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  • From the past semester

    Well, I haven’t posted since August. I got a new job as an RA at a private residence hall near my university. This past semester I was busy with classes, RA work and work with the university honors program. The concept of “free time” disappeared from my vocabulary, essentially becoming bigfoot in word form; there’s evidence to suggest its existence, but all of it are lies. Here are just a few stories I’ve been meaning to post the semester ended, but I kinda forgot to do so.

    RAing
    Being an RA is a lot of work. A whole lot of work that sucks up free time like a leech. There are two aspects of this job that are both sucky and endearing at the same time: my coworkers and the residents. Life at my residence hall is like a bad good some type of soap opera. Groups of coworkers can be upset with other groups of coworkers depending on the combination and make up of the group from reasons regarding work ability to high school-esque break-up BS. But then they all could get together to hang out or go to the bars and generally have a good time. I wasn’t really surprised by the drama since I was forewarned by a front desk worker who has been friends with all the RAs for the past four years. The parties were a lot of fun though; who would think of "Taste the Rainbow" as a workable theme. Working here does have me questioning the difference between civility and being two-faced.

    As for residents, the printed word might as well be hieroglyphics. The resident hall has a set of rules that every resident gets and is gone over during a mandatory meeting. One rule is that there are no open containers of alcohol allowed in the hallway or common areas. The griping from residents on this one rule alone is nearly unfathomable; it becomes hilarious when the complainers are people who are too young to legally drink. Another rule is that residents have to wear shirts, pants and shoes in the common areas and hallways. Yes, this has to be a rule. The first weekend of school, I was doing a buddy round with N, the nicest person on staff and probably the world. On one floor, a lot of issues were happening: excessive noise, alcohol in the hallway, too many persons in a room (fire code regulation). One guy comes prancing out of his room in only his boxers, which were thankfully closed. He copped such an attitude when N asked for his id (we use it to write-up residents, who are later fined) that N was starting to get upset. N is happiness incarnate; making her upset is no easy feat.

    Woe of the Dairy Store
    Here is more of a sighting. In July, my sister began working at the dairy store I used to work at to earn extra money. By mid-September she was fired. Why? In late August, the store manager took a week vacation, during that time the district manager had another store manager fill in. The one time my sister actually worked with this temporary manager was for less than 2 hours during the shift change in mid-afternoon. My sister was working while wearing plastic gloves because she had nail polish on. The next week when the store manager gets back from vacation, he gets called into a meeting with the district manager and the district manager’s boss. Apparently, the temporary manager had been compiling info on the store workers to give the district manager, who used it as reason to fire seven workers, including my sister. The store manager flat out told the dm if that she wanted him fired, that he would quit. The dm’s boss didn’t want the store manager to leave and that he was a good worker. The store manager was able to get an extra week of work for the seven employees,(the next weeks schedule was already made) but that was all he could do. The store manager hated to fire my sister since she was a good worker, but he told her that he would her departure as her leaving and not being fired and would give a good reference if she needs it. The district manager has no idea how lucky she was to make the store manager fire my sister; she still has some anger issues.

    Whippersnappers
    Oh my fellow students, like coworkers who pay to work. I don’t know if I’ve gotten cantankerous as I aged or have just become bitterer towards others through continuous interactions, but wow how I hate freshmen. Scratch that, STUPID freshmen. Stupid people in general are grating on the nerves, but with stupid freshmen seem to be ten times more annoying. I only had four classes this semester, one being a general education class; usually populated with first year students. If you would have heard some of the questions that were asked, you would seriously contemplate ripping out your own mind and flinging it out the door. Just thinking about the class now raises my blood pressure. Here’s an example, a majority of the class voted to have ten homework assignments instead of one in class, three-question essay exam. I still don’t understand how doing three tests and ten assignments was less work than four tests. I shouldn’t just blame freshmen; my other three classes were all senior level with their own idiots. But those idiots know not to come to class, usually. In my constitutional history class, a student was upset that he was called to answer a question on a reading he didn’t do. That student claimed that the reading wasn’t in the syllabus; other students were quick to point out that the reading was in the syllabus in two places and was told to us by our professor several times before it was due including the first day.

