What does your last semester before grad school look like?

[LateAntique]

For those who are currently in school (be it in a BA or MA program), what does your final semester look like? Although I'm taking some core requirements classes I put off (a math class and a required PE in the form of bowling), I've got an awesome semester ahead of me. I'm taking:

Herodotus and the Persian Wars (with the eminent Peter Green! I'm stoked!)

Translating Herodotus for Greek

Directed Reading in Greek: Aeschylus' Agamemnon (this is going to be difficult but worth it)

Latin

Senior Religion Seminar (concerning Matthew Fox, the once Catholic now Episcopal priest theologian)

I'm also probably doing some work with an amazing Erasmus scholar. Though it looks like a lot of work, I'm actually pretty excited about it. What about you? Do you have an easy breezey semester coming up or one from hell?

[tarski]

I'm really looking forward to my last term, too!

History of philosophy seminar: God in early modern

Roots of analytic philosophy

Metaphysics

AI for cognitive scientists

Discrete structures (only one I'm slightly nervous about because it's math, but it's relevant for the above AI course and logical stuff in my thesis)

-And finish polishing my thesis over the break so I can hand in it in January.

[Serric]

My last quarter is a mish-mash of courses, mostly GE that either didn't fit into my schedule at the time or I was too lazy to take. So, currently, it's:

Neurobiology (4 units)

General Biochemistry II (4 units)

Clear Thinking and Logic (4 units)

Communications 1004 (4 units)

Recreation 1001 (4 units)

General Studies II and III (1 unit; pisses me off because I already took these courses, yet some snafu happened with the professor so I have to re-take them)

[All About The Bones]

I am on a one year British masters, so my next term is my last teaching term, but then I have to write my dissertation over the summer, so IF (touch wood) I get in to grad school, I will have to finish it early as its not actually due till Sept. 15th.

My courses next term are great though:

Dental anthropology

Methodology and issues in Bioarchaeolgy and palaeoepidemeology

Zooarchaeology

Seems like not much but each course has quite a lot of work, and I have to start the research for the dissertation. Along with the three essays I have over Christmas it should keep me occupied and busy during this horrendous waiting period!

[LateAntique]

I am on a one year British masters, so my next term is my last teaching term, but then I have to write my dissertation over the summer, so IF (touch wood) I get in to grad school, I will have to finish it early as its not actually due till Sept. 15th.

My courses next term are great though:

Dental anthropology

Methodology and issues in Bioarchaeolgy and palaeoepidemeology

Zooarchaeology

Seems like not much but each course has quite a lot of work, and I have to start the research for the dissertation. Along with the three essays I have over Christmas it should keep me occupied and busy during this horrendous waiting period!

Those sound awesome! I have seriously missed my calling as an anthropologist. Is it too late?!

[All About The Bones]

Those sound awesome! I have seriously missed my calling as an anthropologist. Is it too late?!

Hehe, its never too late really, just a little inconvenient!

They are pretty awsome, last term was slightly better as I had variation and evolution of the skull and morphology and palaeopathology. My lecturers are amazing as they are the best in Britain for this subject.

However, the awsome-ness ends in the summer and I want more next year, I am not very good at waiting!

[melusine]

LateAntique- yours sound pretty amazing as well.. I mean, two classes on Herodotus? That's like the best of literature and history combined!

..As for me. I had decided to only take 4 classes in Fall to leave myself time to work on apps.. Which means my last semester of undergrad is going to be 6 upper level literature classes. phew! But I'm really happy because, in the event that I do get into grad school somewhere, the classes I picked will be the best preparation possible for what I want to focus on.

Here goes:

European Renaissance Lit (from Petrarch to Du Bellay)- in French

18th Century British studies (the beginnings of modern capitalism: Pope, Defoe, Austen..)

the Victorian Novel (Dickens, Hardy, Bronte..)

English Modernism (Conrad, Woolf, Joyce, Eliot, Pound...)

Proust - in French

Poetry "after modernism" (Larkin, Plath, Atwood..)

