Status check
Apr. 3rd, 2008 10:04![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
torquillI'm doing pretty well (beyond having a cough because, surprise, my tonsils are swollen again). I've hit a few snags this week -- namely that the pack of yeast I used for the root beer last weekend was dead (the sarsaparilla is doing a little better), and apparently Yahoo!IM has changed its protocols yet again, so that I can't log on this morning. I'll deal with the root beer next week, and try to carve out a little time to look at IM clients (I have my eye on Freehoo for my text-based client, which is the hardest thing to find... no idea whether Gaim will still work this time).
In the meantime, I've collected a few observations on this quarter's classes.
Weed Population Biology (or Biology of Weed Populations or whatever you want to call it)... should be useful. Lots of weed ID, which has a very practical use in my everyday gardening, plus studies of how seed reservoirs work for different types (which determines how fast they can be gotten rid of). The teacher is a sweetheart, an older man who rolls his R's gently and has a shy smile. Not quite sure where he's from (Dr. Rejmanek, J is silent; his complexion could be Indian or South American). The class itself seems reasonable, considerably easier but along the same lines as Plant Anatomy. The first lab startled me because everyone in it was eager to get to work (filling flats and sowing them), did their part assiduously, and did things like cleaning up when they had run out of tasks. It was all very pleasant, and felt like teamwork. Never had a lab section quite like that.
Intro to Winemaking is set up as a general ed course, so it has both science and sociology components. Shouldn't be terribly hard; the teacher strikes me as the sort who will pass you if at all possible, and give you the benefit of the doubt to boot. The TA is a fellow I know from previous classes (Plant Path and Crop Ecology)... he was introduced as Will, from Britain, and the teacher assured us that "he speaks excellent English". Adams is definitely a kidder -- he has gotten several chuckles from the audience, and refers to our neighbor to the north as "Canadia". Not a bad class.
History is one I haven't gotten enough of a feel for. Prof. Walker is as interesting to listen to as I thought, but he warned he was something of a hard grader, and there are lots of minor assignments. I don't think I'll be stressing too much over them, as long as he's as clear about expectations as he promises to be. The reading has been cut down (thank goodness), but the first assignment was as easy to read as promised, and very very interesting. "Overthrow: America's Century of Regime Change, From Hawaii to Iraq" is very readable, and gives a good feel for where we're going in investigating U.S. influence in Latin America. Walker does try to give us readable books, which will be a relief after last quarter.
All in all, more fun than last round. Feels like less class time, too.
In the meantime, I've collected a few observations on this quarter's classes.
Weed Population Biology (or Biology of Weed Populations or whatever you want to call it)... should be useful. Lots of weed ID, which has a very practical use in my everyday gardening, plus studies of how seed reservoirs work for different types (which determines how fast they can be gotten rid of). The teacher is a sweetheart, an older man who rolls his R's gently and has a shy smile. Not quite sure where he's from (Dr. Rejmanek, J is silent; his complexion could be Indian or South American). The class itself seems reasonable, considerably easier but along the same lines as Plant Anatomy. The first lab startled me because everyone in it was eager to get to work (filling flats and sowing them), did their part assiduously, and did things like cleaning up when they had run out of tasks. It was all very pleasant, and felt like teamwork. Never had a lab section quite like that.
Intro to Winemaking is set up as a general ed course, so it has both science and sociology components. Shouldn't be terribly hard; the teacher strikes me as the sort who will pass you if at all possible, and give you the benefit of the doubt to boot. The TA is a fellow I know from previous classes (Plant Path and Crop Ecology)... he was introduced as Will, from Britain, and the teacher assured us that "he speaks excellent English". Adams is definitely a kidder -- he has gotten several chuckles from the audience, and refers to our neighbor to the north as "Canadia". Not a bad class.
History is one I haven't gotten enough of a feel for. Prof. Walker is as interesting to listen to as I thought, but he warned he was something of a hard grader, and there are lots of minor assignments. I don't think I'll be stressing too much over them, as long as he's as clear about expectations as he promises to be. The reading has been cut down (thank goodness), but the first assignment was as easy to read as promised, and very very interesting. "Overthrow: America's Century of Regime Change, From Hawaii to Iraq" is very readable, and gives a good feel for where we're going in investigating U.S. influence in Latin America. Walker does try to give us readable books, which will be a relief after last quarter.
All in all, more fun than last round. Feels like less class time, too.
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no subject
Date: 2008-04-04 05:15 (UTC)