I've finally had my feelings about this semester at school validated... It isn't just me losing my touch, my professors are apparently smoking crack.
I have HUS 101 on Monday nights. I have PSY 330 Tuesday nights. And DRA 280 Wednesday nights. They're all a huge waste of time that I, unfortunately, am forced to endure because of credit requirements.
HUS 101:
The professor says he's never failed anyone who appeared to put the time and effort into class, regardless of what their test scores were. Which are also graded on a curve. HUH?!!?!??! He offers an extra credit project (a paper on a human service subject) where the score apparently varies depending on how many points you need to fix your grade. WHAA?!?! Class consists of one hour of "discussion of the assigned chapter" which NEVER stays on topic and which usually is dominated by one woman discussing every aspect of her personal life, and political talk (which honestly I find quite offensive at times because it's NOT RELEVANT!!), followed by a film on some social interest topic that may be interesting but are as old as the professor. I've actually "gotten into it" with this woman twice now, not because I'm trying to have problems but because she takes everything you say as some personal reaction to what she's shared (which is pretty much everything but her underwear size and her favorite sexual position). I have had other students tell me they don't attend that class because of this woman. Also, the tests are based solely on the reading material. Not on class discussions. Not on the films. Not on attendance. There are no outside projects. Just two exams that aren't cumulative.
PSY 330:
This professor should have retired a long time ago, apparently. I've had people telling me since it started that they heard she's AWFUL and no one will take a class from her twice. Now I can see why. She gave us a midterm exam over FIFTEEN chapters of reading and almost 18 hours worth of lectures. With no kind of guidance about what to study. AND THEN PUTS MATERIAL ON THE TEST THAT WAS NEVER COVERED IN ANY LECTURE OR CHAPTER OF READING. I spoke with EIGHT other students in this class who said the exact same thing about the test, so we're not imagining it. I'll be making some kind of complaint to the dean, it's so ridiculous. I also am apparently a much better guesser than I'd thought, because I certainly scored much higher than I thought I would. No curve for grading, either. She's also SUPER rude to anyone that has the gall to ASK A QUESTION while she's lecturing, because she "only has so much time to discuss material" and if we wait on our question she'll probably answer it anyway so we should just wait. AND she answers in a manner to make the questioner feel like they're stupid for asking. I wish the dean would watch the tapes to see this in action. You can only earn up to 100 points total for the class: 30 points for the first exam, 25 for the second, 25 for an interview project, 10 for attendance, and 10 for participation. Yeah I know attendance is important but the main reason a lot of people take ITV classes is so they can be FLEXIBLE about attendance (you can watch the tape to make it up), so that's just being a bag to do that. And the participation part is bogus as well because not everyone has an opportunity to answer when she does allow it; if she doesn't call on you, you don't get points for participation. How the hell is that fair? Already after the first exam, I'm down to a possible 91 total. I just need to get a C to pass for my major, I think.. Please, please!
DRA 280 is actually a film class. Where we literally watch a film each class, and our teacher/professor/whatever he is leaves to go visit his parents while we do. He told us so he could give someone his cell to call in case we ever have problems while he's gone. Then we discuss the film, and go home. Our midterm was a take home test where we had to pick 2 essay questions out of 6 to answer. However, I feel a little bit out of my league in this class because while I understand what they're saying when they discuss it, I can never see even half of this stuff myself until someone else points me in the right direction. Our final will be pretty much the same as the midterm except done in class.
I can't wait for the semester to be over.