Little Blessings

Usually, January is a slow, cold month: we're just getting back into the routine of school, winter has slowed down the hustle and bustle of life...but this month has been an extraordinarily stressful time for me. First, I took a winter intercession class right after Christmas. It required me traveling to campus (4 hours away) and staying in a hotel for a few nights. That was actually not so bad: I got to visit with friends that I made during summer school, talk to my professor "in the flesh," clear up some questions, etc. However, we did not get many assignments done while we were there. "No biggie," I thought, "I have a month to get them done." In the meantime, I started back to school (both university and work), I found out that the lesson I was co-teaching was starting early (which meant that I literally had to lock myself in the school library one weekend and work my tail off trying to get a WebQuest written and designed), my daughter's basketball team was playing numerous games, we had a plethora of activities (school, church, personal) that we were involved in, so on and so forth. Not surprisingly, the month flew by much quicker than usual.

I am stressed. I am cranky because I am stressed. I am eating junk because I am stressed. I am not getting enough exercise because there don't seem to be enough hours in a day...and that makes me stressed.

All of my assignments are due at the beginning of next week. I also have my teacher certification test for library-media this weekend. Our college has 100% pass rate (no pressure). STRESS!!!!

What could possibly give this girl a break? A gracious God.

Snow! We have snow!! Snow = snow days = no work = being holed up indoors with nothing pressing to do other than finish homework assignments!!!

All day yesterday, I lounged around in pajamas working on homework for probably ten hours. I wish I could say I got more accomplished, but at least I feel like I'm making progress! I haven't begun studying for my big test nor have I completed two major projects that are due Monday, but I have big plans for today.

I'm just so grateful for little blessings like snow days. What a difference they can make!!

The Homework Excuse

Do you ever find yourself using your student status to get out of obligations or events? I admit--I do it a lot. I'm not being dishonest when I say, "I really need to spend the weekend doing homework/studying," because there's ALWAYS something that I could be working on. However, in theory, it's entirely possible for me to set aside one evening and get all my work done so that I could enjoy a much-needed day off to sleep in, reorganize closets or just hang out with my family. While people may understand (and, indeed, pity) my full schedule, they don't seem as willing to accept a response of "I can't do [fill-in-the-blank] because I just need a day where I don't have anything scheduled." They may say, "Oh, I understand," but their eyes say, "You just don't want to do it." That's why I use the homework excuse like a crutch.

As I write, it is lunchtime on Saturday and I am still in my pajamas. I haven't accomplished much other than eating the great breakfast my hubby prepared and washing one load of clothes. I tried to go back to bed and get a little extra sleep; that didn't work, but I read a chapter of a non-assigned novel instead. Oh--and I made a trip to the grocery. I can think of a long list of things I NEED or COULD be doing, but I don't mind admitting that I need some laid-back days like this to keep my nerves in check.

I'm already beginning to wonder....what will life be like without the homework excuse to fall back on? I've been able to pass out the homework excuse for almost three years now. I think I'm going to miss it. I guess I'm going to have to learn the art of saying "no"--gasp!

Playing Catch-Up

Weekends are for rest and relaxation, right? Then why am I spending it playing "catch-up?" I'm catching up on homework, catching up on laundry, catching up on quality time with the kids...and I'm STILL not caught up! Maybe I should just accept the fact that I never will be. Motherhood seems to be one of those occupations where there is no "I'm finished!" moment followed by permission to kick up your heels and relax.

Still, I am feeling a bit better now that I started a day without being woken up by an alarm clock. It also feels good that I've somewhat gotten a handle on my homework. I am concerned about a couple of things (one being a group project--only two other people have communicated with me about it, we haven't started anything and it's due next week). I keep thinking that if I can just get through a couple of weeks, I'll begin to get back into the rhythm and flow of things....or at least figure out the homework schedule.

On the upside, I'm SO glad I took my professor's advice and dropped a class before the semester began. First of all, I'd never be able to handle 12 hours of classes and a full-time job (especially since the class was a research class).

Another piece of good news is that the Education class I am taking for my teacher certification does not have assignment due dates; the only rule is that assignments must be completed in corresponding order. Then again, maybe this is bad news. I'd really hate for December to roll around when I'm being blasted with the Christmas holiday rush and suddenly realize that I've put off all of those assignments while trying to stay afloat in my graduate classes!

At any rate, I don't feel guilty hanging out with my kiddos, watching iCarly and painting our toenails tonight. At least I've caught up enough to do that!

The Good Stuff

I feel like I have spent the majority of this semester whining on this blog. Shame on me. It hasn't been all bad, really! Sure, it's been stressful, I have felt even busier than usual, and my assignments have been super time consuming, I can still find some silver linings in the grad school clouds.

