Thursday, October 07, 2010

0-60 in ...

So from late March when I left UNT and returned to Seattle until September 13 when I started my new job at North Seattle Community College, my schedule went a little like this:

9-ish...wake up (although really this varied from 8-ish to 10ish)
9-11 am watch Regis & Kelly, then The View
11 am - 3 pm some form of productivity, usually in the form of studying at a coffee shop
side note: okay, 11-3 is really generous. it was actually more like this:
11--leave house
11:30--arrive at coffee shop
11:45-12:00--order and set up computer
12:00-2:00--at best, this was my study time, usually partly spent checking email and Facebook because I don't have internet at home; some days, I decided to leave early and walk Jesse's dog because that was more fun
2:00-2:30--start packing up, because there could be traffic and I didn't want to be late for Ellen
2:30-3:00--drive back home
3-5 pm watch Ellen and Oprah
5 pm considered more productivity, but usually Jesse came home and that plan went to crap
*Note: On Wednesday mornings I was in class. The 11-3 study session generally did not happen on Wednesdays. Also, on Monday evenings I had my other class so I did deviate from the 5pm-bedtime routine on Mondays.

I took 2 courses in the Spring quarter for a grand total of 6 hours per week in class and as you saw above, perhaps 4 hours of quality study time each weekday.

In the summer quarter, I took a class for one month in June, requiring approximately 6 hours per week in class and some study time (see above).

I spent the rest of the summer leisurely working on my General Exam. It wasn't a piece of cake, but let's face it. When it's ALL you are doing (literally), there were a lot of days I didn't touch it. Or I put in some token amount of time so I didn't feel completely lazy.

Enter September 13th, 2010.
I now have been working full-time and started my last two courses this Fall quarter. My schedule looks like this:
Monday: work 8-3:30; class 4:30-7
Tuesday: work 8-5:30; standing appointment 6-7
Wednesday: work 8-5:30; run whatever errands have been neglected
Thursday: work 8-3:30; class 4:30-7
Friday: work 8-4:30; refuse to do anything but lay on the couch
Saturday-Sunday: study, study, study

Since this is my last quarter of coursework, I am convinced I will survive because I only have to keep this schedule up for 9 weeks. Surely, that's possible. Although I very nearly fell asleep while the President of NSCC spoke at a meeting yesterday, and I'm only in week 2.

We will see if I still have a pulse by December 9th.

4 comments:

Erin said...

Um, yes, I think we just may have the same job...only, you're also a doctoral candidate who is rocking the world of academia. I...am not, unfortunately. And, I offer my deepest apologies for having left you off my list! I have remedied that. :)

mrs. darling said...

my favorite part is you leaving yourself plenty of time to get home in time for ellen. I DO THE SAME THING, but only with gilmore girls at 4pm.

you'll survive, and we will all be impressed! and no doubt, when i finally get a job i'll believe i, too, am dying.

mrs. darling said...

you own all the gilmore girls seasons?! oh my word, i am JEALOUS. it is my dream to live in stars hollow!

we own all the friends and sex & the city seasons...gilmore girls is next on my list to buy!

i have a feeling you and i would be great friends in real life...

Lee Ryan said...

I've always found working full time + 2 classes to be exhausting.

Good luck.