Finishing Off Fall 2008 Semester

I feel like I just got started with this semester. Time has gone so quickly. All of my assignments, with the exception of 5 final assignments remaining, have been turned in. Tonight I completed my U.S. History final paper, which has been my largest burden for the week. I am in the middle of working on my literature project which is due Monday night.

 

For major assignments remaining, all that is left is a literature project and a C# programming assignment. The literature project is very much self determined in content, although, the length has been determined by the instructor. It will be a 10 page paper comparing the poetry of Robert Frost and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The C# assignment is fairly simple, but yet time consuming application. I have to write a browser application based on the .NET browser controls.

 

I have two final exams to take, neither of which I am worried about. I must take a 60 question timed (90 minutes) exam in Art History II as well as a 50 question self-paced exam for C#. Nothing really difficult about either of these, just feels like it since they are due after my major assignments.

 

Finally, there is a single, lonely American History quiz due next weekend. It will be a simple 20 question quiz on the final unit of the course. I could avoid taking it and still have an ‘A’ in the course, so I am not too worried about it.

 

I am doing well in all of my courses, so I am not too worried about the final grades thing, except for a few paranoid thoughts.

Course Suspected Grade Reasoning
ART 115 A All assignments have been turned in except for the final exam. Average is a high ‘A’. To keep an A in the course I need about a 60 on the final exam, without extra credit, or factoring in my extra credit, I only need a 42% on the exam.
CSC 153 A or B A lot of points have not been assigned yet. 500 points have been accounted for so far, and I have a B. The final project and final exam will be another 800 points, which could easily push me to an A or force me to keep a B. I think I will do well on the exam and I plan to give as much effort as I can to the project.
ENG 131 A or B It all depends on how my project goes. The project isn’t finished yet, and I am having a hard time getting a sense of how the instructor grades (very little feedback is ever given as to how she arrives at a grade). The final project portion of the grade is about 30%, so could swing me either way.
HIS 131 A I could be wrong, but unless my paper really sucks and he hates my Wiki page, I have plenty of points. There are 227 possible points in the course, and the grade will be assigned as the number of points earned over 200 (27 points extra credit possible).

Fayetteville Gets A Running Start

There is still nearly a month to go before my courses at Fayetteville State University begin, but yet the instructors for all of my classes have already gotten out an email. The pre-registration window officially closed on December 5th. Just as soon as it was closed, instructors began sending emails to students with textbook information as well as general course details for the upcoming semester. One of my instructors seems as though she is wound a little too tight though, her first email came across a bit like she was telling the roster that we were in the class by dumb luck and that we most likely shouldn’t be in it anyway because of the work required for the course. In an email dated 45 minutes later, she changed her statement and clarified that she really intended the message to indicate that each of us should take a look at our capabilities before committing ourselves to the course (funny thought, since it is a psychology course).

 

I’m not quite as eager to get started as the instructors are, but I will be once I finish the semester in progress.

ART 288DH

Digital Photography Studio [ART288DH]
Michael K. Hensdill
This course provides the opportunity for advanced self-determined work beyond the limits of regular studio course sequences. Emphasis is placed on creative self-expression and in-depth exploration of techniques and materials. Upon completion, students should be able to create original projects specific to media, materials, and techniques. This course has been approved to satisfy the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement for transferability as a premajor and/or elective course requirement. — 3 hours

Registered

Change to Spring 2009 Schedule

I have made some changes to my Spring 2009 schedule.

I have now officially added ART 288 DH (Digital Photography Studio) on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3PM until 5:45PM.

I have dropped CHM 131 & CHM 131A (Introduction to Chemistry w/lab). I do not need the stress of such a heavy course in an already loaded schedule, and it will be nice to not have a class that late at night (until nearly 9PM on T and R).

The Digital Photography Studio course has been added because it is a course I am very interested in, but wasn’t on the original course schedule for the spring semester. Actually, it wasn’t even on the schedule until I requested that it be added after there was a late addition of a regular Digital Photography 1 course to the schedule.

 

If anyone is interested in taking the Digital Photography 1 or Digital Photography Studio courses with me, there are 4 seats left in the former and 3 in the later. The Gaston College CRNs are 014458 and 014578, respectively. The courses are in the same room at the same time.

November?

It would seem that I forgot to blog during the last half of November… oops? I guess with being busy academically and trying to step away from my technology for a while, I lost track of the blog. So many times I meant to blog, but never got around to it. Well… here is an update.

