18th Grade

 Well, this week was full of new experiences!

I worked on Monday as usual, because the plan was that I would keep working Mondays and Fridays.

On Tuesday, I got on the bus to ride to the University of Utah. But I was confused at where I was supposed to get off, so I went too far, and then I had to walk quite a ways to get to my first class. I made it just in time! This class is a history of science and technology. It's both an undergrad and graduate class, but we grad students have some extra assignments. It was a little strange to be in a classroom again—it's been more than seven years! This is my second year of grad school, but everything still feels new because everything was virtual last year.

Then Tuesday afternoon, I had my second class, HIST 7800, a methods course, which was with the same professor. I thought I had enrolled in a research seminar. But as I looked over the syllabus, I realized it was not what I thought it was. At the end of the semester, the final project was a 20–25-page historiographical essay. That kind of ruined my day.

So that night I sent off an email to the academic advisor asking about classes. The research seminar class this semester is about gender, and I emailed the professor for that class to ask if I could see her syllabus. That would help me decide which class I would rather take. Well, the final project for this research seminar is a 15–20-page research paper. Not only is it shorter, I would much rather write a research paper than a historiographical essay. Besides that, there are fewer assignments in general. The research seminar is better in every way than HIST 7800. So I switched my schedule. But that class meets on Mondays, so I already missed the first class. I also had to let This Is the Place know that I can only work Fridays. But I will be more excited for the research seminar and dread it less than 7800. Since I'm an MS student (not an MA or PhD student), I don't need 7800, and I think research papers will ultimately be more beneficial to my career than historiographical essays.

Wednesday afternoon, I went to my other class, oral history. This class will take me out of my comfort zone—but if I'm only going to do things I already know how to do, then there is really no point in being in school. This class is another one with both grad students and undergrads. I'm excited for this one. It only meets once a week because of COVID.

Thursday I went to my second session of the science and technology class. One thing I remember from BYU is that there are always students who make weird, inappropriate, or irrelevant comments. We have one of those in this class. The professor asked us grad students to raise our hands, and one of the undergrads also raised his. The professor said, "Oh, are you a graduate student?" and he had to ask several times before the student understood what he was saying. And then for the rest of class, he kept making weird, "cool story bro"–type comments. I think he's worse than the ones I remember from BYU. (Maybe because it's harder to get into BYU?)

Friday I worked again, and I was able to get a lot of class reading done while I was there. Which is why I don't want to work on Saturdays, since they're busier in the fall and therefore give me less time to read. 

So yesterday, August 28, was the first Saturday I didn't work since May 1. Phew! But it wasn't entirely a day of luxury. We are replacing the floors in our house, and my parents wanted to paint our walls before the new floors are in. They are doing the vast majority of the work, since they are retired, whereas I am in school and working (I am a little sad I'll only be working once a week). But I would feel guilty if this all got done and I didn't help out, so I spent a few hours painting.

I have been able to get some good reading done on the bus, so I'm hoping I will be able to enjoy more free time at home this semester. 

First day of eighteenth grade!