Fall 2010 Course Preview

Trafton B.

October 9, 2010 - 11:44 AM

Alright, sorry about the delay folks, sometimes classes get in the way of writing about my classes. I know you've all be waiting to hear about what new and exciting topics I have the privilege of filling my head with and I wouldn't want to get in the way so I'll give it to you straight. If you've already peaked ahead, I don't blame you, but don't be fooled by the number of courses in my schedule. I'm taking seven courses total, but half of them are one-credit courses that only meet a couple times during the term. I'll do my best to explain by running through my weekly schedule in chronological order.

Let's start with Monday morning.....

Billiards I (PEI 221). That's right, my week kicks off with Billiard at the Break every Monday at 9:00 AM. Normally students dread going to sleep on Sunday night. The weekend is over, you stayed up late finishing a homework assignment, and you have to set your alarm for the first time in two days. I, on the other hand, can't wait to hop on the bus to campus because I know that there's an hour left on my relaxation time. A morning pool session might be the best cure for a bad case of the ‘Mondays.'

Rock History 1950-1970 (MUS 264). Man, it just keeps getting better! I'm not talking about history of rocks. I'm talking about the rise of rock and roll from its roots in pop and rhythm & blues - Les Paul's solid body electric guitar, Elvis' blue suede shoes and Little Richard's ridiculously flamboyant outfits. I just finished up my first assignment. I had to listen to and analyze Chuck Berry's 1956 single, Roll Over Beethoven. Listening to music for homework! I could get used to this. If anyone wants to do a little "homework" themselves, I've embedded an MP3 below so you can listen along.

And did I mention that my roommate, Winston, is in both Billiards and Rock History with me. Word to the wise, take classes with friends. It makes any class ten times more fun.

Quantitative Analysis (PPPM 413). Okay, fun's over. Quantitative analysis sounds so daunting and cumbersome, but it's really not as terrifying as it sounds. It's more or less an applied statistics course for planning and public policy students. The material is pretty dry, but it's subject area I'll need to know in the future. Not to mention we're learning how to use statistical software called Stata to manage and analyze data. It's like the smoke and mirrors that goes behind all those surveys we see in magazines and newspapers, like "President's Approval Rating" and "What's your favorite Lady Gaga accessory?" One of the first things our Prof. Jacobsen said in class was "This is a course to make you more attractive to potential employers." Probably worth my time, don't ya think?

Social Plan GIS (PPPM 436). I've already gone into thorough detail about the context of this course in a previous post, Sustainable City Initiative - Salem, so I won't bore you anymore than I need to. I will tell you that after only two lab assignments I can safely say that this course might be the end of me - i.e. GIS really flippin' hard! I think the first lab alone was harder than the entire Intro to Urban GIS class I took last Winter. But I'm definitely learning a whole lot, and it's hard to complain when you professor is so understanding and supportive. Listen to this email he sent yesterday. "Tuesday's lab may stretch you a bit again, so let me know how things go. As I said in class, I have no need to be your tormentor, but I also expect a high level of effort, so as long as we work together to find that balance, I am open to feedback." Thanks, Prof. Schlossberg.

Photoshop I & II (ART 198). Here's one of those one-credit courses I alluded to earlier - actually, it's two one-credit courses to be precise. Beginning Photoshop met on Monday and Wednesday of the first week of classes, so I'm already finished with that, and Intermediate Photoshop meets on the same nights in two weeks. Fun class. It's basically playing around on Adobe Photoshop with an expert watching over your should and giving you tips. Plus our professor's name is Skipper McFarlane. Skip, for short.

Grant Proposal Writing (PPPM 422). And here's one last one-credit course to round out the bill at seventeen credits total. This class only meets twice during the term, and it's a pair of three-hour classes on Wednesday nights. It's exactly what it sounds like, learning about every step in the process of writing and applying for grant money. Again it's a dry topic, but it's a usual skill to know. There seems to be a trend in skill building courses this term.