Week #36: The Beginning of the End.

My 2016

Week #36

The Beginning of the End.

I realize this title is a bit depressing, but as my first week of school has progressed, I've quickly become aware of the end looming ahead of me. I'm starting my second year of grad school, and with that comes a whirlwind of comp exams, job interviews and graduation.

Then just like that...it's over. Two years in Louisiana, done.

But I'm trying not to focus on that right now. There's so many other things to worry about.

This past week has been pretty crazy. With the beginning of a school year comes:

Running around campus with paperwork to be filled out,

A plethora of new graduate students to keep from having panic attacks, 

And my own personal level of stress to deal with. 

This quarter is turning out to be no different from any of my previous ones. The class I'm teaching is filled to the brim (literally, 45 students) with college kids staring at me, waiting for me to say something worthwhile. We've only had one class and it lasted 17 minutes...(before you judge, I just went over the syllabus. That's what you do the first day, right?) Anyway, I'm hoping that as the weeks progress they will loosen up, I will become more comfortable being myself in front of them, and eventually we will be able to have an enjoyable experience together. 

My classes are going to be great, but extremely challenging and time consuming. I knew that going in, but when one homework assignment is to draw 3 different doors in my sketchbook, my heart goes into overdrive and I want to panic. Drawing of ANY kind is NOT my strong suit, and this Scenic Design class just might kill me. My Grad Directing class will be wonderful because I love directing, but the homework load is pretty intense. 

Combine all of that with

my own class lecture work,

grading papers and tests,

working in the Recruitment office everyday,

hopefully Tartuffe rehearsals every night,

trying to work out a few days a week,

and get enough sleep on a regular basis while still maintaining a sliver of a social life............

Let's be real, there will be no social life. 

Yesterday was Saturday, and I spent eight hours doing homework. I'm not even joking a little. It gave me a good idea of what to expect for the next 9 weeks.

Let's settle in, year two. It's gonna be a doozy.