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January 4, 2005

How School is Going

I got e-mail from a friend today that started out, "So, how's school going?"

I just finished my second day of classes. I'm not entirely sure how school is going, to be honest, but I can give you my impressions of my classes so far.

...

My first class of the week is structural engineering, 8am Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I imagine it will be the same class as last quarter, only more in depth. We're starting on curves this quarter. I chose to have the same teacher, who I liked quite a bit. For unknown reasons, this class is being held in a (well at least) roomy classroom in the phys ed complex. I walk to class past posters warning me not to bet on my college football team. Sure thing, coach.

Then I have this huge break from 9am until noon. Last quarter I made my classes butt up against each other because it made my days shorter. Unfortunately, it meant that I was regularly running across campus trying to make it to the next class in ten minutes, or fewer because we went over.

At noon I have Construction Accounting. Looks promising, although, well, it's accounting. And it turns out that because most students don't take the prerequisite accounting class, they spend a lot of time teaching that. On the other hand, I'm excited to learn more about good business practises for building companies. I might want to have my own design/build firm someday, so this will be valuable, if only to tell me when I need to hire a professional accountant. Construction Management students assessed themselves a fee and used some of it to buy some comfortable chairs for their classrooms, so this is my most posh and luxurious classroom experience.

Immediately after accounting (but directly upstairs in the same building!) I have five hours of design studio. This is the class that will be sucking up most of my time this quarter, I suspect. For one thing, it's two studios combined and team-taught, so two teachers give you conflicting feedback all the time. For another, we are hitting the ground running with two projects: making a container for a plant (small) and making a cardboard boat for a cardboard boat race in three weeks (large). I have some preliminary designs for my boat, but let me tell you I wish I were in the studio that's doing the cardboard chair. Not excited about the boat, that's all.

I do like the teachers, though. And the studio space is much nicer than last quarter: I have a table near a wall and an electrical outlet, and there's a lot of natural light, and a view onto the Dexter Lawn, and good cell coverage so I don't have to stand outside to talk to Noel.

Anyway, back to classes.

Tuesday morning starts off bright and early at 8am with the materials of construction lab, which is basically playing with power tools in the Support Shop for one morning a week. After I've taken this lab, I can use the Support Shop as much as I want. I already have some ideas for using the tools there.

Right after that, but not too far away, I have a lecture for my Professional Practise class. This is where we spend all quarter learning how to make a set of construction documents, which as basically an architect's contract. Looks to be a bit of a snoozer in some respects, although I'm looking forward to refining my hand drafting skills (not that I'll ever need them outside of school, of course). I get an hour break for lunch, then the studio portion of the class meets in my studio (again, not far away) for two hours.

I'm taking one general education class this quarter. I have to take three in residence, so I want to spread them out. This quarter it's American Government, Tuesday and Thursday from 4 to 6. We'll be doing the boring yadda yadda on the structure of the government, but also focussing on the issue of domestic violence and how it is addressed by the government on many levels (criminal, legislative, judicial, and so forth). I was expecting to be bored initially, but now I think I will enjoy the class.

The best part of my week is Thursday, when class doesn't start until noon (my Construction Accounting class is mysteriously scheduled to meet Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday). Tuesday is by far the worst day, because all of my one-day-only classes meet then, so things get really backed up. But every day has a reasonable break for lunch, and most days have a break long enough for me to get to the post office on the bus, or run other short errands downtown. I think this is better than last quarter, when I never really had enough time to do anything major between classes.

Posted by ayse on 01/04/05 at 7:51 PM