My fall semester schedule has its good points and its bad points. I’m taking a dissertation proposal writing class, particle physics, a class on Web 2.0′s uses in the classroom, and a class on higher education.

+I can return to Najmat’s class!

-I have an incredibly busy Wednesday, consisting of 8 hours of class.

+I’m taking a physics class

-Physics here will be different (discussed a little later in this post)

+I will be finished with all required courses after fall 2011

The physics course is something I’m somewhat worried about. I haven’t taken a physics class since 2009. I expect to do a lot of reviewing this summer, which hopefully will prepare me.

The other two issues are that I have no cohort in the physics department and I’m somewhat concerned about grades/culture. The former is important, because after high school physics, working with others was crucial to passing physics. Rare are the people I knew who didn’t need to work with classmates, and I suspect I’m still someone who needs to work with others, at least a little bit. Unlike education school, physics graduate school for me really required working with my classmates, which made us fairly close; I’m not sure how easy it will be to find a group of people to work with when I don’t share an office with any of them, have never taken a class with them before (I think they’ll have been together for a year), and don’t work as TA or research assistant. In other words, I have no interaction with them and they may have ample interaction with each other.

The latter issue is important, because my GPA may affect future job prospects; right now, I have a pretty decent GPA. It would be a shame if a non-required course hurt my GPA. I don’t know what the culture of the physics department is; everyone I’ve met is incredibly nice and helpful, but I’ve been an employee, not one of their students.

I’m optimistic, though, that things will work out favorably. A little challenge never hurt anyone, right ?

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