Orientation last night was enjoyable. It will be fun to be on a campus again, especially one as compact and busy as the U of M. They had subs from Subway for supper, plus some chips and sodas.
A couple of the professors in the dept spoke about what to expect from the program, also a gal who had been through the program and her spouse talked about juggling fulltime job, studies and home.
We got our textbooks (according to the U's website, one of them was $116!!! Yeek, ridiculous.), and had photos taken for our student id card. We also got our parking cards. This is rather a nice perk of the program. Parking on the U campus is utterly insane, hard to come by. (Most people bus in or something like that.) They said even faculty wait 6 to 8 years to get a parking card for the ramp that is across from the dept. So, it's a nice thing that we got a card. The ramp is a few blocks from the building, but it's a short walk. The card is only good for days we're scheduled to have class.
I was surprised at how many people were rather youngish looking, like they weren't too long out of college. I figured most would be people like me, and some were, but lots of younger people. I suppose they too are working, and this is a chance for them to get through a masters program and keep working as well.
Sounds like a fair amount of the work is done in teams, as software engineering is always a collabrative effort, sounds like they try to mimic that type of environment.
As the last thing then, a few of us went with the gal who is the administrative assistant to the program, and she showed us how to get to the parking garage and back from the dept. On the way there we walked through the tunnels. Most buildings on campus are connected by tunnels so you don't have to go outside in the winter. The ramp is connected to the student union, which is right on the east bank of the Mississippi, nice views. On the way back then, we walked outside, so we'd know how to do that. I was surprised that more people didn't go. It was easier to figure that out last night rather than our first morning of class.
The mascot of the U is the "Gophers", so the fact that there are "tunnels" is amusing. In fact, the tunnels are called "The Gopher Way". There are signs indicating where to go in the tunnels, which direction buildings are, etc...
First class then is Saturday, Sept 11, 8 am sharp. We'll get our reading assignments soon. They will provide juice and pastries, things like that, in the mornings, which will be nice. I guess they used to also provide lunch, but no longer. I suppose for cost cutting. So, will have a chance to explore the many eating joints around the campus area.
John and Hanna were at Sue's house then, till Rhonda picked them around 8:30. Sounds like they did pretty good, although around 8 Sue called Rhonda's cell phone and said John was crying saying his ear hurt. So, maybe his ear infection was bothering him, and maybe too that was his way of indicating he noticed he'd been at Sue's house all day and the regular routine wasn't being followed. I guess he cried then till Rhonda arrived. Hanna wasn't as squirrely as I thought she'd be then, but this morning she was giving signs that she might be a little pill today, so maybe she was reacting to wondering where mom and dad were.
They're sensitive to that sort of thing. One thing I'll always remember, the day we went to the orphanage to take John for good and saw him the first time that day. When we went into the room where he was, there was a lot of busyness as people walked around, getting things ready, the other family was there, etc... and John was just by himself in a rather large playpen, playing with this little toy figure or something, kinda oblivious to all the hubbub, probably unaware that his life was about to change. Was quite a picture, he was so alone in the world, just kinda making his own way through his little life, doing the best he could. I think he's a sensitive soul, and so we take extra care to give him lots of love and reassurance.
Hanna is too. She's a little different in that she was with her mother, so it's like with her, somewhere inside she is dealing with well, I had a mother, then I was taken away and put in this orphanage. So, is this going to happen again. So I think on days when she's at Sue's house, by the end of the day she's ready to be in her own home again with Mom and Dad, and last night was extra long for her.
Tomorrow we head off to Sioux City. Will be back Monday.
A couple of the professors in the dept spoke about what to expect from the program, also a gal who had been through the program and her spouse talked about juggling fulltime job, studies and home.
We got our textbooks (according to the U's website, one of them was $116!!! Yeek, ridiculous.), and had photos taken for our student id card. We also got our parking cards. This is rather a nice perk of the program. Parking on the U campus is utterly insane, hard to come by. (Most people bus in or something like that.) They said even faculty wait 6 to 8 years to get a parking card for the ramp that is across from the dept. So, it's a nice thing that we got a card. The ramp is a few blocks from the building, but it's a short walk. The card is only good for days we're scheduled to have class.
I was surprised at how many people were rather youngish looking, like they weren't too long out of college. I figured most would be people like me, and some were, but lots of younger people. I suppose they too are working, and this is a chance for them to get through a masters program and keep working as well.
Sounds like a fair amount of the work is done in teams, as software engineering is always a collabrative effort, sounds like they try to mimic that type of environment.
As the last thing then, a few of us went with the gal who is the administrative assistant to the program, and she showed us how to get to the parking garage and back from the dept. On the way there we walked through the tunnels. Most buildings on campus are connected by tunnels so you don't have to go outside in the winter. The ramp is connected to the student union, which is right on the east bank of the Mississippi, nice views. On the way back then, we walked outside, so we'd know how to do that. I was surprised that more people didn't go. It was easier to figure that out last night rather than our first morning of class.
The mascot of the U is the "Gophers", so the fact that there are "tunnels" is amusing. In fact, the tunnels are called "The Gopher Way". There are signs indicating where to go in the tunnels, which direction buildings are, etc...
First class then is Saturday, Sept 11, 8 am sharp. We'll get our reading assignments soon. They will provide juice and pastries, things like that, in the mornings, which will be nice. I guess they used to also provide lunch, but no longer. I suppose for cost cutting. So, will have a chance to explore the many eating joints around the campus area.
John and Hanna were at Sue's house then, till Rhonda picked them around 8:30. Sounds like they did pretty good, although around 8 Sue called Rhonda's cell phone and said John was crying saying his ear hurt. So, maybe his ear infection was bothering him, and maybe too that was his way of indicating he noticed he'd been at Sue's house all day and the regular routine wasn't being followed. I guess he cried then till Rhonda arrived. Hanna wasn't as squirrely as I thought she'd be then, but this morning she was giving signs that she might be a little pill today, so maybe she was reacting to wondering where mom and dad were.
They're sensitive to that sort of thing. One thing I'll always remember, the day we went to the orphanage to take John for good and saw him the first time that day. When we went into the room where he was, there was a lot of busyness as people walked around, getting things ready, the other family was there, etc... and John was just by himself in a rather large playpen, playing with this little toy figure or something, kinda oblivious to all the hubbub, probably unaware that his life was about to change. Was quite a picture, he was so alone in the world, just kinda making his own way through his little life, doing the best he could. I think he's a sensitive soul, and so we take extra care to give him lots of love and reassurance.
Hanna is too. She's a little different in that she was with her mother, so it's like with her, somewhere inside she is dealing with well, I had a mother, then I was taken away and put in this orphanage. So, is this going to happen again. So I think on days when she's at Sue's house, by the end of the day she's ready to be in her own home again with Mom and Dad, and last night was extra long for her.
Tomorrow we head off to Sioux City. Will be back Monday.
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