Fall 2010 student mamas -- how was your first week of class?

[*MamaJen*]

How did the first week of class go for everyone?
I just started a masters of public affairs program. I had literally about 500 pages of reading to finish before I even set foot in class, but I think I'm really going to like the program. It's going to be busy,though. I'm still working as a reporter about 10 hours a week (finally dropped down and handed over the boss job to someone else, though, that felt pretty good) and of course I'm a single mom to a two and a half year old. I'm going to treat school like a 9 - 5 and just knock out all the work I can while DS is in daycare. I think it'll work out, knock on wood.

[rsummer]

Ummm... It sucked, but promises to get better.

My DH is in his busy season at work and is working 24/7 and needing my help at his work. So not only is he not available to help with DD, the house, or me, he is needy right now. Its the nature of his work... Basically the business that he does now has an effect on his entire year, so it can't be ignored. But Weds I showed up to an evening class having not pumped all day (cause I was busy helping him), jumped my middleage male prof in the hall to help me find a place to pump. I had not showered that day as once I dropped DD off at the babysitter, my DH called to say that he felt like he was having a heart attack. I was totally unprepared for class, where she had sent the email earlier that day that laptops were required. The young man sitting next to me was eating the snacks his wife made him, I was starving... I need a wife.

But on the positive side. My Dad kindly purchased me a laptop for my program. Very very nice of him.

[rsummer]

Originally Posted by *MamaJen*

I'm going to treat school like a 9 - 5 and just knock out all the work I can while DS is in daycare. I think it'll work out, knock on wood.

Me too... or as best I can. If DD is at the babysitter it needs to be for a good reason. She loves it, but there is enough guilt anyways.

[Ianthe]

I start Monday (30th)!! I'll update you after I start..

This will be my first semester at a real university.. I transferred from a community college and moved the family 2 hours north to attend this school.. dh got a job at the university that has flexible hours, so he will be with the kids in the morning while I'm taking my classes.

[sparklefairy]

Boring.
3/4 professors talk really slowly about things I already know using as many words as possible.

I may have senioritis.

[MsVyky]

Haven't started yet! I don't go back till next Tuesday.

[CrazyCatLady]

Chaotic! I started the week with one schedule, and then spent the rest of the week dropping/adding/weaseling into a completely different schedule. I begged, pleaded, did prerequisite challenges. etc. But now I am pretty darn happy with my schedule and I can start to focus more on my work.

My teacher's are all very nice (yay) and interesting to listen to so far. Three classes involve a ton of homework and lab time. The other two are total cake.

I should be writing a paper right now for that matter.

[nolansmummy]

It was pretty brutal.
Both my kids were sick and so i had to miss classes one day-

I have two really hard science classes that i'm already studying for the first test in.
The "fun" class i was taking, is ending up being harder in other ways- I have to read aloud my writings each week, and be creative at 9am (I'm a night owl)

Its going to be a long semester.

[*Eva*]

Craziness! The first 8 weeks are going to be a royal PITA since I have a CNA class I need to take for my nursing prereqs but after that is over it should be "easier". I'm taking microbio, a&p 1 and psych 102 which translates into 2 really hard classes and one easy one. Luckily my teachers seem to be pretty good and I got a 49/50 on my first CNA quiz today! Lots of reading to do over the weekend, recombinant DNA is soooo boring to read about though lol.

[~savah~]

Originally Posted by MsVyky

Haven't started yet! I don't go back till next Tuesday.

Me too. I'm looking forward to it but also a little nervous because it's been six years since.

[meemee]

uuuggghhhh!!! mixed bag.

knock. knock. knock meemee. vacation's over. get back on track. get back in the studying mode. THAT's what's killing me.

love my classes. intense life. still struggling to give up my vacation mode. trying to jump in my hw.

but GREAT proffs. GREAT classes. fascinating. loving it.

now if i can just figure out how to study a new language i will be good to go. taking spanish this semester.

[an_aurora]

It was a crazy, chaotic whirlwind. I was rear-ended and totalled my car on the way home from work Saturday morning, so i was on the phone with the insurance all week, on top of reading the 10+ chapters of required reading, figuring out day care and school drop-off and pickup for DD1, etc. DH is a full time student as well, and in the same boat (only his school is 45 miles away and thus he doesn't have to worry about getting the kids to and from school and day care). In 3 weeks I start clinicals which will mean getting up at 5something am, which will be a whole new adventure.

[Magistra]

I'm doing my last online class (field experience) for my teacher certification! I'm also teaching part-time, which works out nicely since I can use those hours for my class requirement. I only found out about the job part of things about a week before I had to report, so that was a big scramble and my partner is currently watching the 6-month-old while I'm out of the house in the mornings. She's working full-time from the house, so it's not ideal, but we're managing.

I'm just so glad that I'll be done in another 15 weeks! (And am ignoring that my mat leave for my doctoral program comes up at that point and I'll have to figure out how to do some serious reading and writing then.)

[MsVyky]

Originally Posted by sweetdaughter

Me too. I'm looking forward to it but also a little nervous because it's been six years since.

Meeeeee too! (Six years!) LOL.

edit to ad: I'm so scared to be the "old maid" in the group. My program is quite small, predominantly women and I'm assuming YOUNG women. I hope I can find someone my age to befriend.

[Super~Single~Mama]

OMG so crazy!!! It's good though, my clinic program this fall is going to be AWESOME - we are working on the gender violence thats going on in the Haitian displacement camps. I'm bummed though b/c I have a custody trial to get ready for that means I can't go on the trip to Haiti that the rest of my group is going on Labor Day weekend. So I'm bummed about that, but I'll get to go later in the semester I think.

My other classes are also awesome, and I think they'll be interesting. I just hope I can maintain my gpa so that when I apply for jobs it's still decent!

[pinksprklybarefoot]

Things are starting more slowly than they did the past two semesters, which is nice. I think not having a math class is why - homework starts immediately with math. I am finishing my supplemental applications for pharmacy school right now, so having an easy load is really helpful.

So far biochemistry and genetics have been review-type things. My cultural anthropology class looks awesome - I am so excited about this one.

DH started school this semester, and he seems a little freaked out - he really wants to do well. I think he'll settle down once the semester gets going.

[Ianthe]

Originally Posted by meemee

uuuggghhhh!!! mixed bag.

knock. knock. knock meemee. vacation's over. get back on track. get back in the studying mode. THAT's what's killing me.

love my classes. intense life. still struggling to give up my vacation mode. trying to jump in my hw.

but GREAT proffs. GREAT classes. fascinating. loving it.

now if i can just figure out how to study a new language i will be good to go. taking spanish this semester.

I'm also an anthropology major what classes are you taking?

[Gator-mom]

My first week proved better than to be expected. Apparently, I was ready to go back to a schedule. Ds started preschool and it seems to be helping having him on a regular schedule again too.

This is my second semester in a nursing program, so I'm comparing this one to the last one. Last semester at the end of the first day, I felt like I'd been hit by a tornado and had NO idea what was going on! This semester, I'm thinking 'Ok, it will be a lot of work, but I did it last semester, so I can do it'. Plus we learned a ton in Fundamentals, so I feel like we will just be building off of what we've already learned last semester and we'll start being able to draw from our brain reserves to see if we can actually think critically!

[RollerCoasterMama]

Bleh bleh bleh! Don't like my classes. Having trouble finding time to do it and DS is staying up waaay to late so I'm getting sleep deprived.

[CrazyCatLady]

I am having a hard time with homework. I hate homework, always have, and I have been procrastinating on all of it way too much. I need to figure out some kind of homework routine or get over this mental block I have with it.