When people ask me how I spend my time as a veterinary student,
my go-to answer is usually "Studying!" But inevitably, there comes
a time during the semester when you've just gotten past a whole
bunch of tests, or you just want a break from studying, and you're
left with some time on your hands. The question then becomes, "what
am I supposed to do with all this time?" Some people spend
this gift of time exercising, some people just stay at home, others
go out with friends…me, I love to go to A&M football games! As
an undergrad, my school's athletic program was respectable, but
nothing like Kyle Field on a game day. Growing up, I'd always watch
college football with my dad, cheering for our favorite teams. I
always wished that I could go to games like the ones on TV; the
ones with thousands and thousands of fans, tailgates, and so much
school spirit that you could smell it in the air. I never had that,
at least until I went to my first A&M football game.
Some kids go to their first A&M game when they're too young
to even understand what's going on. Not a problem for me! My first
game was this season's opener, Texas A&M vs. SMU. I was so
excited for days before hand, and when game day finally arrived, I
was ready! Walking up to the stadium, there were so many people it
was just incredible. I had never even seen a tailgate before, but
even if I had, it wouldn't have mattered. All of the tents, games,
and food - walking by it was like going to a fair. Finally I got to
the tailgate I was attending, and it was so much fun! Before I knew
it, gametime had arrived, and we raced off to the field to get to
our seats.
As an A&M newbie, I had no idea how many traditions were
built into every A&M homegame. From all the hand signals to
standing up during the entire game, I was in for a crash course in
A&Misms. But even when you're not quite sure what's going
on, or have no clue what the words are to every A&M song, it's
still such an exciting experience. By the end of the game, I felt
so much more like a part of Aggieland! We won, of course, which
made the experience all the better!
So even when studying gets to taking up more and more time, I
always have game days to take a break! Every vet student spends his
or her free time differently, but for me, nothing beats the
gridiron! Gig em' Ags!