oh classes

Ok, so here is part of what I have been doing the last week...
I went to my first class on Monday, September 26th, The Changing Character of War. I was sooo bored. It was all stuff I had heard before, in every other history class I have taken. She also just sat there and read off a sheet of paper, which she said was posted online. After that class, I was a little panicked, maybe it was culture shock but I was so confused. Apparently, you how ever much you want out of a list of about 30 options for each class. There was also a presentation we had to do and the discussion was in her office. After this class, which I hated, I was determined to switch.
The nice thing is that for the first 2 weeks people sit in on a lot of classes and then see what they liked. So, on Tuesday, I sat in on Diplomacy and Conflict Intervention. It was a little better, but still very boring, and thing I have already learned. It was cool though that the next week they were not going to have a discussion, but instead were going to play a game for 2 hours. I think it is interesting that teachers seem to schedule things anytime and do not worry about conflict with other classes. I think it is called "Diplomacy." The more you lie the more you win.We are supposed to read 3-4 things a week that are online, if we cannot get to the library to read the other options. The library seems to be a big part of reading here, and purchasing books is not really needed.
I emailed the teacher of the class I originally wanted, Central Asia in Global Politics. I explained the situation to her and she said she had no problem with me enrolling. However, to do so I had to see Dr. McMullin. I saw him on Thursday. At 2 o'clock, my appointment time, he was not there. He came a few minuets later and asked if me or this other guy where waiting for him. I said I was, he looked confused. I think I am the only person organized in this whole school. He put his groceries away and invited me in. After a few white lies, like, I have taken classes before in IR dealing with Africa, he enrolled me. The game plan was not to lie, but once he asked the train was already moving and I was too far in to turn back. He was really hot and definitely knew it. He had a degree from Georgetown hanging on the wall. I asked him about the course load, but he did not answer, nor care. Leaving, I was a little apprehensive if I really wanted that class. I had fought so hard to get in, but did I really want it now?
On Friday (the 30th) I went to the Castle class. Finally, a class I like and will stick with. There are about 15 of us, and most are study abroad kids. The teacher is very nice. He are going to take a fieldtrip later this semester, 1 day, 4 castles. I am super pumped. No one else knew what was going on with the reading, which was nice for a change. He gave us three articles and said to get the other 3 online from the library. He said the other 10 or so listed where if wanted to explore the topic more. Apparently, at this level, 3rd and 4th year, we are supposed to read and question the sources, for example, look up and read the source cited in the footnotes of an article. We are also supposed to just read about the topic on our own. I got the girl next to me's number, Megan, in case, we needed help with the class. She is very nice. After the class we went to the library to get the articles. One was very easy to find, and we printed it right off the course page on the library's site. Not that the printer printed it. The other one, took some looking, no thanks to the librarian, to find. We decided to print it at our respective dorms. The 3rd one we could not find, not even in a google search. I will post later about how I finally found it.
On Monday, I went to the Central Asia class, I wanted to decide the Friday before what class I was for sure going to take, but I decided to wait until Monday to go to this class. There was a one hour lecture, which again, was a little boring. I had heard most of it, about nationalism and sovereign states, but it was still a little cool to be learning about CA.  I took very few notes, which is odd for me. I met 4 people there and they were all postgrads. They all did not seem very happy that this was our teacher's first class teaching ever and she just finished her PhD this summer. We then had an hour break and then all the undergrads in the class had their discussion. Out of a class of about 30, there were 11 undergrads. I was the 11th with the teacher made some teasing remark about a study abroad student that really wanted to take this class, so I was let in; not knowing I was in the classroom. The teacher was very confused that I had not signed up for a presentation week or a country to report news on. The discussion was cool and the end, talking about the 3rd world countries, was awesome. However, I was so out of my league. All these kids were 4th years- about to graduate with a Masters. I could not discuss like they could. Again, feeling overwhelmed, I was determined to switch. Throughout that day, I had decided to go with the very first class that sounded cool to me in the spring of 2011, International Terrorism; the class the jerk said was full, but could get me in, the class that I needed experience