24 posts tagged “school”
When I was a freshman in college, the website Eric Conveys an Emotion was pretty popular. It's this guy who just had a facial expression for every conceivable notion possible, like "having an out of body experience and not being able to get back in" and "staring at your hands the way people do in movies when they kill their first person."
One of my favorite expressions was for the "Computer is frozen and have to restart it, losing work." Because I tell you what, this is what I felt like doing to my computer this morning:
I went to bed late working on that stupid test and I woke up at a decent time, wanting to finish up the exam so I could turn it in by the 10 am deadline. And you know, I should have known that my computer would attempt to crap out on me when I needed it the most, especially since it already has a good track record for doing that to me in the past. Well, I turn it on, and it's not even starting! It just had this blank screen. I muttered an expletive and had to restart it in safe mode. Of course, my internet wasn't working in safe mode, but luckily I was able to retrieve my exam. I tell you what, if I had lost that exam, there's no way I would have done it over again. It sucked that much.
So after I finished working on it, I restarted my computer and luckily I didn't have to go into safe mode. It kept on freezing while I tried sending the exam to my professor and I kept a frozen smile on my face to keep myself from having a heart attack. Nothing makes me lose my temper more than computer problems. The first thing I'm getting once I start my new job is a new computer. This has been a faithful servant for 6 or 7 years, but sometimes it's time to say goodbye.
Speaking of saying goodbye, I'm done. Done. DONE. Well, mostly, I just have to write a book review for English and turn that in. But other than that, I'm DONE.
So I realized that my take-home test is not due tomorrow, but on WEDNESDAY. I'm still going to get a lot of it out of the way tonight, but it's nice to know that I won't be forced to sit on my computer all evening to finish it.
...for the next ten years, at least. Something tells me I will be a student again, someday in the long run.
My last class was really fun. My creative writing professor invited us to her home for spaghetti, wine, and a poetry reading. She had a really nice home. I envied her humongous bookcases teemed with books. Y'all, my dad may want me to get a flatscreen TV so that he can play XBox 360 whenever he visits, but my priorities will lie in my library.
Anyway, each student was required to give a reading of his works from the semester. I was pretty nervous about mine, because I'm very protective of my writing. I chose what I felt were my strongest pieces and read. I even resurrected a poem I'd written back in high school called "my brother is drowning." My brother detests that poem because I completely dramatized this incident about ten years ago, when we went swimming and he got tired and was going under the water. I called a lifeguard because Patrick was pulling me under with him and the whole ordeal lasted all of 45 seconds. I played it up for dramatic effect in my poem and it always shocked people (the last line is, "then, i had to let him go.") I revised it though, because it reeked of high school writing. So badly.
I really like writing humorous pieces, because they are the most fun. I read a poem about my sad, sad love of Oregon Trail II, and one about the hilarious conversations I'd had with my family after I told them I was moving out (I believe I posted the gist of them to the 'hood). I got a really big laugh out of the line, "I tell her that if I live with her until I get married, then I'd be living with her forever." That made me happy. It was a good experience.
Most of the class had pretty interesting pieces to read. I'm sure I'll be hearing from some of them in the future. One of the students had this interminable, depressing story about her dead grandparents. Every time I thought she was finished, she turned another page where there would be more writing, front and back. Meg and I avoided looking at each other. It was very hard not to burst out laughing.
I'm glad I took this course. Though I still have a lot to work on as a writer, I feel like it really bolstered my confidence. I'm going to meet with my professor and see if she can recommend journals for me to submit my poems to!
It hasn't hit me yet that this was my last class, but it was a really enjoyable one.
So I was expecting to make a B in my Wetlands class because I put absolutely no effort in it, but it looks like I have an 87 in there right now, without including my final proposal and take-home exam. Woot! A, here I come.
