Well, it is my last semester at UM-Flint, my last semester as an undergrad (knock wood – don’t want to jinx it). Truthfully I don’t want it to be my last semester, I love my school. I am already getting depressed about leaving it behind. I am also excited about the next step – graduate school. Still not sure what I should do but I did go to an open house at Central Michigan University’s satellite campus in Flint (so close to home) and I am really interested in their Masters in Counseling program. That may be the most pragmatic choice.
My last semester…I am not ready for it. There wasn’t much of a break over Christmas. Grrrr. I had like a week. I wanted to do so much reading and writing but didn’t – I really needed some rest so I that is what I did. Now the new semester is really picking up and I am not ready. I haven’t found my groove yet, though I am excited about my classes. I am taking 16 credits again and I am trying to sit in on 2 classes, though not enrolled. This semester I am taking:
Greek and Roman Literature – I wasn’t too sure about this. Mythology has never been all that interesting to me but I am fired up about this class. The professor is excellent (I had her for Shakespeare in Performance last semester and she is intelligent, enthusiastic, fun, creative, and loves discussion and performance). Prof started out the class by introducing us to Joseph Campbell and his ideas about The Hero’s Journey (we all have our own journey), how much religion and literature is based on the same mythic themes, how much in life can be gained from studying the old myths – how they can inform our journey and everyday lives. I love it! It is hard to explain right now but I am sure I will write more about it. Prof has an idea for the class to write their own myths or Hero’s Journey and put it together in a book at the end of the semester – should be fun.
Next I have Shakespeare again. I have always loved Shakespeare (the play Romeo and Juliet and his sonnets were what I knew previously) but I am gaining an even deeper appreciation for his work (his plays are so rich; so many themes to explore) through the great Prof I briefly described above – I have the same professor for Greek and Roman Lit and Shakespeare (it is Shakespeare in History – we will be studying different plays this semester than last. Exciting!). I am learning that Shakespeare explored the ideas of self-concept and identity in many of his plays, long before psychology was thought of, and even before philosophers began to explore the faculties of the mine or human knowledge. Perhaps Shakespeare was the first psychologist? He was certainly a philosopher.
I have joined wind symphony again too. I have fun playing in the band even though I still have difficulties. The practices kind of relax me most of the time – it is some kind of release, a different creative outlet. Every winter semester the symphony does a concert at St. Mathews in Flint and it is lovely. I am quite excited about it; the church is a beautiful setting for a concert and there is some good music planned (though challenging for me – must find time to practice!). All the brass instruments are playing a special piece – we will be divided into three groups and stationed at different places around the church. It is really cool.
I signed up to take health psychology because I heard it is a good class and Dr. Douglas is teaching it. It is about the only psychology class I haven’t taken and I thought it would be informative. So far so good, seems like it will be fairly easy (only 1 paper to write) though Dr. D lacks his usually flair this semester and the class starts at 9:30am, ugh. I hate early morning classes.
There is another Greek and Roman Lit class that Dr. Thomas Foster teaches and since I have a huge break between my early morning class and my next class I decided to just sit in on the class. I had Foster last semester for Modern British Lit and learned lots. I like his lectures and he has written 2 or 3 bestselling books on literature. I read the class description when I signed up for classes last year and it seemed really interesting – more what I was looking for (it is a requirement to take an ancient lit course so it was either classical lit or the Bible as lit, yuck). I was already committed to taking the other one (Shakespeare prof was talking about how much of Will’s stuff was based on old myths and was talking up her class and it sounded interesting). I really was torn between the two Greek and Roman lit classes but I think I made the right choice and luckily I can still learn from Dr. Foster’s lecture without having to do any of the work, ha. And I am even learning more about the Bible since many of the stories in it may have been based on mythology. Everything is connected!
Glutton for punishment that I am, I am attempting to sit in on Dr. D’s social psychology class. I took the class online but I thought it would be good to hear some lectures and get a review. Social psych does not seem to be Dr. D’s favorite so I don’t know about this idea. I’ll see I guess. I don’t have to attend the class if it ends up to be a waste of time…I would really like to sit in on an abnormal psych class. Oh, and a research and design class again, and a stats class…Ahhhhh. I am trying to drive myself nuts.
If all that is not enough I signed up for a poetry class – it is Advanced Creative Writing. I would really rather write prose fiction but Jan Worth-Nelson, my amazing professor who taught Creative Non-Fiction class last semester is teaching it and I couldn’t pass it up. I don’t know too much about poetry but I have written a sappy poem or two back in the day and now I have a chance to write an ode to my husband’s penis, ha! Jan said I could, tee hee. Seriously, I am not great with poetry but I am getting a little fired up over it, thinking about all that I can do and I know the class will help me with my writing overall. For this class we have to keep a journal again, though not as intense as last semester and we have a class blog. Fun, fun. So far it has been easy because we have only worked on haiku – can’t wait until we get to the challenging villanelle.
Oh no! The forgotten class! I have an online course – Postmodern American Literature – so far so good even though I almost forget about it through the week. The class started off with some basic history about the literary period (1939 til now), then with some poems (not too good). This week is good though – we are reading Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar. So far I am really ‘feeling’ it. It is just what I need to read– another mentally ill author who committed suicide. The story is really good though and it is semi-biographical; it is about the author’s own young adult struggles with mental health issues. Interesting…
So many classes – I love it yet it is demanding. On top of it I am trying to get some things going for Psi Chi (Psychology Honor Society and club). I was able to get our group an organizational Blackboard so I can keep the member informed about meetings, events, etc. We have a Facebook but I thought this year’s officers could store documents on Bb to pass along to the next group. I would like to start a discussion board and put a bunch of links and information on it too. I really want to get a Psi Chi blog going – I have so many ideas to write about and there really is a need to inform incoming students about Psi Chi, succeeding as a psychology major, and about applying and getting into grad school (not to mention research and internships, plus lots more – I get overwhelmed thinking about all I can do with a Psi Chi blog). In addition to Psi Chi I would like to become a little involved it the other honor societies I belong to. I am just not sure how I can fit it all in. Since when did I become an overachiever?
The semester is off in a whirlwind. Luckily I get to see many of my friends and classmates from last semester. I had some fabulous long lunches at the start of the semester with mi amigas Melanie and Jeanette I want to put in my memory bank (it will have to be out on loan right now). I wish I could write what we talked about but it is too, too thrilling for some, ha. I will have to journal it. I just haven’t had much time for personal writing though. I hope I find my groove soon because as always, there is so much to do, so much I want to do, and so much to read, write and learn.
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