Ilana (![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} griffinick) wrote,@ 2007-09-08 13:00:00 |
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Two weeks in review
Has it already been two weeks since the semester started? Hard to believe. So let's see....
Classes are off to a roaring start, and while I certainly haven't learned everyone's name yet, I've made some headway. Not bad considering I have about 125 students. The three western civ's have quite different dynamics, and I've decided that the noon class is my favorite (much as I know having favorites is BAD). They seemed to like talking about Louis XIV as a Man in Tights (Sun King portrait), and laugh at my jokes. I like them. :) My senior seminar students are a mixed bag: some I think believe they'll be able to walk all over me, since I'm new at York, while others have adopted me as their new best friend. I think they all like me, though it may be because I have usually ended class early. I am very curious to see the kind of research papers they'll churn out, particularly the ones working on ancient and medieval topics. Yes, there is one guy who's writing about the third Crusade. Score!
I have discovered that while the car very much likes the fact that I only need to be on campus three days a week, having all four classes and two office hours on one day leaves me absolutely drained. I was exhausted yesterday even before I went out for a Shabbat dinner, which didn't end until long after I'd left at 12:30 (last time I didn't get home until close to 2am). I can only imagine how tired I'll be once I start having grading to do!
One of my western civ students came up to me after class yesterday to ask if I would agree to be the faculty advisor for a new paintball club. He was so eager and earnest that I couldn't refuse. So, I am now a faculty advisor. Weird. I suppose it had to happen sooner or later. I know that there's another club that'll be wanting me to be a co-advisor for their club, but it's more of a history club, so I'm actually invested in that.
Tomorrow, sometime, I'm heading up to Philly to visit family. Since my grandfather is visiting out here for a few weeks, I'd be downright stupid not to make the effort to see him. After all, how frequently do I get the chance to fly out to CA to see him there?
I'm still very very dorky over Oleg. He's been in NYC for a week now, and I really miss him. He's going nuts with his new research position, and by Wednesday, when we last spoke, he still hadn't had a chance to settle in very well (largely the fault of, as he called her, the "stupid secretary"). I hope he'll be able to before long. I'm sending him some baked goods for Rosh Hashanah, and I hope that soon I'll be heading up there for a visit. I would hate to think that just as this really showed some strong long-term potential, the distance spoiled things. Though, it's not really that much distance...not when compared with Toronto to NJ! And, while going duh is frustrating (to say the least), it's so nice to have someone I can be extremely dorky over again...it's been such a long time since the last one.
Otherwise, not much. My left arm is all purple and nasty looking because while getting blood taken for some tests earlier this week, the idiot tech poked the needle all the way through my vein. My arm hurts, but it looks far worse than it feels. I guess I could make up some exciting sc-fi-esque explanation for the big ugly bruise, but I'm not feeling particularly creative today. Perhaps tomorrow.
Has it already been two weeks since the semester started? Hard to believe. So let's see....
Classes are off to a roaring start, and while I certainly haven't learned everyone's name yet, I've made some headway. Not bad considering I have about 125 students. The three western civ's have quite different dynamics, and I've decided that the noon class is my favorite (much as I know having favorites is BAD). They seemed to like talking about Louis XIV as a Man in Tights (Sun King portrait), and laugh at my jokes. I like them. :) My senior seminar students are a mixed bag: some I think believe they'll be able to walk all over me, since I'm new at York, while others have adopted me as their new best friend. I think they all like me, though it may be because I have usually ended class early. I am very curious to see the kind of research papers they'll churn out, particularly the ones working on ancient and medieval topics. Yes, there is one guy who's writing about the third Crusade. Score!
I have discovered that while the car very much likes the fact that I only need to be on campus three days a week, having all four classes and two office hours on one day leaves me absolutely drained. I was exhausted yesterday even before I went out for a Shabbat dinner, which didn't end until long after I'd left at 12:30 (last time I didn't get home until close to 2am). I can only imagine how tired I'll be once I start having grading to do!
One of my western civ students came up to me after class yesterday to ask if I would agree to be the faculty advisor for a new paintball club. He was so eager and earnest that I couldn't refuse. So, I am now a faculty advisor. Weird. I suppose it had to happen sooner or later. I know that there's another club that'll be wanting me to be a co-advisor for their club, but it's more of a history club, so I'm actually invested in that.
Tomorrow, sometime, I'm heading up to Philly to visit family. Since my grandfather is visiting out here for a few weeks, I'd be downright stupid not to make the effort to see him. After all, how frequently do I get the chance to fly out to CA to see him there?
I'm still very very dorky over Oleg. He's been in NYC for a week now, and I really miss him. He's going nuts with his new research position, and by Wednesday, when we last spoke, he still hadn't had a chance to settle in very well (largely the fault of, as he called her, the "stupid secretary"). I hope he'll be able to before long. I'm sending him some baked goods for Rosh Hashanah, and I hope that soon I'll be heading up there for a visit. I would hate to think that just as this really showed some strong long-term potential, the distance spoiled things. Though, it's not really that much distance...not when compared with Toronto to NJ! And, while going duh is frustrating (to say the least), it's so nice to have someone I can be extremely dorky over again...it's been such a long time since the last one.
Otherwise, not much. My left arm is all purple and nasty looking because while getting blood taken for some tests earlier this week, the idiot tech poked the needle all the way through my vein. My arm hurts, but it looks far worse than it feels. I guess I could make up some exciting sc-fi-esque explanation for the big ugly bruise, but I'm not feeling particularly creative today. Perhaps tomorrow.
