Looks like I forgot to do a recap of last week.
I probably haven't been getting enough sleep because I've slept in both yesterday and today and can hardly remember a thing. Late night homework mostly.
Since I don't remember much of last week, I'll just cover where I'm at now. I have a LOT of work to get done this week. Two midterms, projects, quizzes, multiple things due in each class. So far I've turned in three assignments in the last 14 hours, and I have a quiz due by tomorrow morning. The Speech class that I haven't been watching the presentations for has a midterm this weekend, so that will be a party. I also have some paperwork to fill out for a study, dinner to make for another family, bridal shower gifts to pick out, helping my brother with a project, and hopefully my own "spiritual time" to fit in each day, all of which needs to fit in somewhere. Oh yeah, and it's Valentine's Day this week, and I missed talking to my sister on her birthday.
Good things: a couple of my friends got engaged last week, I've been successfully wooing my husband for Valentine's Day (though I haven't been as diligent as I hoped), we had a tasty dinner on Sunday, it's been fun spending more time with my brother, I've been able to talk to one of my besties online more frequently, ibuprofen is a miracle medicine...
So maybe it hasn't been too terrible of a week behind me, and hopefully it won't be too bad looking ahead. I guess we'll see.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Friday, February 8, 2013
Empathy
I just realized to a small extent one way that my ankle business has been a blessing.
I don't remember if I've covered on here the history of my ankle problem. Almost 2 years ago, I was in a dance class and hurt my ankle pretty badly. I went to the on-campus athletic trainer for dancers, got diagnosed with a grade 3 lateral sprain, and saw the trainer for treatment for several months. My ankle was still painful a year later, so I finally listened to my mom and saw a doctor. A couple different scans revealed that I had broken my ankle the year before, and that the joint would need to be fused in a few years unless I had surgery. Today I'm about 10 months post-surgery. The doctor expects me to make a full recovery by my year mark.
My ankle was unusually sore for the last couple days, so I was reflecting on that this morning. As I thought about it, I realized that just in the last week I've been able to have greater empathy with at least two people in somewhat-similar situations. Last week, my brother sprained his ankle to a lesser degree, but I understood his pain much better than if his sprain occurred three years ago, before my accident. I met a woman in a couple of my classes who is recovering from brain surgery, and I was able to empathize with the long recovery process and not wanting to wait before jumping back into normal life. There have been other people over the past two years as well: I feel instant empathy with anyone in a foot brace or cast, and sometimes I'll ask about their injury story and how they're doing. Having had similar experiences myself makes their situation more interesting to me, and I'm more motivated than before to express that interest and be supportive and understanding.
My husband and I listened to a TEDtalk once that proposed that witnessing suffering breeds empathy; the speaker asserted that neurologically, the brain is identical whether observing or experiencing an act. I've mused over that lately and how it could apply to my life. I haven't thought about it enough yet, but it's a start and makes me curious.
I don't remember if I've covered on here the history of my ankle problem. Almost 2 years ago, I was in a dance class and hurt my ankle pretty badly. I went to the on-campus athletic trainer for dancers, got diagnosed with a grade 3 lateral sprain, and saw the trainer for treatment for several months. My ankle was still painful a year later, so I finally listened to my mom and saw a doctor. A couple different scans revealed that I had broken my ankle the year before, and that the joint would need to be fused in a few years unless I had surgery. Today I'm about 10 months post-surgery. The doctor expects me to make a full recovery by my year mark.
My ankle was unusually sore for the last couple days, so I was reflecting on that this morning. As I thought about it, I realized that just in the last week I've been able to have greater empathy with at least two people in somewhat-similar situations. Last week, my brother sprained his ankle to a lesser degree, but I understood his pain much better than if his sprain occurred three years ago, before my accident. I met a woman in a couple of my classes who is recovering from brain surgery, and I was able to empathize with the long recovery process and not wanting to wait before jumping back into normal life. There have been other people over the past two years as well: I feel instant empathy with anyone in a foot brace or cast, and sometimes I'll ask about their injury story and how they're doing. Having had similar experiences myself makes their situation more interesting to me, and I'm more motivated than before to express that interest and be supportive and understanding.
My husband and I listened to a TEDtalk once that proposed that witnessing suffering breeds empathy; the speaker asserted that neurologically, the brain is identical whether observing or experiencing an act. I've mused over that lately and how it could apply to my life. I haven't thought about it enough yet, but it's a start and makes me curious.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Scared of School
Have you ever been scared of classwork or a teacher? It sure sounds silly, huh?