in. I looked over my ARTS form (if you go to KU, you will understand), I looked at all the classes I have taken at KU and wrote down any possible way they were connected to Terrorism. I came up with a list of about 5. I wrote the jerk again, because apparently, I needed his advising since it was a 3rd year class. McMullin only did 4th year. He said he was out of town, so it had to be by email. I wrote him a very nice email with about 7 reasons why I should be put in that class. He said no. I asked again. Again, no- in a very snooty way. I again, for like the 4th time, looked though the course catalog and settled on either Ancient History 3020 Principles and Techniques of Archaeology or Modern History 3502 War and Welfare: Britain, 1939-1951. I went back and forth deciding which one. The Archaeology one sounded really cool, and there is no class like that at KU. Also, I always found it interesting. But the Britain one I had never studied in depth before and I knew I would like it, but I did know a little about the subject, just like the IR classes. I could also take that class anywhere. I talked to people in both classes and both said there was a lot of reading, so that was not a factor. I was glad I was not taking an IR class anymore and did not have to talk to the jerk ever again. One Wednesday, I made advising appointments with both someone in the Classics school (Arch class) and history school. I went to the Classics one first. She was so nice, finally a nice adviser, that cared about me. I decided to switch to that class, thinking if I liked what the next adviser said, I could switch with him.This was the first time I had the balls to ask all the questions about a class that I had. For example, can I catch up, since I missed a week? And, what is the course-load like? I went to the history adviser's office 45 minuets later. He said he would be free from 12-12:45. He was not free until 12:30. For those 30 minuets I was talking myself into sticking with the Arch class. Looking back, I have no clue why I was talking myself into it. I finally did, and almost left the history adviser. But, I waited not wanting to shoot myself in the foot anymore then I already had. The advisor was so unhelpful. I asked for information on the class, and he said he just knew what was on the website- which I had looked at a thousand times.He aslo said it would be hard to catch up since I had missed 2 classes- I corrected him and said I had only missed one. I decided that I was going to stay in arch class, a dicisean I had made before I walked into the room. I was walking to the bus, and for the first time felt okay about my classes. I kept telling myself that I had always wanted to take and archeaology class, and this was going to be the only time I could. Also, it was going to be a serious class, not a waste of time being at St. Andrews. When I got home, I emailed the jerk and said I would not be taking an IR class, I hope he felt my annoyance with him though the email. Then I wrote the Arch teacher, the adviser even gave me her email- most people just say "go online." I told her I would be joining her class and was very excited and if there was any reading I absolutely needed to do (maybe not the best wording), since the class was meeting tomorrow. Lastly, I emailed the Central Asia teacher. I was very apologetic. I did feel bad for all the hassle this might have caused her. I made sure to tell her it was not the class, it was me.
Even until the arch class, I was still convincing myself to stay in the class. In the back of my mind I knew I could switch- until this friday. But, I kept telling myself that I have switched enough and this is it, love or hate the class, I would make it work.
Today, Thursday, October 6th, I went to the arch class. It was 2 hours long, the 2nd hour was a discussion. I had a lot of fun. We talked about excavations, the right and wrong way to go one. In the discussion we talked about some sites. There were about 6 listed and everyone read about one or 2. This seems like one of the classes where the reading is not very structured. The teacher said that I did not talk very much (actually at all) and I said I enrolled in this class yesterday, he said it was "all coming back to him," since my email to the teacher was cc'ed to this teacher. Although I had a flashback to the Central Asia teacher's comments about me, it was a accusing tone. The teacher today ( there are co-teachers, I had yet to meet the one I emailed) was very funny. I learned a lot and was never bored. I already have a friend in the class. I talked to her on Tuesday in the library about class, since I saw her Arch course packet booklet. There are 10 of us in the class. I am very excited for it, especially when we will talk about pottery and underwater excavations.
I went back to my dorm with a sense of satisfaction. I got my classes figured out. Arch. 2-4 Thursdays, castles, 10-12 on Friday. I am very happy with my choices. Time to relax and enjoy the classes.
I went back to the dorm and checked my emails (all 5 of them) while printing power-points of the arch class. One of my KU emails from J-school said, KU schedule of classes up for next spring, enrollment starts soon... oh no !!! 5 more classes to decide on!