Tag Archives: college

college

The Light at the End of the Tunnel

2 Comments

I have one paper down, the Shakespearean thing that isn’t anywhere near as good as I wanted to be.

But it’s done.

I’m working on my paper that started out being about Kate Chopin (and, oddly, I haven’t written anything about her at all yet) and is now ass-deep in the exchange of information and relationship building.

It’s been eye-opening, for sure. I still have no understanding of Lacan or how that will play into it, but I am writing up a storm.

11 days, and I’ll be done, done, having walked across the stage, not losing my temper because I didn’t graduate magna cum laude (despite having the GPA, but that’s another rant for another time).

I’ll be done, done, and I never have to think about USM again. Except when I go to work there this summer. I’ve signed on to continue tutoring (at the abysmally low rate, stupid me) until I find a “real job.” While I don’t mind tutoring, I’d much rather be making a wage that is more than what I was making as a non-degreed.

But anyway.

Marie called, asked me if I remembered they were having a birthday party for me this weekend.

I didn’t.

Continue reading The Light at the End of the Tunnel →

musing

Scream Worthy

2 Comments

So I went walking this evening. I needed to get some of this frustration out. I needed to get some of this panic and anger and utter disappointment out.

I needed to move, and I needed to move fast. I went to the park; there is something very calming (and relevant) about walking in circles around a track that has honeysuckle and various fragrant flowers along the path.

I got maybe — maybe — 20 minutes in, if I was lucky.  I was first stopped by the sight of a man showing his daughter how to drink honeysuckle. She was maybe five. This was a big deal, and he taught her with all the seriousness of an esoteric lesson.  I had to walk around bikes strewn along the track. Apparently everyone in the city decided to ride their bikes (or at least throw them down along the walking track) today for some reason.

Continue reading Scream Worthy →

college

Aroo?

1 Comment

So, a momentary panic set in when I went to order my cap and gown. No big deal, it passed.

It wasn’t until I sat down with the Bear to meet for our independent study and tried to schedule future meetings with him so that there was none of the confusion that has seemed to plague us of late.

And, as I looked at the calender, I realized that there are officially six weeks left in the semester. Two of them are reserved for finals. I have four weeks left of school.

Four weeks. Four!

So, yeah, the panic has begun, a bit early this time, I think. But then again, there are other contributing factors.

We read Othello for Shakespeare again, and I realized that I liked Othello far better than Cymbaline (which utterly, utterly sucked in its ending, by the way) or anything else we’ve read so far this semester.

And Jenny says I’ll make it, and Jenny’s never wrong.

But right now I’m really starting to wonder.

college, Shakespeare

Oh Cymbaline

1 Comment

It’s a little too soon to say. Er. Okay, so it’s so-very-too-soon to say, considering I haven’t read any of the play yet.

But I sniff potential. Cymbaline might be my all-time favorite Shakespeare play yet, judging by the article “Misperception in Cymabline” by Cynthia Lewis.

The article ends thusly:

No play appears sloppier at first, and yet few transform before our eyes into such an elegant example of elegant design. Cymbeline, by blinding us at every turn, fools us into seeing anew.

Funny, but before the beginning of this semester, I hadn’t even heard of it.

college

It’s Tuesday

3 Comments

I’m still bent. I’m trying not to be, but I’m discovering I hold grudges a lot closer to my chest than I thought.

Go figure.

Despite having no formal New Year’s Resolutions, I’ve discovered that my Goals notebook is constantly being scribbled in and new tasks added.

They were just added when 2008 was days old, so I suppose they’re technically not New Year’s Resolutions.

Boy, that’s a relief.

This semester is looking to be a beyotch of one. I’ve only been to two classes so far, and one looks to have three papers in it, the other four short stories.

Yeah, I know. It’s a comp class and a fiction class. What did I expect, right?

Continue reading It’s Tuesday →

college

First Day of School

2 Comments

…granted, I haven’t officially started yet.

The opening of the new fabulous library with our new fabulous Writing Center is excitement enough to get me up out of bed. Dr. F-Dawg has his office hours fairly early, so I’ll be there before I actually attend class. Which isn’t until 3:15.

Which would be fabulous, weren’t we having training at 10 am in the morning.

Oh well. I said I was in basic training for Iowa, right?

I must admit, I really want to stake out the coffee shop. Rumor has it that they were talking about putting a coffee shop in our library, which would make it like the big campus’.

That’s gonna make my one-mocha-a-week rule difficult to live by. I’ll sure I’ll survive.
For the first semester in 2 years, I’m not ready. I didn’t spend the past two weeks wishing school would just start because I was bored.

Granted, the semester is bound to be better than my break, but I’m just not ready.

Today is officially the beginning of the end.

And still not smoking.

Oh, and my brother’s birthday. He’ll never see this because he’s anti-Internet, but happy birthday, man, nonetheless.

My little brother is 30.

That officially makes me old.

And still not smoking since the debacle Wednesday night.

college

Mike is the Rulest

4 Comments

Other than coming face to face with a possible future version of myself as a teacher, my first class back at college was pretty uneventful.

Except for the speaking thing. The thought of speaking up in class made me clench up like I was passing kidney stones. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that, in January 2006, talking in class WAS a lot like passing kidney stones. Horrifyingly painful and with a trail of blood behind it.

The next semester was better. I had a full course load and a summer off behind me.

That, and it was the semester I met Mike.

Continue reading Mike is the Rulest →

college

12:51 A.M.

Leave a comment

I am done with both of the Bear’s papers. One is 15 pages, and I skimped on sources. But it’s a great paper.

The other is 8 pages and has only one primary source.

Granted, I have my final in 15 and a half hours, and I haven’t even managed to crack a book, but the papers are done, done, done.

Only one left for the semester, and that’s due on Friday.

Don’t mind me right now, I’m doing the happy dance.

college

Ready, Set, Go

Leave a comment

I have a full pot of coffee.

I have a can and a half full of coffee grounds, and a full bag of coffee beans.

I have creamer, milk, Splenda and sugar.

I am well stocked.

I have the weekend off. I have 11 pages of a 15-20 page paper written, and it’s good, good stuff. Damn good.

Mostly original, which complicates things when I only have 3 out of 12 required sources.

But the Hell Week has officially started. It will be over in 6 days, 16 and a half hours.

I have two papers after that, one due on Wednesday and another on Friday. The one for Tuesday is already finished and I refuse, refuse, refuse to reread it lest it ends up rewritten as well. I have two finals from Hell and another mildly challenging one on Friday.

I’ll still have one last final to take after that, a toughie, but I’ll have more than a day to actually read and study for it.

And Hell Week will in fact be finished.

I’m ready.