Keeping the nerves in check, aka. The first couple days of school.

Keeping the nerves in check. This is all I have been doing for the past two days, but it's okay, because that's normal, right? It's normal to understand that you're in a new situation with new obstacles to overcome, and that you have the right to either be nervous, or do everything in your power to prevent it. I know I said in my previous post that I "defeated" the nerves, but really I think I'm still in that adjusting phase of accepting the reality that I know to be my life here. In terms of classes, to say that I am trying my damnedest to keep my nerves in check is the understatement of the year (which, in all honesty probably doesn't mean very much since it's only January 5th...). Yesterday morning (the 4th) was officially my first day of winter quarter classes, however I waited until today to really write about all of them because one of them I have only on Tuesdays and Thursdays; in short, I don't really think this term will be completely miserable.

Yesterday I went to both Philosophy and French. French, okay if any of you read through my 2011 list you would know that I absolutely adore my French professor, Holly. I think that's because her and I have so many similarities - both shy in certain situations, both a little neurotic, both love to read and write, etc etc. So I pretty much had just as much of an enjoyable time as I did last term, which went very well. Holly spent most of the period chatting about anything from her ridiculous cat, Smudgepot, and her inept ability to draw on a chalkboard, to what the actual course entails. Philosophy on the other hand I can already tell is going to be a little bit of a hand-full. Granted, I'm not much of a philosophy prodigy anyway, but still. Basically the class consists of reading [things like Plato, Kant, Nietzsche, Descartes, and Hume], taking "small" reading quizzes (every class period), a midterm (in-class essay questions), a final (again, in-class essay questions), and a 7-8 page final paper. However, I did take a liking to the professor almost right away, probably because one of the first things he said was that Physics was dumb (no offense to certain friends who may read this), and we get to watch the film The Truman Show in class later this month...apparently it has something to do with whatever we're reading by Descartes...I don't know, but I'm not complaining on that one.

My third and final class, Modern Japan, was today at 6pm. Okay I'm just going to come out and say it: I honestly do not know what the hell I am doing in that class. I mean, I love the professor (she's a total sweetheart, barely 30, from China, and got her M.A/Ph.D from the U of Oregon, wooooo Ducks!), the class (consisting of only eight people including myself) is really tight-knit, and I think I can somewhat half-handle the ominous 12-15 research paper as the final, the only thing is that everyone in there is either a History (with a focus on Asia) or Asian Studies major, or a Japanese minor. Not that that matters too much because I am a History minor and the broadening of horizons is a good thing, but I don't know. Dr. Xia spent quite a bit of time going over the syllabus, and by that I mean she not only went over it, but went really in-depth into it. She would mention something on it, and then ask us questions, like "Why do you think this happened?" or "What could have caused the Japanese to blah blah blah...?" And the majority of the class all had answers! Background knowledge! The most I know of Japan pretty much consists of Pearl Harbor, from the American perspective! Ah well, I managed to come up with some decent answers to generic questions, which seemed to impress her somewhat. At least the questions in the actual lectures will come from the readings assigned. Oh, and one other thing, out of the eight people in the class, six of them are seniors, one is a junior (transfer student), and then there's me, the lonely sophomore. I don't know if that should make me feel smart or just really...out of place.

On the plus side I started back at work in the preschool today and gained a new coworker, who I might add is tall, extremely handsome, amazing with children, AND a baseball player. So many feelings. And I think I will just leave it at that.

~Erin

P.S. If you ever get the chance burn this book, and my copy while you're at it. We love homework?