Wednesday, August 26, 2009

What the First Week of Class Can Tell You

Over the past couple of years, I learned that the first week of class can tell you a lot about the professor and how the class will turn out. For example:

Professors/Instructors with really long, wordy syllabi are usually new. They like to use big words and complicated course objectives to intimidate you. They have complex, unorganized layouts and reading schedules. On the other hand, the best professors, the ones who have been teaching for years, have 2 page syllabi that are short and to the point. The course schedule includes 3 things: the date, the title of their lecture, and the reading assignment. These are the professors you want to have.

I've also learned that you need to plan to spend more time getting your food at Chick-fil-a in Lenior because the Freshmen (pardon... "First-years") really do not know what they are doing in line.

It's also important to take a look at the books before taking the class if at all possible. Book titles tell you a lot about what the class will be like. For example, a textbook written by the professor is usually a good thing - they'll have structured lextures. Several books not about religion in a religion class is usually not a good thing - it could mean that the professor thinks crazy abstract and tries to relate unrelated topics to their subject. Just saying.

It's always good to get the TA that smiles and laughs. Not the one that dresses in a suit and acts nervous around the professor.

Old people in the class = good news! In my experience, if an old person is taking the class, it's usually because the class is super awesome and the professor comes highly recommended. Why waste your retirement years in a class that's no good?

You can also always tell which girls plan to rush - it's easy. They are the ones that still dress cute, put makeup on, and straighten their hair after the first couple days of class.

If a professor asks how many students are enrolled in the class because it meets a requirement, it's a good sign. Usually, this means the professory recognizes that their course isn't the center of everyone's world. I love these professors.

Finally, the people who haven't yet fallen in love with Carolina and don't act crazy for Carolina athletics, won't know who the basketball players are until Late Night with Roy comes around. Sad, I know. Take for example this scene at Chick-fil-a:

Girl from Kaplan Testing goes table to table asking if people are interested in going to grad school and if they have taken the GRE, MCAT, etc... She stops at me and Amanda's table goes through her little spill... we chat with her, blah blah blah... she moves on to the next table. She proceeds to ask Deon Thompson if he plans to go to grad school. He smiles and says "no." She asks him if he's considered taking the GRE in case he changes his mind. He laughs.

So Kaplan girl...

...this is Deon Thompson.

Starting forward for the 2008-2009 National Championship team, otherwise known as UNC.

laura ann

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