    Bitterness Increasing
    The night before the RA’s were allowed to leave, we all went out to dinner and then did a gift exchange downstairs in our central are by the front desk. The only residents around were law students and students who went to the local community college. The next morning, I got a call from my mom saying Visa called her about possible fraudulent charges on my debit card. I looked for my wallet, but lo and behold it is gone. I tear through my room, nothing. I looked through where I was sitting last night, nothing. Then I remembered that some community college students had been sitting near the RAs when we did our gift exchange and I did have my wallet then because I had put a gift card into it. Unfortunately there are no cameras in that area of the building, so no actual proof of who took my wallet. I filled out a police report, and quickly had my debit card canceled. Luckily for me, I have two wallets with only half of my stuff in the stolen wallet and everything in the stolen wallet was easily replaced: a double-barred driver’s license that expires tomorrow, a dead debit card and a dead university id to a school they don’t go to. They still have a nice leather wallet and the hours I spent fixing the sh!t they caused me. It was good though that my bank returned all of the money that was used which was less than $200. Now I know to keep better track of my things as I never want to go through that again.

    Sadness
    On Christmas Eve, my Wii died. For the past week, it had been acting oddly: making a loud noise when a disc was in it, taking longer for an image to show on the TV, until it finally refused to fully turn on. The light turned green, the console makes it start up sounds, but then nothing. No image or sound from the TV no Wiimote connectivity, just nothing. I sent it in to Nintendo to be fixed, so here’s hoping that they can fix my Wii and save my saved data. I had just finished Okami with 45+ hours of gameplay, I don’t want to have to repeat all of that. Since my Wii is getting fixed, I’ve been playing my Pokémon Yellow for nostalgia. I’m glad that I still know the little intricacies of this game, ‘tis fun.

    Shameless Plug
    Once the semester ended, I was able to read for fun. I finished four books of Jim Butcher’s The Dresden Files in seven days. Highly recommended for anyone who likes fantasy and mystery.
    "Oh, by the way..." All of my HATE

    Ou kata nomon = Not according to the accepted norm

  • #2
    Quoth Trayol View Post
    Whippersnappers
    Oh my fellow students, like coworkers who pay to work. I don’t know if I’ve gotten cantankerous as I aged or have just become bitterer towards others through continuous interactions, but wow how I hate freshmen.
    Ugh. Even when I WAS a freshmen, I couldn't stand the vast majority of my classmates. It probably didn't help that I attended a community college and I was required to take classes that were WAY below my skill level and had no way to test out of them. Going from AP Physics to College Algebra was farking awful.


    Quoth Trayol View Post
    I got a call from my mom saying Visa called her about possible fraudulent charges on my debit card. I looked for my wallet, but lo and behold it is gone. I tear through my room, nothing.
    Similar thing happened to me early last year. I pulled some cash out of my wallet for a cafeteria run and when I got ready to go home for the day, it was gone. Luckily for me, I caught it before the thief made any purchases with my cards.

    Quoth Trayol View Post
    I’ve been playing my Pokémon Yellow for nostalgia. I’m glad that I still know the little intricacies of this game, ‘tis fun.
    I've been playing Crystal. My Beedril kicks some major derriere.
    I am no longer of capable of the emotion you humans call “compassion”. Though I can feign it in exchange for an hourly wage. (Gravekeeper)

    Comment


    • #3
      Quoth Trayol View Post
      Apparently, the temporary manager had been compiling info on the store workers to give the district manager, who used it as reason to fire seven workers, including my sister.
      What was the reason they wanted to fire her? I'm confused.

      Quoth jedimaster91 View Post
      Going from AP Physics to College Algebra was farking awful.
      Yup, though, in my experience, going from AP calc to regular calc because you fell so far behind while you were hospitalized that you could NEVER catch up with the AP class, then spending the next few years meandering through college calc, only to wind up in a tech school's college algebra class, with students who couldn't wrap their heads around adding Fractions is... :burn:
      "I call murder on that!"

      Comment


      • #4
        Quoth Trayol View Post
        Whippersnappers
        ...but wow how I hate freshmen. Scratch that, STUPID freshmen. Stupid people in general are grating on the nerves, but with stupid freshmen seem to be ten times more annoying.... Here’s an example, a majority of the class voted to have ten homework assignments instead of one in class, three-question essay exam. I still don’t understand how doing three tests and ten assignments was less work than four tests.
        Ugh. Been there. Thank you for specifying stupid freshmen, though. When I was in my first year of college, I took a general ed. Geology course for the requirement and for the cool field trip into Zion National Park in Southern Utah.

        Near the end of the semester, the professor told us a little about the upcoming final. He mentioned that he had posted a study guide online and that he would hold a review session before the test day. The review session was to be in the afternoon, and it was optional. He said something like, "I won't be doing any teaching. I'm just going to stand here with the textbook, the study guide, and my brain, and you can ask me all the questions you want about the class material."

