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Jan. 10th, 2005
First day of class revisited
Jan. 10th, 2005 02:19 pmOk, so it wasn't so bad today. I was kind of dreading it, but not entirely. I have this senior level biological analysis class (so it's a lot of math, obviously) that I had been worried about, but at least so far I like the teacher, and he seems like one that will try and explain things. Here's hoping things go well!
My fish biology/ichthyology class seems to be something that I'll like a lot. It's another senior level class so things should be fairly busy, with projects and the like, but it's right up my alley, so even if it is a lot of work I should like it. I actually had the professor that's teaching it already, he was my ecology professor last semester (this I was already aware of when I signed up.) Apperentely his classes (and his exams) have a reputation for being hard, but I liked his class last semester... and I didn't have any problems with his exams either. However, he has us write a lot of essay stuff for his exams, and you need to remember a lot of information... but with very little effort I am able to remember all kinds of details like that. So his exams for me are easy. Like for example, in one of my biology classes that I took from Janice (Dr. Glime, who is also now my advisor) she said that my 2 page answer to one of her essays was the best answer she thinks she ever got for it in all her years of teaching. Just as an example.
You know what's funny though? There are only 8 people on that class (including myself)! It seems so crazy when I end up in little classes like that! I have to say that's prolly the smallest group I've ever been in for a class since I got into college! I do know when I was in high school by the time I was in my 3rd year of spanish class there was only 5 of us left (out of like the 30+ that was in the first year of spanish!), but still, right now I'm talking about college. This should be interesting. It seems like everyone knows each other already in that class though, you know, everyone except for me. I do recognise at least 4 of the ppl in the class as ppl I was in ecology with. Not that I ever talked to them, but I do recognise them. One of the guys (older guy, prolly 40-ish, grey hair) I recognise from biochemistry and ecology. They seem nice enough I think, but I don't know them personally, and I have a hard time getting comfortable with new ppl. And it really doesn't help when they all seem to be comfortable with each other. I feel like I'm crashing someones party or something. Well, not really, but you prolly get the idea. I went to the back of the room and tried to look inconspiquous. Then the prof was like 'ok, now lets go around the room and have everyone introduce themselves, and why they took the class!' and I was like -_-; I hate doing this... :P Fridays are going to include class discussions, which I'm not thrilled with. :P
Oh, and this friday I have to give a five minute presentation of a fish of my choice. Not like that's a hard assignment, but still! Public speaking! Gaaaaah. Maybe I'll get comfortable in this group of ppl though at some point. I dunno though, as they don't really seem to be ppl that are simular to me. Half of them are older guys that are doing forestry. There is only one girl besides me in the class too. lol
Oh! Guess what? You know how I hated my physics class last semester, and how annoyed I was that I was going to have to take the second part of the class this semester with the same damn teacher? Well, I got an email from this other guy that does stuff for the physics department too, and he said that he was to be my insturctor for the class! And sure enough, he was! I don't know why the professor changed, but I don't care!
This new teacher (he doesn't have his PhD yet, so I can't call him Dr.) Mr. Meyer seems cool. He's addressing most of the problems I had with how the class was structured and ran from last semester, and his whole take on the PRS deal is much better than Nadgourny's was. And from the lecture he gave today, I actually understood him! Yay for that!
So, I have a fresh feeling of hope for the coming semester. It definetely is going to be a challenge, because none of the classes I've listed so far are easy by any means, but I'm hoping that things will turn out ok. I'm hoping that the physics lab instructor I had last semester is the same one I have this semester too... From what it sounds like, Dr. Huckins will be the one that's actually teaching the lab for fish biology, which will be so wierd! I've never had a lab yet taught by the actual teacher before. o_O
Now I need to go talk to my advisor, and find another class to take for the upcoming semester, because I dropped genetics (I don't know how I'd be able to do genetics with these other classes I have, especially physics, because I know how draining that class is on my time.)
My fish biology/ichthyology class seems to be something that I'll like a lot. It's another senior level class so things should be fairly busy, with projects and the like, but it's right up my alley, so even if it is a lot of work I should like it. I actually had the professor that's teaching it already, he was my ecology professor last semester (this I was already aware of when I signed up.) Apperentely his classes (and his exams) have a reputation for being hard, but I liked his class last semester... and I didn't have any problems with his exams either. However, he has us write a lot of essay stuff for his exams, and you need to remember a lot of information... but with very little effort I am able to remember all kinds of details like that. So his exams for me are easy. Like for example, in one of my biology classes that I took from Janice (Dr. Glime, who is also now my advisor) she said that my 2 page answer to one of her essays was the best answer she thinks she ever got for it in all her years of teaching. Just as an example.
You know what's funny though? There are only 8 people on that class (including myself)! It seems so crazy when I end up in little classes like that! I have to say that's prolly the smallest group I've ever been in for a class since I got into college! I do know when I was in high school by the time I was in my 3rd year of spanish class there was only 5 of us left (out of like the 30+ that was in the first year of spanish!), but still, right now I'm talking about college. This should be interesting. It seems like everyone knows each other already in that class though, you know, everyone except for me. I do recognise at least 4 of the ppl in the class as ppl I was in ecology with. Not that I ever talked to them, but I do recognise them. One of the guys (older guy, prolly 40-ish, grey hair) I recognise from biochemistry and ecology. They seem nice enough I think, but I don't know them personally, and I have a hard time getting comfortable with new ppl. And it really doesn't help when they all seem to be comfortable with each other. I feel like I'm crashing someones party or something. Well, not really, but you prolly get the idea. I went to the back of the room and tried to look inconspiquous. Then the prof was like 'ok, now lets go around the room and have everyone introduce themselves, and why they took the class!' and I was like -_-; I hate doing this... :P Fridays are going to include class discussions, which I'm not thrilled with. :P
Oh, and this friday I have to give a five minute presentation of a fish of my choice. Not like that's a hard assignment, but still! Public speaking! Gaaaaah. Maybe I'll get comfortable in this group of ppl though at some point. I dunno though, as they don't really seem to be ppl that are simular to me. Half of them are older guys that are doing forestry. There is only one girl besides me in the class too. lol
Oh! Guess what? You know how I hated my physics class last semester, and how annoyed I was that I was going to have to take the second part of the class this semester with the same damn teacher? Well, I got an email from this other guy that does stuff for the physics department too, and he said that he was to be my insturctor for the class! And sure enough, he was! I don't know why the professor changed, but I don't care!
This new teacher (he doesn't have his PhD yet, so I can't call him Dr.) Mr. Meyer seems cool. He's addressing most of the problems I had with how the class was structured and ran from last semester, and his whole take on the PRS deal is much better than Nadgourny's was. And from the lecture he gave today, I actually understood him! Yay for that!
So, I have a fresh feeling of hope for the coming semester. It definetely is going to be a challenge, because none of the classes I've listed so far are easy by any means, but I'm hoping that things will turn out ok. I'm hoping that the physics lab instructor I had last semester is the same one I have this semester too... From what it sounds like, Dr. Huckins will be the one that's actually teaching the lab for fish biology, which will be so wierd! I've never had a lab yet taught by the actual teacher before. o_O
Now I need to go talk to my advisor, and find another class to take for the upcoming semester, because I dropped genetics (I don't know how I'd be able to do genetics with these other classes I have, especially physics, because I know how draining that class is on my time.)
I wonder if I should make a new layout? I've had this one for a long time now, and even though I do love it... I'm really starting to want a change... (I wanted to change it during vacation, but I never got around to it. Eh... Now I'm not going to have time.
