Steph’s Blog ∙ Info

’sup folks, I forgot to fill everyone in on the results of the Korean language final.

There were three parts to the test.

1.) Conversation
2.) Vocabulary
3.) Translation

Each part had a subcategory. The conversation segment was a combination of a typical “Hello, how are you?” casual conversation, as well as questions about what our major is and what job we want after graduation.

Only the translation was not oral, though we did have to read it aloud (of course).

The translation part required us to write a script in English and then translate the script into Korean.

I got a perfect score on both the conversation and vocabulary. It was apparent that the instructor was proud of the results of the test.

The translation went very bad. As much as I would like to be able to say that I got a perfect score on the entire test, I think that I pretty much tanked the translation. We had to find the Korean words on our own and create the sentences with very little references. It was tough, and it took its toll on my test. Using a plethora of unfamiliar words to write a translation was rough, but as I look back on it I kind of feel like I enjoyed the challenge.

He wrote some corrections as I spoke. He didn’t always correct what I had written, but he generally did make the “No, something wrong” sound as I read off my script. lol ;D

So there you have it. I don’t think that doing poorly on one part of the test is going to seriously affect my over all score, so I should have passed the class with a comfortable grade. I hope so, anyway!

They were considering the idea of a level 3 Korean language course next semester. I’ll definitely be enrolling if it’s offered.

Hopefully this summer I will be able to continue studying other languages. I have a subscription to KoreanClass101.com, and I may pick back up my study of Japanese by using that website or MangoLanguages.com if their prices are realistic. I stopped studying Japanese for awhile, so my grasp of the language is now really poor. I only remembered enough to give the occasional surprise to my Korean instructor - hah! Just enough to get myself into trouble, ya know?

Random closing comment: I positively love Sakamoto Maaya’s voice. So soft and gentle!

Oh, I may not post again until I get back from South Korea. I should have a ton of photos to share when I do.

Later folks.

Technorati Tags: korean, korean language, 한국어, foreign language

In two days I will have my Korean language final.

It is all spoken; there is no written part of the final. We’re all insane because us students chose this.

This little photo was snapped using my camera phone. Right now I am supposed to be translating some English into Korean for our test, but I’m trying real hard to not think about it so that I don’t freak out.

Oh, on a somewhat related note I now have a confirmed ride to Kansas City. I am hitching a ride with one of the professors.

Well, time to try to focus some more..

(the picture is not part of the above mentioned translation)

This is the most awesomenest thing that I’ve ever done.

That said, I’m not going to put my entire schedule up here. At least not yet. I can say that I’m finally starting to get excited about this trip.

We’re not going to be in one hotel. We’re actually changing hotels three or four times (I don’t remember off hand).

We’re going to a major city in the East of South Korea as well as in the South, then going back to Seoul. We’ll be staying at a hotel in each of those cities.

We’re going to visit a few different universities. This is actually turning out to be a slightly bigger deal than I previously thought, because we’ll be meeting the deans of those universities. One fella who’s going on the trip with us will be bringing a suit because it’s apparently that big of a deal. I have no suit, so they’re just going to have to accept my slacker ass as is lol

::ahem::

More updates later. I don’t feel like typing anymore atm. byyyyeee~

Having good grades at a university is a really good thing. It gives you access to scholarships, which of course allows one to continue their studies.

Yet sometimes it can be very stressful. There is, of course, the fact that everyone simply begins to expect you to do good or to be able to answer questions. That’s not so bad as much as it’s occasionally irritating.

Then there are circumstances like this: This morning I learned that the letter that our language instructor handed out was a formal, yet personal invitation. To an annual awards banquet of the foreign languages department.

It starts like this:

Dear Stephen Meyer,

The Department of Modern Languages and Literatures requests the honor of your presence at its annual awards banquet …”

Goodness gracious! O.O

I thought that this letter was the same for everyone in class and that it was simply a (incoming redundancy!) formal form letter. Nope, no such luck.

Am I complaining? Not necessarily. Am I stressing out? Well let’s see. Now I need to prepare for a possible speech in a foreign language, or at least an inevitable request to have a small conversation, at an honor banquet.

Yep, that’s a bit heavy doc.

(why yes, that was a reference to the 80’s.)

~Steph

Technorati Tags: languages, language, foreign language, Korean, 한국어, Korean Language

There’s not a great deal to post about. The semester is drawing towards a close and I’m actually going to miss one person in particular, but I mostly just focus on completing my classwork. I haven’t done much aside from that, thus I haven’t had much to post about.

Today was the study abroad info session for us students who are going abroad. I’ll be in South Korea for two weeks. It still doesn’t quite feel real.

There are one or two more sessions to attend before the end of the semester.

I’m debating on the purchase of an Aiptek A-HD camcorder. It advertises itself as a 720p camcorder, but I’m not necessarily sure that I believe this. Regardless, it’s $120 for a camcorder. The catch? The battery life is only about 30 minutes. Wow, that’s just awful.

Another piece of news that I don’t remember if I posted about, but I dropped my karate class. Instead of simply no longer attending class I formally dropped it. Getting my rib cracked was just way over the top. I won’t be going back during any future semester, though I may poke my head into the Kenpo dojo during the summer. So far, though, I’m just toying with that idea.

