There's not much going on in my life other than the final haul that comes with the last three weeks of the semester. However, it is course registration time at CU right now, and with my registration time coming up this week, I thought it would be a good time to talk about it. In general, I want to take a lot of course at CU - I mean, sky's the limit... if it looks interesting, I want to try to fit it in. I'm interested in philosophy, psychology, photography and anything from Greek to graphic design.
However, it just so happens that with the fall 2010 semester, I won't really be choosing from that long list of courses that interest me - I'll be sticking to my major, minor, and CU's core requirements. Also, because it turned out two of the course I'll be taking are 4 credits each, it looks like I will only be taking four classes, instead of five, (for a total of 14 credits) which will be an interesting change from this semester, when I had 16.
Overall, assembling my schedule for the fall was really quite easy, more a matter of figuring out which recitation periods would work than which classes to take. I just hope everything I want is still open by the time I actually get to register. Furthermore, CU notably changed the registration system they used this semester, and I'm hoping it functions properly and easily when I get to sign up for classes.
What should be interesting about the fall is that I either have long classes or short classes - I have two 3+ hour film courses in the afternoons, but then I don't have any hour-and-fifteen minute lectures, I ended up all with 50-minute lectures/50-minute recitations. Perhaps this will end up feeling more like high school.
Those are just a few of my musings on registration for the upcoming term. If you have any questions about CU's registration process, feel free to ask. If you're a student, have you registered yet? Did you get the classes you wanted?
Cheers :)
This blog is sponsored by the CU Book Store.
Showing posts with label classes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label classes. Show all posts
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Boulder and the rest of the Earth
I've been having a really interesting week and have learned so many things I'd like to share with anyone reading this blog.
I watched Food, Inc at a meeting of the CU Going Local club and for my Nutrition, Health, and Performance class. I thought it was a really well-made documentary about the food industry and really has me thinking about the food I and others around me choose to consume. I recommend it if you haven't seen it.
I started reading David Halberstam's The Fifties, a really comprehensive book about the entire decade, for my Film of the 40s and 50s class. The book covers so much ground - in just the few chapters I read so far, I learned about Levittowns, GM, Eisenhower, McCarthyism, The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit, and on and on.
And then today, in my Astronomy lab, I took measurements which allowed me to calculate the circumference of the Earth - all without traveling past Baseline (a road on the edge of campus). I learned that Baseline used to run directly along the 40th Parallel (Boulder's latitude), something I didn't know, even though I've lived in Boulder for so long. I say used to because it has since been reconstructed to curve a bit away from that line, but parts of it are still exact. It's confusing to get into all the details of our lab experiment, but if you Google Eratosthenes Challenge, you'll get a good sense of what we were doing.
Pretty cool! It still amazes me the kind of ground we cover in all my classes week by week. Having a class last only 15 or 16 weeks is so different from having full-year courses like in high school. And learning about things like astronomy, history, health, film - all at a college level? Well, that's why I'm here!
If you're a student (or even if you're not), what's something you learned about this week that really struck you as interesting? I'd love to hear in the comments!
It's almost Friday. The Boulder International Film Festival is happening here this weekend. I plan to at least go to one of the short film events, which I really enjoyed last year. I encourage you to check it out if you're at all interested in film, particularly the independent or international type.
Cheers! :)
I watched Food, Inc at a meeting of the CU Going Local club and for my Nutrition, Health, and Performance class. I thought it was a really well-made documentary about the food industry and really has me thinking about the food I and others around me choose to consume. I recommend it if you haven't seen it.
I started reading David Halberstam's The Fifties, a really comprehensive book about the entire decade, for my Film of the 40s and 50s class. The book covers so much ground - in just the few chapters I read so far, I learned about Levittowns, GM, Eisenhower, McCarthyism, The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit, and on and on.
And then today, in my Astronomy lab, I took measurements which allowed me to calculate the circumference of the Earth - all without traveling past Baseline (a road on the edge of campus). I learned that Baseline used to run directly along the 40th Parallel (Boulder's latitude), something I didn't know, even though I've lived in Boulder for so long. I say used to because it has since been reconstructed to curve a bit away from that line, but parts of it are still exact. It's confusing to get into all the details of our lab experiment, but if you Google Eratosthenes Challenge, you'll get a good sense of what we were doing.
Pretty cool! It still amazes me the kind of ground we cover in all my classes week by week. Having a class last only 15 or 16 weeks is so different from having full-year courses like in high school. And learning about things like astronomy, history, health, film - all at a college level? Well, that's why I'm here!
If you're a student (or even if you're not), what's something you learned about this week that really struck you as interesting? I'd love to hear in the comments!
It's almost Friday. The Boulder International Film Festival is happening here this weekend. I plan to at least go to one of the short film events, which I really enjoyed last year. I encourage you to check it out if you're at all interested in film, particularly the independent or international type.
