No more "tion"-tion.

Let me just take a few moments to speak about a rather hectic day.....

There was some math homework that was due this morning and I had written to the teacher about it but there was no time apparently that I could meet with him before class (since last week) so I did ask for some pointers from Mr. N, which he gave me and helped me understand what needed to be done. Then I wanted to print out the lecture slides for the Engineering lecture, so I went to school a little early this morning and printed them out.

When I got to class, everyone sat down and then suddenly a couple people (less than half the class I'd imagine) started putting papers up front. I turned red in horror, was there actually homework that we were supposed to do? There are several disciplines in this class so I thought perhaps one of the types of labs (that I was not in) had assigned homework but apparently this was not the case. There WAS a homework assignment due but I did not know it. Apparently it was listed at the end of the lecture slides from the first week along with requirements for doing the syllabus quiz and reading ahead, which I had done but just didn't know about the other thing. There is no place in the syllabus or online that has the assignments due except for what is at the end of the lecture slides which you can download online and view in powerpoint. I probably should have known about it, especially since at least a few other people knew about it. And I was checking the site regularly for assignments too!
Oh well, I figured that I'd turn it in that afternoon and at least get half credit (if turned in within 24 hours). I felt really chagrined though because this has never happened before.

I am still trying to get used to what each class expects. This instructor expects certain material to be read, certain HW problems to be done etc. but the only way you know about it is if you download last week's file and take a look. It was confusing but now I know so it won't (D.V.) happen again. In my physics discussion group I'm expected to do homework problems before coming there, okay, I can handle that. In Computer Science I'm expected to look online frequently and see when the next assignment comes out. In Digital Logic I'm expected to look frequently online for new assignments/quizzes and also prepare a lab proposal and conclusion each week and bring a certain sheet to class every session. In Math we are expected to look online for new Homework assignments. In fact, the only class that I don't have something to check frequently online is the Physics class, so I've got everything bookmarked. But trying to keep up with it all is a hassle, especially because you have to log into it every time, it doesn't save your password.

Anyway, I think I'm finally getting a handle on everything. Hopefully I'll be fully prepared for everything now.

So after that shock this morning, I had Calculus next and a LOT of people were asking about a certain problem (the one I had asked for help on) and it seemed that no one else had solved it. A lot of people were being sarcastic towards the teacher and he was getting a little embarrassed I think, he seems such a gentle sort of person and I felt bad for him. I like him a lot. Anyway, he explained it and I think most people got it but then there are some that have absolutely convinced themselves that all foreign teachers are bad and that he just explains everything poorly and if they fail the class it's his fault. Bah, he doesn't have a problem, they do! There are a couple students that I just want to take outside and speak with for a while because they are always trying to point out any kind of a mistake (which there hasn't been to my knowledge) and trying to trip him up on some part. "Don't you mean it's......?" they ask. No, they just didn't understand, yet even when shown to them that they are wrong, they still seem to think that the teacher isn't doing things right. It makes me rather upset.

Immediately following (I have solid classes from 8:30 to 1:30) was Physics lab. The lab TA was a short, stocky indian man with a thick accent and seemingly not very much practical knowledge. I hesitate to criticize someone like that but there were a few things he did that I just had to raise an eyebrow at. First, the projector on the desk wasn't working so he called one of the lab employees to take a look at it. The first thing I thought (as you're always taught in computer repair courses) is "is it plugged in?" It wasn't.
So once that was straightened out, he started a little powerpoint presentation of a couple of things, introductory since this was the first week of Physics labs. At one point he was showing how to read a caliper measurement and he couldn't quite see which line lined up exactly so he actually went and stood in front of the projected image, blocking the projector of course as he tried to get a closer look so that didn't work at all. He was very absent minded and kept taking some things and forgetting who he borrowed it from (like pens, pencils, calipers, rulers etc.).
He handed each of us a lab book and so I perused mine, looking at the lab for today as well as some of the introductory things and he told us to start on the lab. So my partner and myself (and hopefully he stays, I liked him because he was willing to do the calculations even if he was getting frustrated with the lack of explanation by the TA). I kept asking the TA questions because the lab manual was not very clear in several points, he didn't help all that much either though.

In about 15 minutes, the TA came by and grabbed my lab manual and looked through it and said he needed to sign the pre-lab. He looked at mine (which was blank of course because I was told to work on the lab) and he started bawling me out saying how I was supposed to have the prelab done BEFORE I came to lab and he started marking all these question marks across the page and then signing it as zero points. It was then that I became rather stiff and politely but firmly went into a logical discussion on why I had not completed my pre-lab before class, mostly because I had not had the lab book in my possession until fifteen minutes ago so how could I have done it. He pondered that for a little while and then kind of gave a surprised look. "yes, I guess you are right." but then so as not to lose the debate "But you'd better have it done next week and turned in with this week's lab, understand?"

I went back to the lab, but that was REALLY odd. Perhaps he was completely new to the job, perhaps he was very nervous, I don't know, but it was just odd! I wasn't going to lose points for something I could not have possibly done though so that was one time where I was standing my ground.

Immediately following the two-hour lab (which was filled with grueling number crunching) I hurried over to Computer Science for the lecture. That professor is really good and I enjoyed him but always in the back of my mind (all through the day in fact) was that bit of homework that should have been turned in and yet wasn't. So at 1:30 I went up to the computer labs in the classroom building and wrote a two-page paper on the homework assignment as well as an apologetic explanation for what had happened. I hope the teacher does realize that it wasn't that I knew about it and didn't do it, because I would have done it if I had known about it, the thing is, I should have known about it and yet didn't, catch my drift? Didn't think so. :~)

So that was that, I got home at about close to three, ate some lunch and then read ahead in my Engineering book for next Monday. I've got some other assigments to do still and lots of reading that I want to get done. Unfortunately what I want to read and what I should read are two different things. I should be reading my digital logic design book (truth tables and data papers for chips and circuits) and I WANT to read that new book I got, the biography of A.W. Pink! I started it a tiny bit yesterday and there was this one part where Pink was writing in a letter about some memories of his father and he remembers his father picking up the newspaper which carried the news of preparations for the first coronation in Britain for 64 years. "Oh, I am sorry to see this worded like that." And his wife said "what is it?"
"Why," he said, "here is a proclamation that on a certain date Prince Edward will be crowned king at Westminster and there is no 'Deo Volente,' God willing."
On the appointed day, the future Edward VII was ill with appendicitis and the coronation had to be postponed. It's written by Iain Murray and I'm looking forward to it.

[Edit]
Just to be clear, I didn't act badly toward the TA, I was nice about it but firm as well. And as another note that I forgot to mention, I sent out (on Saturday) the proposal I'd written for our group. As you know, I preferred to do it myself rather than trust someone else to do it :D
This response was well, encouraging:

You are just fab!! This is grrrrrreat! I think that you portrayed our group with finese. I can't wait to work with you in our group project. Please let me know if there is anything that I can do.

Once again, thank you for your time, that you dedicated to this proposal. I know that the group was very estatic in reading your outstanding work.

Respectfully,
SJ

I don't know if the group was ecstatic or not because I haven't heard back from any of them, but at least this person was! I think she's willing to work too. We'll see.....

By the way D.W., I asked the TA's and they said that they appreciate a little humour every once in a while because they have to grade a lot of papers (they are most likely the ones that put the piranha poster up). So okay... I'm throwing in a couple of random diagrams in my conclusion from last week that I'm turning in tomorrow. I think you probably know what random diagrams I mean ;)