I'm Not Weird, I'm Gifted

For years I had a keychain with those exact words on it: "I'm Not Weird, I'm Gifted". Some novelty piece of garbage that I paid over two dollars for, because it really related to me. It related to how ostracized I felt from the main stream kids, how they viewed us 'gifties' as the elite, geniuses, who thought ourselves better than them.

Sometimes we did.

Please keep in mind that this post is based on MY experiences and opinions, and that I cannot speak for my peers.

Most of our class took the gifted testing during Grade 2 in order to qualify for the gifted program in Grade 3, and then we were told from a very young age that we were special, and more advanced than our main stream peers. You can imagine that this inflated our egos (at least mine) and we used to have a huge sense of animosity towards the main stream kids that we shared our school with. Even more so, towards the French Immersion kids that we shared our buses with.

The Gifted Program was designed to provide a more challenging curriculum to children who had the ability to learn faster than our main stream cohorts. This simple sentence was my defence throughout most of highschool, as I had to defend my stupidity and poor grades to throes of my peers who would snicker and say: "But aren't you gifted?"


"Gifted doesn't mean I'm smart," I'd retort, "it means I have the ability to learn faster. I choose not to use that ability."


Then we'd all laugh at my failures in life and move on.


When we came to school in Grade 3 as students of the gifted program, we were told that things were going to be different. That they were going to change. Before, we were big fish in a little pond; now, we were to be little fish in a big pond...not necessarily the best of our class.

Of course, every class has to have a student at the top, and a student at the bottom. In one swift year I went from being the top of my class in my main stream program, to one of the class clowns with one of the lowest grades in the gifted program. It destroyed my self confidence. It became easier (and a deeply ingrained self-defense mechanism) to laugh off my failures, play the fool, and pretend that grades were not important to me.

When we got to highschool, half of our classes were gifted classes, and the other half of our classes were main stream classes where we were split up and integrated into normal classes with normal kids.

It was terrifying.

I had spent 6 years forming lasting bonds and friendships with the other 'gifties' and quite suddenly I was expected to go out and interact with the kids who had been rude and torturous to us 'gifties' for our entire elementary lives.

We had formed no external social skills. No way to meet new people, fit into different social circles, anything. I relied heavily on my class-clownery to make new friends, and for a while I was successful. I was funny, people liked to spend time with me to hear and see all of the crazy antics I would come up with in the span of a class. Then one day, another giftie happened to mention that she...and I...were gifted students.


I lost half of my friends that day. People just stopped talking to me.


Our "advanced" classes were explained to us as 'teaching us the curriculum for the grade ahead of ours'. In Grade 9 we learned the Grade 10 curriculum; in Grade 10 we learned Grade 11; in Grade 11 we learned Grade 12. And then something happened. The gifted program ended in Grade 11 and in Grade 12 we just relearned our prior year's lessons. We were no further along then our main stream counterparts, except that we had been graded harder and taught faster.

When we all graduated we were awarded our 'gifted certificates' along with our diplomas. I've never even seen mine because my mother took it for 'safe keeping', and then disappeared from my life.

It doesn't matter though, the bloody thing isn't worth anything. Not. One. Thing. Not any extra awesomeness on a potential school application, nothing on a job resume, and not a thing to speak of to people. Worthless.



I look at my kids now and I think: "Big fish, little pond? What is so wrong with being a big fish in a little pond? Why would I want my kids to be put in a position where they could fail? In a position where they could lose self-esteem, social skills, a sense of accomplishment; for nothing?"



Big fish, little pond? Bring it on.

Hiding In Plain Sight

Happy First Day Back To School!

Not for Shake'n'Bake this year...she'll be starting Junior Kindergarten next year (in a better neighbourhood: win!) although I'm sure I'll be prepared much much earlier than September.

We started our Christmas shopping in June this year. Yes, June. We were out picking up a few things before the girls' birthdays and found a couple of things for Christmas. Then we made another big trip this past weekend to grab some Christmas presents.

I normally love to Christmas shop early in the year. I hate being in the stores in December if I don't have to be...things are too hectic then and I tend to get anxious, angry, and twitchy. So I avoid it whenever possible. The real kicker this year is that we are going to be demolishing, building, repairing, etc. for the last two weeks in October; then moving at the end of October; then unpacking and such during November and I am worried that I may be too busy then to Christmas shop.

