just a vent about school, work and fatigue

[AndrewsMother]

I am too tired to write a paragraph. Not to mention that I am wasting time that could be used driving to study before work.

Work. I am not supposed to work while in school, but I am. My husband lost his job accommodating my schedule and my sons schedule. I planned on working for a few months or until I was forced to quit. I am glad that DH lost his job, this gives him time to find a job that will allow him to be home with our son on the weekends. I don't want DS at school and afterschool from 8-5 Monday -Friday, then at a sitter Saturday and Sunday.

Well, no matter the reason, I am tired. I work 3 days a week and I have class the other four days. I am away from home 12 hours a day. I leave home at 5:45 to study before class and at 6:45 the days that I work to study before.

I failed my first test, I know why and I know what.how to study next time, but still I failed a test that is 16% of my grade.

Grades matter, and anything less than an A(final grade) is not acceptable for me and anything less than a C is failure and dismissal from school.

I dreamt that my GPA dropped to a 3.077 and I awoke with a racing heart and sweaty palms.

I am done venting. I have to begin my day.

[GuildJenn]

I'm sorry it's so hard! One step at a time.

[AndrewsMother]

Thanks.

[marinak1977]

you are a very strong mama. It sounds really tough, I hope your situation gets better soon.

[cdmommie]

I'm right there with ya mama. It's a rough time, but thinking of what our future will be like keeps me going. I am taking 2 very intense classes in the evening, plus I babysit 3 extra toddlers on top of my two girls during the day. Oh, and I have the flu on top of everything else.

Last night I stepped out of my Anatomy and Physiology class to get a sip of water, put some water on my face to wake up and cool down a bit and then I stepped outside and breathed the fresh air and said a quick prayer. It's amazing what that 5 minutes did for me. Went back to class a whole new girl, lol

So, hugs to you, and my advice is just take a minute to breath when you need it. A two minute breather might actually help you gain an hour or so more actual listing/learning time instead of zoning out when you are getting too exhausted.

Oh, and Gatorade, don't know why, but Gatorade helps.

[Unoppressed MAMA Q]

I understand.

Just three hours ago, I was about to start crying in the middle of my department. For two consecutive weeks now, I've not been adequately prepared for class. I was thinking I'm going to have to drop a class that I've already paid for, and would just have to do again next semester anyway, and nothing will be fundamentally different...there will still be two kids to raise largely by myself, and I'll still live too far away from campus, blah blah blah.

A simple visit with the instructor gave a whole new level of reassurance and perspective. She was so wonderfully understanding and supportive, I feel re-invigorated to keep on keepin' on.

Not saying I know how you can find that dose of magic....maybe it's not there right this minute. But I hope you can find it, that stepping stone to the next class, the next paper, the next midterm, final, and eventually, your degree.

Take care.

[AndrewsMother]

Originally Posted by cdmommie

I'm right there with ya mama. It's a rough time, but thinking of what our future will be like keeps me going. I am taking 2 very intense classes in the evening, plus I babysit 3 extra toddlers on top of my two girls during the day. Oh, and I have the flu on top of everything else.

Last night I stepped out of my Anatomy and Physiology class to get a sip of water, put some water on my face to wake up and cool down a bit and then I stepped outside and breathed the fresh air and said a quick prayer. It's amazing what that 5 minutes did for me. Went back to class a whole new girl, lol

So, hugs to you, and my advice is just take a minute to breath when you need it. A two minute breather might actually help you gain an hour or so more actual listing/learning time instead of zoning out when you are getting too exhausted.

Oh, and Gatorade, don't know why, but Gatorade helps.

Hugs back at you. Nothing worth having is easily, earned!
Good luck to you!

[AndrewsMother]

Originally Posted by Unoppressed MAMA Q

I understand.

Just three hours ago, I was about to start crying in the middle of my department. For two consecutive weeks now, I've not been adequately prepared for class. I was thinking I'm going to have to drop a class that I've already paid for, and would just have to do again next semester anyway, and nothing will be fundamentally different...there will still be two kids to raise largely by myself, and I'll still live too far away from campus, blah blah blah.

A simple visit with the instructor gave a whole new level of reassurance and perspective. She was so wonderfully understanding and supportive, I feel re-invigorated to keep on keepin' on.