This morning, when I woke up, I had "Stuck In a Moment You Can't Get Out Of" in my head, which says something, as I usually hate that song (it's so slow and repetitive.) But I really feel like that song describes my situation right now. I'm in a rut. I don't have any motivation for anything, and even though I have a lot to be doing, I don't want to be doing it. Thank goodness I really have only a month left for school. I can't wait to go back to work. I thrive in a work environment. I'm so organized at work and I don't even procrastinate (yes, really!) I find that I procrastinate when I really, really do not like the work I'm doing, or I'm afraid of failure (which is dumb, right? But yes). Academia is not for me. Kudos to the people that do it. I have no interest. I'm just burned out. How people can stay for 5+ years for a PhD is beyond me.
The class I'm grading for is frustrating me for stupid reasons. I'm not even going to go into it because part of the problem is that I don't care anymore. I place a higher priority on the jobs I have to complete for the people who hired me, so I'm still helping the receptionist and cleaning the labs. I guess I'm doing a good job because my advisor keeps on telling me I'm doing great. I constantly feel like I'm not doing enough.
I'm not going to talk about this stuff anymore, because it's boring, and it's not like I'm the only burned out student out there. Like I told my brother last week, as he was describing similar symptoms, it's that time of the semester when nobody gives a shit anymore and just wants Thanksgiving break.
Writer's strike, eh? That's interesting. I want to see how it turns out. I think that they deserve more money, as they don't get the recognition they often deserve. I'm technically upset that new episodes of The Soup, The Daily Show, and The Colbert Report aren't being produced, but it's been so long since I've watched them that it doesn't really make a difference.
This morning I wrote more for NaNoWriMo. It's a really fun idea, and why not try to get my novel pumped out? I'm writing a young adult novel about the perspective of three siblings (high school, middle school, and elementary-aged) whose parents are going through a divorce. No, it's not an original idea, but it's all about the presentation, right? And I'm writing outside my own experiences, because unlike the characters in my novel, my own parents have been very happily married for 24 years. I have 3100 words so far. You have to have 50,000 at the end of the month to "win" NaNoWriMo. If anyone is interested in signing up, you can friend me here.
In creative writing class on Thursday, the class was talking about their childhood experiences. It was so fun; we have some older students in the class, but it's really amusing to think about the 20-somethings saying things like "Kids don't play outside anymore." My teacher told us of her childhood, when she and her friend got kicked out of the Girl Scouts for selling cookies during Girl Scout meetings. She and her friend were so bitter that they gathered a group of girls for an anti-Girl Scouts club, where they had badges like "Tattoo," "Shoplifting," and "Arson." It made me wish I could write a whole book on that experience, except I'm not entirely sure of the legality of that. It also made me wish I wasn't such an ardent goody-goody when I was a child. At least I can make my characters mischievous.
I found this one site that is absolutely hilarious. This person pretty much hates/rants about everything and his rants are really funny. I'm guilty of some of the things he rants about (wearing red lipstick, placing a lot of links in my blog entries), but obviously if you are easily offended or don't like raunchy/politically incorrect humor, then don't read it.
Well, writing this out actually made me feel more motivated. I'm going to prepare for Wednesday, do some work, and then maybe head to Barnes and Noble. Have a great weekend, everyone.
So it must be Footloose nostalgia hour for the radio station that I'm listening to, because they just played "Let's Hear It For the Boy," and now they're playing "Footloose." Which is like, one of the best songs ever.
I mean, how fun of a movie is Footloose? (And yes, I've actually seen it. Shut up.)
It has Kevin Bacon.
It has an extremely dorky, pre-SATC Sarah Jessica Parker.
Anyhoo. I finally have a theme for my photography project. It might be a cop-out, but I think it's a fun idea. Plus, it takes away from the fact that, though I take good photos for family albums, I'm not really a photographer "artistically." I went out today to take pictures because I felt restless in my room. It was fun. I went into one of the towers on campus and the elevator totally stalled. I was pressing floor buttons and it wasn't moving. Intense. Just when I thought I might be one of the 3 people a year who die from a crashing elevator, I pressed the button for the first floor one more time, and it moved. It was also making a lot of creaking noises too. That was the highlight of my night.
