Follow-Up On Randomness

I just thought I'd do an update on what happened with the rest of my random week. Here goes:

1. Hallelujah! FASSST Week is over! We were required to go to three conferences. One of the three was great - the one on self defense. It changed the way I carry my purse. And I now have some defense when Ben pulls one of his wrestling moves on me. But the other two - good grief! One was a conference on eating healthy and doing so cheap. The instructor, (who happens to also be the UNIV 1000 instructor that drove me crazy all semester, and railed on cell phones and their usage in class and how she would take them away if she saw one during her class) actually answered her cell phone while she was teaching the conference and a student was answering a question! I thought I was going to die. The woman has serious issues. Like I was telling a friend today, I respect her because that's what I should do with everyone, but she makes it really hard for me to like her. I guess the only thing I learned during the conference was a good thing. Lin's Supermarket gives a 10% discount to SUU students. Cool, huh?

2. I have been experiencing headaches consistently since I started school. I got my eyes checked (I have astigmatism, which I already knew I had, and I am far-sighted) and bought glasses (since then I've um...misplaced them). The glasses didn't seem to help at all. In fact, they just made things seem like they were in 3-D when I walked around with them on. I racked my brain trying to figure out what was causing the headaches. Can you believe it? I had been chewing too much gum?! I haven't had a piece of gum in about three weeks, and funny coincidence, no headaches either. Too bad, I LOVE gum.

3. One of the only things I'm not looking forward to with school is driving, parking, and walking in the wetness. I don't have any kind of snow/rain boots at the moment, and here in Cedar I better move fast or they'll all be gone!

4. I paid the stupid $10 ticket. Too bad I didn't know a parking permit was only $12.

5. I have since not mentioned wearing the ring Tina gave me instead of my wedding ring. Sorry, Ben. I love you!

6. I voted, but Obama won. Sure, I'd like change. I just don't know if I'd like it involving Obama and his pink unicorn. Visit jibjab.com if you don't know what I mean. No offense meant to Obama supporters.

7. Hallelujah II! I passed my LM 1010 test-out exam with an A. It's so great to have that out of the way.

Well, thanks for listening. I'm off to do Math homework. Radical exponents. Radical? Sure. ;)

Domestic CEO Randomness

I find today was a very random day. Most days for me are "the usual." But today just had a bunch of little oddities in it I would like to share with you.

1. FASSST Week: Hoops. Collegiate hoops. Jump, Mellissa, Jump. Good freshman! Here's your treat. Give me a break!

2. I had a headache today, which really isn't random for me. I took some Tylenol in the morning and it wasn't touching my pain. So I bought a Coke. Mmmmm. I'm trying to be good and not drink caffeinated beverages and I usually succeed, but I was not going to function very well with the headache I had. Thank goodness the Coke worked.

3. I got caught in the downpour today. I had to walk from the Science Building to the parking lot next to the P.E. Building. There's nothing quite like wet jeans. I looked like a wet dog. Hopefully, I didn't smell like one.

4. When I got to my car there was a lovely $10 ticket waiting for me for parking in a parking lot that requires a permit. I won't even get started on that one.

5. When I checked my mailbox today there was a package and a letter from my sister (who is actually my niece, but it's wrong calling her my niece, so I call her my sister. Got it?). She sent me a beautiful glass pendant she made. She is so artistically gifted it's annoying! I'll be sporting it as soon as I can make a chain that goes with it. She also sent me a great glass ring. It needs to be a bit bigger so it will fit on my middle finger of my right hand. (I told Ben it would fit perfectly on the middle finger of my left hand, but I would have to not wear my wedding ring because they would click around and drive me crazy. After seeing the look of "Are you absolutely insane?! Taking of OUR wedding ring?!" I sheepishly changed my mind) But the best part of that whole bit was the letter that was in with the package. It warms me when somebody I love tells me they love me. But it humbles and gratifies and elates when they say how much I've meant to them. I love you, Tina. You are the sister I always had.

