I Don't Think I Can Go Back to School

I went to an engineering presentation with my youngest yesterday so that he could learn more about the college he is applying to and we could get his application fee waived.  I attended the same day with my oldest a couple of years ago. 

The university changed how the program was presented this time around.  I knew I would be hearing a lot of stuff I already knew, so I took my Kindle and read during the first hour of the program.  The second part of the program was led by deans or professors in different areas of engineering studies.  The first lecture was on robotics and megatrons.  The second lecture was on energy sustainability, and the third was  "RF in the Jungle."   

The first lecture was extremely boring except for the little films shown.  I thought the man was never ever going to shut up.  Maybe I was bored because my oldest did robotic competitions and I wasn't hearing anything new or exciting, but I think others were bored too.  However, I did manage to look like I was at least pretending to listen.

The second lecture on energy sustainability was very difficult to sit through. I kept writing my youngest notes about how bored I was and when was he going to just shut up.  It didn't help that he kept showing a particular "youtube" video over and over again that I had already seen several times before, or that he was droning on and on about what he had done before joining the staff of the university. If I had not been sitting so close to the front, I would have walked out to get fresh air and wake up.  

The third lecture was by a professor in the computer science area and he was actually funny and interesting.  I am sure he was embarrassed that his whole lecture was about wireless networks and he could not get the wireless to work in the room we were in.  He recovered nicely and gave a talk that everyone could understand and relate to in some way.  I was ready to give him a standing ovation.  I don't think I read more than a couple of pages in my book while he was on stage, and that was just when he was fiddling with the computer.  

One thing my youngest, his friend, and I discussed during the break was how each of the lecturers had trouble showing their power points.  One kept pushing the wrong button and getting himself off the slides, another one couldn't get his started.  It was funny to us that here we were in front of all these computer geeks and none of them could run a power point.  

I did tell my youngest that I don't think I could ever go back to school. I have lost my tolerance for boring.