leaf house
I am eagerly awaiting the day when I stop being so mood-swingy.
If you count the dance class I just got home from, I had FIVE classes today. The day started off with a two hour 9 o clock lecture that consisted of a German (probably from Bavaria, or somewhere in the South, because he had the twang that us Northerners do not) academic standing up and speed reading through the mass of power point slides he had prepared. Power point presentations are good, because then you get to be reading words as well as hearing them, but they aren't good when you are writing so fast that you can't listen to what is going on. I ended up with seven pages of notes and that was probably only about half the material he presented. We (Rita and Emily were also there, so that was some consolation) talked to him afterwards, and I feel bad because he seemed like such a nice guy, but there is no way I could take this class. Its called die erste europaeische Revolution? Die Kirchenreforms der hohen Mittelatlers and though that seems truly thrilling and everything, the prospect of having to read three books and then do a 20 minute oral presentation on them was the last thing I wanted to be thinking about doing, after my few hours of sleep. So, I am hoping with all my being that the history class Steven is taking on Wednesday will work out for me. Its on the English aristocracy of the 18th century... and that seems far less interesting than church reform in the middle ages, but I am on the island and that lone raft is quickly floating away. Apparently the prof for that class knows a history prof I had and loved back at SC, so that bodes well, somehow. And I think all Steven said we had to do to get a grade for that class was write a ten page paper, and I'd rather write a ten page paper any day than do an oral report. Look at those job skills. I definitely was rethinking my major today, though. I feel like taking history courses here is now the last thing I want to do. I wish I didn't have to major in anything, and that I could just take basic language classes and run around in springtime showers and play with fairies. No, make that kittens.
I got home tonight at 10:30 and fell into a plate of cheese, cold cuts and a peanut butter & jelly sandwich. I was so excited to realize I had jelly, you don't even know. But really, today was ridiculous, especially since it was a Monday. I haven't been able to sleep very well the past couple of nights because my sleeping schedule got so screwed up last week... and something tells me that if I want to stay a somewhat social being, I am never going to get any sleep. Luckily I only have one academic class tomorrow (and I think there is a pilates class I am going to check out, and Jacky just might drag me to the kick boxing class, too), so I am going to devote all said free time to doing the massive amount of reading for my Thomas Mann class on Wednesday. I spent all of Saturday afternoon reading, and I feel like I got it pretty well... but there is so little to show for it.
So yeah, classes today were... not so thrilling. Two of the classes I checked out today were offered under the German as a Foreign Language department. I think they'd both be beneficial, but at this point I am completely lost as to what I should take this semester. I was originally thinking the grammar class was going to be the way to go, because it is always a good idea to shove grammar down one's own throat, but even though I really like the professor, I just couldn't imagine myself living through that class twice a week. I had no idea what was going on, which was weird because I knew whatever we were doing wasn't hard, but it was just like from a completely different direction than I'm used to. I guess its the first German class I've been in where the teaching style wasn't geared towards helping native English speakers learn German... because most of the people in there weren't native English speakers. Looking around the room, I'd say lots of eastern Europe and Asia. That part is interesting, because it'd be really neat to make friends with people from such varied backgrounds, but for some reason the class was really tripping me up. I really am frustrated with the system here: they tell you to go to as many classes as you are interested in, and then choose from those. That is good, it is nice to get some say in what you are taking (after being here I can't imagine going back to UC and having to take the classes you signed up for... but before I never really had a problem with it). The problem is that every class you go to, the teacher acts like you are all signed up for good, and passes around a sheet asking for all your vital stats. In the back of my mind I am afraid Frau Heidecker is going to call me up Wednesday night and scold me dropping her class.
Since I did have a couple hours here and there of downtime today, it was nice to hang out between classes with some folks on campus. It is fun that I am still discovering new ways to get places, and new areas of campus I hadn't previously seen. It was also nice to finally get to dance again. The dance class I took tonight is "Advanced Jazz," but since there is only a beginning and advanced class, I was wondering how advanced it was really going to be. It seemed a little slow, but hopefully it will pick up, and God knows I need to be doing some sort of dance, even if I find myself completely zoning out during. I talked to the teacher after class (who can't be all that much older than me), and she said she'd try to get me some info about some dance club, which from the sounds of it seems like its more like a dance team. I don't know if that is what I am looking for, but worth a shot, I guess. I had been in a rush after class to get to the sports center in time to change and find the right room, so I was wet from rain and sort of bedraggled when I came upon the group of girls sitting there waiting for class to start. They sort of gave me the up and down, but I felt better after class. It was nice to be reminded that at least at something in this country I am not a complete failure. Even if its only because dance is something I have done for years... its somewhat of a consolation.
