Sunday, February 16, 2020

NOT a Short Essay


          February 14 was the deadline for the short essay contest through the University.  The topic to write about one of the following:

Most memorable class or instructor, most valuable lesson or how the university changed my life.  I guess I could have gone for the third one and stayed with the 150 word maximum limit.  But I was certain that I would have well more than 150 words for the others.

Recently I have gone back to revisit some of the discussions that were posted.  I notice that I got a late start on the discussions in my first two classes.  I had wondered why as I have always been among the first to post to a discussion but then remembered that unlike most of my classmates who had actually started on Monday, I was not given the opportunity to do so until Wednesday.  (That definitely feels like a run-on sentence)

There had been a miscommunication on the parts of administration and I wasn’t able to get into the system until Wednesday – back in June 2016 when I started taking courses for an accounting major.  The first two classes were generic – everybody-takes-these-classes-regardless-of-major.  There were no live lectures. The two classes offered prerecorded classes with a link to YouTube.  Each instructor took a turn of being available to answer any questions or assist.  Of course, being that they were my first two classes, I had nothing to compare them to and so did not realize that the conduct wasn’t the norm of each class I would have since. 

The university was big on APA format and I think pushed Owl Purdue.  Or perhaps it was just that first instructor really did have a thing for it and really did trust it and really thought it would be helpful to everyone and would constantly refer me to the site.  Owl Purdue did nothing for me but frustrate me – not that my instructor was a great improvement since we were obviously not seeing eye-to-eye about how to fulfill my understanding (or lack thereof)

There were a few instructors that had great respect for, good standing with, or admired in some other way.  One of them, Whitney, was my English instructor, who as it turns out is/was the Dean of English Department . . . I suppose I could look it up to see if she teaches there currently, but I’m choosing not to do so at this time.  As you can see from my spectacular grammar skills (meant in the most sarcastic way) I was a star pupil in her class. 

I really did receive high marks in the class, but this post may say otherwise.  But I am more interested in posting something right now and checking the grammar at a later time (if ever).  She didn’t seem to care for Owl Purdue much either – but I think was required by the University to mention it.  She had other resources and links and homework trackers and was very helpful – unlike my first instructor.  She explained things on my level.  I really enjoyed having her as an instructor.

There are several other instructors I had – one of whom I had already written about in another essay.  My first encounter with Sarah was while I was taking the Whitney’s English class.  One week the students were required to visit the writing center and have an instructor proofread our assignment.  I expressed my grief in this post but did not mention the final result.

I don’t know if Sarah could hear the tears or frustration in my voice.  She said she would correct my assignment and return it to the canvas inbox so that I could have it.  I was quite grateful to her to take the time to do that.  I didn’t realize at the time I would have three more contacts with her.

The second contact I made was at my first online assembly which I posted here. The following month I was in her history class.  That was when I made the connection – that she had taken the time to give me feedback when I had been in Whitney’s class.  In my final year, Sarah was the instructor for my sociology class.   

          I do have more to say about Whitney, about Sarah, about Jody, my guidance counselor.  I don’t know when I will be posting more detail.  It’s in the plan.  Right now I am tired.  I’m going to bed now.

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