Again

Day 0: I've been anticipating returning to school this fall for several reasons, not the least of which is my enrollment in classes that are congruent with and relevant to my degree. Of the four classes I've enrolled in, three are political science courses. The fourth is a course on modern European history which is a pleasant contrast to last Spring where I was enrolled in Stats, Spanish 2, English Lit, and American Politics.

I feel that, despite the break between then and now, summer classes have sapped something vital from me that I have yet to recover. It may just be nervousness. It's likely just nervousness.

I'm nervous. There. I've said it.

Unlike last Spring, however, I'm coming into this semester with a few consecutive months of success behind me. I'm going to try and approach this semester a bit more... forcefully, than I did this past Spring.

We'll see what happens.

Day 1-3: I showed up extra early and headed straight to the library to print my schedule, secretly hoping that I might run into my library crush (LC). I lingered a few minutes after the schedule came out of the printer, scanning the virtually empty library for signs of him but no dice. "Likely his schedule is different this semester," I thought. "Likely I'll never see him again." I headed to class a little disappointed.

My first class is in a building that didn't exist when I first attempted my undergrad. The campus is lousy with such features but I've only noticed them at a distance, a stranger at a party that I had no intention of engaging. The first day, the new building was finally realized and made relevant. It looked new. It smelled new. And all the kids within it were new.

The professor was slender and bookish with slight hands and wire-framed glasses. He dealt almost exclusively in abstractions without bothering to prop them against simile and metaphor. I liked him immediately.

The schedule of classes has changed this semester, allowing for 15 minute intervals between classes instead of 10. Instead of running from classes to class and dumping sweating heaving self into the last available seat just in the nick of time, I found I was able to walk to class - stroll, even - with plenty of time to find a seat.

Those extra five minutes made the first week a breeze, in terms of getting class to class.  And I'm betting that those extra five minutes are going to come in handy once the weather turns.

This morning, as I was leaving one of my classes, I turned on my cell phone. Climbing the stairs toward the exit, I wasn't paying attention and ran into someone. "Sorry," I said. The victim turned around and offered half a smile.

IT WAS LIBRARY CRUSH (LC)!

"S'ok," he said, and continued up the stairs.

"Ok," I said. "Well..." and then trailed off. If he heard me, he showed no sign.

We exited the building and he, unsurprisingly, made his way toward the library. I lost him in the confusion of students and had to resist the urge to head to the library to track him down again. Heading to my next class, doubt began to creep in.

Maybe it wasn't him. Maybe he was just there for the day. Maybe...

...and then it occurred to me. He was climbing the stairs with me because he was leaving my class.

LIBRARY CRUSH (LC) IS IN MY CLASS!

I HAVE A CLASS WITH LIBRARY CRUSH (LC)!

Well played, Fall semester 2013. You and I may very well get along just fine after all.

The Rest: Summer Course Overload

Note: I posted almost nothing about my summer course work and with good reason - I was spectacularly busy. 75% of my time was dedicated to studying, homework, and writing papers. It was, by far, the most intense and challenging educational experience of my life. 

In spite of that, I didn't want to leave my summer classes without having said a few words about the experience. That said, I've decided to share with you the little I was about to write about my classes as they happened. What follows is a string of Facebook status updates in chronological order (albeit undated) written by me. I've intentionally left out the dates and times unless they were explicitly included in the original status update.

I decided to do this to simultaneously simulate and preserve the hectic, rapid-fire, stuck-out-of-time feeling that comes along with having completed 30 weeks worth of course material in 6 weeks. 

Also it's way easier than trying to go back and reconstruct a thoughtful cohesive narrative. 

In doing so, I realize that I may have rendered most of this post "unreadable". For that, I am sorry. Also about 30% of the posts were written in Spanish. For that, I am not sorry. (***SPOILER!!***: I got an A in both courses)

Fall courses have already begun but we'll get to that later. For now, I give you "What I Did Over Summer Vacation 2013" which can alternately be titled "La Experiencia Terrible". 

Heads Up: There will be no summary of these posts. After they've finished, I will simply state my average, drop the mic, and walk away.

Enjoy.