But yeah, lots of wet rain.
If you count the dance class I just got home from, I had FIVE classes today. The day started off with a two hour 9 o clock lecture that consisted of a German (probably from Bavaria, or somewhere in the South, because he had the twang that us Northerners do not) academic standing up and speed reading through the mass of power point slides he had prepared. Power point presentations are good, because then you get to be reading words as well as hearing them, but they aren't good when you are writing so fast that you can't listen to what is going on. I ended up with seven pages of notes and that was probably only about half the material he presented. We (Rita and Emily were also there, so that was some consolation) talked to him afterwards, and I feel bad because he seemed like such a nice guy, but there is no way I could take this class. Its called die erste europaeische Revolution? Die Kirchenreforms der hohen Mittelatlers and though that seems truly thrilling and everything, the prospect of having to read three books and then do a 20 minute oral presentation on them was the last thing I wanted to be thinking about doing, after my few hours of sleep. So, I am hoping with all my being that the history class Steven is taking on Wednesday will work out for me. Its on the English aristocracy of the 18th century... and that seems far less interesting than church reform in the middle ages, but I am on the island and that lone raft is quickly floating away. Apparently the prof for that class knows a history prof I had and loved back at SC, so that bodes well, somehow. And I think all Steven said we had to do to get a grade for that class was write a ten page paper, and I'd rather write a ten page paper any day than do an oral report. Look at those job skills. I definitely was rethinking my major today, though. I feel like taking history courses here is now the last thing I want to do. I wish I didn't have to major in anything, and that I could just take basic language classes and run around in springtime showers and play with fairies. No, make that kittens.
I got home tonight at 10:30 and fell into a plate of cheese, cold cuts and a peanut butter & jelly sandwich. I was so excited to realize I had jelly, you don't even know. But really, today was ridiculous, especially since it was a Monday. I haven't been able to sleep very well the past couple of nights because my sleeping schedule got so screwed up last week... and something tells me that if I want to stay a somewhat social being, I am never going to get any sleep. Luckily I only have one academic class tomorrow (and I think there is a pilates class I am going to check out, and Jacky just might drag me to the kick boxing class, too), so I am going to devote all said free time to doing the massive amount of reading for my Thomas Mann class on Wednesday. I spent all of Saturday afternoon reading, and I feel like I got it pretty well... but there is so little to show for it.
So yeah, classes today were... not so thrilling. Two of the classes I checked out today were offered under the German as a Foreign Language department. I think they'd both be beneficial, but at this point I am completely lost as to what I should take this semester. I was originally thinking the grammar class was going to be the way to go, because it is always a good idea to shove grammar down one's own throat, but even though I really like the professor, I just couldn't imagine myself living through that class twice a week. I had no idea what was going on, which was weird because I knew whatever we were doing wasn't hard, but it was just like from a completely different direction than I'm used to. I guess its the first German class I've been in where the teaching style wasn't geared towards helping native English speakers learn German... because most of the people in there weren't native English speakers. Looking around the room, I'd say lots of eastern Europe and Asia. That part is interesting, because it'd be really neat to make friends with people from such varied backgrounds, but for some reason the class was really tripping me up. I really am frustrated with the system here: they tell you to go to as many classes as you are interested in, and then choose from those. That is good, it is nice to get some say in what you are taking (after being here I can't imagine going back to UC and having to take the classes you signed up for... but before I never really had a problem with it). The problem is that every class you go to, the teacher acts like you are all signed up for good, and passes around a sheet asking for all your vital stats. In the back of my mind I am afraid Frau Heidecker is going to call me up Wednesday night and scold me dropping her class.
Since I did have a couple hours here and there of downtime today, it was nice to hang out between classes with some folks on campus. It is fun that I am still discovering new ways to get places, and new areas of campus I hadn't previously seen. It was also nice to finally get to dance again. The dance class I took tonight is "Advanced Jazz," but since there is only a beginning and advanced class, I was wondering how advanced it was really going to be. It seemed a little slow, but hopefully it will pick up, and God knows I need to be doing some sort of dance, even if I find myself completely zoning out during. I talked to the teacher after class (who can't be all that much older than me), and she said she'd try to get me some info about some dance club, which from the sounds of it seems like its more like a dance team. I don't know if that is what I am looking for, but worth a shot, I guess. I had been in a rush after class to get to the sports center in time to change and find the right room, so I was wet from rain and sort of bedraggled when I came upon the group of girls sitting there waiting for class to start. They sort of gave me the up and down, but I felt better after class. It was nice to be reminded that at least at something in this country I am not a complete failure. Even if its only because dance is something I have done for years... its somewhat of a consolation.
But yeah, lots of wet rain.
posted by Meredesu at 11:40 PM
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