6. I voted! My goal for the next election is to be better informed. I know it needs to be all proper and everything, but goodness, could they make some of the lingo more confusing?

7. I took the Test-Out Exam for my Library Media class. Please pray for me to get an A. I'm absolutely obsessed with getting A's. I didn't used to be and Ben totally mocks me (he has every right, as do Julie and Lori because I mocked them and their "boring report cards" all the time). I know it's a stretch for this goal, but I would love, love, LOVE to graduate summa cum laude. Thus the obsession with getting an A.

Well, that's it for my random day. It was long for me, was it long for you?

Explain This One To Me

You know, for the most part, I'm OK jumping through the hoops necessary to graduate. I have no problem with G.E. requirements, I get the Library Media class, even though UNIV 1000 was a ridiculous class, I'll swallow it. But this new one is really, um.... ludicrous.

Back in 2000 I enrolled for one semester at SUU. I took English 2010, French, Intro to Music and a Math class. All my credits are still good, except for math because it was not a gen ed class. Fine. Since then SUU has raised the bar considerably for English gen ed. Previously, students with an ACT sub-score of 17 or below were required to enroll in English 1010 prior to taking English 2010. Now the requirements are students with an ACT sub-score of 29 or higher may take English 2010, those with sub-scores above 17 are required to take English 1010 prior to English 2010. Sure, I get that they've raised the bar.

The funny thing is that my English 2010 credit is still good, but since they've raised the bar I still have to take English 1010. Are they kidding me? The only class requiring 1010 is 2010, and I've already taken it! I could literally get through my entire college degree, upper-division English credits and all, and the only reason I would be required to take English 1010 is because the gen ed's say so.

My plan is to wait until then, when I've been able to get to know the department better, and hopefully persuade the department chair to let it slide. Otherwise, I'll have a really easy class my senior year.

Minor Adjustments

Hah!  I love to play on words!

Anyway, I am having serious trouble deciding on a minor.  I kind of think something to supplement English would be a good idea, but then I have so many interests I really can't decide!  Some of my choices are:  History (never thought I'd say that), Nutrition (even though it's like having to tell myself "no-no" every time I eat a chocolate chip cookie), Psychology (that's always been an interest of mine), and Math (never thought I'd say that either but I'm still really enjoying knowing I can succeed in math).  

My interests have broadened so much since I last attended college that picking a minor is even more difficult than picking a major.  And I register for school in about a month, so the time is NOW to decide.  I hate decisions - I'm so good at being a sheep.

Another option is not to get credits for a minor.  Starting this fall, SUU no longer requires a minor.  I could just take a bunch of classes that interest me and really enjoy those classes, not worrying about whether I have enough credits for a minor.  Does that seem like a total waste of time?  Since I'm not planning on working after I graduate, it doesn't seem like a bad choice.  

Help me!  What should I do?

I Have Issues

I think most of you already know that, but for those of you who don't know how obsessed I am with getting everything right (I hate to use the word perfectionist, but sometimes that's the best word for it) I'll tell you. I got 81 out of 100 on my Nutrition Exam and I'm trying (without much success) not to freak out and beat myself up about it. And I thought I got an A! I don't even want to think about what my History Exam score will be today! Help!

Decisions, decisions, decisions

You know how most people change their major a few times over the course of their college career? Well, I decided to change my major three times, all in the first month. Saves time, doesn't it?

I've always known that whatever I do, I need to be on the same schedule as my kids. I'm not planning on working once I graduate, (college is like my insurance policy), but if anything did ever happen to Ben I needed to support my kids and not be busy during the summers.

I first decided I wanted to major in Math Education. I thought I really wanted to show and help others who thought they weren't good at math, that they can be good at math. What I think I really wanted was to prove to myself I could do it - and I can. But I really wasn't sure about dealing with teenagers in secondary school. When I graduate I'll have teenagers of my own to deal with - I really didn't want to worry about anyone else's teenagers. I hope that's not too selfish.