* * * * *

Day 1: "Intensive" doesn't even begin to cover it. 

I reached the point of "what have I gotten myself into?" when I saw the syllabus. Each day is equivalent to a week of class in a normal semester

For example, today, we covered Spanish 2 in 4.5 hours. ALL of it. And tomorrow morning we have a quiz on Spanish 2. ALL if it. 

By this time next week, I will have taken 5 quizzes and be studying for my midterm exam. Three weeks from now, I will have taken 8 quizzes, 3 oral exams, a midterm, a final, a group project, and two papers.

And then it'll be time for Spanish 4.

Pero no estoy preocupado. Ven a mí, clase de español! Estoy listo!

...

...al menos ...espero que sí.

* * * * *

Day 2: Lots of stuff. Had a quiz. Many much studying. Got 60+ new vocab words today. Quiz tomorrow morning. 

I'm no longer sure that this is a possible thing.

* * * * *

First week of summer courses is done. I planned on homeworking tonight but to hell with that. 

Beer anyone?

* * * * *

Summer Coursework - Day 5: A week ago, I began Spanish 3.

Class starts at 8 AM and runs for 4.5 hours. I'd say 4.5 hours straight but we get a ten minute break at the two hour mark. Each day starts with a quiz on the material from the previous day. We took our fifth quiz today. Midterms are Wednesday. 

Things. Move. VERY. Quickly. 

Missing an hour of a summer session class is the equivalent to missing a day's worth of class in a normal semester. And yet, there are kids in my class who have shown up late, left early, and one who, just plain doesn't do homework even though it's an easy 15% of our grade. It doesn't have to be correct, it just has to be done. You could write just about anything and get 100% credit. Still... *shrug*

Class began a week ago and Midterms are this Wednesday. Finals are next week. I'm enduring all of this with the unblinking courage of a robot gorilla.

Class began a week ago and we're already more than 1/3 of the way through the course material.

Class began a week ago and my teacher still calls my "Strew". I know because that's how she spells it as well.

I'd correct her but it sounds adorable.

Class began a week ago and I'm a lot more confident since then. I can't wait for midterms. I may just end up with an "A" in this course. Until the final bell, however, I have a lot more work to do.

The holiday makes this into a 3-day school week. 'Tough' just got 'tougher'.

*opens lunchables* Bring it, Spanish.

Estoy listo.

* * * * *

The Halfway Point

* * * * *

Summer Coursework - Day 10: Two weeks ago, I began Spanish 3.

Class starts at 8 AM and runs for 4.5 hours. I'd say 4.5 hours straight but we get a ten minute break at the two hour mark. Each day starts with a quiz on the material from the previous day.

We took our 7th quiz today. Our 8th and final quiz is tomorrow morning.

Finals are Thursday.

Si puedes leer esto, tu sabes que estoy listo. Pronto veremos, ¿no?

* * * * *

Spanish III: Completed

Today I had the written and oral final exam in Spanish III. I feel ok about it. Mostly. I still feel like class just started a few weeks ago. Probably because class just started a week ago.

Now, on to Spanish 4!

I ended up on the Storrs campus today and got a chance to have a few conversations about my upcoming trip to South Africa. The flight is 15+ hours. That's going to be... tough. But I hear that Cape Town is absolutely beautiful. I think it's safe to say that I'm now looking forward to South Africa as much as I'm NOT looking forward to Spanish 4.

Three more weeks. Just... three more weeks.

* * * * *

I could have gone out and had many and several delicious beers and things with my face. Instead, I spent most of afternoon rewritting a paper and the past 2 hours completing an extra credit project - both for Spanish 3.

I should mention that I had already earned an A- on the paper and that, without this project, I more than likely would still get an A in the course. But it couldn't hurt, right?

Right?!

* * * * *

An email from my Spanish Prof:

Drew, I have already all your grades, so I can unofficially let you know yours: A

You did a great job! I want to congratulate you.

* * * * *

Spanish 4 starts tomorrow.

After some confusion (primarily on the part of my technologically challenged teacher), I've just now been able to get my hands on the syllabus.

Tomorrow is the first day of class. And homework is due. How much homework?

