I am just having a really good day
So first I find out that I don't actually have to do a final portfolio for my creative writing independent study. See, final exams end next Tuesday, so my adviser and I figured that grades would have to be due a few days after that, and she originally suggested turning a final portfolio in on Sunday, but I asked her to put it off until the last day of exams instead because I have a final paper for another class that's worth 50% of my grade due Sunday. We always meet on Wednesdays, so I go in today and she tells me that she recently found out that independent study grades are due Friday. This Friday. (We speculated that it was probably because a grade for one person that does not have to be related to how other people are doing is easier to calculate.) She couldn't exactly be like, "You have less than 48 hours to edit everything again, go!" so she basically said that I'm done and could do more if I wanted to but only if I wanted to. So now I'm officially done with two of my classes. No final exams and only one final paper--not to mention no midterms--this term, wow!
I am happy because this takes a lot of pressure off and I can concentrate on that final paper. My grade for the independent study now has to be based entirely on what I've been doing throughout the term, so I can't change it now and therefore don't have to stress about doing better. Fortunately, I had tried to do as much work as possible before this last meeting so as to leave a good impression and not look like a slacker all the damned time, so it's not like I was caught unprepared and feeling like I hadn't had the chance to represent myself fairly. She also said that I've done really well and can expect a really good grade, but I'm not going to get my hopes up because I don't know what she considers "good." Though it would be really great if I could somehow pull off a straight-A term for the first time in college, and if I could break the A- streak that has dogged all my minor classes for various reasons.
But it still means a lot to me that she thinks I've done a great job and have learned a lot and made a lot of progress over the course of the term. I think it really has been worthwhile, that I have gotten a lot out of it (not least my first real connection with a creative writing prof), and I'm glad I didn't drop it and end up wondering what if. I realized that I may have been busy and stressed all term, but I've also had a real blast. I didn't have any moments of despair/wanting to give up or wondering what the fuck I had been thinking or hating my classes/life. This is probably the best creative writing class I've ever had, too, and I think that personal touch of working one-on-one was absolutely invaluable. It asks a lot of you because you can't fudge or BS, but it gives you even more. This class has revitalized my original interest in creative writing that last term almost killed off. I don't think my instinct to push myself has ever really led me astray; I prefer to be overwhelmed rather than feeling like I'm wasting my time.
And then I check blitz while I'm waiting for this free food event to start that I found out about at the last minute, and I see that two people have joined this non-Greek social organization that I'm part of. We've been having membership issues all year (in fact, I'm pretty sure the last three people to join were myself at the end of the summer, and my boyfriend and a guy I didn't know before in the middle of the fall), so this is amazing news! I don't know the new members, but I am confident that I will like them.
Then I go to the free food event, and I run into an ex-boyfriend who I've never been able to reconnect with effectively--this has been one of my greatest regrets of my college career--and we chat and catch up and it's really nice. Turns out he's been too busy to do much with friends this term too, lol. Really must hang out spring term. *resolve*
In comparison to this, being crampy all day (due to my period starting) and not being able to go to work because the driver was flaky and not on top of her shit and (this time unintentionally) just blew off the shift is nothing. :D
~Razareil
I am happy because this takes a lot of pressure off and I can concentrate on that final paper. My grade for the independent study now has to be based entirely on what I've been doing throughout the term, so I can't change it now and therefore don't have to stress about doing better. Fortunately, I had tried to do as much work as possible before this last meeting so as to leave a good impression and not look like a slacker all the damned time, so it's not like I was caught unprepared and feeling like I hadn't had the chance to represent myself fairly. She also said that I've done really well and can expect a really good grade, but I'm not going to get my hopes up because I don't know what she considers "good." Though it would be really great if I could somehow pull off a straight-A term for the first time in college, and if I could break the A- streak that has dogged all my minor classes for various reasons.
But it still means a lot to me that she thinks I've done a great job and have learned a lot and made a lot of progress over the course of the term. I think it really has been worthwhile, that I have gotten a lot out of it (not least my first real connection with a creative writing prof), and I'm glad I didn't drop it and end up wondering what if. I realized that I may have been busy and stressed all term, but I've also had a real blast. I didn't have any moments of despair/wanting to give up or wondering what the fuck I had been thinking or hating my classes/life. This is probably the best creative writing class I've ever had, too, and I think that personal touch of working one-on-one was absolutely invaluable. It asks a lot of you because you can't fudge or BS, but it gives you even more. This class has revitalized my original interest in creative writing that last term almost killed off. I don't think my instinct to push myself has ever really led me astray; I prefer to be overwhelmed rather than feeling like I'm wasting my time.
And then I check blitz while I'm waiting for this free food event to start that I found out about at the last minute, and I see that two people have joined this non-Greek social organization that I'm part of. We've been having membership issues all year (in fact, I'm pretty sure the last three people to join were myself at the end of the summer, and my boyfriend and a guy I didn't know before in the middle of the fall), so this is amazing news! I don't know the new members, but I am confident that I will like them.
Then I go to the free food event, and I run into an ex-boyfriend who I've never been able to reconnect with effectively--this has been one of my greatest regrets of my college career--and we chat and catch up and it's really nice. Turns out he's been too busy to do much with friends this term too, lol. Really must hang out spring term. *resolve*
In comparison to this, being crampy all day (due to my period starting) and not being able to go to work because the driver was flaky and not on top of her shit and (this time unintentionally) just blew off the shift is nothing. :D
~Razareil