Preview of Coming Distractions

So, school starts on Monday. I’m not ready, but it’s starting anyway.

My first class of each and every day will be College Algebra at 8 a.m. *gasp* Yeah, that will mean getting out of bed earlier than I have consistently gotten up since…I don’t know, probably since I worked with Dad when I was 17. I haven’t been honest with myself about what time I’ll actually have to get up. I just can’t bear to think about it yet. If parking weren’t such an issue at WKU then I wouldn’t have to make sure I get there so early. I may have to get up even earlier than I did when working with Dad. *sob*

I got into this particular algebra class compliments of Kris. She had the same teacher last semester and was convinced that I needed to take her class. I got up at 5 a.m. on the morning that I was eligible to sign up for classes to try to squeak into the classes I wanted. Alas, due to my lowly Freshman status, her class was already full of students with more seniority, so Kris went to class that morning and asked her if she would admit me into her class even if it was full. The teacher graciously gave permission. Now, Kris lobs an occasional “Sharon, don’t you dare ruin my reputation!” at me. So now I have to try to measure up grade-wise and I can’t even get into my first accounting class without passing this one. How comforting!

I have mixed feelings about algebra. I (secretly) enjoyed my Intermediate Algebra class, even though I fussed a great deal about the class. It was quite satisfying to look at a jumble of letters, numbers, exponents, etc. and be able to solve that problem. But I felt like I had learned all the algebra there is to learn when I finished that class. I have a feeling I’ll fuss a great deal about this class. I just hope that I can enjoy this class too, at least secretly. If only I could keep my head together and make those pesky little negative signs behave themselves, my life would be a lot more error-free.

My second class on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays will be German I. It’s a kind of copout class. I think the class will be easier for me because I can understand Dutch. If I didn’t have to work as much as possible, I would maybe try Spanish, which would be much more useful, but right now I’m just in survival mode. Oh well, maybe I’ll go live abroad for a season and be a Swiss or German accountant. I liked Switzerland better when I was there. Then I could have one of those famous Swiss bank accounts. : - )

My German teacher has good evaluations and subbed in Kris’s German class once. She thought he was a good teacher. One of the trickiest things will be juggling the textbook back and forth with Jolene. She will be taking German at South Campus on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so it’ll be a trick to make sure that neither one of us ends up without it when we need it. Once we’re done with this class, Kris, Jolene, and I will be able to speak the same foreign language. Coolness!

My third class on Mondays and Wednesdays will be Meteorology. That’s right, Meteorology. I’m not sure either what I’m doing in a class like that. But it fits my science with a lab requirement and seems somewhat more tolerable than say Biology or Chemistry or Physics. Physics would be a requirement if I decided to go out on a limb and go for something like Pre-Dentistry. Does not appeal. (Dentistry appeals but not Physics.) Never mind that I don’t have a clue what Physics actually is (or are?), I just know it has to be bad. Therefore, as a process of elimination, I narrowed it down to Astronomy and Meteorology; I chose Meteorology.

Several weeks after I had registered in this particular Meteorology class, Kris ran into a former classmate of hers that told her that he was planning on teaching a Meteorology class, the one right before mine in particular. Kris told me that I need to enroll in his class because he is so nice and had some negative things to say about my teacher. Considering that I already had my class schedule in place, I chose to leave things as they were even while wishing that I could be in his class. Kris issued dire predictions that I’ll be sorry! Then just the other evening, I got an e-mail from a man that I didn’t recognize as being one of my professors. I looked up my schedule online and, lo and behold, this very man is teaching my class. {gleeful chortle} I’m so thankful I didn’t mess with the schedule. I’d be pretty disgruntled right now if I had.

From the tone of his e-mails, he’ll be a pretty cool teacher. He even has his cell number on the syllabus with “text messages welcome” next to it. How cool is that? I think we are his first real class, so just call us the Guinea Pigs.

My fourth class is on Tuesdays and Thursdays after algebra. I’m rather disgusted about this one: Basic Computer Literacy. Do you think they have a CLEP test for this one? Noooo…more tuition dollars. Unnecessary tuition dollars in my opinion! According to the syllabus, topics will include “computing concepts, operating systems, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.” I use these applications daily at work. Why should I have to pay over $500 to prove that I can use them?? I’m predicting that I won’t get much out of this class. Fortunately, most of the stuff is done out of class and we only meet on test days.

The teacher is a bit of an unknown for me. His reviews were a conglomeration of people that disliked him intensely and other that liked him, so I guess I’ll just have to find out.

Mondays and Wednesdays will be awful backpack-wise. I’ll have to carry at least 4 textbooks as well as tablets, folders, and other supplies. My back wants to spasm just thinking about it. I’m very doubtful that I’ll even be able to get all of the books into my backpack. I may have to carry an additional handbag.

So these are the things that are churning around in my mind. I’m anxious to get on with classes and make some progress. At the same time, I’m dragging my feet and wanting at least another month of freedom. But ready or not, here it comes.