As an ordinary genius

The morning sunlight streamed through the curtains of the dorm room as the alarm blared, jolting Ethan awake.

"Ugh, already?" Mike groaned from the top bunk, burying his head under a pillow.

"Welcome to the grind," Raj said, already up and scrolling through his phone. "First lecture of the semester. Better not miss it."

Ethan stretched and stumbled out of bed, the excitement of the day outweighing his usual grogginess. Liam was sitting cross-legged on his bed, tuning his guitar.

"Are you seriously bringing that thing to class?" Mike asked, climbing down from his bed.

"Nah, just getting it ready for later," Liam replied, setting it aside. "But I call dibs on the shower after Ethan."

Ethan smirked as he grabbed his towel. "Deal. Just don't take forever. We've got less than an hour."

After a quick breakfast of toast and coffee in the canteen, the four of them made their way across campus. The air was crisp, and the quad was alive with the buzz of students heading to their first classes.

"You guys ready for Intro to Engineering?" Raj asked, glancing at the schedule on his phone.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Ethan said.

"Do you think they'll throw us into some crazy group project on the first day?" Mike asked.

"Probably," Raj said. "This is MIT. They don't mess around."

Ethan laughed nervously. "Great. No pressure or anything."

As they approached the lecture hall, the modern glass building loomed large before them. Students were filing in, chatting and flipping through their notebooks.

The lecture hall was massive, with tiered seating and a huge whiteboard at the front. Ethan and his roommates found seats in the middle row, close enough to see but far enough to avoid being called on.

A hush fell over the room as the professor entered. She was a tall woman with sharp features, her presence commanding attention. She set her bag down and addressed the class with a confident smile.

"Good morning, everyone. Welcome to Introduction to Engineering," she began. "My name is Dr. Patel, and I'll be your guide through the wonders—and challenges—of engineering this semester."

Raj leaned over to Ethan and whispered, "She looks like she doesn't take excuses."

Ethan nodded, already scribbling notes as Dr. Patel launched into an overview of the course.

"This class is designed to push you," she continued. "We're going to cover a lot—problem-solving, design principles, collaboration. And yes, there will be projects. Lots of them."

Mike groaned quietly, and Ethan couldn't help but chuckle.

"Now," Dr. Patel said, setting down her marker, "before we dive into the syllabus, let's get to know each other a little. Engineering isn't a solo sport—it's all about teamwork. So, turn to the person next to you, introduce yourself, and share why you're here."

Ethan turned to the girl sitting beside him. She had short, curly hair and an easy smile.

"Hi, I'm Ethan," he said. "I, uh, guess I'm here because I've always liked building things. Ever since I was a kid."

"I'm Maya," she replied. "I'm into sustainable energy. Hoping to make a difference, you know?"

"That's awesome," Ethan said, impressed.

"What about you?" Maya asked.

"Well, I made a chatbot once," Ethan said, scratching the back of his neck. "It wasn't great, but it got me interested in programming."

Maya grinned. "Hey, that's more than I've ever done. Sounds cool."

After the lecture, Ethan and his roommates headed to the canteen for lunch, their heads buzzing with the possibilities of the semester.

"So, what did you guys think of Dr. Patel?" Raj asked, grabbing a plate of pasta.

"She's intense," Mike said, piling fries onto his tray. "But in a good way, I guess."

"I like her," Liam said. "No nonsense. We're gonna learn a lot."

Ethan nodded. "Yeah, but those projects sound like they're going to be tough."

"Welcome to MIT," Raj said, grinning. "If it was easy, everyone would be here."

As they ate, the conversation drifted to their classmates.

"That girl next to me—Maya—she's into sustainable energy," Ethan said. "Seems really smart."

"I sat next to this guy who's already worked on a NASA project," Raj said, shaking his head. "I'm officially intimidated."

"Relax," Mike said. "We're all here for a reason, right? Just gotta prove we belong."

After lunch, they decided to check out the playground again. The basketball court was bustling, and Mike couldn't resist joining a game.

"You guys go ahead," he said, jogging toward the court. "I'll catch up later."

Ethan, Raj, and Liam wandered over to the quieter side of the field, where a group of students was setting up drones for a race.

"Now this is cool," Raj said, his eyes lighting up.

"Think we'll get to do stuff like that?" Ethan asked.

"Definitely," Raj said. "If we survive Dr. Patel's projects, that is."

Liam strummed his guitar softly, watching the drones zip through the air. "This place is something else, huh?"

Ethan nodded, a small smile on his face. For the first time, he felt like he was part of something bigger than himself.