My summer classes have commenced. Two are presented either mostly or entirely online, and for the third we're using a polycom system to video conference in to a professor in Billings, MT, along with another class tuning in from Great Falls. MSU is too cheap to pay for professors to teach these lower division nursing courses on site for so few students (21 in Missoula, and around 10 in Great Falls), so instead they charge us a supertuition of $500 for each course which is "distance taught". Explain to me how that's fair? But I suppose it's better than moving to Bozeman for a semester. And the polycom, when it works, is kind of cool. We only have to do summer classes in a "distance classroom", and then once the regular school year begins we'll have all on-campus professors.
I'm not sure how I like taking online classes. So far, I'm thinking not so much. While I see how professors organize the material the best they can, it still seems like a little bit of a jumble. U of M uses Blackboard, which I liked okay. MSU is using WebCT, which so far seems not as cool. Maybe I just need to adjust to the new system. I'll hold judgment until the end of term, maybe it'll grow on me.
The forecasted high for today is 91. Hot diggity.
I love running, but I hate being a curvy female who loves running. A small victory - I finally found a sportsbra that's up to the challenge. I bought it in baby blue, because the white was a little too reminiscent of a straight jacket. Nonetheless, it's comfortable and it gets the job done. Maybe it'll keep the rugby players away.
Yesterday I went through the stacks of old binders and folders from previous classes. I've always clung to my old notes, refusing to throw any of it away. Looking at my piles of furiously scribbled notes and diagrams, all I see is hundreds and hundreds of hours of my life, preserved in paper form. But, as I acquire more textbooks from various classes, I'm rapidly running out of room to stash old notebooks. I decided to put on a brave face and get rid of some of it. It was sort of liberating, once I got going. Every so often I have to pick something and de-packrat it. Luis and I have both been working on that this spring, because our apartment is jammed full of stuff.
I adore watermelon. And fresh corn. And mint iced tea. Tastes like summer.
I'm going to take a glass of iced tea out to the porch and study.
2 comments:
I love your blog site. I've dropped all 3 online courses I began. Fortunately, I don't *have* to take online, so I've decided I just won't. I need to see the instructor's face so I know for sure if a question I ask is a stupid one. :-) My insecurity shows, huh??? Studying on the balcony sounds great though. Don't get too distracted by the outdoors, though. I'll make you mint iced tea when you come visit. And mimosas or something fun and breakfasty like that.
Neena
Hooray for mimosas and mini quiches! We will dine like queens.
Wait - can you dine at brunch, or is that strictly reserved for dinner? I suppose we could feast like queens.
Good enough for me.
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