First Week

Things have been a bit crazy at the Cheeky house this week, since university is back in session. The short version is, this was not my best first week ever, and included multiple schedule changes. If that's all you want to know, you can skip to the end now. For those interested in details, here's a (long) recap:

The week before class started, I got an email that one of my classes had been cancelled. Bummer. It was one of my rhetoric classes, and one that I have an immediate use for. However, it was not to be, so I scrambled around on the course schedule and found a Shakespeare class to take its place.

On the first day of class (Tuesday), I went to all of my scheduled classes. However, I had a linguistics class called Bad Language. The description said it was about racial and gendered language, so I thought that would be cool to be in. News Flash: It was more about swear words than anything else. Now, I use about three mild (by most standards) swear words that I find meet all of my needs, with no desire to use anything stronger. The instructor had an entire unit planned around the f-word, with the linguistic aspect that it can be used as any part of speech (I find that pretty remarkable, too, truth be told), and with the stated intention that he make the word not special. He also encouraged us to use the words we were studying in class freely, and is using Twitter to gauge in-class participation. I like the idea of the class, but I had to concede that there is no way I can be exposed to that kind of language for three hours a week and walk away not using it. It would have been interesting to be the member of the class who exercised my freedom of speech by not swearing in class, but I couldn't do it. Another scramble to find a replacement, which was: Sign Languages and Signing Communities. After two class sessions (Tuesday & Thursday), I loved it.

On Wednesday I had a meeting with my instructor Do Not Cross (I should get her a new nickname), who is supervising my independent research project. It was a very encouraging, very productive meeting. I have two classes on Wednesday, both rhetoric: Advanced Writing and Rhetoric and the Gospels. The second one was meant to be a placeholder until I could get registered for independent research, but since I'd had some schedule changes already, I decided to go to it just to see if I really wanted to drop it or if I'd rather keep it and drop something else. And of course, that's what I decided to do. So, on Wednesday evening, Shakespeare got the boot from my timetable.

And then I got an email from a local tea shop that included this week's specials, upcoming events, etc... and the jolly news that they are hiring. I was so excited, I dashed (okay, cycled) over on Thursday to pick up an application. On the way back to campus, though, I had to ponder the fact that my schedule at the moment is not particularly job-friendly. In my "one thing at a time" way, I filled in the application and took it back on Friday. A couple of hours later, the owner called me for an interview.

So, very exciting, I'd love to work there, but there was still the problem of my class schedule. I called Chad for backup, and he agreed that if I'm serious about getting this job that I should rearrange my schedule. So, with one hour left in the add/drop period, I went on the course schedule once again, found another linguistics class and another elective that both meet early in the morning, and changed up my classes with 45 minutes to spare.

I'm so glad this is my last semester. And I really hope I get the job, because if I don't, I'm going to feel a bit silly for all this frantic rearranging.

How was your week? Any excitement for you?