where to start
Here. Why not, right? Picking up where I left off would be ridiculous. Not to mention impossible.
I'm only half-good at a lot of things (notice I didn't say half-bad, which is sort of like half-empty), but one thing I'm really good at is procrastinating. My best work is done at the last minute. And if I'm ever a tad bit late, I always have an excuse to tell myself. I can't help but wonder what I might accomplish if I could complete tasks without depending on the adrenaline rush of an upcoming deadline. On the other hand, I over-think things (in case you haven't noticed). It's best if I just give myself as little time as possible. Result is the same. Process much shorter.
Puzzles are my new calling. I have to will myself away from them to do other things. Seven times out of ten, I'd choose puzzles over being sociable. Yup, it's true. Unless you're a kiTTy or a bulldog or a three year old in a bumblebee costume, I'd choose a puzzle over you seven times out of ten. I hope you don't take offense to this.
You may recall my obsession with paint by number. Now, I have four unopened paint by numbers because right after I ordered them from the internetS, my calling became sudokus, particulary samurai sudokus from the Washington Post. For the past few months, projects around the house have been my purpose in life. When did this start?? You could say that before paint by number I spent my free time writing livejournal entries. Perhaps this is a clue. Please diagnose me.
I'm in the social work program at Alabama. I'd say it's great but that'd be a huge lie. Fellow students are lovely, especially the girls I carpool with. As a whole, it's the most eclectic bunch of people I've ever been around. We have a good time. That's the extent of my happy list. At the top of my poopy list is the lack of quality education I'm receiving. With the exception of one class, I'd learn just as much from taking those online courses or simply reading the textbooks. Granted, I'm not paying any money, but what if I was? I DO pay with my time. And I hate to call it a waste of my time, but that's pretty much how I feel after a day of class more often than not, apart from the time spent with new friends. Others complain too, but I tend to get extra worked up about these kinds of things... and this in particular, not only because it impacts me and lessens the quality of my work as a future social worker, but good grief, the school puts out about 200 of us a year to determine whether families stay together, to provide people with basic needs, to work as THERAPISTS, etc etc etc.
Call me fiesty, but that's just scary.
Social work's low status as a profession isn't totally a reflection of low quality education. There are good social work programs out there. I can't say for certain what quality students enter these programs, but I've looked up their syllabi on the internetS. Core curriculum courses are required for accreditation by the Council on Social Work Education. Other schools' core classes look nothing like mine. I'd get excited about registering for those classes. Mine, not so much.
It could just be about the piece of paper that says MSW. And, as I hear quite regularly, "academia can't teach the kinds of things you'll learn in the field." But five 2 hour & 50 minute classes each week are required for a reason. All I want is for my professors to use that time productively, if not for my sanity, then for the clients of future social workers sent out into the world by the University of Alabama.
I had good fun this weekend in Tuscaloosa. Went fully expecting to sleep on someone's floor but ended up in my own canopy bed next to the most detailed hand-made doll house you've ever seen, AND my own huge bathroom with a towel warmer. Sounds like some weird dream but I swear it isn't. Hanging out with such great folks made up for those same folks' lack of communication re: plans. Who knew I'd have to be responsible for my own fun? I must admit I'm usually pretty bad at that.
I'm being beckoned by the partially completed Winnie the Pooh photo mosaic puzzle upstairs, as well as the strawberries and pineapple in my fridge. I know, it's a hard life.
I'm only half-good at a lot of things (notice I didn't say half-bad, which is sort of like half-empty), but one thing I'm really good at is procrastinating. My best work is done at the last minute. And if I'm ever a tad bit late, I always have an excuse to tell myself. I can't help but wonder what I might accomplish if I could complete tasks without depending on the adrenaline rush of an upcoming deadline. On the other hand, I over-think things (in case you haven't noticed). It's best if I just give myself as little time as possible. Result is the same. Process much shorter.
Puzzles are my new calling. I have to will myself away from them to do other things. Seven times out of ten, I'd choose puzzles over being sociable. Yup, it's true. Unless you're a kiTTy or a bulldog or a three year old in a bumblebee costume, I'd choose a puzzle over you seven times out of ten. I hope you don't take offense to this.
You may recall my obsession with paint by number. Now, I have four unopened paint by numbers because right after I ordered them from the internetS, my calling became sudokus, particulary samurai sudokus from the Washington Post. For the past few months, projects around the house have been my purpose in life. When did this start?? You could say that before paint by number I spent my free time writing livejournal entries. Perhaps this is a clue. Please diagnose me.
I'm in the social work program at Alabama. I'd say it's great but that'd be a huge lie. Fellow students are lovely, especially the girls I carpool with. As a whole, it's the most eclectic bunch of people I've ever been around. We have a good time. That's the extent of my happy list. At the top of my poopy list is the lack of quality education I'm receiving. With the exception of one class, I'd learn just as much from taking those online courses or simply reading the textbooks. Granted, I'm not paying any money, but what if I was? I DO pay with my time. And I hate to call it a waste of my time, but that's pretty much how I feel after a day of class more often than not, apart from the time spent with new friends. Others complain too, but I tend to get extra worked up about these kinds of things... and this in particular, not only because it impacts me and lessens the quality of my work as a future social worker, but good grief, the school puts out about 200 of us a year to determine whether families stay together, to provide people with basic needs, to work as THERAPISTS, etc etc etc.
Call me fiesty, but that's just scary.
Social work's low status as a profession isn't totally a reflection of low quality education. There are good social work programs out there. I can't say for certain what quality students enter these programs, but I've looked up their syllabi on the internetS. Core curriculum courses are required for accreditation by the Council on Social Work Education. Other schools' core classes look nothing like mine. I'd get excited about registering for those classes. Mine, not so much.
It could just be about the piece of paper that says MSW. And, as I hear quite regularly, "academia can't teach the kinds of things you'll learn in the field." But five 2 hour & 50 minute classes each week are required for a reason. All I want is for my professors to use that time productively, if not for my sanity, then for the clients of future social workers sent out into the world by the University of Alabama.
I had good fun this weekend in Tuscaloosa. Went fully expecting to sleep on someone's floor but ended up in my own canopy bed next to the most detailed hand-made doll house you've ever seen, AND my own huge bathroom with a towel warmer. Sounds like some weird dream but I swear it isn't. Hanging out with such great folks made up for those same folks' lack of communication re: plans. Who knew I'd have to be responsible for my own fun? I must admit I'm usually pretty bad at that.
I'm being beckoned by the partially completed Winnie the Pooh photo mosaic puzzle upstairs, as well as the strawberries and pineapple in my fridge. I know, it's a hard life.