All done! Let’s shake our booties!
booty shake of triumph
I performed my congressional testimony in the class o’ terror today, which is taught by the Dean of our school who is of course a renowned expert in child welfare policy. Our co-professor, who spent years on Capitol Hill, has actually written some of the laws that we discuss. I had no experience or knowledge in this area and neither of them hesitate to tell you if they think you’re full of shit. Intimidating. As. Hell.
I am terrified of public speaking and this was no exception. I have been feeling sicker and progressively more anxious all week just thinking about it. Long story short, I couldn’t have asked for a better result. The Dean told me, ‘‘I have nothing to add. You’re clearly a natural at this’’ after I delivered my testimony. Then he told our class that we were the best group of students he ever had, and that we should all put him down as a reference when job-seeking. Then the co-prof told us she felt like she could die now because she was secure in the knowledge that we were prepared to take over her role. Then we all took a picture together. It was sort of weirdly emotional for all of us. A colleague remarked that he felt like we should be distributing t-shirts that say ‘‘I survived SW 715.’’ Because seriously, that class was brutal. But the sort of brutal where I feel like a better person for having experienced it.
I also aced the research final, and the prof in that class wrote on my final paper that I should consider a Ph.D. program, which was a lovely compliment but at the moment I’d rather put a drill through my skull than consider another five years of this shit.
So the last two weeks have been hell. I’ve never had a finals period like this in my life, but it’s over. It’s totally over. I’m on Winter Break and the grand finale left me with lots of warm fuzzies. I have ONE MORE SEMESTER until I’m mastered up.
So, I would say, ‘‘YAYYYYYY!!!’’ but I’m completely exhausted, so I think it would just be more suitable to say that I am deeply satisfied with the end result. I’m going to go lie down now.
That’s great, olivesmarch! I’ve always been really afraid of public speaking, too. But we’ve had to do a lot of those in grad school so I’ve gotten a lot better/more comfortable with it. Aces to you for facing your fear with flying colors (and other mixed metaphors)!
Well, I heard back from my Algebra professor. He said he couldn’t see anything wrong with my test so I tried again. This time it let me in!! So, even though I’m sick and achy and miserable, I had to take the test just to be on the safe side. There’s no guarantee that it’ll let me in a third time. I got an 84, which isn’t what I wanted but it’s better than a 0 and it’s pretty good considering half my brain was preoccupied with body aches.
All I have to do now is write my liberal arts paper and I’ll be done.
That is so awesome Olives!!! Congratulations!
Final mostly graded.
Lab practical graded.
Final project graded.
Lab reports to do. Shouldn’t be too bad.
Keep working!
Hang in there, people who aren’t finished yet! 
Holy crap, olives, that’s awesome! Congratulations!
I finished my last class Thursday. I’m pretty sure I got the highest grade in my class in my Drawing Perspective and Proportion class. The professor printed out his grade book and posted it on the wall at the beginning of class, and there was one guy ahead of me. But he fumbled his final pretty badly, and I knocked mine out of the park. During the class critiques, mine was the only one the prof couldn’t think of something snarky to say. A bunch of positive feedback, and he moved on. I’m very psyched about it, because this was easily the most demanding class I’ve taken so far since going back to school. It’s particularly gratifying, because I’m only a middling artist at best. There’re kids in this class half my age with ten times my talent, and they’re getting whole grades knocked off their finals because they didn’t glue their drawings to a piece of black presentation board.
Pretty sure I’m making the Honor Roll again. Being a good student is really weird. But I think I could get used to it.
I’m done and I passed!
I got a 94 on that final paper that I wrote over two days. Not bad.
And then I had my last pathophysiology exam Wednesday night, and was SURE I’d failed it. Nah, got a 91.7 on it, according to the emailed grade I received yesterday. That all makes for a B in each class and a very happy me.
Now I’m working on my last project of the semester, which is gathering and preparing all my printed notes, and mainly all the assigned reading articles to have bound. It seems a waste to toss all that paper out.
I AM DONE!!!
I just submitted my essay exam for my Liberal Arts class.
I am 30 years old and on my 3rd attempt at college. For the first time ever, I have successfully completed a semester at full time! It feels so silly being proud to be a second semester freshman finally when some of you are working on graduate degrees but this is huge for me. Not only did I finish at all, I did it 3.5 days before the end of the semester and I am certain that I have all A’s (well, probably 2 A-).
Now please excuse me while I crawl into a hole and cough myself into oblivion.
The vast majority of my notes were from my 2 math classes. Since I mostly copied stuff from the book as an aid to memory, and since I plan on keeping my books for future reference, I can get rid of my notes.
I felt an absurd amount of pleasure from taking the whole stack and throwing it on the kindling pile.
Don’t feel silly- be proud. That is fantastic!
looks up from her reading
waves at Congodwarf Well done!
goes back to reading
sobs in quiet desperation
Thanks Ivory and Gleena!
Gleena, I did that same sob of desperation when I was 5 chapters behind in my Sociology and 3 in Government. Those books were just so BORING (to a point) and long winded (sometimes made the Lord of the Rings seem like short stories). The thought of getting caught up on my reading was distressing and I am so glad it’s over with. Just keep plugging along and come see us when it gets to be too much. We wont leave you all alone!