So, to calm my worries, we have begun our Christmas shopping (I've actually finished 2 people already...back in August!) and that I am just packing the gifts as I purchase them.

Victory.

I was quite smug with this decision up until this weekend when I purchased a particular gift that is bigger than any of the boxes/containers that I have available for packing.

I stressed about it for a couple of days, and then decided to try the trick that my parents used on us: hiding it in plain sight.

Now, Splat is still young enough that she didn't even blink an eye when we were putting these gifts into the cart. She doesn't associate 'in the cart' with 'this will become mine' yet, so we're okay there. But Shake'n'Bake is old enough to understand alllllll of that and much more. Out of desperation I have hidden this present in the pile of already packed boxes and riff raff, and I am just hoping that when we go to move it that she won't notice.


O_o


Yes, that's my plan.

Is anyone else excited for Christmas?!? ZOMG I am so excited. Christmas in ma noo hows! Ahahahaha!

One Square At A Time

I can't wait to move out of the Cess-Pool-City.

I hate living here with nearly every fiber of my body. I live in a terrible neighbourhood in which my (lame) running joke with everyone who leaves my house is: "Don't get mugged on your way out."


O_o


Ha....ha......ha.

I'm moving before Shake'n'Bake goes to school because...well because I hate this area, and I don't want my precious little angel to learn the F-bomb at 4 years from a classmate. I also (on a lesser degree) don't want her to have to switch schools later on. This means that in the next year and a half I will be moving again, even though it is something I have expressed that I don't want to do. Some things are more important.

So I have been passively looking at houses and rentals in areas that I would be interested in living in/near for the next 15-20 years. It's a pretty big commitment.

The worst part is when I find something that is amazing. That's when the anxiety sets in. All sorts of doubts about leaving the familiar and taking a pretty big step forward. But I'm so darn impatient! I'm 200% ready to leave this rotting town; 200% ready to live in a long-term home; ready to pick the town; make the commitment; settle down and live. I want to get out now but I also don't want to rush into it and make a mistake.

*************************

The last course of my year one semester has demolished me. The worst part (thanks, universe) was the timing of it all. This Pathology course was the most exciting and interesting course of my entire first year! I finished the first half of the course just soaring, wrote my midterm (aced it!) and then we had our "March Break". The entire "March Break" concept is more than stupid for my program because year one ends on April 5th. We have our "March Break" and then return to 'class' for two weeks before year two begins on April 6th.

O_o

I'd rather work through the break and have the time off between years...

Anyways! I began my readings again towards the end of March Break to find out that the rest of the course is devoted to Skin Pathologies [pathology = disease state] which was neat for about two minutes, then the text started outlining the communicability of said diseases (some of which are debilitating and life changing) and how a lot of the time they present little to no symptoms. I would have no idea if I was contracting these diseases, and even more deadly, if I was BRINGING THEM HOME TO MY FAMILY, until it was too late. Diseases like Herpes, which not only does not have a cure, it attacks the immune system and increases the chances of contracting HIV/AIDS.

O_O

There was even a special subtype of Herpes that mainly affected my potential profession.

Well, after I calmed my panic attack and dried my tears I came to a horrific and depressing conclusion:

There was no way I could finish my schooling for this profession.

This sucks the biggest, hairiest sack of balls I have ever seen. Flashing before my eyes was every conversation I had ever had in which I expressed my pride at waiting to go to College, because then I had decided what I wanted to do and I wouldn't drop out halfway through. I thought of my Dad. The money I had borrowed from him for this year of school. How, the last time I had seen him, I had asked for the next chunk of tuition since the payment was coming up. All of the biology books I had purchased, that had only been used once (one of them has never been used). The year I invested into this, and the equiptment that I bought. Images of my future career, perhaps even small business, flashed...then dissolved...and I felt like an ass.

Boyfriend was amazing and helped talk me through it, after all, it was better for me to realize these truths late into first year, than after fourth; and I wouldn't have been able to attend school in person anyways this year due to the birth of Splat. We talked about other school paths for me and I've made a new decision. I will actually graduate a year earlier than before since I can do it all full time now!



