Sleepiness

It is a truth universally acknowledged that afternoon classes engender sleepiness. Whether the somnolence is actually caused by the gentle tones of afternoon lecturers, or just by some food-related coma is beside the point. The basic scientific law that [Course between lunch and dinner] = [slumbertude] is undeniable.

The outcroppings of this law are numerous and hazardous. If you are a collegiate teacher during the afternoon (as I have been for going on 3 semesters now) you must think hard to find a way of conveying information that doesn't result in 20 collective snores. And if you are a student (as I have been for much more than 3!) you are faced with the challenge of not going fully cross-eyed and drooling during one or more afternoon classes. And alas, even classes that one enjoys and learns from are prey to such a demise.

This very afternoon I was faced with two foreboding tasks. One was a soporifically huge reading of Walt Whitman, who although interesting was also, um, wordy. The next is a lecture at 4:30 by a professor who although amiable and witty is the most horrible rambler I've ever met. What's a concerned student to do? Well the next best thing I could think of after a massive[ly unhealthy] cup of coffee was blogging, but that's only lasted me 20 minutes, and now I must return to Walt.

Suggestions?

You know the semester has officially started...

When you're stuck eating out of the vending machine 'cause your syllabus won't print right in the grad lab.

But hey, another year, another opportunity to learn and minister and grow and exert and rejoice.
Semester, here we go!