Well, it wasn't shockingly exciting, but I thought the start of my Calculus course was enough of a landmark to justify a post.
The instructor seems decent, and his voice is clear (which was a problem with the Russian TA/Instructor I had during undergrad, when I dropped it). Also, we get to use our graphing calculators (something I wasn't able to do in my previously ill-fated attempt).
The course is fairly small, as you might expect in Summer. I don't know the people in it, but they seem to range from High School students trying to get something impressive on their college applications to students who did poorly at Math in college and had to try it again, to a few random people like myself. Unlike law school, grades aren't curved, so I could really care less who's in it. The only person to compete against is myself.
The course format is more like a college course than my previous law courses (... go figure, right? ~.~) .... which is to say it has two tests worth 25% each, and a final worth 30%. The homework actually counts for part of our grade (again, that wasn't the case with my previous math course), which should be a free 20% unless I manage to fall asleep at the wheel.
We opened with the standard overview of the course, syllabus, etc, and took a small diagnostic test not unlike the placement test I've already done. Only this time, it was for the teacher's benefit, so he can try to figure out where everyone is, and how much time needs to be dumped on review (one day, or two). I didn't do great, but that's mostly because my mind blanked on some easy problems with inequalities and protracted division. By the time I remembered, I'd wasted a bit too much time.
I knew how to do it, and went on to make sure I could once I got back home. It's also the kind of problem I wouldn't have on a regular test, when I'm prepared and expecting it. Otherwise, there were still a few issues. I'll see how much we cover them in class tomorrow. If they're not fixed then, I'll spend a day immediately fixing it myself.
I think I'm getting a positive vibe from this though, to start things off at least. It should be more comfortable than the last time I tried (Apart from the intense nature of it; each of the two tests and our final is only separated by two weeks).
Monday, June 29, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
Code Orange
Today was my last day volunteering in the ER (although not my last day of volunteering - my ER time has to stop because of the schedule conflict with my pending Calculus class), and what a day it was.
I'm not sure if a Code Orange (disaster code) was actually called. I think it wasn't while I was there, but may have been just after I left. What happened is two of DC's subway trains collided during rush hour, just when I showed up to work. At least six people died, and several dozen were injured. I think George Washington took most, but several found their way to Georgetown by ambulance or helicopter. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31495088/ns/us_news-life/
Exciting isn't necessarily the right word. It's not pleasant when a huge accident occurs and people get seriously injured. But it's an immense change of pace from "life as normal" in the ER, where most of the cases consist of people who don't necessarily belong there. It's like a switch flips, and everyone takes it up a gear. People were called in from all over the hospital, rooms were cleared out, corridors were packed, and the injuries were severe. People in neck braces lined the walls, and some people were wailing in pain.
It's certainly not good - but at the same time it's the atmosphere I always thought I'd enjoy working in, trying to fix things in a point by point order. It's good to find out that I actually do enjoy it, rather than just abstractly thinking I can cope with it. And the odds of something like this happening during my few months of volunteer time were fairly small. It was a surprise to have it come up on my last day.
In other news, I bought the book for my Calculus course ($173 for a book? seriously?). It's the same author/book that I used in my first (dropped) first-year undergraduate course (albeit two editions later). I'm not sure if that's a good sign or not, but I'll pretend it is, though. The book has some pre-calculus diagnostic tests in this edition. I plan to do those before the first day of classes, to kick of my pre-pre-studying. They look like they'll be pretty helpful in specifically pointing out the areas I'm weak in. I also got a stylish AU notebook and t-shirt, so I can pretend I'm an undergrad again.
I'm not sure if a Code Orange (disaster code) was actually called. I think it wasn't while I was there, but may have been just after I left. What happened is two of DC's subway trains collided during rush hour, just when I showed up to work. At least six people died, and several dozen were injured. I think George Washington took most, but several found their way to Georgetown by ambulance or helicopter. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31495088/ns/us_news-life/
Exciting isn't necessarily the right word. It's not pleasant when a huge accident occurs and people get seriously injured. But it's an immense change of pace from "life as normal" in the ER, where most of the cases consist of people who don't necessarily belong there. It's like a switch flips, and everyone takes it up a gear. People were called in from all over the hospital, rooms were cleared out, corridors were packed, and the injuries were severe. People in neck braces lined the walls, and some people were wailing in pain.
