Year 1 Repost: October

Wednesday October 1st, 2008

Yesterday was my first day on campus since the strike began. I did not enjoy crossing the picket line, it felt wrong, and the campus was so empty. It was very sad to see. I was going to go to the President's speech at Erie, but decided against it in the end.

One of my friends went for the first hour though, and she was not impressed. She thought the students' tones were not very friendly and it wasn't right of them, even though she could understand why they were upset. She also was not impressed with the President's answers and after the first hour of learning nothing she left the "friction filled room". I planned to listen to the taped version of the meeting found on the uwindsor website, but after hearing her recap of things I don't know if it would just be a waste of my time or not.

Classes are already cancelled for Thursday and Friday.

I'm really getting tired of this.

Sunday October 5th, 2008

Let's Try This Again

Classes recommence tomorrow and I've spent the entire day rereading my notes and making sure I'm caught up in all my classes. Although I remember reading that any assignments that were due during the strike will be rescheduled, as well as tests that were missed, I am nervous about when they will be reassigned. I have several assignment and test dates that passed and who's to say that we will not be expected to write a test the day we return? In fact, if I recall correctly, one of my professors told my class that we would write a test first day back from the strike, if the strike did take place. I wonder if that is still in effect, or was he not expecting the strike to last so long?

Midterms can not be within the next two weeks, which is a relief, but with classes not ending until December 12th, I expect our exams will be pushed back as well. Before the schedule change, my last exam of the semester was to take place on December 18th, if everything is pushed back a week, would that mean I am writing an exam on Christmas Day? Is that even legal? I know I shouldn't be worrying about this now, exams are still a couple of months away, and I'm sure the dates will be cleared up long before then, but it does make me anxious. I always go away for Christmas with my family, and now it seems my vacation may be delayed, or possibly canceled.

I can't wait to return to class and get the answers I need. It will be nice to return to my regular schedule, though I'm sure my social time will be taking a hit. I'm going to miss sleeping in...

Wednesday October 8th, 2008

Ode to CAW

The CAW and I have a touch and go kind of relationship. Some days I don't know how I could live without it. I love mornings at the CAW, it's relatively quiet, I get to see some people, and even if I don't the atmosphere is great for reading a chapter of French or typing up my next blog. Then there is noon CAW and we just do not get along. It's crowded, it's noisy and just try and find a friend in the bunch of lunch goers, not to mention a clean table.

On most Wednesdays, I begin by sitting by myself and my friends will come and go, so I pick a one/two person table. I feel guilty if I grab a table that's able to sit four and then later see a group of tray-carrying third years. This means we end up having to search for another table to fit my newly arrived friends. It's literally Mission: Impossible (cue corny spy music here).

So that's where I am right now, the CAW, typing and hoping that someone doesn't run into my chair for the third time. Only an hour or so to go before my beloved CAW returns...if I can hang on that long and not abandon it for Vanier.

Saturday October 11th, 2008

Getting Organized

I've just finished updating my agenda with all my new dates for assignments, midterms and exams. It was a depressing task as I watched day after day become filled. For the rest of October I have only three days that do not have some sort of activity taking place or assignment due. THREE DAYS.

One of them is Thanksgiving.

I know I can keep up (hurray for positive thinking!). I know if I don't procrastinate, I can stay ahead and succeed at this. It just sucks knowing I'm going to have to sacrifice my social life. My friends will understand, I'm sure, I mean, they're all going through the same thing (some of their schedules make mine look like a joke). Still, it would have been nice to have a bit more time. November looks a bit emptier at the moment, but everything in there is worth large portions of my grade.

Don't even get me started on December!

Thursday October 16th, 2008

"Take your time...leave mine alone."

(Title is a quote from Margaret Atwood's "Oryx and Crake", for those of you who still have free reading time, I definitely recommend it.)

It's funny the way that time moves when you're on campus. There are hours that whiz by as if they were seconds, and seconds that drag on into hours. These time anomalies seem to depend on two main factors: your location and who you are with.

Class time passes slower than time spent outside of the classroom, it is an indisputable fact, unless, of course, you are on break by yourself. In this case, your time off seems ten times as long as your class time because not only are you alone, but you are most likely stuck doing more school work. After an hour and a half lecture the last thing you want to do is more school work and so time stretches, until you actually begin to wish for your next class.