I told my old roommate that I would see her in class tomorrow after missing the last two classes. I figured, "How bad could it be? I'll just go." Then I got home and read an email from that teacher, and I'm scared to go to class again. Not scared because I feel like someone will hurt me, but scared because I'm a wuss sometimes.
This teacher has a really strong personality; she is fun, but very no-nonsense about her expectations of her students. And I guess that my poor study skills tremble and quaver and want to hide from her scrutiny; it only makes my embarrassment and shame worse. I interpreted her email as "I'll do what I can as your professor, but the bottom line is that you have to suck it up and be a grown-up." I feel even more disabled and pathetic after reading that, particularly because I'm about to graduate--it's another reminder that I should have this down by now.
I wish I could run away, but I'm in my last semester and it's too late to do that--I can't put this class off for another semester with a fresh start. All I can do is try, right? My husband suggested revising my homework strategy, and I'll have to be brave enough to meet with my professor one-on-one, and I'll have to find the faith somewhere that everything really will be ok.
I told my old roommate that I would see her in class tomorrow after missing the last two classes. I figured, "How bad could it be? I'll just go." Then I got home and read an email from that teacher, and I'm scared to go to class again. Not scared because I feel like someone will hurt me, but scared because I'm a wuss sometimes.
This teacher has a really strong personality; she is fun, but very no-nonsense about her expectations of her students. And I guess that my poor study skills tremble and quaver and want to hide from her scrutiny; it only makes my embarrassment and shame worse. I interpreted her email as "I'll do what I can as your professor, but the bottom line is that you have to suck it up and be a grown-up." I feel even more disabled and pathetic after reading that, particularly because I'm about to graduate--it's another reminder that I should have this down by now.
I wish I could run away, but I'm in my last semester and it's too late to do that--I can't put this class off for another semester with a fresh start. All I can do is try, right? My husband suggested revising my homework strategy, and I'll have to be brave enough to meet with my professor one-on-one, and I'll have to find the faith somewhere that everything really will be ok.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Official Book List
Combining all the ideas into one spot.
G.K. Chesterton - check!
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson - check! Wait! Apparently it has a sequel!
Inheritance Series by Christopher Paolini - partway done
The Tennis Shoes series by Chris Heimerdinger - partway done
The Seventh Seal series
David McCullough
Jane Austen - I've read Pride and Prejudice, and got partway through Mansfield Park.
Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson - partway done
Paradise Lost by John Milton
Hugh Nibley
C.S. Lewis - I've read The Screwtape Letters, The Chronicles of Narnia, and part of Mere Christianity.
Shakespeare
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
J.D. Salinger
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Don Quixote de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
Siddhartha
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
The Tortilla Curtain by T.C. Boyle
Real Enemies by Kathryn S. Olmsted
The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux - check!
Women of Genesis series by Orson Scott Card - I've read Sarah and a couple chapters of Rebekah.
Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
The Princess Bride by William Goldman
Dickens
Percy Jackson & the Olympians series by Rick Riordan
Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson
Tamora Pierce - I remember really liking some of her series when I was in middle school.
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
Kate DiCamillo
Also, books to own someday:
A collection by G.K. Chesterton
Madeleine L'Engle's series "A Wrinkle in Time"
More suggestions:
http://mckayalumni.byu.edu/s/1085/09-education/index.aspx?sid=1085&gid=10&pgid=4984
I have also written notes to myself to check out Lynn Kurland, Rachel Hartman, Diane Stanley, Helen Epstein (Where She Came From), Elie Wiesel (The Trial of God), Murasaki Shikibu (The Tale of Genji), and Parker Palmer (Let Your Life Speak). I think those authors had caught my eye while walking through a bookstore, and the names have been sitting in my phone ever since. I'll need to google them sometime and see if they're any good. A friend also recommended: Austenland series by Shannon Hale and Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare.
G.K. Chesterton - check!
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson - check! Wait! Apparently it has a sequel!
Inheritance Series by Christopher Paolini - partway done
The Tennis Shoes series by Chris Heimerdinger - partway done
The Seventh Seal series
David McCullough
Jane Austen - I've read Pride and Prejudice, and got partway through Mansfield Park.
Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson - partway done
Paradise Lost by John Milton
Hugh Nibley
C.S. Lewis - I've read The Screwtape Letters, The Chronicles of Narnia, and part of Mere Christianity.
