A break?



Tiger



She doesn't have a problem sleeping!

Between TigerLilly meowing at the front door and SH No. 1 keeping me awake with his snoring, sleep from about 3.30 am this morning was just impossible.  So I got up and watched the last half hour of Witness (God Harrison Ford's sexy!) and then some old Oprah episodes; took TD No. 1 to work at 6 am and then TD No. 2 to work at 7; came back home and got into bed where I got about half an hour unti I was woken by No. 1 Son thumping up the stairs like a herd of elephants.  

I'm so tired and cranky and have just spent the last two hours of this rainy Saturday afternoon trying to entertain No. 1 Son.  After drawing, diary writing and sorting his footy cards I thought I might try and have an afternoon Nana nap.  Unfortunately, every time I close my eyes I keep thinking of assignments...assignments...assignments.  I finished yesterday for a one week (I know, hardly seems worth it) mid-semester break.  Why they call it a break I have no idea - probably because we don't actually have to go on campus.  We do, however, have loads and loads of reading and writing to do. 

I drove home yesterday from a tutorial trying desperately not to panic.  I have a Great Books essay due on the Monday we get back; have to start reading our Ancient Greek poetry before we get back; and have some history reading to do as well - before we go back!  Actually, now that I've written that down, it doesn't seem like that much at all!  I really feel as if I'm reaching my ultimate limit in terms of brain capacity lately.  Even though I got 86% on my last Great Books essay, I feel as if the writing is becoming such an effort and it's beginning to drain on me (although I did have enough energy to run up and down the hallway a couple of times when I got the results) .  We're going away on Monday to the beach for three days and while I was looking forward to having a break, my laptop will be joining us.

On the bright side, once I return I only have four weeks to go (and many more assignments and exams) and then I get about three months off - it's the only thing keeping me going!  I'm beginning to re-think the three subjects next year - who cares if I'm 46 by the time I've finished?  Me:(

Bubonic

If I wake up again in the morning thinking about the Plague, I think I'll go round the bend!  My latest history brief is to analyse a primary source (The Decameron) and explain why it's a relevant source.  I hadn't heard of either Giovanni Boccaccio or The Decameron before I started, so I guess in amongst all this stress, I'm actually learning something.  It's not due till Friday but I'm pretty much finished and I've done something I've never done before - I've emailed my tutor, asked lots of questions and sent her a draft!!  I got 7/10 on my last briefing note, which is good but it wasn't what I was hoping for.  So, in a bid to get at least an 8 on my latest one, I swallowed my pride and asked for some feedback.  It's not that I don't know what to do, it's just that I over analyse the task, end up with too many references, stray a bit from the original plan and, as was the case on the last one, I'm not concise enough!  This is something I really have to get a hold on - being concise.  I'm getting there!

I received 85% in my first communications assessment, which is great and am tyring to finish the latest play in Great Books - School for Scandal.  I have to admit it - I'm not enjoying it.  Whether it's because I've got so many other things going on, I don't know.  I enjoyed the last play - Medea (absolutely loved it), but that was Greek tragedy - one of my favourites and it was short!!!!!  Anyway, I'm not going to like everything I suppose.

I'm over halfway through the semester and have a week's break in a little over 7 days.  When I say 'break', I mean I don't have any classes - I still, however, have assignments to finish!!!  I KNOW it's going to be worth it in the end!!

Insanity

I can't believe I'm half way through my semester already!  The time certainly goes, but now the heat is on.  I've just completed a 'take home exam' - which is really an assignment, not a nerve wracking exam, thank God!  Even though I'd read both the books, done the homework, attended lectures/tutorials, it still felt like an exam because I did my usual, "I can't do this - I'm no good at this - Why am I doing this?' scenario. 

I don't know if I'm ever going feel truely confident about my writing.  I know my understanding and analysis of the novels is spot on, but for some reason, I lose my flow when it comes to writing the essay.  I think I'm worrying so much about 'the right way' to do it, my creativity tends to become a little blocked.  The lecturer suggested 'three hours' is all we needed to write two 500 word responses to two passages.  Well, I can tell you now, it took me three hours just to go over notes and find appropriate quotes.  Anyway, I've handed it in and now need to concentrate on my second World History brief and it's a bit hard to feel confident about the second one when I haven't even received the results of the first!

And as usual, in between all this are the three children and all their little dramas that can't get penned into my daily schedule.  Just when I feel I've taken two steps forward, I get pulled back another four!  Over the last couple of weeks we've had a sprained knee, bronchitis, teenage attitude, groundings and even a school detention!!!  I'm sure any of you lucky, parents of teens out there can feel my pain!!!

To tell you the truth, as hard as it is sometimes, uni's the one thing that keeps me sane!