Takin' Care of Business #10

So here's the run down of what I did during Winter Break: went home to Texas, hung out with my parental units, slept, ate, and came back to Illinois. The most laid back 3 weeks I have ever had. It was glorious to take a break and go someplace warm. When I returned home (after a one year absence) a couple things were different like our house (it was a different color now), my sister's old car was gone, my brother and sister's kids were like 4 inches taller...small things that I noticed. Even I was different with my bad habits that I have retained from my college/graduate school lifestyle (like skipping breakfast and lunch) or using the theories of student development that I learned in the Fall in every other conversation with adults ("Why yes, that's what we call challenge and support"). It was weird. Look at what 2008 had done to me...I'm a different person.

And so I return back to IL early before all the students come back...and as soon as I get to my car at the airport--it wouldn't start. Father Winter decided to give me a hard time by killing my car's battery. Welcome to IL (insert me crying here)! Then after 2 1/2 hours of wandering around the airport and calling the few people I knew in town to come help me, a classmate came to my rescue. I returned to my crummy apartment, and I opened my mailbox...I got bills! Lots of them! :( Again...Welcome to IL (insert sarcasm)! I also have encountered some computer problems since my arrival back to school (my PC is 5 years old and is seeing it's last days alive). Welcome to IL (insert a sigh and a tone of defeat)!

Going back to work was weird the first week since there were no students around. It was so quiet. Then last week, they were all back...and you could hear the hustle and bustle of students swarming my office. It was great! 2 of my classes were canceled because one of my professors wasn't back from his Break yet. Then we had a snow day (which as a student, it makes me feel like it's Christmas morning again). I made it to a personal record in my "Walking around in cold weather" book with a low of -34 degrees with windchill. Yeah...welcome to IL (insert the sniffles and chattering teeth)!

I'm looking foward to my new classes this week. Excited. Nervous. Stressed. Freaked out. All of the above. Since the new semester began, I decided to make some life changes. Not like resolutions, but life changes...going about my day in a different manner. This includes eating and not skipping meals, and sleeping more, and making honest adjustments (like using a planner for once because I am the Master of Procrastination).

My assistantship had a training for the new semester, and we had to share our academic, professional, and personal goals with each other. I was not really up for sharing my personal goals (because that's why they are personal and should be kept to yourself). However, one of my personal goals was to make more friends. The coordinator for my office laughed at me. I don't think it was to make fun of my goal, but more of a "For real?" kind of laugh.

The other GA who works with me, and I, attempted to state our case on the issue of our friendships with undergraduate students. The other grad has been here since freshman year, and so some of her friends are still undergrads. I'm the new girl in town, and every time I meet a student at a function or event, they're undergrads. Even students that I work closely with are undergrads. Sometimes I get asked to go "Hang Out" at the local bar or go dancing or the occasional invite to a house party, and I have to say no.

I kept telling myself that "I need to go hang out with people my own age", and I realized...I'm 22!!!! People my age are still undergrads!!!! And although I have always been a big advocate of student involvement on campus: I can't get involved in anything because I work all day and go to class at night! There is no happy medium in this situation. So I proposed to everybody in my office to help me find a hobby. I need to find something to balance out school and work because that's ALL that I do. Nobody has come up with any good ideas yet. I'm hoping that I can find something soon where I can meet more grad students. If you...yes, the one reading this blog right now...if you have any good ideas of what kind of stuff I can do for fun or for the sake of learning or know of a place where I can meet people...please write a comment below. All suggestions are appreciated :)

I know, I know...it's the never ending battle of the dualistic grad student in transition. But I'm hoping 2009 will bring many good things my way. And I do hope to make more friends along the way. I don't care how silly it sounds. I got to find some reason to make the next year and a 1/2 more enjoyable. I need to take care of business if I'm going to enjoy this graduate school experience at all. I know, and everyone knows, that I don't like living here in this town where I am currently at. I've done all I can to befriend people in my program. My cohort is awesome! But I need and want to meet people outside of my program with other interests in life than to work with college students. I need to build my support system in order to have a more successful transition...and if you don't believe me, look up Nancy Schlossberg's Transition Theory. Situation: new environment (got that down--doing better in it). Self: still feeling a bit blue (but doing better because I'm being compliant with everything and getting motivated to make this situation work). Strategy: finding a hobby (put myself out there to meet people...see where I'm getting at?). Support: classmates (but that's it...I need to get more support going, with people that are different from me). Oh that Nancy Schlossberg! She sure knew what she was talking about when she came up with Transition Theory. It applies to every new change in your life, and that's why she is my favorite theorist :)