Not saying I know how you can find that dose of magic....maybe it's not there right this minute. But I hope you can find it, that stepping stone to the next class, the next paper, the next midterm, final, and eventually, your degree.

Take care.

Thank you!

[namaste_mom]

Just know that it won't last forever, there is a finite end to the difficult schedule (((HUGS))) you can do it.

[Unoppressed MAMA Q]

How are you doing?

[meemee]

andrew's mama go talk to your proff.

i am beyond caring right now. AND my gpa is what you are afraid of AND possibly might get lower.

i HAD TO let go off my personal high levels. not coz of life BUT also coz i am involved in a lot of research and volunteer work.

AND i have talked to my proffs (not only in my present school but also at the program i want to go to). and they remind me - over and over and over again. i have a life. i have a family. i have a passion. i have a goal. dont worry about grades that much.

in a way i feel we have been trained to focus on grades rather than everything that i am doing in life to show my committment to my cause.

life happened and i got a D AND an F - for whole other reasons - and i still won scholarships (big important statewide AND national ones).

[lunarlady]

I feel for you. I joke that some days I'm not just burning my candle at both ends, but it has melted away in the middle too! It isn't easy to be a working mom, and classes on top of that just add to the stress. I hope your DH finds work soon, and that your next test goes better.

[AndrewsMother]

Originally Posted by Unoppressed MAMA Q

How are you doing?

In one class I have failed now two exams. I must pass my third and fourth exams with an A. Exam # 3 is tomorrow, and I have studies as much as I can and will go to bed soon so that I can awaken in time to get to the school at 6. My exam begins at 10 so I will have four solid hours of study time.

I have to pass this exam, I have no other choice.

[AndrewsMother]

Originally Posted by meemee

andrew's mama go talk to your proff.

i am beyond caring right now. AND my gpa is what you are afraid of AND possibly might get lower.

i HAD TO let go off my personal high levels. not coz of life BUT also coz i am involved in a lot of research and volunteer work.

AND i have talked to my proffs (not only in my present school but also at the program i want to go to). and they remind me - over and over and over again. i have a life. i have a family. i have a passion. i have a goal. dont worry about grades that much.

in a way i feel we have been trained to focus on grades rather than everything that i am doing in life to show my committment to my cause.

life happened and i got a D AND an F - for whole other reasons - and i still won scholarships (big important statewide AND national ones).

If life happens and I make lower than a 75 as a final grade, I am out of the school. I have no choice, but to keep my grades above a 75.

[LynnS6]

Do you mean that if you get below a 75 your program will throw you out? Or that you will give up? Those two are very different things.

As a professor (and someone who judges graduate school applications), a transcript with As and Bs is a perfectly fine transcript. Setting yourself the standard that you must always get As is too high. Life will go on if you get a B.

If your program will not keep you if you get lower than a certain grade, then you do need to do everything you can to keep your grades above that. But you don't need to go above and beyond that.

Is going part-time an option? What else can give? You need not be perfect. You need to be done.

[meemee]

mama get realistic. i think being a student is the worst 'job' in the world. you have no 'off' time - esp. if you have to work and be a mom and partner. mind you, you still need down time.

look at what your schedule is. be realistic. do you have enough time to study. how are you going to get decent grades if you are skimping on studying. if you dont have enough time to study then you need to figure out what to do.

are you on probation? are you at a 4 year degree program and you are performing below par? or is it dependent on scholarship? if you are on academic probation can you go back to community college bring up your grades and then go back to the 4 year program.

science and writing classes are killer classes.

good luck to you mama as you try to stay in school. i hope you dont focus on 'this is it, if i dont i will be out'. that is a sureshot way of me failing - because i let the fear get the better of me.

[AndrewsMother]

Originally Posted by LynnS6

Do you mean that if you get below a 75 your program will throw you out? Or that you will give up? Those two are very different things.

As a professor (and someone who judges graduate school applications), a transcript with As and Bs is a perfectly fine transcript. Setting yourself the standard that you must always get As is too high. Life will go on if you get a B.

If your program will not keep you if you get lower than a certain grade, then you do need to do everything you can to keep your grades above that. But you don't need to go above and beyond that.

Is going part-time an option? What else can give? You need not be perfect. You need to be done.

A course grade below 75 means dismissal from school. I would not fret over a C if I earned one.

There is no part time option, only 2 more years full time year round to earn my undergraduate degree.

There are no options to retake a class if one is failed.