Accountability
Anyone who knows me at all knows how often I go halfway on things, whether it's this journal or any other great plan. In light of this, and the fact that I'm about to actually have my life settle into a definite rhythm for the first time (more on that later), I've decided to tell you livejournal folks about the stuff I want to be doing on a regular basis - and which I will be making myself accountable for starting next week. I'll be making allowances for the holiday season, but only insofar as not forcing myself to do the specific routines I prescribe - activity of some similar kind will still be required.
As for the routine business, I've just been hired to work for UVA's Police Department as a dispatcher, basically, for their overnight shift (12-8 am). As such, I'm finally going to have the job I was looking for since I started taking classes at UVA (more on this next) - one that doesn't require my attendance during any time in which I would have class and which pays well enough for me to be able to start living on my own. I'm not going to worry too much about that last part yet - I'd rather save up some money first and pay off my tuition for this semester's classes first.
I realize, by the way, that I haven't really said anything on this journal about what I've been doing with my life for a long time now - and I'm going to rectify that. As some of you know, I graduated from St. John's a while ago, and I've been treading water to some extent since then. Where I have not been treading water, though, at least since my first semester, as it were, after graduation, is in preparing for a real career. I decided before I graduated that I wanted to pursue graduate studies, and I even went so far as to decide on Classics - but I didn't really evaluate my options at all and just made a shot in the dark (I applied to Cambridge for a second bachelor's degree and was denied).
After that ego boost, I spent the summer in Annapolis studying Mathematics ineffectively and went home and looked for jobs for a while, having interviewed for a job I really would have liked shortly after I came home and been denied. I started working for a temp service with UVA, and in the course of one of my jobs learned about UVA's Continuing Education program - which is like St. John's except every course that the university offers is available to members of the program.
I took a Greek course, Greek 202, doing moderately well except for my work ethic and my tonsils - and now here I am most of the way through a semester of Latin 322, Greek 303 and English Writing 331. This semester I learned about auditing, and I hope to take advantage of it again soon.
Beyond finishing those classes strong, I'll be doing the workout program I started a few months ago, the details of which can be found at http://iwantsixpackabs.com. For the cardio component of the program, I'll be rowing 3750 meters twice or three times a day, depending on how I feel about twice. And I'll include general calisthenics when I wake up and a general conditioning sequence for every weekday, the details of which are as follows:
wake-up complex
24 pushups
48 squats
16 triangle pushups
8 pullups
conditioning sequence:
3 sets - 21, 15, and 9 reps
band row
pushup
kettlebell swing
squat
tuck jump
And that should be enough for now. Expect a dedicated study routine after the semester is over.. and perhaps more entries..?
As for the routine business, I've just been hired to work for UVA's Police Department as a dispatcher, basically, for their overnight shift (12-8 am). As such, I'm finally going to have the job I was looking for since I started taking classes at UVA (more on this next) - one that doesn't require my attendance during any time in which I would have class and which pays well enough for me to be able to start living on my own. I'm not going to worry too much about that last part yet - I'd rather save up some money first and pay off my tuition for this semester's classes first.
I realize, by the way, that I haven't really said anything on this journal about what I've been doing with my life for a long time now - and I'm going to rectify that. As some of you know, I graduated from St. John's a while ago, and I've been treading water to some extent since then. Where I have not been treading water, though, at least since my first semester, as it were, after graduation, is in preparing for a real career. I decided before I graduated that I wanted to pursue graduate studies, and I even went so far as to decide on Classics - but I didn't really evaluate my options at all and just made a shot in the dark (I applied to Cambridge for a second bachelor's degree and was denied).
After that ego boost, I spent the summer in Annapolis studying Mathematics ineffectively and went home and looked for jobs for a while, having interviewed for a job I really would have liked shortly after I came home and been denied. I started working for a temp service with UVA, and in the course of one of my jobs learned about UVA's Continuing Education program - which is like St. John's except every course that the university offers is available to members of the program.
I took a Greek course, Greek 202, doing moderately well except for my work ethic and my tonsils - and now here I am most of the way through a semester of Latin 322, Greek 303 and English Writing 331. This semester I learned about auditing, and I hope to take advantage of it again soon.
Beyond finishing those classes strong, I'll be doing the workout program I started a few months ago, the details of which can be found at http://iwantsixpackabs.com. For the cardio component of the program, I'll be rowing 3750 meters twice or three times a day, depending on how I feel about twice. And I'll include general calisthenics when I wake up and a general conditioning sequence for every weekday, the details of which are as follows:
wake-up complex
24 pushups
48 squats
16 triangle pushups
8 pullups
conditioning sequence:
3 sets - 21, 15, and 9 reps
band row
pushup
kettlebell swing
squat
tuck jump
And that should be enough for now. Expect a dedicated study routine after the semester is over.. and perhaps more entries..?