le semestre d'automne commence

Ms. Duncan recently began the fall semester. She's taking 8 classes ... you read correctly, 8 classes. For comparison, during my recent master's program, I took 3-4 classes a semester, so 8 is pretty ridiculous. I can't really tell you how many credits she's taking as MIT is of the opinion that ordinary university procedures are beneath them so instead of the usual credit system (based on the hours of classes one takes per a week) they have a unit system. Ms. Duncan is taking 68 units - which is supposed to mean that she spends 68 hours per week attending or doing homework/projects for these classes.

As Ms. Duncan is getting both an MBA and an SM (another ridiculous MITism) in Civil and Environmental Engineering she has to take more than just the business school core (people in business school at MIT are referred to as Sloanies - for some reason whenever I hear this term I think of Newsies and I picture them as 10 year olds in shorts and bowties and suspenders running around downtown handing out newspapers and singing - I haven't actually seen Newsies but this is what comes to mind).

The business school core is as follows (each are 9 units):

Organizational Processes

Communication

Economics

Financial Accounting

Data, Models and Decisions (DMD)

Ms. Duncan doesn't actually take DMD as her summer stats and systems optimization courses covered similar material. In addition to these 5, Sloanies also have to take either Finance or Marketing (I think my granddad once told that I should definitely take one of these two classes - I didn't listen - perhaps that's why I'm still looking for a job). Most LGO students (no catchy nickname as of yet but some people are pushing for LeGOs) are also taking one of these two this semester (they are required to take at least one sometime during the program) but Ms. Duncan opted instead for more engineering now.

Her engineering courses:

Logistic Systems (12 units)

Design for Sustainability (6 units)

Logistics and Supply Chain Management (12 units)

LeGos also have to take a Pro-Seminar (2 units) "class" which is really just a lecture series with fancy pants business people although they are trying to get the Houston Rockets GM to come speak (also known as "Dork Elvis" according to ESPN's the Sports Guy) so that could be cool.

So that's what she's up against - formidable (say it with a french accent - 4-me-dahb).

Ms. Duncan has promised to post more on the specifics of each class later although she'll likely be less than completely honest (she hates one of the classes but she won't let me say which ... harumph).

In other school related news, tyeliah has finally received all of her grades from the summer semester - she did well. She joked that she has a better GPA than yours truly (a gross insult in this household) which is only true because of MIT ridiculousness. They use a 5.0 scale here. Bah.

In less school related news Ms. Duncan and yours truly moved into MIT student housing - a small one bedroom apartment midway up a very ugly building that I'm sure looked very cool in the 1970s - aka the decade of horrible industrial architecture that looked nice for 5 minutes. We just missed out on having an awesome view of the Charles River but the apartment is fine despite the tiny oven. We bought carpeting from a couple that was moving out - we had to cut it to fit our bedroom and living room - a note to future mover-inners - carpet is a nasty unmanageable beast and used carpet carries with it untold amounts of dust of previous owners that all comes out when you move it in. Ugh.

It was worth it.