I got an 89% on my differential equations exam. All things considered, I'm pretty happy with that. The professor said that he wished there had been a few more As, so I'm guessing my score was above average. Looking at the actual test, I did pretty well... not very many mistakes.

Eric and I went out with a couple of friends last night, and I think having the night off from homework really helped me unwind. I'm feeling much less stressed out today.

Stressed.

I've never in my life had so much homework. I have homework due every single week in all of my classes--and each homework assignment can take hours. Here's what this week looks like:

Monday: Environmental Eng homework due
Tuesday: AutoCAD project AND homework due
Thursday: AutoCAD homework due, Physics test
Friday: Physics homework due
Sunday: Differential Equations homework due
(And I'm sure my ethics professor will add in a homework assignment between now and the weekend.)

The AutoCAD project has taken me roughly 10 hours to complete. Over the weekend, I spent around 6 hours studying on Saturday and another 8-10 hours on Sunday. Today will be another 6 or so, tomorrow probably 3-4, Wednesday at least 3-4 (possibly more due to the physics test). And in between all of that, I still have to find time to work.

The stress is starting to affect me physically. So much for the light workload I mentioned. Out of all my classes, you would think ethics would be an easy A, right? I mean, it's just introduction to ethics. What could possibly be so hard about it? Yet I'm doing worse in that class (so far) than any other. I just got my test grade back: 79%. Bitch. I still have a B in the class, but I was really counting on getting an A in the class just in case I have to get a B in the other classes which actually ARE difficult. I think my aim for a 3.5 GPA just became harder to reach. :(

On a positive note, I'm doing well in my other classes, but the only other class I've had a test in is differential equations, and we won't get those grades until tomorrow. I did have one of the highest grades on my homework assignment for environmental engineering. I suppose that bodes well for the rest of my career?

I'm so freaking tired.

I've had several days of studying 6+ hours per day in the last couple of weeks. I have a differential equations exam tomorrow, an ethics exam Friday and a physics exam next Thursday. And lots of homework in between. My DE professor basically sucks (he's a total scatter brain, and he'll go over the same EASY problem multiple times, but then skim through difficult stuff) so I've had to learn some of this stuff on my own. Normally I wouldn't mind, but some of it is pretty difficult, and the book is really short on examples (and full of mindless text).

The bachelorette party was a ton of fun. Ugh, forget it. My brain is fried. I need sleep. I'll tell you all more about it later. If I find the time this week. :(

Soooo many spiders

:(

We have no fewer than three huge webs in our backyard, all with fat-bodied spiders at least 1" big, and I just noticed a garden spider in the front of our house--right at the window of MY womancave!! *whimper* The last time I saw one of those was at the barn in Texas. I was really hoping they just liked Texas and would all just stay there, and I could live in my own personal naive little world, knowing I was safe from the likes of a 3" garden spider. Those things are enough to give me goose bumps.

Although I'd much rather deal with a garden spider than a wolf spider. Wolf spiders crinkle the hair on the back of my neck.

My parents left yesterday after a week-long visit. I miss them already! I sometimes feel like I've been selfish for moving so far away... it sucks to have such short visits. But I do love where we live now.

Next weekend, I'm going to Charleston for a bachelorette party. I'm so excited! I've only known the bride for a few months, but she's a lot of fun and we have a lot in common.

The other day at school, a guy that sits next to me was telling me about a computer game he was playing, and I said that "it sounds like a game that my husband plays." He looked at me with this bewildered look and goes, "You're married? You don't look old enough to be married." The guy next to him agreed and said that he thought I was just an upperclassman. Ha! Made my day.

Sigh... two and a half weeks of classes down... 14 more to go. The good thing is that so far the pace has been manageable. If it stays like this, I'll be a happy camper. I've had homework basically every week in each of my classes, but so far it hasn't been too bad.

A Clemson "Connect" survey

I mentioned a few blog entries ago that I've been having to go to these mandatory events at Clemson (two of them before school started, and two of them after... one of which I still need to attend). It's called "Clemson Connect" and it's a required pass/fail "course" for all new students. They've consisted of time-wasting presentations and lame activities. Of the four events, the only remotely decent one was the library workshop, which I just attended this morning, but even it wasn't entirely helpful. I also have to attend a two-hour class that, from what I can tell, is meant to expand a student's cultural horizon. In addition to those four events, I've had to complete a two-page essay about why I chose Clemson and what experiences I've had that have led to my "arrival" etc., and do a 5-10 minute video that's based on "what I learned" from the cultural class. That video itself is going to take me forever to complete. When I found out about the video thing (they call it a VLOG for Video blog), it was the icing on the cake and I was just plain downright pissed. This is a non-credit course that has absolutely no educational value from my point of view. This Clemson Connect has not been a very welcoming experience for me, a 1+29-year-old adult.

So, we received a survey link for the "Clemson Connect" thing in an e-mail. Best e-mail I've received this week--I was so ready to bitch and moan about all the BS I've been required to do. This is what I wrote to them. I really, really hope they listen. (LIB100 is what they call this Clemson Connect thing, and if I fail it, I'm not sure whether or not it'll show up on my transcript, but I'm still considering forgoing the VLOG because I'm sure it will take me so long to do it.)

"I've loved Clemson so far, but to be completely honest, I'm pretty disappointed with the Clemson Connect series. I'm an adult student, I've transferred many credit hours of classes, so I know how college works. In addition to that, I work a stressful job, so having to do these extra (mandatory!) activities outside of work and my heavy course load has been just one more stressor in my life that I don't need.

The team-building exercises by the Welcome Leaders were made for very young individuals. For example, we were told to play rock-paper-scissors and the "loser" was supposed to follow the "winner" around. This was silly, and I felt it was a waste of my (valuable to me) time. I understand the vast majority of students are in the 18 to 22-year-old category, but I would have loved if there was some kind of "adult track" for working adults going back to college. Maybe instead of the "New Student Dialogues" assignment, which I know will take a lot of time for me to prepare, you could have a time management class or something similar. I'll be putting as much effort as time allows into this VLOG thing, but really, all of my other commitments come first, and if I have to fail LIB100, then so be it, but that will make this a very disappointing first semester. I sincerely hope someone will take my comments into consideration for future students."

(Disclaimer: I realize 18-year-olds are legally considered adults. I'm talking about people who have responsibilities outside of school: working, paying bills, mortgages, possibly kids, etc.)