Geology, Geography and Gringos

Last week I had three exams - History of Mexico, Medieval History and Cultural Geography. The History of Mexico exam was like writing a research paper in an hour and fifteen minutes. The Medieval History exam was some matching, some fill-in-the blank and two essay questions. The Cultural Geography exam was all essay - with a two-inch space in which to write our answers! The prof didn't want us going on and on about the questioned topic.

I have one more exam on Monday - Geology 101. There is going to be so much information on that exam! It feels more like a 400 level class than a 100 level class. I am studying for that exam this evening.

I have not gotten any of the exams back from last week. I am anxious to see how I did. The first exam is usually like the first paper - most people do okay on them. If one has not had that professor for a previous class, one does not know what the professor expects on their exams and papers. It's good to get past this first exam and onto new material. I will be more prepared for future exams in that I know what the professors expect.

I also have papers due soon (in two weeks) for my classes (except Geology). I love to write, but sometimes I am not sure how and what to write on the first paper because I am not sure what the professor expects. There are several things I know to expect: first, there is a very strict university policy against plagiarism. Students get kicked out of the university for plagiarism. Second, I know that I will need to proofread my papers closely - misspelling and grammatical errors will not be tolerated on a paper. Third, I need to pay attention to length. Several professors have expectations for the length of the papers. They said their students need to pay attention to the length requirement because papers that are longer than required can result in a poor grade.

Being a full time student again takes some getting used to. I find I am having a harder time studying. I don't know why that is. Part of it could be that I am having to use more brain power now for longer periods of time. I can't just shut off school when I walk into work. I am slowly, but surely, getting used to the demands of being a full time student. Most of my profs know my story - that I have three children almost out of the house and I am returning to school to finish up my education.

After I study for my Geo exam, I need to read for the rest of my classes. I read before going to bed and on the bus in the mornings - I need to take advantage of the time I have in order to keep up with my schoolwork.

I hope everyone else's semester is going well. Stay tuned . . . .