I See a Light....Very Small, Yet Actually There

The bestest of news came my way yesterday, bloggie friends. My laments for graduate school are soon to be over.

I had a meeting for advising with the graduate coordinator. I went into it without the faintest of hope that the upcoming semester would look nice and easy. And I just KNEW he would say I had to take summer classes. I have been dreading this meeting because I knew I would have to think about 9 more hours of fall classes and 3-6 possible hours of summer classes. That thought makes this girl not a happy camper.

So I ask first about summer school since it would obviously come before fall. Plus I need to know what to tell my job since I am graduate assistant. (There is a bunch of hullaballoo when it comes to grad assistants and paperwork and money...Point being that I would have to jump through hoops...and I want to get it over and done. One less thing to worry over. And so I still have a job and get paid cash money).

Major break numero uno: NO SUMMER CLASSES FOR ME! He advised against it. Saying that the graduate school only likes to give out money in the fall and spring. Summers are hairy times to pay tuition. And I would have to take 6 hours (full-time summer courses all summer long), which would mean no school break for me.

Oh the absolute joy I felt when he said no summer school was beyond anything I have ever felt before. This semester has killed me. Drained me of spirit and pep. Ruined my some-what of a social life I had before. Killed my ability to fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow. You get it.

Major break numero dos: I only have to take two more actual classes where I sit in a classroom for 3 hours lectures. One in the fall and one in the spring.

I will take one elective class in the fall with 6 hours of thesis, which is basically working from home on the ole book which will be my thesis. And then in the spring I will take my final research class (which will end with a paper serving as one chapter of my thesis) and one elective that will be a readings class where I will read books and write little book reports on different books on my thesis topic.

DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THIS MEANS?

After the next five weeks of hell, it will calm down a considerable amount. I will be working toward the goal of finishing my thesis. The light my friends is shining. I can see it. It is far, but I can see it. Hope has returned to this little body of mine.

I can do anything for five weeks. Lose sleep. Write 50 pages worth of papers. Kick grad school's ass. Yep. Renewed confidence and a true zest for life has returned. Time to hit the books. I've got five weeks of pure hell ahead of me. But the light is shining. Thank you, Jesus.

Until next time...