        One student immediately started complaining. He said it wasn't fair to those that couldn't come to a class in the afternoon. That's a valid point, but then he stated why he thought that was unfair: new information that would be on the test. He was convinced this was just an extra class to cover stuff that wouldn't fit in the normal class schedule, and no matter how many times the professor reiterated that it was a review, the guy just kept saying, "I know, but it's not fair for you to cover new stuff when not all of us can come!"

        The rest of us were too stupefied to speak. Except three or four others that agreed with the complainer. The professor eventually just dropped the review session. The complainer was satisfied and actually looked like he thought he had won some battle of wits or something.

        Ah, college. I miss some things about it, but I'm glad it's over.
        I suspect that... inside every adult (sometimes not very far inside) is a bratty kid who wants everything his own way.
        - Bill Watterson

        My co-workers: They're there when they need me.
        - IPF

        Comment


        • #5
          Ugh, stupid college freshmen, barf. Took a few years off then went back to finish my degree. I was going to a school that cost $11000 per semester and was going pretty far in to debt to attend. I remember walking in to class one day and the 18 year olds were all going on and on about how lame the teacher was and how they just wanted class to be over (so they could go out drinking) and how they didn't care if they passed the class or not. Then there was the love triangle going in in the back between the tanorexic girl with fur lined boots (in september) and the two frat boy wanna-bes. That was fun to watch, not.

          Of course, when it came time for mid-terms and finals, I was their bff because I actually studied and they knew it. I think the nun who taught the class loved me because I actually wrote decent papers, did my homework and participated in class. For that I did earn the nickname "Smarty Tarty". Is that a compliment? Wth?

          Comment


          • #6
            I was an undergrad TA for a 100 level class and a 300 level class in my department. You can probably guess which class I enjoyed more. The stupid fresh meat wasn't the only reason I decided to go into law instead of getting a phd but it was one of the big ones. I just couldn't see myself not being arrested for strangling one of them at some future point.

            If you think their questions can be stupid you've never been the one to grade their homework. Obviously I'm not speaking about all of them but let's just say I am very sorry for teachers and professors I've had in the past and will have in the future. It's a job requiring more patience than I can ever hope to pretend to have.
            How was I supposed to know someone was slipping you Birth Control in the food I've been making for you lately?

            Comment


            • #7
              Quoth Trayol View Post
              It was good though that my bank returned all of the money that was used which was less than $200. Now I know to keep better track of my things as I never want to go through that again.
              Ouch. It always sucks to have someone much with your finances.

              However, there's a very good chance that they'll get camera footage from wherever the card was used. Possibly even online data if the person was really stupid. Here's hoping they get nailed to the wall for it.
              Quoth Trayol View Post
              I finished four books of Jim Butcher’s The Dresden Files in seven days. Highly recommended for anyone who likes fantasy and mystery.
              If you like the Dresden Files books, check out his Alera Codex, if you haven't already. The final book was released just last November.

              ^-.-^
              Faith is about what you do. It's about aspiring to be better and nobler and kinder than you are. It's about making sacrifices for the good of others. - Dresden

              Comment


              • #8
                Quoth Juwl View Post
                What was the reason they wanted to fire her? I'm confused.
                I'm guessing one of two reasons:

                1) The nail polish. Even with gloves, some stores do not allow nail polish to be worn in certain departments. (I know that my store has a very strict rule about NO nail polish or acrylic nails to be worn in departments where food is being prepared.)

                2) Budgeting reasons. In that case, usually it's the last hired, first fired. (which definitely protects me these days, since I've been with the company for 2+ years)
                The best professors are mad scientists! -Zoom

                Now queen of USSR-Land...

                Comment


                • #9
                  Quoth Trayol View Post
                  One rule is that there are no open containers of alcohol allowed in the hallway or common areas. The griping from residents on this one rule alone is nearly unfathomable; it becomes hilarious when the complainers are people who are too young to legally drink.
                  They should consider themselves lucky. Where I went, no alcohol was allowed, PERIOD. Not even if you were of age. Of course, they didn't care if you went elsewhere and got smashed, and a lot of people would sneak it in. From what I heard, even if they knew about it, they'd leave it alone unless you were being obvious about it, or they hated you and were looking for a reason to bust you. I did my share of sneaking (I'm sure after 20+ years it doesn't matter now), and apparently I wasn't nearly as slick as I thought I was. I was talking to one of the former RA's after he'd quit, and he told me that he knew, and could have busted me a number of times if he really wanted to.

