#semester preview

[amhakanson]

Semester Preview: Semester 6

My semester got off to a bit of a rough start. I got back to campus with a bad case of strep throat that ended up being antibiotic-resistant strep throat and a throat ulcer, so I spent the entirety of the first week of classes on some serious painkillers (and fast asleep). I've spent the past two weeks playing frantic catch-up, and I've finally succeeded and gotten a taste for what my semester will be like.

Here it is:

Human Factors in Interior Design: I get to start my Mondays at 8:30 in the morning with a professor who doesn't like me. She also assigns about 20 pages of reading for every class and a reading summary (what's the big idea? define key words. please write down questions to ask in class) for each one that's making me flash back to middle school. The silver lining is a literary analysis paper that should help me kick start my honors thesis work. Lighting for Interiors: A much-needed class that should probably be taught earlier in the program. I've heard it's really hard, but I like the professor and have hopes for a decent grade. Studio 6: Holy moly, I can't believe I'm on the second half of my third year of design school. This semester is focusing on construction documents, which are very technical and very intimidating. The professors are the two above, which means I spend 15+ hours a week with each of them... it's a lot. Personal Financial Management: I think this class might actually be useful? I know next to nothing about money management (other than common sense and the general principles my mom taught me), so it might actually be good to learn about stocks and portfolio management. If the tests are as easy as the quiz questions, it should be a pretty easy A.

Well, that's that. I think it'll be a busy but manageable semester. I'm trying really hard to stay on top of everything and to do some assignments in advance in order to accommodate for the pressures of studio. I also have an internship search to conduct and a thesis to start work on, so it seems daunting right now. Just one year and three months until I'm out of here.

[amhakanson]

Semester Preview: Semester 5

Well, this is pretty crazy. It feels like I just got to college, not at all like I'm starting the second half. So I guess that makes this the beginning of the end.... that's a scary thought. 

Let's get down to business. It's time for a new edition of semester previews. (For the record, I know these are only interesting to future me and my mom. I don't actually expect anyone to read them!)

This is the first semester so far where all my classes are in the school of architecture. It's certainly handy, because all my classes are in one building. It's also vaguely terrifying, because the Fay Jones School of Architecture operates on a +/- grading system, which is GPA death to anyone who regularly gets low A's in their classes (hi, that's me!)

So, here are my classes:

Architectural History 3: bright and early on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I get to learn all about modern architecture. The teacher is a whacko: a well-meaning and incredibly intelligent woman who was a flower child in the 60s and 70s. She knows what she's talking about (she's the assistant dean), so I feel sure I'll get a lot of knowledge shoved into my brain... but she's also a lot to handle at 9 am. Long story short: I have no idea what to expect.

Professional Practice for Interior Designers: Our department head decided that he never wanted one of his students to feel as unprepared as he did when he entered the work force as a new designer, so he created this class for us. We've only had two classes, and I can already tell how useful it's going to be. Assignments include updating the upperclassmen website, creating our resumes and portfolios, and various other tasks to help us in the "real world." I'm excited.

Building Systems for Interiors: Interior designers are involved in a lot more than people think. Electrical systems, HVAC, security systems, lighting, and plumbing are all within our realm of work, and obviously there's a lot to learn. I like this professor a lot-- she's fair, up front about what she expects, and incredibly knowledgeable. I'm hoping that I learn a lot and get a good grade. 

Studio 5: Sigh. I think it might be a difficult semester in studio. I have two professors who are somewhat difficult for me to work with, which always makes it harder for me to focus on studio work. One of them isn't a fair grader, which is terrifying and frustrating. But we have some really cool projects coming up, so I just want to keep my head down and focus on creating some cool spaces while actively trying not to think about how scared I am about my grades. 

I have good feelings about this semester. It's weird to have all this time to focus on design thinking, because my classes are usually tempered by much more standard classes. But at the same time, having my professors all knowing what's going on in the other classes is already proving to be awesome.

I have a lot to learn, and I really need to get started. I see you in December for the semester review!

[amhakanson]

Semester Preview: Semester 4

After this semester, I'll be halfway finished with college. Isn't that crazy?

Basic Economics: I've been so buried in the world of design that I'm a little bit scared when I have to venture into other realms of learning, so this class scares me a bit lot. Taking an economics class in one of the best business schools in the country is no mean feat. But I plan to work hard to wrap my head around everything, so hopefully I'll be okay. 

Applications of Sustainability: well I took part 2 in the fall, so I had to come back and take part 1 in order to take more advanced sustainability classes. To be honest, I'm already kind of bored.

Materials, Resources, and Construction: this class focuses on a lot of things that are absolutely necessary to know as a designer, and I'm looking forward to expanding my knowledge of building systems and materials. I'm not looking forward to the group projects, though... and the teacher doesn't seem like a bundle of fun. But it is what it is. 

