Hi all.
So far it's been a pretty good week. I've gotten a better handle on my time organization now that I have a week under my belt with all six classes. It's a juggle, but I'm doing alright. :) Yay.
Assignments this week are going well, aside from the reading in my Creative Writing book. Y'all, I don't know if there's something in the paper or ink of that book or what, but I kid you not, when I open it to read it, I can't read past the second paragraph without my eyes immediately closing. I close that book and I wake right up. It is seriously, seriously weird. :)
With the end of Week 2, Week 1's grades have finally been posted and so....without further ado, here are my grades for Week 1 of classes:
World Geography - we only had a discussion posting assigned for Week 1 so....that was kind of easy. I got 100%.
Creative Writing - we had a discussion post, two journal entries, and a quiz on our reading. I got 100% on all of them.
College Algebra - we had two tutorials we had to do to learn how to correctly put together and submit our homework. One in MS Equation Editor and one in MS Graph Chart - I got 100% on both. Then we had a discussion posting which was us answering and submitting our answer to one problem for the initial post, and then checking the work of a classmate for our reply post. I got 100% on this as well. Then we had our assigned problems we had to work out and submit on our chapter. I got 92%! I was so freaking happy with that I cannot even fully express it! So far, so good!
Astronomy - we had a discussion in this class that I referenced in previous posts. Seems that asking the follow-up question got me some more points on that. My discussion grade was 90%. We also had a written assignment and my grade on that was 96%. So....this class is kind of a struggle for me but I'm doing the best I can.
Web Authoring & Design - we had a discussion post on HTML vs. Dreamweaver that I referenced earlier here. I managed to not sound like a complete idiot apparently and I got 100% on that. I also got my project idea approved and 100% on the proposal. Lastly we had our hand-coded HTML webpage that I was really, really worried about, but it turned out I got 100% on it. Yay. :)
So....my class percentages are currently as follows:
World Geography: 100%
Creative Writing: 100%
College Algebra: 97.33%
Astronomy: 94.29%
Web Authoring & Design: 100%
I'm going to have to work on and watch that Astronomy grade because the cutoff for an A is 93%. I so want to get my 4.0 this quarter, y'all! Please, please, please!! The six classes are a LOT of work, as I anticipated, but also like I anticipated, I can handle it just fine. I'm learning lots of new things and it's all getting very interesting. There are no grades currently for 3D Animation because the way class is structured, we're working on pieces of our final projects to submit. Our first piece is our completed storyboards and they are due to be presented this coming Wednesday night, along with preliminary modeling and texturing. I'll keep you apprised as to the results.
As far as assignments to share with you, this first week really didn't have anything shareable, but the assignments I'm working on this week show a little more promise. As always, watch this space! :) Cheers all.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Sunday, October 11, 2009
End of Week 1 - WOW! o.O
Hey y'all.
So it's definitely been an interesting week. I didn't figure I'd be bored with six classes this quarter and I figured right! Wow! :)
So....the rundown:
Creative Writing is so far okay. I'm not entirely thrilled yet but it's the first week so....whaddya want, right? I am a little peeved that week 2 is starting and we're reading Hemingway. I reiterate my earlier complaint that there are fantastic female writers that can be featured too. But....looks like we're sticking with the "classic" males - yuck. For the record - I hate Hemingway with a fiery passion. What.ever. We also have to keep a journal in this class. That....kinda bugs. Not a favorite thing for me to do and not a way I like to write but....c'est la vie. First assignments were pretty mellow, we'll see how it goes.
