On My College Years (Boring. You may not want to read it)

I think everyone knows this by now, but I am the second councilor in the YW presidency.

There may be only 3 girls (soon to be two) but I love this calling.

Mutual was last night. Instead of doing a structured activity we just sat and talked with one another, getting to know each other just a little better. The oldest young woman, Rachel, is leaving for BYU in June and we got onto the topic of grades and what college is like-the kinds of classes you need to take, the length of the papers, the difficulty of the classes.

This got me thinking about the grades I received in college and how some were disappointing. But others were surprising. And, though I KNOW if I had tried my BEST I could have gotten a slightly higher cumulative GPA, I am happy with my 3.0. My B averages GPA.

But now, even though NONE of you care or are interested, I am going to make a list-by semester-of all the classes I took and the grades I received. And then talk a little about each one.

Now that you know what the bulk of this post is going to be about, feel free to skip over it.

Let's begin in the year 2005. The Fall after I graduated from David H. Hickman High School.

2005 Fall Semester (I'll admit, I did not start off on a good foot. I took advantage of my freedom and did a lot of class skipping. The result? I didn't do as well as I anticipated and I learned my lesson-for the most part)

• English Literature: C+ (I was disappointed with myself and the grade I got in this class. Having come out of A.P. Literature with Mr. Stover, I believed that I could easily ace ANY English class. So I didn't pay close attention in lecture, sometimes didn't attend class, and my grade reflected this. Ick.)
• Foundations in Russian History: A- (This class was a random decision. And I LOVED it! The professor was boring to listen to but the content was FASCINATING! And I got a great grade...WOO)
• Library Research: B (This was possibly the most boring class ever. But I guess it was helpful. It taught you all about how to use the Library resources available to you)
• Intermediate Algebra: C+ (Ew. Math. Not m strong point. What else can I say?)
• Concert Choir: B+ (I have no excuse for the grade I got in this class except that I didn't like the director so I missed too many classes)
• General Psychology: A-(I was pleased with this grade. It was an interesting class and I actually enjoyed participating in the psychological studies done by Grad students for credit)

Semester GPA: 3.0
cumulative GPA: 3.0

2006 Winter Semester (A Very "B" like semester)

• General Principals and Concepts of Biology: B (Meh, Biology. Whatever)
• General Biology Lab: B-
• General Chemistry: B (I was so AMAZED that I got this grade! I am worse at Chem. than I am at Math! Wow...)
• Twentieth Century American History: C (Okay, I have NEVER been good at history. I hate learning it in lecture format. It doesn't STICK! So I did horribly at this class)
• College Algebra for Calculus Bound Students: B (Another SURPRISE in the B department! I got a B in a math class? No way!)

Semester GPA: 2.7
Cumulative GPA: 2.8

2006 Fall Semester

• Applied Microeconomics: C (Why in the WORLD would I take this class? It was this or a Macroeconomics class...microeconomics seemed...smaller? And so easier? No. I barely got the concepts. I hate economics. And I hate that I had to take this class)
• General Chemistry 2 with Lab: C- (Now THAT'S more like it. C- in a chemistry class makes more sense. I think it was here that I failed my first test. Lab wasn't too bad, but not enough to save my grade. BLAH, I hate Chem.)
• Exposition and Argumentation (Aka Engligh 1000): A (You know, NO ONE calls it anything but English 1000. I LOVED this class, though! My teacher was amazing and opened so many new windows of my mind! She was the one who helped me see the connection and disconnection of the world via various media. LOVED this class. And I'm pretty sure she loved me.)
• Colloquium: Fisheries and Wildlife: F (My first F. It's not all that impressive. With this class, all you had to do was SHOW UP and listen to the lectures given. I SWEAR I went to the required number of classes! But I think I forgot to sign in for one or two of them. So they gave me an F instead of the required S to pass. Booo...)
  
