Reflection, sick, Supernatural Season 3, and textbook
I enjoyed taking night classes this past semester because I like to learn. In particular, I liked the creative writing course I took, so I decided to take another one during the summer so I can keep working on my writing craft. If I don’t have a set schedule or deadlines to make, I don’t have the motivation to teach myself or to get anything done. I am a procrastinator, but I tend to get straight A’s because when it comes time to make the grade I buckle done and get the job done.
I found myself feeling rather nostalgic for school and the return has reminded me of hard-learned lessons that I am applying this time around. I’m using the knowledge that if I could go back in time and tell my freshman self to use, I might have saved some money and taken more classes. Some lessons, like the physics teacher who didn’t teach, are ones that I wouldn’t spoil the surprise about because experience is the master teacher and it helps to have a terrible teacher to appreciate a good teacher.
1) Find out what books are used for class ASAP, then hunt online, used bookstores, or libraries for used/older editions
I did figure out #1 in the course of my school career, but the bigger underlying message is I can’t remember a single class where getting an “A” solely depended on me having the newest and most expensive version of the textbook. There are a few exceptions, like a major overhaul of a science textbook where the last edition is ten years old or a new math textbook that has all the homework problems. A year or two old in most cases is still a valid textbook for getting the core understanding of the subject.
I remember a classmate let me borrow her organic chemistry text book to make photocopies of the questions we had to turn in so I could use an old text book that cost significantly less. The only part missing was some boxes of yellow text about the chemist who discovered this, that, and the other thing, which would never end up on a test.
2) At the beginning of class, find out exactly how much the teacher is using the textbook in the course. If the text is primarily a reference resource and not essential to passing the class with an A, take that sucker back to the bookstore.
Teachers test what they teach. The simple fact of the matter is you can study straight from the text and do poorly in class because the text might emphasize something that the teacher doesn’t and in-class the lecture might cover details that aren’t found in the text. Very rarely did I have situations where I felt so relieved that I studied this one part of the text that ended up being on the test so I would have gotten a lower grade without that knowledge.
I’ve also noticed that teachers may start out “with the best of intentions” where reading the text is a requirement for class, but unless they do a reading quiz every week I’m not reading the text. I go to class because I expect the teacher to teach me, and I will review the text for exams or if something is unclear. I’m better about reading at the beginning of the semester but by the end if I can get away without reading I do, and more than once I figured out early on in the semester that the textbook was not essential to my performance for the class.
3) Go to class, make study buddies, and take notes.
I always go to class. I can count on one hand the number of classes I have missed in my four year college career, two of which being a direct result of a migraine headache. In fact, those are the only two I remember because it’s just so much easier to sit through class than it is to try to catch up. I even had perfect attendance in high school, with the exception of one half-day that didn’t count against my attendance streak, so I’m one of those freaks who doesn’t miss class. Thankfully, I am normally blessed with good health so I’m usually not sick and going to school to share my germs.
If you go to class you can figure out what classes you need the textbook and what classes you just need the instructor’s notes. Also, going to class means you can get to know your classmates, and if someone is on campus early before class there’s an opportunity there to get help and ask questions about what might have been “textbook only” information.
The reason that I’m thinking about textbooks today is last night I went to the first class meeting for summer session. I waffled on whether or not I was going to take the class almost up until the last minute and ran into a problem trying to sign up online so I ended up in line an hour and a half last Thursday getting my online account fixed so I could register. I felt very frustrated, so I didn’t return to campus until Monday and forgot about checking to see if the class required a textbook.
In my head, I was thinking, “Creative Writing class. I don’t need a text for that,” because my previous writing class I bought the textbook and didn’t need it. I did keep that book since it has a lot of useful information for writers in addition to classic stories. Anyway, I found out that the class has a required text that costs ~$40, minus a few dollars for a used copy.
I cringed. I took the class to get deadlines to make me write, not to buy a thick literature book that I am never going to read. I am paying for the class myself, no financial aid strings attached, so the grade doesn’t matter unless I decide to go for a Creative Writing certificate which means nothing in the real world but sounds kind of fun at this point.
The interesting part about the text is the teacher is referencing the first edition while the bookstore is selling the 3rd edition, plus his textbook came with the publisher’s suggested retail price of ~$22. I make the mental note to self to find the older edition. A few people lamented that waiting to find the book elsewhere will mean they couldn’t get the reading done in time for Wednesday. I think screw that; the teacher declared we weren’t getting a reading quiz and I can still participate since the topic is going to concern poetry. I’m pretty sure I know a thing or two about poetry to throw out as class participation.
