At the end of last semester, I asked the 481 students to pretend that their friend was going to take the class next semester and to write advice on how to get through the course. This advice is not a faculty evaluation, but rather practical advice from students who have been there. Please read and take it seriously.
<>
Advice to Incoming Soc. 481 Students
Since this is an advisory statement, let me begin by saying, first and foremost, any social engagements you may have starting in January until the end of the semester in early May should be forgotten; not placed on the backburner, mind you, but snubbed completely. I say this to put a damper on socialites’ agendas and because it is the reality that you will become very familiar with during your stay in Sociology 481, Inn Keeper: Art St. George. This class truly is the hardest course you will face in your college career as a Criminology or Sociology major/minor. The deadline for the final paper should not be seen as another opportunity to earn an “easy A” by means of a last ditch effort; if that is what you were looking forward to or expecting, you are in for a rude wake-up call. Planning for the final assignment should begin from the first day of class—this is not an attempt at melodrama, trust me, I’m a horrible actress. You should begin forming your group as early as possible, meaning before the semester even begins. Notice that nowhere do I mention the phrase “should you choose to work in a group…” because you will want to work in a group. Gaining status as a group member in Sociology 481 will become equivalent to being “on the list” to get into the latest trendy nightclub, only this won’t be nearly as fun and you will remember every moment of your experience. For those of you who are parents, take no solace in the late-night feeding experiences you had with your newborn children when I say that you have several sleepless nights ahead of you. And why shouldn’t your experience comfort you? Because babies can be put to bed, thoughts cannot. Long after your heavy, bloodshot sandy eyes have forced you to call it a night, the thoughts in your head will continue to run rampant. Your mind will overflow with topic ideas, possible variable relationship explanations, combinations of independent variables not yet considered, half-baked attempts at recalling what a “concept” is, flaws in your model and the like, but alas, there is no pacifying these nuisances that keep you awake. The question is not if, but to what extent will this cancer will begin to eat at you. My advice? Dale will tell you what your pleasure is; he usually chooses a topic to use when showing examples of how to run stats in SPSS and uses it consistently throughout the semester—you cannot go wrong by following his lead. This will provide you with that coveted “head start” you’re always hearing about, but don’t let this fool you. Statistical analysis is only one part of the beast, and its not even the belly as many of you imagine it would be. No, the belly of the beast takes on a different name: Conceptual Model. Any half-baked attempts made (and you will make them) at recalling what a “concept” is should be saved, re-baked, dissected and re-baked again. Success will seem elusive, but keep rolling the idea around in your mind…the right answer will come to you. For those of you who think I am alluding to a “Magic Eight Ball”, drop the class right now. For those of you who have no idea what “alluding” means, perhaps it is time you took a ride in an exotic sports car—second gear restricted, of course. This will become clearer after you’ve been introduced to the infamous St. George. Actually, he just looks intimidating, what with his thin, spaghetti-like build, goofy ties and eyeglasses, who wouldn’t be intimidated? Don’t let this fool you, it’s merely a front aimed at forcing you to submissively drop the class. Don’t do it. Sociology 481 is the only thing standing between you and your degree, so slay the dragon and collect your winnings. Of course, if you are a Sociology major or Criminology major who is planning on becoming a cop that last statement does not apply to you. In all seriousness, 481 is a difficult course, but it is not beyond your grasp. You need only work hard, choose your groups wisely and think innovatively to do well in this class. Good luck!
First and foremost, it is vital that you attend
class. First of all because St.George has
a wealth
of stories and random tidbits that will keep you interested and awake
at 9:30am.
Second, amongst these stories and jokes, St. George will throw in
useful
information such as, “you will not get an A if you forget this,” or
“this is
the number one reason that people don’t pass.”
And third, the longer you go to class the longer he doesn’t take
attendance so that on the days when you actually need to miss class you
are not
penalized. Second, know that St. George is not the fire breathing
dragon you
had imagined from his website. He is
very understanding and is easy to talk to.
The grade you get in his class is truly based on the amount of
effort
you make. At times it may seem
intimidating to speak up in class. But St. George will answer all of
the
questions you ask and shockingly very few of the ones you do not ask.
Next, it
is very important to start your paper early.
Put as much effort as possible into the prospectus.
Try to make it 5 or 6 pages so that you have
less to do later. The more you put into
it in the beginning the less you have to do during hell week of finals. Use your lab time to work on the actual data
that you plan to use in your paper so that by the time the paper rolls
around
you have done your dummy variable, your index, regression, etc. Go to
First piece of advice, read the advice from
previous
students, and don’t just blow it off. It
is extremely helpful information (we have taken the class and we know
what we
are talking about!). This class may be
the hardest one yet, due to the fact that there is a huge paper due at
the
end. Start the paper as soon as possible
and DO NOT procrastinate, especially if you graduate the same semester
that you
are taking Sociology 481, because the paper will cause a lot of stress
and
graduation should be a happy time. Next,
use ALL of the resources that St. George and Dale give you; it will be
helpful
at some point. Check the e-reserves,
there are power points on there that can help you figure out what you
are
supposed to be getting out of
ADVICE TO INCOMING STUDENTS
<>-----------------------------------------------
Advice to incoming students of Soc 481 what can I say.
Well don’t let the nice dorky look that St. George appears to be
the man is a beast in disguise. This will
be the hardest class that you will ever have to take.
As long as you give up all your time attend all the classes, and
go to every office hour that there is you may barley pass.
If
you start the paper in the beginning of the semester and don’t
procrastinate then I think that you will do just fine. Good luck and I
hope you can slay the beast and pass.
-----------------------------
My
advice to all incoming students is:
1. Read the advice to you. I promise it will be helpful!
2. Start early in the semester by picking a topic that is interesting
to
you. If the topic is not of interest to you, you won't want to
work on
it!
3. Don't drop. Those of you in the class need the class to
graduate, so
even though the offers St. George gives you may sound extremely
tempting at
times stick it through.
4. Listen to what St. George says in class. It may not sound like
he is
saying anything important, but it is!
5. Do the extra credit. You never know how much it could help.
6. Go to the labs and do the homework with your final paper in
mind.
7. Last, but not least... DON'T PROCRASTINATE!! I don't even want to
imagine
what it would have been like if my partner and I would have waited
until the
last minute. The end of the semester is already packed with
studying,
homework, and papers, don't make this add to your load!
In-coming Students,
Some words of advice to you all. First I would print all of the
print outs for this class at the beginning of the semester and take
them to class just so that you are prepared for when you need them
because they are helpful. Second this class is boring but St.