• Calculus for Social and Natural Sciences: C (Yeah, and here was have a more typical Math grade. I guess the B's weren't meant to last.)
  
• Computer Applications in Natural Resources: A (This was pretty much an older man who knew less about computers than most of us teaching us about how to use computers. Boring)
  
• Beginners GIS for Natural Resources: A- (This was taught by the same guy teaching my computer class. And it was equally as boring. I don't know if I actually remember much from this class...)
  

Semester GPA:2.5 (oof. That's rough)
Cumulative GPA:2.7

2007 Winter Semester

• Introductory Meteorology: B (I got to take a class taught by meteorologist Eric Aldrich! How cool is that? This was a great class.)
  
• Ornithology: C (Early mornings, a lot of uncertain bird identification. This class was TOUGH. But I muscled through it somehow. With a C.)
  
• Principles of Geology with Lab: B (Oh, Geology. This was a fun class with a good teacher. Aaaannnddd...a hot T.A.)
  
• Ecology and Renewable Resource Management: B+ (I had to look up what this class was because I forgot all about it. Now I remember, and it was kind of a joke among all of us taking it. It was taught by three guys. Gantzer was having a love affair with soil, Cutter was obsessed with fire, and the other guy just talked too fast. We all tuned out when he spoke).
  

Semester GPA:2.7
Cumulative GPA:2.7

2007 Fall Semester

• General Ecology: B (I remember really disliking the lecturing methods of this teacher. But the class was pretty simple)
  
• Introductory Entomology: C+ (Taught by Bruce Barret. This was my second challenging "ology" class and I didn't do all that well. Even though I feel like Entomology is one of the most interesting "ologies" out there! I think I just didn't test well in that class.)
  
• Insect Diversity: B- (This was basically the lab for Entomology. I did better in this class. And we got to have an insect collection! Cool.)
  
• Elements of Physiology: C+ (Um...I have no idea why this class was necessary. Because it wasn't. But I had to take it anyway and it was pretty challenging. I think the lab saved my grade because I only did well on one test and it was the one on muscles.)
  

Semester GPA:2.5
Cumulative GPA:2.7

2008 Spring Semester (because they stopped calling it Winter semester)

• Rural and Agricultural Law:B (The man teaching this class was kind of crazy. But in a nice and amusing kind of way. Not in a scary way. I didn't find that class to be all the useful, but it wasn't TOO bad)
• Plant Systematics: A- (This class was AMAZING! I learned SO MUCH and even though it was hard, I was rewarded with good grade! LOVE!)
  
• Introduction to Genetics and Evolution for Conservation: A (Introductory Genetics. Taught by another slightly insane teacher. The same guy who would later teach me Ichthyology. And yet I Passed this class with flying colors and almost FAILED Ichthyology. Go figure.)
  
• Statistical Methods in Natural Resources: B (Statistics for Natural Resources is EASY and very applicable. That is the only reason I got a B.)
  

Semester GPA:3.4 (Woo! Getting up there again!)
Cumulative GPA:2.8

2008 Fall Semester

• Verbal Communication in Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: A (This is the class where we had to give presentations in front of people. This is the class where I had a chance to partner up with my crush*. This class taught me SO MUCH and prepared me for all the presenting I would later do in front of people.)
  
• General Botany with Lab: A (The only reason I really liked this class is that I had the same T.A. that I'd had in Plant Systematics and I LOVED her!).
  
• Colloquium: Fisheries and Wildlife: S (Remember this class? The one I got an F in? I went to ALL the lectures this time so that there was no way they couldn't give me the S I needed to pass.)
  
• Limnology: C+ (I really regretted taking this class. Every once in a while it was interesting. It was fun to get to go out and do field work. But I did NOT test well in this class and I barely understood what they heck that guy was talking about.)
  
• Ecosystem Management: B+ (I had a dream that I married my professor in this class. He was pretty cute. And the class itself wasn't too bad.)
  

