Some things are different, some are the same, and some are both.
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Hmm.. The title, photo, and first line started a couple days ago, and now, I have no idea what I was going to write about. As for the ideas in my mind now… I’m deciding if I want to take PSY a fourth time, or.. push out ten large papers for the class this weekend.
Apparently accompanying the lack of a syllabus, is the lack of a final exam. To be fair, not a single one of my classes did have a final “exam”, however the rest did have some sort of final project worth a third of the grade or so. I like that… tests are easy. Do half the homework that comes at you during a semester then ace the exam and walk with a passing grade. That was the plan.
The end of week 14, and for starters I’m still attending regularly- that’s a plus. Also, I’ve been thinking a lot about the classes I want to take next semester, though I am thinking of changing it completely from what I had planned. Or, maybe not.
Currently on the agenda are five online classes, each in the 7 week, half-semester format. I would start the semester with two classes, and the end the second half with three. Workload-wise, I’d be fine I think. However, it has been really nice getting out of the house to go to school in person- it’s nice seeing and interacting with other people. Of course, driving out to the college and back through January, February, and March does not sound like fun. Then again, I would think the County might keep that well traveled path well plowed.
Part of me- a large part- wants to sit back, smug and self-justified in my actions to delay most work in the PSY class. Yesterday, I created a plan. Whether I follow it is another matter, yet I discovered a few things. All together, there were 10 group discussions (one post, two replies,) 10 labs (usually an hour or two assignment, plus writing time,) 6 module reflections, 6 miscellaneous assignments, and 6 quizzes. Another score for a presentation and there were a total of 39 assignments for the 15 week course.
2.6 per week on average. I really wonder what could have been learned had the lectures lined up with the material. Unfortunately, we got 5+ assignments per week for the first month. Then watched movies for three weeks, and now that we’ve gotten to the one module the teacher is “good at”, we’ve repeated it for the last three weeks.
Perhaps I’m wrong… There is a whole book about psychology… maybe it’s only important that we can clinically distinguish anxiety, ocd, depression, ptsd, bulimia, and anorexia. Also, well instilled as the perferred research method, Google. Never once “turn to page 217 in the book”. Nope, no references to the text at all..
All the due dates moved to the end of the semester, I only gave the briefest look at the assignments through October (that month didn’t go “well” we could say.) Now, what is this choice I made: to fail this class to spite the teacher? To spend one weekend pumping out a dozen mindless papers? Lacking a syllabus, I suppose I just assumed there would be an exam coming at the end. You know, ace the test, pass the class; yeah, that plan. Well, no exam. Now, I sit here with 250 points (of 715,) counting on an easy way to pick up another 300 or so to pass.
Nope. One assignment worth 45, one quiz for 40, then a bunch of individual assignments worth 20 points each. I suppose (in retrospect,) this is a bit sad. I spent most of the class time asking questions, pointing out errors and omissions, restating his words so they could be more understandable for the class, and pretty much thinking I was smarter than the teacher (not saying I’m not,) yet now, I’m about to fail.
Or, I find some way to motivate myself into accomplishing well.. a feat. A whole semester of PSY in a weekend? Am I crazy? I almost don’t want to start, because it’s a long way to finish, and I’ll have to finish (10 of the 21 outstanding scoring attempts,) to pass. Of course, if I finish 9 of 10, perhaps I fail… yet, if I have produced the work, I think I can re-use it all if I take the class again (OMG, 4 times!) I’ve heard great things about another teacher and would take her class next. However, OMG did I mention the 4x thing? I don’t want to do it again- it would completely mess up my next semester as this is a required class (Intro to PSY,) for four of my next classes. (Unless I do re-arrange my next semester.)
Well, I will almost certainly pass 5 of 6 classes. That’s better than before.. that is different. Failing one class, well that is the same.
Oh, lets not waste more time.. Check out that photo though! I will have to keep this in a new ziplock baggie- it looks so much the same, it could easily get confused with the others. (Am I the only parent with two ziplock baggies full of my children’s baby teeth?) Soulless has lost at least three teeth that I know of. His two incisors were loose a week or so ago, and each time we’d play tug, I’d keep checking to see if it was out yet. However, with both he must have swallowed them (as is normal.) I did get luck with this molar though.
I think I’ve crossed over into “fur baby” territory. When I talk to the dog and refer to my children, I call them his big brothers… I have to admit that I love this little puppy; a ‘puppy’ that is now over 40 pounds and still has big feet. Really, really glad that I finally got a dog- even if the tons of care and attention I gave him in the first month took away from my time to do other things… (Like homework.)
Well here we are.. can I do it? Yes. Can I do it in time? Not sure.
Oh, in other news… I bought a knee brace from Amazon to match my walking boot and it really seems to help so far. Have just worn it around the house so far, will take it for a walk as soon as the pup wakes up.
Okay… time to go do… PSY?