I had one class Friday, and three yesterday. Tomorrow I’ll have four, which is going to be one hell of a day. The first course starts at 10 am. I get out at 2:15, run home to get the girl to dance by 4:30, and drive back like a crazy woman for the 6-8:45 class. sambear is going to pick up the girl, thankfully.
If I can find anybody who can/will drive the girl to dance on Wednesdays, my life will be ever so much simpler! Right now, we may work it out so that she goes to school with me and works on her own assignments in a nearby room. All my courses are in the same building as my department’s office. I’m pretty sure we can find a safe, quiet place for her.
Anyway—I’m only at school 3 days a week, which is a very happy thing.
I’m taking US History II (since 1865). We never found out who won the world wars in my high school course, having run out of time. That may have had something to do with the teacher starting with the fall of Rome. Maybe. Lots of reading for that one. I hate the classroom style, which is one of those with the long tables and attached chairs like McDonald’s used to have. There’s no way to back the chairs up enough to be comfortable. For me, at least.
The next course is Grammar for Professionals, taught by my marvelous advisor. I dreaded this course, but it’s a damned sight more interesting than I anticipated. I actually discussed the first reading assignment with shadokwatt and curiousmay9 this past weekend. And they were interested, too. (Yes, we’re a very geeky family.)
Comparative Culture might suck, or it might be great. It’s taught by the head of the social & international studies department and the director of international studies. The second guy handles all the study abroad stuff. I asked him, on a whim, if anyone ever takes their kids along on those trips. He said it hadn’t happened, but when he heard that shadowkatt is 14 he said it might work out. Interesting.
Anyway, the course requires a group project. We all know how very much I adore those, don’t we?
It also requires that we do an interview with someone from some country that isn’t the US. It can’t be one of the 5 countries the professors will be covering—and they haven’t told us which those will be, yet.
In fact, they don’t have the schedule and assignments done at all. Not reassuring. This is why it might suck, despite covering interesting material.
The last class is Small Group Communications. Now, honestly, communication skills are an interest, which is why I’ve read books by ozarque and other authors. Unfortunately, the text for this book just looks so dry it’s scary. A Systems Approach to Small Group Interaction. Ugh. This is the only TCOM course I’m taking, and unfortunately, the text makes me think this is another case where the subject will be beaten to not just a dead horse, but a smear where the dead horse used to be, with much self-consciously erudite language.
One of the most interesting courses I’ve taken in the past is listed on my transcript as “Interpersonal Communications.” It was taught by the sociology department at Mercer University in Atlanta and took place entirely on 2 Saturdays. My sister and mother were also in the class, but we made sure we were in different groups.
The course relied heavily on Transactional Analysis, which I’ve found useful since. It was also my first encounter with consensus decision-making.
I tried to get the old course considered as a replacement for the small group communications course, but no go. The small group course is required for my major, so I’ll suck it up.
EVERY course that I need in the TCOM department is only being taught at night this time around. That is distressing. They’re only teaching the intro courses that other departments or people exploring the major would need during traditional course hours. Since the girl has dance classes four nights a week, I anticipate more and more trouble juggling school with parenting.
And textbooks this semester? Even with getting as many as I could used, they cost $320.99. That is absolutely INSANE!
