Live Your Life

The Next Step

So lately I’ve been questioning my life goals.  I’ve come to realize that maybe mathematics isn’t my path.  In fact, I think I need to return to education.  Not teaching, per say, but the act of learning.  How does one learn?  Certainly, I’m interested in the brain, but I don’t think I want to be a brain scientist.  That icky science stuff, ew!  That’s why I went to math!

Anyway, the education system bothers me and it always has (well, since I realized how awful it was sometime during HS).  I doubt that it would be possible to create the perfect education for everyone, but I think we can definitely do a whole lot better.  !Slight topic change with little to no transition!  Maybe I’m not entirely concerned about the education system, rather the way we teach.  If we can educate in a more effective manner (is this the industrial engineer talking?), and how do we implement this great idea.

Hmm, I just saw this button come up—“Let people answer this,” very cool.

Okay, so, I need a new plan of action.  For now, I’m trying to decide what classes to take.  As long as I pass my silly math classes this semester, I shouldn’t need to deal with more mathematics.  Don’t get me wrong, I’ve enjoyed mathematics up until now.  I appreciate what it has taught me.  Maybe if I take a semester away from math I’ll take a grad course before I graduate.  We’ll see.  So, this is what I’ve signed up for:

• W S 3323: The History of Women in America (3:3:0). Examines the gender expectations from 1607 to the present that have produced for women and men different experiences, strengths, and perceptions of American history.
• SOC 1301: Introduction to Sociology (3:3:0). Human group behavior, influence on the individual, and relationships of individuals to each other as members of groups.
• PSY 1300: General Psychology (3:3:1). Introduction to fundamental concepts in psychology. Emphasis on the physiological, social, emotional, and environmental determinants of behavior.
• ENGL 2388: Introduction to Film Studies (3:3:0). Prerequisite: ENGL 1301 and 1302. Introduction to the history, aesthetics, and criticism of avant-garde, documentary, and narrative film.
• ANTH 2302: Cultural Anthropology (3:3:0). The rich complexity of peoples and cultures in the world as studied by anthropologists. Discussion of basic concepts such as ethnography, ethnocentrism, kinship systems, gender, and culture exchange.

I might drop anthropology to get into an honors section of psychology.  I might also drop English because “substantial writing required,” is noted in the description.  I know, I’m terrible.  :)  I thought, maybe I should take some education courses, then I immediately chastised myself.  I should avoid the onslaught of trivialness for grad school, if it ever becomes absolutely necessary that I study something in education.  Of course, not all education classes are as silly as we make them to be, but I’m going out on a limb and saying a lot of undergraduate ones are.  So where does this leave me?  I guess I’ll have to let things play out.  At least I’ll be in all these freshman/sophomore level classes; on the other hand, this could be a disaster in the making.  Oh well, at least I think I’ve made progress…haven’t I?