• One of my professors was willing to negotiate our assignment list meaning many due dates were changed and several assignments were reduced in size or deleted from the syllabus altogether.
• All of my professors are very understanding about the fact that we have families and jobs to juggle. Generally, if we have a hard time getting an assignment turned in on time, they are willing to work things out with you.
• I expected to be in class every Monday night from January through May. Instead, we only met about twice a month and next week (still in April) is our final class date!
• One of my professors was very organized and her class was very structured. Plus, she was very quick to respond to questions and grade assignments. It made life SO much easier!
• I have one other classmate at my ITV location...thank goodness! Having someone to contact with questions was so helpful. I am so glad I didn't have to go at it alone. Plus, it always helps to have a classmate that you can vent with.
• We always have plenty of time to eat dinner in-between classes. Honestly, I was very worried about this. Sitting in class from 4:30 until almost 10 p.m. without food or caffeine could only mean one thing for me: migraines. Mama's gotta eat! Fortunately, our teacher always gives us a 30-minute break.
• It was tough reading so many books this semester, but I really enjoyed it. It helped me have a reason to read some books/authors that I wasn't familiar with and might not have read otherwise.

See? I AM capable of seeing the glass half full...are you shocked? :)

Crunch Time

My instinct told me to hold off on getting ahead on any assignments this semester. My instinct served me well. Turns out, my professor is swamped with grading and decided to negotiate off a couple of major projects. WHEW! I really can breathe easier now. AND....I'm on the downhill slide of the semester!!

I really don't understand why this semester has been so incredibly busy that I can barely keep up with blogging. I mean, is 9 hours of graduate school really twice as hard as 18 hours of undergradate hours? I really don't think that's the case, but the evidence points otherwise, I suppose. I am working more than I have in previous semesters (I think), so maybe that is a major player as well. Regardless, I hope to find some time soon to share my reading list as promised. Until then...happy studies!

Blah.

Today I've felt terrible. Thank goodness I didn't have to work or be anywhere. I'm lounging around in my yoga pants and trying to get a leg up on my homework which overfloweth. After our face-to-face class meeting this week, I found out that my videoed book talk is late (even though the professor e-mailed me saying that it wasn't due until next week). Normally, I would freak out about this, but I've decided to take it all in stride. I'll send it in when I get it done tomorrow and I'll be sure to copy her e-mail just in case. And, if she still decides to take off for tardiness, I don't care. This class (or should I say, the class schedule) has been so confusing, I'm no longer striving for perfection.

I do, however, admit to being a little panicked. My family is supposed to be out of town this weekend, so I'm not sure what that means for the homework I have left to do. I know I can get some of it done on Sunday afternoon. I plan to carry my laptop with me, but I will have limited internet connectivity. I'm a little overwhelmed right now, I must admit. Homework is piling up as is the laundry and I have several obligations (one is an article I am supposed to be writing for a major trade magazine plus I'm supposed to be designing several pages for a photo directory in addition to all the "regular stuff" I'm a part of). I'm trying to keep my eyes on the prize: the cruise that my husband is taking me on for our 10th anniversary (that we celebrated 2 years ago) and as part of my graduation gift. I can't wait until April!!!

The Homework Commute

Just when I thought I gave up commuting to class, now I find myself commuting to finish homework! Today, I visited my alma mater (hee hee--that sounds funny) and spent three and a half hours in the library trying to finish my latest assignment for my Reference Materials class. I drove over thinking that I'd be able to complete two weeks worth of homework in one visit, but it was just wishful thinking. I wasn't even able to finish all of this week's assignment. It was worth the trip, though. As much as I love modern technology and the internet, sometimes there's just nothing better than using a real book for research.

Guided Study Procrastination

There's this really big part of me that is feeling kind of relieved these days. I have no more tests until finals, we are done with lectures in one of my classes, we are putting the finishing touches on a group project that I have no qualms about and there are no major assignments between now and the last six class days of the semester...but I think I've lulled myself into a false sense of security.

I've mentioned before that guided study or independent study classes have been a great addition to my traditional university classes and were actually part of the reason I am graduating in December rather than January. However, it is easy to put those classes on the back burner in favor of classes that seem more urgent. There are no timelines on my guided study coursework other than the fact that all lessons must be turned in by December 12th.

I've worked on the projects in bits and pieces, but I have yet to finish one complete section of the three classes I am working on.

I am confident that the work can and will be finished, but I have to constantly remind myself of it lest it get swept away to the farthest recesses of my backpack. My goal is to get it completed before finals. Lord knows I don't want to be studying for comprehensive tests AND trying to cram in Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator lessons!

