math good

I finally started school. I didn't know this when I signed up for it, but we needed at least one book, although both selections (we could actually -choose-) were listed as "recommended", so I never bought anything. Fortunately, that can change very quickly.

I like the teacher. He's interesting. Has a lot of energy. I think it's for the best, though. The class is three and a half hours long, and everyone decided it was just done about fifteen minutes early. For all intents and purposes, it was. We had NOTHING else to talk about, since we'd covered the syllabus and every question we had, but I don't know that I like these people. We have a 50-something lady who's talking a lot, but isn't on the same page, and it's kinda awkward. I learned a few things on the first day, though.

Buchanen is (historically) considered to be the worst president
The Women's Suffrage movement started in 1848
Uh... something else happened in 1848... Um...
1865-1877 is the Reconstruction era (I knew the term, didn't know the years other than "post-Civil War")

We also went through the "First Day Activity", which was a little pop quiz on what we knew, and a discussion following it. The teacher, Baracco (no shit), illustrated in exhaustive detail how, in history, the most powerful militaries in the world never really win when it comes to guerrilla fighters, along with a few other recurring themes, and we were asked if history repeated itself. Seems like.

I also got my Financial Aid award whatchahoozits. Unbeknownst to me, I was awarded the same amount of money whether I was going full time, all the way down to half time. I'd thought it would have been less for less time, but no. Then I revisited my schedule. I -will- have to be there til April 2011, because of when certain courses are offered, but... because I started now, I'll only have to go full time (that is, at least twelve credit hours) MAYBE once. MAYBE. Right now, my fall semester's looking like three classes, or eleven credit hours. Okay, not THAT far below full time, but you're looking at Beginning Japanese 1, Astronomy, and... I dunno, some three credit class that's required of my. Maybe History 2520, maybe Sketching, maybe English Composition 1. Probably Sketching, just so I can screw around in the longer semesters. But I don't know yet.

I'll be done with this first class in about a month. That's nuts.

Sean