I now exercise by using a work out DVD rather than jogging around the campus. There’s no particular reason for this other than the fact that it’s easier to motivate myself to work out inside of my house than it is to get my butt to go outside. Also, it was incredibly cold for several days… we’ve only finally started having true Spring weather in the last few days… and that made it entirely impractical to walk & jog outside. The DVD is a good alternative, especially when you really don’t have the time for all of the other stuff.

My writing classes are frustrating the heck out of me. No need to go into detail there, I’m just fed up with writing 4 or 5 page reports.

If I could do mathematics then I would be in Engineer. NO doubt about it. Not just because of the writing, but because I love that kind of stuff. Well, dyslexia and neurlogical short circuits… what’re ya going to do? heh.

…and that’s pretty much that. It’s been nearly as dull as this post has made it sound. About the only thing keeping my sanity is the somewhat regular lunch that I have with a Korean friend of mine. I’m going to miss that gal.

Later folks,
~Steph

Technorati Tags: college, university, student, life

Today I officially dropped my karate class. Maybe I’ll look for the Kenpō or, better yet, the Tai Chi class during the summer to experience something new.

I received a snail mail a couple of days ago inviting me to Lambda Sigma, an honor society. I was reading through the website and decided that I won’t be joining it, but it’s kind of flattering, I suppose, to have my hard work acknowledged. Thanks folks.

Spiffy, eh?

Good night, world.

Technorati Tags: Lambda Sigma, Honor Society, College, University

Last night was the first karate class of this semester, and it was a good, tough class.  Doing karate for two hours non stop is quite an aerobic exercise, and I’m surprised that I lasted for the majority of the class.

We welcomed the new members - of which there were a surprising MANY - and at the end of the second hour we received our certificates from passing the test at the end of the previous semester. 

I sweated, I learned things, and I had one heck of a work out.  All in all it was a good evening.  You can read about it in detail on my KarateKa Blog (where I also have a quick photo of the certificate, if you’re curious).

The only other class that I have had thus far is my Korean Language & Culture II class.  The instructor is different this semester of course, and it seems like he will be more strict than our previous instructor.  His handwriting is also considerably different and that adds an interesting challenge to the class.  So far he seems like a decent guy, but I suspect that he’s not going to have much patience.  We’ll see, I could be wrong about that..

This week we are reviewing the alphabet, so thankfully it is a very easy week.  We did have a pop quiz this morning that consisted of answering the questions that he wrote on the blackboard, but it was very simple.  I would have missed one, but he called on me to answer one that I knew.  Anyway, it’s all about learning so I don’t care too much if I get a few wrong so long as I learn the correct way to do / say / write / read it.

We are going to begin using the Korean language to say a number of typical classroom phrases, so I already have a new set of vocabulary to memorize.  That’s going to have to be something that I study this weekend.

Oh, and the Korean instructor has decided to change the book for this semester.  This should be interesting…

That’s all for now.  I’ll have another update about classes and other college stuff next weekend (not this weekend).  I may also take some photos, but I don’t know what else to snap some pics of since I already have a photo album that covers (most of) the main university campus (Pittstate photos).

Later folks!

Technorati Tags: college, university, korean, karate, martial arts, sports

After a class change that nearly forced me to drop at least one class, I now have a final class schedule for the Spring 2008 semester. You’ll probably notice that there are no psychology courses in this line up. That’s because I’m considering changing my major, and I need a break from all of the psychology stuff for now.

Frankly, if I could get away with it - which I can’t - I would take only the Korean Language & Culture class and the karate class. That would be the six credit hours needed for part time, but unfortunately my funding is based on my attendance. That’s both grades and credit hours, and I’m a ‘po boy ya know?

• Mondays
8:00 - 8:50 AM : Korean Language & Culture II
9:00 - 9:50 AM : The Craft of Fiction
2:00 - 3:15 PM : General Literature
• Tuesdays
8:00 - 8:50 AM : Korean ..
7:00 - 7:50 PM : Karate (Intermediate)
• Wednesday = Monday’s schedule
• Thursday = Tuesday’s schedule
• Friday
8:00 - 8:50 AM : Korean ..
9:00 - 9:50 AM : The Craft of Fiction

So a lot of writing and studying. I wouldn’t be surprised if we have to do a lot of senseless, silly reports on some nonsensical books for the English class. Far be it for a class to focus on its subject matter and not fluff up its schedule with gads of boring “blah”.

~Steph

Grades are in for the Fall 2007 semester. Unfortunately I broke my 4.0 GPA run, but I’m still doing pretty good me thinks. Hopefully next semester I will be able to bring my GPA back up to 4.0; we shall see!

It will be a challenge because (of course!) I am enrolled in Korean Language & Culture Level 2. These classes require a great amount of time and effort to pass with a good grade.

Here are my grades for Fall 2007:

• LIFE SPTS: KARATE(BEGINNING)
Grade: P
• DRAWING I
Grade: B
• KOREAN LANGUAGE & CULTURE I
Grade: A
• LIFETIME FITNESS CONCEPTS
Grade: A
• ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY
Grade: A
• Credits: 13.00
• Semester GPA: 3.7500
• Total GPA: 3.8889

One “B”, and it brings me down so much. Harumph! I insist on 3.9999! lol Yeah, yeah, I know that it doesn’t work like that.

Anyway, there’s that. Here’s to crossing fingers for next semester…

~Steph