Some of my teachers for this fall have sent the course syllabus out already. All of my classes are morning classes and my latest one runs from 11-2pm. I specifically avoid late afternoon and night classes. I had a 3 pm class last year. I did not perform well.
Why? I am most definitely a morning person. My brain works better in the morning, and if I have to do afternoon/evening stuff, I have to sleep in and go fresh to what ever I have to do in the afternoon/evening. It is just the way I work. And, the older I get the more morning based I’m becoming. I pretty sure that my radiation also has played a role in the loss of my mental flexibility. During the school/work week I am pretty much useless after 3 or 4 in the afternoon. So I get up early, at usually 4 am, and study. It sticks better. I tend to go to bed by 7:30 pm sometimes earlier. And being up until 8 is a wild late night for me.
I have absolutely no idea how I used to function as a high school/college student 20-25 years ago getting up sometimes as early at 3:30 am and doing homework, going to class, going to work, doing more homework and maybe getting to bed at 10 pm. I can only assume I had more stamina and mental flexibility then.
So needless to say, I was very, very pleased that the courses I must take for my degree were all early in the day. I deliberately avoided some classes I was interested in as electives because they were later in the day.
I’ve told you all this so you will understand the significance of what I’m about to say. To sum up, finally, my Genetics teacher, whose class is at 9 am has made three tests mandatory night exams running from 6 pm to 8 pm. That means by the time I am expected to sit this exam, even if I take the day off from work, it will still be after a full day where I’ve been awake for 14 hours, sat through his class lecture, another class lecture and a 4 hour lab. I was pretty much planning to be in my pj’s and ready for bed by the time he wants the test to start.
I have long been anticipating this course because I think genetics is way cool, and now I am completely distraught and dreading this class. If I could possibly drop it and wait to take it from a different instructor and still graduate on time I so totally would. This situation is setting me up for disaster and there is almost no possible way for me to do well on night tests at this stage in my life. I think it pretty much sucks that a teacher is able to require such a thing. My only hope is that I can work out some special arrangement.
God Dammit! I am so sick of teachers thinking they can rule your life.
Janie's Place 