                  Quoth Trayol View Post
                  Now I know to keep better track of my things as I never want to go through that again.
                  Unfortunately, you just cant trust people, including some of your "friends." I went thru a period where I had tapes vanishing from my room. Every so often I'd come home and discover one or two of them missing. At first, I thought it was one of my roommates taking them, because he had the same taste in music I did. I didn't want to think it was him, because I really liked the guy, so in a way, I was relieved when one more vanished after he left. Then at some point, the thefts stopped as suddenly as they'd started. I later found out from one of the neighbors that it was one of his roommates that was taking them. It all made sense. After the neighbor's roommate left was when the thefts stopped, and I also knew the guy knew how to undo a lock with a credit card. I just didn't think he was actually using that particular bit of knowledge for anything shady. I just wish I had found out before he'd left.
                  Sometimes life is altered.
                  Break from the ropes your hands are tied.
                  Uneasy with confrontation.
                  Won't turn out right. Can't turn out right

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Quoth MadMike View Post
                    I later found out from one of the neighbors that it was one of his roommates that was taking them. It all made sense. After the neighbor's roommate left was when the thefts stopped, and I also knew the guy knew how to undo a lock with a credit card. I just didn't think he was actually using that particular bit of knowledge for anything shady. I just wish I had found out before he'd left.
                    Wow. Nice of the neighbor to let you know who it was. Would have been nicer had he done it at a time where it might have done any good.

                    ^-.-^
                    Faith is about what you do. It's about aspiring to be better and nobler and kinder than you are. It's about making sacrifices for the good of others. - Dresden

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Whippersnappers. Indeed.

                      In grad school I interned with a professor, teaching an American History survey course. Pretty basic stuff.

                      There were three tests. The first two had thirty questions, the final had forty. All multiple choice.

                      Two weeks before each test, with thirty items for the first two tests, and forty items for the final, we handed out review sheets. Yes, we told them what was going to be on the test, what each question was going to be about. In very general terms, of course.

                      Two hundred-odd kids in that class. Two hundred.

                      Five As from the first test.

                      Thirty-some Bs

                      Fifty or so Cs.

                      The rest about evenly divided between Ds and Fs.

                      And there were bitter, bitter complaints about how "hard" the test was and how "unfair" it was that we actually expected them to READ the textbook.

                      And the test scores did not get better as the quarter went on.

                      Tony Brain go BOOM!
                      Last edited by TonyDonuts; 01-08-2010, 03:18 PM. Reason: Detail
                      I have a map of the world. It's actual size.

                      -- Steven Wright

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        ...I could get a better score than that faking my way through a multiple question test with just general knowledge. How do they manage to fail so badly?!

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Only about half the kids bothered buying the text book.

                          Seriously.

                          The syllabus specified that half of each test would come from the reading, and half from the lectures.

                          Some of the complaints after the first, second and the final exams focused on how, like, totally unfair, dude, it was to actually expect college students to read, and how a good professor would totally cover ALL the material in class, so that, like, ya know, the students should, like, totally all get As cuz we're, like, all totally great students, ya know.

                          It was heartbreaking.
                          I have a map of the world. It's actual size.

                          -- Steven Wright

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Quoth TonyDonuts View Post
                            Only about half the kids bothered buying the text book.

                            Seriously.
                            Yep. It's painful for the teachers too...

                            Quoth TonyDonuts View Post
                            The syllabus specified that half of each test would come from the reading, and half from the lectures.
                            "I didn't know we were supposed to read the syllabus! It was too long!

                            Quoth TonyDonuts View Post
                            Some of the complaints after the first, second and the final exams focused on how, like, totally unfair, dude, it was to actually expect college students to read, and how a good professor would totally cover ALL the material in class, so that, like, ya know, the students should, like, totally all get As cuz we're, like, all totally great students, ya know.
                            Or the best argument is "I showed up every day!" As though the fact that they showed up (usually only half the days) is all it takes to get a good grade.

                            Quoth TonyDonuts View Post
                            It was heartbreaking.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              It is amazing how stupid some of the people in college are. I took an awesome ancient archaeology class; a few easy multiple choice exams and 2 short papers. I couldn't believe it when after the prof had graded the 1st paper he had to tell the class to use paragraphs. At first I thought he was kidding, but he wasn't *face palm.*
                              Another easy class I took was an intro nutrition class. Great prof, easy multiple choice tests. All the reading was online on the class website. There were little "self tests" that you could do in each chapter and the prof took the exam questions, word for word, from those self tests. So many people still failed it. I couldn't understand it when he gave us the farking exam questions!
                              Kudos for being an RA. It is such a hard job.
                              Elwood: "We got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark, and we're wearing sunglasses."
                              Jake: "Hit it."

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