Then, the moment one of your friends happen to pass by (which will only be a mere ten minutes before your next class) time passes into hyper speed. You'll be lucky if you manage to get a hello-goodbye in before you're forced to jog to your next class (because when you're traveling to a class, time speeds up...again).

Do not even attempt to do something you enjoy, the time will become such a blur it will leave your head spinning.

And speaking of time, I'm quickly running out of it. Readings, essays, midterms...oh my.

Friday October 24th, 2008

Geek? Who me?

I have officially become a geek. I mean, I was always on the verge of "geekdom", but this has pushed me over that line. I spent the last hour making flashcards to study for my Foundations of Academic Writing I midterm and now have an inch thick pile of little white cards sitting beside me. I'm not saying that making these flashcards or studying makes me a geek, I'm quite aware that this just makes me a responsible, while maybe a little overachieving, university student. No, the issue here is that I have fallen in love with these flashcards. They are beautiful and actually fun to use. Studying is not supposed to be fun, I think I'm doing it wrong.

Anyway, I'm going to get back to studying (and to my beloved flashcards) because my midterm is tomorrow (eeek!) and studying is how I deal with the stress.

Sunday October 26th, 2008

Can I Revoke my Geek Membership?

Studying is no longer fun. The flashcards have taken over my room. I hate them. A lot. But I'm pretty sure I did amazing on my first midterm, which means I either aced it, or failed (my fingers are crossed for the first option) so I guess they're not completely horrible...

I have three more midterms before Halloween and I've spent the entire day studying, twelve hours and counting. I'm going to try and get another half hour in before I crash for the night, tomorrow is going to be busy. Like, I-filled-up-the space-in-my-agenda-for-that-day kind of busy. Not cool.

Anyone who reads this should go check out the concurrent club bake sale in the CAW, there are going to be some yummy goodies up for sell and even cotton candy! Spun sugar on a stick, mmmm it reminds me of summer.

Okay, off to study! Study, study, study....

Wednesday October 29th, 2008

No Title Today Because Meghan Has No Time to Think of One...or is that a Title?

I was going to write this last night, but my mind was pretty much mush thanks to the two midterms I had written back to back. Tomorrow I have my final midterm of the week and then I'll have a whole week to study for my next midterm. This makes me very excited because it means I won't be following the same cramming routine I've been doing for the past week and a half. Constant studying is not fun, and I expect it isn't all that healthy either.

I missed my first class on Tuesday in order to get some extra studying in, but now I'm stressing over what I missed. I'm getting the notes from a friend, but I still can't help but think what if the Prof said something in passing, something that my friend didn't pick up on, and it will be on the exam and oh no what have I done! (P.S. Run-on sentence for the win...) Not to mention we took up our midterms during that class, and I really wanted to know my mark was. :( I think I'll end up going to the Prof's office hours, just to make sure I know everything I need to know. *adds that on to her ever growing to-do list*

Now, on a slightly different note, I hate you Foundations of Academic Writing. Lots of hate. On November 6th I have a very large chunk of marks due for that class. I know that I have to do it, and I'm constantly aware that I need to do it, but because I have twelve¹ other things I need to do before I can get to work on it.

In conclusion, I am very busy, and now only have five more hours of cramming time before I need to get ready for my STEPS session. I'll talk about STEPS in another blog, when I don't have so much fun² midterm stuff to talk about.³

1 No, that's not a random number I chose, I actually have a numbered to-do list and my Foundation assignments are numbers 13 through 16.

2 I use the term 'fun' in a verbally ironic format. That means sarcasm. And yes that is a term I needed to learn for one of my midterms. Who says you can't use what you learn at school in your daily life?

3 Really, I just learned what endnotes are and are practicing them for a final essay I need to write for one of my classes. I'm sure I'll get over my endnote obsession by the next time I blog. Maybe.

Year 1 Repost: September

Thursday September 4^th, 2008
The First Day Or Meghan doesn’t know how to sleep in

My classes don’t start until later today. When I say “later” I mean, much later. And when I say “much later” I mean why in the name of Jane Austen’s pen am I up right now?! Believe me, it was not a planned wake up, in fact my alarm will not be going off for another hour and a half. I’m sure you’ve all realized by now that an hour and a half of sleep can make a pretty huge difference on how you’re feeling. Too little sleep and I find I’m either falling asleep in my seat or overcompensating hyperactively (and burn out rather quickly). Too much sleep and I feel groggy all day and just want to sleep more.

