for, I felt better.
My roommate arrived on Wednesday, and it's been great to have her around. She's so cheerful and lovely, and the apartment is much less empty-feeling and lonely with her here.
There have been a few gatherings of the grad students and faculty from the Econ department recently. Last week we had a kind of inauguration dinner and drinks on Monday, and then a mini-golf afternoon (which I didn't go to), and a pizza party at a couple of the professors' house (they're married). It was fun! Chelsea (my roommate) and I picked up some colored chalk for the kids and we drew flowers and a bird on the pavement.
My father came to visit for the weekend: Friday-Monday (today). I'll have to write more later though, because it's bedtime! :) I promise next entry will be more detailed.
~Selina