Only Designers Care: November 2005

Exhibit A

My advertising grade.....grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Must...control...fist...of death!!!

So. Advertising grade. Yes, we are very angry. Righteous anger of course, righteous. Because I got a C on the second exam, I wasn't expecting anything spectacular grade-wise, but then I noticed my attendance grade....

We are allowed five absences before he fails us, but each time we're absent we lose a point. Standard fare so far. Note: I have missed ONE class, last tuesday. ONE, for the record. Remember that number. Now, for attendance I have 2 out of 5 points. That means I've been absent...wait...math...THREE times. Yes, according to the teacher I missed 9/22 and 10/18. Only wait...I've only missed ONE day. So in class yesterday, there were a LOT of people steamed up about their attendance grades, some people had never missed but were getting 0/5.

Perhaps at this point I should describe the teacher's role call method. Ok, imagine it's 12:58, the small classroom is packed with almost 30 people, most of them friends. Would you imagine this room to be quiet? No, there are the usual animated descriptions of parties, booze, boyfriends, friends you're not talking to etc. Loud. Now it's 1, and the prof enters the classroom and takes out his ledger thingy and begins reading names out... "allen, mandy." Mind you, the class is usually still talking at this point and the prof's voice is about as penetrating as a rotting banana peel. It's up to you to watch his mouth and try to lip read your name. Oh yeah, and if you miss your name or he doesn't hear your weak and sleep deprived "here"...you're absent! Not there! Poof! Like Rumpilstiltskin! (sp?)

In response to about half the class protesting their "absences" the teacher munificently granted us the opportunity to make up for our "missed classes" by submitting a summary report of that day's chapter. No matter that we were actually there, no matter that we're being punished for his lack of vocal clarity, no matter that not ALL of us are talking before class. When I asked him "you marked me absent for two days that I was here!" he responded "can you prove you were here?" Unfortunately I don't have notes that say "9/22" or "10/18" because I take notes directly on his presentation handouts and oh...I threw them away after the last test not thinking I would have to PROVE MY EXISTENCE ON THOSE DATES!!!!!! So now I have to do chapter outlines for two days that I was FREAKING there for, ok freaking SLEEPING through, but BODILY PRESENT. It gets my goat.

I wouldn't be such a fart about this if those TWO points didn't mean the difference between a B+ and an A-. If I were getting an A- in the course I wouldn't take the final exam, which would mean I could spend time panicking about my three books that are due that monday instead of studying for another stupid multiple choice advertising test. Sigh. All this righteous anger will probably pan out to me doing those dumb summaries (how long? how detailed? who knows!). Unless I break down and try to suck up to the teacher during his office hours tomorrow. Oh, another point, how can I be getting perfect participation points (participation being defined by the prof as: I know your name and you talk) and still be marked down incorrectly for attendance? If he KNOWS my name (and thusly, my face) couldn't he look up when he calls "Lindsey M" and see my bright and shining eager-to-learn face in the FRONT ROW???

I think I'll email him. Kindly. He said he'd round up, but I'm getting an 87.25, would he still round up for that? Or leave it at a B? Something I must ask him because it will factor into me doing those chapter thingies, which I don't really have time for (on account of having to compile a modern-day "bible" for scripture on Friday).

Where are those teacher evaluations when you need them????

Bad Hair Day...

speaking of madwomen, I think I have a problem that is sleep-related. This morning, for about the 50th time this semester, I have looked at my clock and read a different time than it actually is. On most occasions I only get as far as sitting up before I realize that I'm stupid and that it's really 1:30 not 6:30 and that I can go back to sleep. Not this time.

This time I actually got out of bed in a panic, thinking that my clock said 6:30 and that I had slept through my 6 AM alarm. I stumbled to the bathroom not even bothering to grab my glasses. While cleansing myself, I had random thoughts such as "Why is it so dark outside?" (our bathroom has a window IN the shower...it's kind of strange) and "Why am I so tired? I went to bed at 11!" These thoughts coalesced into a niggling doubt at the back of my head that it was not, in fact, 6:30. My niggles were confirmed when I returned to my room, wet headed, and saw that the clock read 3:46. Yes, almost 2.5 hours before I had to get up. I cursed my stupidity, reset my alarm (this time to 6:30, since I now I didn't need time for a shower), put a towel onto my pillow and went back to sleep with a cold, wet head. I wonder if that had any influence on my strange dinosaur infested island fortress chocolate pie making dream. At the least it will probably cause me to get a "head cold" and die an early death. At the most it cost me a good night's sleep and a really, really bad hair day.

Paying the Price

Because I'm skipping classes next tuesday (gasp!) I've experienced an extremely heavy work load this week. Actually, it's not just because of skipping. There are just a freaking lot of things happening before thanksgiving break! Papers (half an hour from now I have to turn in the one I just finished...probably my most dreadful ever), magazines, reading, presentations, advertisements, storyboards, advertising exam (haven't even studied yet) poetry explication....the better to enjoy my break!

I was going to attach some images of the stuff I've been working on this week, but time will not allow. I've got to go turn in my really crappy paper. Sigh.

business cards shmisness cards

So, by thursday at 11 am, I have to email to the printer a business card file. Problem is, I don't like any of my ideas. Sigh. Here's what I have so far, for the viewing of the ethereal public.