First Classes

Classes started again yesterday. I think they take everyone off guard. I even overheard a few professors joking that they never expect classes to start even though it's been on the calendar for months. I guess after a month of laying around in front of the TV, eating turkey and sweet potatoes really wears on you.

I love the first week of class. I love meeting new people, getting new syllabi, buying new books. In fact, I love buying new books so much that when I had a book scholarship at FSU, I would wander around the book store and just pick up books from random classes that looked interesting and buy those too. One of roomates was complaining one night about how the bookstore was out a particular text she needed for class the next day. It was fresh on my shelf amongst my own purchases from a few days before. So, if the bookstore doesn't have what you need, it's probably on my shelf. Now that I no longer have a book scholarship though, I kind of dread that process. Grad students do not get off any cheaper in the book department than eveyone else. In fact, in addition to all the books, now I have to buy course packs that weigh more than I do and cost a month's salary.

Last semester I decided to go paperless. I look like a big nerd in class with my laptop. I'm THAT GIRL who carries her computer around and takes notes. At first I had to get over the temptation to play solitaire the whole time. But, seriously, it's so much cheaper to just access all the articles through J-stor. And if I type my notes I can easily organize them in neat little folders in "My Documents" according to class, date, and topic. Handwritten notes, rather, usually end up in miscellaneous piles spread out on the floor in my room, the dining room table, the coffee table in the living room, the desk in my office, the shelf in my office from last year, and sometimes, even in file boxes in the basement. Not that I'm disorganized, I just remember where things are by where I saw them last. If I move into some color-coded, chronological filing system, it just wouldn't work as well. Besides, who wants to spend the time doing that? Not me!

The other thing I love about the first week of classes is when professors ask students to introduce themselves to the class. That's really the only time I get a little sneak peek into who my class-mates are before they have to enter into "A" earning mode. Sure, professors say they encourage new opinions and view points, but really, doesn't everyone just try to say the "right" thing. There's nothing right or wrong about your name, year in school, major, and where you're from. I really like it when they ask students to share something interesting about themselves like, favorite movie, or favorite ice cream flavor, or pizza topping. I wonder what would happen if professors starting asking more difficult questions like, "in your opinion, what impact is Condileeza Rice have on US relations with China?" or "what is the single most important thing for you to accomplish this semester?" Last semester, I asked students what they wanted to get out of the class. They didn't have a clue. Maybe hard questions are better left until students' brains are warmed up.