Research Papers

I love to write and I love to research, but I hate to write research papers. I'm not sure what my hang-up is with writing for academia. I guess it's that I feel like my creativity is squelched by end notes and abstracts. At any rate, research papers are an almost inescapable part of university life; here are a few resources that I have found helpful:

Easy Bib: Why am I always "a day late and a dollar short?" My pal introduced me to this site just as we were completing our papers. It's a free service that create your works cited page. You have to enter in all the vital information, of course (like titles, authors, dates, etc.), but Easy Bib automatically sets up your entry in the correct style and will alphabetize all your entries. Sweet!

Tips for APA format: Having only written in MLA style in the past, I had to do a little research about APA style. The OWL at Purdue website was the one place that I kept coming back to when I had questions, and it answered them all for me.

The Elements of Style is a must-have book for any writer. This book focuses on the fundamentals rather than forms of writing. Since there is more to a research paper than making sure you have your title page formatted correctly, Elements of Style is a great resource to help professionalize your writing.

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, Sixth Edition
is another must-have book for every college student's bookshelf. If you're required to use APA format as I was, the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association would be a great resource to have as well.

Video On Demand Rocks

Homework. Oh yeah...that little thing.

Somehow, when I decided to extend my fall break for a week instead of two days, I managed to forget about a little thing called homework. This morning at 9 a.m. when I was blow-drying my hair when it dawned on me: I have about three projects to finish!

So here I am, blogging on my workstation while watching All the President's Men on my laptop for my Media Ethics class. (I know...it's a hard job watching a young Robert Redford in action, but somebody's got to do it.)

Amazon's Video On Demand service. Can I say, I love this video on demand stuff? First off, finding a movie from the 70s in my part of the world: not an easy task. There are no big chains like Blockbuster out here in "the boondocks" and my local video store has maybe forty new releases (a.k.a "nothing from the seventies"). I'm not a Netflix customer (yet) because I have a hard enough time keeping up with my favorite TV shows that I have recorded on my DVR. Maybe frequent movie nights will become a habit after graduation.

Needless to say, Video On Demand was a lifesaver (or, at least, a homework saver) for me.

You know what this means? I'll probably become an addict. Yep, I'll probably start searching the Video On Demand listings constantly, downloading and saving movies to watch on roadtrips or anywhere I'm likely to be stuck without television or internet (because you can download the movies and store them for up to 30 days before watching...and you don't have to be connected to the internet if you download free Amazon's Unbox software). But if nothing else, it will be great for "research" purposes (insert me flexing quotey fingers and a little "wink wink" on the side). :)

The Great Summer School Debate

My spring semester will be officially be wrapped up in two more days. You know what that means? I'll say "good-bye" to homework, writing papers and research and say "hello" to lazy summer afternoons by the pool, sleeping late with my kids and relaxing in a lawn chair.

Well....maybe.

I've actually decided to consider summer school. At the beginning of the spring semester, I planned to take several classes this summer so that I could graduate in December. But I talked myself out of it, saying that I didn't want to miss all the summer activities that I'm usually involved in (youth camps, mission trips) and I wanted to be able to hang out with my kids instead of my computer. Plus, it wasn't like I had a job waiting on me when I graduated. As the semester wore on, I found myself looking forward to a break.

However, I started recalculating the hours I had left plus the monetary savings that I could gain by skipping the spring 2009 semester. I discovered that I might be able to complete a full 11 hours this summer through a combination of testing out of a class (it only costs $10!), taking two internet classes and one "hybrid" class (a hybrid class is a combo of independent study & classroom teaching). Taking these classes would not interfere with the summer activities I already have planned (as long as I have internet access when I travel). I also discovered that I could save $1000 or more by skipping the spring semester in favor of the summer/fall combo The savings would come from tuition that will increase for fall/spring (but not summer), gas savings and food savings (I usually eat out when I'm at school). That makes summer school a pretty good investment overall.

I still have to visit with my advisor and make sure this is going to work the way I think it should. I'll be honest: this is not going to be easy. It requires me to work throughout the summer, take a short break (I'm headed to the beach in August, thankfully), then hit the books again...this time, with 18 hours in my schedule. So, if I do go forward with this plan, I'm going to have to keep my eye on the prize. I think I should put sticky-notes on my bathroom mirror, computer monitor, fridge and any other frequently-used flat surface that says "Just Do It"...you know, Michael Jordan style. :)

The End of Semester Crunch

I distinctly remember posting about how "dead" things were for me at the beginning of the semester. I also remember wondering if it would all come back to haunt me in an end of semester overload.

