Next Monday I am due to register for classes, and I have idea what I want to take. The image above is my current planning guide as it appears in GITI. There are several classes that meet requirements in the Cognitive Science program, such as Linguistics, Intelligent Systems, Cognition and Philosophy of Mind. There are other courses that don’t apply to anything, such as Clinical Exercise Nutrition and Sex|Death|Religion, but would likely be fun to take. So far I have held myself to a policy of taking 9 hours that apply to something, and then giving myself the last 3 hours to play with. This year those last 3 hours were spent on undergrad courses, but for next year it seems like those will more likely be put toward hybrid classes.

For Cognitive Science I am pretty sure I want to take Philosophy of Mind, but am a lot less certain between Linguistics, Intelligent Systems and Cognition. I think that Linguistics might be interesting, but perhaps a bit difficult. Cognition may also be interesting, but I’m not sure that I would enjoy it. The material seems a little dull and the instructor is not someone I have had positive experience with (but have never had a course with her before). Intelligent Systems is the odd-ball. I’m sure it would be fun, but I don’t know the instructor and I don’t really know what to expect or how deep the material would be. Between those classes, I just don’t know, and I have less than a week to figure it out.

I have only one course left in the WGST program, but I do not know exactly how I plan to meet that requirement yet.  I could fill the space in with Language, Gender and Power this fall, but I am not sure that I wish to take 3 courses in the program with the same instructor. I am currently considering taking a course with a different instructor in the department next spring to meet the requirement.

The Directed Reading course has become more certain at this point. Dr. James has agreed to do a project on Subculture Masculinities with me during the fall. I am very excited about the potential for that project and really want it to go well. Ironically, I will be the first person to ever take a directed readings course in my department. The concept of the course is so foreign that presently I am waiting for my graduate coordinator and department chair to decide what forms and process will be utilized for authorizing the course (required before a registration permit will be issued for it).

I am not confident in my schedule for Monday, and I don’t presently know exactly what courses I will put on my initial schedule. As a grad student I have very little competition for courses, so there is a good chance that I will get into whatever courses I select.