Speaking of wanting more sleep, why am I awake before the Sun has even risen? While I could blame it on the crickets that can be heard in the absolute silence of my neighbourhood, I know that the real problem lay with myself. Ever since I was a teeny, tiny Meghan off on my first day of Kindergarten I have not been able to sleep in on the first day of school. In fact, this is sleeping in for me. I used to wake up at one a.m., then three a.m., then five a.m. (I’m sure all you math majors have figured out the sequence by now). It seems my mind (and body) sees the first day of school as something akin to Christmas. Scary, I know.

Well, at least this means I’m eager to learn?

I’m happy to say that I don’t feel nervous about going to class anymore (arriving on time and actually finding my classes is still causing me quite a bit of stress though). Yesterday, at orientation day, I thankfully met many people in my program and already I feel pretty close to a few of them. At least I know I’ll have someone to sit with in a few of my courses. I didn’t think that making friends would be that easy, but I guess when everyone is eager to make friends things will just fall into place. Let’s just hope I manage to remember all their names tomorrow. Ugh, I have so a horrible memory for names.

Also, I’ve discovered, thanks to some helpful third year and fourth year students at orientation, that I do not need to take one Arts and one Science for my degree, I can in fact take two Arts. And seeing as my Science is really not going to help me progress towards my minor, I’ve decided to drop it and pick up another English course. Unfortunately, when I tried to do so on good old SIS I was informed that I did not meet the requirements for the English course, which I believe has something to do with me not being an English Major (as the course insists upon). So, I’m off to Registrars this morning, hoping they can help me sort it out. Last minute schedule change anyone? Yes, I’m expecting barrels of fun…

Wish me luck!

Meghan

Wednesday September 10th, 2008

The First Week

Or Meghan Talks of Nothing

You'd think sitting in the CAW completely immersed in the university atmosphere would trigger some sort of inspiration for this blog. Well, I'm looking around at the full seats, at the students and staff eating their lunch or tapping away at their computers (while earning some strange stares in return) and my mind is completely blank. No ideas are flooding in from the hum of conversation around me. My mind is a black hole of nothing.

It's more than a little disturbing for someone like me who always has something to write about, something to say, especially about my own life, to draw a complete blank. I mean, it's not like I've been doing nothing for the past few days. It's my first week at University after all! Everything is a fresh experience, everywhere I go, everything I do is new and shiny. I've had classes, and lunches, and walks around the campus. I've listened to lectures, bought last minute books, gotten lost, and been found. I've made new friends, renewed old friendships and sat by myself for hours at a time with nothing but my books for company. My life is an exciting ensemble of experiences.

Really.

It is.

And as soon as I can find the proper words I'll tell you all about it.

I suppose I could bring up some of the mistakes I've made to help out any students who happen to be perusing this. The first thing that comes to mind is my schedule. I decided to schedule all my classes on two days, believing I could handle it because I would be spending the same amount of time in class as I did when I was in high school. Four day weekend has to be awesome, right? Wrong! An hour and twenty minute university lecture is not comparable to a high school class. The amount of work you receive (all of which is due by the next class) is not equal to high school homework. Four classes of work all due within two days is not fun. Do not attempt this. Your brain will melt and/or explode.

It's really too late for me to change things now, so I'm going to have to suck it up, grin and bear it as some would say, but you don't have to make the same mistake as me. If for your second semester you are considering such a feat, consider again. It's not worth it, and you'll probably end up at the University on days you don't have classes anyway. I know I have...every day this week. And believe me, it is less embarrassing to be able to answer the "What time is your next class?" question with a response that does not include "tomorrow".

Speaking of tomorrow, I have another thirty pages of my French novel to read that's due...along with a couple of satire-filled, epic poems and some chapters from a book I haven't even purchased. So, until the next time where I can talk about more nothing...

May your days be headache free,

Meghan

Week Two (or is it three?)

in which Meghan becomes paranoid

I am drowning in a sea of paper work.

When I was told in orientation "for every hour in class you will have three hours of work outside of class" I thought that it was some kind of exaggeration, or at least that it wouldn't apply to me. I never really had to work in high school, and isn't university just a step up from that? So, it would get a little harder. I would have to actually study for tests. Boo hoo, I would need to be self-sufficient. I could do that. Easy.

