First class
I went to my first Fingerspelling and Number use in ASL class tonight.
The bad thing about taking a class at a campus close to where I live is that I get lazy and underestimate how long it will take me to get there.
Since the class started at 8:00, I was going to leave at 7:30 to get to class. Good plan. Well, typical me, I got side tracked, and distracted, like I do... and then, when I was supposed to be leaving, I realised that I needed to find my school suplies and pack up and get to class.
Yikes! Frantic search through the boxes in the basment = nothing. Frantic search though the boxes in the living room... almost gave up and left... kept searching = find 3 ring binder, page protectors, and note pad! Yay! Off to class!
Found a close parking spot! Yay! It pays to have a class that starts at 8pm... not many classes start at that time.
As I was walking up to the building, I passed one of the other students in the ASL program, said "hi". As I was approching the door, there were 2 other students from the program. One of them in the same class as me! We were both late! Yikes!
Found the classroom, found seats, hadn't missed much. ::sigh::
To my releif, this teacher is Hearing, and was verbally speaking to the class! Yay!!!!!!! Up until now, I have been struggling through language classes that have been taught in sign only. In my Orientation to Deafness class, the teacher spoke, but that was a class desgined to be taken at the very begining of the program, before they expect you to have learned any ASL.
However, the teacher did not talk for long. She eventually did resort to signing. But, being a Hearing person, she had a small tendancy to whisper occasionally what she was signing, and, even when she was not whispering, every word she signed was on her lips. So, I was able to keep up... kind of. I really needed to pay attention, but I didn't fall too far behind.
It seems like I can handle this class. I will really need to practice, and read/use the books. I need to get myself on the ball about studying, and I should be o.k. I am glad I am taking this class all by it's self, because this way I will be able to concentrate on just this work, and not divide my energies between this class and another class.
This will work. I will do well! There is no room for messing up, so I have to do well. I'm not expecting brilliance... that would be nice, but all I want is to confidently pass this class.
I will have to do reports on 2 events in the Deaf Community for this class. ::shake head:: that part always disapoints me. I never feel like I can monetarally afford to go to events. The average ticket to the average ASL event costs $20. I can't afford that too easily. I'm going to try to find events that are not as expensive, but I guess I'll have to shell out money to do this. :-(
Hey,
laydemamalayde, if I keep track of money I spend for "events for school" will that help next year?... we will talk...
::sigh:: and about going to events... After class I walked out to the parking lot with 2 other women from class, who I had been in prior classes with, so we all knew each other... One was talking about how the date of aquiering your Associate's Degree in this program needs to line up with other dates in order to be able to take the nessesarry tests to become a certified interperter in the state of Michigan. If you don't, then you will only be licenced, but not certified. That date is May 2008. There is no way in HELL that I'll be able toget my Associate's Degree in Applied Sciences in American Sign Language by May 2008. There is just No way!
The next date is May 2011. Now, I *might* be able to get all my classes taken and graduate by 2011, but that is still up in the air.
I know I'm taking these classes slowly. I have to. It took having a compleete emotional breakdown/panic attack durring the Fall semester to realize that I need to go at my own pace with this program. I am hoping that taking one class at a time will allow me to stay on track and not get too stressed out, so that I can do a good job in each class.
So, as the three of us were chatting and walking out to the parking lot, the subject of attending Deaf events came up. the 2 women I was with were very adamant about going to events,and finding whatever events they could, and going to everything, everywhere. I made the mistake of trying to explain my perspective on the situation (that I know the events are good, and nessesarry, but I can't afford going to a lot of them) and I got yelled at! "It's not just good, it's IMPERATIVE that you go!" I was told. She didn't even let me finish speaking! I was in the process of saying "hold on, calm down. Please let me finish" but we all got distracted, and the conversation ended.
:-(
Now I'm starting to feel like this is all for nothing, and I should just give up the program. I have a STRONG feeling that I won't get my degree in time to be a certified interperter. So, what's the point?
But, I'm really going to try to fight that feeling. I am going to do my best the only way I know how... by going slowly. if I rush, I know I will stress out, and that will be very distructive. I don't want to stress out over this. I was told by another fellow student that you need to take your time with this program. She also said that this *is* a tough program, and you need to take responsebility for your own education. I am going to try to remember that, and not let myself feel over pressured by other people who say that I am wrong for not taking more classes. They are not living my life, they don't know what is going on inside my head, they don't know what I have had to overcome in my past to get to where I am today.
I will do what is right for me.
I think I'm scared of this class. I think I'm worried that I'm going to do badly.