Of course, this all leads to a new application process, transcript getting, daycare, transportation, a new OSAP application, and a bigger head ache for now.

I had just finished paying for all the parts of my previous OSAP application...I'm hoping that it can carry foward to my new one... if not the application itself, then perhaps all of the supporting documents.

My current college is out-of-province, so the transcript needs to be snail-mailed from them - instead of emailed/faxed like usual.... so now I'm relying on a less-than-reliable-institute for timeliness for my current applications. Argh.

********************

I was sitting on the couch last night, crocheting Splat's blanket (it's a Christmas gift, Shake'n'Bake recieved hers for the Christmas that just passed). I've been close to being finished for a while...the blanket is comprised of over 100 individual squares that are then stitched together, and I've been contemplating starting to stitch together the ones that I already have finished. I'm so excited to get the blanket done, but I knew that at some point I would run out of squares for the last colour if I didn't finish them first. It was a bummer. And then it hit me.

One square at a time.

I need to take joy in the little successes along the way to the bigger one.

One square at a time.

If I keep putting in the work, then I will find the perfect house instead of rushing into it.

One square at a time.

I've requested that my transcript be sent as soon as I complete my final exam, they've agreed.

One square at a time.

And the blanket/house/career will be built on a strong foundation and finished in a complete and competent way.

I finished all of the squares late last night... guess who's started to stitch the blanket together!

Wish me luck.

Fear of the Unknown

It has quite suddenly become a very real possibility that I will be attending classes in person soon.

This has led to some awesome amounts of insomnia. On top of my already existing funk/depression-remnants.

Going to school in person is scary to me because I don't know if I can do it. Logically, I should be able to succeed at it; maintain interest in my classes; complete my homework; etc., but because it is unknown, because it is something that I have never done before... I'm scared out of my mind.

I am afraid that I will fail at being a College Student. Perhaps my marks will drop, or I won't be able to keep up with the demanding schedule of school + family, I just don't know. I don't want my children to suffer for it. One of the biggest transitions I had as a child was when my mother went back to school and stopped caring about us. I have no desire to follow in these ghostly footprints, but it is a fear that resonates deep within me.

What is it like to attend class in person? I haven't been to an actual class since highschool...and back then I couldn't have cared less about my marks or the material. I'm surprised I remembered which classes to go to most days. And now what? And now I have to care. I have to show up for class and try to learn. I have to absorb and memorize information. I have to succeed in school. I have to do all of these things because I need to be a good adult, rolemodel, and mother...for my family and for me.

I am afraid to let someone down. Anyone who I care about. Down. It's such a gripping fear.

Where is the sign that is supposed to let me know I've made the right decisions? Chosen the right career? I don't care if there isn't one, there should be!

Two years ago I decided to go to school for something because I needed a stable career with a stable source of income to support my little girl. 'Girl' became 'girls' and I find myself changing. At which point does a decision become the 'best' one to make... are they all a little bit selfish?


O_o


I don't know if I follow my last paragraph...it's late...lack of sleep.



I just hate wondering. I hate not knowing. When this is all over, I'll be able to look back and think: "Well, that was easy."/"What an awful, awful choice."/"I love College, I'm going to learn more!"/"I'm glad that's over, I'm taking my degree and running."

And then I'll know.

And no matter what, it will be better than now.

Family Bush

BWAHAHAHAHA! That could be taken wrong.



So I've been thinking about blended families, and how they will affect our children.


I haven't been thinking about it in any deep and meaningful way mind you...just about how these poor kids may have to make a family tree for a school assignment one day.


O_o


Can you imagine that?



Here is a traditional family tree.

(CLICK TO ENLARGE ANY PICTURES)

Pretty straightforward eh?



There may have been some slight differences...



A divorce

A death

A remarriage

Maybe even a new family member from a second marriage.

But all of it still pretty straightforward.



Pretty... tree-like.





And then we get into my kids' family tree.


Poor kids.

It looks like a nasty bush, or a tangled vine.


I think if they're given this assignment too young I might just lie.

How messed up is your family tree?