It did.

In fact, I had an awesome opportunity to fly down to Baton Rouge to shoot a wedding with another photographer this weekend, but I ended up having to stay at home with my butt glued to my office chair and my face planted in front of the computer.

I will resist morphing into Chicken Little ("The sky is falling! The sky is falling!") but some days, it feels like it is.

I'm scrambling to come up with enough hours for my internship (which I thought might be a problem), but I think it's going to work out after spending several more days in front of the computer and hoping that my butt doesn't become welded to my office chair like that lady on the toilet seat (Eww!)!

My husband cleared his calendar so he could have an official "do nothing" weekend and I was plenty jealous. But the show must go on...

Thank heavens there are only 3 class days left for me (one of which I will be missing this week).

Oh my gosh! THREE days left? Can my calendar be deceiving me? I've just gone into serious panic mode!!

S-L-O-W

I am just amazed at how s-l-o-w things have been for me so far this semester. Every week, I keep thinking that I'm suddenly going to be overloaded, but so far, it hasn't happened! I guess I'm just comparing to last semester which was KILLER!

2008: What Lies Ahead

Who knows? But from my guess estimations, academically, 2008 holds for me:

*44 credit hours of classes
*132 hours of homework/reading/computer work outside of class
*8700 miles of commuting
*311 gallons of expensive gasoline
*Somewhere near $1000 of textbooks
*Somewhere near $3000-4000 of tuition
*Untold number of blood sweat and tears

The End Is In Sight....

Well it's not the end end, but it is the end of the semester! YAY!



November was a killer month for me. One of my professors promised in advance that he would give us heck in November, and I must admit that he kept his end of the bargain! I really was totally stressed out. My school work load was at its highest, my daughter was sick with two different illnesses during two weeks (interpret: I had to miss some classes), my grandmother passed away topped off with Thanksgiving holiday travels. I was on stress overload. I'm sure I've been equally or more stressed out at various times in my life, but nothing really comes to mind. I do know that, looking back, the things that really made me want to huddle in a corner and rock back & forth as a 19 year old freshmen are totally wimpy compared with grown-up stuff I must juggle now. I guess the difference is a little more maturity. Although, I must admit that maturity adds its own set of stresses. I used to be perfectly content to settle for a "B" and even the occasional "C" when I was younger, but it pains me to get less than an "A" now that I'm all grown up. In fact, there are many projects that I know I could get by with doing less on, but I can't force myself to turn in something that is lower than my expectations.

The wonderful, wonderful news is that I only have 3 more class days and one day of finals. HOORAY! I'm still pretty stressed out, but this time, it's due to the holiday crunch more than school work. At last, I feel like I can breathe a little easier because the end is in sight.

Good News/Bad News Kind of Week

Good News: Our professor said that if we completed our book by Monday at midnight, he would only require 42 pages instead of 60. I spent the weekend typing endlessly and managed to e-mail slightly over 42 pages at 10:30 p.m. Monday despite a pounding headache and eyes that felt like they were going to pop out of my head if I had to look at the computer screen for another minute.

Bad News: I cut out two chapters that I had written when the project first began & they contained several sentence formats that were required for the book. It will probably affect my grade....but I'm too exhausted to care too much.

Good News: I got my conference paper back (the 10-pager that has consumed my every thought for a month) and I got a B+. Even though I got nearly two full pages of commentary from the prof, including how it didn't really fit what he required in a conference paper, he did slip in one tiny sentence at the bottom of the page that said, "You are a good writer." There is hope yet!

Bad News: The 10-pager now has to be turned into a 15-pager...before next week.

Good News: Our school library is now carring books on CD, so I can listen to something interesting during my commute. I checked out "Emma" by Jane Austen.

Bad News: I got to listen to chapters one through four, and then my CD player held the CD hostage. It won't spit it out or play it. I have to have my radio removed and shipped to a plant in Dallas to have it fixed. I'm sure the CD will be ruined, which means I'll have to shell out cash for it. UGH!

Good News: I just realized that Thanksgiving break is next week.

Bad News: I just realized that Thanksgiving break is next week!!! I have to get Christmas gifts for extended family that I only see once a year, bake homemade goodies for a Thanksgiving Bake Sale, whip up something for our all-church Thanksgiving luncheon, on top of the baking I must do for the town celebration of our state centennial this weekend! AND, it's my husband's birthday next week. AND we have to make a one-way 8-hour drive for the holidays.....AND our DVD players got stolen out of our vehicle this week, so I have no idea how we will entertain children that long!!!


Good News: Since we will be gone for Thanksgiving break, there will be no student newspaper production next week, so we didn't have any article assignments this week.