It's certainly not good - but at the same time it's the atmosphere I always thought I'd enjoy working in, trying to fix things in a point by point order. It's good to find out that I actually do enjoy it, rather than just abstractly thinking I can cope with it. And the odds of something like this happening during my few months of volunteer time were fairly small. It was a surprise to have it come up on my last day.
In other news, I bought the book for my Calculus course ($173 for a book? seriously?). It's the same author/book that I used in my first (dropped) first-year undergraduate course (albeit two editions later). I'm not sure if that's a good sign or not, but I'll pretend it is, though. The book has some pre-calculus diagnostic tests in this edition. I plan to do those before the first day of classes, to kick of my pre-pre-studying. They look like they'll be pretty helpful in specifically pointing out the areas I'm weak in. I also got a stylish AU notebook and t-shirt, so I can pretend I'm an undergrad again.
Monday, June 15, 2009
D Is For Done
The placement test is done. I didn't do particularly well. In fact, I did just about as poorly as I could have while still getting permission to sign up for my course: not particularly uplifting news. However, I /did/ do well enough to manage to sign up, and that has to count for something.
Whether I can make the class work against all odds is up to me now - and it is against all odds. I haven't had a math course in years, the last time I had one I didn't do particularly well, and I'm not intuitively adept at this. Add on the fact that this is a semester's worth of material crammed into six weeks, and we have something of a situation.
It's the sort of situation that brings out my inner ID, screaming that failure is unacceptable, that any challenge will break itself against my will, that I'm flawless. Etc, etc. Unfortunately, when all is said and done, my inner three year old won't get much of a say. It'll be up to me to find a way to pass the course (and hopefully do well in it... passing with a C is broadly the same as failing, for my purposes. Even a B is borderline).
The class itself starts two weeks from today. I'm going to more or less just rest for this first week, and I might try to do some more reviewing the second. Once it does starts, I'll have to live, love, eat, and breath math for a month and a half if this is going to have any chance of working. If it does work, somehow, it'll be the biggest confidence builder I could ever come up with... so let's see what can be done.
Whether I can make the class work against all odds is up to me now - and it is against all odds. I haven't had a math course in years, the last time I had one I didn't do particularly well, and I'm not intuitively adept at this. Add on the fact that this is a semester's worth of material crammed into six weeks, and we have something of a situation.
It's the sort of situation that brings out my inner ID, screaming that failure is unacceptable, that any challenge will break itself against my will, that I'm flawless. Etc, etc. Unfortunately, when all is said and done, my inner three year old won't get much of a say. It'll be up to me to find a way to pass the course (and hopefully do well in it... passing with a C is broadly the same as failing, for my purposes. Even a B is borderline).
The class itself starts two weeks from today. I'm going to more or less just rest for this first week, and I might try to do some more reviewing the second. Once it does starts, I'll have to live, love, eat, and breath math for a month and a half if this is going to have any chance of working. If it does work, somehow, it'll be the biggest confidence builder I could ever come up with... so let's see what can be done.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
'Twas The Night Before...
With under twenty-four hours to go before my placement test, I'm a bit nervous. I'm not entirely sure what my plan b is should this not work out, although I have a few possibilities running around in the back of my head.
I'm done studying though.
Back in college I used to laugh at the people who brought their study notes to their exams, trying to look everything over at the last minute. My laughter there, and lack of last-minute studying, was broadly fueled by confidence that I'd do well. That confidence isn't here this time, although the underlying rationale is still pretty much the same.
I'm done studying though.