Today I had Pita Pit, and I swear the cooks were trying to mess with me because they must have put a whole jalapeno plant in my pita. I ate it though, burning lips and all. Take that, bitches.
Speaking of bitches: the Financial Aid Office is on my hate list for their penalties on "over-awards." It's not my fault if I got too much assistance from a scholarship or being a TA, assholes. Don't take my money away from me.
Today in my Oil Spills class we were watching the long videos again, but the last one we watched was pretty interesting. It was about the Exxon-Valdez oil spill. It really made me wonder how I'd react if I were in a similar situation. I think I'd like to be like Dan Lawn, who was an environmental engineer working for the state. He really knew his facts, was knowledgeable and dedicated, and fought for what he knew was right for the cleanup. That's the kind of engineer I'd like to be.
Ok I need to go.
First things first: I really hope that if any Voxers reading this right now are in California or have family there, that y'all are safe. I really hope these fires abate soon. I can't even imagine what the residents are going through.
I can't think of a good segue after something like that. (awkward pause)
So...the FE is on Saturday. I'm really hoping the night before, something (like alien abduction, getting bitten by a radioactive spider, having my brain cells pumped smarter by a group of tiny elves) happens so that I am miraculously smarter and prepared by Saturday. It can happen.
My presentation in Wetland Ecology was today. It wasn't bad, considering how much practice I had before it. I've given better presentations but I think I bs-ed it pretty well. Luckily, I think I'm the only engineer in class, so if I did make a blunder somewhere, no one could call me on it. And I always talk loudly and look at the audience, so there's some points for me.
Someone did ask me what "Blue Baby Syndrome" is at the end (there was no way I was going to try and pronounce "methemoglobinemia" during my presentation), and I mometarily blanked out. I finally spit out, "It's where there's nitrates in the drinking water...it affects the baby's blood...the baby can die from it. It turns blue." Someone was nodding vigorously as I was talking, so that's always a good indication. (I'll never forget a group presentation I gave in high school. My group really was "winging it" and it was so awful. At one point I was giving a definition for communism, and I saw my teacher and some other students shaking their heads with confused expressions on their faces. BAD.)
My creative writing class was canceled tonight, so I was able to stay at home. The Office was back to 30 minutes tonight, and I'm happy. After the semi-funny and somewhat boring hour-long episodes, tonight's episode was right back to form. I'm already tired of the Andy/Angela romance, but at least JAM was at a minimum this episode, so I'll stop with my quibbles. If all this season's episodes are like tonight's, then I'm definitely getting the 4th season DVD. My show is back!
I'm in love with this weather. It can be this weather for the next four months and I will be so happy.
Tomorrow is the Kappe Lecture. The topic seems really interesting. And there's always a free lunch. Huzzah.
I guess I'll go start cramming stuff I learned three or four years ago and have forgotten.
...and I cannot wait. If there was a way to fast-forward to graduation, I would.
This weekend was fun. I went on a mad shopping spree with Megan. We checked out the new Kohl's here (sadly disappointing with little selection) and the mall. I got some terrific deals at the mall. New York and Company had many items 75% off (I bought leggings for $4), Blue Exchange was selling $4 jeans, and I picked up a $15 jean jacket at Steve & Barry's:
I know I'd dissed Bitten in a previous post, but the line does have a couple of cute items. Like that jacket. I need to get my mom a pair too.
Today the weather was deliciously autumn-like. It rained all day and there was a chill in the air. If the weather can be this cool for the rest of the season, I will be happy. It's not fun when it's mid-October and it still feels like August. I love the fall season for its amazing running weather.
I had a test today in Project Management and it was ehhh.
There is an event coming up in the next week that I hope to get out of. Hmm. But it's kind of mandatory. Hmm.
I love my life, but this afternoon I sure wasn't. I had a lecture for 2.5 hours, and then we had to watch homemade documentaries for the next hour and a half. Highlights included seeing all of Galveston Bay from a view on a plane in REAL TIME. I almost went into a coma.
