Tag: school

One Down – One To Go

by eileentroemel, posted in Life, Writing

Just finished my last science test, I’m done with one class.  Next I need to finish my paper – have all the data; now I just need to write.  I can take my school books back to the book rental.  I am half done and will work on the other one tomorrow night.
The end of this semester hasn’t been as bad as last semester when I was laid up.  It has in many ways been stressful and variable.  I sure didn’t expect to have to move Vicki just before the end of the semester.  I also didn’t expect to have to prep for the department to move either. 
Next I just have to write – this is never a hardship.  I already know at least two to four differences I want to talk about for my final project.  It is just a matter of sitting down and writing.  This will happen tomorrow night when Ken has gone to bed.  I can spend time writing about the sliding scale and so on.  I have a good section of it in my head – it is just a matter of getting it on paper.
Funny how it is a ten page paper that is due Thursday and I’ve not written a word about it.  I have it all in my head and I think once I start writing it will go quickly.  I’d love more time to develop more of my comparison, include more examples, research different genres, and so on but that isn’t going to happen.  I’m just going to have to be happy with what I have and get it done. 

Then I can take a week off and just do fun stuff like reading and crocheting.  After that a brief slacking period, I have to start my to-do list.  Although I will try to keep my to-do list in a more manageable size, unlike I’ve done in the past

End of Semester Craze Plus….

by eileentroemel, posted in Life

Vicki is moved and settled in to her new place.  She will start her new job Monday.  It was a long weekend of a lot of stress and work.  She has organizational things to do with her books and dishes but I think everything (or nearly) is unpacked.
This week has been crazy with move stuff at work and end of semester work stuff in addition to the culmination of my own classes.  Tuesday after a long work day I came home and finished off my last chapter of science.  I just have the last exam to do.  Wednesday I read part of the book and picked out stylistic things to write my paper on.  I wrote the rough draft and put it away.  Thursday morning I asked my chair if he had time to read it – he took the time.  He gave me GREAT feedback that I was able to use to refine my writing.  I turned in the paper on Thursday.  Now I just have to do my final project, which is a ten-page paper. 
This weekend will be working on that paper, bills, and sleeping.  I also have to finish a baby gift and work on the afghan for the grad gift.  I’m hoping to have a rough draft by mid-day on Sunday and then revise, revise, revise until Thursday when I have to go to class and turn it in. 
Once my classes are done, I’ll turn my free time to self-publishing the romance and meditations book.  I’ll also go back to working on my novel.  However, this summer I have a long list of things to crochet and write. 
If you’ve read my blog before you know my to-do list always outreaches my ability to get stuff done.  I plan to get a lot done including rearranging the house now that we no longer have kids or pets.  (pause to enjoy the thought)  I’m looking forward to having a quiet peaceful house.  No idea whether I’ll actually get that or not. 
I just have to get through the end of semester stuff and the move at work – then some of my sanity will return (if I had any to begin with). 

She Got IT!!!!!

by eileentroemel, posted in Life

Vicki got the job!  Friday she was bummed by the time 4:00pm rolled around because Indiana is Eastern Daylight Time it was close of business hours.  She hadn’t heard anything and was on the downward slope of “why haven’t they contacted me” and “I must not have gotten it.”

Yesterday we ran to do errands as we normally do on a pay week.  It was all about grocery shopping, UPS, and the pharmacy.  We got home and had lunch.  The whole day she didn’t check her email as she had been the whole week before. 

As we were getting ready to go to the open house for my niece who just moved back from Arizona (welcome back Cristi!), she checked her email, saw an email from the HR guy and figured she didn’t get the job.  Then she opened it and read the offer!!!

She laughed and cried all at once.  She was shaking with excitement.  I opened the netbook and logged into her email so we could read the offer.  It is a good offer and a good job.  I’m so happy for her and she is very excited. 

