Thursday, March 15, 2007

powerpoint fiasco

I am only taking two classes this semester and I graduate!! I'm pretty darn excited about the whole thing. The problem is that I've mentally checked out in a way. It's not that I don't read or study any more, it's that I don't read or study what I'm supposed to. I read plenty, but it's usually something that I stumble upon as I look for something I'm supposed to read, but find this new thing so much more interesting.

This week is midterms. One of my classes has an exam scheduled (two hours from now actually, can you tell how concerned I am about it?) So this class has been a little frustrating in that I'm not quite sure what it's about. I mean, I go to every class, I listen, I try to follow, but it doesn't seem to add up to much. I swear, last week we got a PowerPoint presentation on a book called Built to Last or Good to Great and the Social Sector (I'm not sure). So my instructor (Harry) presents these theories that the book talks about. I'm fine with theory but I'm really all about the application. And this is where Harry fails every time. I'm in social work school buddy, not business. OK, I'm going off my point.

This week is midterms and we have an exam. Harry cannot tell us what is on the exam. Not even a clue. All I know is that there are two questions based on some things we've discussed in class prior to today. Great!! I've been to class. Not great!! I have no notes from any class, Harry, because you don't really say anything worth writing down. This is OK. I will print out the PowerPoint slides and read them a few hundred times, unwrap my text from the plastic and consider perusing the contents. Great plan!! I printed the slides last week.

All weekend I see these slides sitting on my table and I can't bring myself to look at them. I did read some of the proposal writing book I successfully unwrapped. I found a lot of it common sense. Know what you're proposing, know who you're proposing to and what they want...stuff like that. Sure thing!!

The slides sit on the table. Why won't I look at them? There is a weird picture on the front. I don't want to look at it. It doesn't even look familiar and I don't feel like going through it all. It's a thick pile of paper. No, No I won't. There are pictures and graphs as I flip through it. Nope, I don't care what it says. I'm not looking at these slides.

It was a very productive weekend.

So this morning I get to campus. I brought my pile of slides so I can try to cram for something (yes, I haven't pulled something like this since high school). I met with a friend of mine to study for this exam. We talk a little about some of the slides and I get out my pile of information. I volunteer to start on the first one.

I look at it.

For the very first time I actually read what it says...

Urine Formation by the Kidneys I. Glomerular filtration, renal blood flow and their control. Chapter 26.

What is this?

I have like 15 pages of this. Graphs, charts, vocabulary, A TON OF STUFF!!

I finally get to the 5 pages of actual slides that will benefit me on my exam. Well, if I knew that, I probably would've been looking at it earlier.

But I also haven't thrown the urine slides out yet, now I'm curious. It's so easy to look at those when I'm not tested on it. But all weekend, I wouldn't look at all.

I just think it's kind of funny. Some poor BC undergrad is not going to know a thing about urine formation and I'm going to somehow fit this into my exam. It's my new challenge of the day.

Oh, I also forgot my name this week (it was like a millisecond). It's true. and it was really weird. I still don't know what that was about.

2 comments:

Likely said...

SENIORITIS!!!!

All you are thinking about is your little jaunt over to Utah in a couple weeks Linda loo!

Power presentation slide pages - what a waste of paper. You know what I hate? when you go to a seminar or a lecture of some sort and they hand you this massive packet. Powerpoint slides. Then they proceed to show you the entire slide show - what's the point of having BOTH? I say, either show me and discuss or don't show me and let me go home and read this packet. Don't waste my time AND a tree.

I also HATE powerpoint presentations in general. Awful clip art and elementary gimmicks such as the picture fading to the next or breaking away like a puzzle and coming back again like a puzzle, but it's the next page. Or the page spinning away or some stupid sound like a spring or a bird or a water drop or a space ship to clue you into the slide change. I could go on forever!

It's funny to see the lecturer's little proud smirk as they look at you thinking, "I know you liked that one!" "I"m pretty clever - did you see how that stick figure pulled back the next page and how the title came trickling down like a waterfall?"

Get real.

Anonymous said...

Linda and Tiffany, such enjoyable reading! I admire you both for your experiences and way of sharing them. Life is amazing and it is ironic the things we have to "endure". I love you!