allielujah | Entries tagged with school related

It's been a long time since I"ve logged onto this and I find I can only hit "previous" on my friends list once, leaving me with oh so few updates. But I'll spend my time journal hopping and catching up. I need something to kill some time (plus, I miss dreamwidth).

I completed the fall semester with 5 A's and 1 B. I'm rather pleased, though the B was from a class I was not expecting to receive a B in. Ah well. Only a few more weeks until the new semester; I'm excited and nervous. I'm taking biology, and I just plain suck at science classes on a college level. And I'm taking an anthropology course that I've been advised by other students to not take. The professor is horrendous, from their reviews. I'm not dropping it though. I'd rather take anthropology than sociology.

Tomorrow, after Maxwell gets off from work, we'll be heading up to his mother's house and staying the night. Around lunch on Christmas day we'll be heading my mom and step-dad's house and celebrate with them. It should be good times.

Maxwell is currently passed out on the other couch while I sit on the computer, watching The House Bunny on Netflix (because why not?) and knitting in the semi-dark. I want to finish this scarf for his mom but my arms are killing me. I'm a little less than half way done. I could complete it...if my arms and hands would allow it.

What else? People suck, for no real reason other than I cannot stand them. I like being a loner.

I'm rather certain that is a complete up-to-date on my life. I'm a boring individual but I love it.

Current Mood: in pain

Why do I always seem to feel the worse, health-wise, on days when I cannot skip? I'm feeling incredibly ill but tomorrow is my long day. I have a presentation in the morning, a sign language test and my other night class that I missed two weeks ago, so I cannot miss again.

I'm ready for the end of the semester, I think that what it all boils down to. Two weeks of classes and one day of finals away. Hot damn, it's exciting.

The though of sitting down and actually writing an entry baffles my mind anymore. It isn't that I don't have things to write about. I think it's mostly that blogging has currently lost its appeal to me. Hopefully this can change eventually. I have such few hobbies as it is, I would hate to lose one.

Quick updates, in the form of bulletins. Cause that is how I roll.

SCHOOL
- Seems to be going okay. I'm not doing outstandingly well in any of my classes, but I'm not failing either. I'm pulling an A so far in sign language and art appreciation. I'm not sure about my library science grade, but I think it is okay. I participate and turn everything in on time, so it shouldn't be too hard to pull an A. I'm not sure about my practicum grade, but I do like the class I visit during the week a lot. The kids and the teachers are all great and I'm told I'm doing okay. Hopefully I'll continue to do well. We had our first test in my parental guidance class earlier this week. I do not think I did well at all; I skipped Wednesday when we were supposed to find out our grades. I wasn't feeling well, but I think this was mostly due to me being so nervous over the results. I'm still not feeling all that well, though.
JOB HUNTING
- Horrible. Simply horrible. I put in an application at a photo center, was told I'd get a call the following Monday to set up an interview. Monday came and went with no call. As did Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday.... Then Friday I was so fed up I called every day care in town to see if they were hiring. None were when I called but a few said they would be in the next month or so. So I went to grab applications and stopped by the photo center to see if they were still interested. The associate told me the district manager had all of the apps and would be calling people soon. This was about two weeks ago. Still no call. And I regret never turning in those day care apps now. I found some places hiring cashiers today. I'm going to go grab applications this weekend and turn them in. Maybe one of them will pull through.
PHOTOGRAPHY
- My first gallery show came and went. It was neat to see my stuff up on a wall, but at the same time kind of a let down. My stuff was the smallest of everything hung up (the rest were mostly paintings and blown up [and amazing] photography pieces) and just didn't seem to compare to the others. This could just be me being all blah about my own talent (or lack there of), though. I was told by a few people that they really liked my stuff. Maybe someone will buy something eventually. They'll be on display till mid-November, which is pretty cool. Hopefully I'll be able to put more stuff up another time.
- The show was fun. Though my ex was there which made me somewhat uncomfortable. Maxwell too, really. And when his friends starting showing up, I just wanted to leave. I had no one there in support of me other than my family, until some of my old co-workers showed up. But they showed up right when we were leaving (mom and my step-dad had to drive back home that night so we couldn't stay long). I'm glad they showed up though.
- I have my first engagement photo session next week! I'm getting paid for it and everything! Not a lot but I don't think I have the right to charge a lot, anyway. It should be fun. I graduated with the girl and we have been messaging back and forth for months about doing something. She asked me to photograph her wedding and as much as I want to, I've never photographed a wedding before so I'm not sure I'm the best person to ask. I told her if she trusted me, I would gladly do it but I don't expect it to happen. It would be quite badass, though.
KNITTING
- I'm starting to get into the habit on working on all my projects at least a little every night. I finished my mother's scarf for her birthday and my nephew's scarf for Christmas. I really need to work on my niece's some more but I lost my copy of the pattern. I'll try to remember to print off another copy while on campus next week. I'm also working on a scarf for my grandmother, a scarf for a friend of Maxwell's and a scarf for me. I found a skein of yarn earlier this week that I just fell in love with and while I don't really need a scarf, I'm loving how this one is turning out. After I finish my internet stuff, I'm going to get a start on Maxwell's mother's afghan. I finally found a pattern that I feel comfortable with. It involves sewing, unfortunately, but Maxwell said he'd teach me how so we can work on it together. I wanted to do one with no sewing, but it was just daunting.
- For $5, someone from a yarn store in town is going to work with me for an hour to help me learn how to knit hats! I need to call and set the appointment but I'm hoping to know how within the next two weeks. I'm so excited. I've been promising Maxwell hats since I taught myself to knit.
BIRTHDAY
- My birthday was this past Tuesday and it was so much fun. I stayed home from my class, ended up having to call out of my practicum due to car crappiness, bought a lot of yarn, went to the cinema to see Toy Story 1 and 2 in 3D (which was so badass) and went out to eat at Chili's. Maxwell also surprised me with cupcakes (dark chocolate cake, some with white icing and some with purple-pink icing), balloons (SpongeBob, purple, grey and pink) and Rocky Horror on DVD. I wasn't expecting anything, so it was a great surprise. I almost cried. We have only one cupcake left. Man, they're addicting.

