Been in the library for pretty much the past 2 days studying for my LOWER DIVISION Global Politics class.
But of course, lower division is a relative term.
With the 3 books to study on top of having to know all the countries and their capitals of Europe and Asia, an essay question to research [which can be subject to change or modified] and a plethora of multiple-choice questions; I'm surprised this isn't an upper-division course which would almost seem more appropriate.
I'm sure that doesn't seem "all that bad" especially in consideration to 2nd and 3rd world countries and what other people may have to go through, but out of all the courses I've taken, this one takes precedence as being one of the most difficult.
I don't know why I'm stressing out about this. I've done worse, I think. I graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a Bachelor's in History where I had to write many research papers all the while progressing on a Quarter-System and participating on the Rowing Team, and yet this lower division course which is supposed to "help" me with my general course-work to being a Single-Subject Teacher is totally kicking my butt.
Seriously, don't listen to counselors. When they said they "recommend" I don't take the CSET and instead take the coursework, I should have known it was all for money, which is what it seems like.
Counselor's don't know what they're talking about. True many school districts aren't looking at the CSET and it does make sense to take course-work then just a test, which doesn't really prove anything, but it's hard to weigh that factor when the stress and angst take precedence.
Still though, if I had taken the CSET and not these other courses, I would have never had time to take Ballet, Social Dance, meet my current girlfriend in Economics, and just learn a plethora of knowledge about myself, my significant other, develop a more rigorous study method, stopped playing video-games like Minecraft or Heroes of Might & Magic, joined a Saber-group, engage with other people of the same religious affiliation, among a number of things I cannot even fathom, such as merely growing up.
So basically, the opportunity cost is pretty high, and yet, strangely enough, I'm almost better off now then I had I done my own thing.
As Phong once said from ReBoot: "The ReadMe of fate is a complicated file." Or something along those lines.
I just hope that all of my studying will pay off and I pass with good grades otherwise it will all be for naught and I'll be working at the local McDonald's down the street; or more appropriately, doing another profession / career that is a bit less rewarding...
