"not much intellectual happening here"

Saturday's class with Dr. E got moved, and as seems to be the trend at UTD, some random person stumbled into our class about 15 minutes in and said, "Is this Fundamentals of Intellectual Thought?"

Dr. E didn't skip a beat in replying.

"Well, so far as I can tell, there's not much intellectual happening here."

OUCH.

She left (with her kid, who was tagging along), and then he turned to the class, chuckled, and said, "I was just kidding about that intellectual thing."

"I'm your textbook"

Tuesday's class is the one I've been stressing about all along -- data analysis. In other words, analyzing statistical research data. OOF.

This was the class for which there were never textbooks in either bookstore, and the one about which I e-mailed the professor to inquire about the textbook situation -- to which he replied, "We'll discuss!"

Turns out, Dr. C started the class by saying, "I'm your textbook."

And then, "I assume you know nothing."

FANTASTIC!

He's the new chair of the department, and seems so extremely laidback and easygoing. I immediately liked him. YAY! :)

"are you cohort three?"

Monday's class is (essentially) an introduction to doing doctoral-level research... and last week, when I walked into class, I was almost immediately approached by a guy thrusting a clipboard in my direction while asking, "Cohort three?"

Now, I did recall that the professor with whom I'd talked about the program mentioned that we'd be in a "cohort," which basically meant they bring new students into the program together and have them take the same core classes together. In the case of our political science cohort, there are somewhere between 12-15 of us who are taking the same basic core of three classes together this fall.

I knew all that somewhere in the back of my mind, but honestly, I was a bit overwhelmed by the clipboard and the question and the new class, etc., so I just sorta stared blankly at this guy and maybe -- *maybe* -- grumbled, "Huh?"

"You know, political science Ph.D., cohort three?"

"Ah. Yes. That's me."

What was sorta funny about the class, though, was that we've been temporarily moved into a classroom in the building next door to the building where all the poli sci things happen. The room was apparently a geology lab room, because there were all these rocks and topological maps in the room, and random extension cords hanging from the ceiling. One guy walked in the door, said, "Is this intro to geology lab?" and immediately skedaddled when we all sorta laughed and said no. At least five people in the room stood up and left.

Monday was the first class we had just as a cohort (Saturday's class is about three times as big), so we had a chance to go around the room and introduce ourselves. It was good to hear everyone's names -- NOT that I remember them, naturally.

classes begin, part I

Saturday morning was my first doctoral class ... felt a little like starting kindergarten all those many years ago. I was equally nervous, I'm sure.

I hadn't seen a sample syllabus or anything from this guy, Dr. E., until last Monday, when I picked up my coursepack of articles/book chapters. The syllabus was thoughtfully reproduced therein, so I was able (with many deep breaths) to begin visualizing the semester ahead.

When he arrived to class around 9:30 Saturday morning, he was absolutely what I expected when I pictured your stereotypical political science professor: his hair was dark, streaked with gray, hanging below his ears in length and sorta wavy and toussled; he was wearing a nice baby blue button down dress shirt with an almost-knotted light purple cotton tie; and had a massive stack of papers that he sorta shifted around for a while before getting started.

He was funny, intelligent, irreverant, and easygoing. SO my kinda guy.

The class is big -- maybe 35 or 40 students? -- which surprised me, but it IS a foundation class for three separate programs. About a third of the class (I found out later, 15 of us) is starting out in the political science doctoral program.

What amused me most was the after-class group wrangling that took place. We're to do a group presentation (groups of 3-4 people) at some point during the semester, and Dr. E seems content to make presentation assignments 2-3 weeks ahead of their time. In other words, next week we'll decide who's doing presentations for the following 2 or 3 weeks. Always just staying a BIT ahead of the syllabus.

Yet, after class broke, the room became a frenzy of networking. Everyone started forming these little groups -- I don't watch "Survivor," but it definitely made me think of reality TV alliances -- and deciding which topic they wanted to jockey for. I was recruited into a group with three others (none of whom, I later learned, are in my poli sci cohort), and made passing mention of my interest in public opinion. Before I knew it, one of the people in my group had written down our names, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses, taken it to Dr. E, and "reserved" the public opinion presentation for us ... Oct. 10.

Right.

It really was amusing, but in a very positive way.

follow-up re: public opinion

Turns out my Saturday morning professor has a specific interest in public opinion; that several of my profs (and generally those in the program) have published on the topic; and, that my Saturday morning class group presentation will be on the topic of public opinion (and my suggestion). I have MUCH to learn, my friends!