Next semester
So far, so good - the main goal of this semester, which was to pass all my MATH courses, looks like it will assuredly be accomplished. Now, after three semesters at UBC and seven at SFU, I can finally look forward to some mining education. Springtime is MINE295 time - Mineral Deposit Modelling.
This semester has been rather frustrating. MATH assignments tend to take up a lot of time, and combined with six other courses and volunteering, left me with little time to pursue other interests. I feel rather silly writing on a mining website about everything BUT mining. That’s one reason I am especially looking forward to the spring. I am only taking five courses, and following the completion of the Mining Games in late February, I will have a ton of time on my hands, time which I can use to do some self-teaching. I’m planning on trying to teach myself Spanish, and possibly Welsh, Russian, and/or Gallic. Given that the only other language I ever tried was French, and I was bollocks at it, maybe that’s aiming a bit high. But better to not quite reach a lofty goal than to complete an insignificant one.
Why Gallic or Welsh? I’m 1/8th Scots, my last name is of Scottish descent despite me being 1/2 Russian, and I really want to know what Shaun Davey is saying in his recording of “The Parting Glass” from the “Waking Ned Devine” soundtrack. I think he’s speaking one of those two languages.
There is not much for me to say at this time of year. The last two-three weeks have been entirely consumed by exams, studying for exams, and, an activity of equal importance, coming up with ways of explaining why one is NOT studying for exams. Communicating with people around Christmas is a pain in the neck, because everyone is so busy trying to not be busy over the holidays. This includes students.
The real question for the end of the year is what to do with all the old notes and textbooks. I like to keep my old books handy, though admittedly this semester was the first time I actually went back to an old textbook for any reason. I’ll probably just write my name on the inside cover and give them to the mining study room for anyone to use. With textbook prices making a mugging in a back alley seem more attractive every day, perhaps that would save some poor students a little cash in their first semester in mining.
The problem of rising textbook prices, for it is a problem, is one which I have thought about a bit recently. It seems to me that the main problem is that textbooks represent such a small market, that they are relatively speaking expensive to print, and that the people who purchase them have severe constraints on their ability to choose where to buy, not to mention the fact that textbooks are often “required” by courses. One main issue is the habit publishing companies have of releasing “new editions” which are identical to the old edition but with the problems shifted around, making it impossible for the professor to assign homework by question number. Perhaps if each university had a committee which reviewed proposed new textbooks and decided whether they should be allowed to be sold.
And perhaps I can get young people interested in politics! Yeah! There’s an impossible and thankless task for someone… maybe one day, when I’ve got some spare time, I’ll get on it.
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