# What classes are you taking next semester? (Spring 2008) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 13, 2007, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classes-are-you-taking-next-semester-spring-2008/429915 "2007-12-13T21:57:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2007, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classes-are-you-taking-next-semester-spring-2008/429915/21 "2007-12-14T06:28:46Z")
I’m taking a semester off for the first time. I have to–otherwise I would transfer as a senior next year, and that would block me off from the UCs I want to go to. So I’m going to be working, crossing my fingers and waiting for admissions letters. No idea what I’ll be taking in Fall 08, but it’s safe to assume it will all be ground-floor linguistics stuff, plus Spanish IV and/or French I, since I’ve already taken every elective under the sun. (English? Plenty. Science? Bio, physics, and chem with labs. Psychology, philosophy and poli sci? You bet. Public speaking? Done it. Music history? Yep. California court system? Aced it. Calc? Passed that too.) Hrmm…maybe I should start with morphology and phonology, the things I find the most interesting. Or should I save those for later, and get the hard(er because it’s less interesting to me) stuff out of the way first? Or should I pick a specialty and take some psychology, anthropology or computer science? Decisions, decisions. FTR, **Queen Bruin** , what’s a slide test? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2007, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classes-are-you-taking-next-semester-spring-2008/429915/22 "2007-12-14T06:35:36Z")
[QUOTE=Queen Bruin] My husband is taking trial advocacy next semester as well. I’m looking forward to hearing about his exploits. Should be entertaining if the posters for the class were any indication (\*300 \*style, the professor’s [very nerdy] face photoshopped onto the body of Leonidas, and “Prepare for glory!” in a blood-splatter font. :D) [/QUOTE] That’s hilarious. I should remember to tell my partners to eat well the day before we compete with the other students in our class - “for tonight, we dine IN HELL!” ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2007, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classes-are-you-taking-next-semester-spring-2008/429915/23 "2007-12-14T06:40:03Z")
Basin-Scale Hydrology Fluvial Geomorphology Field Methods for Hydrologic Monitoring It’s more fun than it sounds - really! ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2007, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classes-are-you-taking-next-semester-spring-2008/429915/24 "2007-12-14T06:47:53Z")
[QUOTE=Hostile Dialect] FTR, **Queen Bruin** , what’s a slide test? [/QUOTE] For many, if not most art history classes, you will have an exam based on a series of images. For my Classics art history/archaeology courses at UCLA, the professor usually assigned \>100 slides relevant to the course. For each of those slides, I am expected to remember what it shows, the technique used, the site where it was discovered, the period it was done in, the museum it now resides in, and other notable facts. At JC, my AH prof. had us do the same thing, only she would also pick two “mystery” slides, something we hadn’t seen in class but had to identify, giving a persuasive essay as to why we thought it was what it was (very easy intro-level classes, she always picked distinctive “Well no shit” sort of stuff.) BTW, **Hostile Dialect** , I’ve got my fingers crossed for you, and will be thinking of you come April/May. > [@Mr. Excellent](#): > > That’s hilarious. I should remember to tell my partners to eat well the day before we compete with the other students in our class - “for tonight, we dine IN HELL!” 😃 That’s awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Sensitive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/58956e/32.png) [@Darth\_Sensitive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Sensitive)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2007, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classes-are-you-taking-next-semester-spring-2008/429915/25 "2007-12-14T06:48:52Z")
Freshman, 2nd Semester, Mechanical Engineering Calc II - Nervous, as I supposedly tested out of this but am not confident Physics I - Tested out, but want some honors credit and GPA boosters Statics Microeconomics Engineering programming - visual basic ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2007, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classes-are-you-taking-next-semester-spring-2008/429915/26 "2007-12-14T06:59:31Z")
> [@Queen Bruin](#): > > For many, if not most art history classes, you will have an exam based on a series of images. For my Classics art history/archaeology courses at UCLA, the professor usually assigned \>100 slides relevant to the course. For each of those slides, I am expected to remember what it shows, the technique used, the site where it was discovered, the period it was done in, the museum it now resides in, and other notable facts. > > At JC, my AH prof. had us do the same thing, only she would also pick two “mystery” slides, something we hadn’t seen in class but had to identify, giving a persuasive essay as to why we thought it was what it was (very easy intro-level classes, she always picked distinctive “Well no shit” sort of stuff.) Ah, OK. Sounds like the listening exam I had in Rock History (and was supposed to have in Jazz History, but the teacher didn’t get it ready in time so we didn’t get to do it). As you might have guessed, the students in the Rock History class were a lot less serious and a lot more juvenile than the students in Jazz History, and they _whined_ and _bitched_ about taking a listening test. I couldn’t believe it. They were actually _complaining_ about a teacher _giving them points for listening to rock music_. Boggles the mind. > [@Queen Bruin](#): > > BTW, Hostile Dialect, I’ve got my fingers crossed for you, and will be thinking of you come April/May. Thanks! 🆒 My dream school right now is Berkeley, since George Lakoff, one of my favorite linguists, teaches there. If I get into both Berkeley and UCLA it’ll be a really tough call, though. ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2007, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classes-are-you-taking-next-semester-spring-2008/429915/27 "2007-12-14T07:08:15Z")
