there are only two weeks left of classes... 9 days for thanksgiving... and then finals. And then the end to the most intense and ridiculous semester ever.
Anatomy and Physiology: my favorite class of the semester. the professor is absolutely amazing, the information is exciting and challenging, and it couldn't be more relevant to my major. It's a two semester course, and I am looking forward to another four months of it. The lab is basically an extension of the lecture, which has been the only slightly disappointing part; I was hoping to be able to do some dissecting.
Sociology: Not a horrible course, but not the best. The classes are discussion based, but as I am only one of three people who contribute, it gets slightly boring. My professor is the most jaded and sarcastic person I have ever met, and as my friend said "we leave the class wanting to hang ourselves". The material is easy, but his written exams are definitely not.
American Literature: I was frustrated to be put in other literature course.. I had completed these requirements for other schools, but Shepherd is pretty specific about what types of lit classes one needs. In the end I am so glad I took it - it's my second favorite class. My professor is absolutely hilarious. He's this old, laid back man from buffalo with the driest sense of humor. Reading continues to be a passion of mine, and I am pleasantly surprised about how much I've learned from his lectures.
Asian Studies: My second least-favorite class. I had been looking forward to this course all semester, and thought that it would be one of my easiest (it's a 100 level history course). He's a brilliant man, but is disorganized, inconsistent, and overly fond of teaching neo-conservative opinions over facts. Most of this is due to the fact that he spends every night in jail serving a 10 month sentence for divulging sensitive information to a foreign nation while he was working at the pentagon. We have weekly exams that require hours of preparation. I have learned close to nothing, besides random arabic words. Arabic, as it happens, is rather difficult to learn...
Speech: By far the easiest class I am taking this semester. I think I have a 100% average so far... I have learned quite a bit about public speaking, and have enjoyed it quite a bit.
Intro to Nursing: By far the absolute worst class I have ever taken in my entire college career. Which scares the crap out of me, considering it is taught by the head of the nursing department here. The woman is nice enough.. she just has no idea how to teach a class. Class is held for two hours every Wednesday night, and we've had more canceled classes than any other course I am currently enrolled in. I put more time into preparing the numerous research papers, projects, presentations, and exams than I do for any other class. Two weeks ago I spent nine hours preparing for a regular exam (not a midterm, mind you). I got a B. I had the highest grade out of 75 students. If I don't get an A in any of the classes I am taking this semester, it will be in this class. the professor rearranges the syllabus, forgets to makes announcements, and when the entire class is unprepared for presentations because of her lack of communication, she refuses to take responsibility. If this course is at all indicative about the nursing department itself... I don't know how I will survive the next two years. I just know that I will.
So far, I still have a perfect GPA. Intro to Nursing is threatening that.. but I have to let it go.
Yesterday I signed up for next semester's classes: world lit, A&PII, chemII, and polysci. They will only be on M/W/F which leaves tuesdays, thursdays, and weekends free to get a job.
In other news, I've gotten back into a semi-regular running/lifting schedule, which feels great. I think this is because Joshua works now, so I have a lot of alone time in between classes. It's really tough to take time out of studying to work out - the whole trip to the gym takes an hour and a half to two hours out of my day. It's hard for me, I'm somewhat of a perfectionist when it comes to working out and school. It's hard for me to slack off on either side. But I try to remember that having a high GPA will earn scholarships, but being in peak physical contition won't. So when a teacher moves the due date of a presentation up a week without notifying the students until two days before, running is the first thing that goes out the window. I do hope though, that I'll have more time next semester.
