It IS my education, and I know that one gets out of it what one puts in, but it just ended up being painful.

This is how I'm feeling. I'm going to continue to not just rely on the discussions taking place in class. Look forward to more of Aimee Discusses Class Subjects in Bitches. With proper forewarning, of course.

Isn't the whole group experience, butting your brain up against other people's and using group discussion to, at the very least, illuminate why you think what you think and force you to be more articulate in stating it, part of the whole point of capital-E Education?

Yup. At least, in my tiny little brain. One of the reasons that I chose to go with an on-line degree program is that I participate in discussions here and in LJ and elsewhere that I normally wouldn't if I were in a traditional classroom. Evidence to the contrary notwithstanding, I tend to clam up and not say anything for fear of saying something wrong or stupid. I know that's how one learns, but the embarassment overpowers the learning that I could get from being wrong. I don't feel safe to be dumb elsewhere as I do here.

What would our mascot be?

The Brainworm!

Have you the brainworms?!?

ION, I am so tremendously nerdy that when I read a headline on MSN that said "Inside A Rock Camp for Girls," I assumed it was about geology.

No, seriously.

Not exactly geology, you big square....

I chose to go with an on-line degree program is that I participate in discussions

This is exactly why Buffistas is my first and probably last online community...the intelligent, compassionate and sometimes fierce exploration here is exactly what I expected from an on-line phud program. Complete with international flair!

Turned out to be not so much.

Cont'd from above - Plus. Being online enables me to be able to look shit up before talking about it. A cheat of sorts, but more often than not, it's helped make a further point or not post something at all if I was wrong.

be able to look shit up

The one and only excellent part of the program...access to incredible databases.

Cont'd from above - Plus. Being online enables me to be able to look shit up before talking about it. A cheat of sorts, but more often than not, it's helped make a further point or not post something at all if I was wrong.

Yes, this. With an online classroom, I can take the time to formulate my responses. Too bad many of our classmates don't take advantage of this.

As usual, I have a teammate who isn't pulling her weight. I just left her a voice mail asking for her response, in any manner, by noon. And this assignment is bloody simple too. So frustrating.

I am sad to hear about the sad classroom discussions (and Cass' chapped nose).

My college seminars were utterly brill and the professors were totally adorkable in their passionate love and very deep knowledge of their chosen subjects. We only read source texts which was fairly novel for public school me, and to knock brains with other smart kids while a learned and experienced Prof guides the discussion is just a total freakin' braingasm. Especially if you have popcorn in your seminar.

Professsor Frame, the political science department head taught our Freshman seminar and he'd set his watch out in front of himself and we'd go after Locke and Hobbes (and we all called each other by our last names so that he was on an equal footing with us in the discussion. Which was oddly nice in that it raised us to his level rather than him descending in informality). Each 90 minute session would end with him glancing at the watch and saying, "Dammit!" with disappointment that we couldn't go on.

Professor Turner, my Shakespeare teacher, British and looking like he stepped out of the era with his dark cruly hair and full beard and plummy accent. He got the metaphors, got how Shakespere used language. He always had an original slant on each play. And he could do every voice of the rude mechanicals to perfect comic effect.

Professor Browning, my English history professor jumping up and snapping his chalk on the board he was so excited to show us something. Getting all moony about Wordsworth. Returning our blue book exams after mid-term and telling us that we'd all down so badly that he was throwing the grade out because it was his fault that he'd failed us.

Professor Edwards, my teacher of the English Sonnet, my mentor and my individual study professor on Yeats. The way she'd pet the OED with something between love and passion. Her devotion to close reading the text and critical analysis. Her sweet hearted devotion and subtle genius in guiding seminar discussion.

Professor Church, my creative writing poetry professor. Rough hewn, and cheery and ex-alcoholic and loving words more than anything ever. He taught me how to think about language, taught me how to write.

My Buddhism seminar, my Abnormal Psych, my theater history with Professor Turgeon, Greek classics (an awesome survey course: Homer, Sappho, Aupelius, the Satyricon, pastorals, Euripides, Aeschylus, Menander), Existentialism. All great classes.

I can remember what the classes looked like. I can even remember where I sat when the teacher called on me for certain questions. I can remember that eager give and take when you and another student got into it - not angrily, but arguing your position. The moments when the light bulbs went off over my head - sometimes when I was articulating things, sometimes responding to another student, having the last tumbler fall when the Professor pointed out a key detail.

I loved seminars. Lecture courses? Eh.

I have almost no memory of specific professors or classes. Most of my accounting classes were Larry Lipnor, a dorky accounting type. I liked him. And one nasty ass Greek professor who didn't think women belonged in the business program.

My clear memory was one of my law professors that was a local judge. We went to court with him a couple times. He was a riot. Last class was on how to beat a speeding ticket. He'd create all these outragious scenarios and ask if the judge could do that - the answer always being that the judge can do anything he wants. It can be tossed out later.

He told us the original tickets he would get from the traffic cops would have pictures drawn on them. Teary stick figures, circles for assholes, sometimes with flames. As funny as he was he amazed us in small claims court with his freaking wisdom. Good judge and teacher.

Other than those exceptions, 4 blank years. Met DH though and that was a good thing.

Posting and running. Taking son to drop at mall. Taking other son to Target where I will get more gym clothes and he will spend gift cards.

Fellow students can be very depressing, then again so can people we encounter in the grocery store, on the news, at PTA meetings. An unfortunate percentage of non-Buffistas suck.

What would our mascot be?

'Smile Time' Puppet Angel!

This one made me laugh in a way I wouldn't have if the gesture had been in the North American variation.

Happy to oblige. It's my best side.Now if I could only discover where my jawline went.

And in this pic note the cowering Trinian kitty as she spies her nemesis bee-lining for her.