Classes start today for our Spring trimester, which is both the home stretch, and one of the most brutal academic death marches in the business– we wind up running into June every year (last day of finals is June 7), well after most colleges are out of session. By the end of the term, the weather is nice, the students are cranky (because the weather is nice, and their friends at other school are all out), the faculty are cranky (because the weather is nice, the students are cranky, and their friends at other schools are all out), and everybody’s sort of tip-toeing around, because the whole campus feels like it might explode.
Of course, that’s not for a couple of months yet. At the moment, it’s just the beginning of an academic term, with the special bonus factor that about a quarter of the students won’t bother to show up before Wednesday. But we all know what’s coming…
I’m teaching two classes this term (after the cut):
- Physics 311: Quantum Optics: MWF 9:35-10:40.
- Physics 121: Principles of Electromagnetism: MWF 10:50-11:55, Tu 10:50-12:30.
(Physics 121 is the second term of freshman physics– basic E&M, with a smattering of optics and modern physics thrown in. I’ve taught it before, and plan to change basically nothing from the last time.)
You can see how much fun this term is going to be…
Accordingly, there will probably be some drop-off in either the quantity or quality of blogging here, or possibly both. It won’t go to zero, because I need a hobby to keep myself sane, but I’m going to be awfully busy with the day job for a while.
You’re still on a quarter system? I thought those all died in the 80s.
So you wouldn’t really be interested in hearing about my final two weeks from today?
Spring break for us starts in two days. W00t!
Most of the UC campuses are on a quarter system, so there are still some around.