Sleeping Jellyfish

I have just made out a class schedule twice in 24 hours. I was supposed to meet with my adviser concerning a few classes because I am not quite sure if they will fulfill some course requirements I have at WSU, yet they seem to have the same content, but I had lost all my planning papers. For example:

At WSU there are two separate Political Science courses – POLS 346 and POLS 347 – International Law and International Organizations, respectively. Now, I’ve taken 347 this past semester with Dr. Yogesh Grover, and was looking to take 346 this semester at Akita. On the WSU/Akita Trasfer Guide they are listed as two separate classes, but on Akita’s 2008 Fall course listing it is only listed as POLS 440 – International Organizations and Law. So do I get credit for both? Does it count as retaking 347 and then also 346? Probably not. I’m sure theres a simple answer for this that I’ll find out tomorrow, when we meet for real this time.

Another one is Akita’s POLS 430 – North East Asian Politics and Relations. This seems to be consistent with WSU’s POLS 337 – Asian Political Systems – but really who knows? The course requirements for many of the college degrees I’ve looked into are really frustrating. I haven’t been this confused in a long time. Not since the preview for that new Chihuahua movie that played before Wall-E. I was left with the pounding question of “why would someone make something like this?” Again with some college degree requirements, “why would someone make me take at least 3 credits from each of the following 3 categories, but at least 9 credits from one category?” Of the three categories, your left with two options: take 3 classes from one, 2 from another, and 1 from another, OR 4 classes from one category, and 1 from each of the other two. Why not just pick any 6 classes you want? I know that variety and balance is the underlying reason but it still seems silly. Maybe figuring out what classes you need to graduate is the final test in critical thinking, an important skill that a well rounded liberal arts education should provide. Maybe.

So, as of now, I will be taking the following:

• Intro to Global Studies – IGS 200/GS 200
• Intro to East Asian Studies – HIS 250/GS 250
• Modern History of China – HIS 290/HIS 343
• International Organization and Law – POLS 440/ POLS 346/7
• Intermediate Japanese – JPL 301/ (WSU does not offer equivalent) (yet…)
• North East Asian Politics and Relations – POLS 430/ POLS 337

That is 19 credits, so I will need to get my advisor’s permission, and though it seems like a lot, I’m pretty confident that the Intro classes wont be too difficult, and since apparently I’ve taken half of Int’l Org and Law, that shouldn’t be too difficult either. I’m most worried about my language class. I’ve been a C student up until now, but I am counting on actually using it everyday to really speed along my learning and solidify what I’ve already learned. I hope that even with a full schedule I will still have plenty of time for field trips and other things that an international student (ryugakusei) can do.

I leave for a week at Camp Nathanael on Friday, to spend time with my good friend Zachary Wormwood before I leave for Japan. I’ve got all the transportation worked out to get to camp, though the timing may be tight. Thus, probably no post for a week starting Saturday. I’m hoping that when I get back, my Certificate will be here. My opinion of efficiency in government bureaucracy is pretty poor so I’m not hoping too much, but just a little.