Anyway, I wake up this morning not feeling well. I’m not dying or overly sick, just not feeling quite right. I felt bad enough that I started thinking in terms of, “I’ll let my boss know I’m feeling a little under the weather and if I still don’t feel well after such-a-such time, I’ll ask to go home.” My brain slowly processed the logic on that thought to come up with a more logical course: If I’m not feeling well, I should just stay home. Maybe its just allergies or a reaction to pollution, or maybe I’m starting to show symptoms on something that I could spread if I went to work and everyone would be better off with me not going to work long enough to make everyone else sick before going home.
I also make the distinction between being tired and being sick. I can tell when I’m just feeling a little extra tired, usually due to staying up a little extra late. When it’s my own fault, I suck it up and soldier on. Sick is I need a box of tissues, cold medicine, ibuprofen, hot liquids, more liquids in general, and a general foggy as well as achy state. If I can’t think straight, I really shouldn’t go to work.
While I stayed home, I did some online searching for the textbook I needed for class. I found it at amazon.com for $0.18. I added expedited shipping to get it within two to six days from now and the sum total came to $7.17. Yes, I am frugal, and that is a smashing good deal.
In addition to buying the textbook, I did some browsing on my amazon.com recommended list and discovered the pre-order for “Supernatural Season 3.” I don’t normally do pre-orders on box sets because if I wait for a bit I can pick up a used copy for less. Okay, so I’m cheap. I admit it. I did put in the pre-order for the third season, though.
“Supernatural” holds a very special place in my heart right now because I can tell that this show is still on the air because of the fans. Both “CSI” and “Gray’s Anatomy” run in the same time slot as “Supernatural.” I got turned on to the show through catching one episode that I didn’t realize was actually from the second season, “Hollywood Babylon.” I bought the DVDs and have started watching the third season in order through re-runs. I’ll actually miss this Thursday’s rerun since I will be attending Laurell K. Hamilton’s signing when she is in town, so that a good reason to miss the show.
I also know that the more people who pre-order from amazon.com, the lower the price will go and I’ll get back the difference. So if I put an order in, and another “Supernatural” fan puts an order in, and the word spreads to more people and more orders are made, its all good because the numbers will show the CW executives that the show is profitable and should get renewed for a fifth season.
At least, so I can hope.
I’m also feeling better, which is good since I have class tomorrow night and then the Laurell K. Hamilton signing on Thursday so I kind of need to stay healthy for the rest of the week.
I found myself feeling rather nostalgic for school and the return has reminded me of hard-learned lessons that I am applying this time around. I’m using the knowledge that if I could go back in time and tell my freshman self to use, I might have saved some money and taken more classes. Some lessons, like the physics teacher who didn’t teach, are ones that I wouldn’t spoil the surprise about because experience is the master teacher and it helps to have a terrible teacher to appreciate a good teacher.
1) Find out what books are used for class ASAP, then hunt online, used bookstores, or libraries for used/older editions
I did figure out #1 in the course of my school career, but the bigger underlying message is I can’t remember a single class where getting an “A” solely depended on me having the newest and most expensive version of the textbook. There are a few exceptions, like a major overhaul of a science textbook where the last edition is ten years old or a new math textbook that has all the homework problems. A year or two old in most cases is still a valid textbook for getting the core understanding of the subject.
I remember a classmate let me borrow her organic chemistry text book to make photocopies of the questions we had to turn in so I could use an old text book that cost significantly less. The only part missing was some boxes of yellow text about the chemist who discovered this, that, and the other thing, which would never end up on a test.
2) At the beginning of class, find out exactly how much the teacher is using the textbook in the course. If the text is primarily a reference resource and not essential to passing the class with an A, take that sucker back to the bookstore.
Teachers test what they teach. The simple fact of the matter is you can study straight from the text and do poorly in class because the text might emphasize something that the teacher doesn’t and in-class the lecture might cover details that aren’t found in the text. Very rarely did I have situations where I felt so relieved that I studied this one part of the text that ended up being on the test so I would have gotten a lower grade without that knowledge.
I’ve also noticed that teachers may start out “with the best of intentions” where reading the text is a requirement for class, but unless they do a reading quiz every week I’m not reading the text. I go to class because I expect the teacher to teach me, and I will review the text for exams or if something is unclear. I’m better about reading at the beginning of the semester but by the end if I can get away without reading I do, and more than once I figured out early on in the semester that the textbook was not essential to my performance for the class.
3) Go to class, make study buddies, and take notes.
