School's Out For the Summer

Heh, bet you have that song stuck in your head now, don't you?

So, Monday was my last day of class for the quarter. I managed to get one class actually finished, and my other teacher offered me the option of finishing the rest of my work by the next quarter so that I could get full credit, which needless to say I jumped on. I don't really enjoy playing the tumor card, but I did do the best I could this quarter and if it helps me, then by golly I'm gonna slap it down on the table.

The last few weeks were very strange. People were racing around trying to get stuff all finished for finals, and to a certain degree, I could relax. I knew that I was going to get an extension, so the pressure was off. It was also odd listening to people talking about what classes they were gonna be in next quarter and who was teaching what and 'Hey, you should really take this class with me,' when that didn't apply to me. In a way it was a bit sad, because for what feels like the first time since starting at school, I felt like I'd actually made friends who weren't teachers. It woulda been cool to take so and so's class with this person or that person. Instead, I almost get the feeling of watching my friends drive off in a car to do something cool while I'm left behind.

And once finals were done, I felt a bit adrift. I felt this way when I took 9 months off last year too. School is such a huge part of my life in that its always there. Even if I don't have class every day, there's always homework, or research, or something I should be doing. Its always occupying part of my brain. Its almost unsettling to have it be gone.

Having said that, ask me how adrift I feel in a week. :)

And unlike my 9 month hiatus, I hope to actually use the time wisely. Oh sure, checking out for 9 months was glorious. Fabulous. Stupendous, even. But I'd gone into it planning on making some serious life changes, and wouldn't you know it, within a month of going back to school, I'd basically picked up all of my old habits: over-committing myself, not taking good care of myself, prioritizing school above my family, to name a few. I'm hoping that, given this second chance, I will actually be able to start re-prioritzing my life, making myself and my family more important. I hope to get on a realistic exercise routine, that I could still do once I go back to school. I hope to have a better grasp of how much I can actually accomplish in any given time, and to know when to say no or walk away from things when it is just not going to happen. Fingers crossed.

And I do have every intention of returning to school -- although there is going to be a change when I go back. Currently I am enrolled in a Bachelor program for Fashion Design. Taking this costuming class this past quater really reminded that that was my first and true love, and that there really is not a lot of overlap once you get past some of the technical sewing-type classes between fashion and costumes. So I started looking around at local schools that offer a Bachelor's in Costuming. I've found one that sounds quite promising, and for a hefty sum les than the private school I'm at now. Unfortunately, its doubtful that most of my private units would transfer to this particular public institution.

So, I've decided to just get an AA at the current school, which I can then transfer anywhere with little to no hassle, become a transfer student, and start to really focus on that which is important to me: costumes. It appears that I only have 6 more classes to take at current place, so, maybe 9 more months and then I'm done? Well, with that milestone anyhow. Gee, I never thought I was going to be one of those professional students.....

Ta-daa! See? Its working! I'm already making smart choices! It'll make me happier! It'll save us money! Whoo hoo! :)