Spring has sprung

Well, not really, but I'm mostly all set for the Spring 2008 semester. My first experience with online WebReg was a little nerve-wracking. One-fourth of the Freshman class were hitting the system at the exact same moment and for a while there I thought we must have broken it! But it just slowed way down and actually helped me find a technique I'll use in the future. My strategy was to identify the ONE course I HAD to get into and try for it first. For me it was English 102 and I knew there were only 3 spaces left in the class taught by my current English prof, Dr. Minnix. When the clock struck 7 a.m., I was logging in and bringing up the course. When I clicked ADD, the whole thing froze in place. What the heck...? Did my wireless network go down at the worst possible moment? So I grabbed my husband's laptop and by the time I logged in - probably less than a minute, at most - my English class was full! So I started looking up my alternates and had one ready to add when the system popped in and said I'd successfully added Dr. Minnix's class! Guess my laptop wasn't frozen after all.

Having two computers going is a technique that worked so well I'll certainly use it again. It allowed me to search in different sections on each one and I was able to add the courses I needed without much trouble. (The system never did speed up any.) I can't add my Math class until I pass the one I'm currently taking but I left a few gaps in my schedule to fit it in. Right now only the 8am class has space! Oh, well, I'm a morning person anyway. An alternative is to take the equivalent class at Pima Community College and transfer the credits, but I'll use that as a last resort.

So here are my classes - I think they sound interesting:

Justice and Virtue (TRAD 104)- This course will introduce you to some of the central and historically important questions and ideas in moral and political thought and philosophy through the works of some of the most important thinkers in the western tradition. Textbook: Classics of Political & Moral Philosophy

Modern Latin America (INDV 103)- An interdisciplinary introduction to Latin American societies from the 1820s to the present that gives special emphasis to diversity within Latin America and to dynamic and, hence, historical processes of social, political, cultural, and economic change over time. (No textbook details yet.)

English 102 and Math 110 will round out my 13 units. I think that's all I can handle, based on my experience this semester. If necessary I'll take summer and winter session classes to stay up with the program requirements as the semesters progress. I'm finding the homework is the "easy" part and keeping up is just a matter of scheduling and discipline - two of my strengths. But tests, quizzes and in-class participation are stretching me a bit. That's good, I guess. I used to be so good at tests but so far I'm only average. It's frustrating, but I can usually make up the points by being thorough with my assignments.

This is such fun!

Midway checkup

So, here I am about halfway through my first semester and have found a few things that may be useful to other students:

[] A lanyard is a great way to solve the where-the-heck-did-I-put-my-keys dilemma. No digging through all the pockets of my jeans & backpack, wondering if they fell out in the classroom, shuttle, or somewhere on campus. They're hanging around my neck! I also clip my jump drive on it so I'm ready to plop down at any computer and finish a paper or review a syllabus. I connected two of those eyeglass holder things together so it's a little more jewelry-like.

[] Speaking of backpacks, I haven't needed one for over a month. Maybe it's due to my current classes, but I've done just fine with an ordinary 1" 3-ring binder that contains only TODAY's stuff. Flylady (www.flylady.net) sells what she calls her Office-In-A-Bag (OIB) that works perfectly. Basically it's a zippered lightweight canvas binder cover with a couple pockets and a handle. I'm going to add some length and shoulder padding to the handle. And one of those nerdy zipper pocket thingy clips inside the binder and holds my wallet, PDA, clicker, and extra pens & pencils so I don't need a purse, either.

[] Haven't needed my laptop computer in class since I preprint the pdf MIS lectures before leaving home and scribble notes directly on them during class. Never used it in English and certainly won't need it for Math. Besides, there are hundreds of computers available all over campus with the latest software that I can use between classes. Finding an open one is occasionally difficult, but I'm discovering the less-frequented computer labs (got a map in my binder!).

[] I carry single-use packets of antibacterial wipes for computer mice/keyboards so I hopefully won't pick up any colds or viruses. (One of many good suggestions by my husband!)

[] Inside the front cover of my binder is a School-Day Checklist to avoid any "senior moments" (forgotten items). I make myself review it each time I leave the house, even if I think I remembered everything (I usually haven't!).

[] Typed or handwritten homework assignments get three-hole punched and go straight into the binder so when I unzip the OIB, nothing falls out!

[] I carry extra H&R Block business cards for the rare occasion that someone needs my name and phone number. Why not take the opportunity to advertise? First day of Math class the prof had us exchange numbers with two classmates (so we could call each other -- not her -- if we miss a class and need info!) so I was glad I had them handy.

[] I'm already walking a LOT more than I did before college, but also take the opportunity to climb any staircases between my car and classroom, at least until the weather changes.

[] And the best hint of all of them: Do all the extra credit available because you never know when it will make a difference between an A and a B. I've overheard a few classmates calculating how little work they can get away with doing and still pass the class. They're not the norm, of course, but what a waste! Makes me want to call their mothers!

No more "moseying!"