Case Study

I just thought I would share this with you. This is a case study that we had to respond to in class today. Please comment below with your thoughts! I'd love to know what you think.



Zack practices in the heart of a multi-cultural community and his clients come from a diverse cross-section of ethnic cultures. Mohamed, a Muslim, seeks Zack's help for a whiplash injury he sustained on the job as a truck driver. Zack runs a very busy practice and he is often booked back to back all day.

After his first appointment with Mohamed, Zack tells him he needs to see him in a week and Zack's receptionist Susie says the only appointment available is next Tuesday at 10am. Mohamed says he can't come in at any time on Tuesday or for that matter Wednesday. Susie tells him that he has to come in on Tuesday because that is the only time that Zack can fit him in. Mohamed flatly refuses saying, "No I can't and won't come in on Tuesday or Wednesday." Frustrated with him Susie calls Zack over and tells him the Mohamed won't work with the appointment she's given him.

Zack asks him what the problem is. Mohamed tells him that Tuesday and Wednesday are holy days for his family and that he can't leave the house on those days for any reason. Zack gives him a puzzled look and says,"But we're talking about your health and well being. You're in pain and need help, it's not like you are planning to go out partying or something. Don't you want to get better?" Mohamed is adamant and refuses to come in on either of those days. Zack, now frustrated says, "I don't have time for this, either you come in on Tuesday or Wednesday or I don't see you and if I don't see you you're going to have a hard time finding another therapist who cold fit you in given you restricted schedule. If I were you I'd look after myself. It doesn't seem to me that you have your priorities straight- think about it."

Life...So...Overwhelming...

I can feel the depression returning.

There are so many things that I wish I was better at.

Chores.

                    Mothering.

                                            School.

                                                                  Money.

                                                                                          Life.

It just seems like there is nothing that I can excel at, like I’m always left wanting. I want to do so much more, but I am just too scared to do it. I am so used to failing at things, and then avoiding doing things so I don’t fail, that now I barely recognize things that I want to do as real possibilities.

I can set goals for myself, and even achieve them sometimes, but if something seems too difficult to do then I just won’t do it. Because it is still easier for me to not try than it is to try and fail.

It is very easy for me to look at the $20,000 in consumer debt that I had in April 2009, and pat myself on the back for being able to pay $8,000 of it off between then and now, all while being on Social Assistance. But I could be doing so much more. It would just be difficult. Very, very, difficult. And I don’t know that I am willing to start eating less food again just to save a few bucks on groceries – even if it would mean getting out of debt a month or two faster.

I can try and make myself feel good about my mothering because I have two beautiful and well behaved daughters, and it is difficult to parent, etc. but at the end of the day it’s just not good enough. I still lose my patience too quickly with my kids, I am saying things in the heat of the moment that are mean and will crush them. I want obedience, but I don’t want to put in the effort to achieve it in a way that will command respect.

I am afraid that they will fear me as I feared my parents.

Why are the dishes such an overwhelming chore?!

The fact that they continue to be dirty, that as soon as I wash them all they become nasty and food covered again, the redundancy of it all! It makes me want to not wash them, to just let them pile up, because then I am doing the dishes less often.

Sweeping and vacuuming...but the floor just gets dirty again.

If I scrub the toilet, my next poop smears.

Wash the mirrors? Toothpaste splatter....or fingerprints...

Make the bed.

Tidy the shoes.

Clean off the table.

Take out the garbage.

F#$%!!!

I just want to be better at stuff!

Specifically parenting. My biggest accomplishment in the past month has been taking the girls to the park every day. That’s it. The park is just a five minute walk from the house! (It was a 20 minute walk when I started FYI, but then I found a closer park with more equipment)

RAWRG!

Well I will try. And I will keep you updated. But I’m angry...and at this point I don’t even know if I should post this...but it’s my blog.........and I’ll do what I want.

After all, it’s not "A Taste Of Perfection".

School...The Bully

Pretty much since I was 9 years old I've hated school.

I loved going to see the people. I had quite a few friends in high school. I even considered myself popular. (Now as a side note, NOT one of the 'popular kids'. No stereotypical prep for me...I couldn't afford that type of image :P) There were a couple of teachers that I looked forward to seeing as well, or the occassional class that I found super interesting, or required little of me.

