College Related Freak Out...

[Syka]

*sigh* I'm still juggling which classes I'll be taking Fall term.

Now...I'm starting to worry because I have signed up for a class called "Language and Cultures". Now, this should work given my major is Classics: Ancient Languages, and I'm planning to do Graduate school with a focus on the culture of the Roman Empire, specifically the outlying territories. The only thing is...I'm doing my typical, "zomg gunna fail gunna fail no way I can do good!" :smalleek: It doesn't help that the professor is on neither rate my professor nor the departments website.

I'm sure I'll do fine but I still have these panicky moments where I wonder if I'm completely screwing up my life. Any calming words? Words of encouragement? I know this'll pass, but I can't get a hold of my mom and I need someone to reassure me. :smallfrown:

Cheers,
Syka

PS- Oh yah, by taking this class...my schedule totally rocks. :) I'm only in classes Tuesday-Thursday.

[crimson77]

It doesn't help that the professor is on neither rate my professor nor the departments website.

I do not think that the rate your professor websites give you an accurate perception of one's professor. For one to vote they have to be motivated, it is not a true sample of the class. For instance, if one did really poorly in the class by not producing University level material, they might grade the professor lower.

I believe that one can do well in any class if:
1. They have the intelligence and achievement level to do well in that class.
2. You put forth the effort and go to office hours when they feel overwhelmed
3. Learn study skills

However, if the professor starts out the class in any of these ways:
1. "No one here deserves an 'A' so do not expect it."
2. "Look around you, there are 120 students in this class, only six will get an 'A'."

Then you should drop the class and take it from another professor (In less you are absolutely certain that you can beat out 95% of your classmates.)

[SweetLikeLemons]

Does your university have a time period after the semester begins where you can drop and add classes with no penalty? Because if they do, you have a chance to actually experience the class before you decide. Also, if you are worried that you don't have the background you would need to do well in the class, ask the professor about it. I can't imagine that would be a huge problem, though, since it does seem to tie in with your major. Anyway, good luck. Just from the title, it sounds like it could be a really interesting class.

[Zeb The Troll]

I don't see where you'd get the idea that you might fail. All evidence points to the conclusion that you're sharp as a tack and willing to put the work into what needs to be done.

I have every confidence that you'll do just fine. You might stress. You might panic. But you will pass and it will be over before you know it. And that schedule will give you plenty of down time to regroup and refocus if you need.

By the way, that sounds like a pretty interesting field of study. Far more so than my BS in Information Technology.

[Syka]

I've actually found Rate My Professor to be fairly accurate. If I see a bad review or two out of 20 good, I normally ignore it. However when it says something like, "Teacher sucks, all he talks about is quantum physics" for a Spanish teacher, and ALL the reviews are like that...I've learned to acknowledge it. (Yes, real experience...*twitch* Hated that teacher...) I also have learned warning signs that a teacher is going to be incredibly unfair via my mom (she was told at the beginning of a class that "College isn't meant for people your age, be happy if you get a D." by a professor a few years back...She got a D...)

Yes, there is an add drop period and I intend to take full advantage of it. :) Which is why I'm currently enrolled in 18 credits but only intend to take 12...I'm going to drop 2 classes. I already know which 2 will probably be dropped, but it's "just in case".

I know I'll do fine, but my mind has a way of over reacting. It does this in many situations, and I've learned that it passes after about 5-10 minutes. But normally it helps to vent, and I have no one readily available at the time being.

But I really am looking forward to this semester. I'll be taking Roman Drama, Plato, Pysychology of Suicide, and Languages and Cultures. :) Should be fun. And I'll only be in classes Tues-Thur.

EDIT: And thanks, y'all. It's good to hear encouragement. :smallsmile:

Cheers,
Syka

[Serpentine]

I once made $2 off a friend with insecurities like these. After the exams she was all "OMG I suck I'm gonna fail!" so I bet she wouldn't. She came out with something stupid like all HDs :smallsigh: (HD=High Distinction=best mark available).

[SweetLikeLemons]

Your class list looks both depressing and fascinating. Those Romans had some crazy, crazy drama.

[Syka]

Well, Roman Drama and Plato are both translation classes (latin and greek respectively). I'm looking forward to learning more dirty words in an ancient language. ;)

Cheers,
Syka

[Hell Puppi]

Pysychology of Suicide?
Man I want to take that one. No seriously, I like psychology/social behavior classes, but there's desperately few of them here.

[ForzaFiori]

syka, u just gave me an awsome idea for a major when i get to college. anceint languges sounds awsome.

and come one, i've been here what, a couple weeks, tops, and i already know your a brilliant person. you'll do great in every class.

[FdL]

Come on, Syka. You're a smart girl. You cannot really think you're going to fail a class before taking it...