[QUOTE=Hostile Dialect] Ah, OK. Sounds like the listening exam I had in Rock History (and was supposed to have in Jazz History, but the teacher didn’t get it ready in time so we didn’t get to do it). As you might have guessed, the students in the Rock History class were a lot less serious and a lot more juvenile than the students in Jazz History, and they _whined_ and _bitched_ about taking a listening test. [/quote] I had honors music appreciation with the conductor of the local symphony, and the students in there bitched about listening tests, too. Some people will just bitch regardless. > [@](#): > > Thanks! 🆒 My dream school right now is Berkeley, since George Lakoff, one of my favorite linguists, teaches there. If I get into both Berkeley and UCLA it’ll be a really tough call, though. Both are excellent schools, although I know UCLA is known for their linguistics program. Go to Berkeley though so I can live vicariously through you! I’m still sorta bummed that I had to turn them down. Best of luck! ---
**Author:** ![Baffle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dec6dc/32.png) [@Baffle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baffle)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2007, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classes-are-you-taking-next-semester-spring-2008/429915/28 "2007-12-14T11:02:21Z")
European History, 1500-present Biology for liberal arts students History of Ideas - studies of primary sources Issues in Canadian politics ---
**Author:** ![Omi\_no\_Kami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a88e4f/32.png) [@Omi\_no\_Kami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omi_no_Kami)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2007, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classes-are-you-taking-next-semester-spring-2008/429915/29 "2007-12-14T13:02:34Z")
[QUOTE=Hostile Dialect] Hrmm…maybe I should start with morphology and phonology, the things I find the most interesting. Or should I save those for later, and get the hard(er because it’s less interesting to me) stuff out of the way first? [/QUOTE] I don’t know what university you’re at, but can you tell us about what your school’s ling progression is like? If there are multiple phonology courses you’ll probably be happiest taking introductory syntax and phonology in your first semester, and if you think you can handle it it really doesn’t hurt to take intro phonetics at the same time. In any event, once those three prerequisites are out of the way you should take morphology and semantics together, and take whatever advanced phonetics and phonology you want together. Mind you, there’s nothing wrong about starting with morphology, although you should really be talking to one of your department’s advisers about this, since they answer exactly this sort of question on a regular basis. But in any event, depending on the framework they use, syntax will either be extremely useful or largely irrelevant to introductory morphology. Either way, though, syntax, semantics, and phonology are all quite helpful when you take morphology. ---
**Author:** ![Madd\_Maxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Madd\_Maxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Madd_Maxx)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2007, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classes-are-you-taking-next-semester-spring-2008/429915/30 "2007-12-14T13:08:58Z")
[QUOTE=Darth Sensitive] Freshman, 2nd Semester, Mechanical Engineering Calc II - Nervous, as I supposedly tested out of this but am not confident Physics I - Tested out, but want some honors credit and GPA boosters Statics Microeconomics Engineering programming - visual basic [/QUOTE] I’m in Mechanical Engineering about 2nd Semester too. I’m an evening student (with 70+ credits), and I have Statics next semester as well. I would have taken Physics at the same time, but it’s not offered in the evening this semester, so I’ll take that in the Fall. I’m also going to submit a portfolio this semester so I can get credit for Drafting I. I don’t need to learn how to draw a circle, I have been employed as a drafter for 10+ years. I’m in Electric Circuits this semester (Final Monday night) and my prof. says the math we are using this semester is the same for Statics, just with a different application and units. I really hope this is true as I’m getting straight A’s so far. ---
**Author:** ![Shecky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@Shecky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shecky)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2007, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classes-are-you-taking-next-semester-spring-2008/429915/31 "2007-12-14T16:09:34Z")
I’ve got: Strategic Management (with the prof that believes group presentations are better than term papers!) Propaganda in America (no joke. Emphasis on WW2 and GWOT) Intro to Communications (I need 128 credits. This will put me up to 129) I love the last semester! Now, to work on those GMATs. ---
**Author:** ![Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helen_s_Eidolon)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2007, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classes-are-you-taking-next-semester-spring-2008/429915/32 "2007-12-14T17:00:24Z")
[QUOTE=Queen Bruin] Spectacle Entertainment in Ancient Rome [/QUOTE] Nifty! I had a violence in the ancient world class last year, and my prof is coming out with a book soon on the Roman arena. If you need any help or want someone to bounce ideas off of, let me know. I’m taking: Roman Religion (yay!) Italic Dialects (mostly Oscan and Umbrian, I’m told) Independent reading in Latin (fragments of Late Republican orators, the pseudo-Sallustian letters, Caesar’s Civil Wars book 1) I’m also reading for my comps next semester. Should be fun! Oh, also - it’s going to be my last semester of classes for my PhD. How terrifying is that? MY LAST CLASSES EVER. I’m not sure I’m ready for that. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2007, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classes-are-you-taking-next-semester-spring-2008/429915/33 "2007-12-14T17:06:11Z")
