Preparing For Next Semester
This semester, I'm in a class that my major professor teaches, on that combines us with the other technology-based students. However, the follow up class only is offered for my major, and this semester's class is a prerequisite. However, there are only five of us taking it from my major, and generally, classes in our college need 8 students to be offered. (I do know of one exception, the class from hell had 6 of us, and really should have had 8.)
We students had gone with the assumption that the class will be offered, but my professor sent an email out Friday to us, asking if we intended to take it this spring or in the future. Four of us are in our second year, one is four classes away from defending her dissertation. That email made me a little nervous that I have to wait until next spring to take it.
I have twelve classes left to take, so today, I spent a little time finding out which of the classes on my list are offered. It ends up that none of the 'hands on' classes I need in my program are offered (the lot of someone who has already earned a M.Ed-the offerings are things I've taken), I found one other class that is needed, and it has two sections. If that is the only thing, oh well, I'll just take one.
Then a FB message from the first friend I made the first week of classes at Poly. She starts back to school in January, and when she got accepted, I told her all the classes she needs to take that I could possibly take with her or have already taken and could be a sounding board (or her 'red pen ofdoom love') as needed. J has her classes figured out and asked if I was taking one that fulfills a
'choose one from these 6 classes' requirement. I looked it us and realized it was a good fit for my needs. We'll take that one together.
Then, in my weekly meeting with my major professor, she told me that the other class will definitely be offered. In fact, at her previous university, she capped the class at five students. And with that, my selections are made.
It's funny, this morning, I was thinking that twelve classes left would mean I had plenty of options. Then I looked and found that while doctoral students do have first crack at registration, they have less classes to choose from!
By taking the tougher classes that all doctoral students need early on, I was lulled into this false sense that I could find plenty of classes. Instead, the five semesters after spring will be a jigsaw puzzle of 'take this now, even though I'd rather wait', or else I might be stuck an extra semester to fulfill requirements.
We students had gone with the assumption that the class will be offered, but my professor sent an email out Friday to us, asking if we intended to take it this spring or in the future. Four of us are in our second year, one is four classes away from defending her dissertation. That email made me a little nervous that I have to wait until next spring to take it.
I have twelve classes left to take, so today, I spent a little time finding out which of the classes on my list are offered. It ends up that none of the 'hands on' classes I need in my program are offered (the lot of someone who has already earned a M.Ed-the offerings are things I've taken), I found one other class that is needed, and it has two sections. If that is the only thing, oh well, I'll just take one.
Then a FB message from the first friend I made the first week of classes at Poly. She starts back to school in January, and when she got accepted, I told her all the classes she needs to take that I could possibly take with her or have already taken and could be a sounding board (or her 'red pen of
Then, in my weekly meeting with my major professor, she told me that the other class will definitely be offered. In fact, at her previous university, she capped the class at five students. And with that, my selections are made.
It's funny, this morning, I was thinking that twelve classes left would mean I had plenty of options. Then I looked and found that while doctoral students do have first crack at registration, they have less classes to choose from!
By taking the tougher classes that all doctoral students need early on, I was lulled into this false sense that I could find plenty of classes. Instead, the five semesters after spring will be a jigsaw puzzle of 'take this now, even though I'd rather wait', or else I might be stuck an extra semester to fulfill requirements.
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