Spring Preview

The first week of classes is over and I'm excited. All of my classes seem really interesting and I've got this genuine motivation to learn, a rare feeling during semesters of late. My schedule is rather random, but it does allow time for things such as reading and working out during the day, so I can earn money or relax at night. The purpose of this post, however, is to enlighten you to some of the more interesting things about each of my classes.

In psychology class we're using clickers to participate in real-time voting and question answering. Basically, each student has a remote keypad that they use to answer multi-choice questions the professor might ask during lecture. Results are tabulated in the computer and displayed on the projector screen instantly, allowing the professor to get a feel for where she needs to elaborate on a subject or speed things along. It also allows for anonymity so that a student can answer truthfully. Although they probably won't be used, the clicker also has buttons that can indicate if you feel very confident or not very confident about your answer before you answer.

Also, for the first time, I'm in a discussion section led by the professor herself, rather than a TA. Although it might sound a bit intimidating, I'm planning to take full advantage of it because it's basically forced office hours. Also, I know that she's going to lead the most-informed midterm reviews, since she writes all of the tests. Three midterms, lowest grade dropped, and a final that apparently can't be studied for worth 5% of the overall grade.

In philosophy, I've got a grad student as an instructor, which isn't at all a negative because the guy is (seemingly) very smart and articulates the material very well. He's hairless and talks like an intellectual surfer dude while teaching us all about reasoning and logical thought processes. Quite funny, but not the most interesting thing about the class. That distinction goes to the fact that the class is actually not a semester long, but rather, is made up of two half-semester classes, almost quarter-like in feel. The first eight weeks are one class - worth two units - with a final on March 3rd, and the second eight weeks - another two units - apply the concepts learned in the first class to actual philosophical diatribes. The second class does not need to be registered for at all, but the first class must be completed to enroll in the second half. At first thought, I actually like the idea; I'll let you know if my thoughts change in the future.

In anthropology 499 I'm learning all about Japanese pop culture and its global influence. 15% of our grade comes from our three show-and-tells and we're required to post our thoughts about the lecture/readings on our class web log, with the participation accounting for 20% of our final grade. Four papers, not a single test, and one of the required readings is a book about Pikachu, the Pokemon character. Needless to say, the class should be excellent.

By registering for anthropology 371, I've killed two birds with one stone by fulfilling a major requirement (upper division social science class) and fulfilling my diversity requirement. The class material seems like it'll become pretty repetitive, but we're going to have guest speakers (read: former gang members and cops) and we have the opportunity to write a research paper on the topic of our choice. I say opportunity because I'm actually somewhat excited. Gangs, to me, are somewhat mysterious, so this gives me the chance to go out and maybe......in....ter....view.....some current gang members to get a perspective other than what the media spins. I'll have to talk to my professor about it first, however. If you'd like to come along, spit a comment my way.

Finally, I'm taking a class on vocal performance, a.k.a. singing. I needed a two-unit class to get my scholarship's worth, and couldn't decide between it and ballroom dancing. Commitment phobia (not mine) actually became a blessing in disguise as I realized that vocal class would probably benefit you all as well. We don't have a final, but we do have a recital. Tickets are going fast, so get yours now before the eBayers snatch them up!

Also, in other news not related to classes, I'm going to be busy with work (still a Trainer) and as the Trojan Knights activities director. I'm also co-director of the Trojan Knights/Helenes Songfest show coming up on April 1st, which is shaping up to be quite the production. Friends are leaving in a few months, so I also plan to hang out with them more. Needless to say, this semester is going to really test my time-management skills, which, to be quite honest, could use a little work.

Well, that's that.

Welcome back Matt.

(rhyme)