Apparently, time just whizzes past my head in the world of academia...
I have my first midterm tomorrow, and then another one next Wednesday. Luckily, my Thursday class doesn't have one. But I do have three term papers to write. I should get started on the 750 one.
I've decided to do the paper about study abroad programs. They're extremely popular and accessible to undergraduate students, but are they really effective? Which programs are the best ones in terms of language learning and situational experience? And of course, I'll be focusing in on German language abroad programs. I was interested in the immersion schools, and how they're trying to bring nearly extinct languages back to life (Navajo, Dakota, etc.). But Vandergriff did bring up a good point - that I should always be thinking about the future in terms of writing and publishing, especially if I'm looking towards a PhD. And Langbehn did whisper to me that he allows grad students to do a take-home final paper if the student is writing more than two papers per semester. I thought that was nice of him. I think that means I can hand it in to him at any point, instead of on the last day of classes. Although, I'll have to ask him for specifics.
The other two papers are more "german" in that they'll be about literature, society, culture, current impact of said literature, etc. But Langbehn's not giving out info for them until after the midterms, which is decent. In other class assignment news, I've got a second class observation to arrange and a research report to do with David, plus a second response paper. And I'm still reading like a maniac, although it's a bit easier now, since we're actually reading novels now in the 814 class. Not that garbledy-gook philo crap... I can't stand the way those pompous Germans write, even if the class discussions are cool.
And I finally get to meet Shawna tomorrow. YFU field director for Northern California Shawna. So, I'm happy about that. Because maybe we can actually start using me and my YFU talents. That would make me happy.
Ok, at work. Must focus. Answer phone. Rubi not here. Yoda necessary.