Yesterday – after the party – we came home and looked at apartment complexes.  Kelly and Dominic’s friend from Fort Wayne had very nicely sent us a list of good and bad complexes to look at.  We have a spreadsheet started and will call a couple of them today.  She will call and ask questions of the others on Monday as well as setting up appointments. 

With the end of the semester, Vicki’s move, and all the stuff going on at work I am going to be very busy over the next three weeks.  I am sure it will all get done but at the same time I am sure it will be crazy!  Crazy in the best possible way though!!!!

Swamped and a Tad Bit Overwhelmed

by eileentroemel, posted in Life

Today I am going to work early so I can accomplish a couple of tasks early before others come in.  We – the department I work in – are moving so there are a lot of details to deal with.  Registration starts today so not only do I have to register for classes today but I have to juggle all the questions and issues that will arise with registration.  Scheduling for Spring 14 starts today and we have several classes that have to get into high demand rooms, which is why I’m going in early.

In addition to these tasks, I have homework to read / review in order to gain a better understanding of one section and lab I did really poorly on.  I have a book to finish reading for tomorrow as well as comments for a debate in class we are allegedly having. 

When I get to work early, I plan to leave my door closed until I have the scheduling done.  I’ll have it unlocked but closed in the hopes no one sees I’m in so I can focus on the task at hand.  After the schedule is entered – at least the first swipe at it – I’ll register for classes and tackle my emails. 

People ask me all the time how I manage to do all that I do – I schedule it.  I woke up this morning with my alarm and started with I need to shower, dress, and then… it is just what I do in an effort to prepare myself for what needs to happen and hopefully not forget anything.  If I outline what needs to get done then it stays in my head and I try to work on those things.  Now to be honest there are a number of times that I don’t accomplish what is in my head because other things come up but I do the best I can to be organized and get things done. 

I have confidence that I will accomplish what I need to – both with work, school work, and home stuff.  It may not all happen today but it will happen – even if I have to put in extra time here and there. 

Balance

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Writing

One of the things I struggle with most is finding a balance in my life.  I’m either too focused on work, school, or whatever and forget to take time for me. 
This week I had a long to-do list for homework I wanted to get through.  It involved three chapters, videos, and labs for science, three books, excerpts and comments, paper, and final project for Prose Stylistics.  In addition to that I had a long list of crocheting I wanted to get done including three graduation gifts which are time consuming. 
For a change, I think I’ve found a balance (temporarily I’m sure).  Yesterday is a perfect example.  I spent four hours working on homework.  I finished (well all except a final read through) of my paper, read the last nine excerpts and wrote comments, and I worked on some comments for science.  This four-hour session was spent at my computer and by the time I was done my legs were bothering me. 
After I was done at the computer I took my science book with the intention of sitting in the recliner and reading.  Instead I watched some TV with Vicki and then took a nap.  After the nap I worked on crocheting a grad gift.  The rest of my day was spent either crocheting or enjoying my down time. 
This morning I am working on homework until Vicki comes back with our friend.  Then I will work on crocheting because they will be playing on the Wii and it is too distracting for me to do homework.  However, I can enjoy their company while I work on grad gifts.  I won’t have to feel guilty for the down time because I will be putting in some study time before they get here.  I may finish another chapter of science or just make progress on it.  I don’t know how far I’ll get but I know I will feel like I balanced out my day by working this way. 
Without a doubt, I will struggle with having balance, but for this past week, I can at least feel like I found some semblance of it during my vacation time.  My to-do list didn’t get done – either one of them – but I did make progress on both.  Maybe that is the point, especially for someone like me who always has too long of a to-do list, I got something done on both lists and made progress.