Shakespeare
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
J.D. Salinger
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Don Quixote de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
Siddhartha
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
The Tortilla Curtain by T.C. Boyle
Real Enemies by Kathryn S. Olmsted
The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux - check!
Women of Genesis series by Orson Scott Card - I've read Sarah and a couple chapters of Rebekah.
Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
The Princess Bride by William Goldman
Dickens
Percy Jackson & the Olympians series by Rick Riordan
Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson
Tamora Pierce - I remember really liking some of her series when I was in middle school.
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
Kate DiCamillo
Also, books to own someday:
A collection by G.K. Chesterton
Madeleine L'Engle's series "A Wrinkle in Time"
More suggestions:
http://mckayalumni.byu.edu/s/1085/09-education/index.aspx?sid=1085&gid=10&pgid=4984
I have also written notes to myself to check out Lynn Kurland, Rachel Hartman, Diane Stanley, Helen Epstein (Where She Came From), Elie Wiesel (The Trial of God), Murasaki Shikibu (The Tale of Genji), and Parker Palmer (Let Your Life Speak). I think those authors had caught my eye while walking through a bookstore, and the names have been sitting in my phone ever since. I'll need to google them sometime and see if they're any good. A friend also recommended: Austenland series by Shannon Hale and Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare.
Quick Update
First, I got 100% on Friday's test!!!!!! The scores were adjusted so that the 3rd-highest score became 100%, so I don't know what my raw score actually was. Life often seems unfair, but I'm really grateful for this injustice. Holy cow. I hope the rest of my classmates did just as well.
Hershey's Bliss Creme de Menthe chocolates are one of the best candies ever. Well done, Hershey's.
We visited a neighbor on Saturday, and she was really happy to see us! Yay for making friends.
Inspired by a couple acquaintances, I decided to celebrate Valentine's Day for the first two weeks of the month by making a valentine for my husband every day. I wasn't able to make it in time for yesterday, and I don't know if I'll be able to today, but I've made a heart-shaped pouch out of red felt for the first three days with a note folded up inside. I'll try to take a picture of all 14 hearts on Valentine's Day (provided I can make all of them). Because I know my husband, I suggested that on Valentine's Day we redistribute the hearts and give them to others instead of keeping them for ourselves. We'll see how that goes.
We've been more social lately, attending dinner and hosting dinner with various degrees of prior planning. It's been really fun. We also went to a movie night with a couple friends from my study abroad and watched Laputa: Castle in the Sky (a Miyzaki film).
On Sunday I was helping a friend with her baby during church, and one of the moms told me that I was "a natural." Awesome :) It's been about a decade since I had everyday contact with babies, and I feel super rusty.
Yesterday I spent all of my not-in-class time reading The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux. I had no idea that it was a novel before a musical, and it was an extremely interesting narrative. Leroux's professional experience was mostly as a journalist, and he compiled this novel from actual events and his imagination, so the story feels true and logical as you read. Raoul and Christine are frightened and impetuous children to me (especially Raoul in the book), but the depth and complexity of the other characters was intriguing.
So busy!!! Time to get back to work.
**And I need to add Howl's Moving Castle to my book list. I kind of want to add The Phantom of the Opera too just so I can cross off a classic.
Hershey's Bliss Creme de Menthe chocolates are one of the best candies ever. Well done, Hershey's.
We visited a neighbor on Saturday, and she was really happy to see us! Yay for making friends.
Inspired by a couple acquaintances, I decided to celebrate Valentine's Day for the first two weeks of the month by making a valentine for my husband every day. I wasn't able to make it in time for yesterday, and I don't know if I'll be able to today, but I've made a heart-shaped pouch out of red felt for the first three days with a note folded up inside. I'll try to take a picture of all 14 hearts on Valentine's Day (provided I can make all of them). Because I know my husband, I suggested that on Valentine's Day we redistribute the hearts and give them to others instead of keeping them for ourselves. We'll see how that goes.
We've been more social lately, attending dinner and hosting dinner with various degrees of prior planning. It's been really fun. We also went to a movie night with a couple friends from my study abroad and watched Laputa: Castle in the Sky (a Miyzaki film).
On Sunday I was helping a friend with her baby during church, and one of the moms told me that I was "a natural." Awesome :) It's been about a decade since I had everyday contact with babies, and I feel super rusty.