I got a $20 gift certificate for Amazon, and I bought this:
I need to fold laundry and do some work. Hasta la vista.
Right now I am an old woman again. I went running about three miles this morning, and the weather was absolutely amazing...I ran a little faster than I have in awhile, feeling a faint pain in my back. I ignored it then, but boy, did I feel it the rest of the day. I don't think it's healed properly since I hurt it a month ago. I really need to do my back exercises from physical therapy ages ago so I can strengthen it again. I'm supposed to work out with a friend this weekend...I guess no running for me :( I want it to heal properly, because I'm too young to be hobbling around like an old lady, y'all.
I think I gained ten pounds today alone, and it's all Meg's fault (hee). I had a Twizzlers while shopping, and then I got stuffed at our Thursday night dinner (we eat dinner before our writing class on Thursdays, and we have to order something different from the menu each time). Well, after dinner, she wanted to get these amazing Sweet and Sour candies. I knew it would be gone by the time English class was over, because I have no self-control for anything sugary, and it was. I was hating my life by then.
English class, by the way, was amusing. I completely forgot to rhyme the sonnet that Meg and I had to write in a pair because I was too preoccupied with iambic pentameters. I wonder what our muse would have thought about our masterpiece ;) I also read a little bit of Italian from Dante. I had the poem as an example of a terza rima, and my professor joked, "Well, I guess you don't want to attempt the Italian." I mentioned that, unlike my mother, I would butcher it, but everyone's interest was piqued once they found out I was Italian. I can't remember the last time I was so nervous to read something out loud in class! I felt like I was stumbling over the words, but I tried to make them sound as authentic as I could. When I was done, everyone clapped, and apparently, I sound sexy when I speak Italian. Hehe, watch out, boys.
So after English, we had a "party" to attend at a professor's house. I felt really bad because no one showed up to said party. It was just Meg, Matt, me, and this other professor. I ate pizza and cake and watched the last minutes of the game that we lost miserably. Our professor was really nice to host a party, and I knew that he was disappointed that no one else showed up when they said they would. I'm glad we made an appearance, at least.
I'm wide awake, but I should be going to sleep soon. Tomorrow our class is going to attend safety training at the Fire Safety School. I'm looking forward to the smoke simulation part. Apparently we get to try on some uniforms, too. Should be a blast (no pun intended! Haha, haha....ha...eh.)
Today was good. I went to my Managing Projects class, which is blissfully easy (for now). We have serious discussions on procrastination. You think I would listen, but I drift off anyway. Then home for lunch, and to my Oil Spills class, where we watched a video from 1975. We have not watched a video more recent than 1982 yet. Wait, I lie-I think we watched one from 1996 two weeks ago. The 1982 videos are fun in a perverse way, because the narrator has a wickedly awesome toupee. Man, 80's fashion was so unfortunate. After class, I went to seminar, where the presentation went way over my head. Judging from everyone's faces, I think I was not the only one.
Tonight I went to Chipotle with Meghan, which was a lot of fun. Then it was off to swing dancing. I haven't danced in four months (four months! My hometown lacks in culture, and does not offer any decent swing classes), so before the Thursday night dances, I wanted to refresh on my Lindy. I'm glad I went. I didn't forget the steps like I thought I would, but there were some points that I had to work on (like giving weight on the fourth count, etc.) It was so much fun to be dancing again, and I realized how much I'd missed it. A lot of people made comments about my heels, and how could I be comfortable dancing in them, blah blah. People: in my world, these are barely heels. I'm one of those girls who trots around in much higher heels on campus all the time. I defended them to my instructor, like any tomboy fashionista wannabe would. Besides, I see more of the advanced dancers in heels. If I can dance in heels, I can dance in anything, right? These shoes and I are on good terms: they hurt like a bitch the first time I danced in them, but now I hardly notice I am wearing them.
This Claudio Baglioni song is so pretty. Man, I need to sleep now, but I'm wide awake. I need to er, try and repair the shredder tomorrow. Hasta la vista.