In any case, you should not panic beforehand based on your anxiety and vague facts...Just get on with it and I'm sure you'll do fine. ;)

"Rate My Professor"? What a good idea!

[Alarra]

Everyone panics a bit, it's natural, but I'm sure you'll do just fine. *hugs*
*repeats everyone that's come before her* You're a very smart girl after all.

Psychology of Suicide?
I would love to take that class. Not to mention how exceptionally helpful it would have been for my internship last semester. But it sounds really interesting as well.

[SDF]

*sigh* I'm still juggling which classes I'll be taking Fall term.

Now...I'm starting to worry because I have signed up for a class called "Language and Cultures". Now, this should work given my major is Classics: Ancient Languages, and I'm planning to do Graduate school with a focus on the culture of the Roman Empire, specifically the outlying territories. The only thing is...I'm doing my typical, "zomg gunna fail gunna fail no way I can do good!" :smalleek: It doesn't help that the professor is on neither rate my professor nor the departments website.

I'm sure I'll do fine but I still have these panicky moments where I wonder if I'm completely screwing up my life. Any calming words? Words of encouragement? I know this'll pass, but I can't get a hold of my mom and I need someone to reassure me. :smallfrown:

Cheers,
Syka

PS- Oh yah, by taking this class...my schedule totally rocks. :) I'm only in classes Tuesday-Thursday.

I get this a lot. I'll feel like, "OMGBBQ, if I don't ace this test I'll drop to a B and never get into med school." or think that I've already failed to achieve what I'm going to need and am wasting my time. So far I've planed out the next three years of my degree down to every class (It's going to take me 5 years to graduate total with the double major) so I don't have a lot of flexibility. Talking to a department councilor can be a load off your mind, because if there is anything to help with your sanity, I've found they are pretty good in that respect. They can also tell you about teachers you are going to have and what to expect. Sounds like you have an interesting major, that most importantly you seem to have passion for. Which is why, without knowing too much about it, I think you will do well.


I've actually found Rate My Professor to be fairly accurate. If I see a bad review or two out of 20 good, I normally ignore it. However when it says something like, "Teacher sucks, all he talks about is quantum physics" for a Spanish teacher, and ALL the reviews are like that...I've learned to acknowledge it. (Yes, real experience...*twitch* Hated that teacher...) I also have learned warning signs that a teacher is going to be incredibly unfair via my mom (she was told at the beginning of a class that "College isn't meant for people your age, be happy if you get a D." by a professor a few years back...She got a D...)

I know I'll do fine, but my mind has a way of over reacting. It does this in many situations, and I've learned that it passes after about 5-10 minutes. But normally it helps to vent, and I have no one readily available at the time being.

But I really am looking forward to this semester. I'll be taking Roman Drama, Plato, Pysychology of Suicide, and Languages and Cultures. :) Should be fun. And I'll only be in classes Tues-Thur.

Cheers,
Syka

I remember my mom telling me when she took her drivers exam the first time the instructor told her he didn't pass girls their first time, and yes, she failed.

Sounds like a nice load. Monday and Wednesday I get off at 2:30 and those are my easy days, the rest of the time I'm in a class, lab, or research lab :smallsigh:

I've been getting anxious about these things more and more often, but I'm sure we'll both do well at what we have to do. :smallbiggrin:

[Syka]

SDF, I wish I could plan ahead. As it is, they want me to graduate in December 2008. Which means I've got a year and a half to do all my preparations for Graduate school. :smalleek:

I'll live. The most I can says is I'll take X amount of electives and X amount of classics classes per semester. For some reason they don't release schedules a head of time. *grumble* If they did I'd be set.

Honestly, though my departmental advisor seems nice, I actually have found talking to my teachers to be more helpful, one of whom is a grad student here who also did undergrad, so she literally knows all the classes- having taken them. My advisor said to take one class over the Roman Drama, but upon talking to my Latin teacher I found out that the guy teaching Roman Drama is retiring this year, so this is pretty much the only chance I'll get to have it, whereas Vergil is taught all the time.

Good luck! You're doing med school, right? I don't envy you. :) I wish you the best of luck.

Cheers,
Syka

[Breaon]

Go meet your professor before class starts; visit his office hours, chat with him, chat with some of his grad students.

[Amotis]

I'm only in classes Tuesday-Thursday.

YOU SUUUUUUUCK! AAAARRRRRRRGGGG! :smallfurious:

-_-;;

I had that my first semester freshman year. It was awesome. :smallbiggrin:

[Syka]

Haha. Keep in mind, this makes up for the fact that, excepting most of May, and a week for spring and summer break each, I've been in Accelerated Ancient Greek 5 days a week since January. (Jan 5-May 3; Jun 4-Jun 25; Jul 2-Aug 10) :smallwink: Thank God I'll be done with that class come August.