And lots of other things I'm forgetting, I'm sure. Like I said, my brain just isn't in it, as much as I want it to be.

Current Mood: exhausted

Classes started back on Monday. I didn’t have a class until 10:10, which led me to believe I could sleep in. This, though, was a completely ridiculous thought. After driving around for about thirty minutes in the parking lot on the side of campus that is the home to my Monday/Wednesday classes, I finally said forget it and drove to the other side of campus. That, truly, was still an adventure and I was only able to quit the journey after creeping behind a girl who (I had hoped) was walking to her car to leave. Thank goodness that was what happened; I’m not sure what I would have done otherwise.

Even with all of that experience, I still had at least twenty minutes before class started, so I was able to relax in the LRC, though I spent quite a bit of that time wishing I still had my job instead of relaxing like the plan was.

My first class was my children with special needs class. It’s my first practicum and my first time working with children with special needs, so the idea of it makes me rather nervous. The two classes this week have gone well, though. (I say two though I suppose it is technically four, since the lecture class and the practicum class are separate classes, one right after the other.

Then I get a break, which found my back at the LRC where I tried to eat lunch, though I was still all nervous over first day back to classes. It’s so odd to me that, at twenty-two, I still get nervous before school starts. I would like to hope that feeling would just eventually go away.

My next class should go well. It’s parental guidance and we’ll be talking a lot about different ways to discipline kids and I could really use help in that matter. The reason I ended my nannying gig was because I could never get control over them. Granted, that family is going through an incredibly rough patch right now which is the reason behind the children constantly head-butting me throughout every detail. While I understand that, I just could not return to just end up crying before I left. But that really has nothing to do with my classes, so I’ll quit the side note.

I had this professor last spring and loved her. Her classes are interesting and the work is easy. As long as you do the work, you’ll do well. Plus, she’s adorable.

Mondays are my late days, with classes from 10:10 AM till 9:30 PM. While I hate that I’m on campus so much, I greatly enjoy my two Monday only classes so I’m hoping that knowledge will help me get over the “being on campus all day” ughness.

The first of those two classes is sign language and I already love it. I know one person in there, which is cool. We have to know how to count to ten and our alphabet in sign language by our next meeting. I have the counting down but I keep forgetting a letter or two. I haven’t really looked over it too much, though, since our next meeting isn’t until the 14th. (Speaking of the 14th, I have my first test that day. And another one later that week. Why are they giving tests out so early this semester?)

My last class on Mondays is my library science course. It’s over young adult literature and seems like it will be really interesting. We have to read 10 books, 5 of our choosing. With each book, we have to do a little scrapbook page that describes the book. We can take images out of the book for decorations and include a short synapsis or a book review. I’m all excited about the whole deal.

