Back to School
Well, classes officially began today. Bleh.
And, as usual, I have thoughts. Long, rambly thoughts.
First, my Marketing class. I think this might be taught by the guy who taught the first Marketing class I took, a little while ago. For one, his name sounds familiar. I thought I'd had a class with him, though I wasn't sure which one. But once I looked at the syllabus and saw the assignment list...yeah, I think this is the guy from that first Marketing class. There's a shit ton of assignments, and they come very quick. I am not happy. I had a hard time with the last one, just from the insane amount of time I had to spend on it. Newsflash, professor. Not all college students are 18 year olds with no responsibilities. Some of us are adults who actually have to work for a living. =/ I've got a full load of classes and a full time job. I don't have time for this shit. Oh, and? Based on reading some of the 'advice from former students' that he's got posted, it sounds like we're going to get hit with another fee for some sort of simulation that we have to do for class. No idea what it is, but at least one student complained about getting slapped with an additional fee, above and beyond the typical course fees. So, that's going to suck. No idea how much it'll be, but I'm not happy. The damn textbook was expensive enough by itself!
And there's something else, which I'm not really sure how I feel about. From what the syllabus says, most of our grade comes from various quizzes. The other big thing is our choice of a certificate or an exam. It's a little confusing. I gather that we can try for a Google certificate in the relevant field (called 'Adwords') or take a single exam. Or, we can try both, and they'll use the higher score. It's kind of odd...but it might be a good thing. From what I understand, we're able to take the certificate exam multiple times. We submit the scores, and the highest one counts. But we can only take it once a week. But even still, that means that, if I start right away, I'd have a large number of chances to try for a good score on the certificate. And if I just can't get it, I can then try taking the regular exam. (Which uses that stupid Lockdown browser. Another reason to try for the certificate!)
So...I kind of like the idea of being able to retake the certificate exam multiple times, hopefully until I get a score I'm happy with. The only bad thing is, the workload of this class is so heavy already, when am I going to have the time? I probably need to get started on the regular homework ASAP, and try to work ahead as much as possible. That's what I did in my last Marketing class, and it helped. Still. I'm concerned about how much time this class is going to eat up.
One minor thing, but it keeps messing with my head. I have an IS class, but it has a BUS prefix. And I have a Statistics class, but it has a CIS prefix. How does that make sense? I keep mixing them up! Thinking that the CIS class is, y'know...an IS class. And that BUS would be a more appropriate prefix for a Statistics class. It's going to take a little while to get used to that. =P
Speaking of my IS class, apparently we're going to be learning a fair bit of Excel and Access. We're covering other things, too, of course. But we have a lot of assignments that are labeled as being for either Excel or Access. I'm not sure how that'll go. On the one hand, I've used both those programs in other classes. So, I feel like I have a bit of a handle on them already. But, I don't know what specifically we'll be learning. So, it may be new stuff. And it looks like the assignments come roughly one a week, which is reasonable. I hope this one will turn out okay.
Next, the Statistics class. I'm really not sure what to make of this one. First of all, I'm inclined to be terrified. I took another Statistics class a year or so ago, and it was hard. Plus, it's been a year. I've forgotten it all. But I wonder. One big reason the other class was hard was that our book didn't really teach us how to use Excel to do the problems. It went over the actual, step-by-step means of doing them. But the math always ended up being so big and gnarly that doing it by hand was completely unfeasible. Plugging it into Excel was the only reasonable way to do it. But the book never actually went over how to use Excel for this. So, I spent a lot of time Googling Excel pages and tutorial videos, trying to figure things out. But the book for this class explicitly lists Excel in the title. "Statistics for Managers Using Microsoft Excel". So...maybe this book will actually teach us how to do this stuff in Excel. And if so...maybe it won't be as scary as the last one was. I hesitate to even think it.
