Who knew that studying and reading and writing would take up all my time? Harrumph. You mean I can't just put the books under my bed and suck up the knowledge by osmosis? Like damn and how.
I wrote my first paper for the Latin American history class. That was scary, going mad and trying to remember how to do citations MLA-style, as well as how to form a coherent bit of discussion, and get it on paper. It came back today, I got 13/15. It kind of disappointed me, not to get a perfect score. (Yeah, I'm one of those nerds.) This was my first academic paper in about five years. This was the first paper for this professor. Hell, 13/15 is pretty fucking awesome.
Besides, now I have a better idea of what the professor wants in his papers.
Tomorrow I get to write my very first precis. First, I have to figure out what the hell that is. Then I've got to write it. It's due Friday at 17:00. It will happen. Oh yes. It. Will. Happen.
Middle-aged woman goes back to finish her degree and, eventually, get her masters. Hilarity ensues.
15.9.10
Hoorah!
Today was the scary, scary geography test. We had 10 categories each containing eight items of which we had to choose five from each category to place on the map. Fifty items to place on the blind map of Latin America. Yawp.
Imagine, the last test I took in school was five years ago. Scary. I had a list of 160 items to study, and did my damndest. There are big maps of North, South, and Central America hanging in my hall. Thank goodness for the educational supply store near the house. There may be two or three that I got wrong, but that's pretty good.
Hooray for surviving the first test. Next week, my first official paper is due. Paper, schmaper; I can write a dang paper.
:D
Imagine, the last test I took in school was five years ago. Scary. I had a list of 160 items to study, and did my damndest. There are big maps of North, South, and Central America hanging in my hall. Thank goodness for the educational supply store near the house. There may be two or three that I got wrong, but that's pretty good.
Hooray for surviving the first test. Next week, my first official paper is due. Paper, schmaper; I can write a dang paper.
:D
14.9.10
Shoveling Information
While all of the classes are interesting, none has overwhelmed me with new information. Except for the Latin American culture and history class. There is a list of about 160 countries, rivers, geological formations, cultural and historical locations, as well as historical divisions of Latin America that we're being tested on the day after tomorrow.
That's all of Latin America; including the Caribbean, and other sites of historical interest in the southern United States. My brain, she is whimpering.
Nice thing is that there are a lot of study aids on-line. They have proven to be valuable, really testing my knowledge. Quizzing myself on-line doesn't allow me to cheat myself. Creating an arbitrary number of times I have to ace a quiz before moving on is helping the memorization. A bit. *laughter* I probably won't get a perfect grade, but it's okay.
While memorizing all 160 (or so) places is driving me mad, it is nice to finally know exactly where Suriname is.
In other news, my 101-level anthropology class had an announcement requesting volunteers for data entry from a dig site in the American Southwest. Of course I sent an e-mail right away, volunteering my time. Fingers are crossed.
That's all of Latin America; including the Caribbean, and other sites of historical interest in the southern United States. My brain, she is whimpering.
Nice thing is that there are a lot of study aids on-line. They have proven to be valuable, really testing my knowledge. Quizzing myself on-line doesn't allow me to cheat myself. Creating an arbitrary number of times I have to ace a quiz before moving on is helping the memorization. A bit. *laughter* I probably won't get a perfect grade, but it's okay.
While memorizing all 160 (or so) places is driving me mad, it is nice to finally know exactly where Suriname is.
In other news, my 101-level anthropology class had an announcement requesting volunteers for data entry from a dig site in the American Southwest. Of course I sent an e-mail right away, volunteering my time. Fingers are crossed.
10.9.10
It's Been a Week
I got everything signed that needed to be signed.
I've got all of my books. My tuition is paid. My parking for the year is paid. I got my Cougar card.
Tee hee.
Hell, I've even got a Washington State t-shirt. I may break my rule of only one school shirt from each school. Owning a Cougars! t-shirt is almost imperative.
When I got home, I started reading. Catching up is fun. I am lucky, I am a speedy reader with decent retention of information. I also went to the local library and got some picture books about some of the stuff I'm studying. Last Monday was Labor Day, so no classes. This past Wednesday was my first, regular, day of school. It was brilliant.
I noticed how much we humans stink. I don't mean in a bad way--it's just very noticeable. Yeah, I've spent the last three years around smaller groups of people and at home--and not smoking anymore has made me more aware of smells. I hear it might have something to do with menopause as well. All those wonky hormones. We humans, gathered in groups, have a distinctive scent.
Being back in school is great. It's also interesting to go in with this new, more centered sense of self that I've discovered over the past three years. I'm there to learn--and I'm okay with being wrong. Even being wrong in front of the whole class. That's really freeing.
The field of anthropology is fascinating. I haven't decided in which area I'll be concentrating. After taking the broad, survey course--ANTH 101--perhaps I'll have a better idea.
Here's to doing more awesome readings and (finally) being smart enough to start all my projects early. Yay!
I've got all of my books. My tuition is paid. My parking for the year is paid. I got my Cougar card.
Tee hee.
