It's the end of another summer, and year 2 of my doctoral studies is about to begin. I can't believe how fast it's going by already. Usually at this point in the summer, I am ready to go back, but this time I am really sad to see it end. I have had more fun this summer than I have since high school.For one thing, I have been extraordinarily fortunate to be able to continue working part-time at the PRC (~20 hours/week) according to my own schedule and from my personal laptop. So during the workweek, an average day has gone something like this:
7:00am- wake up
7:00- 8:00- Eat a leisurely breakfast, read the paper, watch Good Morning America
8:00-9:15- Straighten up the house, shower, get dressed
9:15- Leave for my favorite coffee shop (Blue State Coffee in New Haven)
9:30- 12:00- Work, drink iced tea, maybe chat with some of the regulars
12:00-12:30- Take a lunch break
12:30-2:00- Work some more
2:00- 4:00- Some combination of grocery shopping, clothes shopping, manicure (on Fridays)
4:00- 7:00- Get home, go on facebook, blog, eat, make dinner for Steve
7:00- 11:00 - Clean up from dinner, watch TV with Steve, go to bed
It doesn't get much better than this! On the weekends, we go to nice dinners, have drinks, go the casino and stay out until 3am because I don't have to worry too much about messing up my sleep schedule. And the best part of the summer was definitely our trip to Vegas at the end of July. Nonstop fun all day and all night. I have been such the serious student for so long now that I think I forgot how to even have fun, and I have spent this summer relearning.
So, it is with reluctance that I am now preparing for the new school year to start. Next week, I have 2 TA orientations to go to on separate days, and the following week classes start. This semester is also going to be a very busy and challenging one, I think. In contrast to my summer schedule above, this is what a typical day will look like for me after next week:
5:00am - Wake up (I use this term loosely)
5:00-5:45- Eat a not-as-leisurely breakfast, read the paper, watch the news (no GMA!)
5:45- 7:00- Try to clean up, but not do a great job because I'll be rushing, shower, get dressed and leave
7:00-8:45- Drive, drive, drive some more.. and try not to fall asleep
8:45- Park, walk a million miles to class
9:00- 1:10- Go to classes, shove some food down my throat when I can
1:30-3:20- Teach discussion sections
3:20- 5:00 (or later, depending on traffic)- Drive home
5:00- 5:30- Probably stop at the store because I inevitably will need something
5:30- 8:30- Eat something, do homework and/or grade papers
8:30-10:00- Try to watch TV while simultaneously reading a textbook
10:00- 11:00- Try to sleep, but toss and turn because I'm thinking about everything I didn't accomplish during the day
Why am I doing this again??!!
