Back to School

I wish this photo was more staged than it was...but actually I was just reading an article on my iPad, set it down for a second and snapped this picture...and then back to reading.  

This was my first week of classes, which still seems a bit odd to me that it's already October and we're just now beginning the semester, but it does seem to usher you right into really feeling like fall, rather than "back to school" happening sometime the end of August which is still clearly summer.  This semester already feels very different to last semester.  It is great already knowing other students and staff, and feeling much more settled in, but I think I got a bit spoiled with my schedule last semester, which included four "regular" classes and two electives, which were taught in those block weekends, and actually because of the format of some of my other classes (workshops and things) some of those were taught in blocks as well.  That meant that my weekly schedule varied each week, and rarely included more than 2 or 3 classes.  This semester however, I'm taking all six "regular" classes, meaning that I have class Monday-Thursday most weeks.  I don't really mind the more predictable schedule, although it does mean that I have to think ahead farther since I don't have weekday breaks between classes.  

Since I get a lot of questions about exactly what the program is that I'm studying, and what classes I have to take, here's the brief rundown for this semester, and hopefully it will give a bit of a better idea...Microeconomics, Data Analysis (Statistics), Governance Issues in Sustainable Development, Social Dimensions in Sustainable Development, Leadership for Sustainability, and Human Ecology.  I realize as I type those that it may still be as vague as ever, but for those of you that are interested feel free to still ask about classes!  I'm actually really looking forward to this semester, it is a good mix of subjects in various formats, from small discussion classes to some slightly larger lecture settings, it should be really interesting.

I did have time last Sunday to go on a short tour with some people from my church, and I have pictures from that, so as soon as I have some time to go through those I'll post that as well!