Steel Structures 1 Foundation Engineering Soil Mechanics and Behavior Applied Soil Mechanics ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Tyger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Silver\_Tyger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Tyger)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2007, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classes-are-you-taking-next-semester-spring-2008/429915/34 "2007-12-14T17:26:46Z")
Flash Digital Painting & Illustration I hate how hard it is to find night classes. I think I might end up having to switch colleges and that pisses me off. ---
**Author:** ![Sock\_of\_Doom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/71c47a/32.png) [@Sock\_of\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sock_of_Doom)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2007, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classes-are-you-taking-next-semester-spring-2008/429915/35 "2007-12-14T18:25:20Z")
I’m taking **Ukrainian 2** just for fun, and I’m teaching **Organic Chemistry Lab**. Other than that, it’s just tons and tons of research. The joys of being a grad student. ETA: Anyone that has questions about O-Chem stuff, I’m your guy 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![psycat90](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@psycat90](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psycat90)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2007, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classes-are-you-taking-next-semester-spring-2008/429915/36 "2007-12-14T18:28:30Z")
Still chugging along in the Viticulture & Enology program at our local JC. It’s been really fun and interesting so far. I’m looking forward to all of the upcoming classes. I think my husband might take the Wines of France class with me, which will make it especially fun. My spring semester classes: Vineyard Pruning Spring Budding & Grafting Wine & Food Affinities Wine Industry Event Planning Wines of France Ag/Wine Sales & Communication Super easy and fun stuff, but it keeps me busy and helps me prepare for some more industry exams on the horizon. ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2007, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classes-are-you-taking-next-semester-spring-2008/429915/37 "2007-12-14T19:53:46Z")
**Omi no Kami** , thanks for the input. I don’t know yet which of six different universities I’ll be going to next year, so I can’t say anything school-specific until April/May. The school I go to now has exactly one linguistics course, and it’s in the English department. > [@Shecky](#): > > Strategic Management (with the prof that believes group presentations are better than term papers!) Ack! Group presentations are ALWAYS a disaster. I mean, Every. Single. Time. If I were you I would start praying to the deities of your choice that group members each get an individual grade separate from the group grade. > [@Helen's Eidolon](#): > > Oh, also - it’s going to be my last semester of classes for my PhD. How terrifying is that? MY LAST CLASSES EVER. I’m not sure I’m ready for that. Who says you can’t keep taking classes? I had a teacher who told the story of one 80-something student who had been taking college classes for all of his adult life, because he just never got tired of learnin’ stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Plynck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Plynck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plynck)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2007, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classes-are-you-taking-next-semester-spring-2008/429915/38 "2007-12-14T19:59:50Z")
**Advanced Cabinetmaking**. Cutting big pieces of wood into little pieces of wood, then gluing them together back into big pieces of wood. Sounds like it should be an easy A, but I find myself having to retake the class every semester. ---
**Author:** ![myskepticsight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@myskepticsight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/myskepticsight)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2007, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classes-are-you-taking-next-semester-spring-2008/429915/39 "2007-12-14T20:27:21Z")
Yay final semester of undergrad. Health Psychology Integrated Psychology (capstone) History and Systems of Psychology Choosing a Career in Psychology (the first required class for freshmen, but as a transfer I need it now) Research Methods Advanced Expository Writing Can you guess my major yet? And I’m taking an intersession class online starting January 2 - start of new semester. Business Ethics online in 2 weeks, full course and credit. Eek. But it keeps me from staying through the summer. ---
**Author:** ![ThirdCultureKid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbce88/32.png) [@ThirdCultureKid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThirdCultureKid)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2007, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classes-are-you-taking-next-semester-spring-2008/429915/40 "2007-12-15T00:01:33Z")
My second semester, and I’m taking: **International Political Economy** Apparently the Prof is amazing, and this stuff is right up my alley, so… yay! **Introduction to Developing Areas** A comparative PoliSci course… Not the most interesting of my courses, but it fits in my schedule. If I manage to score a better class during the add/drop period, I’ll drop this like a hot potato. If not, meh. **Government and Politics in the Developed World** Cool, eh? **Foreign Policy in the Middle East** very happy I got into this, as apparently it’s a good class **Macroeconomic Analysis and Application** required intro econ course they won’t let me skip out of (I’ve done econ before) which I have to complete before moving on to fun stuff. Anyone wanna guess my major? I’m pretty psyched, to tell you the truth. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classes-are-you-taking-next-semester-spring-2008/429915.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classes-are-you-taking-next-semester-spring-2008/429915.md?page=3)