Ten Strength Duncan (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} barrios) wrote,@ 2008-08-26 17:51:00 |
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New semester. Thoughts and observations two days in:
Buying textbooks is everybody's favorite part of school. I got off alright though, through a combination of buying used books on line, generous people, and simply opting not to buy my computer science text. I thought I was going to get off super light on my physics book, which is this $180 asshole brick of a book we're supposed to lug around for 3 semesters. Only this is the last semester my school will be using it, so it will be completely useless to me come December. Being that it is uncomfortably large, I know a guy who had his unbound and 3 hole punched so he could carry only the sections he needed around. He gave me the section I need, so for the price of a 3 ring binder (four bucks) I get to avoid buying and carrying the thing. Except it turned out to be a different asshole brick of a book than I need, so I still need to buy that fucker. Buying used is usually pretty good, except they rarely list the edition number, so I'm always worried about getting hosed.
Still, I'll probably get away with spending less than $250 on books this semester, which is pretty good. The goodness is blunted by the fact that I have to buy two of these damned classroom clickers. I am really unhappy about that. The physics department doesn't like the model that the University chose to be the standard, so I have to buy a separate one just for that class.
This wouldn't be a problem if I had money. Solution: Get money.
Here are some interesting numbers.
Physics: 5:48
Calculus: 4:31
Discrete Math: 1:34
Computer Science: 4:44
Those are the female:male ratios of students who showed up to my classes. This is at a school in which the entire student population is 55% female. Now, I never intended to pick up any nerd girls in my nerd classes, but this still bothers me only because it seems to reinforce the stereotype about women, math and science. Also, it was funny but sad to hear the room fall silent and watch 30 nerds all stare at the one girl when she entered the room this morning.
While I am looking forward to my classes, I can't say I don't regret not applying myself more when I was younger and going to a better school. Oops.
Buying textbooks is everybody's favorite part of school. I got off alright though, through a combination of buying used books on line, generous people, and simply opting not to buy my computer science text. I thought I was going to get off super light on my physics book, which is this $180 asshole brick of a book we're supposed to lug around for 3 semesters. Only this is the last semester my school will be using it, so it will be completely useless to me come December. Being that it is uncomfortably large, I know a guy who had his unbound and 3 hole punched so he could carry only the sections he needed around. He gave me the section I need, so for the price of a 3 ring binder (four bucks) I get to avoid buying and carrying the thing. Except it turned out to be a different asshole brick of a book than I need, so I still need to buy that fucker. Buying used is usually pretty good, except they rarely list the edition number, so I'm always worried about getting hosed.
Still, I'll probably get away with spending less than $250 on books this semester, which is pretty good. The goodness is blunted by the fact that I have to buy two of these damned classroom clickers. I am really unhappy about that. The physics department doesn't like the model that the University chose to be the standard, so I have to buy a separate one just for that class.
This wouldn't be a problem if I had money. Solution: Get money.
Here are some interesting numbers.
Physics: 5:48
Calculus: 4:31
Discrete Math: 1:34
Computer Science: 4:44
Those are the female:male ratios of students who showed up to my classes. This is at a school in which the entire student population is 55% female. Now, I never intended to pick up any nerd girls in my nerd classes, but this still bothers me only because it seems to reinforce the stereotype about women, math and science. Also, it was funny but sad to hear the room fall silent and watch 30 nerds all stare at the one girl when she entered the room this morning.
While I am looking forward to my classes, I can't say I don't regret not applying myself more when I was younger and going to a better school. Oops.