In all of those classes, though, I have to give a presentation of some sort. In my children with special needs class, a partner and I will be discussing ADHD. For my final in sign language, I have to sign along to a song or a children’s book. Sign language, in general, will probably have me in front of the class more often than I would like. While I like my classes, this messes with my head a lot and makes me dread them slightly to a lot, depending. I need to get over the public speaking fear, I suppose.

My only Tuesday/Thursday class is art appreciation. It’s in a horrible lecture hall with completely uncomfortable seating. But the teacher seems nice and at least I’m greatly interested in the subject matter. I have about an hour, actually, till I need to head over there so I can find a descent spot. We have six exams in there (the first in two weeks), so I’m hoping I can do well and pull an A out of this class to substitute the D I have from a previous class. I hate that I have to take this class again just because I skipped so often the first time. We only had two exams, one I received an A on, the other a B. But I forgot she took points off for not attending lecture. But at least I’m not a skipper anymore. Unless it’s my birthday, but that should be everyone’s right.

This schedule is tiring right now. I know I’ll get used to it eventually, but I’m just so worn out from being on campus all day and having so much information thrown into my head. I had a migraine on Monday and Tuesday from all of it, but things went better yesterday so here’s to hoping that continues.

And while I won’t be partaking in NaBloPoMo this month, I will try to make a better habit of updating. I miss the blogosphere, I truly do. I just need to figure out this new routine. And have a week that doesn’t have my and Maxwell going to his mother’s house or my mom and step-dad coming down to give us their old living room set. On another note, I love his mother greatly and enjoy her visits and our living room looks awesome now and not mushed together. So while these things are incredibly awesome, I need a weekend where I don’t do anything. We’re going back to his mother’s this weekend though so I gotta wait a little while longer before that will happen.

Current Mood: incredibly tired
Current Location: LRC

I really need to get to bed. I have to be up around 7 to get ready to drive to Gallatin for an emissions test. Maxwell is being sweet and lovely and taking the boring trip with me. Mom is going to meet us afterwards and treat us to lunch while also (hopefully) giving me my excess aid since I never got around to fixing the direct deposit to go into my account instead of hers.

Saturday, then, shall be a school shopping extravaganza. I need to get some nicer shirts and some dress pants to professionalize my wardrobe for future practicum ughness. And some hair dye to normal up my appearance. I'm going to greatly miss my red hair but I'll hopefully be able to bring it back after finals. I shouldn't have any teaching related classes in the spring. I'll be too busy with sign language two, photography, biology and literature to even think about adding one, truly. We'll see, though; I always feel I can add one more class to my schedule.

My mother's birthday scarf is complete! Now I just need to find some gorgeous frames for some (more) recent pictures I've taken and her gift will be complete. I have the majority of the next month to get that all situated, though. I'm now working on scarf number two out of fourteen. Actually, fifteen now. One of Maxwell's friends was over here the other night and asked if she paid me, if I would make her one. I told her to just purchase whatever yarn she wanted and I would work it in. I need to get started on those blankets soon. My first big project and I'm doing two of them at once. Oh me.

I finally got a knitting question answered, so I can also get to work on scarf number three soon. Now if I can just find someone to help me figure out circular needles, then I'll be set. Except I'll want to add more projects to my seventeen project long list. I'm not overwhelmed like I maybe should be; I'm rather excited.

Though knitting has taken over my reading hobby. I'm slowly reading Pride and Prejudice for the first time, mostly due to my interest in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. I'm also still working on Anna Karenina, which I'll honestly say I am more into but cannot completely dive into for some reason. I might not complete the reading challenges I put myself up to a month or so ago at this rate. Maybe I can turn it around, though.

Weather permitting, Saturday will show us getting rid of this not-matching, crappy furniture and inheriting my mother's couch and chaise lounge, which color-wise matches our other actually comfy couch. It's going to make me feel more like an adult and less like a college student who will take any free furniture she can get her hands on. We finally got a new TV. It's rather big, most definitely bigger than any TV I have ever owned. And Maxwell's mother gave us a comforter that she bought and never used. It's gold and brown with this floral like design. I hate saying it's floral, but I'm not sure what else to call it. It's amazingly comfortable. We just need to get some sheets that match it. And pillows that fit in the pillow shams, then I will really feel like an adult.

Granted, a bed frame would probably help with that as well.

Current Mood: sleepy and talkative

Yesterday, I received the new that I will not have work study this year due to budge cuts. No email, no phone call, nothing when they first found out. It instead took me going down there for another reason, then just thinking to ask, and for her to tell me. And ultimately ruin my day, for at least a couple of hours.

