Starting College or Going Back - Page 12

ElizabethG · 02-05-2009, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by myrosiedog

Thank you.

Well off to take Statistics and German tests. I can't believe how nervous I am. My stomach is doing flips and I couldn't eat this morning. I need to eat and I am going to take a protien bar with me.

I'm sure once the first tests are out of the way, I'll be ok. But I honestly can't believe how nervous I am.

I also have to say that it is AMAZING how much better my memory is this time around in college than it was all those many years ago. I guess all those reports about the short-term memory effects of "smoking" really were true.

Hey mrd, that is terrific news about your 94 in statistics. Do you feel yourself getting more confident now? Glad you didn't drop? Congratulations, I know you are working very hard.

Way to go!!!

(Not even gonna ask what kind of "smoking" you're talkin' about. Nope, not gonna ask!!!

Funny, my own memory seems to be a lot worse now than then.

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ElizabethG · 02-05-2009, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stargazer

I'm glad to hear that you're doing well, MRD.

As for me, I ended up with strep throat that caused me to miss a few classes.

It doesn't take long with five classes to feel like you're falling behind, so I'm a little stressed about it.

I'm just going to have to really swing it into high gear until I catch up.

Stargazer, sorry to hear about your strep!!!!That's quite a nasty old bug, I've had it many times. You're right about feeling like you're getting behind - hopefully your instructors are being understanding. Hang in there, you can do it!

myrosiedog · 02-05-2009, 07:07 PM

Star that's awful and it doesn't take long to get behind. When I had the flu, I dosed myself up and drug myself to class and I still don't know how I did it, but I am determined to not miss a class because I can see how much I'd get behind if I did miss. I hope you feel better soon and get caught up.

And thanks all. I really appreciate everyone's support in my endeavors. I'm actually having fun. I never thought I'd say that!

Drumroll please........................ ....

I ACED my stats test!!!

Thanks all. I do feel a lot more confident. I had 90 minutes after one class before my stats test and I invited my new friend in there to lunch. He said: "don't you have a test later you should study for?" I said: "Yes, but I'm really feeling good about it." He told me over lunch he could see the difference in my self confidence about this class in just the space of a week.

So now that I'm feeling pretty damn smart, I figure I'll do something really stupid soon to bring me back to earth. Or my teenager will let me know just how dumb I really am.

Oh and the German test? I think I passed. Not with flying colors. I talked to 2 other students today who are all having problems and one is married to a German who speaks German at home and the other had 3 years of German in HS and we're all ticked at the way the class is being conducted. The test today got "mixed" up in the copier, so page 2 was on page 4 and everyone was having to flip the pages back and forth, it was totally ridiculous. Anyway, I've attemped to talk to my teacher 3 times now and still have not gotten anywhere, so the 3 of us are going to go to the language dept head next week and say that we're not happy with how this class is going. There's a LOT more stuff, but mainly its because the teacher is VERY disorganized and doesn't teach in a fashion that facilitates us learning the material.

So yes, here I am, 4 weeks into school again and I'm starting a student revolution in my German class.

doxie · 02-05-2009, 10:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by myrosiedog

Drumroll please........................ ....

I ACED my stats test!!!

That is SUPER news! Congrats!

myrosiedog · 02-05-2009, 10:49 PM

Now that the celebration is over, it has dawned on me that I have 3 chapters to learn in a little less than 2 weeks before the next test. Oh damn!

pineapple · 02-08-2009, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by myrosiedog

Now that the celebration is over, it has dawned on me that I have 3 chapters to learn in a little less than 2 weeks before the next test. Oh damn!

You'll do great. I'm so happy to hear that you aced your statistics test!

Missyboxers · 02-08-2009, 07:27 PM

Congrats MRD! If you ever have stats-related questions, I can try to offer some assistance as it was my sequence within my math major, but it sounds like you have a good system with your prof.