Spring Break

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting

The last couple of weeks have been busy with school.  It is now spring break.  Friday at work was very quiet and I was able to clear my desk and organize my tasks.  I made a list – of course – and got several things crossed off that list because it was so quiet. 
Next week I’m working two days and taking the other three off but that doesn’t mean I’m doing anything fun.  I have a long list of homework I need to get done including three chapters of science and a paper to write. 
I’m at that stage – I think most students and teachers are too – where I’m ready to be done with classes.  I have another six weeks but I’m just ready to be done with the classes and move on to the next set.  Part of my antsyness is that I only have two more classes to take. 
There is no week-long party for me over spring break.  I’m taking this weekend to relax and get some crocheting done.  I’m working and doing homework during the work week.  Then next weekend I’m working on more crocheting projects.  I have three graduation gifts to get finished.  After those are done – I have a few other projects I want to get done as well. 
I’ll also be taking a day to go to the orthopedic doctor to see about goo in my knees again.  They have really been bothering me so it is time to see what can be done in order to reduce the pain I’m in.  We also bought a new bed in the hopes that it will help both of us sleep better.  Our old bed was old and broken so we went out and got a new box spring and mattress.  Tonight will be the first night we sleep on it and I’m hoping for a really good night’s sleep.

Another To-Do List

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Life

Actually it is probably two or three to-do lists at this point.  I need one for the basement as we have a crack in our foundation and we need to clean it and get it prepped to get fixed.  I’m pretty sure that is a long list of cleaning and reorganizing things.  Then there is my school to-do list.  One of my professors is very organized and helpful, and the other, isn’t.  Of course I have a crochet / crafting list.  Last but certainly not least – I need to finish writing my grant so I can ask someone else to read it before I submit it.

I was working on my science homework and a friend told me I didn’t have to get it all done then.  I told her everything is SCHEDULED.  Yup I’m back to the schedule my life mode.  I didn’t actually finish the chapter I was working on but I came close.  I’ll try to finish it tonight when I get home.  I’ll also work on crocheting tonight. 

The weekend will be filled with editing my grant to get a “final” version.  I can edit until time ends so I will have to cut things off if I want to get it submitted in time.  I have a rough draft for the four sections I need but none of them are final.  I’d like to get that finished this weekend.

Aside from that task, I have homework.  Vicki also told me we have three sets of DVDs to get through so I’ll probably get a lot of crocheting done while we watch DVDs.  I also still have to finish that last lab.  In addition to the lab, I’d like to review the ones I already did to see if I can improve on them at all.  I’ve taken five quizzes (labs) and three of them have answers wrong.  We can take them twice so if I can figure out which ones I’ve done wrong, I can do them again and add points.  The professor takes the highest score so if I do worse it won’t hurt my grade.

I have my first science test next week and am a bit nervous about it.  The labs / quizzes are fairly straight forward.  I don’t know how the professor will be and it isn’t one of my better topics, which means I’m a bit nervous about it.  I’ll have to schedule (there is that word again) some study time for the exam. 

Sunday we will have a couple over to watch the Super Bowl.  I’ll likely crochet through all of the game as I’m not a fan.  The couple is fun though so I can have fun with them even if I don’t like what is on the TV. 

Hopefully I will cross off many things on my to-do list this weekend.  The more I get off the list the fewer items that will have to carry over to next week’s to-do list.  Some might say I’m obsessive about to-do lists but I say it is just good organization.

New Semester

by eileentroemel, posted in Life

Tuesday classes start for my new semester of school.  I’m feeling ambivalent about both of my classes.  I am taking Geography 120 – Weather and Climate and English 378 Prose Stylistics. 

Science is not my favorite topic.  I enjoy the ideas in science and the possibilities.  I’m not very good at the whole scientific learning.  As for the English class – I’m not really sure what it is about so I’m reserving my opinion on it.  I’m hoping it is a good class.

The nice thing about this semester is the science class is online so I can do it from home.  The English class is held in my building so I will be able to just take the elevator to the floor and go to class.  This makes getting to class much easier especially with the ambulatory issues I’ve been having.  Also it means Vicki doesn’t need to worry about coming back early from her volunteering to make sure I can get to class. 

