5 Summer Saturdays for a Graduate Course?

I decided to enroll in a Summer graduate course entitled EDEA 780K: Critical Perspectives in Higher Education.  I know what you all are thinking.  "Why are you taking a Summer graduate course?"  With what little leftover monies I had from my scholarships, which were supposed to be used for my Summer living expenses, I paid to take this class as another elective.  So, basically, I've been broke financially, but rich minded - if that makes sense.  

This class was interesting, but looking forward to spending my Saturdays from 9am-5pm talking about critical perspectives, was crazy.  Although, I had friends who were also crazy enroll in this class as well.  It was very informative, intense, and fun, when it was too serious.  In all, this course helped us to understand Critical Race Theory, learn other critical perspectives, and applying those perspectives in higher education.  Although the Saturdays were long, the class was really short.

The readings and topics included: race and theory, Critical Race Theory, racism, interest-convergence, whiteness, white privilege, intersectionality, counter-storytelling, Tribal Critical Theory, Critical Feminism and Pedagogy of the Oppressed.  There were some articles more interesting than others, and some articles that were too complex for me, like the law articles.

In all, I'm glad that I took this class along with my friends.  I've learned a lot in a few classes about Critical Race Theory and the many different critical perspectives based on race, culture, gender, class and how it affects people in education, particularly in higher education.  This is an important issue to keep in mind, when working in education, either as a teacher, administrator, researcher and even as a student.  These critical perspectives helps to critically analyze reality from the lives and experiences from different people, from different backgrounds.  

And so, the final paper was killing me.  I've been refining my research proposal since taking 602 and would say this is my third draft.  Having to rewrite it and include a critical perspective component was challenging.  For my research proposal, I tried to incorporate Kaupapa Māori (a Māori framework) to view what factors of the UHM's Hawaiian Studies and Hawaiian Language programs impact Native Hawaiians in higher education?  It's a work in progress, but I'm hoping that I don't loose interest.  I'm thinking, "what other easy things can I do, that will fulfill the Plan B?"