Tuesday, November 25, 2008

A petri dish of principle

So I'm trying to study for my exam, which is in a week. And, I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but all of the materials for this course changed for the 2008-09 school year. Dramatically changed. So that all the past exams from 2001 to 2008 ... yeah, none of them totally apply. Bits and pieces are usable, but for the most part they're not particularly helpful. So I'm studying them anyway, just for form and also to make sure I know the stuff that's still applicable, precious little of it that there is.

Also? There's an online course review that's supposed to be updated to the current term's materials. But it seems that someone just slapped "2008-09" on the top of last year's review and didn't touch anything else. Which is totally brilliant, and I hope they were paid well for this sheer genius.

Oh! And there are multiple choice questions that are meant to simulate the kind of multiple choice section we might see on our exam. Except that they aren't properly cross-referenced, no new material is included, one module is missing in its entirety, and much of the stuff we didn't study is still included.

But hey. It's a new course. And there are bound to be some growing pains. We're all trying to work through it and hoping for the best.

So anyway, I'm running one of the past exams from 2001, and I see an ethics question on the difference between in vivo and in vitro ethical principles. And I'm all "in vitro ethics?", and I wonder how exactly that would work. And also, what it is, since it's not in our current course materials but in my mind "in vitro" totally means something not remotely affiliated with accounting, except for the fact that it's really expensive. So then I start wondering how they can tell the girl ethics from the boy ethics, how they combine them together, where they implant, what the success rate is and, perhaps most importantly, what is this going to cost me this time? Because the Clomid was expensive enough. And also, I don't want to pay any more for this class, which was totally overpriced. And that's when I flashed back to that time in my earlier management accounting course where we were learning about ways to improve the CM ratio and I couldn't stop thinking about Robitussin cough syrup and how that totally works, but also has nothing to do with accounting, so I really don't know why we were studying it. I wish I knew why my management accounting courses always seem to reference stuff like this, 'cause I think that's awesome.

Suffice it to say, I am over-tired just now. And really ticked off at my course and its outdated resources. Also, I still have no clue what in vitro or in vivo ethics actually are or how to tell them apart, nor do I know why I should care.

8 comments:

Unknown said...

awww man hope things get worked out for ya!
stopping by to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving

Anonymous said...

BWAH HA HA HA! I'm glad I already finished my coffee for the the morning, or I would have sprayed it all over my petri dish. And by petri dish, I mean monitor.

Distinguishing between girl ethics and boy ethics. Genius.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Rhea said...

Oy, you made me glad I'm not studying right now...for anything. My brain is TOAST.

Unknown said...

So if you go with the Clomid again, can you get more than one 'A' for the course?

Momma Trish said...

georgie - Thanks! Hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving as well.

goodfather - Glad to entertain. Someone should be enjoying this. ;)

Rhea - Oh yes. Be happy.

Heinous - You would think, wouldn't you? But I bet they really push the in vitro, because it costs more. Seems a rather invasive process for a management accounting exam, though.

mrsmouthy said...

I don't know why you're bothering to study anyway. Everyone always knows the answer is "C."

The Stiletto Mom said...

Wow. You are officially way smarter than me. Which doesn't take much...but still...I am impressed!!

Good luck with all of it, I will have my fingers, toes, eyes and legs crossed for you!!

Momma Trish said...

mrsmouthy - You are incorrect. The answer is always "42". As in "How many roads must a man walk down?" "42".

Stiletto Mom - I am smarter than no one. You have been richly deceived if you believe otherwise. Thanks for the well-wishes; I need all I can get just now.