Except, not so much.

The last time I read so much at one time was on the opening night of Breaking Dawn, and at least that was in English! What satanic creature bent on my total destruction compelled me to take three literature courses? At least a dozen novels in four months is not going to be a simple task, especially when I don't only need to read but understand and remember. I've found that reading out loud helps me absorb the information better, but I can't exactly do that on campus unless I want to look really foolish. To add to my confusion, I find that I don't work as well at home. Something about the university atmosphere encourages me to work, while at home I'm more likely to stare off into space then pick up a text book.

To put it simply, at home I have difficulty studying but I can read aloud and thus more clearly understand what I'm studying. Then at school I can study easier, but not read aloud and have more difficulty understanding what I'm trying to learn. It's really a catch 22.

Staring at the pile of books on my bedside table, I can't help but wonder where my weekend went. I know I spent it doing school work (really, I did) so why do I still have so much of it? And why does it all have to be due tomorrow?! There is no physical way I can complete all this without staying up the entire night, and I'm quite sure that is not healthy. Besides, I really like sleep.

Instead, I've decided university is a ploy by THEM to keep teenagers locked up in their rooms and libraries, doing school work all day and night, so that they can't cause chaos on the streets. Very clever, Mr. Them, very sneaky. I'll out you soon enough...just as soon as I'm finished reading the first five chapters of Foundations of Academic Writing...

Back to the books!

Meghan

Wednesday September 17th, 2008

Week...uh...oh forget it
or we establish that Meghan is weird

Life certainly has a way of spinning you around when things get too comfortable. I had just started to get adjusted to university when everything changed. I know about as much as the next student about the strike, probably less, actually. Really all I know is how it is affecting me. As of now, it hasn't affected me much. I had a few meetings schedule for today which I either couldn't attend because I really don't want to cross a picket line, or because they were cancelled because no one else really wants to cross the picket line.

I'll admit, I'm a little curious as to how the students on residents are holding up. Everyone I know is taking the strike in one of two ways; they either don't mind it and see it as a kind of vacation, or they are freaking out about it, afraid what it may mean for their semester work load.

Personally, I'm just going to keep up with the Syllabuses my teachers gave out, and keep checking the uwindsor website. The way I see it, that's the best course of action. I hope everything is resolved to the satisfaction of both parties soon. As much as I love time off of school...I love being on campus more. I love being able to sit in the CAW and work, and knowing that there are people around me doing the same. I love randomly running into people, and sometimes not so randomly meeting up with them. The University is like its own community and even though it's only been one day, I really do miss it.

Strange to actually miss school, but then I've never really been considered normal.

Bah, who wants to be normal anyway?

Meghan

Sunday September 21st, 2008
Feeling Unproductive

The past few days have not been as productive as I could have hoped. Maybe it's because I'm using my bed as a desk, but it seems more difficult to stay awake while reading my textbooks than usual. I've never needed to be more self-motivated before because now I don't even have classes to go to, so I fail to see the point of keeping up. Of course, the point of keeping up is so I don't die in an avalanche of school work later, but sometimes it is difficult to remember that fact when facebook (or youtube, or hotmail....) beckons.

Even focusing on this blog for more than a few minutes is taking more effort than it should. I know we were told that university would be more difficult, that the professors would not be pushing us to do the work like our high school teachers did, that it would all be up to us, but I just never imagined it would be this hard to focus. An hour of school work feels like it takes an eternity, but I can sit down at the computer, glance at the clock and three hours have passed!

I think the only thing keeping me sane right now are my friends. Not being able to see them on campus is tough, but at least I've managed to meet up with them a few times since Wednesday. I've never noticed how much I need social interaction before. I used to consider myself a kind of solitary creature. I mean, I was the girl who could sit against the wall at recess with a book and not be bored for a moment. Now, I'm surrounded by books (and some of them actually are interesting) but I'd much rather be out doing something.

My parents would prefer if I stayed home and studied all the time, I'm sure, but I think if I tried to do that I would burn out. My mind can only absorb so much information in one day, after that it's useless to cram anymore in. That's right, my brain starts to get indigestion if I study too long.

In any case, I've been away from my textbooks for too long and I can see daylight slipping away from me. Back to the books...again.