Then I thought, well, maybe I could do Elementary Education with a K-8 Area of Specialization in Mathematics. That sounded good, and the class load wouldn't be as strenuous as majoring in Math. There would still be a lot of work, but busy work which is something I don't mind. But as I got thinking about it I realized I really have never wanted to teach. It's not something I'm opposed to doing, but unlike Ben who thrives on teaching, it would be a job for me - not more.

While I was deliberating over what to do, finally realizing that I didn't want to teach, I realized that there was something I am good at. Something I've always enjoyed, too. English. I definitely shied away from it because I didn't want to do a BA (all those foreign language courses) and all those papers to write! But majoring in English kept coming back to me.

So one night Ben and I talked about it. He made a good point that I need to make my degree as easy as I can. All those education classes were not doing that. He's been so supportive of what I want, I'm so incredibly lucky. Anyway, I mapped out my schedule for the next four years. I am such a mapper of schedules. I got it all planned out, and realized what a light work load it would be. Even with a minor, I have to pick up elective credits to get to full time.

The funny thing is, the day after I organized my schedule some classmates of mine were talking and one of them asked the other if she was going to the English Majors' meeting that afternoon. Me. 2X4. Bam. I made arrangements to go to the meeting and it was great. The faculty was all there and so was the Academic Advisor. Funny thing, she had change of major forms with her, and if we filled them out there she would hand them in for us. Again, me, 2X4, Bam!

I guess it's better that I did all this changing before I got into classes. Like I said, saves time, right?

This next part will make a certain French-speaking friend happy. Since I'm required to take 16 credits of foreign language, and because French was the most recent foreign language I've taken, and because I think French will be a better foreign language for me if I'm majoring in English (there's not a lot of Spanish and German writing studied at SUU) I will be enrolling in French 1010 next semester.

You realize, Julie, you've just signed yourself for tutoring, right? You started this whole business and now you really can't move away until I'm done with French. And even then you have to stay around. By the way, what the heck does Mes Bijoux mean? I've been meaning to ask that since I first started reading your blog.

You're probably asking yourself how majoring in English might ever support my family. Well, even though that is an important point in my mind, it's not the most important point. I need to love what I'm doing and feel comfortable in it. English enables me to do that. Who knows? Someday I might write a book about my experiences as a thirty-something college student with three kids, two cats, and a husband.

The Young and Annoying

Do you remember that I posted about there being 1400 new freshmen attending SUU this fall? Well, there are. The crazy young things are everywhere.

A friend of mine wanted me to do a post telling about all the homework I have so she wouldn't feel so envious of me going to school. Sorry, Julie, no can do this semester - at least this far. My classes are the best thing. There are some behaviors from others that might eventually drive me to be institutionalized. Here they are, in no particular order:

1) I try to be polite and hold the door open for either a) the person behind me or b) the people exiting the place I am entering. It never fails - I get stuck holding the door for a ton of people, plenty of whom are guys who should know that when a girl is standing there holding the door the polite thing to do would be to take the door from her so that she can move on. I don't know, maybe I look really masculine to everybody.

2) The person in class who always needs to answer, even when the professor isn't really asking a question. There is a guy in my math class who has this tendency. My professor will be plugging along and as he is explaining the work, the guy (who, go figure, usually sits behind me) has to say the same things my professor is saying. Um, hello? I'm not paying you to teach me, so please hush up.

3) Texting. It is the bane of my existence among the crazy young people. It's like defensive driving for pedestrians. Everyone is busy texting, no one is watching where they are headed, and those of us who can handle walking 10 minutes between classes without using a cell phone are left to swerve around those who can't.

4) Some kids should have to take high school again just so they can take the time to mature. I say kids because I mean it - because they act like it. We have this Seminar Session of our University 1000 class. It's about social justice and it's a very thought-provoking class. I'm enjoying it, but since it's a class for freshmen, there are several kids in there who could take a year (or several) to mature a bit. There is one guy in there who gets really excited talking and asking questions about social justice. It really lights his fire, and I enjoy listening to the questions he poses. There are still kids in there snickering at him. Are you serious? Could you please take time out of your life to GROW UP?!

