Student Mamas: Fall 2010. How's the semester going for you?

[CrazyCatLady]

Just wanted to check in with other student moms here and see how everyone is doing?

I got an A+ on a research paper in one of my hard classes. I was expecting a C at best, so it shocked the heck out of me.

I also had a huge panic attack in sign class the other night and ran out of the room and hid in the bathroom until class was over.

I'm flustered, cranky, tired and overwhelmed...but I haven't dropped out so I figure I'm doing good.

[sparklett]

I am absolutely BEAT! I started a new job and school at the exact same time, and I was moving over a long distance over the first week of school so I've fallen behind and have never quite felt like I've settled in to my courses. Not at all pleased with myself. I keep telling myself that I just have a couple more years to go, then I'll take a well-deserved break.

[jlpumkin]

Sparklett - I remember your post from the first week of classes. What a rough start, I'm sorry to hear that your still trying to get caught up. I guess the good news is that after this rough start next semester is going to feel like a breeze right?

As for me, I'm starting to build a little confidence. I've finally stopped checking my student email box for a letter saying the University made a mistake giving me entrance and asking me to leave It helps that we've gotten to the point that some projects are being graded so I have a better understanding of how I'm doing.

[Unoppressed MAMA Q]

!

Whew. I feel run over by a truck and am a pretty big mess before I get my caffeine on a given day.

I was sure I was going to drop out or worse.

BUT! I decided to stop with the martyr mama routine just this week, since that made more sense than jumping off a bridge and all. And the loving compassionate people have been around for weeks, just waiting for me to find them and be honest about needing help. I'm going to take advantage of all of those fabulous people, and be extremely grateful about it.

And, I'm going to make a paper-chain that I can rip off one each day, visibly watching it shrink. Need to do that ASAP. I can do this, but I can't do it alone and sadly, I don't seem to be able to do it without caffeine.

What support are you getting mamas?

[fireHC11]

First day of classes here (we're on the quarter system). So far, I'm pretty excited about this quarter --- I have paper deadlines for research I haven't done yet! Right now, it's motivating... but in a few months, when I watch the deadlines slide by one by one with no submission from my end, it will be less so.

[Magistra]

After doing two courses in a compressed summer semester, the coursework for my student teaching seems very light. The actual teaching and trying to juggle everything else is running me down. I'm only teaching part-time, so we're not using any childcare right now, but it means I have no time away from school when I'm guaranteed to be child-free. I'll be trying to find somebody to watch the baby for a few hours a week so that I can get back to work on my PhD--I'm on mat leave from that right now, but could really stand to put in a little work this semester.

[Super~Single~Mama]

This is my best semester yet! I finally settled my custody dispute, so I feel like I can actually DO things!

My classes are also just amazing - I'm travelling to Haiti with one class to do human rights work, which is going to be just incredible I think. My other classes are also good. It's a lot of work, but I'm actually really glad I'm graduating late, since I feel like I'm discovering a passion this semester that I didn't know I had! It's awesome, and I can't wait to get deeper into some of the issues I'm working on!

[La Sombra]

I had to return to school full-time this fall after my LO was born in August so that has been hard. But not as hard as I feared it would be! We are all getting into a new routine--dd (3), ds (7 wks) and DP.

But this semester is going to be the true test of my sanity: on top of a full load of classes, I have to a) think about an internship for the winter and start my proposal for that b) take the GRE and c) apply to grad schools. DP is crazy busy, too--he defends his dissertation in December and is busying himself with finishing that, teaching classes, and then applying for jobs and going to the MLA conference in January.

I keep thinking--if we can just survive this semester, we'll be okay!