College

I have not forgotten about this place!  College started back up on the 21st (a week ago!)  I'm still trying to get into the groove of things.  Between school work, doing my actual assignments, being mom, being domesticated, and fitting in INSANITY, it has been a challenge.  I haven't been doing Insanity every day because everything is so upside down right now, but I'm not worried about it.  If I start stressing over it, I will end up giving up completely.  I just need to develop a schedule for everything.  I did Insanity yesterday.  I planned on doing it today but 8pm is just too late in my book for it.  I think I should schedule it immediately after class.  Like, as soon as I get home, which is about lunch time every day except Fridays.  Then, I go directly to pick up Charlene at school (by 3pm).  It's really the only time it fits.  Every time I try to push it off to do "other" stuff, I end up like I am tonight.  8pm and now it's too late.

So my classes are interesting.  I am completely out of my element in the Islamic World Honor's Seminar.  Class participation is 25% of my grade.  I have to read 7 books for this class.  It looks to be about 1 book a week.  In addition to the books, I have to write 3 papers - 5 to 7 pages each.  I have to have a thesis.  The three "small" papers will add up to one big one at the end.  I also have to present a power point presentation.  I ALSO have to take part in a poster board convention where I present my research to faculty, students, and strangers.  I have to actually have a script or something for when people stop to look at my poster board.  Anyway, this entire class is one big ball of anxiety.  I hate talking in class.  I am completely ignorant when it comes to the Middle East.  However, the books we are reading are very informative.  But still.  Today I did my best to take part in the discussion.  We just finished book 1 yesterday.  I feel like things I share are so unintelligent but I refuse to lose points for class participation.  Some students never even said a word so at least I have one up on them!  So moving on, the power point is supposed to be on our research too.  I think that will be okay.  I keep telling myself it will be.  Writing these papers though may prove to be difficult.  I am already trying to come up with a good topic.  I am considering women's issues but I suspect many other girls in the class are already heading in that direction.  I may steer toward al-Qaeda but I just dont know.  Maybe after this second book is finished, I will have a better idea.

My on-line class - Infectious Diseases - seems like it's going to be alright.  The professor seems like a nice lady and the assignments don't appear to be too strenuous.  I think ANY on-line class will be "easy" after taking Psychology fall 2012.  That was the most brutal on line class I had ever taken.  Got an A, but still.  I rightfully earned that grade.

Speaking of grades, I submitted the last of my Art assignments 8 days ago.  She said, "I will correct these as soon as possible and update your grade."  Well, I don't know what her idea of ASAP means.  I don't want to be that student and email her about it but I don't want her to forget about it either.  Not sure how long I should wait before I say something.  I am worried the Rad Tech committee will see that big ugly F and deny my application.  Even though it stands with all A's.  Clearly, without even knowing what happened, something went wrong.

So I am again a supplemental Instructor for A&P1.  I feel much more confident this semester.  On Friday I woke up 2 hours early and designed a fun handout to give the class as a way of introducing myself and what SI is all about.  Right now I am waiting for rooms to be assigned so I can finally start holding my sessions.

Anyway, this semester will be interesting.  I think as the semester progresses, I will fall into my groove with the Seminar class.  Though I will add, it feels nice to be in a room full of students who WANT to be there.  And this girl who sits next to me was telling me her 4.0 was crushed last semester by a Micro Bio class because she got an A-!!!  I was like, OMG me too!!!  My 4.0 was crushed because I got an A- in A&P2!!!!  Finally, someone I can relate with, without sounding stuck up or bragging or whatever.  I always sense other people don't really care when I talk about school/my classes/grades but these things are VERY important to me.  It's like anything that helps me feel better about myself and who I am as a person is somehow BAD towards someone else.  Or other people really, truly have no idea how to be happy for someone else's accomplishments.  I am proud of how far I've come and what I've done.  I'm proud I'm taking my first ever Honor's course.  I'm still in shock mode - still feeling as if I don't belong but I have worked hard to be where I am.  Last night I went back over all my old transcripts from other colleges and I used a GPA calculator... even with all my other courses from other colleges combined, I'm still sitting at a 3.7 GPA.  Let me remind you all I failed classes every year from 7th grade til 12th.  I took summer school.  I was in the lowest level of English classes in HS.  I repeated classes.  I was in the bottom 5 of the class (counting gpa) when I graduated.  I was no one and I was going nowhere.

So that's why I share my accomplishments now.   Maybe even possibly inspire someone else who feels "they can't" do something because I am living proof that they can.  I can.