I'll take all the annoying things with the good things - it's worth it. But I seriously wonder where society is headed if I'm going to school with the future leaders of America and they can't even hold a door open for someone, say thank you, or stop laughing at other people.

Professor Profiles

I'm quite pleased with my professors and teachers thus far - with the exception of one.

My Nutrition teacher is great. She is an adjunct professor and is filling in for the professor who is out getting her clinical dietitian's license or something like that. She is patient, not easily disturbed by freshmen behavior, and she is very knowledgeable and seems to genuinely enjoy her profession. That makes such a huge difference.

My History professor is great! He is from San Antonio, TX and has been teaching at SUU for about three years. He sounds like my brother did when he came home from his mission in Texas. He also really loves history. You can see it in his body language and hear it in his voice as he lectures . He's trying to make his class as easy on us as possible. He only has three exams, all scan tron, no essays. The final is the same and it is not cumulative. How nice, huh?

My Math professor is also wonderful. He has his Masters in Math Ed, and he is really good at teaching math, and showing different ways of doing problems. He is very patient with all the questions asked, even if they seem like they should know it already. He doesn't require us to turn in homework every day, we just have problem sets every week or so. Kind of like the Echte McCoys in German with Herr Corry.

My UNIV 1000 class has two teachers. One is great. She facilitates the small session where we come prepared each week to talk with our classmates about an assigned topic. That class is fine and it's fun getting to know people. I like that more than I thought.

The other UNIV 100 teacher.....that, my friends, is a post for another day.

My First Day and Carter's First Day

I'm afraid if I blog about everything about my first day it truly will be a novel, so I'll try to keep it short and sweet.
I love school.
I feel old there.
There were 1400 incoming freshmen this year.
That equals 1400 perky 18-year-old people all over.
I'm more confident so I feel more comfortable striking up a conversation with the person sitting next to me.
I feel like a nerd because I'm enjoying it way too much.
I've met at least two people in every class except for math.
Their names are Stephanie, Toni, Amy, Nicole, Megan, Samantha, Paige, Jo, Amy, Natalie, Heather, and Carly.
Toni is the only male I've officially met.
I'm thankful I'm good with names.
My professors and teachers seem very nice.
I'm taking a Nutrition class, History 1700, Math 1010, and UNIV 1000 and LM 1010.
The UNIV 1000 isn't as dumb as I thought it would be.
I'm tired.
My backpack is heavy.
I'm getting up at 5:30 a.m.
I'm fine with that.
I get a lot accomplished during the day.
I need to go to bed.

OK, Carter's first day of Kindergarten was today! I was a space case mom and forgot to snap a photo. I swore I was not going to be one of those parents who takes a million pictures of their first kid and by the time they get to their last there are none. I have one photo of myself at six months and nothing else until 1st grade.

Carter was a little nervous to go, but mostly excited. The funny thing was Melanie was more nervous than both of us. She kept saying, "Mom, I'm nervous for Carter." You could just see it in her body language how she was mother henning him. It was cute and funny.

He said the bus ride was the best, once he got over being nervous. They have a big dinosaur slide at recess, and he said he was the best behaved student in class. Uh-huh. To fib or not to fib?

This week has been so busy for our family. Ben started his new job yesterday, too. He loves teaching but finds it difficult when he is:
a) teaching P.E. with no indoor phys. ed. facilities and only basketball hoops outside
b) has no student edition of the textbooks, only teacher editions where all the answers are
c) has to go to a different building across town to make copies
d) doesn't have a computer yet
These are just kinks that will eventually be worked out. I'm just glad he truly loves teaching or he would be crazy. Or crazier.