Back in college I used to laugh at the people who brought their study notes to their exams, trying to look everything over at the last minute. My laughter there, and lack of last-minute studying, was broadly fueled by confidence that I'd do well. That confidence isn't here this time, although the underlying rationale is still pretty much the same.
- I've spent lots of time looking over my pre-cal materials.
- Spending another few hours probably won't let me remember the things I don't as of now.
- Spending another few hours realizing what I /don't/ remember probably /will/ make me more nervous, which won't help, and might hurt.
So that's that. If I know it now, I'll know it on the test. If I don't know it now, I'll have a 20% shot at guessing correctly.
I have a pretty good idea of where I stand. If the test were designed as a final exam, going out of it's way to make questions tricky and bring up relatively minor details, I'd do poorly. If it were designed to simply gauge my understanding of things at a broad level, I'd do just fine. I suspect this test will be somewhere in between the two though, and I can't predict my performance.
I do know that I'll be glad when this is over, and I can start figuring out my "next steps".
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
A Date Is Set
Among other interesting, and not entirely pleasant, things that have happened to me lately, I've now set an official date for the placement test. I'll be taking it Monday June 15th at 10:00 AM. Calculators are forbidden, which saves me some money, but takes away an easy way of checking my answers. The test itself is a 40 minute affair, in which I have to answer 30 multiple choice questions. They span the range of pre-cal material, and none seem to be all /that/ involved. They're more like broad memory checks of some basic principles and formulae.
I have to say, at this point, I'm quite anxious to just take the test and be done with it. I've been sitting around getting ready for it, worrying about it, and staring at walls for months and months now: it's time to move on.
Hopefully it will go well (enough) and things will go on as planned.
In other news I think I had a seizure again. I say "think" because I have no memory whatsoever (which is probably a decent enough sign on its own) other than waking up with my right shoulder dislocated again, and several little cuts on my left hand. And some bruises. And really aching muscles. ... in short, not fun.
It was neat though, in a way, to go to Georgetown Hospital for this, since I knew some of the people over in the ER. It was around 4AM too, and pretty empty, so I got to talk to people a bit about their jobs. As much as it sucks, I'd sort of been anticipating this moment since I started working there.
Unlike the other hospitals, Georgetown gave me some real painkillers after this. They're helping out a bit, and certainly not unpleasant. I talked to a doctor about surgery, and he said it would probably be overly risky, since a seizure within six months or so would tear apart everything they did in my shoulder. I'm going to give physical therapy a shot this time, although I'm skeptical about that at best. I'm about to go on a doctor binge, between all this, the physical therapists, another visit to a neurologist, a visit to a general practitioner, and the regular tooth cleaning visit to my dentist. What fun.
Anyways, I'm off to get ready for my placement test. That's what I really need to be worrying about now.
I have to say, at this point, I'm quite anxious to just take the test and be done with it. I've been sitting around getting ready for it, worrying about it, and staring at walls for months and months now: it's time to move on.
Hopefully it will go well (enough) and things will go on as planned.
In other news I think I had a seizure again. I say "think" because I have no memory whatsoever (which is probably a decent enough sign on its own) other than waking up with my right shoulder dislocated again, and several little cuts on my left hand. And some bruises. And really aching muscles. ... in short, not fun.
It was neat though, in a way, to go to Georgetown Hospital for this, since I knew some of the people over in the ER. It was around 4AM too, and pretty empty, so I got to talk to people a bit about their jobs. As much as it sucks, I'd sort of been anticipating this moment since I started working there.
Unlike the other hospitals, Georgetown gave me some real painkillers after this. They're helping out a bit, and certainly not unpleasant. I talked to a doctor about surgery, and he said it would probably be overly risky, since a seizure within six months or so would tear apart everything they did in my shoulder. I'm going to give physical therapy a shot this time, although I'm skeptical about that at best. I'm about to go on a doctor binge, between all this, the physical therapists, another visit to a neurologist, a visit to a general practitioner, and the regular tooth cleaning visit to my dentist. What fun.
Anyways, I'm off to get ready for my placement test. That's what I really need to be worrying about now.
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