Cheers,
Syka...who loves her teacher, not the grammar so much...

[SDF]

SDF, I wish I could plan ahead. As it is, they want me to graduate in December 2008. Which means I've got a year and a half to do all my preparations for Graduate school. :smalleek:

I'll live. The most I can says is I'll take X amount of electives and X amount of classics classes per semester. For some reason they don't release schedules a head of time. *grumble* If they did I'd be set.

Good luck! You're doing med school, right? I don't envy you. :) I wish you the best of luck.

Cheers,
Syka

I pretty much have to plan out everything or I'll end up taking longer to graduate by forgetting a grad requirement, and that would suck. :P I want to get into the PhD/MD program at Hopkins and while doing med school earn a PhD in Epidemiology. So I have to be super student and do all the extracurriculars I can as well. I certainly don't envy me, but I have a passion for it and I enjoy school, even when it drives me crazy.

Have you thought about where you want to go to grad school? What kind of job do you want when you are done? Classics sounds like a fascinating area of study. I'll wish you luck too, but at this point I think dedication will help both of us out more. :smallbiggrin:

[LCR]

Sounds really interesting, I love the Roman Empire, but what exactly are you going to do with that after grad school?
I've also contemplated studying history or literature or anything, but figured that besides teaching (which I shouldn't do ... for the sake of my students), I couldn't really do anything with it. University would have been extremely fun, but afterwards I would have to work outside the field I've originally studied. And I didn't really want to study something for 6+ years and then do something completely different.
So I chose Medical School, which absolutely love.


I pretty much have to plan out everything or I'll end up taking longer to graduate by forgetting a grad requirement, and that would suck. :P I want to get into the PhD/MD program at Hopkins and while doing med school earn a PhD in Epidemiology. So I have to be super student and do all the extracurriculars I can as well. I certainly don't envy me, but I have a passion for it and I enjoy school, even when it drives me crazy.

Have you thought about where you want to go to grad school? What kind of job do you want when you are done? Classics sounds like a fascinating area of study. I'll wish you luck too, but at this point I think dedication will help both of us out more. :smallbiggrin:

Oh. PhD/MD programs ... It can't be worse. Good luck with that. I'll try the Heidelberg program, aiming for a PhD in a neurology-related field. Maybe that'll work, but I've got still two years, before the program starts, so there's plenty of time to change my mind.
And tell me, if you've gotten in and had a nervous break-down because of all the work. I'd really love to know, so I've got a reason to chicken out :smallwink:

[Bardic Bunny]

Its not worth worrying over. Take it from someone who knows. When I was in school I'd worry over everything. And not only does it do no good, but its a waste of life.

Just do the best you can. That's all that you or anyone else can ask of you.

[Syka]

I'm going to be applying at my undergrad school, FSU, Rutgers, Princeton, and UPenn. Maybe...I think it's...UNC? I think they're supposed to have a pretty good Classics Grad program. If I'm feeling really froggy, Cambridge and Oxford....But that is more me wishful thinking, than really considering it. As is, the two Ivies would be highly doubtful. Hehe. I'd love UPenn though, Philly is a favorite city of mine. Chances are it will be one of the public schools, though.

I want to focus, hopefully, on how the culture differed on the outer fringes of the empire versus the main city of Rome. I eventually plan on becoming a Professor at a University, probably'll end up teaching Latin and Greek but I really want to teach Civ classes. Lots of Civ classes. :) My goal is to maybe get a latin program started at the community college back home, since I've talked to loads of people who took it in high school and wished they'd been able to take it in college.

Cheers,
Syka

[ForzaFiori]

I'm going to be applying at my undergrad school, FSU, Rutgers, Princeton, and UPenn. Maybe...I think it's...UNC? I think they're supposed to have a pretty good Classics Grad program. If I'm feeling really froggy, Cambridge and Oxford....But that is more me wishful thinking, than really considering it. As is, the two Ivies would be highly doubtful. Hehe. I'd love UPenn though, Philly is a favorite city of mine. Chances are it will be one of the public schools, though.

I want to focus, hopefully, on how the culture differed on the outer fringes of the empire versus the main city of Rome. I eventually plan on becoming a Professor at a University, probably'll end up teaching Latin and Greek but I really want to teach Civ classes. Lots of Civ classes. :) My goal is to maybe get a latin program started at the community college back home, since I've talked to loads of people who took it in high school and wished they'd been able to take it in college.

Cheers,
Syka

UNC? i'd have to like...never communicate with you again.
its bad enough your a gator, but if u were an ex-gator tarheel, that would be like...tatooing 666 on your forehead.

