At least I'm updating daily!
Russian I'm stuck with. My advisor, who is also my Lit Survey prof, was upset to hear about my failing Russian and said if there was any way remotely possible he could get the department to let me drop Russian and take an independant study instead, he'd do it in a flash, but he knows they won't let him do it because he already tried for another student.
It was really nice though when he said, "You're one of my very best students. I can't afford to lose you.. I don't know what I'd do without you."
Normally this sentiment has been expressed to me by young professors I've had, who haven't had much teaching experience. To hear it from a guy who is in his 60s, really knows the material he teaches, like better than any other English professor I've ever had in all the schools I've been to, and who has instantly become one of my two favourite teachers of all time... that really meant a lot to me. He's the only thing that's going to make it hard for me to leave Wyoming. I've never had an English professor that's been as good as he was.
I nearly cried when I left his office, both because I'm stuck with Russian, a language I'm coming to loathe because of its horrible, horrible alphabet, and because he said that to me. I've had professors before who have thought the world of me, but there have only been two that I've respected and cared about really deeply, the other one being a History professor who retired from teaching last spring from Parkside.
So yeah, that's going to make it difficult to go, but that'll be the only thing. I don't particularly like Laramie as a town. It's this mashing together of a Western small town and a college town and it doesn't succeed well at being either. Kind of like how the University of Wyoming itself is actually a hodgepodge of land owned by the State of Wyoming and land owned by the Union Pacific Railroad. (Whatever else I have to say about Wyoming, some of its early history is fascinating).
I looked at more schools again today and came across Winona State University. Yes, it's in Minnesota, but it's in southern Minnesota, about 30 miles from Lacrosse. So I'd still be close to Lacrosse, where I have family, including a cousin who was one of my best friends when I was young and who I've always immensely liked.
It's got 7,000+ students, has reciprocity tuition with WI so it's roughly $12,000+ a year with everything included, tuition, room and board, etc. They've got a fencing club team there, a coaching minor, and a Greek life, albeit a tiny one, to the tune of just two fraternities and three sororities.
The town itself is about the size of Laramie, but there's a lot more to do there. It's also situated on an island, so I'll be able to go kayaking as well, my favourite outdoor activity. So really it fills in the gaps of everything that was missing with Lacrosse. I just wish the Greek life was a little bigger and a little stronger is all.
But oh well. I'll definitely apply there. :)
It was really nice though when he said, "You're one of my very best students. I can't afford to lose you.. I don't know what I'd do without you."
Normally this sentiment has been expressed to me by young professors I've had, who haven't had much teaching experience. To hear it from a guy who is in his 60s, really knows the material he teaches, like better than any other English professor I've ever had in all the schools I've been to, and who has instantly become one of my two favourite teachers of all time... that really meant a lot to me. He's the only thing that's going to make it hard for me to leave Wyoming. I've never had an English professor that's been as good as he was.
I nearly cried when I left his office, both because I'm stuck with Russian, a language I'm coming to loathe because of its horrible, horrible alphabet, and because he said that to me. I've had professors before who have thought the world of me, but there have only been two that I've respected and cared about really deeply, the other one being a History professor who retired from teaching last spring from Parkside.
So yeah, that's going to make it difficult to go, but that'll be the only thing. I don't particularly like Laramie as a town. It's this mashing together of a Western small town and a college town and it doesn't succeed well at being either. Kind of like how the University of Wyoming itself is actually a hodgepodge of land owned by the State of Wyoming and land owned by the Union Pacific Railroad. (Whatever else I have to say about Wyoming, some of its early history is fascinating).
I looked at more schools again today and came across Winona State University. Yes, it's in Minnesota, but it's in southern Minnesota, about 30 miles from Lacrosse. So I'd still be close to Lacrosse, where I have family, including a cousin who was one of my best friends when I was young and who I've always immensely liked.
It's got 7,000+ students, has reciprocity tuition with WI so it's roughly $12,000+ a year with everything included, tuition, room and board, etc. They've got a fencing club team there, a coaching minor, and a Greek life, albeit a tiny one, to the tune of just two fraternities and three sororities.
The town itself is about the size of Laramie, but there's a lot more to do there. It's also situated on an island, so I'll be able to go kayaking as well, my favourite outdoor activity. So really it fills in the gaps of everything that was missing with Lacrosse. I just wish the Greek life was a little bigger and a little stronger is all.
But oh well. I'll definitely apply there. :)