So, I'm not that far removed from college, but it's been a few years. I decided to take a continuing ed course to do something new and hopefully, if I take enough of them, have something extra to put on my resume. Anyway, I decided to take Arabic. So far, so good, although I am an atrocious auditory learner, I need to write things down in order for them to stick, and partly by necessity, much of the early work has been aural (and oral). Eek!! Hopefully I will learn the four forms of the different letters and their pronunciations soon, and then can start to write both words and some sort of recognizable pronunciation cues.

myrosiedog · 02-08-2009, 07:58 PM

I am not an auditory learner either which is why I struggle in German class, but do okay in the book.

Good luck with the Arabic. It sounds really interesting. So do you learn using our alphabet, or are you having to also learn a new alphabet too?

Missyboxers · 02-08-2009, 09:59 PM

Thanks! Our first goal is essentially to learn the new alphabet, and for that, we have some cues from our alphabet to help with pronunciation. So far, I'm finding that it helps to be able to associate a sound with an image (or letter, I suppose). Arabic is written in a form akin to cursive, though, so for each of the 28 letters, you have the standalone form of the letter, plus potentially different forms for if it appears at the beginning or end of a word or in the middle. So for each letter, there are up to four different forms to recognize. Some of the letters don't connect, or connect only from one side, which is a bit of a relief as usually it's easy enough to tell whether you can connect a letter to the end or not. Arabic is also written and read from right to left, which is an adjustment.

So far, the professor and the workbook seem mainly interested in our being able to pronounce and write letters and basic letter combinations. For our homework, there was a lot of listening to a word being spoken and then having to write it down, or recognizing certain letters within written words, and the like. So I was doing a lot of writing of words, but I have no idea what most of them mean. I know the word for door, and that's about it. I've focused on six of the letters so far--the book devotes a couple pages to each letter. I assume the vocabulary will come in due time. The speaking certainly takes some getting used to-- some of the letters come from the back of the throat, and I've had to figure out how to work my mouth to make some of the sounds. My prof said that when he was learning to speak English, one of the things he was told early on was that English speakers don't move their mouths very much, and I'm realizing how true that is, because my jaw and my neck certainly begin to feel the effects of a two hour class or a one hour study session. I'm using muscles I definitely don't use every day when I'm speaking English.

But so far I like it. It's a challenge, but a good one.

myrosiedog · 02-08-2009, 10:37 PM

Wow, Missy, that's really interesting. At least you are focusing on letters first. We are jumping around so much in German, that I have NO clue and pronounciation isn't even being worked on.

Can I ask why you chose Arabic?

You'll have to keep us updated on your work.

02-05-2009, 07:07 PM	#113
myrosiedog FORT Fogey Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: All jacked up on Gator Juice in the Swamp. GO GATORS!!!! Age: 47 Posts: 15,230	Re: Starting College or Going Back Star that's awful and it doesn't take long to get behind. When I had the flu, I dosed myself up and drug myself to class and I still don't know how I did it, but I am determined to not miss a class because I can see how much I'd get behind if I did miss. I hope you feel better soon and get caught up. And thanks all. I really appreciate everyone's support in my endeavors. I'm actually having fun. I never thought I'd say that! Drumroll please........................ .... I ACED my stats test!!! Thanks all. I do feel a lot more confident. I had 90 minutes after one class before my stats test and I invited my new friend in there to lunch. He said: "don't you have a test later you should study for?" I said: "Yes, but I'm really feeling good about it." He told me over lunch he could see the difference in my self confidence about this class in just the space of a week. So now that I'm feeling pretty damn smart, I figure I'll do something really stupid soon to bring me back to earth. Or my teenager will let me know just how dumb I really am. Oh and the German test? I think I passed. Not with flying colors. I talked to 2 other students today who are all having problems and one is married to a German who speaks German at home and the other had 3 years of German in HS and we're all ticked at the way the class is being conducted. The test today got "mixed" up in the copier, so page 2 was on page 4 and everyone was having to flip the pages back and forth, it was totally ridiculous. Anyway, I've attemped to talk to my teacher 3 times now and still have not gotten anywhere, so the 3 of us are going to go to the language dept head next week and say that we're not happy with how this class is going. There's a LOT more stuff, but mainly its because the teacher is VERY disorganized and doesn't teach in a fashion that facilitates us learning the material. So yes, here I am, 4 weeks into school again and I'm starting a student revolution in my German class. __________________ Que me amat, amet et canem meum (Who loves me will love my dog also)