Studio 4: Wow, I'm almost halfway finished... wow. This semester is intermediate space planning, and I know the professors are going to have us focusing on shaping space. This seems difficult to me, and I'm nervous (like I am every semester). But we're doing a coffee shop and a children's center, which both sound like fun to me. For now, though, we're doing a sculptural project... and I need to get back to working on those preliminary drawings.

It's good to be back!

[amhakanson]

Semester Preview: Semester 3

Continuing with my tradition of making predictions for my semester, here's my semester preview for Fall 2013:

History of Interiors: I think it will probably be pretty boring, but I love the teacher, and I'm pretty excited. Learning is really fun for me, and I'm definitely looking forward to expanding my knowledge of the design world. It'll be a really cool thing to start being able to draw on design elements from the past. We're starting in ancient Egypt and making our way to the 20th century, so it'll be fast-paced. Fingers crossed for an A!

Applications of Sustainability: I keep getting into classes that I don't have the prerequisites to take. The professors kept talking about "last semester" and "I'm sure you all remember," and I was just sitting there like, no, I don't... But I took a college credit environmental science class (2 years ago!), so I feel like I might be okay. Either way, I'm going for it. I'm planning on specializing in sustainability, and I want to get LEED certified as soon as possible after graduating. I'm really excited about this class, and I'm passionate about the environment. Hopefully it will be good.

Studio 3: I have the same teacher as I did for studio 2, and she's also the teacher for History of Interiors. She's fair and generally good at communicating what she wants from us. The co-teacher for the semester is a new guy, but he has recent experience in the field and seems really excited to get working with us. I have a good feeling about him. I think it's going to be a challenging semester. The whole program is being restructured and re-branded, and my year is kind of the guinea pig year. It's exciting, but there are also some things that get lost in communication. 

Digital Media in Design: Apparently the main weakness of our program in past years has been that our students aren't as good in Revvit and Auto Cad and Photoshop as the students at other universities. So they started this class, and we're the first ones to take it. Computer stuff kind of intimidates me, but I also tend to be pretty quick at picking things up, so I'm really, really hoping I do well in here. My GPA needs some love.

I'm simultaneously terrified and excited for the semester. I'm trying to take deep breaths and just keep working. No point in getting paralyzed by fear before the first project is even assigned, right?

[amhakanson]

Semester Preview: Semester 2

I did a semester preview last semester, and I thought it was interesting to have a record of what I was expecting from the semester at the end of the semester. So I think I'll make it a regular thing. 

Without further ado, the spring 2013 preview, with bullet points for brevity:

Design Studio 2: We started drafting on day one. Nothing too difficult, just the basics to get us used to being able to transfer a 3D object into a 2D drawing. I'm picking it up really quickly, which I was kind of expecting. The benefit of me having such a mathematical mind (compared to most, but not like... Joey or something) is that I see the world in very spacial way. I think that will be a real strength. Anyway, I'm excited for the semester. I'm starting to feel my doubts about my major ease away. I'm planning on working my butt off for another A.

Honors Textiles for Interiors: I've heard this is a pretty intense class- surprisingly so. But I've always been fascinated by things like dying processes and different fabrics, so I can see myself enjoying it. Or I might hate it. But the teacher was my studio professor last semester, so I at least know how she works. I have decent hopes for an A.

Honors Intro to Philosophy: The teacher seems very personable and interesting. He showed up in Nike tenis shoes, jeans, and a blazer, and he talks super fast. I'm one of those people that enjoys thinking, so I'm pretty sure I'll enjoy his class. We're starting with basic logic, which I'm already familiar with. I hope it will be a pretty easy A.

Honors Cultural Anthropology: I can't say much for this one except that the professor is pretty attractive. Lauren had the class with him last semester and enjoyed it, so I hope I will, too. I'm kind of just cramming a ton of honors classes in... I don't even know what I'm doing.

The Misting of Reality: I decided to keep this one. Mostly because I realized that even if I dropped the class I was going to keep the books that went with it. It's one day a week (for 3 hours, but still). I think I might be in WAYYYY over my head with this one. It's an incredibly heavy reading load, and there's a lot of writing involved, too. Reflections due every class period. Not just reflections... short stories. With essays attached about how we wrote the short story. To be honest, I don't even know how I GOT IN to a 3000 level English class as a freshman. I'm the only freshman (it's not like I'm going to announce that, but I can tell. Most of the other 11 students are clearly in their 20s), and I'm the only one who isn't an English major or a creative writing major. So I feel pretty intimidated, and I got some weird looks. But we read some Shakespeare and some Ovid, and I was holding my ground just fine. I just don't want to drop it, because I really want to try this! I want to know if I can do it. So fingers crossed.

That's it for the semester- 16 hours of funfunfun. MWF is just interior design; TTh is just thinking. It's funny how that worked out. I think it will be a challenging semester, but if I stay focused, I think I'll be okay.