Hell, I've even got a Washington State t-shirt. I may break my rule of only one school shirt from each school. Owning a Cougars! t-shirt is almost imperative.
When I got home, I started reading. Catching up is fun. I am lucky, I am a speedy reader with decent retention of information. I also went to the local library and got some picture books about some of the stuff I'm studying. Last Monday was Labor Day, so no classes. This past Wednesday was my first, regular, day of school. It was brilliant.
I noticed how much we humans stink. I don't mean in a bad way--it's just very noticeable. Yeah, I've spent the last three years around smaller groups of people and at home--and not smoking anymore has made me more aware of smells. I hear it might have something to do with menopause as well. All those wonky hormones. We humans, gathered in groups, have a distinctive scent.
Being back in school is great. It's also interesting to go in with this new, more centered sense of self that I've discovered over the past three years. I'm there to learn--and I'm okay with being wrong. Even being wrong in front of the whole class. That's really freeing.
The field of anthropology is fascinating. I haven't decided in which area I'll be concentrating. After taking the broad, survey course--ANTH 101--perhaps I'll have a better idea.
Here's to doing more awesome readings and (finally) being smart enough to start all my projects early. Yay!
2.9.10
First Day of School
Wednesday morning. Alarm sounds at 09:00. I'm excited, but nervous, and the cats are confused. I have kept a waking up at noon schedule for years. I double check my e-mail inbox for any word. Hmmm. The professor of Latin American history has said I can join his class. Awesome. Another quick check of maps, schedules, and locations. Coffee. Clothing. And out the door.
w00t.
It's a grey, rainy day and I regret the lack of a hat. There will be no umbrella carrying for me. Oh no. This disdain for an umbrella happens when you marry a native Pacific Northwesterner. (He calls himself a "webfoot.") Off to school.
I join the long line of cars making a left turn onto the campus. The road goes uphill with loopy, lazy turns that I look forward to riding a motorcycle up one of these days. I pull into the daily lot, my $3 in quarters jangling in my pocket and ready to go. Daily parking pass, paid and put on dashboard.
I walk into the first class--ANTH330--the one where the professor didn't reply to my e-mail. There's a nice student who confirms that it's the correct class, and let me look at her syllabus. I sat through the lecture--which was interesting, all about the discovery of Lucy (Australopithecus afarensis)--and booked up to the professor at the end of class. He was very nice, signed my form, and gave me a syllabus.
All right. Ten minutes to the next anthropology class. Happily, it's one building away.
Made it to class two--ANTH101--a good survey course of the field. We watch at couple of old Jane Goodall films--they're dated, but interesting. Both are all about the chimpanzee troupe she studied in Gombe. I went running after the professor and got my form signed. Yay!
Ten minutes to the next class. Happily, it's one building away.
Class three is HIST409; American environmental history. It's a totally new field, studying how environments affect human populations that develop within them. It also goes into changes that humans make to their surroundings and how that affects the ecology. There were two guest speakers from the Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge. Informative, and they're looking for volunteers. I hope that I can get some field time up there to go with the archaeology portion of my anthropology degree. The professor signed my form at the end of class, and asked me to e-mail him to arrange a time to meet so I can get caught up. Fabulous.
Ten minutes to the next class. Happily, it's next door. Literally the next classroom. Hurrah!
Class four, and the one that ends my day, is HIST331--cultural history in Latin America. The professor made it to class a little late, but passed out a crap-load of papers (including a syllabus) at the beginning of class. We watched portions of Eisenstein's long-lost film about Mexico made in the late 1920s (¡Que Viva Mexico!) and some portions of La Otra Conquista. I'm really excited about this class, particularly since Latin America is a big mystery to me. I know a little about the pre-conquest civilizations--thanks to my continuing interest in archaeology--but very little beyond that. The professor also signed my form.
SCORE.
Next stop, my adviser to drop off my paperwork, and home. But first, chiropractor. Did I mention that I tweaked the hell out of my back last Sunday? Oh yeah, I did that. Ouch and ouch. On top of running around campus and getting all ducks in rows.
w00t.
It's a grey, rainy day and I regret the lack of a hat. There will be no umbrella carrying for me. Oh no. This disdain for an umbrella happens when you marry a native Pacific Northwesterner. (He calls himself a "webfoot.") Off to school.
I join the long line of cars making a left turn onto the campus. The road goes uphill with loopy, lazy turns that I look forward to riding a motorcycle up one of these days. I pull into the daily lot, my $3 in quarters jangling in my pocket and ready to go. Daily parking pass, paid and put on dashboard.
I walk into the first class--ANTH330--the one where the professor didn't reply to my e-mail. There's a nice student who confirms that it's the correct class, and let me look at her syllabus. I sat through the lecture--which was interesting, all about the discovery of Lucy (Australopithecus afarensis)--and booked up to the professor at the end of class. He was very nice, signed my form, and gave me a syllabus.
All right. Ten minutes to the next anthropology class. Happily, it's one building away.
