The classes immediately following breakfast and immediately following lunch are always the most difficult. Not because of the content, but because of the food coma that begs me to close my eyes and go to sleep. I always find myself struggling to stay awake for the last hour of those classes, even when the lecture topic is interesting. Today we had a lecture on hydroelectric power in China, closely followed by a discussion session led by Dr. Ruez. I’ve noticed that all the lectures have been exactly that — lectures. The lectures involve little to no participation from the audience, and it wasn’t until today that I realized how much I miss being involved in classroom discussions. Needless to say, I am always excited for the discussion sessions between the U of I schools. Aside from the fun subjects we discuss, simply moving away from the lecture format is appreciated.
In about 30 minutes, we’ll be going on a study visit involving natural gas — I don’t know what it’ll be like, but I’m thankful to get out of the classroom!