But as a whole, school sucked the pop's nose.

I've been doing a lot of self-discovery and reflection this past calendar year (2010's been a great year for me) I have come to the conclusion that my hatred for school was developed after years of having a poor support system, that allowed me to fail myself and build the MOST INTENSE defense mechanisms.

Parents that were not interested in helping or supporting me; teachers that couldn't be bothered to give you the time of day, let alone make you feel good about asking questions; the competition with my peers to do equal or better than them. All of it combined to destroy my will to succeed.

It's easy to fail if you never try.

It's easier to fail because you never tried, than to try and still fail.

And that became my mantra throughout school.

"I could have done better, but I didn't try."

This helped me to just scrape by through my entire elementary and highschool career.

Now this matters to me.

After working through these issues with Boyfriend (yes, he's the bomb-diggity) I came to the realization that I want to succeed at College.




Now, this sucks for a variety reasons.

• I've never formed proper study habits.

• I have no confidence in myself, or my ability to be a student.

• I have no Mommy or Daddy to post my good grades on the fridge for me.

• And EVERY TIME THERE IS A HINT THAT I MAY DO, OR RECIEVE LESS THAN PERFECT all of my defense mechanisms pop back to the front in an effort to protect my fragile ego, and I want to give up and move on.

Because, at the end of the day, if I try my damndest (sp? wtf?) at College - and I fail - I am just not good enough.

But if I don't try....well then maybe I could have done it, I just chose not to.










For the record, I am still trying. I just wanted to share my internal struggles.

Life - Part 1: Education

So this morning I discovered an awesome blog written by a friend of mine.

http://jenngoldsmith.blogspot.com/2010/10/tonight-my-friend-texted-me-to-let-me.html

By ‘discovered’ I mean she let me know that she writes one, so I read it...and then followed.

(PS EVERYONE wants you to follow their blog)

hint hint

So I read this particular post (see link), and it reminded me of how when I started writing this blog, I had high goals for myself for writing the occasional piece of substance.

Something more than lolz if you will.

So her post touches on an article that was written by a friend of hers about using others for your own motivation, and the offensiveness of the situation because life is all perspective.

(This is a horrible synopsis...seriously, if you haven’t read her post yet just read it.)

But life IS all perspective.

It is very easy to stand in your own shoes and judge yourself as better (or worse) than those around you.

And most of the time, you’re probably wrong.

Education

I think that one of the easiest ways to judge someone incorrectly is their education.

Has this person gone to University? College? Have they started an apprenticeship? Gotten a Masters? Maybe they went straight to the workplace after high school. MAYBE they never finished high school.

And so, who decides that the path that they chose makes them BETTER than someone else? Perhaps this is the best that this person could do with their situation, or maybe this is just what they wanted to do with their life.

When I was attending a college to get a high school credit (I had graduated when I was supposed to, I just didn’t take biology (because I hate science) in high school, and it was a prerequisite for the college program I’m in) I ran across two brothers who were in the program to get their high school diplomas.

The oldest had dropped out of GRADE 8 to go out and work to help support his family after his dad left. The youngest made it all the way to Grade 10 before he dropped out so he could start working and contributing as well.

There were a variety of people in this program. People who had fallen into drugs, ex-prostitutes, single parents, the occasional jailee; but at the end of the day, all of these people were in school WILLINGLY to try and get their diplomas.

I find it difficult to judge people for that now.

Now who could read the mind of the red-headed girl next door
Or the taxi driver that just dropped you off
Or the classmate that you ignore
Don't assume everything on the surface is what you see
Cause that classmate just lost her mother
And that taxi driver's got a PHD
I’m so tired of the fear
That weighs us down with wrong assumptions
Of broken hearts, a natural function

Amanda Marshall – Everybody’s Got A Story

Maybe it’s because when I graduated high school, they called out my name after this person who had graduated with LOADS of honours and awards, and was awarded a full scholarship to the university of their choosing. When they called me up I was sent off as ‘entering the workplace’.

And it sounded crappy.

“Entering the workplace” meant a couple of things then.

You couldn’t get into school, or you didn’t care enough to try.