Semester GPA:3.4
Cumulative GPA:2.9

2009 Spring Semester

• Introduction to British Literature: A (I LOVED this class! I was one of the only people participating half of the time. I think I was one of the only seniors in the class. It was a grand time and I read some great things in that class).
  
• Introduction to Folklore Field Research: A (This class was SO random, but SO much fun! I loved the teacher and the concept and I thought for a little while that I would LOVE to be an anthropology major and stud Folklore.)
• Ichthyology: B- (Remember that fish experiment fiasco? Yeah, I do. Vividly. Through testing and quizzes, I was FAILING this class. I think the only thing that saved me was my ability to write a good research proposal for the failed experiment and my DILIGENCE at trying to get the experiment to WORK. So I went from a D to a B-!! Woo! Still. WORST. CLASS. EVER.)
  
• Animal Population Dynamics and Management:B (better known as AnPopDy. This class could have been worse, but it could have been better. Whatever, I got through it. And with a B no less!)
  
• Natural Resources Practicum: B- (Oh, this class. The one that taught me that I never want to be the editor of a 10 person collaboration paper EVER again. I pulled my first REAL all nighter. NO sleep all night. No break for a nap, which is what I would usually do. It was THE WORST. But the class itself wasn't too bad. Just the incompetency of my peers to follow VERY CLEAR FORMATTING INSTRUCTIONS!)
  

Semester GPA:3.2
Cumulative GPA:2.9

2009 Fall Semester

• Behavioral Biology: B (This class was INTERESTING. I can still see myself doing something in behavioral biology or ecology.)
  
• Human Dimensions in Fisheries and Wildlife Management:A- (Well, it was a necessary class because I DO work a lot with the human aspect of Natural Resources. But really, I have NO idea what that professor was teaching us. The only reason I passed was because it was all pretty self-explanatory)
  
• Topics in Fisheries and Wildlife-Biological/Physical/Mathematics: B+ (AKA Behavioral Ecology. Yes, I took Behavioral Biology AND Ecology. And yes, they were different. For example, we didn't have class in this class for the second half of the semester because our professor had a baby.)
  
• Topics in Geography-Social Science: A (AKA Geography of Cemeteries. This is THE most random class that I have ever taken. And one of the most fun and interesting! I only took it because I had to have another writing intensive course and I REALLY didn't want to take Fisheries management and suffer the same fate as I did in Ichthyology. So I took THIS and learned a LOT and did AMAZING on the final research paper. Despite losing all my original research in a notebook that is STILL somewhere in the nether realm.)
  
• Natural Resources Biometrics: A- (I am pretty sure this was the class I was SUPPOSED to take BEFORE AnPopDY. Instead, I took it after. And got an A-).
  

Semester GPA:3.5
Cumulative GPA:3.0 WOO! I got my 3.0! Not the best, but I am still pleased enough with it.

There you have it. All the information you DIDN'T want to know about my college experience. Honestly, this is all there is to SAY about it. I didn't party. I didn't have extra curricular activities (something I STILL regret). I just worked, went to class, did homework, and napped.

And now that I have wasted my morning writing this, I am going to do some actual work. Because that's what college prepared me for, right?

*This is the brief and tragic tale of how I almost got to partner up with my crush. I'd had several classes with this guy. He was blonde (not my typical type) and had a really nice face, sometimes wore glasses, and was quiet and kind. During this one class with him, we would sometimes sit by each other because we knew and recognized each other. We chatted casually. Nothing much. We were supposed to partner with someone in the class to record a radio advertisement. The first person to ask me was a girl who I had gone to High School with. She was nice, I knew her, and I knew she was a hard worker. So I said yes. the NEXT DAY my crush approached me and asked if I wanted to partner with him. I could have CRIED RIGHT THERE! I HAD to say no because I had already told the other girl YES! How tragic is that? I could have become better friends with this guy. But apparently it was not meant to be.

I still think about this event and feel SO sad. Like it was an opportunity JUST BARELY missed.