World Geography - this is definitely going to be a class that irritates me this quarter. The instructor already has my back up based on the first discussion post. She put together a slideshow about quotes by famous people (all incredibly dated, by the way), stating how important the study of geography is and how stupid Americans are for not knowing it or studying it anymore. Then the discussion was to post which you liked best and why and explain. And everyone jumped on the anti-American bandwagon so fast it made my head spin. Now, I'll grant you, I haven't actually taken a "geography" class since junior high, but the concepts we're learning I have been exposed to through other courses and that other thing called....ummmm....what is it?.....oh yeah - LIFE! Hello??!! My argument on the boards was that with the world getting smaller due to technology and the Internet, you have to work really, really hard to be ignorant of other cultures and the issues around the world. Doesn't mean people aren't, just that you have to work at it. I did not receive any replies. Everyone else was just "oh yeah, we Americans are so stupid and I don't know anything about geography and ZOMG! how did I ever live without this class??!!" and I....threw up a little in my mouth. 10th generation American here people. America, she has her issues, but don't dog my country. Seriously - that's a road straight to an ass kicking. So....it's just the overall highbrow tone of it all that just rubbed me the wrong way. I'm keeping an open mind going into week 2. We shall see what occurs from there.
College Algebra is exactly the problem I anticipated. I haven't had a math class in 22 years y'all and we're doing this pre-algebra review thing this week and all I can tell you is we aren't reviewing anything I ever learned! Also? Remember when you were forced to take algebra in school and you asked the teacher why you had to and he/she said that some day it would come in really handy in later life? Well....I'm in later life y'all and that shit is pure D bull crap. I've never used it once! But....I don't make the rules. Luckily, there is a SmarThinking tutoring service online that helped me with one problem and I'm getting through okay. Honestly, I think it's more I psych myself out about the whole thing and that makes it difficult. That and I have zero, no, patience at all. It's just not a virtue I was gifted with so when I try to do things that I consider chores and they frustrate me, it makes me want to rip my own face off. But, I'm handling it and I am doing okay. It's just....frustrating.
Astronomy.....astronomy has some s'plaining to do, let me tell you. I apparently got the answers to our first discussion posting wrong and have posted a reply/question to the instructor asking why. As of yet, two days later, no answer. Grrr! Anyway, the questions were 1. to rank by size the following: planet, star, solar system, galaxy, galaxy cluster. Then 2) to determine which were within one light-year of Earth and which within 100 light-years. So....I looked on the NASA site suggested and that is a hot mess, let me tell you. I tried the Hubble site - made by the same people. I even turned to Google - no joy. I dunno if it was my search parameters or what, but I did not find the answers. So....went to the book and all I could find was a picture that I went off of and apparently that was wrong. Apparently stars are bigger than planets. Did you know that? Well, if not, congratulations! - you learned something new today. My question for the instructor is what the deal is, then, with all the pictures I've ever seen showing planets as bigger than stars and if size is relative like some planets are bigger than others - are maybe some stars bigger than others and thereby possibly smaller than planets? We'll see if he replies. At this point, I'm about out of give a damn on this one.
Fundamentals of Web Authoring and Design....y'all, I love my school, I really do, but if I have one beef with it it is this - classes like this tend to cater to those who know the most and leave behind the newbies. The problem with that? - this is a FUNDAMENTALS CLASS - c'mon already! We've got one absolute asshat who is already annoying the crap out of me bitching and complaining that he hates-Dreamweaver-and-ZOMG!-HTML-rocks-y'all!-and-why-the-hell-do-we-have-to-use-this-book-and-why-haven't-we-made-up-our-profiles-with-our-pictures and seriously? I want him to shut up and go far, far away - I really, really do. For our first assignment we had to use HTML to hand-code a web page about our hometown. There were some tutorials linked on the course's resource page and a couple paragraphs lecture and that was it. Y'all, I've never seen or touched HTML in my life! So....I'm struggling through and put together a site that probably sucks beyond the telling, while the rest of the class is on the forum all complaining/defending HTML vs. Dreamweaver vs. other tools and it all just makes me tired. ::le sigh:: We'll see how it all shakes out. We also have a final project that we'll work on all quarter, similar to Typography, building a website for a service business. It could be real or fictional and I chose a fictional bakery. We'll see if he approves it.