[randybobandy]

I'll be going abroad the University of Queensland for my last semester

Introduction to Music Technology (using expensive equipment to make music)

3D and Interactive Media (3d animation class)

Australia's Marine Environment (snorkeling in the great barrier reef!!)

Software Engineering OR Criminology, haven't decided yet

It's gonna be a nice semester

[ScreamingHairyArmadillo]

I've got a pretty normal semester, really.

Fitting Models to Data: Maximum Likelihood Methods and Model Selection (a biology class)

Statistics for Engineers and Scientists

Evolution (finally, it fits my schedule!)

Advanced Greek and Latin Elements: Biomedical Terminology (I'm hoping this will be ever so slightly helpful in my upcoming life of knowing a gazillion scientific names, even if it is medically focused)

Microbiology OR Parasitology

Edit: Continuation of senior research (oh boy, how could I forget?)

Ever since the data modelling class opened up (it's new this year) I could shuffle around some classes, which opened up a slot for parasitology. It would be way better than Micro because it's much smaller (discussion vs. lecture). It seems a lot more grad school appropriate. However, by the time I realized this it was full, so I'm waiting on getting permission to take it.

Edited December 21, 2009 by ScreamingHairyArmadillo

[ColorlessGreen]

Next semester, I'll be taking the fewest number of credits I've ever had in a semester (just 15), but I'm quite excited about my classes. The Spanish one is the last requirement I need for my minor - the others are electives. I love being able to choose whichever classes I like.

Spanish Literature of the Transition

Child Language

Linguistic Theory and Second Language Acquisition

Acquisition of the Interface Between Syntax and Discourse/Pragmatics (grad-level seminar)

Language Universals and Linguistic Typology (grad-level seminar)

[coyabean]

I, too, have to knock out three requirements by no fault of my own. My degree audit was done incorrectly the first time. So, I'll be doing a stats class -- should be useful, actually -- french composition which I understand is a french lit course, astronomy, chaucer and a poetry workshop.

Shouldn't be too bad. Except for French. I haven't taken it in 10 years! Fortunately my BFF is fluent and I've dabbled in it here and there. *sigh* I'm most excited about my job in the grad admissions office. I miss money.

[LateAntique]

LateAntique- yours sound pretty amazing as well.. I mean, two classes on Herodotus? That's like the best of literature and history combined!

..As for me. I had decided to only take 4 classes in Fall to leave myself time to work on apps.. Which means my last semester of undergrad is going to be 6 upper level literature classes. phew! But I'm really happy because, in the event that I do get into grad school somewhere, the classes I picked will be the best preparation possible for what I want to focus on.

Here goes:

European Renaissance Lit (from Petrarch to Du Bellay)- in French

18th Century British studies (the beginnings of modern capitalism: Pope, Defoe, Austen..)

the Victorian Novel (Dickens, Hardy, Bronte..)

English Modernism (Conrad, Woolf, Joyce, Eliot, Pound...)

Proust - in French

Poetry "after modernism" (Larkin, Plath, Atwood..)

I figure if I don't come out knowing Herodotus like a champ, something is wrong. I'm also doing just a smidge of Hesiod in the beginning of the semester, but it should mostly be Herodotus.

[ridgey]

Six months backpacking in South America!

Sorry, I know I don't really qualify to post to the thread. But, I did spend the last year+ working 18 hour days on my masters thesis. On which I'll probably be making edits from some remote corner of Argentina in February (where I studied, you hand the thesis in to be formally examined then you have to make changes, in lieu of an oral defense).

[captiv8ed]

I am on the quarter system. Next quarter I am taking:

Religion and Society (which will be focused on contemporary US religions. The first quarter was about world religions)

Statistics

For the last quarter, I will be designing an independent contract on sociological theory and taking another stats course.

[LifeIsGood]

I'm finishing up my MA and applying to PhD programs, so next semester looks like:

* Taking a seminar in Atlantic World history

* Wrapping up my MA thesis (19th C American history topic)

* Studying for comps (Primary field: pre-1865 US; secondary fields: post-1865 US, Atlantic World)

* Selling my house

* Selling my business

Turns out, this list is in order of how much I'm looking forward to doing them--from most to least.

