I was happy to finally start class again last week. I'd been basking in my laziness and slight depression following the Maxwell/Gray euro-trip for far too long and it was time to find a little purpose again. Funnily enough this was not my first bout of sloth following a riveting summer adventure. For example, as a kid and then teenager I usually spent the week following summer camp in a state of letdown and boredom, my only productive moments being spent at the computer with a list of Qu!RkY new screennames in hand and the *bing* of instant messages from fellow pre-teen Arkansan Episcopalians. I was a pretty coooooool kid. The aftermath of my summer in Oxford was even worse because Facebook had been invented.
Needless to say, I neglected all of my To Do lists for about 3 weeks after I'd returned from the mainland, and I was pumped to head back to class. Especially because this class is about a subject I'm thinking I'll base my dissertation around: Globalization.
So class begins and I slip into a nerdy state of euphoria just looking through the syllabus - one of our assignments is a book review! And we even have the option of picking a work of fiction! Right on, Dr. Hough. I like a person who recognizes that there is truth in fiction. I'm looking through all of the recommended-but-not-required reading suggestions and I start imagining myself in the library sifting through these theories on globalization and culture and media. Of course this delusional idea of myself as a serious academic doing more than the necessary course-load fades out by the second week of class, but it's a good sign when you find yourself thrilled and that intensely motivated by a mere syllabus.
Also, our professor is fabulous. He's laid back, insanely knowledgeable, open for questions, and has a sense of humor. And it's a small class of only 5 of us. We're a mixture of Media and International Relations students so there's a good balance in the discussion.
Obviously I'm pretty stoked about this class.
Now, have I mentioned that I scheduled myself for 8 straight hours of class in one day? I didn't see any way around it... my Thursday evening class is required and the idea of the globalization elective on Thursday afternoons really tickled my pickle. So the all day Thursday combo will have to do.
Okay, fast forward to this very day when I start my second class. A class that's a requirement is never a good sign. This one is called Topics in Media Communications - vaguest title ever, but the point is that professors teach it in rotation and get to essentially choose what spin they want to take on it.
Well. Let's just say I am not impressed with this spin.
We got no little introduction about an overall objective of this class. She does keep saying that she wants to know what we already know so she can suit the class better to our needs (like this is an algebra class).
She opens up the floor by asking Does anyone here want to eventually have a career in media? Duh. Why else would we be here. What kind? So I'm thinking, if she's serious about tailoring this to our preferences, I might as well make my desires known, and I shout "I'M INTO WRITTEN MEDIA!" And that's about the last we hear about print media for the rest of the class :/ .
We do, however, get an extensive list of house rules. I'm fine with a strict professor - I get it, you're the boss, I'll turn in my assignments (relatively) on time and I'll try not to bust in 10 minutes late. But really, no going to the bathroom except for during the one break? This is a 4 hour class, lady. From 5:30-9:30 in the evening. So I'm going to need coffee, and I'm going to need water, and I'm going to need to tinkle, no doubt about it.
But okay, you're the boss, I'll obey. I am not a fan of pairing the strict-prof act with the I'm-still-young-and-hip-and-will-prove-it thing - please stop flashing your ankle tats and referencing last weekend's mosh pit because those things will not make me think you are one of us - you're limiting our toilet time, remember? If you do not trust me to use my bathroom time wisely, this is a friendship that just will not work.
I'm sorry, I'm really hatin' on the professor here. I don't mean to. I think it's just been a long day, and I was just a tad annoyed by the class. Half the time I just could not get an idea of where we were going with this - we watched several youtube videos, discussed a handout, but it was all still really vague. We'd watch a clip, then she'd open discussion with a totally unrelated question and expect some sort of debate while we're still trying to connect that topic with the video we just watched. Luckily Megan and I were sitting together and able to exchange skeptical eye rolls while I scribbled notes of wtf to her. I guess the main reason I was annoyed was that the professor was acting like this class period was the first time we'd been prompted by gray area topics like censorship and abortion and religious differences. We're grad students, we made it this far, right? I know it's important to be able to debate and understand both sides of an issue in order to develop your beliefs, but this is my 2nd to last semester of my MA, and these were exercises we did in my undergrad. I guess that's my beef.
At the end of class I asked the professor, So. This course title is pretty vague. If you were to rename it yourself, what would you call it? And her answer was How To Be A Bastard, and when my short fake laughter subsided (I'm thinking What...?? What does that have to do with anything?), she changed her answer to Philosophy of Censorship. Well, at least I have an idea now of where this is going.
To end on a positive note, remember how happy I said I was about my class on Globalization?
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