Hopefully I will enjoy both classes.  It would be nice if I didn’t have a horribly stressful semester but you never know with classes.  The work may be extensive or there could be a variety of other issues to contend with.  I’m certainly not above whining about it either.  I’m just trying to go into this semester with a cautiously optimistic view point that I will do okay. 

Up until last semester I had a 4.0 in my classes for this degree.  Unfortunately I got an A- in my manuscript editing class which means my 4.0 is gone.  However, I’m hoping the science class won’t drag me down.  I’m still going to shoot for an A but I know this is a difficult subject for me. 

This semester I have six books.  One I was able to get one at the book rental.  I got four through Amazon because they were less expensive there.  I was going to get the last one through there as well but one of the comments made me nervous about buying it online.  The comment talked about getting the wrong version and it causing problems.  So I opted to get it from the university bookstore.  Vicki went yesterday to pick it up for me.  She couldn’t find it on the shelves and ended up asking.  They directed her to someone who asked her a ton of questions.  After she answered all the questions, the woman gave her the workbook for free.  I was very surprised as this book would have been $115.  By getting it free, it saves me lots of money.

Scheduling

by eileentroemel, posted in Life

People ask me how do I manage to stay ahead of my schedule.  I usually answer very confidently it is a matter of scheduling.  Generally, I figure out what I need to get done, schedule it, and then do it. 

Lately, I’ve not been as good at this.  I’ve been getting distracted by things not on my schedule.  This is sometimes good and sometimes not so good.  Here it is Sunday and I should have all my homework done.  I don’t.  I have several pages to read yet.  I likely won’t get to them.  This means the reading flows into my school week.  It is difficult for me to do homework during the week as I’m usually freaking exhausted after working and school.  If I don’t get the reading done then it will be next weekend.  This is of course a cascading problem because next weekend I have all this other reading to do. 

My distraction this week is editing.  I got a wonderful story from a friend and edited it.  He says he has 22 chapters and by the time I was done reading the prologue I just wanted the rest of it.  I also have been working on editing my own book.  I’m nearing the end of the first rounds of edits and am annoyed I was too tired to do more last night at midnight. 

My office is still a mess.  I don’t care so long as I can edit.  I am not any more organized than I was prior to the semester starting.  Mostly, I don’t care so long as I can edit. 

I may be a bit obsessed with editing right now.  It may be time to give myself a good kick in the bum and get back on schedule.  Or I may just need to finish the edits on the first manuscript in my series.  Ironically I’m dreaming about the story again.  It is stuck in my head and I just want to work on it and move forward – everything else be damned. 

First Week

by eileentroemel, posted in Uncategorized

The first week back with all the faculty and students was, in a word, chaotic.  It was exhausting just trying to keep up with all the people and I still had to go to classes. 

This semester I have two classes Manuscript Editing and Topics in Technical Writing – Grant Writing.  The Grant Writing class is interesting and I’m excited for.  The Manuscript Editing class is a lot of technique I think – grammar, punctuation, and technical information.  I think I will learn some from it but I’ll see how I feel about it as the class goes on.  After class on Tuesday, I’m going to have a conversation with the instructor to see how things go. 

Being a non-traditional student, I fall outside the norm in most things and I think this will be another class where that is the case.  I’ll see how it goes and hopefully it will help me be a better editor. 

The interesting thing is I’ve always said I don’t want to master anything but as I do more of the editing I find I do want to master this.  Is there a master’s degree down the line for me?  I don’t know.  I know that I enjoy – yup I said enjoy – learning about the grammatical part of writing. 

For me, though, I have to be careful about becoming too technically correct in my writing (for fiction)  because when you are extremely proper in your writing it sounds very formal.  This makes it less reader friendly. 

It is a matter of balancing things.  For the articles and non-fiction writing I want that correctness and formality but for fiction I want it more reader friendly.  Focusing on the end product is key and that will help me produce the best possible product.