A New Beginning

A great deal has happened since I last posted. I have a new job with new job duties, working to amicably end my marriage (long story), and I have already had to make adjustments in my class schedule since the semester began on January 13. This has been an illustration in "Blessed are they who are flexible, for they shall bend and not break." In each of the areas - school, work and marriage - the new year marks a new beginning . . . literally.

I am about a year away from graduating. I was originally supposed to graduate in the summer. Then I added a minor which pushed my graduation plans back to December of 2010. Now, due to family events, I have had to push that back the May of 2011. I told my boss I'd be there for a while. That's a good thing. Perhaps by the time I graduate, there will be a permanent spot for me in the department and I will have benefits and a tuition waiver.

What about my plans to go on to grad school? Those plans are up in the air. I may still go on to grad school - I have time. I can also go to school and work at the same time on campus. My only timetable with school is to finish my Bachelor's degree by next spring. After that, I have no definite timetable.

As a parent, I am used to being flexible. Little kids don't always want to fit into the boxes we make for them. Teenagers definitely don't fit into those boxes! I have learned that nothing is written in stone except that I love my children.

I am now a "Communications Specialist I" with the department and have been charged with putting together the annual report. This is quite an undertaking for someone who is working full time, much less someone who is in school full time and working part time on it. I dropped HIST 470 and added HIST 474. Both classes meet on Tuesday and Thursday. It took me 20 minutes into the class on Thursday to understand what the professor was saying in HIST 470. Then she went into so much detail about her grading, the projects, etc. that I think she lost half the class. I am at the point where I do not need to have classes in a specific category (like I am majoring in Asian studies and need all Asian study classes), but can pick the classes I want to take within my major. I did not need that class for my European history requirement, but could take another class instead. Flexibility.

I am looking forward to this semester and the challenges it will bring - academically, professionally and personally. It will be a new beginning. Stay tuned . . . .