The one who showed up late on the first day and said, “Get used to it.”

Follow along for more indelible memories from the lecture hall.

We all remember those first days. Crisp notebooks, sharpened pencils, a palpable buzz of ambition filling the grand lecture halls. We sat there, a cohort of bright, eager minds, meticulously on time, ready to absorb wisdom. Then came the opening act for many of us: the professor who finally strode in, a full fifteen minutes past the hour, looking utterly unconcerned. Maybe they were clutching a half-eaten bagel or a stack of esoteric texts. The room would go silent, anticipation mixed with mild bewilderment. And then, the iconic line, delivered with a casual shrug, a knowing smirk, or sometimes, an almost apologetic gruffness: "Get used to it."

It wasn't just about punctuality, was it? That moment was a masterclass in setting expectations, a subtle hint that our conventional notions of order might just be... optional here. It was a preview of the unconventional brilliance we were about to encounter, a signal that this journey would challenge more than just our intellect. It taught us patience, adaptation, and perhaps a touch of academic humility. You quickly learned that genius often marches to its own drum, and sometimes, that drum solo starts a little late. These were the oddballs who became icons, shaping not just our academic paths but our understanding of the world. Those first impressions, however unorthodox, often left the most lasting marks.