Either way it was a pretty embarrassing statement, and I felt like a doofus.

I ended up taking my first year of Carpentry Apprenticeship after that.

I had the highest mark in my class. Graduated valedictorian.

I was SNUBBED by almost everyone I talked to about it because an apprenticeship is socially considered below College, which is socially considered below University.

I have a friend who’s grandparents will only help fund her University education. No help for College.

The stigma is SO bad that it is still shameful for me to say that now I am attending College (albeit online (somehow worse than in person)) because it is not a University program.

Well, I think that I will wrap up today’s rant there.

Sorry for filling your mind with my ramblings, but let’s be honest...

You should expect it by now.

Fruity Whirls

Sorry for the delay between posts.

I've been trying to rock an "every three days maximum" thing here, and this past week has been hectic.

And the points that haven't been hectic have been filled with me sleeping.

Or crocheting.

Or vomiting.

So here I am, enjoying a bowl of Fruity Whirls Breakfast Cereal; and I have determined that I should be writing something into my blog so that people are aware that I am not dead.

I am not dead!

I came close though.

I developed mastitis. For those of you who don't know what that is, it's an infection of milk ducts.

Causes some nasty things: chills, fever, dizziness, exhaustion, swollen and tender ducts.

It's a big pile of suck.

I misdiagnosed it as 'Nasty-Cold-Boyfriend's-Mom's-Boyfriend-Brought-Back-From-Europe'.

So this sickness came and went about six or seven times over a longggg span. It was nasty brutal, and if it wasn't for Boyfriend being super awesome and taking care of me, I would have died.

I also enjoyed writing a Midterm for College during all of this loveliness.

Since that time, Drizzle has caught himself in a mouse trap (poor guy), and then Houdini'd himself out; Landlord has replaced the front door (woooooo!); and in my excitment over potty training Shake'n'Bake, I managed to clog the only toilet in my house and be banned from pooping for over a day while my poor Landlord was elbow-deep in dukey, trying to unclog it.

Hopefully I will be able to come up with something funny and enjoyable for you to read within the next three days. Cross your fingers!

She Knows If You've Been Bad Or Good

I own a laptop. No desktop computer in my house. My laptop originally came with a cordless mouse that lasted about two years before finally giving up and dying. It would no longer recieve the proper signals from itself, occassionally wouldn't turn on, and would interpret a single click as two, one, or no clicks.

So I replaced it.

I decided to purchase a corded mouse so I wouldn't have to worry about replacing batteries any more, went down to my local Staples, and bought the cheapest one off the shelf.

Well...you get what you pay for I guess.

I was pretty happy with my new mouse for the first month.

And then month two rolled around...and things got bad.

And then they got worse.

And I got angry.

This is the world's first computer mouse...neat!

My beatiful new mouse had turned into a flaming pile of garbage.


Have I mentioned that I am getting my college diploma online?


Yeah, normally it requires use of a mouse.


So, lo and behold, I have been forced into using my laptop's track pad again, which after an hour or so, gets VERY VERY FRUSTRATING!


I am quite tempted to smash my mouse off of things in an effort to coerce it to work.


For the record, that's called mechanical persuasion, and it's shown to be quite effective.

"So...you don't want to work eh? I would recommend you reconsider your position. Hiiiiiyah!"
(Cat using mechanical persuasion on his mouse)

So I did what I always do when I get angry.

I wrote a letter.


For your reading pleasure:


