Class 2. English 327, literature for children something or other. When I registered for this class I was wait listed but soon after I received an email saying I was officially on the roster. So I ordered the four books, and prepared for a semester of reading and analyzing children's books. I walk in the room and there is ONE seat left. It's a very VERY small room holding only 18 spots. I take the last seat assuming I was the last person to come in. Wrong. This is where my day really get messed up. Four other students walk in after me, all with no seat. The professor walks in and asks about ppl on the wait list so about 4 students, including me, explain that there was an email and yadda yadda yadda. Since we were the last four to get bumped up onto the roster, we were the four to get kicked out. This brings me down to 10 credits this semester. 10! I can't have 10 credits, I need 12 to stay on my dad's insurance and in the sorority and to finish on time and keep up with my general plan for my education. I'm used to taking 16/17 credits, now I'm at 10? So I'm freaking out.
I go directly to the computer and pull up my credit distribution sheet and go down the list. NOTHING WORKS. I try numerous options, adding a class monday which would cut my hours at the center down, but that class required a correquisite, which interfered with another class I needed. Then there was an option of taking a Wednesday class, but I needed a prerequisite and it would take my little 10 hours at work down to 7. There were a few other options, but none of them worked due to either of the mentioned problems. I was livid. The obvious solution was to move eng 327 to a larger classroom, I mean really, what is a university doing with a classroom that only holds 18 students? I've Never heard of such mambo jumbo (earlier I was using more harsh wording, but I've calmed down since then). So as my last weak attempt to salvage this semester and fulfill the credit hours I need, I called advising and set up an appointment for thursday. If worse comes to worse I will take a thai chi class that's worth 2 credits just to stay as a full time student.
I didn't come to the thai chi solution until I spoke with alex later. First I said to myself "you are getting too worked up about this, you're close to tears and you are not productive when you are this upset. take a break from this scheduling, relax, and come back to it later when you've calmed down." So I went to see doug and met up with my old best friend from high school who had just transferred to umd. She invited me out to Bdubs and we kind of caught up a little bit. Then I called alex and she brought me sushi to eat in our class we had later that day and really calmed me down with the whole notion of taking a 'blow off' class to stay within 12 credits. I felt much better knowing there was a plan B if I couldn't work something out with the advisor thursday. I got to hold Doug's had and he did the adorable interlacing fingers thing that melts my heart every time. Then I had to go to class #3.
Math was good b/c it was familiar. I enjoyed doing the annoying explanations I hated last semester in math 385, and I really see 386 being one of my best classes this semester. I like the prof, I'm used to the workings of the course and how it is set up. I'm used to her style, and I'm used to the ppl in it. It felt so good to relax into that familiar setting after such an unfamiliar day.
That familiar feeling did not last long though. I went to bookstore and figured out the whole return eng 327 books thing then headed to math 104. I keep calling it algebra, but it's pre-calc. When I realized this I freaked out and I didn't stop freaking out until half way through the class. See, Sam and I had mustered through math 090 together since I was placed into that class and he was placed into 080. I taught him everything I knew and when I didn't know something he would figure it out and teach me. The number 1 way we learn is through teaching others. So I learned that stuff very well. But here I was in Pre-Calc, not knowing if the prof I choose was a good one, or is I'd even survive this course, or just be completely lost the first day. I was preparing myself for the worst when a little old man walks in and begins teaching us. He's super kind and his syllabus suggests that he is a good teacher. There is extra credit offered, he has great office hours, he gave us his phone number (his cell phone number), he gives tests after each chapter to ensure we learned it and give us more points. homework isn;t collected but problems are given to help us practice, it is the ideal math class set up for the students to succeed. Then he starts going over stuff, and I get it all. I understand what he's saying. I know what he's doing. Granted it was a review, but for me to remember the stuff from 090 a year ago shocked me. I was very relieved and began to relax again.
After class I went to Bdubs and had the best time just hanging out and catching up with my old high school friends. I saw meg, alison, amanda, and met a few of their new frds who were all so nice! I had a great wrap (no chx of course), and shared nachos with everyone. I really needed that time of just being and not stressing about my crazy day. Alison offered good advice about trying to get credit for working through a coop, which Terrin had told me about earlier at Ruth's grad party, and everyone was so relaxed and chill. I could not have asked for a better ending to this crazy day. I was an emotional train reck. I mean, doug asked what I wanted to do for my 2 hour break and I said cry. I wanted to sit in a corner and cry for 2 hours over this scheduling conflict. I am still really upset about it b/c the whole thing is dumb. Since when do colleges offer a class to hold 18 students? I feel like this is unheard of.
Well, If you read this all, good for you! I'm so happy today is over with and tomorrow all I do is work and do homework, thursday I have work, class, advising app., then ice skating with my old friends, then friday Doug is taking me to his studio to listen to his band do the base line for his album! I was so excited that he wanted to take me there! Oh and he said I could come to his family movie nights :) He's such a cutie <3
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