Cascading downwards

I finally managed to connect with a friend who was evidently having a very busy two weeks. We chat about everything under the sun, and get all our housekeeping chores done at the same time - it's a great arrangement. I got all my clean laundry folded.

Somehow, her teenager appears to be taking after neither his mother nor his father, but after me. In that, he is "not realizing his potential" (oh, I saw that on a report card so many times) - he's following the pattern I did in school - getting As on the tests, but Fs on the homework. Although I think I generally got pretty good class participation grades. I just always saw the homework as so pointless and such a waste of time (and there are studies that back me up on that).

It's funny, but I think being able to skate through school like that put me (and others) at a real disadvantage. Yes, DISadvantage. I don't really know how to study. Or take good notes. And the few topics that I was not able to at least partially grasp the first time through - I really have no concept of *how* to learn them. It's like I either get it or I don't, with no in-between. I think the people who had to work a little, who have a system for that, are better off in the long run.

One of my aunts has two kids, one of which was more like me, and one who had to work a little harder, and she felt like the second way was better too. Because for people who almost always have it easy, when you *do* hit something hard, you don't know how to deal with it, and you just give up. Anyone else feel like that?

So, anybody in the NYC area with an MLS want to lend me a cap and gown (and hood)? I'd prefer not to shell out $50 if I don't have to.

done. I am done with my last paper, I am done with this semester. done. done...done...done-done-done. I have been sitting at my computer for 14 hours straight, and I am a little loopy. But DONE!

I'm going to rate this semester as not quite as hellish as doing my research project last spring, and not quite as annoying as reference sources, which involved driving to the school library every Sunday in order to do my homework. But it comes in a strong third.

But, this is the last semester in which I have 2 classes. Next semester, there is only one, and then I will be really done. I can't wait.

Why did I decide I needed a master's degree again? I distinctly remember saying a bachelor's was good enough when I finished school the last time.

And now, I really, really want a massage. And Rich says I deserve one, go get it by all means. He would do it, but not for a full hour like a professional will.

And now that I have free time, i think I can safely say that my holiday cards are not getting sent out this year.

This semester is shaping up to be nearly as stressful as last semester, which was as bad as it can get. The problem with this semester is that I am essentially taking three classes, not two, which I have always viewed as insane (if done while working full-time, natch).

I did not realize when I registered that I would be taking a seminar with NYPL during the semester. By the time I did realize, it was too late to drop classes and still get a refund. And heck if I'm going to lose the money. Plus, I don't want to take more than one class next semester because I'm going to be out for two weeks on my honeymoon - it's bad enough I have to do it in one class. And unfortunately, the seminar is not given in the spring, and I don't want to wait until next fall, because I can't be promoted to senior librarian until I complete it - which should happen in June.

Now granted, the seminar is only given every two weeks, but there is still a fair amount of reading and homework involved. Ugh. On the bright side, the homework for the seminar can actually be done at work, unlike the homework for the other classes.

And having just gone back and removed a lot of extra typed letters, I realize I need to trim my nails.

So, I registered for a summer class, because that will enable me to grauate one semester early, in December. However, since this semester has been so stressful, I am rethinking that.

Pros of summer school:
Graduate earlier

Cons:
Need a break
Last class I want to take may be offered in spring - not offered summer or fall
Need a break
Only class I could register for in summer not that interesting
NEED A BREAK

So, I'm thinking I will forego summer school. I'll wait until the end of June to see how I feel, and then probably cancel my registration before classes start in July.

I feel better already.

Ugh. I'm trying to nail down my schedule for work during the spring semester at school, and it's not pretty. I registered for the Wednesday section of the research project, which is my last required course. It was the only only section that didn't conflict with my other course. Unfortunately, Wednesday is the late day here at my branch, and everyone is supposed to do one late shift a month (till 8).

I thought it would work out fine because the research project class doesn't meet as often as regular classes - only 7 sessions in the semester. I thought "oh, every two or three weeks, that'll work out fine." Nope, the meetings are the first seven weeks. In a row. So I'll probably have a few late Wednesdays in a row once I'm finished with the class sessions, oh joy.