Although...the syllabus (short and anemic as it is) says we're required to have a webcam and microphone. And we have two exams. So...that worries me. They don't explicitly say that we're using that awful Lockdown browser, but why else would we need the webcam and microphone? Ugh. I don't know. I'm worried. I hate using that damn browser; I get test anxiety bad enough as it is, but that makes it worse. Being recorded while taking the test, plus having to do it after work when I'm tired...it's bad all around. Not to mention, the whole point of the thing is that it locks you out of using any other programs while it's running. So, if we're going to learn to solve problems using Excel...how will we solve problems on the tests if we can't open Excel? Maybe they'll be able to give us an Excel window within the browser? They did something similar for that idiot-level computer course I took my first semester. They'd give us a task to do, and a simulated window of whatever program we needed to do it in. We had so many clicks to get the steps right. I don't know if that would work here, or not. If they could give us an Excel window, maybe that would work. It would still suck, because I will always hate that damn browser. But it'd be better than having to do the math by hand. *Shudder*
The professor also didn't give us an assignment list, which always makes me a bit unhappy. =P
Next, my Communication class. This one might actually be interesting. We'll see, of course. But I hope it might be. And the professor seems to be on top of things; that's the vibe I get, looking through what they've set up on Canvas. Again, time will tell. But I'm hopeful. Also, the breakdown of the grading on this one is a bit interesting. It looks like we only have one test, the comprehensive final, and it's only worth 10% of our grade. That lowers the pressure a bit! Also, we have one paper, which is also worth 10%, and some quizzes, also worth 10% all together. The biggest part of the grade comes from reading assignments. Granted, I don't know how hard those will be, but still. And we weren't given an assignment list in this one, either. Not thrilled about that.
Then, finally, there isn't anything posted for my internship class. I don't know if they'll get something up eventually, or what. Surely they'd need to have something, since we do have to write a paper for this class. (At least, according to the info my adviser had posted, which I looked at before signing up for this thing.) I dunno. I'll check back every so often and see if they put anything up.
So, I have mixed feelings on some of these classes. Plus a healthy dose of just not knowing what to expect. Fun, right? =P Also, my concentration is crap right now. That's one thing that's always hard, though. When the semester starts up, and you're coming off some downtime, making your brain be willing to focus and pay attention, to do assigned reading and homework...it's an uphill battle. Not fun. I just hope this semester goes okay...
And, as usual, I have thoughts. Long, rambly thoughts.
First, my Marketing class. I think this might be taught by the guy who taught the first Marketing class I took, a little while ago. For one, his name sounds familiar. I thought I'd had a class with him, though I wasn't sure which one. But once I looked at the syllabus and saw the assignment list...yeah, I think this is the guy from that first Marketing class. There's a shit ton of assignments, and they come very quick. I am not happy. I had a hard time with the last one, just from the insane amount of time I had to spend on it. Newsflash, professor. Not all college students are 18 year olds with no responsibilities. Some of us are adults who actually have to work for a living. =/ I've got a full load of classes and a full time job. I don't have time for this shit. Oh, and? Based on reading some of the 'advice from former students' that he's got posted, it sounds like we're going to get hit with another fee for some sort of simulation that we have to do for class. No idea what it is, but at least one student complained about getting slapped with an additional fee, above and beyond the typical course fees. So, that's going to suck. No idea how much it'll be, but I'm not happy. The damn textbook was expensive enough by itself!
And there's something else, which I'm not really sure how I feel about. From what the syllabus says, most of our grade comes from various quizzes. The other big thing is our choice of a certificate or an exam. It's a little confusing. I gather that we can try for a Google certificate in the relevant field (called 'Adwords') or take a single exam. Or, we can try both, and they'll use the higher score. It's kind of odd...but it might be a good thing. From what I understand, we're able to take the certificate exam multiple times. We submit the scores, and the highest one counts. But we can only take it once a week. But even still, that means that, if I start right away, I'd have a large number of chances to try for a good score on the certificate. And if I just can't get it, I can then try taking the regular exam. (Which uses that stupid Lockdown browser. Another reason to try for the certificate!)
So...I kind of like the idea of being able to retake the certificate exam multiple times, hopefully until I get a score I'm happy with. The only bad thing is, the workload of this class is so heavy already, when am I going to have the time? I probably need to get started on the regular homework ASAP, and try to work ahead as much as possible. That's what I did in my last Marketing class, and it helped. Still. I'm concerned about how much time this class is going to eat up.