And finally, my favorite class (you knew it would be) 3D Animation. How do I love this stuff? Let me count the ways!! :) Pretty much the same people as last class, same instructor, and just a good vibe overall. That said, helluva lot of work this quarter! W.O.W.! o.O We're doing individual projects this quarter, which I prefer to last quarter. I would be pissed if we had to rely on people who don't show up again! Our final project consists of a movie of 12 storyboarded scenes. In addition, we have a research paper and a solar system project due. So....needless to say, I'm gonna be spending a LOT of time on campus working on that. I am still so extremely irritated that we do not get this software with this class, but I'm hopeful maybe sometime that might change. Until then, as I do not trust sites like Bit Torrent, I'll commute to the school and keep it all safe and above-board to get my work done.
So....that's the first week in a nutshell. I'm a bit tired and really kinda cranky cuz I've been trying to get through the last of the algebra due tomorrow. Might be part of the crank factor here. The rest is just legitimate irritation with some issues/situations. All that being said, I am actually enjoying the learning and looking forward to seeing how the rest of the quarter plays out. And on that note, I think it's time to call it a night. Catch you next week for another exciting episode of Going Back To School When You're Ancient. Peace!
So it's definitely been an interesting week. I didn't figure I'd be bored with six classes this quarter and I figured right! Wow! :)
So....the rundown:
Creative Writing is so far okay. I'm not entirely thrilled yet but it's the first week so....whaddya want, right? I am a little peeved that week 2 is starting and we're reading Hemingway. I reiterate my earlier complaint that there are fantastic female writers that can be featured too. But....looks like we're sticking with the "classic" males - yuck. For the record - I hate Hemingway with a fiery passion. What.ever. We also have to keep a journal in this class. That....kinda bugs. Not a favorite thing for me to do and not a way I like to write but....c'est la vie. First assignments were pretty mellow, we'll see how it goes.
World Geography - this is definitely going to be a class that irritates me this quarter. The instructor already has my back up based on the first discussion post. She put together a slideshow about quotes by famous people (all incredibly dated, by the way), stating how important the study of geography is and how stupid Americans are for not knowing it or studying it anymore. Then the discussion was to post which you liked best and why and explain. And everyone jumped on the anti-American bandwagon so fast it made my head spin. Now, I'll grant you, I haven't actually taken a "geography" class since junior high, but the concepts we're learning I have been exposed to through other courses and that other thing called....ummmm....what is it?.....oh yeah - LIFE! Hello??!! My argument on the boards was that with the world getting smaller due to technology and the Internet, you have to work really, really hard to be ignorant of other cultures and the issues around the world. Doesn't mean people aren't, just that you have to work at it. I did not receive any replies. Everyone else was just "oh yeah, we Americans are so stupid and I don't know anything about geography and ZOMG! how did I ever live without this class??!!" and I....threw up a little in my mouth. 10th generation American here people. America, she has her issues, but don't dog my country. Seriously - that's a road straight to an ass kicking. So....it's just the overall highbrow tone of it all that just rubbed me the wrong way. I'm keeping an open mind going into week 2. We shall see what occurs from there.
College Algebra is exactly the problem I anticipated. I haven't had a math class in 22 years y'all and we're doing this pre-algebra review thing this week and all I can tell you is we aren't reviewing anything I ever learned! Also? Remember when you were forced to take algebra in school and you asked the teacher why you had to and he/she said that some day it would come in really handy in later life? Well....I'm in later life y'all and that shit is pure D bull crap. I've never used it once! But....I don't make the rules. Luckily, there is a SmarThinking tutoring service online that helped me with one problem and I'm getting through okay. Honestly, I think it's more I psych myself out about the whole thing and that makes it difficult. That and I have zero, no, patience at all. It's just not a virtue I was gifted with so when I try to do things that I consider chores and they frustrate me, it makes me want to rip my own face off. But, I'm handling it and I am doing okay. It's just....frustrating.
