How to Fail Logic...

The process for failing Logic is really quite simple -- all you need to do is to use any of the following techniques -- choose the method you find most attractive...

1) Ignore the instructor when she says you need to come to class. Think this is just like all the other classes and skip to your heart's content. Don't let the fact of quizzes keep you coming, or the fact that you are essentially learning to think in a new language phase you -- it really is more important to get that extra hour of sleep... so go ahead and do it.

2) Don't do the homework -- because, after all, if it were important the instructor would collect it. Instead, come to class with an empty notebook and no questions to ask. Ignore the instructor when she tells you that the class content will be doing the problems you need to do -- and thus answering the questions. Allow the students who are on the ball to ask all the questions THEY have... because you really don't know which of the problems are hard and which are not.

3) Don't take advantage of the tutor. She's friendly and available at a variety of times -- but, you are too smart to need it -- even though the instructor tells you that you'll probably need to see her or the instructor from time to time to get questions answered. Also, ignore the fact that you can get bonus points from meeting with the tutor -- those points get added onto your quiz scores to let you be exempt from the exam... Instead, figure that the tutor is getting paid because the college likes her, not that this is a class many students have problems completing... because you know better than the instructor and college administration -- who can see the real numbers about student completion, and know that you are different and special.

4) Miss a quiz and be too disorganized to make the deadline for re-taking your quiz. Instead, tell your instructor that you want to take it, have her send it to the testing center etc... and then let the quiz be returned when it expires. Figure that the information on that quiz isn't important, or that you can just do extra-good on the next one to average it out to OK...

5) Skip exam review -- see above about classwork and homework. Add to that, the fact that your final exam grade (because you're required to take it -- when much of the class is exempt) will BE your class grade --- so, how important could exam review be?

Goals and rewards...

This week I have a few kinds of goals...

1) Teaching --- wrapping up the year. So far I've done end of year stuff for my logic classes. My Bioethics class will turn in their late stuff tomorrow. So, tomorrow I'll grade and record their stuff. I also have some service-ish stuff to do... which should be fun, but takes time.

2) Healthy -- Generally, trying to eat better. This is slow, because my stress and exhaustion coping mechanisms are food related... So, I'm working on gradually getting better eating habits. Exercise is the other goal -- 3 days this week... Monday Hubby and I played in the pool for an hour. Today I did water aerobics, and I'll do them again on Friday. Also -- I'm trying to be in bed by 9:30 every night I don't teach -- so far so good on that one again.

3) Dissertation... I have 15 dissertation hours on the schedule -- so far I've done 2. I'll do 4 this afternoon, 5 on Friday and 4 on Saturday.

If I make all three goals, I'll give myself a garden shopping spree on Saturday afternoon.

As for next week's reward --- it is waxing, lots of waxing....(nothing icky or that doesn't show in shorts -- don't go there).

Beflore the janitor kicks me out...

... I have to post to say I'm done with another Logic class' pre-final grades.

This is where I determine who needs to take the final and who is exempt...

I have a total of 26 who need to take the final -- out of both classes.

Funny thing -- the ones with the lowest grades also didn't see the tutor --- hmmmm.

Also, Ms. Trouble (the one who lied about me elder-statesman, has blown off class until two weeks ago etc..) just handed in a very revealing extra-credit assignment. She makes lots of sense, now --- and now I see why she blocked-out elder-statesman faculty member when he asked what he thought was a common cultural question (about the Bible... umm, maybe not...).... The fact that I understand her doesn't mean she might not fail the class.... it is objectively graded and she's got to perform -- but, the puzzle of her behavior is making more sense and if she has to take my class a second time I know how to get to her.

Dissertation Advice, please...

So -- I'm looking at having a whole summer off to write.... but, I need some advise.

How did you get your dissertation done?

I know a few things about myself --

• I work and write better in chunks of time no more than about 5ish hours.
• I work better when the apartment is reasonably clean, although sometimes doing the dishes helps me find a new idea...
• I work better when I get time to go to the gym...
• I don't work particularly well late at night, unless I'm on a roll or under a deadline...
• I do work pretty well early in the morning -- when it is quiet inside and out...
  

So far, I've made a schedule for the time between now and Vegas.... It takes my commitments into account and adds some dissertation time every day. I also have the Gym scheduled 3 times per week -- and I'm more than likely to go to two of the three, as my favorite water aerobics teacher has class at the nice gym :). This week will be about 15 dissertation hours, next week 25 and the following should be 38 hours --

after all of that, I'll need a bit of time in Vegas to read trashy novels and watch beautiful people by the pool at the Luxor....

So, am I not accounting for something I should?
Is there a bit of advise you found helpful that you'd like to share?

In the end, I really don't want to waste this summer. I don't want to spend it watching re-runs of home shows or otherwise wasting my chance to take the whole summer off.

At the end of the summer, I'd like to have at least 4 semi-decent chapters. The first of the four will be done by the end of the month -- and I'll have an outline for the next two in percolation (they are related...). I figure I'll have the next two chapters in semi-decent shape by the 4th of July and chapter #4 in outline form.... We'll take almost a week in July to go to Canada, so the 4th chapter will happen between our vacation and the time school starts -- about 5 weeks.

As seen at Bitty's

1. What is your name? PhilosopherP
2. A four-letter word: Pets
3. A vehicle: pair of skates (I'm stuck on this one..)
4. A city: Paris
5. A boy's name: Patrick
6. A girl's name: Patricia
7. Alcoholic drink: Pivo (according to my cousin..)
8. An occupation: Philosopher
9. Something you wear: Pants
10. A celebrity: Patrick Stuart
11. A food: peanuts
12. Something found in a bathroom: potty
13. Reason for being late: Parking
14. Something you shout: Pass
15. An animal: penguin
16. A body part: the male dangly bit... (I just can't type the actual word here, yes -- I'm 9).

RBO ...Last week of Spring 08..

• Hubby's home -- The local radio station does a kind of shout-out bit every morning... This morning Hubby got one from me and the cats... it ended with 'now, get out of bed and write your dissertation' -- His mom also listens and called :) -- yea, it was good.
  

• The office is pretty neat, but the living room and kitchen are a wreck, so something has to be done about that today...

• I've already finished my logic final, so tomorrow afternoon I'll copy it and I'll be ready for finals week.

• We'll go to the gym and grocery store today. It is nice to have company doing it...

• 3 weeks from today, we'll be on the way to Vegas.... I've got to order a hat on-line (my head is too big to buy one in the store... sigh).
  

So -- we're going to Vegas...

We got some good financial news -- (back pay from last July) YEA!!!! And, while we'll stash the majority of it, we decided to book a trip to Vegas.

We'll have three and a half days, three nights at the Luxor --- for under $650 air and hotel--- which is pretty good. Since I don't gamble, I'll spend pool time with my books while hubby (hopefully) wins some cash at poker. I do need to remember to bring my own books, as it wasn't easy to find books in Vegas last time...

Between now and then, I want a draft of the first dissertation chapter to hit the 'percolation' pile.... and maybe a sketch of chapter 2....