George makes it fun and interesting. Make sure you take notes
daily even if they don't seem important you will need them by the end
of the semester for your paper, anything helps. As long as you go
to class and lab every session, you will do fine, but if you don't its
hard to figure stuff out when you don't know what it is, so go to
class. Lastly, thank God that you got the class with St. George
because even though it is a difficult class you get to laugh and get
all the help you need, from either St. George or Dale.
--------------------------------------------
Welcome to sociology 481. The class rumored to be the
hardest and worst of all classes! Well it is actually not all that bad.
You
seemed to have picked the right professor.
St. George is very entertaining and funny, he makes the class enjoyable. He is also very intelligent and takes his class seriously. So you must listen and pay attention to the lectures, he actually has important information to say.
It would probably make your life a lot easier to purchase the software along with a jump drive. However I did not have any of those things and managed to get through just fine!
One of the most important things, is to do good on the midterm. This is graded fairly harsh, and I know a lot of people who did not very well, which makes it harder to do good in the class.
Lastly, GO TO EVERY LAB. The labs help you understand the statistics, which is a huge part of your paper.
<>Good Luck!!----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Since you are enrolled in Sociology 481, you have obviously made it
to your senior year in college. You may feel "I have made it his far,
surely I can handle this class." Now this is probably truw. The
class is difficult, but you can get through it, just go to the
class and labs and do the work step by step and you will make it!
The class can be dealt with, that is not the most difficult part. The most difficult problem you will
encounter is ...THE ST GEORGE!!!!
THE ST GEORGE will try to charm you with its California
laid-backness, but don't look into its eyes because venom awaits!! Oh,
it seems harmless-the studious looking glasses, the grandfatherly
manner and casual way it dresses - don't be fooled. THE ST GEORGE will
try to get you to drop the class "for your own good" It is just a ploy,
don't buy it! Stay the course. It wanst the class small enough so it
can have more time to drive around in its nice red Ferrari and hang out
with its groupies - don't give THE ST GEORGE the pleasure of your
absence!
----------------------------
This class is tremendously entertaining, so much so that you might
think Dr. St. George is just passing the time by sharing amusing
stories from his chequered past. Not so. St. George manages to imbed
nuggets of what he wants to hear from students on their Midterm exam in
his lectures, and you'll definitely miss those nuggets if you doze off,
do assignments for other classes, or - God forbid -- don't attend. Go
above and beyond on the Midterm, it'll really help your final grade. If
you get stuck with your assignments, don't hesitate to email the
professor: he's very good about getting back to you quickly. The TA we
had this semester didn't have much experience at teaching, so the first
few labs were difficult and most of the class felt stranded and
confused. But things got better, and we were able to make up all our
assignments.
------------------------------
-Get use to using SPSS as soon as you can. Along with this, get vary
familiar with the code book, its going to become your "best friend".
-Invest in a USB data stick. This will enable you to save your data and
output files with ease.
-Start your project early and pick a topic.
-Do a webpage. If don’t know how, go to cirt webpage, read up on
publications and this will get you started. Use the file transfer
programs at the computer pods on campus.
-Other than that, it’s not that bad.
-Show up to class, ask many questions!!!!! and, most of the time Dr.
St.George will make you laugh.
---------------------------------
Go to class, and especially go to the labs. The labs really
helped me to understand the analytical part of the paper. If you
don't go to the labs, I promise you, you will be lost. Go to
class also because Art has a lot of experience and gives good
tips. Try to have all of your homework assignments be based on
your topic of your paper because if not, it will be harder to get all
the numbers worked out when your paper comes along. Then you can
fix kinks along the way. Make sure what you are measuring is
actually in the data set. Also, talk to previous students who
have taken the class if you know any to find shortcuts on how to use
SPSS to make your life easier. The SPSS computers in CIRT is the
best place to go because they are usually free. Otherwise, you
will be waiting a long time to use a computer. Don't buy the
book. If you need it as reference, I'm sure there is a copy in
the library, but you don't really need it. Also, I would suggest
if possible to take stats either concurrently or the semester
immediately before 481 because it really helps to understand your model
and all the numbers. Finally, I was completely overwhelmed at
first and felt like all the information was just a jumble in my brain,
but eventually it will all make sense, so don't worry. Probably a
few weeks in, everything will just click together. Oh, and since
you will be collecting literature and data the entire semester, make
sure you begin to write the paper at least a week in advance. It
takes longer than you think. Good luck!
--------------------------------
1. First of all, don't worry if you can't afford to buy the SPSS
program and live off of campus. You can download a free 14 day
full-featured trial on the companies website (google SPSS). If you join
a group (which I also highly recommend) you can each download a copy
after each person's expires.
2. Don't skip lab! This is very important because this is where you
will learn how to use SPSS which is not user friendly at all even if
you are computer literate!
3. Don't procrastinate! Everyone says this but its true. If you don't
start early developing a theoretical model and picking variables, etc.
You'll hate your life later...
4. Do yourself a favor and look through the codebook and check what
years certain questions are asked and what kind of variables are
abundant. Pick a topic that has had a lot of research previously
written about (ie abortion).
5. Don't stress. Life is too short to worry about soc481 meet some cool
people in class and TRY to have fun!
-------------------------------
Advice to incoming students:
· First day of class- you’re probably in the right class, don’t let St. George fool you!
· This is probably not a class you want to be ditching or falling asleep in, pay attention to everything or you’ll be lost.
· Attend labs, ask the TA for help when you need it, that’s what they’re there for (but be nice, they are in charge of a portion of your grade).
· Final papers- pick an easy topic but make sure it is something of interest to you.
· Start reviewing the literature early in the semester that way you’ll have an idea of what you want to include in your paper. Also so you can use your topic for homework assignments, this will be helpful for your final paper.
· Keep it simple, it’s very easy to get overwhelmed
· If you have questions, ask! St. George may seem intimidating but you’ll find he’s pretty nice once you get to know him.
This is a fun class, keep up with assignments, start your papers early and you’ll be fine. GOOD LUCK!!!
------------------------------------------
Advice for Incoming Soc. 481 Students
--------------------------------------------
To avoid the long winded paragraphs, I will attempt to keep this
short and sweet:
1) Listen closely to Prof. St. George, FROM THE FIRST DAY OF CLASS;
2) Start your term paper the first day of you have your GSS data set -
this is very important to do - can't stress enough;
3) Do your literature search after you've picked our Dependent Variable
- this way you can see who has studied what in the past and know what
Independent Variables have the most supporting research;
4) Listen in class - mixed in with all the humor there is a TON of
information you will need - Prof. St. George is very knowledgeable (and
funny);
5) Utilize Prof. St. George's office hours (he is very accommodating in
setting appointments) - ask questions - he has the answers;
6) Carefully go through Prof. St. George's syllabus - open ALL the
links and print ALL the assignments. There are two links within
in the Term Paper Outline that are so helpful in finding questions and
information for your Dependent and Independent variables;
7) He gives you the information you need to succeed - LISTEN; and
8) Start the term paper and mid-term right away - DO NOT DELAY!!!
