Where did winter break go?

[mandolin]

Well, had my first class of the semester today, and I guess I can narrow it down to good news and bad news.

The bad:

- My class isn't getting paid for. They couldn't find the money in the budget this semester. (I need to talk to someone about the best time to apply because I got the money in two weeks flat last semester. I waited two months to hear "no" for an answer now. It's got to be about the timing.) I'm now glad I took just one class again this semester; paying for two would be a pain.

- We have to do a group project again. Not a paper (thank GOD), but a real-world database project.

- We do have a final, two days before the project is due. *twitch* Be warned, the week of (and before) May 15th will find me a raving insane lunatic. Consider this advance warning.

- Dr. Zhou stresses class participation. I have warned her that (at least from me) she is opening herself up to some really stupid questions...

- Blackboard isn't working; she put the slides up on the class page for us prior to the lecture, but none of us can actually get into the class page to get them.

- Under normal circumstances, I will not be getting out of class til 7 pm.

- I suspect that this will not be an easy course.

The good:

- Since this is not a double-numbered class, I do not have to be put in charge of a group of overworked, stressed undergrads who I can't get ahold of to save my life. (Hey, I'm just glad not to be arbitrarily put in charge.) It's all grad students. It's NOT a paper. Joy!

- Dr. Zhou might be demanding, but she is (so far) understandable and articulate. I may not have to go over my notes like the Zapruder tapes to translate every lecture this time around.

- There's still only two exams, and the final is during the last class time. So I won't have to worry about taking work off to get to a scheduled final exam after classes end.

- I've already latched onto a group, since the other two guys actually have some ideas of a real-world application for a database business proposal. I'm drawing a blank, and I certainly can't draw ANYTHING from my job.

- I seem to be doing fairly well in terms of participation, since I did manage to answer a few of her questions and break the dead silence.

- It's a class of 12 students so far, so we won't have to sit through quite so many presentations.

- We're going to be doing some Oracle and SQL work, so it's not going to be all theory.

- Class doesn't start til 4:30, so I might not have to go quite so insane to get there in time. And getting out at 7 means I get out after rush hour and don't have to fight to get to Wilkens Avenue.

So, I'm hanging in there. And I need to wind down and get my affairs in order so I get into work at a decent hour tomorrow..

Comments

[kevenn.livejournal.com]

Every time you write "Dr. Zhou," all I can think of is Dr. Zeul, who is Giganta in Wonder Woman comics. If you say her first name is "Doris," I'll scream. LOL.

[violetbloom.livejournal.com]

Stupid "we won't pay for your class." Remind them that you are TAKING the classes so you can do a better job for them. They are investing in your future employment. Find out about their reimbursement plan. They should pay for it.

[weirdweb.livejournal.com]

It's not my department that's the problem, it's the amount of money in the budget; I believe it when Rhonda tells me that the department doesn't have it.

Still looking into a reimbursement plan - the only "official" college paying plan I know if is that ultra-competitive one-year full-time grad school thing that you have to compete against everyone else who might be applying for it that year. No, thanks.

[ecogryff.livejournal.com]

sounds like this one will be better. all grad student classes are good. i don't know who came up with the idea for mixed classes, but i seriously wonder whether they had some sort of mental defect. well, good luck with your new class!

[weirdweb.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't have cared about the mixed class if Dr. L hadn't had the bright idea to have grad students forced to be in charge of groups of undergrads - who, since this was a 400 level class for them, would all be overworked seniors who are impossible to get a hold of.

In retrospect, just making grad students do the paper on their own would have resulted in less stress.

Either way, I've latched onto a potential group and do not have to be in charge, so hey.

[ecogryff.livejournal.com]

not having to be in charge is good. i hate getting stuck as lead in group work. of course, this had better change later in life. i might actually want to be a project leader someday. maybe.

[jennies.livejournal.com]

Hey, Oracle and SQL. Sounds like my job. Just throw in PL/SQL, and you're there.

As for real-world DB biz proposals...heh. They're everywhere once ya look for 'em. They're just good at hiding. I think it only dawned on me a few days ago that iTunes, iPhoto, etc. are all souped up database GUIs...