Tag Archives: College

Educating Kathy – February 27, 2016

27 Saturday Feb 2016

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Educating Kathy – February 27, 2016

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Welcome back to Educating Kathy. When we last met, Kathy was an English Major**. And she was enrolled in four classes. Today, a mere three weeks later, she is enrolled three classes – well, two classes and a lab. Nine hours of class a week. Nine. That doesn’t seem like much – BUT – that requires an additional 27 hours of study. Now she has 36 hours of school. That’s what it means to be a FULL-TIME student.

In the middle of the Creative Writing class last week, Kathy snapped to, and realized that dissecting a book to find the metaphors, the plot, the motivation of the characters and the underlying social and economics influences was not fun. It was taking the fun out of reading, and writing. She doesn’t want to write the next great novel. She wants to write procedures manuals and how-to books, short stories from her heart and poems when the mood strikes her – plus, she just doesn’t have time for another 12 hour commitment. Class dropped.

That leaves Physical Geography, the accompanying Lab, and Biology of Food and Cooking. Interesting, fascinating subjects that interest her and are relative* to the world around her.(*Apparently ‘relate-able’ is not a word.) These two classes and the lab are required in order to receive the A.A. degree**, so there will be no more dropped classes.

(**As for the major, let’s just stick to the A.A. degree: Liberal Arts. Maybe later she’ll be interested in Communications as a University major, but for now – Spring semester at Golden West.)

Her first exam in Biology went well (although she did tear up a bit when an incomplete summary chart for macro-molecules reared its ugly head – she experienced a complete blank at first, passed it over for questions she could answer, and returned to it last, scoring 6 out of 7 possible in the end). Following that exam, Kathy decided to try using flash cards to review material for this course. This great idea resulted in a perfect score on last week’s quiz. Also, the Biology Professor lined up experiments last Thursday for the class: making cheese, making butter and comparing the foam of whipping cream and skim milk. The three hours flew by.

The first exam in Physical Geography is next Thursday, and Kathy will be utilizing those flash cards again – the Geography Professor provided review questions after each chapter, so those will be the first to land on flash cards. Geography Professor also provided a review sheet listing terms the class should probably study and know. Yes!

Have we mentioned that Kathy excels at writing research papers? The Geography Professor assigned a research paper due at the end of the semester and provided an extensive list of topics. Well, she loves research, organizing thoughts on paper, and producing a polished piece of informational writing. Also, she tends to go overboard and bite off more than she can chew, so get ready for the meltdown, followed by an above-average paper. She chose the topic – ‘Bees: A Disappearing Species – Fact or Fiction?’ Stay tuned!

Four weeks complete, and twelve more to go, not counting spring break, which falls on her birthday week – is this girl blessed, or what?!

That’s all for this week’s update. Join us again in a few weeks when we report on the results of her exams and quizzes, if she cried during them or not, and her progress on the research paper. Good night!

Educating Kathy – Week Ending Feb. 5, 2016

06 Saturday Feb 2016

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Educating Kathy – Week Ending Feb. 5, 2016

Week One is complete – 15 to go.

Made a To Do list to help keep up, stay on track.

One homework assignment: create a Weekly Study Schedule. Realized that I enrolled in one too many classes – too many study hours required overall (I have to eat, after all, and shower, and spend a little time with myself).

Originally enrolled in:

  • American Literature from 1865,
  • Biology,
  • Geography,
  • Geography Lab, and,
  • Creative Writing.

Note: I am a high school drop-out. Took the ‘easy’ way out (which has proven to be the harder way) in my junior year – never took a literature class or a science class or a math class in high school. 35 years later I’m learning about things that my classmates have more recently experienced.

I have learned the art of studying over the past few years – different styles for different subjects.

The Biology professor sent an email to students TWO WEEKS before the class began, listing required reading, and a pre-lecture worksheet to be completed and handed in at the beginning of class.  Students are up to speed and professor can emphasize and clarify rather than walking a room full of students through the basics.  Brilliant, frankly. Already digging this professor.

Geography is interesting. Professor here is also a kick, humorous and no-nonsense. Knows his stuff. I’m looking forward to both science courses.  There is a lab tacked onto this class – 3 hours of lecture, 3 hours of lab. One reinforces the other. Should be a snap.

Creative Writing. My original choice for the semester. I want to become a better writer. Education is to get educated, right? Seems the logical choice. As long I can remember that I walk in knowing very little, that’s why I enrolled, to LEARN. (In the beginning of this education phase, I would be very hard on myself about not knowing, about my ignorance. I wanted to quit because everything was so foreign to me.  It was pointed out to me that I enrolled because I DIDN’T have this knowledge. I was taking the class to learn about… Math, Philosophy, Public Speaking. Not many enroll in a class where they already know the material.)

And finally, American Literature from 1865.  This is no longer in my schedule. American Literature requires as much reading as do the other three classes, and I lack strong retention abilities. I do not need this course to graduate. I do need this course to transfer into an English program at University. I can take it later, after the required General Education courses are complete.

Do what is manageable, reasonable. I have 30 years of work experience. I do not need to overdo this.

My first week was the introduction to what I’m committing to this semester. I’m all in.

One last thing: I’m going to be in the school paper. Monthly “Man-on-the-Campus” thing. Question: What does Love mean? Nothing like a simple question to start of the school year. Once it comes out, I’ll let you know how I answered that one. I frankly do not remember.