-------------------------------------------
To all the incoming students- here are a few things you should know before taking on SOC 481 with professor St.George:
Follow my advice and your 481 experience should be relatively painless!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My
advice for incoming students would be to be sure to show up to class
and the labs. If you dont show up you will not have any idea of whats
going on. Even missing just a couple of classes you might miss
important information. If your going to work in a group for the paper,
know how to do everything yourself just in case you decide to work
alone. Dont rely on others to do the work. As well realize that by
working in a group you have to accomadate each others schedules which
can be difficult at times. Overall I thought early on this class was
going to be terrible, but it is now over and I can't believe how it was
not bad at all. Prof St. George realizes that most people take the
class cause we have to, not by choice, and he makes the course
interesting.
-------------------------------------------
First
of all make friends in your lab and/or class to form a group to do the
final paper. But remember*** This has advantages and
disadvantages***such as its easier to break up the paper to write but
getting along with everyone and their schedules can be difficult.
Pick your topic early and do the lab assignments corresponding to your
topic of interest. Utilize the current T.A. and of course Dr. St.
George as they are both extremely helpful, all you have to do is ask
for help. Go to every class and lab for specific reasons such
as: in the class, Dr.St. George drops helpful tips/hints to make
writing the paper and midterm for that matter easier to do and what he
looks for in both papers, plus it shows that you care about your grade
because attendance is taken and you could be dropped if you don't
go. In addition, the lab is helpful because the T.A. will go over
what you need in order to do the paper, especially the mulitple
regression analysis and anything that is not clear in lecture can be
addressed more specifically in lab. Dr. St. George is pretty reasonable
about the midterm being a take home midterm. My advice is to do a
good job on it the first time (you get one chance to raise your grade)
so you don't have to do it again or worry about it later in the
semester. Don't procrastinate on the paper--it can take a while to
write especially if you are not in a group. If you
show interest in the class and make an extra effort, Dr. St. George
notices this and is more willing to help you out. Try to get the
final paper done early so Dr. St. George can take a look at it and help
you with it. Lastly, do any extra credit that is offered in lab
or in class because it can make the difference of a letter grade on
your final paper, or your overall grade. If you do these things
you should receive an 'A' if not an 'A+'.
-------------------------------------------
Pick an easy topic such as abortion, attitudes towards women,
etc. If you want to be original and pick a topic not an ereserves
you will have the hardest time. Start running data early and see
if you have a good model for the final paper. It will save lots
of time and frustration. Always ask questions. St. George
is an awesome professor who is always willing to lend an ear.
Don't wait untill the end of the semester to ask him all your
questions. Also, I would advise that you do the paper on your
own. Too many group problems arise that don't help with the
frustration you will already have.
--------------------------------------------
Advice:
It's true!! Do the literature review as early as possible, and decide
on a theory to use!! You will be in some trouble if you wait too long!
Go to class, that is most important. As long as you pay attention, you
will not be lost, but guranteed if you miss classes you will not know
what's happening. Lab is very helpful, just suck it up and go. It's
only 50 minutes, and well worth it! Don't buy the book, no one ever
uses it. Overall, have fun! St George is a funny guy, he won't bite! If
you keep up with the work, this class is great, so don't slack off!!
---------------------------------------------
If
you feel
the way I did, this is probably the last class in the world you want to
take. After Sociology 381, I understand
your pain. Allow me to ease your mind. THIS CLASS IS NOTHING LIKE 381!
If you had the same professor as I for 381,
St George will be a breath of fresh air.
Just think of those unlucky people who have that 381 professor
for this
course as well. Sucks to be them.
Remember,
St
George is
great. If you are lost, he will help (so
will the TA, Brad).
If
you go the
extra mile, your grade will reflect it.
You
can re-do
any assignment for a better grade.
Best
of
luck. You will be just fine.
It is probably the 4th or maybe the the 6th week into the semester and you are thinking now is a good tome to read this advice because it was so early in the semester why on earth would I bother reading advice. So this is the only advice you need to read because I will tell you how it really is.
1) Do not miss any lab sessions. Lab is more important than class.
2) Make friends in class, you can help each other out and share data. Preferably make a friend with a computer buff, so you get lots of extra credit and you get an A in the class.
3) At first this class seems overwhelming, but this class is not really much to worry about. Do all assignments, laugh at the jokes, and talk back to St. George. He is one of the greatest teachers at UNM and his classes are never boring to go to, so don't miss class, because it is not really worth missing unless you are going to the Bahamas or some crap like that.
4) Use the death penalty or suicide for your topic. Why?
Papers on reserve with these topics have A's and you can follow the
format
from
these papers to make your paper writing much much much easier.
5) FOR GOD SAKE GO TO THE LIBRARY RIGHT NOW AND COPY A PAPER THAT IS ON RESERVE, SO YOU DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT. THE FINAL PAPER IS NOT AS HARD AS IT SOUNDS LIKE.
6) You are really screwed because Jerry is not teaching lab, and he
is the greatest T/A on the earth, but make sure to love you lab teacher
they are
the key to passing the class. DON'T MISS A SINGLE LAB.
7) St. George takes bribes, so be nice to him, don't stress him out, he gets hurt easily, he is a fragile being, avoid the vortex, pet him often, don't ever stand behind him at any time, don't smoke in class, don't drink in class, don't shoot up in class.
8) St. George will proof read the final paper for you so let him, he appreciates your enthusiasm and promptness.
9) No matter what you do and I saved this till the end because every
one else probably has said this first, but whatever you do, PICK YOUR
TOPIC
DURING THE FIRST LAB SESSION. DON'T DELAY.
10) Follow this advice and you will get an A in the class, and
don't hurt St. George or I will have to come back and avenge him, with
my other Italian mob friends.
---------------------------
I think this is a really important part of the class since I
didn't read the Advice... until maybe the middle of the semester.