Riley's funnies for the week are as follows: When Ben and I told him no about something this morning he said, "That's not fair, big people!" When he found a coin on Grandma Jeanne's driveway he picked it up and said, "It's my lucky day."

!@$&%

Yeah, that's what I heard today on the campus of Southern Utah University. I was there to buy my last two books that finally came in, and there were a bunch of people there for Welcome Week - mostly Freshmen, I imagine. Anyway, I'm walking along and some guys behind me are talking, rather loudly, but their vocabulary seems awfully limited because all I heard was, "That %$^*@! I can't %@**&^% believe the #$*& !@#*$ with #$%& and !@#$!"

My dad is a user of colorful vocabulary. You should ask Ben about the time he went hunting with my dad and they got a flat tire - only to find out the spare tire was also flat. I'm sure Ben's ears went through trial by fire on that excursion.

For as long as I can remember, I've been surrounded by people who have relatively clean mouths. And I'm not talking about cavities, people. There is the occasional 'darn' and 'heck' from my dad, but that's about it. Growing up I always put on my 'deaf ears' and let things go in one ear and out the other. But that's a lot harder to do now that I'm not used to hearing that kind of language. I'm just going to have to suck it up and put my deaf ears back on for the next four years.

Major Stuff

I have decided to major in math. Yes, I know. Believe me, I know. And I really was scared to tell anyone because my brainy brother-in-law majored in math, and he's a lot smarter than I am, and even he struggled through some of the coursework. Honestly, I'm quite intimidated by the whole prospect, but I just can't stop thinking about it.

I was never good at math in high school - for two reasons. One, I didn't apply myself. Sluffing Algebra twice a week didn't help my grades any. Two, I didn't have very good teachers. Poor teachers didn't help my grades either. But when I went to college it was a different story. I had a great teacher and I worked hard. Did you know that I went from a D (mostly because I was signed into the class about two weeks after it started and so I was missing homework that killed my grade) to an A in that class? I even got the high score on the Math final at the end of the semester. From that point on I realized I can do math. I just have to have confidence in myself and be a hard worker.

I would like to break the cycle of poor math teachers. I don't know if it's something I can do, but I have to try. I think my experience with thinking I'm not very good at math brings something new to the table. I don't think I ever had a math teacher who wasn't always good at math. And I think for the most part when a certain subject comes naturally to someone, it makes it hard to teach. Does that make sense? And for students like myself, I KNOW how they feel. And I know it's possible to improve and have a positive attitude about the way you look at math.

That's my plan. It's really going to be trial by fire because I'm starting at the bottom with Math 1010. But like I said, it helps me be a better teacher that way. I don't know if it will all work out. Who knows, maybe I'll love it more than anything else I've done. I just have to be patient and see what happens!

Stupid School Stuff

Why, oh why, do they make going to college so difficult? As if we don't have enough to worry about without all the dumb little things they make us do.

So now (I think for several years, actually) they have this Library Media class. Fine. They also have a University Studies class that goes along with it. Fine. One is the first eight weeks of the semester, the other is the last eight weeks. OK. But you can't register for the University Studies class through the Registrar's Office. You have to do it through the Student Success Center. But they don't tell you that.

Also, there were three class I needed for my major that when I registered online it said I needed instructor's permission. I get that they can't have people signing up for classes that only have limited space for majors and minors in that degree. So I went to get signatures for them and Dr. Stitt mentioned Dr. Frezza, the Academic Advisor for College of Performing & Visual Arts, could register me online for those classes. He did, and that was nice. But don't you think with all the lovely technology we have at our fingertips they could find a way to link Tnumbers with students names who have been admitted into the music program, so the system would know if they are allowed to register for certain classes?

Not to mention that tuition has gone up since I last attended. Yes, that was eight years ago, but heavens, I married a teacher. Happily, I might add. My tuition is double what is was when last I attended. I guess that's what happens when the university is one of the Top 10 in the nation; they raise tuition. Oh, well.... the drama of college life. At least I don't have to worry about dating!