Large Summer Update!
So the last time I updated this thing was after Anime Boston, and I feel like much has happened since then, so
First up was finals and such for my classes. Going into them my grades looked something like this:
PH300- C-/D+
PH310- Something between an A and an F... no joke
PH350- B/B-
PH360- C+/C
Yeah, definitely not good. After some hardcore working and last minute panicking, I somehow did well on my finals. So my report card looked something like this:
PH300- I/B+
PH310- B-
PH350- B+
PH360- B+
Let me explain how this worked out... first up was my Ancient Philosophy class. Now if you know me well enough, I probably told you about "the professor that I have money on dying within the semester." Point being I disliked the lecture, the readings, the professor, everything about it. Or at least I thought I did. Once I finally started trying (about halfway through April... yeah, I'm a last minute sort of guy), it turns out that none of those bad things I felt about the course were true, I just hadn't been trying. Long and short of it, after getting to know Dr. D and talking with him, we struck a deal so the first two exams would be null and void, and my grade would be based on my final and a 10-12 page extra paper. I don't know how well my final was, but he enjoyed my extra paper so much that he was willing to give me a B+ in a class that I had a C/D/F in despite missing half of the lectures. The reason I put I is b/c the extra paper wasn't finished until grades were released, so I am currently trying to get that Incomplete changed (he sent the form is, so it is official, I just need 2 signatures... but it's out of my control, despite being time sensitive for my financial aid package and such).
After that is PH310, Modern Philosophy. What started out as my favorite class tapered off towards the end. I stopped going to class, and two weeks before the final I lost my backpack with ALL OF MY LECTURE NOTES in them. In most classes that's bad, but for this one it's a catastrophe... both of the exams are basically straight from his notes, if not just sheer memorization from them. Thankfully one of my classmates let me photocopy his, and I am eternally grateful for that. The reason I had no idea what my grade was is b/c the grade is based solely on two things: the midterm and the final. And since I basically stopped going to class, I never picked up my midterm. So I had absolutely no idea on what my grade was until I saw the B-. Was this from a 60 on the first exam and a 100 on the second? Vice versa? Something inbetween? I have no idea, but all I know is the end result was acceptable in my book, all things considered.
For PH350, History of Ethics, it was less of a surprise. 70% of my grade was determined before the final, and we had two to finish it off: a paper and an oral exam. I aced the oral exam, which was basically a free ten points, and I guess my paper was good enough to give me the B+. In retrospect I really enjoyed this class and am glad I skipped it the least out of any of my classes (4 times I think... yeah, I'm bad, but that'll change next semester).
Finally PH360, Logic. This one baffled me COMPLETELY! In a perfect world I saw myself getting a B- in this class, but everything just happened to line up right for me. My hw average was about a 60%, but apparently it curved out to the high 70s. And even with my 9 absences (out of 22 classes), I still had a 75 attendance average (who the FUCK skipped more than me?). So although my first exam was a 66, that was dropped and then my 97 on the second midterm averaged with my 90 on the final to give me a B+!!! Holy fucking shit... I still don't know how that happened, even after I just read the process myself. Just wow. *Food for thought: I got a 45 on the last hw assignment. 1/3 of the final exam was BASED OFF OF THE LAST HW ASSIGNMENT. How does this work out????*
So those were the classes. After spending the first part of my summer working and finishing up that paper, I became very sick with mono. At the start I was MISERABLE, the most sick I've ever been in my life. At one point, the Sunday after I was diagnosed, I could barely breath. Swallowing hurt immensely. I couldn't even eat. Thank goodness for fucking STEROIDS, those things saved me so bad!!
I'm finally back working 20-35 hours again now that I'm healthy and will be until I start class in July. Still at RGIS... hey, it's a paycheck, and I should be getting a raise soon (a.k.a. I better, fuckers).