I definitely believe this class has taught me a lot about how to go
about
analyzing and interpretin data sets. Be sure to decide early what
topic you would like to write about because it will help out in the
long
run when you are writing your final paper. Make sure to take
notes
in class even if you think you don't have to because not only will it
help
you out on your midterm exam, but it will help you out when writing
your
paper. Keep in close contact with StGeorge about your assignments
and any absences that you might have because, no matter what you hear,
he's a pretty reasonable guy. Answer his questions in class,
because
he'll make you feel like a fruitloop if you don't. But hey, if
you
don't know the answer, give him some sarcastic remark and you're sure
to
get a good laugh from him as well as the rest of the class. By
the
way, don't ask him about
getting a hard copy of the syllabus if you missed the first week or
else.... I'll let you find out for yourself. It's a great class,
just buckle down and do the work early because you can't get your
degree
without him!! Utilize Jerry, he's a great help, but make sure you
check the assignment requirements before turning the assignments in
because
sometimes Jerry and Art are on different pages. Hope you had a
great
summer and remember you're close to being done!!
----------------------------
To those of you coming into the class, first
and foremost, it is truly beneficial to read this. The first
thing
I would do after reading this is make some frineds in the class and get
a group of three together. The final paper is not greatly
overwhemlming,
but having a gruop definetly eases the burden of it. Pick a topic
that you know there is going to be information on. I don't know
who
you lab teacher is going to be since Jerry isn't doing it anymore, but
make sure to ask them lots of questions so you don't get to the end of
the semester and realize there is no information on your
topic.
Professor St. George is relatively laid back and likes to tell lots of
jokes, so enjoy them. Understand though that he is rather serious about
his attendence policy. Show up to class, its worth your
time.
Whatever you decide to take away from this little speach, make sure you
visit all the really cool websites that he tells you about. Good
luck.
---------------------------
To all incoming students I wish you the best of luck.I have a few
pieces
of advice, too. First one is to raise your hand everytime Art asks a
question.
Don't ask why just do it. The next piece of advice is to laugh at his
jokes.
Just do it even if they are not funny, it makes him feel good. Most
importantly,
pick your topic, your final topic by the second time you meet in lab,
and
do all of your assignments on your final topic. In the end it will make
your life so much easier. Since you guys are not going to have Jerry as
a lab instructor, you better be organized, and keep up on assignments.
Do not fall behind. If you do, your last week of school is going to be
hell. If you run in to any problems, go to Art, he is more than willing
to help.
----------------------------
OK, first I'm real sorry its just starting for you but here is my
advice.
GO EVERY DAY TO CLASS AND LAB!! even if you don't understand what
is being said
because it is possible to get the work done even when you don't have
a full understanding of what is going on. Oh, and laugh right
along
with professor St. George, he's an odd duck but cool and I heard he's
easily
bribed. Hint: he likes the Prairie Star restaurant and TD's ;-)
---------------------------
It is imperative that you understand each assignment as you "go along"
because each scenario builds on the next. If you are confused
then
Dr. St George is always more than willing to spend the time that is
needed
in order to clarify the problem you might be having. He is very
approachable
and more than fair. Don't let his "kicking chairs" demeanor
intimidate
you because he is one of the best professors I have had at UNM. Use his
knowledge and don't be afraid to ask.
---------------------------
First off -- Congratulations on picking the right Soc. 481 class. I'm
sure everyone else will tell you that you made the right decision in
picking
St.Geroge, and they're not kidding. I recommend going to class all the
time, barring disasters and other bad things. You'll want to go and
take
good notes, especially when the real statistics kick in. You'll need
good
notes to do well on your assignments, and they'll give you a decent
start
on your mid-term. Furthermore, take the time to do outside research for
your midterm. It really will help your grade. I also recommend getting
all of your assignments done on time, if not a bit early. Getting them
done early will save you time in preparing your final paper -- trying
to
do the last three assignments and the final paper at the same time
can't
be fun, and you DEFINITELY will need your completed assignments to
complete
your final paper. I also think the more time you spend on your
assignments
leads to better understanding of the concepts that'll go into your
paper.
So just do the assignments early. Furthermore, do your assignments all
on the same topic. In other words, pick a topic early and stick with it
(unless, of course, you realize that it sucks later on). I think
getting
the literature review done early would've helped me, and it might help
you. You'll know what kind of variables to put in your model and won't
spend as much time as me glaring at the codebook. OH! Get the codebook
early. I think it's well worth paying to copy it -- it'll save you from
spending time in the lab to get to know the variables, and it's just
nice
to have at home. I sound like a giant nerd, but I'm done. Good luck and
DO enjoy St.George!
---------------------------
Everyone in the class is going to tell all of you poor souls the same
thing about St. George's 481 class. Pretty much all of them will
tell you to follow the St. George rule (raise your hand whenever he
asks
a question whether it pertains to you or not), never sit directly in
front
of him in the class (leave him some room to kick and throw things, he
likes
that), and remember-HE WAS AT BERKELEY IN THE '60's-this means he is
superduper
cool and easy to get along with. Old counterculturists die
hard.
Now when you are out there thinking about your paper-which you will be
stressing on all semester unless you start early and get your resources
set and your topic secured-you need to go to the library and look at
past
papers. This is very important-you see, I thought that this was
going
to be much harder than it really was, once I looked at papers other
students
had gotten A's on I was sure that I would alright. So listen to
him
when he says to go to the library. Be sure to pick a paper topic
that is interesting to you. Don't just pick marijuana attitudes as your
topic because your pal did-pick it because it is fun for you. Do
you get me? Good. Now, and this is very important, St.
George
likes it when people make web pages and do in class
presentations.
If you want to get in really good then go and learn how to make a web
page
and place your paper and all of your assignments on it. You score big
cookies
when you do this. The way I figure it is St. George is some small
time computer guru, someday, when he quits teaching this fun little
class,
you will find him on a beach in Jamaica, retired, with money
from his computer business dripping from his ears. I am serious,
this guy is worht a lot of cash so listen to what he says because he
knows.
He is the best professor that I have had as an undergrad and that says
a lot. So what are you going to do first? Pick a topic, go
to the library, select your sources, and read. After that
everything
else that you need for your paper will come through lab. Hang
tough
and good luck.
-------------------------
No matter what anyone tells you, this IS the hardest class in the
sociology
department. JERRY LIES!!! Be sure you start your project as early
as possible. Please allow time after the course is over for extensive
psychiatric
deprogramming. All of the hell St. George puts you through
during the semester is absolutely not worth it, take care of
yourselves,
rediscover your addiction to caffeine and dont change topics no matter
what you do!!!! Dont choose difficult or convuluted topics
to study you will hate yourself for it later. It is best to
do suicide or abortion, you will save yourself alot of heartache. Good
Luck!!
