Yes, yes... the shackles have bound me to my books, computer, and, of course, blog for creative outlet.
I realize that many of you have had less than savory statistical experiences due to the dryness of the topic, in conjunction with a substandard professor. Not at the Home of the Terps! A few gems heard this past week:
Professor of Data Collection (British chap): "We are, of course, employed in the study of survey sadistics...oh! I mean, I wasn't implying that... well..." (you know I just have to take this one and run...)
Professor of Statistical Methods (Southern chap): "I watched myself teaching on video last week. It was terrible. I haven't lived in Arkansas for 30 years, but I still sound like Billy Bob Thornton..."
Professor of Cognitive Psychology (American chap): "Students at Michigan, you will see me in the flesh next week, where my resemblance to Eric Clapton is even MORE uncanny!!"
So during a few moments of mental wanderings (I know, I know, 3.5 hour long classes, how could my rapturous attentions possibly stray??), I started thinking about my illustrious undergraduate career, and, scintillating though four semesters of straight statistics will be in my continuing quest for "Master Keng", I pined a bit for the "extracurricular" classes I was able to take at BYU.
A few examples:
- Fall semester 1998: Introduction to Calligraphy
- Fall semester 1999: Beginner Bowling and Intro to Ceramics (headed by a large, portly, sweaty, hairy man in his late 20's, whose first uttered sentence upon entrance was "Fellas, 'Ghost' this ain't!")
- Fall semester 2001: Chinese Calligraphy, Bookbinding, and Badminton (highest GPA ever that semester); the best part being the badminton teacher announcing that "the Chinese are historically EXTREMELY talented at badminton", sending all the students edging away from me... until they discovered within the week that I was a racial anomaly.
Warmest Regards,
Asian Keng
Survey Sadist
5 comments:
Picture me this....The professor is at the front of the classroom, the power point is projected on the board, as he presses his button to advance the slide, neural crest cells migrate toward the cephalic region of the forming embryo and what happens next...the spinal cord is born. Sweet huh, I'd have to say the coolest class I ever did take was Developmental Biology, learning how cool became to be cool.
I believe i would have to say that was Myth and Lit for me. Where else do you get to watch the entire Star Wars (original) collection & The Matrix, eat pizza, and drink wine in a box, and have it count as a grade just because you showed for class...Long Live Juniata College!
I would love to say "scuba diving!" but every time I went to sign up, it was already full. Boo. Instead, I'll have to go with my latin dancing class. It taught me everything I needed to know for those nights at the salsa clubs.
I took a class on the history of Disney. Best part about it...it wasn't even an extracurricular. It counted as credit towards my major. We watched a different Disney movie every week. American Studies is the BEST! Though I have to say, my favorite class ever was printmaking.
My entire senior year: skiing, guitar, drawing, creative nonfiction writing, even a retirement planning course for good measure, my senior year rocked!
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