Tag Archives: courses

A Creative Year

As a third year performance major, not only do I feel kind of old, but I also don’t have to take very many classes besides my ensembles and private lessons. Believe me, ensembles and private lessons take enough time and effort on their own. So all I still need to complete my degree besides those are music and non-music electives!

First term I’ll be taking a Creative Writing course and Instrumentation (which, to my understanding, is arranging music for different instruments and ensembles). That’s actually all the “lecture courses,” as I call them, I’ll be taking first term. Hello, one-class-per-day and class-free Fridays. Excluding ensembles and lessons.

Second term I’ll be taking my final music theory course dealing with post-tonal music (not really looking forward that one…) and more German. I’ve missed German a lot since I took it in first year! So for that I’m super stoked. And, second term I will have no classes on Tuesdays and Thursday. I know, you’re jealous of my totally awesome schedule.

Another exciting possibility for this year is that I might go on a Group Study to Belgium! Those of you who follow my blog will remember that I was extremely disappointed when I discovered I couldn’t really go on an exchange. But this year a MUSIC Group Study Project was created which I’ve applied for, and if I get selected I could be going to Belgium for two weeks! If I actually get accepted for it I’ll write more about it when I actually understand the research project better.

As well, because of the way I was able to arrange my schedule, I may apply to be an usher for the School of Music Wednesday Noon Hour Concerts. It would only be a few hours per week, but it would be nice to have a bit of extra cash in my pocket. Plus my job would pretty much be to sit in on professional concerts. Not bad, eh?

Overall it’s looking like it will be a very creative year! Although I think I may get a bit overwhelmed with all the music I have to learn this year – I’ll be putting on a 45-minute recital in April – I’m really excited for third year. The only bad thing about it is that I’ll be so much closer to being done my time at UBC! I just won’t think about that. Instead I’ll dream about my trip to Belgium! :P

Leave a Comment

Filed under Academics, School of Music

Note to Self: Test Registration

Picture it: It’s the first day of second year registration, less than two hours in.  I sit eagerly at my computer, waiting for the clock to strike 10:45 so that A+ average will pay off and I can get into all the classes I want and enjoy a nice, convenient schedule.

Now picture this: I press the ‘Register All’ button, expecting all my worries to be over, when no fewer than three of my courses show red print telling me I cannot register.  “What. What?! NOOOOOOOOOOO! How is this possible! MUSC 119 all the remaining seats are reserved for first years, and MUSC 220 and 221 don’t recognize my intensive theory as pre-requisites?? Why must I pay for being smart? AGGGGGGGGGH!” is pretty much what went through my head.

What happened next was I sent out a flurry of emails, to the instructors of my courses and to the music advisor.  By the end of the day, I had worked everything out and I got into the courses I needed, but I didn’t get into the tutorial in the time slot I wanted because of the delay. So much for getting into all my first choices with my early registration time.

If I had been smart, I would have pressed the ‘Test Registration’ button long before my actual registration date. But no, I had to be lazy and leave it til the last minute and then freak out for nothing and not get the class I wanted. Lesson learned.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Academics