-------------------------
My advice for you students in the fall is that for the final project
to work with a person(s) who you really get along with since you will
all
be working long hours together. I worked with a very special
friend
so it really helped. At the end we stressed out together, we got
drunk together and finally cried all due to this final project.
The
only fun thing about it all was that I did it with my special
friend....I
could not have gotten through this class without the support she gave
me.
We both got to hear each-other's complaints about the conditions of the
computer pods: the inexcessability of computers with SPSS.
Not to mention all the virus with
have to deal with on our disks. You will get a lot of hand-outs
so make sure you keep them orgazined. Also make sure you utilize
Tiffanie's services, if she is still available. Lastly, enjoy St.
George's off-the-wall sense of humor, it is one of a kind, ha ha.....
-------------------------
First of all, I would like to congratulate you for choosing this
class.
You could have ended up with a goofy professor that tosses around
dead-pan
humor like it's going out of style. Oh wait, that's this
class.
Oh well, you could do a lot worse. Prof. St George is a great
guy.
He makes a boring-@#* class seem interesting and enjoyable. My
advice
to you is to sit back, enjoy the show, and don't forget to tip your
waitress.
Early on, make sure that your topic is feasible. Yes, it is
interesting
to try pioneering research, but you won't be so quick to pat your own
back
later on down the road when you find out you need to start from
scratch.
Hopefully, your TA will know his business. Unfortunately, you're
just missing Jerry. For those that don't know it, he's the
man!
Not that St. George can't pull his own weight, but Jerry knew what to
do,
when to do it, and how to make you understand it. If you get lost
during the labs, you need to speak up then (or at least after
class).
Falling behind is not recommended. Come to class, take your
notes,
and everything will run
smoothly.
Back to the research paper, consider picking a topic you have some interest in. At the end of the semester, you will be ready to gouge out your eyes before listening, reading, or even thinking about that issue. It's ten times (well, okay, maybe only three) worse if you don't care one way or the other about it. Good luck!
Oh, by the way, I ended up fixing my website sometime Monday
afternoon.
The file just wasn't being transferred to the correct site. As
you
probably can tell, I haven't had much experience with websites, but the
composer ended up being a lot easier than I thought it would be.
Later on, I want to make a more personal site. I wanted to thank
you for making me try new things. Take it easy St. George, have a good
summer.
--------------------------
The piece of advice I wish to stress the most is DO NOT
PROCRASTINATE!!!
It is important that you pick the topic for your paper early in the
semester
and stay with it; don't continuously change it. St. George and
the
lab TA are there to help answer any of your questions, so take every
opportunity
to have them guide you through the assignments. Don't wait until
the day before the paper is due to ask questions because it can get
overwhelming.
After each lab go home and finish that weeks assignment. The longer you
put off doing the work the more you will forget about what should go
into
each assignment. It is absolutely necessary to attend every lab
session,
because you don't want to fall behind. Make sure to take good notes in
class, they will be helpful in doing the mid-term and the final paper.
And finally, make a web page. It will help out your final grade.
Good Luck!!
------------------------
oiMy advice to new students is to make sure you ask St.George to teach
you how to do assignment #7(extra credit) first. You will know
what
I mean when you
are down to your last few weeks of school and still trying to figure
out how to do your final paper. Don't miss class. Though it may
seem
like your not missing much if you do, you can be assurred that stgeorge
gives little inside suggestions that will help you with your
assignments
and the final paper that are not real evident at the time, but will be
extremely useful later. You will feel at first that he thinks
everyone
in the class is dumb, but you realize later that he is just kidding
around.
He is a great teacher and though he grades hard he gives a lot of
breaks
too. Enjoy and good luck!
-----------------------
I recommend to everyone that you pick a topic as soon as
possible.
All of the homework assignments you do will directly relate to you
research
topic. Also, choose your partners wisely. I would NOT
recommend
that two friends work on this paper together. Friends can
sometimes
have a nasty habit of taking advantage of their partners/friends.
Remember, you can write this paper by yourself. Don’t feel
obligated
to have a partner. In fact, not having a partner may prove to be
less stressful.
Take advantage of your T.A.’s office hours. It may drive
him/her nuts, but it will help you out a lot with organizing your
paper.
Don’t miss any labs, this is where you do your homework
assignments.
If you are the type of student who doesn’t make a habit of attending
classes
regularly, don’t take this class. The lectures may seem boring
and
pointless, but before you realize it, you have absorbed a tremendous
amount
of information on how to analyze data, which just might come in handy
later
on.
----------------------
This is one of those classes that no one wants to be in because it
is a REQUIRED course. My advise to get through this class is to
attend
regularly, pay attention, take a lot of notes, and ask A LOT of
QUESTIONS.
When it comes to the lab, GO TO EVERY ONE OF THOSE!!!! Maybe even
go to all of the labs that are offered during Professor St. George's
time
slot. The lab assignments are complicated and if you don't go to
lab, forget passing the class!!! Most importantly, don't fall
behind
on your assignments because trying to remember what you did in lab and
what is expected of you will diminish over time and WILL reflect in
your
grade.
I also advise taking a strong prescription of Valium. That
will
help you relieve some of the stress you are going to endure during the
class and lab.
-------------------------------
Okay, first I have to say that I am very sorry for all of you because
you will not have Jerry! He is a great TA. That said, pick
the topic for your research paper early!!! It helps.
Otherwise
you will drive yourself crazy. Also, if you pay attention St.
George
is actully quite funny. He likes it when you laugh at his
jokes.
Also if you talk in class. Big plus! Don't get discouaged
right
away, take it one day at a time, and choose a topic you are really
interested
in, because you will be sick of it
by the end of the semester. Good Luck to you all.
-------------------------------
I know you've heard it a thousand times, but pick your topic
early.
Doing your assignments all on the same topic as your final paper will
make
your life tremendously easier when you sit down to write your paper the
weekend before it's due. Also, having said that, make sure you
pick
a topic that you are extremely interested in, because by the time you
get
through running regression models on it, you'll never want to hear
about
it again, and if you didn't like it in the first place, your paper will
be tedious to write. Do the oral presentation of your paper, even
if you don't have it written yet, and especially if you don't. It
will help you immensely in writing your paper as it makes you create
some
semblance of an outline. Go to class, it's entertaining and you just
might
learn something. Make sure that you and the rest of the students
in your class sit evenly dispersed throughout the classroom. St.George
doesnt' like it if everyone's on one side, it throws off his teaching
style.