02-05-2009, 10:49 PM	#115
myrosiedog FORT Fogey Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: All jacked up on Gator Juice in the Swamp. GO GATORS!!!! Age: 47 Posts: 15,230	Re: Starting College or Going Back Now that the celebration is over, it has dawned on me that I have 3 chapters to learn in a little less than 2 weeks before the next test. Oh damn! __________________ Que me amat, amet et canem meum (Who loves me will love my dog also)

02-08-2009, 07:27 PM	#117
Missyboxers FORT Fogey Join Date: May 2004 Location: NYC Age: 26 Posts: 3,192	Re: Starting College or Going Back Congrats MRD! If you ever have stats-related questions, I can try to offer some assistance as it was my sequence within my math major, but it sounds like you have a good system with your prof. So, I'm not that far removed from college, but it's been a few years. I decided to take a continuing ed course to do something new and hopefully, if I take enough of them, have something extra to put on my resume. Anyway, I decided to take Arabic. So far, so good, although I am an atrocious auditory learner, I need to write things down in order for them to stick, and partly by necessity, much of the early work has been aural (and oral). Eek!! Hopefully I will learn the four forms of the different letters and their pronunciations soon, and then can start to write both words and some sort of recognizable pronunciation cues.

02-08-2009, 07:58 PM	#118
myrosiedog FORT Fogey Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: All jacked up on Gator Juice in the Swamp. GO GATORS!!!! Age: 47 Posts: 15,230	Re: Starting College or Going Back I am not an auditory learner either which is why I struggle in German class, but do okay in the book. Good luck with the Arabic. It sounds really interesting. So do you learn using our alphabet, or are you having to also learn a new alphabet too? __________________ Que me amat, amet et canem meum (Who loves me will love my dog also)

02-08-2009, 09:59 PM	#119
Missyboxers FORT Fogey Join Date: May 2004 Location: NYC Age: 26 Posts: 3,192	Re: Starting College or Going Back Thanks! Our first goal is essentially to learn the new alphabet, and for that, we have some cues from our alphabet to help with pronunciation. So far, I'm finding that it helps to be able to associate a sound with an image (or letter, I suppose). Arabic is written in a form akin to cursive, though, so for each of the 28 letters, you have the standalone form of the letter, plus potentially different forms for if it appears at the beginning or end of a word or in the middle. So for each letter, there are up to four different forms to recognize. Some of the letters don't connect, or connect only from one side, which is a bit of a relief as usually it's easy enough to tell whether you can connect a letter to the end or not. Arabic is also written and read from right to left, which is an adjustment. So far, the professor and the workbook seem mainly interested in our being able to pronounce and write letters and basic letter combinations. For our homework, there was a lot of listening to a word being spoken and then having to write it down, or recognizing certain letters within written words, and the like. So I was doing a lot of writing of words, but I have no idea what most of them mean. I know the word for door, and that's about it. I've focused on six of the letters so far--the book devotes a couple pages to each letter. I assume the vocabulary will come in due time. The speaking certainly takes some getting used to-- some of the letters come from the back of the throat, and I've had to figure out how to work my mouth to make some of the sounds. My prof said that when he was learning to speak English, one of the things he was told early on was that English speakers don't move their mouths very much, and I'm realizing how true that is, because my jaw and my neck certainly begin to feel the effects of a two hour class or a one hour study session. I'm using muscles I definitely don't use every day when I'm speaking English. But so far I like it. It's a challenge, but a good one.

02-08-2009, 10:37 PM	#120
myrosiedog FORT Fogey Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: All jacked up on Gator Juice in the Swamp. GO GATORS!!!! Age: 47 Posts: 15,230	Re: Starting College or Going Back Wow, Missy, that's really interesting. At least you are focusing on letters first. We are jumping around so much in German, that I have NO clue and pronounciation isn't even being worked on. Can I ask why you chose Arabic? You'll have to keep us updated on your work. __________________ Que me amat, amet et canem meum (Who loves me will love my dog also)