I dislike going to financial aid anyway due to the fact the receptionists are always rude and always look mad. I understand that they deal with incompetent and rude people all day, every day. That does not give them the right, though, to immediately act mad at every person who walks in there. No one wants to go in there that I know of, and it has nothing to do with the time it takes, the ridiculousness of the things we have to do, the tediousness of it. It all boils down to their rude, pissed off faces, their short comments and the fact that they look at you with such distaste just for walking in there.

After hearing my news, I made it to the elevator before I started crying. I sat in my car for ten minutes crying, texting the few people I knew weren't busy so I could complain. I went to my nanny job about an hour early just because I could not stand going home. I called Maxwell at work and told him.

I immediately felt useless. The daycare job I had lined up also has fallen through (maybe not, but it was supposed to open last week but nothing has yet to happen), so this was just another blow. I finally found a job I love, though, through this work study and now...it's just gone. Now, I'm back at square one and have to go around and beg for jobs. I'm going to go by my old daycare job and see if I could just get at least ten hours a week. I'm going to put up ads around the university center declaring my Awesome Babysitter status.

Maybe I can get some paid photography gigs, though I'm sure that's me just wishing and hoping.

I'm sure it will be okay. I'm feeling better about it all today. It was just such a huge blow and, frankly, I was more upset over the fact that it took me asking to be informed of this news.

On another note, I purchased a cross stitch yesterday from Hobby Lobby. It was a $2 one, so supposedly simple but it's been so long since I've done one, I'm almost confused. I'm going to look up a youtube video and refresh my memory. It's an adorable hedgehog holding a balloon.

I purchased it because I found some pin-up cross stitch patterns that I desperately wish to make and hang up around the house. But I know I need so much practice. So I'm going to continue buying these $2 ones, then gradually go up until I feel ready to take on the pin-up one. Plus, I really really needed a new craft endeavor. My knitting has put itself on hold. I cannot seem to pick it back up again, though I will get over that eventually. I hope at least.

Current Mood: blah

I failed my geology lab final. I'm upset yet not by this. My midterm grade was high enough that I can still pull a B for my overall grade, depending on how well the lecture final went today. I'm mostly upset, though, because I was so certain I did better than an F. I was informed today I was one of four people to fill out one of the sections incorrectly, automatically missing ten questions. I'm so upset with myself for becoming so overwhelmed that I couldn't remember to do something so simple.

But what's done is done. Now, I just have to sit and wait and constantly hit refresh until the page reloads with new information.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: tired

I made the highest grade on our second geology lecture exam. It wasn’t a great grade, but the highest nonetheless. And over ten points higher than what I made on my last lecture exam, so needless to say, I’m rather tickled over it. We have the lab final tomorrow, which will hopefully not go as badly as I think it might. There’s a study group tonight that I’m going to attend. Maybe someone can fill me in on the notes I have seem to have misplaced with all the mathematical formulas on it. If not, tomorrow might be a horrid day. At least it’s our last lecture, leaving a final for Friday. I cannot express how thoroughly thrilled I am to be able to see my end point.

I’ve contemplated another major change, this time to speech pathology. Its major con though is lack of said major at the university I currently attend. Meaning, if I were to make the change, we would have to move.

I’m greatly worried about not being able to find a job in the educational system when I complete college. This past year, every first-year teacher in my county was pink slipped. That doesn’t make me feel any less worried about it. So I began to think up other things I want to do, in the hopes of getting two degrees instead of the one. Nothing I am interested in, though, is offered here.

I had some high hopes about the speech pathology path since a community college that has a campus here offers an associate’s degree in sign language. I had thought I could figure out a way to get both degrees. But none of those classes are offered at the campus in my town.

And, if I remember my research correctly, jobs related to sign language will require a four, not two, year degree by the time I’d be able to graduate. Ultimately, it seems kind of pointless. The two year degree, at least.

I’m still contemplating the change and Maxwell is all for me considering it. We both think I’d greatly enjoy it and he seemed rather gung-ho about it when I first brought it up. I was lucky enough to be able to drop my biology class this fall and sign up for sign language. I’m hoping my outcome in that class will help guide me into the right direction.

Adding that class to my course load, though, has left me with being in class from 10:10 in the morning to 9:25 at night on Mondays. I have two classes that only meet on Mondays, one being the sign language course, the other a library science course. Neither of which I want to drop because they’re going to be my fun ones. The rest of my week isn’t as busy, though, so I’m thinking it won’t be too bad.