Sit in the
front row and be on time to class so you always know your name is on
the attendance sheet and you won't get dropped for having five blue
boxes
next to your name. If you remember nothing else, always remember
to wear sunscreen. :)
---------------------------------
First off, I would like to start by saying that I new nothing about
Stgeorge before signing up for his class. After I registered,
fellow
students who have previously taken the course said that he is really
hard
and I should drop his class immediately. I was amazed to find out
what a great professor he is! I have never met a a Prof. at U.N.M
who is as honest and straight forward as Stgeorge. What is really
important to remember while taking the class is to START ON YOUR
RESEARCH
PAPER EARLY! Try to pick a topic that you can stick with from the
beginning
of the semester. It makes the final paper a whole lot
easier.
one more thing, UTILIZE JERRY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE! He is a real nice
guy
who knows what he is talking about and will help you at any cost.
----------------------------------
My advice to incoming students taking SOC481 is to make sure to start
early on the paper. Make sure to choose a topic early and choose
one that you have
interest in......this will make it easier for you to write the
paper.
Also, with regard to Professor St. George......he is a really cool
instructor,
but I can guarantee you won't get most of his jokes. Make sure to
go to class because after a certain week he takes attendance and will
drop
you if you don't go. Also, make sure to take notes because it
will
be helpful for your mid-term. That is about all I have for advice!!!
----------------------------------
The utmost important thing to remember in Mr. Stgeorge's class, is
to attend class and lab. Simply attending lab is not sufficient
to
receive a good grade. Although, it may appear that attending lab
will suffice, it won't, and you realize this the most when it is time
to
write up your paper. Attendance is very important if one wishes to keep
a tight grasp on the material. Mr. Stgeorge is a great lecturer,
and it is easy to constantly attend his course. If one must miss
a class, never miss lab. Lab is where all the hands on experience
is acquired in order to write a good paper and thoroughly understand
the
course. Pay attention and don't drop the ball.
There are many other aspects to passing this course, but of utmost
importance is attendance.
----------------------------------------
Pick a viable paper topic early. This is what I did, and it
really
helped to have it nailed down early, because there are plenty of other
things to do. Ask questions as they come up - Professor St.
George
and the lab TA are more than willing to help. Use the TA as a
resource
- he can help you immensely. Plan it into your schedule to spend
an extra hour a week in the lab, working on homework assignments and
your
paper. Go to class. Sit on the left side of the room - Professor
St. George will give you an automatic A. Start your project early -
everyone
will say this and I read it on the "advice" last semester, but it truly
would make your life easier. Go to class - St. George often goes over
the
computer printouts for the assignments, and taking notes directly on
the
handouts will make your bundle of papers easier to understand
later.
Use email for communication and check it often because that is how St.
George lets you know about homework extensions, cancelled class, etc.
Speak
up in class - interact with each other and the professor, because
otherwise
he gets all bummed out. Lastly, don't worry, this class isn't bad at
all
if you keep on top of the work
----------------------------------------
The class will seem a little intimidating at the beginning of the
semester.
Best thing to do is to take advantage of your lab time. Go to
every
class and lab session possible. Dr. St. George starts off with a
lax attendance policy, then accounts for every class towards the middle
of the semester. Ask questions if you don't understand
something.
If you get lost early on, you'll be hating life towards the end of the
semester. Pick your research topic early in the semester and use
your lab assignments to build your research model.
Get used to clicking on the class web page. There are
detailed
explanations of what's expected on every assignment. Laugh at all
of Dr. St.George's jokes, funny or not, and don't skew his perception
of
the class by sitting all on one side of the room. Always
interpret
your lab assignments in "substantive terms" and learn how to sit in
front
of your computer for hours and hours and hours at a time. If you
follow this advice, you'll do just fine.
----------------------------------------
Pay close attention to the data analysis portion of the class and take
notes directly on the handouts. This can be very beneficial when
putting
homework assignments together. If you are unclear how to run a
particular
portion of the SPSS program, write or call your assigned teaching
assistant
- they are willing to help in any way they can.
Be aware that homework assignments take time to run and analyze (particularly the multiple regression tables). They cannot be quickly completed.
About the final paper, do the literature review early and if possible run the multiple regression of your independent variables even earlier. This way, if you find you cannot support your model with the independent variables you picked, you still have time to do further literature searches.
If you don't want to go to UNM to do the homework assignments in a
lab,
buy the graduate level SPSS ($160 without the instruction book). Be
aware
that the tables and information do not print out like they do in lab so
you may have to do some extra work putting your info into a format that
is legible. Also, to date, information completed in lab cannot be saved
to diskette for later use at home (hopefully this will be resolved by
the
time you read this!)
--------------------------
To all of those poor souls having to take Soc. 481, I feel your pain.. . Actually, I have to admit this class was not as horrible as I thought it would be. I had nightmares about it after suffering through Soc. 381 (which I am sure a lot of you did, too.). But, to be fair, St. George is an awesome guy with a great sense of humor (though, at times warped).
The thing which I liked a lot better about 481 rather than 381 is you learned how to apply sadistics (oh, statistics- my error) to research, and for once all of this mumbo-jumbo started to make sense. There are going to be times when you will want to pull your hair out, but if you go to the TA or e-mail St. George about what's bugging you, you have a fair if not plausible chance of passing the class. The best way to get hold of St.George for anything is to e-mail him, otherwise tracking him down in CIRT is murderous, since the darn place is one big maze. Believe me, just e-mail him!!!
I would give you the usual- "Start your research project early," but let's face it, we all get forewarning sometime in our life, but how often do we heed good advice? Get the picture? If anything, especially for you graduating seniors taking the class, sit back and enjoy the ride.
St. George- have a great summer and it's been real.
Hello 481 Fish!
Here are a few tips to help you stay on top of the research paper!
1. Try to stay away from variables that are bivariate.Yes or No questions will cause real problems for you when you try to run multiple regressions.
2. The TA's are your saviors, treat them nicely!
3. I would suggest that you have your literature review, hypotheses, and Statement of the Problem section written before Spring Break. This leaves you free to analyze the data the second part of the semester. While everyone else is scrambling to find resources, you will be concentrating on the multiple regression.
4. You must be able to speak up in class and ask St. George questions or you will be lost.
5. You have to make the extra effort on all assignments to get an A. Do whatever the assignment requires and then more!
6. The more computer time you put in, the more comfortable you will become with SPSS. I spent about 3 hours a week using SPSS for this class.
7. I know that 280 and 381 are probably still pretty fresh in your heads, but I could not remember a thing.:^) The book is a great place to "refresh" your memory about Chi-square, scales, regression, and etc.