I purchased your Logitech M100 corded mouse from a Staples at the end of July 2010. The mouse worked properly for the first week, and since that time, the USB connection has been very temperamental. The USB needs to be plugged in *almost* all of the way, but not fully otherwise the red light on the bottom will shut off and the mouse will cease to function. Sometimes, although this delicate balance is achieved, the mouse will randomly decide to stop working mid-use, and refuse to start again until (as far as I can tell) some magical Mouse Fairy comes and wakes it up.
I purchased this mouse because I am taking college online and my previous mouse (from a different company) was very temperamental, a wireless, and on its last legs. I was given a word-of-mouth referral to your products, and was quite pleased with the price.
Yesterday the mouse stopped working.
My computer no longer "recognizes" the USB Device, and my attempts to fix it have LITERALLY led to my computer telling me to replace the product.
This product is not even two months old.
If I had realised that this was a 'disposable' mouse, if you will, then I would have spent more money up front to buy a higher quality mouse that would have lasted me through more than one Final Exam.
I sincerely apologize if this seems rude, but I am very, very frustrated with this entire situation. I was really hoping to own a mouse that would last me at LEAST a year, as opposed to the not even two months I got out of this one.
I hope to hear a response from you that indicates that this is indeed some sort of fluke, and that the M100 is not built in such a way that it would cease to work after two months.
Hopefully the magical Mouse Fairy comes and fixes this problem before the 24th so I do not have to write a two hour midterm with the track pad on my laptop...but I'm not holding my breath...I forgot to leave her anything last time.
Thank you for your time,


dys·func·tion


I'll keep you updated as to their response... but in the meantime, I will have to use my back-up plan to write my upcoming midterm.

"All right guys! Cheddar, you're in charge of moving and scrolling. Nibbles, clicking is alllllll yours."



My Mouse Team



My Blood Hurts

I am doing my college course online.

This way, I started attending college when I was pregnant with my second daughter, and am still able to attend full-time although I breastfeed.

All of my testing is done online as well.

After I complete a Test, Midterm, or Final Exam, I review the questions that I got wrong in an effort to either learn or argue my answer in an attempt to get my marks back.

These are some real emails that have been exchanged. This is my frustration with this course that I PAID TO TAKE.

(These are biology-esque courses)



Example 1

FROM ME:

FROM PROFESSOR:

I've made these as big as possible, but you can click to enlarge them.

Let's address the first question. A knowledge of biology is not necessary here.


#57 - "Hey Prof, our text and notes both say that these two muscles are correct answers, since neither one of them was referred to as a 'major' extensor...wtf?"
Prof - "This one muscles group is BIGGER, therefore it is the right answer."


O_o      uh huh.


#83 - "Hey Prof, this entire muscle group hasn't been studied yet...wtf?"
Prof- "You're right! Question eliminated from marks."


: D Hey, alright!


#84 - "Hey Prof, HALF the possible answers for this question haven't been learned yet...and the question asked to pick which one was closest to the center of the body; which implies that you should have a general knowledge of the whereabouts of EVERY ONE...wtf?"
Prof- "Process of elimination. The question's still good."


O_o' .......really? You'll eliminate the question that we haven't learned about, but the question that relies on a knowledge of two things that we haven't learned is 'still good' because we're supposed to ASSUME that they aren't closer to the center than the ones we know....uhhhh huhhhh.


Example 2

FROM ME:

FROM PROFESSOR:

#30 - "Hey Prof, this question asks what muscle does THE SAME THING as the one in the question. The one in the question flexes the hip...and so do answers A and C. Now, I picked C and got it wrong...wtf?"
Prof- "Well, your answer does two things: flexes the hip and adducts it, while my answer ONLY flexes the hip so.... you're wrong."


O_O  but that doesn't make me wrong...both muscles flex the hip, and that's what the question was asking.


Example 3

This one is the worst one of all. My personal favourite. Unfortunately, this professor (different from previous one) answered by adding text to my questions so you have to look hard to see the responses.

FROM ME:

FROM PROFESSOR:

FROM ME:

FROM PROFESSOR:

#78 - "Hey Prof, this question asks which one of the four has no nerves. Although we've studied three of them, I went with Blood...because blood has no nerves. After I got this question wrong, I went back through the text and found PROOF that the other three options have nerves in them...wtf?"
Prof- "Your proof for cartilage is wrong. Sorry. As far as blood goes, you're right! Blood has no nerves. Unfortunately, since we haven't studied it yet, you're wrong. The correct answer is cartilage!"
".........uh, well the question didn't ask for the "best" answer, or the answer that applies ONLY from material we've studied sooooooo I was hoping to get the marks back."
Prof- "You get a mark back for a different question that you argued (not shown here), but not this one. You are wrong."


O_o


I'm wrong eh?


Because cartilage doesn't have nerves.


But Blood is supposed to beeeeeeeeeee...a mystery?


Alllllll those nerves...


My Blood hurts.