no pressure or anything.
Forgive me if I ramble, I am still processing information as I continue to receive new info. And fight not to fall to far behind.
Today, I finally started classes. The Classroom on/as Stage. Sizable seminar, but I finally got to see all of the first years in the same place, including Phantom Major. And meet the 2nd years. Offered teaching philosophies, which at this point in the game felt very immature. First, I haven't done alot of teaching. Second, as the assignment due on the first day of class, it was especially hard to gauge just what was expected. To say nothing of the deliberately vague nature. I opted for philosophical, but apparently the idea was to write a cover letter. The class has great potential to be really probing and insightful, but also to be a navel-gazy nightmare.
Did the meet-and-greet at a professor party, which was especially challenging as I am rapidly losing my voice. Although by the end of the evening, I was rocking a sultry baritone. I am still placing names and faces.
On one hand, this very much conforms to my expectations. It was very reassuring to sit in class and realise that I am very much on the right track. Academia is my native habitat. At the same time, there are so many curve or fly balls, that I find myself running/dodging and getting hit all the time. Like the fact that the tango specialist they got me all excited about won't be coming until next year. Or that my advisor won't be back in town until next week, by which point I need to register for classes. Or that I have an office (if no keys to unlock it).
Yesterday, I ran around for 7 hours doing orientation/set-up stuff. Sat in a big lecture hall from 9-10.30 hearing all about the resources available, most of which none of us will ever get a chance to use. 10.30-11.30 fighting with financial aid. They canceled my loan since they feel that the fellowship is enough to live on. I appreciate that someone is trying to keep me from drowning in student debt, but still. While generous, my fellowship doesn't allow for any margin of error. I can never get sick; the car can never die; and I had better never plan on ever seeing the business end of a plane again. Which means family emergencies AND conferences, which I have been told I need to fund myself to beef up the CV. I don't live luxuriously, but I almost fell out of the chair when the guy said that I should just get a credit card for a safety net. Pass the echinechea and duct tape please. After getting my fellowship check in one line, I then had to turn around and sign it over to the cashier to pay rent and fees. *sigh* This was rather demoralizing, which only made yet another workshop on "Be Your Own Advocate or Get Out Now". Fly by the activities fair before tours of the Arts Library (which DOESN'T have theater OR dance in it) and Davidson Library. Yanked books for a first assignment, walked by the health center to ask a question, only to discover that Californians call 3.30 quitting time. Got home long enough to check email before walking down to IV with SuperK to pick up a course packet that wasn't ready. It was exhausting.
But at least all the clothes are unpacked. I think I have contained most of the fires. Now I just have to take my poor neglected car for an overdue oil change, a quick check and a carwash. It makes me very excited at the prospect of just kicking back tomorrow night with SuperK, some take-away and his "research" (Season 1 of Heroes).
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