Cheers everyone! My days have gotten away from me (last time I checked, a week did not equal 10 days) but that appears to be typical during the first few weeks of school, when you're getting back into the groove and trying to remember just where you're supposed to be at 10 am on a Tuesday (um, yeah...that should be that I've been sitting in class for about 45 minutes, of which I already arrive about 45 minutes early to insure the seat I want (no, I'm not joking.))
Last week was on the hellish side...school all day plus various activities at night (choir rehearsal, events for my STS passport, community theatre rehearsal) meant I wasn't home most nights until going on 10 pm. This would be no big deal if I lived on campus, but I live about 24 miles away. I think there were 3 days last week when the only conversation I had with my husband was 'bye' when I left (he was still in bed) and 'hi' when I came home (he was already in bed and half asleep.) I found that very distressing, and I made a resolve that it would not be as so moving forward. I'll talk about that in a little bit, but let me tell you about the title of this post first...
Since I'd been a neglectful wife all week, Saturday became 'couple' day for me and the boy (granted, he napped during part of it, but I will need to have SOME hours on Saturday for study, so that could work out well.) We decided to go apple picking at a local orchard. It was a beautiful day out, with blue skies and lovely temperatures...a perfect day for it. We picked about 9 pounds of Early Fuji, and just had a good time being together and walking up and down the rows of 'trees' (you'll see why I put that in quotes when you look at the picture...).
See? They grow the 'tree' more like really tall shrubs so they don't have to worry about people climbing on ladders (very smart from a liability stand point, a little bit of a bummer from the fun perspective.) As I've never been apple picking before, I didn't realize that they grew in clumps...I guess you learn something new everyday...
Earlier I eluded to the distress I felt over the fact that I felt as though I was a neglectful wife. Many other non-traditional students may feel the same kind of distress in striving to strike that (seemingly) elusive white whale of BALANCE. Trust me, there are days that I just want to cry (and probably have, though at this point I'm so wrapped up in everything I'm trying to accomplish that I've blocked it out...I do know that I've cried over some chemistry problems though...), but if I just apply all that I know to be true about prioritizing and scheduling, I should be very successful (and I have to say I'm really, really lucky to have a husband who would consider helping me with my precalc homework to be 'together' time.)
So, I present to you, the planner...it is essential to success for anyone who has a crazy busy schedule (and even those without a crazy busy schedule-if you exist-stand to benefit from them.) I use 2 different planners...a paper planner that I carry around with me, where I write assignments, projects, tests, meetings, etc. I also use Google calendar...primarily for a master schedule. I love Google calendar because I can color code it (my type A personality does little jumps for joy at the idea of color coding...I also color code all the materials for my various classes (orange for bio, purple for chem, etc.)) I have one color for classes, one for rehearsals (remember...I'm in a choir AND in a community theatre musical production coming up soon...), working out (which I NEED to get back to, if only to maintain my sanity), study time, etc.
(due to the limited size of my computer screen, you do not get the full fabulousness that is Google calendar...take a look into it yourself!)
(My paper planner is purple...and it's pretty inside too. Sometimes it's the little things that matter.)
The Google calendar was also a life saver those first few weeks because I had it sending what was next on my class schedule via text message to my phone...so I didn't have to worry quite as much about remember what classroom I needed to be in.
Speaking of schedules, I thought I'd fill you in on mine...I'm attempting 17 credits (plus another 1.5 credits for Writing Resource Center tutoring. Those plus 2 of the credits for my precalc workshop thingy don't count towards anything, but it's way more impressive to say 17-18.5 credits than 15 credits.)
M-Intro to Chemistry, Precalc, College Writing & Research
T-Bio, Precalc rec, STS (Students in Transition seminar...a required 1 credit course for all SAS transfer students), Voorhees choir
W-See Monday, plus Precalc 111 tutoring via the Women in Math Leadership program though DRC (no credit for that)
Thurs-Intro to Chem rec, Voorhees choir
Fri-Bio lecture, WRC tutoring, Bio lab.
It's crazy, but I'm working on making it work. My goal after the musical is over (The Music Man, CrossCreek Players in Bordentown, NJ, October 3) is to be home by 7:30-8pm 3 nights a week.
I must jet, class soon, but just know that blogging is going on my schedule, too! It's looking like Tuesday afternoons will be reserved for you guys (and my own personal blog, but that's a different story...)
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