Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Today Is Not A Holiday

There was no question when I got outside this morning that classes were in session today. College kids crowded the sidewalks, their hands clasped tightly around the straps of the backpacks. People seemed happy.

I wasn't too depressed, however, I'm still very skeptical of my ability to continually get up at 8:30 for 9:30 French class. It's strange, because in high school, class started at 7:40, and I don't remember having too much trouble getting up for that. But now, waking up at 8:30 is a struggle. If I can adjust to this, it will be for the best, as I do well as a morning person when I am completely awake.

I wasn't the oldest in my French class either. There was a twenty-five year old and a twenty-two year old. I bet your wondering how I knew that.

Well, instead of saying our name, where we're from, and our major, the teacher-- a young, sassy French (redundant, huh?) woman named Laurine-- had us say our name, where we're from, and our age. It was as though she were catering to my curiosity.

The class, as I know it, will be run somewhat slow. We'll do 9 chapters over 15 weeks. It's a bit agonizing for me, as I'm more than ready to charge at full speed through beginner French. Which brings me to one of the education systems greatest flaws.

It's as though they took a poll of all of the students, and for each class decided on an average student, and how he ought to learn. This completely displaces the rest of the students who fall either way behind, or way ahead of this alleged curve.

It's a bit agonizing to sit and endure a class that you feel is moving far too slowly. Very agonizing even.

So, on that note. Stop being bad at French kids. And stop wasting my time.

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