Senses and Sensibilities

          I am now acquainted with all my classes and teachers. I'm taking Cultural Perspectives: Family, School, and Community Partnerships (3 hours), University Physics I (calculus based, 4 hours), Secondary Science Methods and Material (4 hours), and Organic Chemistry II (4 hours). Fifteen hours is a fairly standard course load for college but these all require heavy time commitments for study. I'm convinced that I should cancel my World of Warcraft subscription as it would only be a major distraction. Internship I is only 1 credit hour, it's a co requisite for my Methods and Materials class. I have to go off campus and observe a classroom so many hours a week. I may also have to participate in the teaching. *eep!*
          Cultural Perspectives I expect it to be the usual education class, perhaps a little more work but not excessively so. The teacher is a bit strange but sincere and clearly knows what he's doing. I'm required to have ten hours of "field experience" with a student (high school age in my case) of a different race, ethnic background, religion, or socioeconomic status (perhaps even gender?). I have to write about it as well.
          Physics is clearly going to be time consuming if I want to pass, much less get a decent grade. No other teacher or professor has ever managed to make me hate them and their class so much in one session. Lab was a headache and he asked us to use the Macs there to make a chart and graph the results. We all were PC people. We wasted over ten minutes trying to find the spreadsheet program, input the data and figure out how to make a chart. I'm beginning to wonder if I shouldn't just get my chemistry degree and finish up my educational classes, just forgetting about being qualified to teach anything else. Then I remember, it's probably better if I do it all...
          Methods and Materials will be the most challenging class, I'm sure. I have to come up with a mini-unit (with three lessons) as well as an interactive lab, write a paper on the Nature of Science and teach a lesson before a real class. It's exciting and scary all at once. Most people don't realize (or appreciate) how complex teaching really is. There's more to it than teaching in the classroom. Preparation, talking to parents, grading papers, cooperating with fellow teachers, keeping up with accreditation (professional development)...for many teachers they may work 45-60 hours a week (including classroom time). True, I get same vacations as my students but chances are that time may be taken up with jobs to supplement income or in training/professional development.
          Finally, organic chemistry will be both a blast and headache (perhaps caused by the blast). I have the same professor as I did in organic 1 I took this spring. I'm sure it will be more challenging the organic 1, she equates chemistry with language (an apt description in my opinion). In organic 1, we learned words (functional groups and basic reactions). In the second course we learn sentences (a lot of mechanisms--how a reaction goes and how fast--and many more types of reactions).
          So, no free time. Or is there? I am certain I will find it, hidden between project and homework or somewhere.

Calcluelss

          We had the last class meeting for calculus today. Next week: three days of review followed by the final. I feel good about it. Next Friday I move into my apartment and Saturday (maybe Sunday) I head home for a couple weeks. It is at that point I shall buy Wrath of the Lich King and power-quest to level eighty. Then I shall return to the real world and immerse myself in the wonder that is old school personal interaction. You know, like before computers and cell phones and facebook.
          Time flies by, doesn't it? Three weeks from Saturday I'll be twenty-three! I am looking forward the fall semester already when I can see my friends and take more than one class. It'll be awesome. Tonight I'm heading to a much bigger city than this humble college town with previously mentioned friends and in the morning I'll be visiting Katie for a girly weekend (to be sure).
          Speaking of girly weekends, this last one was interesting. Katie convinced me to sit through her painting my nails. A shiny, almost golden sheer polish is on my fingers and my toes sport a deep red with the same golden one on top (for sparkly-ness,haha!). She dyed my hair a bit lighter (which also tones down the fairly blond highlights I got early June). I also got started on Final Fantasy IX (9), at her insistence.
          So, hmm...Fun summer! I will try to post after I get back home and let you know of Keyaru's adventures in unforgiving snows of Northrend.

And summer wears on...

          Taking Calculus II for an hour and a half every day for over two weeks has me burnt out. We have our second test on Thursday or Friday. It'll cover infinite series, bleh! After that though, it's parametric equations and whatever else they do for this semester. I won't be able to take Cal 3 until the spring. My fall schedule includes two major sciences classes and two education classes (which will require "field experiences") all adding up to about 16 hours. I won't have time to work and I may have to cancel my subscription to World of Warcraft.
          Speaking of which, I've made a few new characters. I made the colossally stupid decision to delete my level 26 druid and remake her as a priest. I deleted her again and made her as a druid again but it'll take a while to get her back up there and on to 70. I created a Draenei priest and made her similar to one of the characters from Ka'ne-Yuri, my story. The third one was at the request of my brother, who made a character on a PvP server. I first created a warlock but at level 5 decided a paladin was a much better choice. PvP servers are unique in that not only can you be killed by enemy creatures but also players of the opposing faction, which in this case would be any Alliance players. When I get the latest expansion, Wrath of the Lich King, I plan to make a Death Knight of a certain race (character would be from Keyaru's past, remind some time to tell you about it). I'm waiting until I finish Calculus to get it though, WoW is a big enough distraction as it is. I can wait on the new content another month or so.
          Yesterday marked the beginning of the Midsummer Fire Festival world event in WoW. Keyaru, my "main" rogue took a world tour to complete the The Fires of Azeroth and Desecration of the Horde achievements as well as Ice the Frost Lord and Burning Hot Pole Dance. Saturday she attempted an assault on Blackrock Depths but miserably failed due to having only a hunter with her of the same level. It is undoubtedly the largest instance/dungeon I've ever visited. It's easy to get lost in the labyrinthine tunnels and halls which were crawling with enemies.

School Diaries Jun 7, 2009

          So my first week of summer school was interesting. My roommate and I seem to getting along. If it continues like this, then my first experience with having a roommate will not be unpleasant. We'll see, I guess. We're very different. She's more outgoing and worldly. I'm fairly sheltered and inexperienced. She has some mild guy stuff going on. I'm kind of interested to see how it works out. Hopefully for the best.
          Yet, I still have some things to complain about (but no my roommate) here on campus. First, the cafeteria: it sucks. It's not exactly a five-star dining experience during the regular school year but this last week was a new low. Breakfast is only the comfort line and the biscuits with gravy station. They don't keep cereal and there's no muffins or pastries. They severely cut back on their hours, making it very inconvenient to actually use up my meals for the month.
          Boys State was held on campus. I thought it was a band thing but apparently it's an experience in government or something. It was entertaining to have all those high school juniors on campus. Without the kids campus would have felt so empty. Also, it was nice to think that I had their attention, if only in passing. lol. It's only natural for them to look at college girls, right?
          Saturday I went back to the town where my family used to live here in Arkansas (my brother's girlfriend is here too). She got me an appointment at the salon she works at. It took about two hours but my hair got trimmed and now sports high-lights and low-lights. I wasn't two minutes back on the highway when my tire blew out. I didn't here it go but I did hear the flat rolling against the asphalt at sixty miles an hour. Believe me, it's not a sound you want to hear. I got off the highway and was able to pull into a tiny used car lot. The owner was getting some business so it took him about half an hour before he could help me. My tire was shredded. I was able to drive back to school on the spare. Most of the way is 70mph zone but I went sixty with my emergency lights on so people wouldn't get too annoyed with me going to slow. I called my dad, apparently the tires are about ten years old so they need replacing. I'm going to call the dealer tomorrow to order new tires. The car is over twenty years old so it might be difficult to get tires for it from other sources. Hopefully I'll get them on the car by Friday. This coming Saturday, I'm heading up to see Derek for the day. I might say hi to my brother since he has a test and I wouldn't want to bother him (too much).
          I'm looking forward to my class this week. I think should I should stop wasting time though and do some homework. ^^;