It's a residence hall NOT a dormitory - 4

Have you seen those previews for the new TV show with Christian Slater? Christian Slater as good guy. Christian Slater as bad guy. It’s all very dramatic. These days I kinda feel like I’m two people, too. There’s me as a professional and me as a student and the two seem to be mutually exclusive.

Most days I really don’t feel like I’m a student. Sure, I sit in class for two-and-a-half hours Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights, but sitting in a classroom doesn’t make you any more studious than sitting in a church makes you religious. I feel like the majority of my time is spent on my assistantship with a little time left over for my personal life. Let me give you some examples…

Recently, I took a weekend off to visit my boyfriend on the east coast. My Thursday night class had been cancelled so I booked my flight for Thursday evening and put in extra office hours during the week. On Wednesday night, I went to class like normal but all I could think about was the stuff I needed to do before I left town. So, at break I decided to skip out on the rest of my class so I could do important things like paint my nails and coordinate outfits.

Professional/Personal Me: 1 Scholarly Me: 0

Last week, I went out of town again--this time, to visit my alma mater for Homecoming. I planned to attend my Thursday night class but a combination of a hectic week full of meetings that lasted well into the night and four consecutive days of gloomy, rainy weather took their toll and I skipped that class completely. I’m not sure that you’re supposed to skip school as a graduate student but sometimes you just need a break, right?

Professional/Personal Me: 2 Scholarly Me: 0

Then there are midterms. They’re the first big assignments we’ve had in my program so it’s probably important to put in a little extra effort. Which is why, of course, I got a start on my last paper the night before it was due. And which is also why I still haven’t started the even longer paper that is due this Thursday.

Professional/Personal Me: 3 Scholarly Me: 0

So anyway, at least I’m aware that I have a problem. Because I don’t think that one Christian Slater knows about the other one. I know that I’m not exactly the model student here (although I have managed to fit in some proof reading on the two papers I’ve written so far). I wish they could make some kind of energy drink that makes you academically energized. Or perhaps a vaccination for procrastination. Until then, I suppose I have to dig deep and find some intrinsic motivation.

Sigh. I’ll start tomorrow.