8. Avoid the middle of the classroom. Professor St. George has placed a vortex there. (I have heard that individuals in the middle of the classroom.........., FAIL!!! :-)
Tips for surviving Soc 481 with Dr. St. George
Go to class. Don't stress about the paper before it is really necessary. It is overwhelming to stress about the horror of multiple regression and theoretical models in your paper before you know what is really required. Use your TA as a resource. He was very helpful and made himself accessible. Acknowledge and appreciate St. George's obscure references. If all else fails, learn the Tigger song. It might earn you an "A" for the day.
Advice to incoming students. Yes statistics is very boring, BUT on
the
bright side St. George is very amusing. His humor is a little
odd,
but enjoy it, it will make the semester and statistics more
enjoyable.
Also attend both labs if a) your TA for that lab is a dim wit, or 2)you
need a little more time understanding what you are doing interpreting
the
numbers. Its a pain to attend both if you don't have the time or
the enthusiasm to do so, but it helped me alot and was very beneficial
in the
long run. Good Luck and laugh with St. George!
Advice to Incoming Students
1. Take all of your assignments very seriously. St. George
is a pretty laid-back guy, so it's easy to think you can slack in this
class. Those assignments are crucial for your paper. You don't
want
to make the mistake of slacking on them.
2. Make sure you understand how to interpret and analyze
your data (graphs, tables). You need to have a solid
understanding
of your output in order to include it in your paper.
3. Formulate a theoretical model for the paper as soon
as possible. If you have a model; you can use the same variables,
hypotheses,
etc. for all of the assignments and have an easy time assembling your
paper
at the end of the semester.
4. Save all your data. Either make plenty of
hard copies or save data on a disk so you can retrieve it when
needed.
It's a waste of time to have to keep going back into the computer lab
to
print out stuff you already did once before.
My advice to incoming students would be to start brainstorming topics from day one. That way you can find out how much research has been done on your potential topics and go from there. You don't want to waste too much time on a topic that won't be feasible for research.
I think it is best to pick a dependent variable early and stick to it. Before you hypothesize, do a lit review. This will allow you to see what research has all ready been done. Doing the lit review early will also help you chose the best independent variables. It's best to do it right the first time instead of having to back toward the end of the semester and having to change your independent variables. Go to lab! The lab instructor can help you understand what your doing. It will get complicated. Don't wait until the last minute to do your regression. The regression itself can be a lot of help when you go to write the paper. Most importantly...GET STARTED RIGHT AWAY.
Advice to incoming soc481
1) The most important thing is to go to class and the lab. St George gives handouts in almost every class and they tell you step by step what to do on the computer (with pictures, no less). St George is the "Handout King"!
2) If you had Roberts for 381 I feel your pain, but St George has a way of teaching the stats part of this class so you can understand it, so relax.
3) Start your lit review early. If you don't, the articles or journals you need will be checked out and never returned. Also try the extended index in Zimmerman for your research, it helped me out alot.
4) St George is a great guy with a great sense of humor but he can not read minds so if you need help, ask for it. The TAs are good too but sometimes they don't get it either so ask St. George.
5) Try to get a topic for your paper that your interested in or it will get quite tedious by the time its due.
Have Fun!
TIPS FOR SURVIVING SIR ST. GEORGE'S 481 CLASS:
Don't procrastinate. If you have time to get ANY work done on time and/or ahead of time, DO IT. We never know what life has in store for us (good or bad) which may set us back right when we think we have everything under control.
Don't be afraid to talk to St. George when you are having a problem with anything, (except financial-smile) he will work with you if he knows that you need him to. So, whether it's how to run a correlation or problems with your lab TA, go to him, that's why they pay him the BIG BUCKS!
Try to keep your absences to a minimum. Although there are times it cannot be helped, even if someone takes notes for you, there's nothing like hearing it from the horses' mouth (no offense meant sir).
Relax, even when you feel like a nervous wreck, he has a good sense of humor and a knack for setting you at ease, regardless of the fact that you feel like pulling your hair out. Restrain yourself, it is not as frightening as it seems, just KEEP AHEAD OF THE GAME WHENEVER POSSIBLE.
Finally, I think that if you do your reading, make sure to do your labs (and don't be afraid to ask your lab person if you don't understand something, it's their job), try to nail down your research project subject as early as possible, that way as you do your assignments you can be running your stats for your paper concurrently.
I truly believe you will find this to be a challenging, yet enjoyable class and St. George to be extremely knowledgeable, stylish dresser (but modest), and a delightful person all round.
Thanks for a super term.
always, g.
I have a few tips for you incoming students beginning to enter this
soc481 course. Attend class as often as you can. St.George
goes over much of the computer material in class and helps you better
understand
the assignments. Attend computer lab as much as possible, don't
get
behind it will be hard to catch up at the end. If you have any
questions
in lab
ask them on the spot, don't wait until the last week of classes to
ask questions that are months old. The professor will wonder
where
you've been the last 12 weeks. Start on your paper as soon as
possible,
the earlier you start the less stress you will have on finals
week.
Do all assignments and turn them in on time. The assignments you
do will help you greatly on the final paper. Good Luck, and the
class
is not as bad as you think just stick to it and don't let yourself get
behind.
To all of you incoming students GOOD LUCK! Just kidding, well actually I'm not because as I am typing this out I am so very stressed about this research paper that is due in one week (don't mean to get you discouraged about the class). Okay, first of all go to class, communicate with St. George (whether or not its through email or in class) also take advantage of your TA (that is what they are there for). I would recommend to begin your paper after midterms. Choose a dependent variable that has already been researched on (this is where your literature review comes in). After you choose your variable if its dichotomous begin testing other variables to create an index. Remember what St. George explains about the index .7 or higher. Spend plenty of time in the lab in fact just cut off your whole social life for this particular semester and devote it to something much more interesting like regressions, crosstabs, scatterplots, alphas and frequencies (Yeah right). No but really don't WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE and have fun not a nervous breakdown.
Advice for Incoming Students
Don't just look at this paper once on the first day St.george hands it out, but keep it as close to you as you can and refer to it often. Last year they said the same stuff and none of us probably listened. But, at the end of the year you'll be saying the same thing. Your paper is going to be hard if you can't use any of the assignments to put into it. So, save those and think about how to use them in your paper.
Everyone will tell you not to wait until the last minute to do your paper, and you won't listen, either. But, the main thing is to know what you're going to do your paper on, and having all of your resources done--that you can not wait until the last minute.
Don't let St. George's relaxed attitude and wittiness stress you out the last couple weeks of class when you're trying to worry about the paper. Just realize that it is his way of difusing your stress--BUT YOU HAVE TO ASK HIM "SPECIFIC QUESTIONS" in class or you will be stressing more.