I’ll be doing my practicum as well, mostly on Fridays since I have no classes that day. I’ll also have to put in a work study schedule and, if things go as plan, a day care work schedule.

So, I am going to be an incredibly busy person this upcoming fall but I’m not dreading it at all. As I stated before, the classes that have added to my busyness are ones I’m very interested in taking. I’m going to have to set a rather strict schedule, though, when it comes to homework. Getting behind cannot be an option this semester. But I am a slacker by nature, so it will occur at some point.

( And it continues. )

Current Mood: ecstatic

I missed posting yesterday thanks to the horrific weather and not being able to get a connection. I should have tried to get a post in while I was still on campus and the internet was most definitely more stable than the one I use at home, but c'est la vie. I'm ready to drop the blogging project for this month, anyway. I truly need to get back into writing in my paper journal. It's been months, I'm sure, since I have even looked at it.

Maybe I'll try to work on actual writing instead of typing later today once the kiddos I watch have fallen asleep.

I made a 63 on my lab final. With his set 70 class average, my grade was brought up to an 85. Which is an A, by his standards. Thank goodness for curves, I do say. I might somehow pull an A out of this course. Unfortunately, I won't feel smart from it; just incredibly lucky and thankful for his guidelines.

Project 365 is goin' good. I haven't really taken any shots this week I'm proud of, but at least I'm taking some. I've started my own community on here (I'll post a link and whatnot when I get everything completed) combining the 100_snapshots community on LiveJournal (with permission) and the 365 project. I'm forming together a list of 365 words. The challenge is to choose one of those words a day and photograph your interpretation of it. Since I've already started my 365 project, and I most definiately do not want to start over, I'm tempted to either:

A) Merge the two. Meaning, from now on I'll only use the list to take a picture that day and will go a few days over my 365 project to finish the list

or

B) Continue my 365 project as I am AND do the 365 list project at the same time, no merging whatsoever

I feel like I'm cheating, in a sense, if I go with A but I'm not sure how motivated I am to do B. At the same time, a goal of mine is to become more motivated, which makes B the one I should probably do.

I have about 1/3 of the list completed. I'm going to work on it some tonight, most likely, after the kids are asleep and I've finished some of my homework. Then either tonight or tomorrow, I'm going to go through and make sure there are not any repeats or any that just do not seem possible. I plan on having the list posted on Sunday at the very latest and I plan on getting started on it probably that Monday. I'm hoping I can get other people involved; I know it will take a while, but I'm afraid it will be hard for me to be motivated without others joining in. I've asked a friend of mine to join, if nothing else just to keep me company. I might also see if MaxWell would be interested in partaking.

The geek in me is excited to be in charge of a community again; I had a writing one years ago on livejournal. It never got huge or anything, but it was still a very fun experience. I need to find a new writing community in hopes of getting some form of inspiration. MaxWell is working on a story currently, leaving me with jealous feelings. I want to having something to work on, as well. But I unlike him am braindead and continously shoot down any form of a story idea when it enters my head.

Maybe that's my problem.

Another goal: The next time I get a story idea, I'm going to just run with it, whether it is horrid or not. I need the practice.

Current Mood: busy

I'm about to head to the lab before the lab mid-term. We'll be going over our metamorphic rocks that might possibly be on our test Wednesday. I'm so dreading this. We have, total, seventy-five minerals and rocks that we're supposed to know and be able to identify. On the test, we'll have thirty-something in thirty-something boxes that are accompanied with two questions each that we have to answer in under two minutes, then we also have twenty-ish fill in the blank related questions after the sample part.

I'm realizing the small amount of names I actually know, let alone the characteristics of them. I passed the lecture test, but barely; I was fifth in the class, so it doesn't make me feel too bad about it. Hopefully the next exam will go at least somewhat better. And hopefully this lab exam will not go as horribly as I am imagining it will go.

I've spent fifteen to twenty dollars on getting pictures developed. I hate extra class expenses, especially when I am not expecting them at all.

Three more weeks, including this one. Then I've just got to figure out a way to make money so we can survive.

Last night, Maxwell fixed home-made French bread pizzas that were amazingly delicious. Dirty bought the ingredients so I could make cupcakes, which we greatly enjoyed. We're hopefully getting together later today to watch Zack and Miri Make a Porno. We're trying to catch Dirty up on some of the movies he has missed. It's a wonderful project.

But for now I must go try and learn about metamorphic rocks. Hopefully this will go well.

Current Mood: busy

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allielujah snapped

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Back to School

A general, random update.

Past the Playground.

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8/30

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December 2009

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