I want to do well. I hope I do well.
The bad thing about taking a class at a campus close to where I live is that I get lazy and underestimate how long it will take me to get there.
Since the class started at 8:00, I was going to leave at 7:30 to get to class. Good plan. Well, typical me, I got side tracked, and distracted, like I do... and then, when I was supposed to be leaving, I realised that I needed to find my school suplies and pack up and get to class.
Yikes! Frantic search through the boxes in the basment = nothing. Frantic search though the boxes in the living room... almost gave up and left... kept searching = find 3 ring binder, page protectors, and note pad! Yay! Off to class!
Found a close parking spot! Yay! It pays to have a class that starts at 8pm... not many classes start at that time.
As I was walking up to the building, I passed one of the other students in the ASL program, said "hi". As I was approching the door, there were 2 other students from the program. One of them in the same class as me! We were both late! Yikes!
Found the classroom, found seats, hadn't missed much. ::sigh::
To my releif, this teacher is Hearing, and was verbally speaking to the class! Yay!!!!!!! Up until now, I have been struggling through language classes that have been taught in sign only. In my Orientation to Deafness class, the teacher spoke, but that was a class desgined to be taken at the very begining of the program, before they expect you to have learned any ASL.
However, the teacher did not talk for long. She eventually did resort to signing. But, being a Hearing person, she had a small tendancy to whisper occasionally what she was signing, and, even when she was not whispering, every word she signed was on her lips. So, I was able to keep up... kind of. I really needed to pay attention, but I didn't fall too far behind.
It seems like I can handle this class. I will really need to practice, and read/use the books. I need to get myself on the ball about studying, and I should be o.k. I am glad I am taking this class all by it's self, because this way I will be able to concentrate on just this work, and not divide my energies between this class and another class.
This will work. I will do well! There is no room for messing up, so I have to do well. I'm not expecting brilliance... that would be nice, but all I want is to confidently pass this class.
I will have to do reports on 2 events in the Deaf Community for this class. ::shake head:: that part always disapoints me. I never feel like I can monetarally afford to go to events. The average ticket to the average ASL event costs $20. I can't afford that too easily. I'm going to try to find events that are not as expensive, but I guess I'll have to shell out money to do this. :-(
Hey,
laydemamalayde, if I keep track of money I spend for "events for school" will that help next year?... we will talk...
::sigh:: and about going to events... After class I walked out to the parking lot with 2 other women from class, who I had been in prior classes with, so we all knew each other... One was talking about how the date of aquiering your Associate's Degree in this program needs to line up with other dates in order to be able to take the nessesarry tests to become a certified interperter in the state of Michigan. If you don't, then you will only be licenced, but not certified. That date is May 2008. There is no way in HELL that I'll be able toget my Associate's Degree in Applied Sciences in American Sign Language by May 2008. There is just No way!
The next date is May 2011. Now, I *might* be able to get all my classes taken and graduate by 2011, but that is still up in the air.
I know I'm taking these classes slowly. I have to. It took having a compleete emotional breakdown/panic attack durring the Fall semester to realize that I need to go at my own pace with this program. I am hoping that taking one class at a time will allow me to stay on track and not get too stressed out, so that I can do a good job in each class.
So, as the three of us were chatting and walking out to the parking lot, the subject of attending Deaf events came up. the 2 women I was with were very adamant about going to events,and finding whatever events they could, and going to everything, everywhere. I made the mistake of trying to explain my perspective on the situation (that I know the events are good, and nessesarry, but I can't afford going to a lot of them) and I got yelled at! "It's not just good, it's IMPERATIVE that you go!" I was told. She didn't even let me finish speaking! I was in the process of saying "hold on, calm down. Please let me finish" but we all got distracted, and the conversation ended.
:-(
Now I'm starting to feel like this is all for nothing, and I should just give up the program. I have a STRONG feeling that I won't get my degree in time to be a certified interperter. So, what's the point?
But, I'm really going to try to fight that feeling. I am going to do my best the only way I know how... by going slowly. if I rush, I know I will stress out, and that will be very distructive. I don't want to stress out over this. I was told by another fellow student that you need to take your time with this program. She also said that this *is* a tough program, and you need to take responsebility for your own education. I am going to try to remember that, and not let myself feel over pressured by other people who say that I am wrong for not taking more classes. They are not living my life, they don't know what is going on inside my head, they don't know what I have had to overcome in my past to get to where I am today.
I will do what is right for me.
I think I'm scared of this class. I think I'm worried that I'm going to do badly.
I want to do well. I hope I do well.