And I'm not looking forward to starting classes again. I can't wait for this whole thing to be over. Which has at least advanced to next December, rather than my original goal of May 05. But the Dec. graduation requires summer school, which I'm not really happy about. At least I'm done with the required courses and can take more interesting stuff now.

My other, non-conflicting, course for the spring is Adult Readers Advisory, which probably means I'll have to read a lot of fiction. Or at least about fiction, which I can handle a lot better than dry stuff about copyright or filtering or whatever.

Two more weeks of freedom.

What is it that makes us procrastinate? If I'm going to spend approximately the same amount of time doing something, either way, why do I wait until just before it HAS to be done? Wouldn't I be a more relaxed and happy person if I did it immediately and got it over with? And yet, it never happens that way.

This is, of course, in reference to schoolwork. I admit, I have atrocious study habits. Always have. I barely take notes, I don't do the readings, I put off term papers until the weekend before they're due (and in one memorable case, 24 hours before). Thank goodness I'm fairly smart and I'm an auditory learner, so I actually retain quite a lot from lecture. Otherwise, I would have had horrible grades. As it was, I believe I was the epitome of the teachers' assessment "not working to her potential."

This is one of the reasons I never actually intended to go to graduate school. But I had to pick a profession in which it is pretty much mandatory.

So, I had asked for tomorrow off so I could go to the Return of the King, but it turns out it's the day before my oral presentation and my short paper are due. I'm torn. It's only three hours. If I can *make* myself *work* for the rest of the day, it won't take any more time than I would manage to waste if I spent the whole day at home. And I have actually managed to prepare rough drafts of both items already, they just need some additional material. If I were starting from scratch there would be no question.

I think I'll go. I haven't done anything fun in a while. And I have the option of calling in sick Thursday to finish - class isn't until 6:40.

So, for once, I am trying to start on my school stuff earlier than needed, to avoid the last-minute crunch. Somehow, the fact that one of my prefessors has VERY elastic due dates seems to make it worse (if there's no real due date, how do you know when to start panicking?).

Anyway, I asked him Tuesday if he had any ideas for my final paper/project in the advanced cataloging class. He evidently won't just give you one, but will help adjust an idea you already have. I said I had no clue whatsoever, and he said, "Well, what irritates you the most [about cataloging]?" And out of nowhere, I said the Western European/Judeo-Christian bias of the Dewey Decimal system.

So, for my final project, I get to reallocate the Dewey 200s (religion), and defend my choices. I think I'll actually find this entertaining.

Meanwhile, my non-librarian friends are like, this is interesting? How?

So, I finished my second semester last week. Yay! I am definitely not taking a summer semester again if I can help it. It sucks. The few weekends I didn't have to work on Saturday, I still couldn't go anywhere because I had a paper due or an upcoming test. I did nothing fun this summer. Well, OK, no extended fun - I did one-night fun things.

So, I don't have my grade yet, but I should be OK. I got an A on my midterm and an A on my annotated bibliography. Turns out my paper was too short (I could have sworn there was no length requirement), but it should still be fine. I'm told I have a very concise writing style (academically, at least). And the final seemed easy enough.

So, I wanted to take cataloging this fall, but the universe is conspiring against allowing me to drop-add, and the schedule sucks anyway, so I'll take it in Spring. I think I'll like it. Several people have said they can see me being one of the people who really likes cataloging (see my online bookmarks for a reason why). Anyway, once I've taken that, assuming I like it, I'll apply to transfer to NYPL Technical Services, Cataloging dept. They do have trainees there. And I won't have to work Saturdays, or deal with the public, and I'll have the same schedule every work day instead of different shifts. Frankly, after 3 years of customer service at dot-coms and a year at a branch library, I'm ready to stop dealing with the public.

So that's my life plan for the moment.

I've completed what i hope will be the most labor-intensive project for this class. I thought it would only take me a couple of hours, but it took me all day. Really. On the upside, I discovered that if I'm actually thinking, not merely doing busywork or reading, I don't notice I'm hungry. Went all day without eating.

So, I have this lovely new web site showcasing historical fiction for young adults, which I should probably post somewhere so someone can actually get some use out of it. And some cool icons for the next black-background site I want to make.

Now, onto the Powerpoint presentation, due next week . . .