Classes Have Begun

This past Thursday was our first day of class.  While I was looking forward to it, the 5-day weekend (thanks to 3 different national holidays) really made me hate having to wake up at 8 in the morning.

I started the day with a class on Kanji (complex Japanese characters) and immediately followed that with Japanese Grammar and Speaking class.  The Kanji class is relatively easy at the moment, since most of it is review, but I am glad we are going over some of the kanji that I already know, because the lessons here are a lot more specific when it comes to the different ways the kanji is read (some kanji have 5 or more ways to say it, and it all depends on context).  The Grammar and Speaking is easier because it is mostly going over what I already know about structuring a sentence in Japanese; so I am mostly working on improving my vocabulary in that class.

My weeks work out to where I have at least one Grammar/Speaking class each day (for instance, I had two today - before and after lunch) and one kanji class every Thursday.  During 4th and 5th periods are the elective classes that are offered.  I am required to take at least 2 electives, but I plan on taking three.  Fifth Period on Monday is a Seminar on Japanese Studies, Fourth Period on Tuesday is Japanese Society, and Fourth Period on Wednesday is Beginning Karatedo.  So I have yet to experience these classes.

The sad part is that 5th period goes until 6:15pm.  My Monday schedules is a blessing and a curse; I have 1st Period Grammar/Speaking at 9:10am - 10:45am..........and then nothing until my 5th period class starts at 4:45pm.  The great part is that I will have all day to myself between classes.  The crappy part is that I will be forced to wake up on my least favorite day of the week at 8am and then have nothing to do for the rest of the day.  I have a feeling that will make me very irritable until I have other repsonsibilities added into my schedule.  No work found as an English Tutor as of yet.  :(

My brain feels fried already, and I've only had two days of classes.  So tonight I'm headed out with some friends to a sports center that they found.  For $15 you get unlimited bowling, archery, golf, etc from 11pm to 9am.  That's not a bad deal at all, and I know that once classes really start going I will have tremendous amounts of homework.

Just today I had to turn in Kanji and Grammar/Speaking homework from yesterday's classes that took me about 3 hours yesterday to finish.  I have another four pages of intense homework for this weekend and another quiz on Monday (we will have a quiz every day).  One can only guess how much homework I will be doing next week and the weeks to follow.