This last week was the first week of the semester, and it got off to a slow start. I need to take lots and lots of classes this semester to make up for not getting enough credit last semester, and hopefully to speed up the German-learning process. Actually, about my German, it’s kind of funny. I find it easier to speak and carry on conversations in German after being away and hardly speaking any for a month. But it still has a long way to go.

As usual, the university has me confused and puzzled over many things. But I’ve learned to not get worked up over these things and just let them sort themselves out. Only three of the classes on my list of classes to check out started the first week; the rest meet for the first time this coming week. And the three I went to got progressively better as the week went on, so things are looking pretty good so far. One was an American studies seminar about the history of the (American) south. I expected it to be in English, which for the most part it wasn’t, but in English or German I couldn’t understand a single word the professor said because he mumbled everything. I don’t know how anyone in the room understood him, but I guess they had a slight advantage in that their German was all far better than mine. I stand by my claim that it had nothing to do with the language though. So, that’s all very sad because from what I could actually understand it sounded like it would be extremely interesting and something I would enjoy. I doubt I’ll be going back next week. I also attended a class on syntax. I have absolutely no background in linguistics, but based on this class it seems like something I could be interested in. And lastly (is that a word?) I went to a class on the concept of “self” in American literature from Emerson to the present. Liz summed it up quite well at the end of class when she said “I’m in love with this prof. I’m going to marry him.” I wouldn’t go quite that far…but he’s a very young guy with a great sense of humor and really good taste in literature. So it promises to be an enjoyable class. If next week’s classes are half as interesting as this week’s were then this is going to be a great semester.

It doesn’t affect me because I refuse to take another class with this woman, but Petra Feld has struck again. She was the prof of the Vietnam War class I took last semester and basically she’s an irresponsible drunk. A few times she just didn’t show up to class, gave no warning or explanation or whatever, and she’s currently making life very difficult for Dave who’s trying to graduate in a few weeks and needs her to grade his final paper from the class so they can take care of transfering credits and such. But this semester she’s teaching a class on the Civil War. I guess she likes wars. In the book of all the course offerings for the semester it was listed as beginning on the 15th of April. Justin is planning to take the class, so Friday afternoon he went to the room at the appointed time and there were only 2 other people there waiting. They soon found out that she had pushed back the first meeting to next week and only posted it on a bulletin board somewhere in the building. I’m glad I don’t have to deal with her antics any longer, though I haven’t gotten my paper back either so I may have to at some point.

Let the classes begin!