Made it to class two--ANTH101--a good survey course of the field. We watch at couple of old Jane Goodall films--they're dated, but interesting. Both are all about the chimpanzee troupe she studied in Gombe. I went running after the professor and got my form signed. Yay!
Ten minutes to the next class. Happily, it's one building away.
Class three is HIST409; American environmental history. It's a totally new field, studying how environments affect human populations that develop within them. It also goes into changes that humans make to their surroundings and how that affects the ecology. There were two guest speakers from the Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge. Informative, and they're looking for volunteers. I hope that I can get some field time up there to go with the archaeology portion of my anthropology degree. The professor signed my form at the end of class, and asked me to e-mail him to arrange a time to meet so I can get caught up. Fabulous.
Ten minutes to the next class. Happily, it's next door. Literally the next classroom. Hurrah!
Class four, and the one that ends my day, is HIST331--cultural history in Latin America. The professor made it to class a little late, but passed out a crap-load of papers (including a syllabus) at the beginning of class. We watched portions of Eisenstein's long-lost film about Mexico made in the late 1920s (¡Que Viva Mexico!) and some portions of La Otra Conquista. I'm really excited about this class, particularly since Latin America is a big mystery to me. I know a little about the pre-conquest civilizations--thanks to my continuing interest in archaeology--but very little beyond that. The professor also signed my form.
SCORE.
Next stop, my adviser to drop off my paperwork, and home. But first, chiropractor. Did I mention that I tweaked the hell out of my back last Sunday? Oh yeah, I did that. Ouch and ouch. On top of running around campus and getting all ducks in rows.
Getting a Handle on It All
Saturday I got my welcome letter from WSU (**Go Cougars!).
Sunday, I played with my student ID number and the student-only web site. Tried to see if I could register for any classes, but it was not to be. It was fun to stumble around and find out out the system works.
Monday, I called and made an appointment with my adviser. First, I had to figure out who my adviser was. I was surprised at how friendly and actually helpful everyone I spoke with was. That made me breathe a little easier. Appointment made for Tuesday afternoon, and I girded my loins for being on someone else's schedule. Weird.
Tuesday. Of course I got there early. I don't know the campus and it would be rude to be late. Also a terrible first impression for the person who'll be advising me every semester until I graduate. I want her on my side. We talked, I found out that 73 of my previous credits transferred (yay), so I've got 47 credits to graduate. That's four semesters or two years. I am going to see if I can take a summer course or two just to keep my toes in.
She gave me a rough plan for the next two years, showing what classes I needed to take to fulfill my major. Then she looked for classes that I could get into. I had several to choose from. My job was to go home, write e-mails to the professors asking to be added to their classes, and prepare the paperwork that they need to sign to approve my request.
I wasn't afraid to write the e-mails. I was afraid of walking up to strangers and asking for their signatures. (This explains why I am tragic at celebrity-stalking.) Good news, the first response to my e-mail came back in less than an hour. The second came soon after that. The next one came several hours later. But nothing from the professor of the class that would start my day. *gulp* So I'd have to go in cold.
*gulp*
Tune in tomorrow for My First Day of School.
**I am still tickled that the school mascot is a cougar. It's almost a reflex to yell, "Go cougars!" after saying the school name. Reminiscent of Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure ("San Dimas High School football rules!"). Okay, maybe it's only me.
I'm also amused because of the whole cougar thing and wonderful Mr.X being 10 years younger than me.
Sunday, I played with my student ID number and the student-only web site. Tried to see if I could register for any classes, but it was not to be. It was fun to stumble around and find out out the system works.
Monday, I called and made an appointment with my adviser. First, I had to figure out who my adviser was. I was surprised at how friendly and actually helpful everyone I spoke with was. That made me breathe a little easier. Appointment made for Tuesday afternoon, and I girded my loins for being on someone else's schedule. Weird.
Tuesday. Of course I got there early. I don't know the campus and it would be rude to be late. Also a terrible first impression for the person who'll be advising me every semester until I graduate. I want her on my side. We talked, I found out that 73 of my previous credits transferred (yay), so I've got 47 credits to graduate. That's four semesters or two years. I am going to see if I can take a summer course or two just to keep my toes in.
She gave me a rough plan for the next two years, showing what classes I needed to take to fulfill my major. Then she looked for classes that I could get into. I had several to choose from. My job was to go home, write e-mails to the professors asking to be added to their classes, and prepare the paperwork that they need to sign to approve my request.
I wasn't afraid to write the e-mails. I was afraid of walking up to strangers and asking for their signatures. (This explains why I am tragic at celebrity-stalking.) Good news, the first response to my e-mail came back in less than an hour. The second came soon after that. The next one came several hours later. But nothing from the professor of the class that would start my day. *gulp* So I'd have to go in cold.
*gulp*
Tune in tomorrow for My First Day of School.
**I am still tickled that the school mascot is a cougar. It's almost a reflex to yell, "Go cougars!" after saying the school name. Reminiscent of Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure ("San Dimas High School football rules!"). Okay, maybe it's only me.
I'm also amused because of the whole cougar thing and wonderful Mr.X being 10 years younger than me.
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