[Exeson]

Its obviously an area that you enjoy and therefore you will do well. full stop. Even if your prof. is not the best, and do not forget books are your best friend when it comes to studying things another person cannot teach you. I for one am doing both Latin and ancient Greek at school and then moving on to Classical Civ. and despite my main efforts going into subjects such as Biology and chemistry because they are the ones I want to carry on I have improved in both classical subjects just because I enjoyed the subjects so much. I went from a C grade or under student to a solid B grade student in only 1 term.

Bottom Line: Don't worry, if you love it you will be good at it no matter what and if you decide you will be good then you will be, no need to freak out. :-)

[SDF]

I'm going to be applying at my undergrad school, FSU, Rutgers, Princeton, and UPenn. Maybe...I think it's...UNC? I think they're supposed to have a pretty good Classics Grad program. If I'm feeling really froggy, Cambridge and Oxford....But that is more me wishful thinking, than really considering it. As is, the two Ivies would be highly doubtful. Hehe. I'd love UPenn though, Philly is a favorite city of mine. Chances are it will be one of the public schools, though.

I want to focus, hopefully, on how the culture differed on the outer fringes of the empire versus the main city of Rome. I eventually plan on becoming a Professor at a University, probably'll end up teaching Latin and Greek but I really want to teach Civ classes. Lots of Civ classes. :) My goal is to maybe get a latin program started at the community college back home, since I've talked to loads of people who took it in high school and wished they'd been able to take it in college.

Cheers,
Syka

At the very least if you have the money it should be worth applying. I think we can all sell ourselves short when analyzing our own potential, I just hope I don't overcompensate. :P I have a cousin at Cambridge studying languages, I think she is going into Peru to teach English in the more cut off parts of the country. I also plan on applying to 4 ivies my family has graduated from. My grandfather got his MD at Berkeley, so I am applying there, as well as Harvard where he got his undergrad. Then my dad has a MS from MIT and Stanford so I'm applying to those. Of course Stanford is the hardest medical school to get into in the world so I'm not holding my breath. I still have to pick two safety schools as well.

The goal to bring education to people that otherwise wouldn't have access to it is one I would consider very noble. Right now my long term plans include joining Doctors Without Borders two years after my residency ends, and maybe get a job with the CDC after that. I'm trying to learn Arabic by the time my undergrad ends, and to start on French so I can have that down by the time I'm done with grad school so I can go to a place like Sudan or the DRC.

[Syka]

SDF, I admire what you are doing. :smallsmile: I wish you only the best of luck, and I'm sure we'll be hearing about you some day.

But yah...that's the problem. Money. Plus, I have no ties with the Ivies in any way, shape, or form. Oh wells. I definitely wouldn't mind staying in Florida. My aspirations are much smaller than yours, I simply want to teach at a community college. Maybe High school if someone manages to talk me into it. Admittedly, I hope I'm able to pass on the fire of the Classics like my Latin teacher did for me, but I mainly aim to live my life comfortably and happy. However that may be.

But happiness is paramount.

Cheers,
Syka

[SDF]

SDF, I admire what you are doing. :smallsmile: I wish you only the best of luck, and I'm sure we'll be hearing about you some day.

But yah...that's the problem. Money. Plus, I have no ties with the Ivies in any way, shape, or form. Oh wells. I definitely wouldn't mind staying in Florida. My aspirations are much smaller than yours, I simply want to teach at a community college. Maybe High school if someone manages to talk me into it. Admittedly, I hope I'm able to pass on the fire of the Classics like my Latin teacher did for me, but I mainly aim to live my life comfortably and happy. However that may be.

But happiness is paramount.

Cheers,
Syka

:smallredface: I'm not that admirable, I couldn't begin to claim my motives are altruistic... I just hope they aren't selfish. I can't save the world, or change much of it, I can just help it along the best I can. I'm not going to try and get famous. I'm not a reporter, but you can bet when I go I'll try to tell the stories that need to be told... I'm getting better with my camera every day :P

I happy life is a good life, and if anything I hope you find that, no matter how you end up. Money is always hard. I'm sure you know this, but talk to the financial aid office about various scholarships you qualify for, and just apply to as many as you can. I find a lot of them go underutilized. It is hard to do college loans in fields that aren't going to make you rich, especially if you go to a private ivy. I wish I could tell you more, but I'm about as far along as you are, but you can do it, I believe! :smallbiggrin:

[Thrawn183]

Urgh, my school's drop add period ends so quickly I have never had a grade back before the end of it.

Ok, so maybe I've had a quiz or a homework back a couple of times, but certainly never a test. Going to two days of class does not usually tell you if you should drop it or not. (And man has my gpa suffered from some classes I should have dropped)