Meghan

Thursday September 25th, 2008

Confused thy name is Meghan

I need deadlines. I need to know when something must be done, or if it even has to be done. That is how I function, my schedule revolves around deadlines. Give me an open due date and you will never get what you asked for unless the 50 zillion other things that I need to complete that do have deadlines are already finished and I don't have anything else I want to do at the time. Which never happens, by the way, because I always have something else I'd rather be doing. Usually it's eating or sleeping, but just as often it's reading a book that I actually enjoy or going out with my friends.

That being said, this strike and the lack of knowledge it causes is causing me distress. I've fallen two classes worth of work behind, and I can't seem to convince myself to actually pick up the syllabus and do whatever reading it says would have been completed if I was in class. Why? Because even if I do it, I know I'm just going to end up rereading it all because I'll have forgotten what I read by the time classes start up and I don't like wasting my time. Why don't I just take notes? Because I don't know how to take notes, I don't know what I should be taking notes of. I don't know what I'm supposed to know or remember. I don't know what's expected of me and it's driving me insane!

I hate feeling like I'm falling behind when I'm not even sure if I am falling behind. I don't know what will happen when classes start back up. I don't know if we'll jump back into the first day of missed classes, or jump forward, or even jump backwards. There is so much I don't know or understand and it's really starting to affect me.

I know, I'm a big girl now, I should be able to do this all on my own, but I can't.

I feel like a failure and I hate it.

Meghan

Sunday September 28, 2008

It's All About the Politics

I'm still trying to keep up with my classes even though with every day that passes I feel less inclined to do so. At this point, I don't feel like I went to University at all. I had a grand total of four days of classes before the strike, which, in the grand scheme of my education, equates to about nothing. I just want to go back to class. It's the middle of September, it feels wrong not to be in a classroom.

My mom mentioned going to Laurentian for a semester and then coming back to Windsor next semester, but I feel it's too late in the semester now, there's no way I could catch up with classes that have been going on all this time. Besides, I still have some hope that this strike issue will be resolved. I don't want to leave Windsor, my friends are here and my room is here. I'm not ready for separation just yet, one of the reasons I decided to stay at home for school in the first place.

In other news, unrelated to the University, last night I went to the Volmer complex in LaSalle to watch a fire show. It was...interesting. There were statues made of hay that the performers lit on fire. Some of the statues were cool and moved, like the scissors that opened and closed. The crowd's favourite was the word BUSH, which was a little more political than I was expecting, and I find it a little sad that us border town Canadians know more about American politics than our own. I mean, aren't we having another election ourselves soon that we should be worrying about? One that I can vote in, by the way. It will be my first time voting...if I can figure out how to register.

Don't know who I'm voting for yet, I'm thinking my normal way of choosing (Eenie meeny miney moe) is not proper in this case. I guess I could always draw straws...or something.

Meghan

Year 1 Repost: August

August 27, 2008

It’s the Start of Something New
Or the only high school musical reference you will see in this blog

The end of everything I’ve ever known is drawing near and with it approaches the start of something absolutely new. From the day I could walk and talk it had been drilled into me that someday I would grow up and go on to ‘higher education’. I never thought that day would come so soon. Despite the fact that my schedule is made and my books are bought, I don’t feel prepared. Nervous, excited, scared, cold (because my family has the air conditioning on way too high) those are all things I feel right now, but prepared is certainly not one of them. I take comfort in the fact that I’m not the only one going through this.

Hello and welcome, I’m Meghan, a first year French Concurrent Education student at the University of Windsor (though I’m sure you all figured that last part out for yourselves). I’ve decided to participate in the University blog in hopes of enhancing my university experience, and chronicling this year of my life. While school does not start for another week or so, in truth I’ve been trying to prepare myself for it the past month. So far, I have not succeeded. It’s strange to think that every day brings me closer to the ‘big school’ (quote compliments of my high school physics teacher) and farther away from the protective covering of being able to say “Oh, I don’t need to worry about what I want to be just yet…I can wait until University to figure that out”.

Well, procrastinating self, reality is knocking at your door like that annoying next door neighbour who will not go away. The time has come, and along with it the ending of one way of life and the beginning of another. When I put it that way it makes me want to go curl up in a corner with a book and ignore the up and coming change.