I've had a wonderful couple of weeks with just my two classes and a little homework to keep me on track. But this coming week I need to get down to business! I picked my retirement date intentionally knowing I was giving myself a two-week break before Math class, and boy it has been great! I admit I've been "moseying" a bit more than I probably should have, but sure needed the change of pace.

Someone warned me that after retirement I'd wonder how on earth I ever had time to work. I just didn't expect it to happen so soon! Tomorrow I have my first 3-hour math class (Mon/Wed) and I already know it's going to double (maybe triple?) the time I currently spend on homework. Pretty sure I can still get the extra stuff done around the house that I've enjoyed, I just need to get better organized and pick up the speed a bit.

I've been piecing together my schedule for the Spring 2008 semester and it looks even busier. I'll be in the second-to-last group to register (it stinks being a Freshman!) so who knows if the classes I want will even be available when I'm allowed on WebReg. I've got Plans B, C, and D at the ready, but even those might not work out. I'm aiming for the early morning classes knowing that these kiddies usually aren't early risers. However, I can't even register for Math until I have a final passing grade in the remedial class I've only just started. Yikes.

But it will all work out somehow. And I hope to be in the Honors College by the time I register for Fall 2008 and can register with the Juniors (yippee!). It's enough reason to want to keep my grades up.

Retired!

Whew, I made it! Unemployed for the first time in 28 years! It's a really weird feeling. No reports to run, no spreadsheets to format, no phones to answer, no decisions to make. No offense intended to my department, but it became increasingly more difficult to do a good job as the years went on. It was almost a constant battle to do the job the way I thought was "right" while running interference with some who wanted me to conform to arbitrary standards. When that happens, it's time to leave.

And leave I did! With enough life left in these old bones to do something different with the second half of my earthly pilgrimage. Maybe not so different, because I'll still carry the same skills and love of details with me. Just a change in focus, at least for now, with four years of college looming on the horizon. Now I'll have time to concentrate and give it my best effort.

And there are things I'm looking forward to putting in the column headed "Mundane" such as: a relatively clean house (for once!), grocery shopping at a time when I'm not tripping over fellow 9-5 housewives, stocking a pantry and freezer with good home cooking, putting in a small garden, actually keeping up with the paperwork associated with life in the 21st century, rearranging a guest bedroom and a closet or two and, of course, hitting the library whenever I need to rather than trying to fit it in between working hours and errands.

Routines with a twist... TIME! Yippee!

Slowly, and without haste

Well, I'm almost into week 5 already and there are a few things I'm amazed at:

In a class with a LOT of students, everything s_l_o_w_s down to a c_r_a_w_l. My MIS class is supposed to be an hour and 15 minutes long but we end up spending only about 20-30 minutes on "real" class stuff. The prof shows up with about 5 minutes to go and handles the 5 or so students waiting at the front podium to talk to him, then he puts the roll taker on the screen and we click in while he's putting on his wireless mic -- he has to change batteries nearly every time.

The first 10 or so slides are standard -- reminders to take the quiz (there's a new one every Tuesday and we have until Sunday midnight to take it), reminders to contact the TA if our clicker isn't working. It's class EIGHT and there are students that apparently haven't yet figured out how to register their clicker despite going over it in class every single time! You can tell because their clicker number shows at the end of the roll call screen without an assigned slot. Unbelievable. Each class you attend (click in) counts for 10 points so they're losing points every time. Then there's the reminders about available computer labs, how to contact the prof or TA, how to always use a subject line if you email either of them, and when their office hours are scheduled.

Halfway through the standard slides, the prof goes completely quiet while he waits for all 380 students to stop chatting. He has to interrupt class at least 5 more times throughout the hour to get everyone quieted down. Fortunately he has the patience of Job, although he's showing signs of real frustration lately. When he reaches his limit, he'll start throwing the whisperers out.

We'll complete a total of five major projects in this class this semester so we have at least 3 weeks or six class sessions before each is due for him to go over the requirements. And go over them, and go over them, and go over them again! By the time the project is due, he has practically spoon fed us everything we need to know to complete it successfully including major hints at the right answers! I guess that's good, but it really "dumbs down" the class to the lowest denominator (or ditziest student!). We're now into Project 2 so maybe things will speed up a little. Or not!

English class is better since we only have around 20 students, but I'm still a little surprised at how slowly the prof is getting into the meat of the class. Our first DRAFT of our first 3-4 page essay isn't due until Tuesday next week and then we have a couple more weeks to revise it before turning in a final paper. We've had readings and one-page response papers to turn in every week, but we're just now getting into how to create a good thesis and lay out our argument. Maybe they do that to bridge the time until the last drop/add date is past. We have lost a few students since the start of the semester.

I guess I expected the pace to be a little faster. Maybe that's due to the pace I experienced with my accelerated summer courses. There's certainly no reason to fall behind, and that's a relief while I'm still spending 40 hours a week winding things up at work. Soon after that's over, I kick in with an accelerated remedial math course that will keep my calendar fairly full, I imagine!