The "Education" Thread

[Master_Yoda77]

Yeah, our MA exams are far more serious than that, something that I underestimated at the time. We have a total of 6 questions, 2 from Early British Lit (to 1700), later (1800-present), and 2 from American Lit. We then get to choose between the two questions, but we don't know what the questions will be.

I also studied differently. Based on previous exams, I thought the questions were going to be more global (AKA discuss the nature of family between Sheridan's "A School for Scandal" and at least 2 other texts) but instead they were comparing and contrasting the texts within each segment. I wasn't prepared for that.

 

[rms]

So for each section you read 2-3 books and then prepare possible responses to them? How long do the responses have to be

 

[Master_Yoda77]

There is a reading list of 6 texts, 2 from each section. There are 6 questions from each section and we have to pick one from each. Responses vary but I shot for about 3 pages per question. The exam lasts 4 hours, 3 for writing and one for revising.

 

[rms]

Doesn't sound that bad. When are you given the texts? What were they?

 

[Master_Yoda77]

I am given my texts like a week or two in the semester. It really isn't all that bad. I underestimated the department's requirements to pass though. And it's difficult to read 6 additional texts in so little time when you have your own courses to study and read for alongside teaching and grading. I admit that I was a bit lazy when it came to studying, but I read all the text, jotted down plenty of notes, read some criticism, but alas I failed. I am just not good these sort of exams anyways. My GRE scores reflect that.

 

[viewerfromnihil]

I'm taking a course on conspiracy theories in history and the course has been great so far. We had to choose a conspiracy theory earlier in the semester to do a final project on and I went all in and chose David Icke's reptilians. I've finally finished the text that will be my main primary source:

Reading this was torture. 600 pages of the wackiest shit you can imagine. The reading experience was interesting because over the course of five pages in a reading session, it was thoroughly entertaining. But then the shit was just unrelenting, throwing at the reader one wacko theory after another. Now I'm trudging through Youtube and Amazon comments and forum posts of Icke supporters and I think I've found the one thing more painful than reading Icke himself. Apparently the latest reptilian-shape-shifter "smoking gun" video is a low-res video of Steve-O making weird faces while high out of his mind uke:

 

[unknown]

That sounds like an amazing course

 

[viewerfromnihil]

The course is great. One of the first documents we read was Richard Hofstadter's "The Paranoid Style in American Politics" and we've used Hofstadter's thesis as one of the lenses through which to analyze conspiracist writings. The first half of the course was American conspiracy theories, which included 9/11, the Kennedy assassination, McCarthyism, anti-semitism, anti-Catholicism, anti-Mason, anti-banking, anti-Illuminati, Anglophobia, and Francophobia. The second half of the course will be ancient and medieval conspiracies, which I am looking forward to. My only problem is that I picked the largest and craziest of all conspiracy theories, a true totalizing theory (which is based on no evidence), for my final project

 

[crimsonfloyd]

Going on a weekend college trip with some of my students. We're taking them to Stanford, UC Santa Cruz and UC Merced. I'm super excited to show them UCSC, as it's my alma matter. Taking my kids there feels like my adult life coming full circle.

 

[MasterpieceMesias]

Going on a weekend college trip with some of my students. We're taking them to Stanford, UC Santa Cruz and UC Merced. I'm super excited to show them UCSC, as it's my alma matter. Taking my kids there feels like my adult life coming full circle.

also they'll know what they have to look forward to once they're done with the grueling and shitty experience that is high school

 

[Einherjar86]

Stress level has been skyrocketing these past few weeks.

I've spent the past month organizing and submitting (this afternoon) a panel proposal for the Modernist Studies Association Conference this November. That was an experience.

Meanwhile, my upcoming conference in Toronto, at which I'm presenting, happens in two weeks. I'm going to have my students' final papers and final portfolios pouring in the day before the conference. I have a 20-25 page seminar paper due two days after that conference. And I have a French exam three days after that.

And when all that's done: orals reading. One of my primary committee members just threw the book(s) at me, literally; I have to read Pynchon's V. and Gravity's Rainbow, and Foster Wallace's Infinite-fucking-Jest. That's an entire summer's worth of reading right there.

 

[unknown]

V, Gravity's Rainbow AND Infinite Jest? Jesus...

 

[crimsonfloyd]

And when all that's done: orals reading. One of my primary committee members just threw the book(s) at me, literally; I have to read Pynchon's V. and Gravity's Rainbow, and Foster Wallace's Infinite-fucking-Jest. That's an entire summer's worth of reading right there.

It's like they literally looked for the longest modern novels they could find. On the positive side, I've heqrd they're both great reads.

I'm officially returning to my school and the 10th grade level again next year. I'm so happy, as I love my school and especially my grade level team. Additionally, I might get to teach philosophy as a senior elective. I'm really hoping that comes to fruition.

 

[Dak]

Gotta love all the kids gettin their grade 10.

So my metaphysics professor forgot about our midterm and "isn't sure what he's going to do about that". He also waited until now to assign us our third paper of the semester, while I am trying to wrap up my thesis. At least he is an otherwise nice guy so it's hard to be too mad about it. I also have him in the summer for Logic so it wouldn't do any good to generate a bad attitude now.

 

[crimsonfloyd]

Wow. He just forgot the midterm? That's an unacceptable level of disorganization and lack of planning from a university professor. If I was paying, I'd be irate.

 

[Dak]

Wow. He just forgot the midterm? That's an unacceptable level of disorganization and lack of planning from a university professor. If I was paying, I'd be irate.

I don't mind as long as rhere isn't some sort of negative effect for us students. The subject matter is either stupid or droll for the most part, especially what we covered in the first half of the semester(Platonic forms, subjective idealism,and some of bundle vs substratum theory). I don't think most of the students forgot about it, but none of us reminded him (obviously). He is 70 something and doesn't care much for MP himself so between those two facts I am not surprised.

 

[rms]

I really lost a lot of respect for professors at this school. Full of excuses, poor planning and lack of execution overall. Oh well, one semester to go!

 

[Zephyrus]

You at UC Boulder? I got accepted to grad school there, and I guess I'm glad I declined their offer.

 

[rms]

Yeah, i'm sure their engineering and sciences is a great department but the rest of arts and sciences is pretty rough. Most of my history professors are solid though, but did dodge the classics department.

 

[Zephyrus]

Got my teaching assignments for next semester. Extremely pleased to hear I'll finally get to teach a Latin class! Elementary Latin I. I'll also be teaching an online Mythology class.

It will feel so good to actually teach classes I want to teach, and came here to teach, instead of this retarded rhet-comp class I've gone through the motions teaching the past two years.