I always go to class. I can count on one hand the number of classes I have missed in my four year college career, two of which being a direct result of a migraine headache. In fact, those are the only two I remember because it’s just so much easier to sit through class than it is to try to catch up. I even had perfect attendance in high school, with the exception of one half-day that didn’t count against my attendance streak, so I’m one of those freaks who doesn’t miss class. Thankfully, I am normally blessed with good health so I’m usually not sick and going to school to share my germs.
If you go to class you can figure out what classes you need the textbook and what classes you just need the instructor’s notes. Also, going to class means you can get to know your classmates, and if someone is on campus early before class there’s an opportunity there to get help and ask questions about what might have been “textbook only” information.
The reason that I’m thinking about textbooks today is last night I went to the first class meeting for summer session. I waffled on whether or not I was going to take the class almost up until the last minute and ran into a problem trying to sign up online so I ended up in line an hour and a half last Thursday getting my online account fixed so I could register. I felt very frustrated, so I didn’t return to campus until Monday and forgot about checking to see if the class required a textbook.
In my head, I was thinking, “Creative Writing class. I don’t need a text for that,” because my previous writing class I bought the textbook and didn’t need it. I did keep that book since it has a lot of useful information for writers in addition to classic stories. Anyway, I found out that the class has a required text that costs ~$40, minus a few dollars for a used copy.
I cringed. I took the class to get deadlines to make me write, not to buy a thick literature book that I am never going to read. I am paying for the class myself, no financial aid strings attached, so the grade doesn’t matter unless I decide to go for a Creative Writing certificate which means nothing in the real world but sounds kind of fun at this point.
The interesting part about the text is the teacher is referencing the first edition while the bookstore is selling the 3rd edition, plus his textbook came with the publisher’s suggested retail price of ~$22. I make the mental note to self to find the older edition. A few people lamented that waiting to find the book elsewhere will mean they couldn’t get the reading done in time for Wednesday. I think screw that; the teacher declared we weren’t getting a reading quiz and I can still participate since the topic is going to concern poetry. I’m pretty sure I know a thing or two about poetry to throw out as class participation.
Anyway, I wake up this morning not feeling well. I’m not dying or overly sick, just not feeling quite right. I felt bad enough that I started thinking in terms of, “I’ll let my boss know I’m feeling a little under the weather and if I still don’t feel well after such-a-such time, I’ll ask to go home.” My brain slowly processed the logic on that thought to come up with a more logical course: If I’m not feeling well, I should just stay home. Maybe its just allergies or a reaction to pollution, or maybe I’m starting to show symptoms on something that I could spread if I went to work and everyone would be better off with me not going to work long enough to make everyone else sick before going home.
I also make the distinction between being tired and being sick. I can tell when I’m just feeling a little extra tired, usually due to staying up a little extra late. When it’s my own fault, I suck it up and soldier on. Sick is I need a box of tissues, cold medicine, ibuprofen, hot liquids, more liquids in general, and a general foggy as well as achy state. If I can’t think straight, I really shouldn’t go to work.
While I stayed home, I did some online searching for the textbook I needed for class. I found it at amazon.com for $0.18. I added expedited shipping to get it within two to six days from now and the sum total came to $7.17. Yes, I am frugal, and that is a smashing good deal.
In addition to buying the textbook, I did some browsing on my amazon.com recommended list and discovered the pre-order for “Supernatural Season 3.” I don’t normally do pre-orders on box sets because if I wait for a bit I can pick up a used copy for less. Okay, so I’m cheap. I admit it. I did put in the pre-order for the third season, though.
“Supernatural” holds a very special place in my heart right now because I can tell that this show is still on the air because of the fans. Both “CSI” and “Gray’s Anatomy” run in the same time slot as “Supernatural.” I got turned on to the show through catching one episode that I didn’t realize was actually from the second season, “Hollywood Babylon.” I bought the DVDs and have started watching the third season in order through re-runs. I’ll actually miss this Thursday’s rerun since I will be attending Laurell K. Hamilton’s signing when she is in town, so that a good reason to miss the show.
I also know that the more people who pre-order from amazon.com, the lower the price will go and I’ll get back the difference. So if I put an order in, and another “Supernatural” fan puts an order in, and the word spreads to more people and more orders are made, its all good because the numbers will show the CW executives that the show is profitable and should get renewed for a fifth season.
At least, so I can hope.
I’m also feeling better, which is good since I have class tomorrow night and then the Laurell K. Hamilton signing on Thursday so I kind of need to stay healthy for the rest of the week.