Charming Rose

Is this a West Coast thing?

If you have talked to me in the last 4 months, then you know I have been having some issues with my professors. Not grade issues, I have a 4.0, but professionalism issues. I know that most of my profs are adjunct and that they have other jobs, but most of them show a lack of preparation for class and do not seem to be imparting a lot in the way of learning. I am not going to call them out specifically, but below is a list of issues I am seeing with some of those who are supposed to be teaching me.

1. Online classes are not a way to do nothing in the way of instruction. There need to be readings and assignments that build on one another so that when the time comes to complete the big projects you know what you are doing. My online classes have been like submitting work to a publishing house. I type up something and send it to a faceless stranger who had little to do with its development. 

2. When students email you, you should probably get back to them with an answer. If you don't want to be emailed, then say so. If you give that out and say we can email you with questions, then you need to answer. In one instance, it has been a month since I sent said email. I even forwarded it on again, still no answer.

3. Prepare for class. If you are talking on a topic, don't just pull it out of the air. If you have examples to share, you should probably bring them to class with you. If you don't have said examples, making the students stay because "It just doesn't seem right to cut you lose just yet," is lame. We know you are BSing the rest of class. Just let us go.

4. Don't insult me. I am a Writing Graduate Student. I do not need two weeks of lectures on style, tone, and figurative language. Most of that stuff I learned in middle school. Plus, I taught it for 7 years. I should hope that the other writing grad students know this stuff too. If not, I have other issues.

I want to know are these things happening because of the frame of mind and attitude of the West Coast? My East Coast profs, while not always my favorites, did not do these things. They were prepared, accessible and actually taught me things I did not know. I am disgusted that I am paying for some of these classes. They aren't worth very much to me and they definitely aren't worth the $1000 or so I am paying for them.

So anyone out there with any experience on going to school out here, please share with me your experience. Is this a West Coast thing or is it just my school?

PS: Sorry the font is small. Apparently the new version does not allow me to change the size or style of my font. Which is rather annoying.

You Don't Know How Lucky You Are

This semester I have class in 2 buildings on campus that I have never entered before, The Clay and TheBroadway. The one I have class in on Tuesday is the motivation for this post. It's in the Broadway. The name comes from the fact that it faces that street. 

The second floor is classrooms and a computer lab and the 3- 10 floors are dorms. Now you may have noticed I didn't mention the first floor, that's because it is the motivating factor for this post.

The first floor is full of retail. Restaurant retail. The ground floor of their dorm has a sushi place, aChipotle and a Starbucks. Plus, across the street is a Pho place and a bar. A block away you can find both pizza and lebanese. Walk four blocks and you can have MExican, more pizza, and Seattle's Best Coffee. 

Do you think the students who live in that building have any idea how lucky they are? They have a ton of food options right at their feet. They don't have to go to the crappy cafeteria and buy overpriced, awful food. I am jealous.

For context, I should mention I went to Loyola. Loyola is in the middle of Baltimore city, but there is very little in the way of cheap and good food nearby. (And don't get me started on the extortion that went on in the cafeterias.) Nothing is as close as the places are to the Broadway. We had to walks blocks, take a cab, drive or get on the bus. These kids have to get on the elevator.

 I hope they realize that they live in one really cool dorm. 

Totally off topic...

I love this commercial and you all should too!

 Gravy Baby 

PS Typepad: Why can't I change the font? 

Book List Revisited

So as anyone who actually reads this knows, I asked for book suggestions awhile back. I have gotten some of the books read, but am running into a tiny problem. A lot of the newer and popular books are not easily available at the library. I know I should want to buy books, but when you make $8.53 an hour and work about 20 hours a week and have to pay for graduate school. You can see where I am going. 

My spending habits are nothing like those you remember from our dual income days. I actually debated about spending $10 on a black long sleeve tee to wear under my sweaters. Life is different to say the least. 

I have gotten off topic. So anyway, I am trying to buy the books if I can find them at Powell's or Target for a good price or if they are in the library. This puts kinks in the system. But I wanted to update you on my progress because someone (Jamie) did inquire about my status.

The list is as follows:  (In green if I have read it and my briefest of reviews)

The Book List

·      Books

•  Atonement by Ian McEwan (Good. Actually made me angry at times. Nice twist at the end)
•  Amsterdam by Ian McEwan (Okay. Not as good as Atonement. I wasn't as interested in the characters in this one)
• About a Boy by Nick Hornby
• Barbarians at the Gate by David Wong Louie (Tough to get into. Overall okay.)
•  Bright Shiny Morning by James Frey
• The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb
• My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
• A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (One of the best books I have ever read)
• The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
• The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls ( Wonderful book, really engaging)
• Never Let Me Go by Ishiguro
• The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
• The Shack by William P Young
• Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins
• The Shipping News by Annie Proulx ( I could not get into this book. I only read about 60 pages then it was due at the library. So I returned it)
• The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
• Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood
• Dedication by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kruas

·      Authors

• Melissa Nathan
• Anne Rice
• Isabelle Allende

·      Series

• Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse series ( I love True Blood so I was easily hooked. I think the books get better written as they go on. A few inconsistencies in the first couple. I will say that the writers on the series certainly made the first two a bit more exciting than they were in book form. Overall though, good though not very serious books. I am waiting for the 9th book to come in paperback. Hardcovers cost too much. I got the paperbacks for $5 a piece at Target.)
• Baroque Cycle by Neal Stephenson