One minor thing, but it keeps messing with my head. I have an IS class, but it has a BUS prefix. And I have a Statistics class, but it has a CIS prefix. How does that make sense? I keep mixing them up! Thinking that the CIS class is, y'know...an IS class. And that BUS would be a more appropriate prefix for a Statistics class. It's going to take a little while to get used to that. =P
Speaking of my IS class, apparently we're going to be learning a fair bit of Excel and Access. We're covering other things, too, of course. But we have a lot of assignments that are labeled as being for either Excel or Access. I'm not sure how that'll go. On the one hand, I've used both those programs in other classes. So, I feel like I have a bit of a handle on them already. But, I don't know what specifically we'll be learning. So, it may be new stuff. And it looks like the assignments come roughly one a week, which is reasonable. I hope this one will turn out okay.
Next, the Statistics class. I'm really not sure what to make of this one. First of all, I'm inclined to be terrified. I took another Statistics class a year or so ago, and it was hard. Plus, it's been a year. I've forgotten it all. But I wonder. One big reason the other class was hard was that our book didn't really teach us how to use Excel to do the problems. It went over the actual, step-by-step means of doing them. But the math always ended up being so big and gnarly that doing it by hand was completely unfeasible. Plugging it into Excel was the only reasonable way to do it. But the book never actually went over how to use Excel for this. So, I spent a lot of time Googling Excel pages and tutorial videos, trying to figure things out. But the book for this class explicitly lists Excel in the title. "Statistics for Managers Using Microsoft Excel". So...maybe this book will actually teach us how to do this stuff in Excel. And if so...maybe it won't be as scary as the last one was. I hesitate to even think it.
Although...the syllabus (short and anemic as it is) says we're required to have a webcam and microphone. And we have two exams. So...that worries me. They don't explicitly say that we're using that awful Lockdown browser, but why else would we need the webcam and microphone? Ugh. I don't know. I'm worried. I hate using that damn browser; I get test anxiety bad enough as it is, but that makes it worse. Being recorded while taking the test, plus having to do it after work when I'm tired...it's bad all around. Not to mention, the whole point of the thing is that it locks you out of using any other programs while it's running. So, if we're going to learn to solve problems using Excel...how will we solve problems on the tests if we can't open Excel? Maybe they'll be able to give us an Excel window within the browser? They did something similar for that idiot-level computer course I took my first semester. They'd give us a task to do, and a simulated window of whatever program we needed to do it in. We had so many clicks to get the steps right. I don't know if that would work here, or not. If they could give us an Excel window, maybe that would work. It would still suck, because I will always hate that damn browser. But it'd be better than having to do the math by hand. *Shudder*
The professor also didn't give us an assignment list, which always makes me a bit unhappy. =P
Next, my Communication class. This one might actually be interesting. We'll see, of course. But I hope it might be. And the professor seems to be on top of things; that's the vibe I get, looking through what they've set up on Canvas. Again, time will tell. But I'm hopeful. Also, the breakdown of the grading on this one is a bit interesting. It looks like we only have one test, the comprehensive final, and it's only worth 10% of our grade. That lowers the pressure a bit! Also, we have one paper, which is also worth 10%, and some quizzes, also worth 10% all together. The biggest part of the grade comes from reading assignments. Granted, I don't know how hard those will be, but still. And we weren't given an assignment list in this one, either. Not thrilled about that.
Then, finally, there isn't anything posted for my internship class. I don't know if they'll get something up eventually, or what. Surely they'd need to have something, since we do have to write a paper for this class. (At least, according to the info my adviser had posted, which I looked at before signing up for this thing.) I dunno. I'll check back every so often and see if they put anything up.
So, I have mixed feelings on some of these classes. Plus a healthy dose of just not knowing what to expect. Fun, right? =P Also, my concentration is crap right now. That's one thing that's always hard, though. When the semester starts up, and you're coming off some downtime, making your brain be willing to focus and pay attention, to do assigned reading and homework...it's an uphill battle. Not fun. I just hope this semester goes okay...