Yesterday I spent all of my not-in-class time reading The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux. I had no idea that it was a novel before a musical, and it was an extremely interesting narrative. Leroux's professional experience was mostly as a journalist, and he compiled this novel from actual events and his imagination, so the story feels true and logical as you read. Raoul and Christine are frightened and impetuous children to me (especially Raoul in the book), but the depth and complexity of the other characters was intriguing.
So busy!!! Time to get back to work.
**And I need to add Howl's Moving Castle to my book list. I kind of want to add The Phantom of the Opera too just so I can cross off a classic.
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Mild Epiphany
I am a writer.
Work and practice will make me an effective, powerful writer; living a full, invested life will give me interesting and meaningful things to write about. I think I can still say that, in my present state, I am a writer.
I don't remember writing much on my own in elementary school, but I've kept journals, notebooks, and blogs almost religiously since middle school. Most of my outside-of-school writing has been autobiographical free writes, but I've written creative poetry on and off for years and explored a couple different ideas for novels. I write to think, to reflect, to vent, to describe, to record, to share, to entertain. It's more than just a hobby: writing is an important part of who I am and what I do.
What does this epiphany mean? I want to become a better writer, and I would love for it to be part of whatever I do in life. How this will happen, I don't know yet. There are things more important to me than writing--it's by no means an exclusive definition--but it's nice to understand part of myself a little better and to thus have a more informed idea for which job and career opportunities I'm well-suited for.
Work and practice will make me an effective, powerful writer; living a full, invested life will give me interesting and meaningful things to write about. I think I can still say that, in my present state, I am a writer.
I don't remember writing much on my own in elementary school, but I've kept journals, notebooks, and blogs almost religiously since middle school. Most of my outside-of-school writing has been autobiographical free writes, but I've written creative poetry on and off for years and explored a couple different ideas for novels. I write to think, to reflect, to vent, to describe, to record, to share, to entertain. It's more than just a hobby: writing is an important part of who I am and what I do.
What does this epiphany mean? I want to become a better writer, and I would love for it to be part of whatever I do in life. How this will happen, I don't know yet. There are things more important to me than writing--it's by no means an exclusive definition--but it's nice to understand part of myself a little better and to thus have a more informed idea for which job and career opportunities I'm well-suited for.
Friday, February 1, 2013
Week 4
Well, it's been another week, this one with some mixed success.
Socially, I've done a lot better. My husband and I have met a few other couples that live nearby, and we've had a couple dinner dates this week. I get to hang out with one of my best girl friends for an hour or so each day. And I changed my work schedule so it's more compatible with my classes, so I also get to work with more of my friends; it's much less stressful than last week.
Scholastically, let's see...
Audiology 1: Keeping up so far! Everything has been turned in, and thus far, I have a 96% in the class.
Audiology 2: We have a t---
About 2 hours ago, I realized that the audiology I test was about to write about was being handed out in approximately 30 minutes. And I hadn't studied a single thing. I crammed through the class study guide and finished just before the test was handed out. I'm a fast test-taker, partly because if I don't know the answer, that's not going to change no matter how long I stare at the question, and I just move on; I think I was the first person to hand the test in today. I felt remarkably good about this test though, especially considering how long I studied for it.
In other words, Audiology 2 isn't doing too badly.
Family History: Sometimes it feels like our class time just crawls by because I want to "get to the good stuff," which I think we'll get to on Monday. I haven't done any research this week, so maybe that could be a goal for the weekend. On Saturday we're going to drive to meet a distant relative of my husband's who has been working on his genealogy, so that's not part of my classwork, but it contributes to the big picture. We would also like to drive up to my grandparents' house sometime to spend time with them and hopefully scan some original documents while we're there.
Speech: After I missed the last assignment, I wanted to make sure I was on the ball for the third one, so I submitted it right after class. Score for not procrastinating! I still haven't watched any of the online lectures since the first week of class; I need to just sit down and do it sometime. I just looked at the class calendar, and it looks like we have another reading quiz next week and our first midterm the week after that.
Speaking of checking the calendar, I looked at the calendar for the Audiology 1 class, and it appears as though I need to complete a lab this weekend. Also good to know.
Writing: I'm definitely not caught up yet in this class. This week we submitted our portfolios for the project that I was only in class for the latter half of; that's almost behind me now. After submitting my portfolio, I emailed my professor and apologized for being late to class every day and bringing sub-par work, and expressed to her that I really do respect her as a teacher and appreciate the things she's teaching us, and that I'm resolving my conflict with class and work schedules and trying to do better. I really don't want to make a bad impression in the first 2 weeks of her class. She responded and said not to worry. Then various things happened that prevented me from being prepared for class on Thursday, so I just didn't go because I was embarrassed to bring a blank piece of paper to another peer review. Thanks to my friend in class, I did get the preparatory reading done for Thursday though. It appears as though another writing assignment is due next class, so I'll need to find out what it is.