- Memorize vocabulario útil 1. (P. 180-181)
- Activities 1, 2, 4, 5 (P. 181-183)
- Memorize vocabulario útil 2. (P. 184-185)
- Activities 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 (P. 185-188)

Memorize 4 pages of vocab, and complete 9 activities. Before day one.

None of this would be any problem if I had already purchased the book. But I haven't.

And the bookstore is closed on weekends. 

* * * * *

Hoy voy a empezar Spanish 4 y no estoy preocupado. El nombre de mi profesor es Jesús, por lo que estoy optimista.

* * * * *

Hoy, me enteré de que la mayor parte de lo que vamos a aprender es el vocabulario. El resto será una revisión de lo que ya hemos aprendido en español 3.

Creo que puedo manejar eso.

Durante las próximas tres semanas, voy a tratar de escribir todos mis actualizaciones en español. Necesito la práctica.

* * * * *

Totally burned out on Spanish just now.

Today, our instructor lost patience with one of the students and called them out for not studying. When the student fired back with a complaint (in short: this is HARD!), I groaned audibly and said, "So what."

After tomorrow, I'll still have two weeks to go.

* * * * *

No estoy preocupado. He estudiado. Estoy listo.

* * * * *

Midterms are behind me. One week left until finals and the last of my summer coursework is over and done with.

4 quizzes, 2 papers, a comprehensive final, and oral exam. In one week?

Totally doable.

* * * * *

Instructor just sent out an email. Here are the class stats for my Spanish 4 class:

Midterm Exam Average: 58.56
Oral Exam Average: 71.89
Class Grade Average: 68.94

On extra credit, my instructor had this to say in the email: "I know that other instructors have done it in the past, but I do not think it is a good idea."

I have A average right now and that's without the silly 'gimme' class participation factored in. Doesn't make those numbers any less grim though.

Something tells me class attendance is going to be up tomorrow.

* * * * *

In class today, our instructor (who is apparently incapable of whispering) told two students that, unless they get at least a 'B' on the rest of their quizzes and exams, they would fail the course. "And you haven't gotten a 'B' in anything all term, so... I would be worried if I were you," he told one of the two students.

He would have said this to three people instead of two but one of them didn't show up for class.

One student, after missing 4 quizzes, has decided to show up each day, but only for the quiz at the beginning of class. One of the students in danger of failing showed up two hours late today, then, when he was called upon to answer a question, had the guts to complain about not being ready.

Hey parents, teach 'em young; Go to class, do your homework, no excuses. Otherwise, you end up producing grade-chasing zombies entirely disinterested in learning anything while unironically asking for "extra credit".

"You need credit before you can get 'extra-credit," I said, or would have said if I thought anyone was listening.

* * * * *

He recibido un email de mi instructor de español. Clase del martes (las clases dos días antes del examen final) ha sido cancelada.

A día de clase es igual al valor de una semana de la información. Y el examen final?: Jueves.

Sólo una semana más, Drew. Eso es todo. 

* * * * *

During a break in class, our instructor was taking about the differences between life in Spain and life in America.

Teacher: For one thing, you guys have so many dead skanks on the road.
Drew: Um... what?
Teacher: Seriously! I see at least one dead skank almost everyday.
Drew: *horrified* Where are you living?
Teacher: On campus.
Drew: Ah. Well. I guess that explains it.

Later, we explained to him that it's pronounced "skunk".

Teacher: I've been saying it like that forever. Why haven't any of my American friends corrected me?

We then explained what "skank" means.

Hilarity ensued.

* * * * *

Después de mañana, no habrá más clases.
Después de mañana, el verano será mía otra vez.

Después de mañana, voy a ser libre!

Vengan a mí los exámenes finales. Estoy listo.

Estoy listo!

* * * * *

Dear Spanish 4,

I'm typing this in English out of spite.

I will not miss you.

Drew 

* * * * *

just woke up to an email from my instructor with my final grade: A. Which means that my average for this summer is 4.0

This calls for steak and chocolate cake! [read: cheeseburgers and cupcakes]

* * * * *

Summer GPA: 4.0

*drops mic*
*walks away*