What Are YOU Doing On Your Vacation?

Are you enjoying your winter break? Sleeping late? Hanging out or chillin' with your peeps? Anyone out there doing their school work? I am! Yes, I'm on break also. Actually, I'm in Florida enjoying the 80 degree weather and the palm trees. While I am sitting at the pool, I am reading my assignments that are required for my classes. I guess what I'm trying to tell you is that even though you're not in school, you should still work on your assignments. Yes, this is the time when you can catch up if you're behind, get ahead or just do what is required of you. If I was in class with you on Friday, you know that I would tell all of you that you should do all your homework over the weekend so you would have the week free? Did any of you do that? Do you have a load of work that you still have to get through? Today is Monday. Start doing it now, a few hours per day and you will have it done before the weekend. Trust me on this! Remember, you have to make your school work a priority. You may have to tell your parents that you have homework so that they understand that it's important, too. My older son had a project that was due the first Monday he gets back to school. I made him do it and FINISH it before we left for Florida. It took him about an hour every night for 4 nights and he did finish it. He was so excited! I was too because now he doesn't have to do it all in one day. I was a last minute person. I have learned my lesson. It doesn't work well. Learn from me!

Have a great break and finish all your work! I want you to graduate!

Getting Ahead

This entry is going to be short and sweet. My advice to you is to get ahead in your assignments whenever possible. If your English teacher tells you to read Chapters 3 & 4, why can't you continue reading through Chapters 5 & 6? You know you are going to have to read it eventually. If you have a course outline for science, why not preview what the next topic will be so you can familiarize with the vocabulary, diagrams and concepts? It will make listening in class a lot easier. You can do the same with social studies and math, especially if the teachers give you a syllabus. You can even ask them what the next topics are and preview it.

My classes were cancelled today due to the snow. I was all prepared for them so what will I do now? I can sit and relax (and knit!) or I can continue reading according to the course's syllabus. I plan on continuing in The Odyssey which is the sequel to The Iliad (a great story about the Trojan War...blood, guts, excitement from ancient Greece!) I also have a paper due. I plan on starting and hopefully finishing it today.

Try my recommendations with one class. See what happens. Sometimes life gets in the way of our doing the HW but if you get a little bit ahead, you are covered.

Be well.

Why You Should Sit in the Front Row

I can't believe that I am writing about this but I learned a really good lesson. I already told you about making sure you read the material the teacher assigns for the course (REALLY READ IT) and about being totally prepared for your classes. SIT IN THE FRONT ROW OF THE CLASS! Why am I telling you to do this? Let me explain.

First, you should understand that many times when teachers are in classes or workshops, we usually sit in the back. We don't want to always participate and it's a good place to be when we are bored. We can doodle or tune out without the teacher or workshop leader noticing. When I went to my literature class last week, I sat in the front row because that's where I saw an empty seat. Well, I noticed that I was sitting up straight, making eye contact with the professor, really focusing on what he was saying and taking lots of notes. When he assigned us a paper and I asked him a question, he recommended that I get the notes from someone in the FRONT ROW! He said those were the people who knew what was going on. Whoa! The front row is recognized as the "elite" row. Those students have a reputation of being on the ball! I was one of them today!

When I sat in for the first class, I, as usual, picked a seat in the back row. I didn't want to look over anxious. I wanted to look cool. Looking back on that day, I realized what a difference there was regarding my focusing. I'm not a person who gets easily distracted but the man sitting next to me was munching on peanuts and the smell was making me sick! I kept sending him messages telepathcally to stop eating. This took my attention away from the professor. Then a boy sitting in front of me was sporting a "handyman's special" that turned my stomach. Again, I lost my focus therefore I lost some noteworthy facts from the teacher. Do you see where I going with this?

I had a paper due on Wednesday. I handed it in today. I needed to get it out of the way. I lucked out on my history class. She assigned reading last week that I completed but told us it was due this Thursday. I was ahead! I answered questions! Class participation...another important factor that is calculated into your grade. Try it!

Remember, try sitting in the front row and participate! Anticipate what the teacher will be doing next or ask him or her. Get ahead. I wish I knew all this stuff when I was younger.

Be well everyone!

That Overwhelming Feeling!

Yesterday was my first full day as a student. I attended my classes and found that I'm not loving my literature class. First, my history class was great. The information is so fascinating and I found a new class buddy who will be e-mailing me the notes I missed. The woman I originally asked to be my buddy didn't have such great notes. Yes, in college, you need good notes and it's important that you have someone who is capable and responsible. This also applies to high school. I have to make up some readings and then I am all caught up with the class.

My literature class is taking another direction than the one I thought it would be taking. The professor is talking more about the mechanics of the oral poetry that the Iliad is and the book that we have to read is so boring. PLUS he assigned us a paper that's due on Wednesday comparing the poetry from 2 different areas. (Yugoslavia and Africa) I don't have the notes so I told him that I am going to wing it. He said that was okay. I was a little worried that I missed something completely about this topic when I did the reading so I am rereading the material and making some notes. I also found another buddy in this class because this guy, Mason, was absent! She is going to make a copy of what I missed and give it to me on Monday. We may not have a class because the teacher told us he may have to do something (I'm thinking funeral) so I want to get the paper in by then. Ohh the pressure!

Personal stuff: Ricardo, thank you for those "interesting" comments. I hope you do try to study and get yourself out of Columbus.

Be well everyone. Have a great weekend! Don't fall behind in your classes. Do all your work!

My Eyes are Falling Out of My Head

Today was my first official day of my sabbatical. I still woke up early, before anyone else. Got dressed, did make-up and instead of rushing out of the house, I got my family up. I actually made and saw my sons eat breakfast. I watched 50 minutes of the Today Show! Elijah and I walked up the hill to the bus stop (I'm counting that as a little bit of exercise because I had my sneakers on!). He quickly dropped my hand when we came into view of the other kids. I spent 20 minutes with my neighbor having tea. Then I hit the books.

I had to finish the Iliad! I did! I was so excited. I read from 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM. I gave myself a 20 minute lunch break and then I hit the books for my history course. I finished that assignment and still had 100 pages more to read for my literature class. As I am writing this, I have 39 more to go. My neck hurts from bending over the books all day. My eyes are tired and I find myself dozing off as I am reading. The material isn't all that riveting. I am procrastinating by writing this entry. Do you ever procrastinate when you should be reading, studying or writing a paper? It's a universal trait.

I'm going back to my book. When I go to my classes, I know that I will be prepared. I guess that's the lesson I want you to take away from this entry. Be prepared: read what's required, do the HW, make sure your books are all packed up for the next day, have pens, pencils, rulers, paper, whatever you need. It cuts down on the chaos in your mind and helps you focus on what's going on in front of you, not on what you're missing. Trust me, I am speaking from experience.

Enough preaching. Back to my book.