Cheers! :)
Monday, January 18, 2010
Back in the swing of things...
The first week back was a whirl of meeting new students and professors, finding classrooms, reading a syllabus from each class, and generally getting back into the rhythm of things. I'm quite excited about my classes this semester... I have two that work toward my major, including a filmmaking class that got going quite quickly, with us holding Super-8 cameras on the first day, and filming with them on the second. I have a Nutrition class that is not only aweomse because it's in my dorm (meaning I can basically roll out of bed and head to class) but also because it seems like it's going to give me information that will serve me well for that thing called "real life." :D I also have a history class that surprised me by being "Latin American history through film," which is really perfect considering my major. All in all, I think this should be a good semester academically.
It always amuses me how, even though we're past the days of "assigned seats," students tend to settle into the same spot after only a few weeks of class. For now, everyone is still shuffling around a bit, but I feel certain that people will have their places within a few class sessions. In the same way, I'm in the process of settling into my routine for this semester, figuring out what time I have to leave to get to my next class, what the best way to get there is, where to eat based on where I am on campus, etc. I tried something new this semester -- using the bus system to get around campus. Even if I only take the bus one stop from my dorm to the UMC, it saves me an incredible amount of time, is great when it's cold, and seems smart when I get out of class and it's already dark. So, there's a lesson from the first week back: mix it up! Don't settle into routine too fast!
I'll be back in a few days with more to say about the start of the semester, but that's it for now. If you're in Boulder and reading this, I encourage you to get outside and enjoy the great winter weather we're having! I went for a hike this weekend in the ice, snow, mud, and sunshine, and it was absolutely wonderful!
Cheers :)
It always amuses me how, even though we're past the days of "assigned seats," students tend to settle into the same spot after only a few weeks of class. For now, everyone is still shuffling around a bit, but I feel certain that people will have their places within a few class sessions. In the same way, I'm in the process of settling into my routine for this semester, figuring out what time I have to leave to get to my next class, what the best way to get there is, where to eat based on where I am on campus, etc. I tried something new this semester -- using the bus system to get around campus. Even if I only take the bus one stop from my dorm to the UMC, it saves me an incredible amount of time, is great when it's cold, and seems smart when I get out of class and it's already dark. So, there's a lesson from the first week back: mix it up! Don't settle into routine too fast!
I'll be back in a few days with more to say about the start of the semester, but that's it for now. If you're in Boulder and reading this, I encourage you to get outside and enjoy the great winter weather we're having! I went for a hike this weekend in the ice, snow, mud, and sunshine, and it was absolutely wonderful!
Cheers :)
Monday, October 19, 2009
Relatability
More and more since I started college, I've been noticing a really wonderful trend: the topics in my classes have actually been relating to each other and to everyday life.
For example, the discussion of woman's role in religion and how Christianity plays into that, which started in my Ways of Knowing class was continued in the discussion of Paradise Lost in my Masterpieces of British Literature and then showed up in the book I'm reading for fun, Mists of Avalon. There are many other examples crossing across my five classes and many interests.
This may be highly specific to the classes I'm taking this semester -- Biology might not have as many crossovers, for example -- but it's really been adding to the whole college experience. The moment of recognition when you hear something in conversation that you were just talking about yesterday in class, that's a really cool feeling.
Anyway, I don't have much more to say on this topic (or as Forrest Gump would say: "That's all I have to say about that") but I wanted to see if anyone out there in the blogosphere knows what I'm talking about. Feel free to comment as comments are always appreciated.
I'll be writing soon on class registration - right now all I can tell you is that it's coming up and I'm excited! I figured out what my ideal schedule would be, but I'm not sure if it will happen. Fingers crossed, I guess.
Cheers :)
This blog is sponsored by the CU Book Store.
For example, the discussion of woman's role in religion and how Christianity plays into that, which started in my Ways of Knowing class was continued in the discussion of Paradise Lost in my Masterpieces of British Literature and then showed up in the book I'm reading for fun, Mists of Avalon. There are many other examples crossing across my five classes and many interests.
This may be highly specific to the classes I'm taking this semester -- Biology might not have as many crossovers, for example -- but it's really been adding to the whole college experience. The moment of recognition when you hear something in conversation that you were just talking about yesterday in class, that's a really cool feeling.
Anyway, I don't have much more to say on this topic (or as Forrest Gump would say: "That's all I have to say about that") but I wanted to see if anyone out there in the blogosphere knows what I'm talking about. Feel free to comment as comments are always appreciated.
I'll be writing soon on class registration - right now all I can tell you is that it's coming up and I'm excited! I figured out what my ideal schedule would be, but I'm not sure if it will happen. Fingers crossed, I guess.
Cheers :)
This blog is sponsored by the CU Book Store.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Avoiding assumptions
Assumptions are dangerous. While they are a natural part of life - a coping mechanism for new and unknown experiences - you have to be careful not to rely on preconceptions too much. This seemed to be a theme of classes and experiences last week.
