Week 15

Good school news this week!

I met with the TA for the audiology class that I'm behind in. It was SO helpful! I really just needed someone to walk through the labs with me, make sure I'm doing it right, and fill in the gaps where I've forgotten things. She wasn't judgmental, she was patient, and she was good at explaining things. After meeting with her I was able to submit one lab right away, finish a second lab that day or the next, and I've got a third lab I'm working on and feel confident finishing. I don't know how much credit I'll get for them because all three of those are late, but I'll get everything turned in! Much better than last semester.

Family history is still dismal. I'm very behind and haven't made much progress since meeting with the TA for this class (mostly because I've been focusing on audiology). I don't know if I'll get everything turned in by the end of the semester (at least it's a one-credit class). Thankfully I've already done some of the research and just need to format it for the assignments, but some of the new research is really confusing--I either can't find records, or the ones I can find are ambiguous and can't definitively say "this is my guy." It's been a little frustrating throughout the semester.

The second audiology class is going fine. All that's left is the final in a week, so it might be good to start studying for that. Me + studying early = doesn't usually happen, but it's worth a try if I can pull it off.

Speech has been good, I think. I haven't missed any assignments since the beginning of the semester. I didn't do as well on the last midterm as I wanted, so I especially want to do well on the final. This final is unscheduled, but optimally, it would be great if I could study for it early and take it in about a week. It's kinda nice to want to do well at the end of the semester, not just avoid failing (which is where I usually, frantically, end up).

I also signed up for my writing class this summer: I'll be taking "Communication in Organizational Settings." It's from a professor that a couple of my friends have had before, and sounds like it's practical and not as writing-heavy (I love writing, but not deadlines or research). I'd like to meet the professor before the semester starts, get to know each other, and prepare myself for the semester (like getting the syllabus early so I can schedule time for homework). That will also give me a better idea of how much time I'll need to devote to the writing class so I can add shifts at work or other classes that I'd like to take before graduating.

I was feeling really trapped by school earlier this week, but getting help from the TA's (particularly for audiology) has made a positive difference. I've still got work to do before the end of the semester, but I feel less intimidated by it. It's really liberating, and I feel more like I'm choosing to do it, and like I can enjoy it more. Less pressure is better. I'm hoping that this time around, my end-of-the-semester experience is much happier, less stressful, and more successful than it has been before. My husband reminded me of the saying, "Success breeds success," and I can see that having some degree of success in school gives me more confidence, which enables more future successes. Having some success feels really good.