[cheesethunder]

hopefully getting ethics approval so i can start and finish my thesis in 4 months....oh btw its a 2 month study! ie. im efffeddd

doing a experimental philosophy study ahh to save my sanity!

social cognition and cognitive psyc

health seminar, very pointless. learning how to socialize.

doing a metaanalysis, ow my brain.

finishing last application deciding on UK schools

applying for jobs.

[graddamn]

Survey Sample Methods

Medical Sociology

Quantitative Methods II

Human Rights Law

Demographic Methods II

Plus thesis....SO EXCITED!

Except first I have to go home to the family and heaven forbid, no internet, fml

[JerryLandis]

I am only taking two classes, which constitutes a full workload where I am because they're both worth many many credits. One of these is a year-long class I have already started, which means that I know what we'll be doing next semester for the most part and, most importantly, I already have access to the essay questions. This gives me the opportunity to get ahead on my work during the break and write one of the essays, which should make next semester MUCH easier for me since I usually put 2 solid weeks of work into each essay. I'm hoping that this coming semester will be a more enjoyable one for me, since I may never come back to this place and would like to actually ENJOY myself here for once instead of just being mega-stressed all the time and never being able to go to any parties or events because of my work. I have also decided with one of my friends to have "free days" on set days of the week when I'm not allowed to do any work - kind of like a Sabbath I guess - so that I have certain days I can make plans for instead of finding myself alone and bored when out of the blue I suddenly find myself with a pocket of free time.

I thought about applying for an internship next semester, and maybe taking extra evening language classes, but then I told myself to cool off and not make my last semester here a living hell.

[rising_star]

I'm going to reply, even though I'm a second year PhD student.

Last semester of undergrad:

- 3 courses (normal load was 2 and I only needed to take 2 but couldn't decide which lit class to drop): two for my major; and stats for sociologists to meet the math requirement

- Senior thesis (didn't really start on it until mid-January; advisor dropped off the face of the planet and gave me no guidance whatsoever)

- Senior exams (required)

Aside from that, I had two part-time jobs and was in a leadership role in an extracurricular activity (theater). There was probably something else but I can't remember.

Last semester of MA:

- Took one class, just for fun really since I'd already completed all the coursework requirements

- Continued working at my part-time job off-campus (worked 12-15 hours/week, desk job so I could get some other work done while there)

- Took in two untrained foster dogs in January, the same month in which I wrote my entire MA thesis

- kept weekends open since the significant other lived an hour away and worked full-time so weekends were our time together

- Had massive roommate drama at home and almost moved out of my apartment

- Visited 4 of the 7 programs I was accepted to for a weekend each (usually Thurs-Sun)

- Presented at two national conferences

[Lauren the Librarian]

Wow. You all sound like you're taking a lot! I took the bare minimum to graduate.

All upper division:

Intro to Meteorology (4)

Earth System Science (4)

Historical-Comparative Linguistics (4)

Internship in Geography (2) (working at the map laboratory at my school 6 hours per week)

[melusine]

Wow. You all sound like you're taking a lot! I took the bare minimum to graduate.

All upper division:

Intro to Meteorology (4)

Earth System Science (4)

Historical-Comparative Linguistics (4)

Internship in Geography (2) (working at the map laboratory at my school 6 hours per week)

unfortunately, my "alot" just happens to, also, be "the bare minimum to gradute". humph!

[LateAntique]

Likewise - I'm at 19 hours, but I have to take all of these courses or else I'd graduate in the summer.

[jlee306]

I only have 4 classes left to take in the spring in order to graduate with my BA:

- Learning and Cognition

- Physiological Psychology

- Counseling

- Early Field Experience (which is an internship)

[Cara]

I have NO requirements left but I will be taking classes anyway

Sociological Research Experience

Intro to Public Admin

Women and Environment (online)

[s1u8n]

I need a lab (1 unit) to graduate... but I'll take lotza classes just for giggles

statistics

numerical analysis

partial differential equation

matlab

masonry design

concrete lab

social dance(??)

maybe I'll drop a few of em first week of the semester.