Back to school...
Well, I'm back at it, trying to settle into some kind of routine YET AGAIN. I don't think my life will ever be what one could call "settled." It is going to be one crazy semester. We'll see how it goes, but I'm already thinking I'm gonna have to drop a course in January. Right now I have three literature and/or critical/cultural theory courses (Fundamentals of Literary Analysis, Critical Theory, and Field of Cultural Studies) and one grammar course (English to French Translation). The nice thing about grammar courses is that you can count on never having to write a paper. We have reasonably sized translation assignments but it's not the same as researching and writing a big term paper. Once translation is over, I am slated to pick up another 3 hour lit/theory course and I really honestly think that it'll be my one-way ticket to the looney bin. I am already swamped with reading and really trying to hustle to get small seminar assignments done and out of the way before midterm. I know that I'll feel better about all this once I really get back in my study groove but for now, looking at the month of November is making me feel a bit sick. I can already tell that my birthday party, which will come soon after my hell-week (4 term assignments due w/in 3 days of each other), will be a raging alcohol binge. Not as much as last year though.
Anyway, I digress. The point is that I am a busy, busy girl. All this coursework, I'm gonna say on average 50-100 pages of reading a day at least, plus my translation assignments which involve 50-100 vocab words plus at least 2 smaller text translations a week, plus... um... 3 seminars, 3 critical response papers, 5 reflection papers, and 3 term papers, all between now and the end of November. I am sure I am missing some stuff.
But this all seems like it's shaping up to be one huge bitching session, and it really isn't. I mean yes, I am feeling overwhelmed by it all right now, but the thing is, I LOVE all my classes so far! It's all so interesting and LEAPS and BOUNDS better than the first-year level lit courses I was taking last year. And a couple of my courses seem to have a fair bit of overlap so they will feed each other quite nicely. I know I can handle it, and I know I'll do well. I just have to keep my nose to the grindstone.
Also I have made it my goal to look somewhat appealing in a swim suit by the time I take my trip to Japan. I don't think I have mentioned this trip on the blog before but I think nearly everyone knows about it. As my dearest boy is now living there, I have made it my plan to go and visit him before he leaves. It will likely take me until spring 2010 to save up the required funds, but the plan is there. Stage 1: pay off short-term debts. This will be accomplished in a matter of months. Anyway, the beach bum plan involves me hitting the gym regularly and adding weight training to my workout, as well as pushing myself more on my cardio. I have gone the last 2 days and it felt super good... I hope that with all the schoolwork I can keep in the habit. It seems like a good idea, as we all know that exercise relieves stress.
Otherwise, things are going well, I think. Clea seems to have settled in and we are getting used to living together. It's still a big huge scary thing at the end of a long list of big huge scary things that have populated this year. I'm adapting though... slowly but surely. I think I am doing okay in this regard, anyway... I don't know if I can ever be 100% sure.
Anyway... I am going to wind down and aim for sleep soon. Hope everyone out there in lj-land is doing well.
Anyway, I digress. The point is that I am a busy, busy girl. All this coursework, I'm gonna say on average 50-100 pages of reading a day at least, plus my translation assignments which involve 50-100 vocab words plus at least 2 smaller text translations a week, plus... um... 3 seminars, 3 critical response papers, 5 reflection papers, and 3 term papers, all between now and the end of November. I am sure I am missing some stuff.
But this all seems like it's shaping up to be one huge bitching session, and it really isn't. I mean yes, I am feeling overwhelmed by it all right now, but the thing is, I LOVE all my classes so far! It's all so interesting and LEAPS and BOUNDS better than the first-year level lit courses I was taking last year. And a couple of my courses seem to have a fair bit of overlap so they will feed each other quite nicely. I know I can handle it, and I know I'll do well. I just have to keep my nose to the grindstone.
Also I have made it my goal to look somewhat appealing in a swim suit by the time I take my trip to Japan. I don't think I have mentioned this trip on the blog before but I think nearly everyone knows about it. As my dearest boy is now living there, I have made it my plan to go and visit him before he leaves. It will likely take me until spring 2010 to save up the required funds, but the plan is there. Stage 1: pay off short-term debts. This will be accomplished in a matter of months. Anyway, the beach bum plan involves me hitting the gym regularly and adding weight training to my workout, as well as pushing myself more on my cardio. I have gone the last 2 days and it felt super good... I hope that with all the schoolwork I can keep in the habit. It seems like a good idea, as we all know that exercise relieves stress.
Otherwise, things are going well, I think. Clea seems to have settled in and we are getting used to living together. It's still a big huge scary thing at the end of a long list of big huge scary things that have populated this year. I'm adapting though... slowly but surely. I think I am doing okay in this regard, anyway... I don't know if I can ever be 100% sure.
Anyway... I am going to wind down and aim for sleep soon. Hope everyone out there in lj-land is doing well.