So in my infinite wisdom, I decided that I'd like to take a grad course next semester (Structural Dynamics). I talked to the professor of my favorite class this semester to get feedback on what electives to take, and the idea came up of taking the graduate verson of the class I'm in now. It sounded good, and to my untrained eye, it seemed to fit into my schedule perfectly. Then I started to working on the paperwork to make it happen, and that's when stuff started getting crazy on me. Turns out that if you take any graduate courses, you're not allowed to take more than 15 hours- no exceptions. In order to satisfy this requirement, I'd have to drop a 3 hour course (and probably the 1 hour lab that goes with it), putting me at 14 (or possibly 13 hours). But yea, the only class I can afford to not take this upcoming semester is Advanced Spacecraft Dynamics, which is only offered in the Fall, so I won't get another chance to take it for a whole 'nother year. Bah, this is screwing up my 4-year gameplan that I'd so meticulously arranged. grrrr....

Anyways, so the form you gotta get filled out to take grad classes is a freaking pain in the butt. They make you walk all over campus and get the signatures of 5 advisors/deans/teacher. So much bureaucracy- yecchhhhh. I think they should cut it down to a single signature blank (for you) that's like, "I, the undersigned, take full responsibility for whatever unfortunate consequences and repercussions that should occur as a result of me taking this course. X_____" Well, and maybe a teacher signature to affirm that you're not a complete idiot.

But yea, man, it seems like the deeper I get into my major, the less I like it. =( It really leaves me depressed and confused, cuz I honestly have no idea what else I'd like to do with my life. I trudge through the coursework, cursing it every step of the way. Each semester, there's only about one class (maybe two) that I find at least bearably interesting- on rare occasion, I'll actually like it. I mean, I guess I'm not quite deep enough into aerospace engineering to be saying that the whole curriculum was a letdown, but I'm also getting (or have already gotten) in too deep to change my mind and try something else. But seriously, what the heck is up with these engineering curriculums? They make you take so many mindless prereq's that you get bored and end up forgetting why you wanted to go into that major in the first place. And soo many of the prereq's aren't even worth it, I think- like I sat through an entire semester of introductory chemistry for what? So I'd know a single equation "PV = nRT" for thermodynamics? Pointless. Ugghhh, at this point, it's kinda like whatever, just put up with it for a couple more years so I can get that almighty piece of paper, then maybe I'll find something I really enjoy to do for grad school. Seriously, disillusionment abound. *sigh* I suppose even "the best-laid plans of mice and men go oft astray." ~Robert Burns(?)