Marilyn and I have been going out for over 4 months now. We've been able to see each other on the weekends for the most part. I wish I could see her more, but this has sufficed thus far. I really and truly care about her, and our relationship has only been getting stronger all this time. I can't wait until the second half of the year when I'll be down in Boston more (b/c of class) so I can see her even more! <3 Marilyn ^__^
aaaaand that's about it. So yeah, keep trucking along, I will as well. Now damnit, I'm going to get some much needed rest :P
Brendan
First up was finals and such for my classes. Going into them my grades looked something like this:
PH300- C-/D+
PH310- Something between an A and an F... no joke
PH350- B/B-
PH360- C+/C
Yeah, definitely not good. After some hardcore working and last minute panicking, I somehow did well on my finals. So my report card looked something like this:
PH300- I/B+
PH310- B-
PH350- B+
PH360- B+
Let me explain how this worked out... first up was my Ancient Philosophy class. Now if you know me well enough, I probably told you about "the professor that I have money on dying within the semester." Point being I disliked the lecture, the readings, the professor, everything about it. Or at least I thought I did. Once I finally started trying (about halfway through April... yeah, I'm a last minute sort of guy), it turns out that none of those bad things I felt about the course were true, I just hadn't been trying. Long and short of it, after getting to know Dr. D and talking with him, we struck a deal so the first two exams would be null and void, and my grade would be based on my final and a 10-12 page extra paper. I don't know how well my final was, but he enjoyed my extra paper so much that he was willing to give me a B+ in a class that I had a C/D/F in despite missing half of the lectures. The reason I put I is b/c the extra paper wasn't finished until grades were released, so I am currently trying to get that Incomplete changed (he sent the form is, so it is official, I just need 2 signatures... but it's out of my control, despite being time sensitive for my financial aid package and such).
After that is PH310, Modern Philosophy. What started out as my favorite class tapered off towards the end. I stopped going to class, and two weeks before the final I lost my backpack with ALL OF MY LECTURE NOTES in them. In most classes that's bad, but for this one it's a catastrophe... both of the exams are basically straight from his notes, if not just sheer memorization from them. Thankfully one of my classmates let me photocopy his, and I am eternally grateful for that. The reason I had no idea what my grade was is b/c the grade is based solely on two things: the midterm and the final. And since I basically stopped going to class, I never picked up my midterm. So I had absolutely no idea on what my grade was until I saw the B-. Was this from a 60 on the first exam and a 100 on the second? Vice versa? Something inbetween? I have no idea, but all I know is the end result was acceptable in my book, all things considered.
For PH350, History of Ethics, it was less of a surprise. 70% of my grade was determined before the final, and we had two to finish it off: a paper and an oral exam. I aced the oral exam, which was basically a free ten points, and I guess my paper was good enough to give me the B+. In retrospect I really enjoyed this class and am glad I skipped it the least out of any of my classes (4 times I think... yeah, I'm bad, but that'll change next semester).
Finally PH360, Logic. This one baffled me COMPLETELY! In a perfect world I saw myself getting a B- in this class, but everything just happened to line up right for me. My hw average was about a 60%, but apparently it curved out to the high 70s. And even with my 9 absences (out of 22 classes), I still had a 75 attendance average (who the FUCK skipped more than me?). So although my first exam was a 66, that was dropped and then my 97 on the second midterm averaged with my 90 on the final to give me a B+!!! Holy fucking shit... I still don't know how that happened, even after I just read the process myself. Just wow. *Food for thought: I got a 45 on the last hw assignment. 1/3 of the final exam was BASED OFF OF THE LAST HW ASSIGNMENT. How does this work out????*
So those were the classes. After spending the first part of my summer working and finishing up that paper, I became very sick with mono. At the start I was MISERABLE, the most sick I've ever been in my life. At one point, the Sunday after I was diagnosed, I could barely breath. Swallowing hurt immensely. I couldn't even eat. Thank goodness for fucking STEROIDS, those things saved me so bad!!
I'm finally back working 20-35 hours again now that I'm healthy and will be until I start class in July. Still at RGIS... hey, it's a paycheck, and I should be getting a raise soon (a.k.a. I better, fuckers).
Marilyn and I have been going out for over 4 months now. We've been able to see each other on the weekends for the most part. I wish I could see her more, but this has sufficed thus far. I really and truly care about her, and our relationship has only been getting stronger all this time. I can't wait until the second half of the year when I'll be down in Boston more (b/c of class) so I can see her even more! <3 Marilyn ^__^
aaaaand that's about it. So yeah, keep trucking along, I will as well. Now damnit, I'm going to get some much needed rest :P
Brendan