Astronomy.....astronomy has some s'plaining to do, let me tell you. I apparently got the answers to our first discussion posting wrong and have posted a reply/question to the instructor asking why. As of yet, two days later, no answer. Grrr! Anyway, the questions were 1. to rank by size the following: planet, star, solar system, galaxy, galaxy cluster. Then 2) to determine which were within one light-year of Earth and which within 100 light-years. So....I looked on the NASA site suggested and that is a hot mess, let me tell you. I tried the Hubble site - made by the same people. I even turned to Google - no joy. I dunno if it was my search parameters or what, but I did not find the answers. So....went to the book and all I could find was a picture that I went off of and apparently that was wrong. Apparently stars are bigger than planets. Did you know that? Well, if not, congratulations! - you learned something new today. My question for the instructor is what the deal is, then, with all the pictures I've ever seen showing planets as bigger than stars and if size is relative like some planets are bigger than others - are maybe some stars bigger than others and thereby possibly smaller than planets? We'll see if he replies. At this point, I'm about out of give a damn on this one.
Fundamentals of Web Authoring and Design....y'all, I love my school, I really do, but if I have one beef with it it is this - classes like this tend to cater to those who know the most and leave behind the newbies. The problem with that? - this is a FUNDAMENTALS CLASS - c'mon already! We've got one absolute asshat who is already annoying the crap out of me bitching and complaining that he hates-Dreamweaver-and-ZOMG!-HTML-rocks-y'all!-and-why-the-hell-do-we-have-to-use-this-book-and-why-haven't-we-made-up-our-profiles-with-our-pictures and seriously? I want him to shut up and go far, far away - I really, really do. For our first assignment we had to use HTML to hand-code a web page about our hometown. There were some tutorials linked on the course's resource page and a couple paragraphs lecture and that was it. Y'all, I've never seen or touched HTML in my life! So....I'm struggling through and put together a site that probably sucks beyond the telling, while the rest of the class is on the forum all complaining/defending HTML vs. Dreamweaver vs. other tools and it all just makes me tired. ::le sigh:: We'll see how it all shakes out. We also have a final project that we'll work on all quarter, similar to Typography, building a website for a service business. It could be real or fictional and I chose a fictional bakery. We'll see if he approves it.
And finally, my favorite class (you knew it would be) 3D Animation. How do I love this stuff? Let me count the ways!! :) Pretty much the same people as last class, same instructor, and just a good vibe overall. That said, helluva lot of work this quarter! W.O.W.! o.O We're doing individual projects this quarter, which I prefer to last quarter. I would be pissed if we had to rely on people who don't show up again! Our final project consists of a movie of 12 storyboarded scenes. In addition, we have a research paper and a solar system project due. So....needless to say, I'm gonna be spending a LOT of time on campus working on that. I am still so extremely irritated that we do not get this software with this class, but I'm hopeful maybe sometime that might change. Until then, as I do not trust sites like Bit Torrent, I'll commute to the school and keep it all safe and above-board to get my work done.
So....that's the first week in a nutshell. I'm a bit tired and really kinda cranky cuz I've been trying to get through the last of the algebra due tomorrow. Might be part of the crank factor here. The rest is just legitimate irritation with some issues/situations. All that being said, I am actually enjoying the learning and looking forward to seeing how the rest of the quarter plays out. And on that note, I think it's time to call it a night. Catch you next week for another exciting episode of Going Back To School When You're Ancient. Peace!
Friday, October 2, 2009
This Makes Me Feel a Little Better
Hey everybody!
Well....Fall Quarter starts on Monday! Actually, the online classes will be available at 12:01 a.m. Sunday/Monday so....I'll be up to get online and check it all out! :)
I have good news! Despite the issue with my Drawing Design grade, I still managed to make the Dean's List and also made the Perfect Attendance List - two quarters in a row! Didn't make the Director's List (again) but there's always Fall Quarter, right? :) This makes me feel a bit better. My overall GPA for two quarters is 3.84, which really isn't that bad. Right? Sure. Okay. Moving on....