Find the best darn lab T.A that you can and rely on him or her.
Try to be more flexible with your schedule to go check out a couple of labs --if there is room.
Advice to incoming students:
1)The first thing to know is that the text is not very helpful so
try
not to miss any classes and that goes for labs too.
2)Make the most of your lab time, this is a great place to get personal
help from grad students who have been through this class before, they
will
especially come in handy towards the end of the semester.
3)Come to class with questions already prepared, it comes in real
useful
when it comes to your homework assignments.
4)Pick a topic and begin your paper as soon as possible that way you
can plan your homework assignments according to your topic, this saves
a lot of time in the end.
5)Make sure you take a look at the papers that are on reserve, if you
are unclear about what your paper should look like, these will really
help.
6)Talk to and get some phone numbers of other students in the class,
I found that sometimes they have answers you may be looking for and can
explain clearer than the lab instructors.
7)Take advantage of email, St. George usually responds asap.
8)Make sure you are clear on data interpretation, numbers mean nothing
if you can't explain them and you will need to in your paper.
9)Save all of the handouts and take notes on them, they will be
invaluable
for your homework and you paper.
Good Luck
Advice to incoming students.
Well I cannot say much except that you will be relieved of much stress
if you do your literature review early and create hypotheses as soon as
possible. The SPSS program and GSS dataset is the fun part.
If you already know what your paper will be about, the computer work
will
make much more sense to you. I unfortunately learned this the
hard
way. Best
of luck!!
My advice to incoming students:
1. Copy the code book or get it on disk. Make sure the
variables
you are interested in using are part of the 1994 data set. The
problem
I had was that I used the website where the survey questions were
listed
and chose variables from it that I found out later, were not included
in
the data set that we used for class. The website is a terrific
source
of information and should be looked at to compare or find variables
that
you could suggest for use in future research on your topic.
Believe
me,
you will use the code book more than once!
2. Utilize the links on Prof. St.George's website and visit it often. It gives links to Fullerton that include some basic statistics review on regression and can serve as a memory refresher or tutor to those of us who have difficulty interpreting stats. Understanding the concepts behind the operations of SPSS is important.
3. Don't be afraid to present your paper to the class! It is a great learning experience and you will find that most of the students are on equal ground at this level in research methods. It provides good experience for those of you who are planning on attending graduate school.
To all those poor, unfortunate Sociology and Criminology majors
taking
this class....Breathe in and out, it's not that bad or hard, IF>>
You always remember that the big paper at the end is not one of those
you can sit down at a computer and come up with right before it's due.
START YOUR RESEARCH EARLY!!! This can not be emphasized enough.
He has a very descriptive syllabus, and this is needed in this
class.
The Assignments seem overwhelming when first looking at it, but relax
he
will explain it in class. If you do not understand what he goes
through in class---ASK HIM. This is very important. The
difference
between
stressing out later when you try to analyze your data.
Ask the T.A. in the lab as many questions as you can during the
labs,
make him clarify it. He is of utmost help with your model and
paper.
Utilize him often. Email St.George, and ALWAYS CHECK YOUR EMAIL
BEFORE CLASS, for those days when he cancels via email. If you
don't
have an
email account, get one you will need it for this class.
If you took Roberts for 381, relax, not nearly as many tests or
statistics,
just a bunch of review. Pay attention though to the
Regression Section---this will help you with your paper. Check
out sample papers also, they are so important for the success of your
own
paper.
Don't forget...DO YOUR LIT REVIEW RESEARCH EARLY...the Net has alot
of good spots...try using EBSCOHOST for articles online that can be
emailed
to your account. Start writing early, and pace
yourself...Otherwise
this class can kill ya.
1. Laugh.
2. Raise your hand.
3. Have something to say.
4. Have something intelligent and insightful to say, after all this
is an institution of higher learning.
5. On the first day spen at leaste 10 minutes in class after he
announces
that this is nude art modeling.
I have actually enjoyed thte class a great deal, it was not as
terrifying as I thought it woud be. Thanks for a nice semester.
The most important thing for this class is to keep a sense of humor,
secondly you should pick a topic for your paper ASAP and as you go
through the labs (don't miss lab!!!--this is the key to getting a good
grade in the class) make sure you do the assignments on time and try to
run the assignments for your research paper ASAP. I would also say
that it is important to take good notes because this is where the
midterm
questions come from, and since the midterm is basically a take home,
you don't want to miss the opportunity for an easy grade. Also, DON'T
miss class...St.George is serious about attendance, besides you don't
want to miss the jokes that St.George tells in class, or the cartoons
he brings to class from time to time.--also always raise your hand
regardless of whether or not you know what St.George is talking about,
and never let him hit his head on the desk!!! Enjoy the class, it's
really lots of fun.
I enjoyed the great sense of humor stgeorge have and did like the TA
. Because I have not taken any statistics for over 10 years, yes
10 years!,
the class made very little sense too me. If you are in the same
situation
I was, please do yourself and favor and either audit or take 381 a
semester earlier.
For those of you just finished 381 this class should be the easiest
class you will ever take. Yes, you do have to work, do the assignments,
and go
to the lab.
Stgeorge wants you in class everyday you suppose to go or let him know ahead of time why you cannot go to class. why you cannot make it to class.
If you are planning to learn something from the instructor be
prepared
to ask questions and e-mail to him rather than going to his office. He
is a
great resource if your are intereted in learning how to use the
netscape
and also how to do regressions or real reseach.
I enjoyed the class and learn from it because I was always asking for more information or references to go beyond the call.
You will learn as much as you want to learn. In this class you
are on you own as any graduate student will be. Stgeorge is a reference
and a great
one!!!!!
Keep the handouts and start doing your final paper as soon as the
class
start. This way you will not have to work twice at
the end of the semester. If you have a topic you love to explore and
do research on it this is the greatest opportunity to do so, yet
if you are
here just to complete a requirement and get out of here, good luck
getting a B or an A or even getting out of of 481
My advice is to make sure that if you have a question about ANYTHING
make sure you ask!!! St George and Jerry are always very helpful
and really want
to make sure you understand things, so dont be afraid to ask.
Also make sure you never, ever miss the labs, they are so
helpful.
One thing to remember to
do is to keep the hundreds of handouts that St George gives out and
write as many notes on them as you can as he goes over them, those will
be very
helpful when you do your assignments and your paper. Although
no one will follow this advice, try to do your Lit. review early, and
make
sure to pick a
topic as soon as you can for your paper.