Bad News: Actually, it's all good news on that one! Yay!

Bad News: My daughter got strep this week.

Good News: I had to stay home and miss a couple of classes on Tuesday morning, which allowed me to catch up on some much-neglected housework!

Good News: I had three photo sessions booked this week.

Bad News: I had three photo sessions booked this week....and it's hard catching up on all my editing! But the good news is, these are my final sessions for the year. I'm looking forward to resting for a while (or maybe taking pictures of my own family!)

Good News: I caught up on all the writing assignments which were dragging me down.

Bad News: I put off doing my Biology studies for almost 2 weeks, so tomorrow, I must spend ALL DAY in front of the computer listening to lectures, doing labs & taking quizzes. I think I have 5 labs and 3 quizzes to do by midnight or my grade will drop a full letter. YIKES!

Good News: Tonight is "TV night" in our household which means I get to watch a few of my favorite sitcoms. A good laugh and a soft pillow....there's no bad news there!!

It. Is. Finished.

My 10-page conference paper, that is. I swear--I sat in my office chair almost ALL DAY yesterday trying to write the final two paragraphs to no avail. I finally finished it and after about four minor tweaks, I finally got the sucker printed out sometime near midnight. Had my entire family not been asleep, tbere's a good chance that I would have been singing and dancing up and down our hallways.

But, alas, my joy is but temporary! The paper must be expanded into a 15-page journal article by Tuesday (well, a rough draft, that is). Plus, if I want to get out of writing the entire 60-page book, I must turn in a 42-page book by midnight Monday.

Now I have a real dilemma: spend my weekend doing homework so that I won't have to deal with even MORE homework later, or spend my weekend doing the things that I had already planned (like finishing my youngest daughter's "baby's first year" scrapbook that she has been begging me do complete).

Just Keep Swimming, Just Keep Swimming....

I've gotta say....the past week or two has really been tough. Are schedules have been jam-packed with things and I have been on stress overload with my school work. Like Dory in Finding Nemo, I have to keep reminding myself to 'just keep swimming" and I will make it through.

I've been totally wiped out at the end of every day. Finally, I think I've managed to get to a place where I can breathe a little again. Another test is down, I think I've gotten a handle on my conference paper after spending some time with my professor, I can churn out newspaper articles fairly quickly (if I can get ahold of my sources) and I've managed to figure out a method to the madness with my online biology class.

I would LOVE a day when I don't have to think about any homework whatsoever and just sit around in sweats, watch movies and chill out, but that day has yet to arrive.

Yay, Monday!

"Who cheers for Monday?" you say? I do! I do beacause it means I survived the past week and weekend.

The following is a list of the great number of very time consuming things I had on my plate last week:

*Host 5 friends who stayed to lead our...
*Nightly church activities (revival meetings) from 6-8
*Scrub house from top to bottom for guests
*Finish writing a 10 page rough draft conference paper...or at least 5 pages...
*Spend at least an hour in the school library doing research for said paper
*Write a story on the upcoming Halloween activities on-campus (having to track down several sources)
*2 homework assignments, 2 labs, 3 quizzes and a test for my online biology class AFTER watching 3-4 sections of macromedia lectures on the computer (rinse and repeat: I have to do this every week)
*Read a journal article for a quiz--whoops! I managed to miss this one. Got a big fat "zero" on that quiz.
*Try to figure out why my youngest daughter suddenly hates school and cries everyday. Consoled daughter while reinforcing the idea that she cannot be a pre-K drop-out.
*Gently remind oldest daughter to do her reading and practice her violin
*Wash laundry
*Gather necessary booths, decorations, supplies and manpower for church's Family Fun Festival
*Finish making daughter's ruby slippers for her Dorothy Halloween costume
*Mail client portrait orders
*Order new client portrait orders
*Order winter coats for children
*Try to find dresses for children--with no success
*Decorate church for Fun Fest; monitor children
*Wash more laundry
*Try to monitor my calorie intake as I have been doing a lot of "stress eating" (wonder why?)
*Research & post a topic about "pseudoscience" on my biology class bulletin board for credit
*Have I mentioned laundry?
*Attend eldest daughter's basketball games--2 day tournament
*Try to work out a plan for Thanksgiving with cousin in Arkansas
.....and I'm sure I'm forgetting much more.....

Sadly, I have to repeat much of the activities again this week!!!!

The Weirdest Thing I've Ever Done at 8 a.m.

(At home, that is...)

I just spent the past 10 minutes counting individual grains of rice for my biology lab (I'm taking an online biology course).

Just in case you've ever wondered, 5 mL of rice has 272 rice grains.