I have been reading ahead in all of my course books. I'm going to have some problems with the Astronomy one, I can tell you right now. Partly because I keep confusing the word Astronomy with Astrology, and partly because I'm not sure I buy some of the stuff they are selling. How do they know all this stuff about billions of light years from us and all that jazz? I will be interested in seeing some PROOF!! :)
My World Geography book and atlas are MASSIVE! And very detailed. Pretty much this quarter's Intro to Business reading. Large pages, small print, very small margins so there's lots to read on a page, and interminably long chapters. Oy! But, it is kind of interesting. I think I'll learn a lot.
The Creative Writing book I mentioned in a previous post. I'm not really impressed with it. I hope the lecture and assignments in that class make up for how much the book sucks. We shall see.
My new 3DS Max book is chock full of lots of cool stuff, but the best part of that class has never been the book, it's the class. I really enjoy it and am looking forward to diving back in again. The only downside? It's on Wednesday nights which means I miss Glee. :( Sad. But, luckily there's Hulu so...moving on! :)
College Algebra is going to be a hot mess no matter what. I watched the first couple of tutorials and it makes sense, which worries me. Math and I, we've never been close. We'll see what kind of relationship builds over this quarter. Again, I think that's a class that's going to be made or broken by the lectures, assignments, and instructor.
Web Design book is all about Dreamweaver. It's the one I'm trying to work my way through now. So far, it's interesting. I'm trying to read as far ahead as I can in case I'm in a class with people who already know the program. The one downfall I have found in some of my classes it that the instructors skew to those who know the most, not those who know the least. Makes for a lot of outside-of-class work if you're on the lower end of the scale.
So....that's the latest. I am somewhat pacified by making both lists again for Summer Quarter. I'm still ticked about that grade, but I'm trying to get it go. It's a process. :) Anyhoo....that's the latest. I'll be back after classes start with all the latest news! Cheers until then!
Well....Fall Quarter starts on Monday! Actually, the online classes will be available at 12:01 a.m. Sunday/Monday so....I'll be up to get online and check it all out! :)
I have good news! Despite the issue with my Drawing Design grade, I still managed to make the Dean's List and also made the Perfect Attendance List - two quarters in a row! Didn't make the Director's List (again) but there's always Fall Quarter, right? :) This makes me feel a bit better. My overall GPA for two quarters is 3.84, which really isn't that bad. Right? Sure. Okay. Moving on....
I have been reading ahead in all of my course books. I'm going to have some problems with the Astronomy one, I can tell you right now. Partly because I keep confusing the word Astronomy with Astrology, and partly because I'm not sure I buy some of the stuff they are selling. How do they know all this stuff about billions of light years from us and all that jazz? I will be interested in seeing some PROOF!! :)
My World Geography book and atlas are MASSIVE! And very detailed. Pretty much this quarter's Intro to Business reading. Large pages, small print, very small margins so there's lots to read on a page, and interminably long chapters. Oy! But, it is kind of interesting. I think I'll learn a lot.
The Creative Writing book I mentioned in a previous post. I'm not really impressed with it. I hope the lecture and assignments in that class make up for how much the book sucks. We shall see.
My new 3DS Max book is chock full of lots of cool stuff, but the best part of that class has never been the book, it's the class. I really enjoy it and am looking forward to diving back in again. The only downside? It's on Wednesday nights which means I miss Glee. :( Sad. But, luckily there's Hulu so...moving on! :)
College Algebra is going to be a hot mess no matter what. I watched the first couple of tutorials and it makes sense, which worries me. Math and I, we've never been close. We'll see what kind of relationship builds over this quarter. Again, I think that's a class that's going to be made or broken by the lectures, assignments, and instructor.
Web Design book is all about Dreamweaver. It's the one I'm trying to work my way through now. So far, it's interesting. I'm trying to read as far ahead as I can in case I'm in a class with people who already know the program. The one downfall I have found in some of my classes it that the instructors skew to those who know the most, not those who know the least. Makes for a lot of outside-of-class work if you're on the lower end of the scale.
So....that's the latest. I am somewhat pacified by making both lists again for Summer Quarter. I'm still ticked about that grade, but I'm trying to get it go. It's a process. :) Anyhoo....that's the latest. I'll be back after classes start with all the latest news! Cheers until then!
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