  • Class Registration – I am registered for Spring and most of my apprehensions are gone, except for the concept of taking a chemistry course “for fun”? Seems like it may be a stretch, even for me to attempt that type of course for fun.
  • Class Registration (cont’d) – On the bright side of the registrar’s office, I have requested and been permitted for a new studio course at Gaston. Digital Photography Studio. ART-288-DH will be offered for the first time in Spring 2009. It is being offered as a special section of the course (70) for up to four students. I will post the CRN once the registrar updates the records.
  • Thanksgiving – Thanksgiving was great, I cooked… mostly. My father decided to get a catered turkey and a few sides. I made my own dressing (first time ever, without even a recipe). I also prepared a silk pie for the first time. This is my first Thanksgiving since discovering the miracle of yeast. My yeasty creations were well received. Usually Thanksgiving leftovers last a while, but both the turkey and ham were eaten almost to oblivion before dinner was over.
  • AeroGarden – My tomatoes never did die by themselves, I had to pull them up by their roots to make them go away before Thanksgiving. I now have a starter tray in the garden. It contains strawberries, hollyhocks, coriander, redwoods, cherry trees, and cabbage. I intend to grow some pomegranates for my aunt if I ever remember to get them ordered.
  • Academics – things are busy as usual. I’ve gotten a little behind, but not badly. I am keeping up my usual speed for this time of the semester. I will finish everything by the final deadlines if it kills me (perhaps the origin of the term “deadline”?)

People In My Life

I really need to learn how to let some people in my life just fade into the past. I have had too many days of hurt feelings because I let people back into my life because I briefly miss them and forget why it was that they were no longer part of my life to begin with. Some people are persistent and make it very hard to remove them. For the good of my own emotional state I have to learn to move on. I can’t let these few people hold me back. I also can not let myself get attached to people who are not local to me. I have some online friends that are great, but I am getting too close to many of them that are so physically distant from me. I want to have local friends that I can actually touch and interact with in some way other than just idle chat. I get jealous very easily, and sometimes I don’t think it is unjustified. 

RT: Riddle

A man was to be sentenced, and the judge instructed him “You may make a statement. If it is true, I will sentence you to four years. If it is false I will sentence you to six years”.  The prisoner made his statement and the judge allowed him to go free. What did the prisoner say?

Spring 2009 Course Descriptions

Art History I [ART114]
Richard L. Gilbert
This course covers the development of art forms from ancient times to the Renaissance. Emphasis is placed on content, terminology, design, and style. Upon completion, students should be able to demonstrate an historical understanding of art as a product reflective of human social development. This course has been approved to satisfy the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement general education core requirement in humanities/fine arts. — 3 hours

Nutrition [BIO155]
Paula H. Dedmon
This course covers the biochemistry of foods and nutrients with consideration of the physiological effects of specialized diets for specific biological needs. Topics include cultural, religious, and economic factors that influence a person’s acceptance of food, as well as nutrient requirements of the various life stages. Upon completion, students should be able to identify the functions and sources of nutrients, the mechanisms of digestion, and the nutritional requirements of all age groups. This course has been approved to satisfy the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement for transferability as a premajor and/or elective course requirement. — 3 hours

Introduction to Chemistry [CHM131]
This course introduces the fundamental concepts of inorganic chemistry. Topics include measurement, matter and energy, atomic and molecular structure, nuclear chemistry, stoichiometry, chemical formulas and reactions, chemical bonding, gas laws, solutions, and acids and bases. Upon completion, students should be able to demonstrate a basic understanding of chemistry as it applies to other fields. This course has been approved to satisfy the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement general education core requirement in natural sciences/mathematics. — 3 hours

Introduction to Chemistry Lab [CHM131A]
This course is a laboratory to accompany CHM 131. Emphasis is placed on laboratory experiences that enhance materials presented in CHM 131. Upon completion, students should be able to utilize basic laboratory procedures and apply them to chemical principles presented in CHM 131. This course has been approved to satisfy the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement general education core requirement in natural sciences/mathematics. — 1 hours

Theories of Personality [PSYC310]
Vivian Dzokoto
Theories of Personality: An investigation of theories concerning the development and functioning of the normal personality, with attention to empirical findings related to individual adjustment or maladjustment. — 3 hours

Introduction to Clinical and Counselling Psychology [PSYC342]
Mei-Chuan Wang
Introduction to Clinical and Counseling Psychology: A survey of the history, theories, and applications of clinical and counseling psychology, with an emphasis on analyses of the various approaches to counseling and therapy. — 3 hours

Spring 2009 Courses

I’m finally registered. I have selected the following courses

DEPT NUM TITLE HOURS
ART 114 Art History I 3.0
BIO 155 Nutrition 3.0
CHM 131 Introduction to Chemistry 3.0
CHM 131A Introduction to Chemistry Lab 1.0
PSYC 310 Theories of Personality 3.0
PSYC 342 Clinical & Counseling Psychology 3.0

Biscuit Perfection

I finally managed to make biscuits that were light, soft, and don’t crumble when you touch them. I’ve been trying for weeks and kept getting closer, but always had some problem or another, but now I think I have figured it out. Its all in the way you integrate the shortning.