Last Wednesday night, my entire dorm emptied out for our first of a series of monthly symposia. The kick-off speaker was Dr. Dennis Van Gerven, an anthropology professor and dynamic speaker. All I knew going into the talk was that it was about mummies. Thus, I was expecting a kind of "how-to mummify" lecture, describing the gruesome details of Egyptians removing brains through belly buttons and so forth. Or a history focused talk on the importance of mummies in Egyptian culture. In short, something I had heard before. Instead, the Dr. Van Gerven explained the history of the region he's interested in, Nubia, and what he sees when he studies a pile of bones: the details of the lives of people who lived thousands of years ago. He showed slides of hips, arms, skulls, telling us of the diseases these individuals may have had, the kinds of lives they probably led. He described how he gets to be a detective, except his clues are all in bones! It was a fascinating snapshot of an interesting profession.
So, lesson learned, right? Not quite. On last Thursday night, I headed to my evening film class, Honors Women in Film, prepared to face a 3 hour documentary on Leni Riefenstahl, a female director who worked under Hitler. Leading up to watching this film, I was prepared to write her off as a misguided Nazi. Even while watching the film, I was conflicted in trying to understand her motives. Again, I had walked into an experience with a specific expectation; what I experienced was extremely different. Riefenstahl is still one of the best known female directors, even if she did direct Triumph of the Will (a film about the Nazi Party Congress). I had to let go of my assumptions in order to try to understand her.
The reason I bring this up is because it's something I want to avoid. It's so very easy to assume I know what something is going to be like, and in doing so, miss out on the actual experience! This doesn't just apply to classes or scholarly talks... it can be equally problematic to assume you know what someone in your class is like -- you may miss out on a friend!
Anyway, I had a very busy weekend - a lot of work seemed to catch up with me all at once. I hope everyone reading this had a lovely and safe Labor Day, and a good weekend (despite CU losing the football game against CSU). I must say, it was extremely entertaining to watch the tailgating festivities kick into gear right outside my dorm - from cowbells to chanting to barbeque smells wafting in, it made for an interesting Sunday afternoon.
Feel free to leave me comments... Do you have any experiences where you caught yourself forming a preconception? Or where an assumption was completely different from the actual experience? Or know anything about Leni Riefenstahl? Or just want to let me know you're reading this? Have at it! Other than that, I'll be back next week.
Cheers :)
Last Wednesday night, my entire dorm emptied out for our first of a series of monthly symposia. The kick-off speaker was Dr. Dennis Van Gerven, an anthropology professor and dynamic speaker. All I knew going into the talk was that it was about mummies. Thus, I was expecting a kind of "how-to mummify" lecture, describing the gruesome details of Egyptians removing brains through belly buttons and so forth. Or a history focused talk on the importance of mummies in Egyptian culture. In short, something I had heard before. Instead, the Dr. Van Gerven explained the history of the region he's interested in, Nubia, and what he sees when he studies a pile of bones: the details of the lives of people who lived thousands of years ago. He showed slides of hips, arms, skulls, telling us of the diseases these individuals may have had, the kinds of lives they probably led. He described how he gets to be a detective, except his clues are all in bones! It was a fascinating snapshot of an interesting profession.
So, lesson learned, right? Not quite. On last Thursday night, I headed to my evening film class, Honors Women in Film, prepared to face a 3 hour documentary on Leni Riefenstahl, a female director who worked under Hitler. Leading up to watching this film, I was prepared to write her off as a misguided Nazi. Even while watching the film, I was conflicted in trying to understand her motives. Again, I had walked into an experience with a specific expectation; what I experienced was extremely different. Riefenstahl is still one of the best known female directors, even if she did direct Triumph of the Will (a film about the Nazi Party Congress). I had to let go of my assumptions in order to try to understand her.
The reason I bring this up is because it's something I want to avoid. It's so very easy to assume I know what something is going to be like, and in doing so, miss out on the actual experience! This doesn't just apply to classes or scholarly talks... it can be equally problematic to assume you know what someone in your class is like -- you may miss out on a friend!
Anyway, I had a very busy weekend - a lot of work seemed to catch up with me all at once. I hope everyone reading this had a lovely and safe Labor Day, and a good weekend (despite CU losing the football game against CSU). I must say, it was extremely entertaining to watch the tailgating festivities kick into gear right outside my dorm - from cowbells to chanting to barbeque smells wafting in, it made for an interesting Sunday afternoon.
Feel free to leave me comments... Do you have any experiences where you caught yourself forming a preconception? Or where an assumption was completely different from the actual experience? Or know anything about Leni Riefenstahl? Or just want to let me know you're reading this? Have at it! Other than that, I'll be back next week.
Cheers :)
This blog is sponsored by the CU Book Store.
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