That's crazy. I don't usually even buy books until after the first class

I even got by in a few classes without buying the books at all.

---

Jesse and Nilly, the other ish is that we only have 6 class meetings all semester so the first class can't be an introductiony thing. It has to be an actual productive class. My friend who was working on a doctorate in history tells me that it was SOP in his classes too though, so maybe it's a fuzzyheaded humanities thing?

---

And how are you now?

I'm mostly fine, thank you. I don't feel quite myself, but I'm not sick sick. My appetite's a little off, but I'm pretty sure that won't hurt me.

All of the classes I've had so far have advanced reading we need to complete before the first class. We get the syllabi early enough that they assign reading and writing before the class begins. Crazy, huh?

Oh, I would probably like to read before the class, but don't think I'd be big on writing papers before it even started.

I remember that last year, before coming to the USA, I was worried that one of my generous hosts will be deprived of just that sort of time. Not because they didn't want to have me, but because they needed to have their privacy.

You weren't here for very long (or nearly long enough), though. Having my mother here when we were going through Ben's little medical journey was a huge blessing. And even now? All of our laundry? Washed and folded, and put away. It's a modern day miracle.

In one of the "history and philosophy of science" classes I took last year, most of the work was reading. The first lesson was an introduction, and in each lesson afterwards one of the students had to prepare a sort-of talk/points for discussion about the assigned reading. So the professor made sure we did the reading, but in a way that was supposed to open a discussion.

My favorite college courses were run like that. I took some sociology classes (with a prof who I think is now at amych's university) who ran all his classes like that. If I hadn't found him so late, I think I would have switched my major. It all but became an unofficial minor for me. Did you end up enjoying that course, Nilly? What are you taking, now?

---

Jesse and Nilly, the other ish is that we only have 6 class meetings all semester so the first class can't be an introductiony thing. It has to be an actual productive class.

OK, that makes some more sense, then. But still, I had a class last semester that only met 7 times, and there was no pre-assignment for that one, either. Of course, my program is full of lazy-asses like me, so.

---

HA! Yeah, before my first Dante class last semester I had to read all of the Aeneid plus to crit pieces on Dante plus part of his biography. I was all, "are you kidding me!?"

---

It really helps, when you need to get up a little earlier, to set your alarm to go off in the AM, not the PM. And I even set it before I was sleepy. Oh well, I still got here earlier than I would have normally.

The only time I really remember having pre-course reading, we all came in asking "Now why did you have us read THAT? " cause the book made no sense in the context of the class. Turns out it shared a similar title to the intended book and the prof had ordered the wrong one at the bookstore.

---

I even got by in a few classes without buying the books at all.

I'm so the opposite. With the exception of a couple of required classes, I took most of my classes at least partially to get the books. That's about the only way I could have gotten $500 worth of books from my parents, twice a year.

I'm still pissed at a friend for ruining my Norton's US lit book. And I'm also still slightly miffed that my Shakespeare class switched from the Riverside edition to another, less beautiful edition the semester I took it. Since I graduated in '89 I should probably let it go.

---

My cable reception was so bad last night I had to turn TDS halfway through. I didn't even attempt the Colbert Report. SO BEREFT AM I!

This guy who's coming on Friday had damn well better fix it. No cable and no internet makes Jess feel all stabby.

---

The only time I really remember having pre-course reading, we all came in asking "Now why did you have us read THAT? " cause the book made no sense in the context of the class. Turns out it shared a similar title to the intended book and the prof had ordered the wrong one at the bookstore.

See, that would make me stab someone, I think.

---

Jess, The Colbert Report was a rerun, if that makes you feel any better.

My first year of university, there were people who had the first month of readings done for our program (it was a great books thingy). I was like, "Are you kidding me?" and "There was a list?"

---