I went through the Independent Study catalog this week and marked classes which I thought were interesting. Last week, I talked to the people in "Continuing Education" to discuss options, and at the moment, it looks like evening classes may be my best bet while we live close to campus. I don't know yet; we'll see. After marking up the catalog, most of the classes I want to pursue are writing and family history classes, so *hopefully, hopefully, hopefully* whatever direction my life takes after graduation, I'll somehow be able to keep learning, working, and progressing in those areas.
In quick reflection, I realized that this blog is actually, really helping me to keep better track of deadlines. I only review a past week at a time, and I've been really lucky that my friends have helped remind me of immediate deadlines in between, but I'm looking ahead more often and slowly making progress. What still looks like clods of dirt to everyone else is proving to be obscure and dingy but valuable ore for me. Someday it might be special.
Socially, I've done a lot better. My husband and I have met a few other couples that live nearby, and we've had a couple dinner dates this week. I get to hang out with one of my best girl friends for an hour or so each day. And I changed my work schedule so it's more compatible with my classes, so I also get to work with more of my friends; it's much less stressful than last week.
Scholastically, let's see...
Audiology 1: Keeping up so far! Everything has been turned in, and thus far, I have a 96% in the class.
Audiology 2: We have a t---
About 2 hours ago, I realized that the audiology I test was about to write about was being handed out in approximately 30 minutes. And I hadn't studied a single thing. I crammed through the class study guide and finished just before the test was handed out. I'm a fast test-taker, partly because if I don't know the answer, that's not going to change no matter how long I stare at the question, and I just move on; I think I was the first person to hand the test in today. I felt remarkably good about this test though, especially considering how long I studied for it.
In other words, Audiology 2 isn't doing too badly.
Family History: Sometimes it feels like our class time just crawls by because I want to "get to the good stuff," which I think we'll get to on Monday. I haven't done any research this week, so maybe that could be a goal for the weekend. On Saturday we're going to drive to meet a distant relative of my husband's who has been working on his genealogy, so that's not part of my classwork, but it contributes to the big picture. We would also like to drive up to my grandparents' house sometime to spend time with them and hopefully scan some original documents while we're there.
Speech: After I missed the last assignment, I wanted to make sure I was on the ball for the third one, so I submitted it right after class. Score for not procrastinating! I still haven't watched any of the online lectures since the first week of class; I need to just sit down and do it sometime. I just looked at the class calendar, and it looks like we have another reading quiz next week and our first midterm the week after that.
Speaking of checking the calendar, I looked at the calendar for the Audiology 1 class, and it appears as though I need to complete a lab this weekend. Also good to know.
Writing: I'm definitely not caught up yet in this class. This week we submitted our portfolios for the project that I was only in class for the latter half of; that's almost behind me now. After submitting my portfolio, I emailed my professor and apologized for being late to class every day and bringing sub-par work, and expressed to her that I really do respect her as a teacher and appreciate the things she's teaching us, and that I'm resolving my conflict with class and work schedules and trying to do better. I really don't want to make a bad impression in the first 2 weeks of her class. She responded and said not to worry. Then various things happened that prevented me from being prepared for class on Thursday, so I just didn't go because I was embarrassed to bring a blank piece of paper to another peer review. Thanks to my friend in class, I did get the preparatory reading done for Thursday though. It appears as though another writing assignment is due next class, so I'll need to find out what it is.
I went through the Independent Study catalog this week and marked classes which I thought were interesting. Last week, I talked to the people in "Continuing Education" to discuss options, and at the moment, it looks like evening classes may be my best bet while we live close to campus. I don't know yet; we'll see. After marking up the catalog, most of the classes I want to pursue are writing and family history classes, so *hopefully, hopefully, hopefully* whatever direction my life takes after graduation, I'll somehow be able to keep learning, working, and progressing in those areas.
In quick reflection, I realized that this blog is actually, really helping me to keep better track of deadlines. I only review a past week at a time, and I've been really lucky that my friends have helped remind me of immediate deadlines in between, but I'm looking ahead more often and slowly making progress. What still looks like clods of dirt to everyone else is proving to be obscure and dingy but valuable ore for me. Someday it might be special.
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