Monday, June 4, 2018

Oh The Places You'll Go... To Study

Phew!  What a week!  Nuts is an understatement.

I knew taking two courses in a six week intercession semester would require intense study.  I also knew I have other roles in life besides student that can't just be ignored for six weeks.  I was NOT ready for last week.

It's been intense from the beginning... taking a whole week just to learn the online system and then realizing I have to post by Sunday night or I lose 5% in each course... each week.  Falling behind right from the beginning was not good, but I thought I could catch up.  Hahahahahahahahahaha.....

My last post explained how difficult it was to get studying in for my last test.  Although I really detest the competitive nature of the education system - a topic from one of my readings last week - I did do well on the test and scored above average in the class.  Yay me!  Because, yes, it unfortunately does matter.  And, well, my brain is better for the studying and I proved it still works at some level.

This week, I had an assignment due on Sunday.  I was very late with this week's module readings in both courses (and there were a ton!) because I needed to catch up from the previous week in order to 1) complete my assignment, and 2) post for last week's material because our prof gave us an extension.

OK... so I had twice as much to read this week.  And a 40% assignment due.  Oh.... and my husband has been away for almost two weeks (except for one day in between his two trips)... and my oldest daughter convocated and visited for two nights.  It was magnificent.  I planned a little family party for her and I cried many times - so proud.  The day after my daughter's convocation, my Dad had surgery.  I spent two days last week in the hospital not able to study, a day in celebration for convocation, and a day planning and cleaning house.  And... oh yeah... my youngest daughter had a birthday party and a music concert this past weekend.  Oh... I also had to work.... part-time... but still... you have to shower, you know?

Needless to say... at least to all the non-supermoms like me.... I fed my child frozen pizza AND hamburger and fries this weekend.  She did have fruit.  And yogurt.  And actually, I'm not really sure what she had because I was studying and she was pretty much feeding herself her snacks.  And she brought food to the bedroom while she watched Netflix on the iPad.  Yes.  She also watched a lot of Netflix on Saturday.  But she did get bored - a good sign maybe?  I think?  Not for me studying, though...  She banged the singing bowls in my ears... she drew pictures and proudly told me about them while I nodded with eyes glued to my work.... she pulled a resistance band so hard it snapped and I thought she got knocked out (she did not... but I cried I got such a fright... and the band did not even hit her).... she ran out to hug me every minute while brushing her teeth and I just smiled and gave little hugs in return.... she put herself to bed one night and, yeah, you guessed it... she turned on Netflix and was up until nearly midnight... yes, mom of the year.

So I studied wherever I could, whenever I could.  I carried my books and laptop pretty much everywhere I went.  I read in the car, at a restaurant, in bed, at the table, and tried at the hospital.  At one point, while my youngest was having fun at a birthday party, I studied upstairs while the staff prepared a room for an event that evening.  And the bathroom, too.  I really am back to student life.

I got my assignment done, though.  I also posted in both courses.  The posts were awful.  I hadn't read much of the material for this week so had little to go on.  They were the least intelligent posts on the D2L system for the entire university.  I am not kidding.  And it was 10:30-12am last night... my brain wasn't functioning very well.  I figure I might get 1/5 for attempting something.

I should feel relieved.  I don't.  I feel depleted.  That's the difference from being 20 and 47.  At 20, I would have been happy it was over.  Now, I'm sad I did not get all the reading done and get to engage in some intelligent dialogue about the material.

On to week 5...

#the47yearoldstudent #momstudent #momoftheyear




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