My parents, I find, are taking it a lot better than I expected (certainly better than me). It probably helps that I will be living with them during my University career (less than an hour drive in everyday, why not live at home?), for them it will almost seem like nothing has changed. If I was going away for school I’m sure their reactions would be different. They’re more worried about me keeping up my scholarships which paid for a pretty large chunk of the first semester tuition. I’d like to think that my grades will remain as high as they have up to this point, but I’m a bit more realistic than that. University is going to be hard, no doubt about it, high school to the power of ten. I’ll be happy if I can maintain grades that won’t get me bumped from my program.

I’ll admit it, my stress level is beginning to rise. I feel like I’m in one of those time travel movies, watching the calendar flip by at an abnormally fast pace (June…July…August…) Where did the time go? I’m not ready for summer to end yet!

Currently, I’m up in Ottawa, for that one last family vacation of the summer. This means two things, one: half the time I find myself longing for September so I can see my friends again (then I remember September equates school and I immediately dispel such thoughts) and two: I’ve already had to say good bye to any high school friends who are not attending Windsor. Now, I’m not normally one of those emotional girls that cries whenever she sees a mushy movie (Come on Kate, just let his frozen hand go already!) but saying goodbye to my best friend was a lot tougher than I expected. Yes, I cried and then she cried and then we both laughed about crying.

It was like something out of a preteen chick flick.

We plan to keep in touch, mostly through Internet means, but I know it just won’t be the same. I’ve moved away from friends before, and while back then our only way to communicate was through snail mail (which is, as the nickname suggests, very slow) then my efforts didn’t last very long. Sure, I’m older now; it doesn’t take me an hour to write a half page of script and I won’t have to make the trek to the mailbox, but with her schedule, and my schedule (seven classes…two days a week, try and figure how I managed that one) we’ll see how it goes.

Well, that seems like a lengthy enough introduction to the wonderful world of me. Next time I update I hope to be back in Windsor participating in those Welcome Week activities. I hear we get free food and who am I to pass up a free meal or five? Bring on the life size, blow up Twister!

Meghan

It's officially over...for now

Yesterday I went and picked up my reference letter. I really lucked out with my mentor teacher. I can't say enough how wonderful she is! My first year of this program has been absolutely amazing. I have no idea how any other year can possibly match this one. Along with my reference letter she gave me a gift, which was just too much but still so wonderful.

I spoke with a student in the Math Concurrent Education program a few days ago when I ran into him at the Detroit/Windsor fireworks. He was part of my group in my Psychology in Education class of first semester, so I was glad to hear that the Math and Science Concurrent Education would be joining the French Concurrent Education students in our methodology courses. Those guys were hilarious last year, and it made the class so much fun.

He also told me that all the other Math Concurrent students he spoke with have only picked four courses plus the Education courses, so I'm feeling a little more relieved about the fact that I only have four courses. Registrars said to have four, it's an overload if I take five and now the Math students are only taking four...it's looking like I only need to take four. I'm really hoping that professor just had no idea what she was talking about...kind of like the impression I got before second semester last year.

This will probably be my last 'new' post for awhile, though I do plan to repost my blogs from the uwindsor.ca/studentblog that I participated in during my first year on here. Combine them into monthly things or something...

And so summer begins

Today was my last day volunteering and it was a good one.

My mentor teacher has been amazing throughout this entire thing. She's written me a reference letter, she's offered to be a reference on my resumé and she invited me to return next school year to volunteer. I said I'd probably take her up on that offer seeing as so far I have Fridays off, I could come in in the mornings to help out.

Speaking of schedules, I'm very frustrated with mine. Now I've been informed by the same student as before that she was told by the second year French Concurrent Education academic advisor, one of our professors, that we're supposed to be registered for five courses plus our education courses, which would be an overload course load. Registrars told me I needed four courses plus the education courses. I don't know who is correct. Seeing as the academic advisor did not seem to know what she was talking about when I saw her before second semester, I'm more likely to believe registrars (plus, I really don't want to try and find a fifth course to fit in my schedule).

My waiting lists have barely moved and I'm no closer to getting into the other courses I want. I am not impressed.

The Woes of a French Concurrent Education student with a minor in English

Yesterday I registered for my courses and was really relieved to get four out of five of the classes, and my second choice for the course that I did not get into. I'm currently fifth on the waiting list to get into the course I'm hoping to get into.

