Life Is Good

It has been a while since I have posted anything, so I just wanted to provide an update. I am working full-time (two part-time jobs) and am enjoying it. I feel like I’m still on vacation. When I worked full time before going back to grad school, it did not feel like a vacation to me, but now full-time does. That is an indication of the intensity and difficulty of the graduate program that I am in. However, things are going to start speeding up for me. I have not started studying yet for the remaining three finals, but I have to start very soon. I have started preparing a presentation for a seminar that I have to give on September 17 and I am working on a lab notebook that is due next week. Yup, it’s going to start getting busy again and the pressure of deadlines will help me to start studying again.

Life feels good because in addition to being on "vacation", the financial aid office came through for me after I had given up on them. I got the phone number and email of my financial aid advisor and before giving up, I had called him a few times and sent a couple of emails. He always responded. Even though I was mad, I was very nice to him. So one day I got a big surprise! He emailed me and told me that he was going to combine the amount that I should have gotten for Summer 1 with the increased amount that I had petitioned to get for Summer 2. I quickly emailed my thanks and thoughts of gratitude to him. Soon afterward, I received the full amount of my student loan for the summer. Life is indeed good!

Vacation Is Over

Ever since I completed the First Competency Final that I took on June 23, I have been working on increasing my laziness percentage. On Facebook, I took the 'How Lazy Are You' quiz and my result was 32% lazy. Although I have been working part-time in the mornings, I have spent my afternoons and weekends just reading novels and listening to music. Last night I'm sure I increased my laziness percentage considerably when I was thirsty and chose to get an unopened water bottle from my backpack which was 6 feet away from where I was sitting reading, instead of walking 25 feet into the kitchen to get a glass and fill it with water.

However, my time for relaxation is over. Tomorrow, I start working a second part-time job, so I will be working a full 40 hours a week. I will be getting internship credits for both of my part-time jobs. I also have to start studying for the rest of my finals. I will be taking 3 finals during the fall semester and I have to pass them. The financial aid office approved for me to receive aid only for the summer and fall semesters and that's it. I can't afford to be in school without financial aid. So, the pressure is on. I have to pass the finals and I have to graduate in December. I will start studying this afternoon and will study every night after work.

War/No More Trouble

A few months ago my friend Makita posted this on her blog. I like it so much that I am posting it here.



For more info go to Playing For Change.

Nine Reasons to Celebrate America

In honor of America's Independence Day, BBC News has posted an article on nine inventions unique to America. They are as follows:

1. Air conditioning

2. Ice cubes

3. Valet parking

4. Aviation

5. Chewing gum

6. Cracker Jack

7. American cheese

8. Metal detector

9. Space pen

To read more go to BBC News Nine Reasons to Celebrate America.