I should have known it was too good to be true.

Today I found out from another French Concurrent Student that I needed to register for six methodology courses first semester. Five of these courses are late in the day so they do not interfere with my other courses, but the sixth overlaps with the last half hour of my Canadian Literature course, the course I was most looking forward to taking this semester.

I went to Registrars hoping there was some way around taking that particular methodology course first semester. Maybe I could take it with the year younger than me next year? But no, there's no way around it...and so I've been forced to drop the Canadian Literature course. The only second year English course that is not (currently) full and does not conflict with my current schedule is Contemporary Literary Theory...which almost sounds interesting, but unfortunately is for English Majors only. I plan to speak with the professor and whoever else may be able to help me and see if there's any way for me to get into it and then I'll drop my Women Studies course, which was a second choice anyway, so I don't overload.

I should have just double majored in French and English, then none of this would be an issue.

I feel brain dead

Today was bad. Just plain bad. Remember how I said the girl I work with has oppositional disorder, or something along those lines which makes her not listen to people of authority? Well today was the first time I came across it. It was like trying to reason with a two year old. A very stubborn two year old.

By the time lunch came around I was SO glad to get out of there.

In other news, I basically emptied about my bank account buying my parking pass for next year and had an adventure trying to find the accounting office so I could pay off the ten dollars on my student card which apparently I didn't have to worry about because I still would have been to register with my classes just fine with that ten dollars on there. It's only when it reaches $45 or more that you become "financially ineligible" or something.

Also, Wednesday I get to pick my courses and I'm already stressing over whether or not I'm going to get into the classes I want. Summer is going by so quickly!

Kind of Exciting

Today the young girl I work with (I've forgotten the fake name I gave her and am too lazy to look it up at the moment...) actually asked to read a more difficult book that happened to be sitting on the table AND WANTED MORE WORDS TO PRACTICE! Specifically "bigger words". The girl that I had to push to get to work for weeks suddenly wants to learn.

This makes me so happy. :D

A Not So Good Day

Today was, simply put, a headache. The first part of the day went fine, but the math period was very difficult to get through. The girl I was working with was not picking up on the pattern concepts, but would claim she did and wouldn't let me help her for awhile. It was frustrating, and difficult, and all around painful.

My associate teacher later told me that I handled the situation very well. She's also offered to write me a reference letter for my teaching folder, which is very lovely of her.

That's really all I have to say. It's been over an hour since I've been home and my mind is still recovering from that lesson. >_<

The Pot of Gold at the End of the Rainbow

This morning my associate teacher showed me some work by the young girl I've been working with for the past few weeks. She's writing in sentences! With punctuation and everything! My associate teacher is extremely happy about the improvement and the principal in her even had a conversation about it where the principal asked who had been practicing writing with her.

For the first time, I really feel like I made a difference. :D

Today was a very good day.

It's only June and I'm already preparing for September

When working with students every day is different because every day a student may be in a different mood. One day they may be eager to please and work, and the next it's like pulling teeth to get the simplest tasks accomplished. Thursday went really well, but by the time I was done Friday I felt like I was back at day one. Sometimes I feel like I'm making no difference at all, but my associate teacher is very encouraging and says there is a difference, so I'll just have to trust her.

Today I did not go to school because I had a meeting with my teaching advisor for an end of the year recap. Only six students out of all the first and second year French student candidates showed up, but it was really interesting getting to hear about the experiences of the second years, so I feel a little more prepared for next year when I actually start teaching. I don't feel nervous about it at the moment, but I can guarantee by the time May rolls around next year I'm going to be ready to run off to Mexico or something.

Today I also applied for a TA position, which was an adventure in itself. First I had to pick up the transcript I had ordered the week before, found out that it was already paid for on my account, which I realized would have to pay off before the 17th when I get to choose classes or else I won't be allowed to register. And then there was this thing with finding out what AAU meant so I could finish feeling out my application and ugh... Needless to say I was happy to get out of there, especially after finding out that I couldn't buy my parking pass until June 11th after hiking up all the stairs to get to the parking office. I'm going to do my account stuff and parking pass stuff on the 11th, just so I can get it out of the way all at once.

So that was my adventure for the day. I'm going to start posting my year 1 blogs this week, I think, just so they're all up here and in one place. And I believe that is all... XD