I am freaked out at the moment.

[Lyric]

Due to a convergence of small disasters that, put together, equaled an enormously disastrous past week for us, I am WAY behind on school stuff and I'm starting to feel panicked.

I have a History quiz tomorrow, and I haven't cracked my History book in over a week.

I was supposed to have read all of Henry IV 1 by tomorrow. Guess who's only read up to the part where they're plotting the highway robbery prank?

I have to workshop essays for classmates tomorrow. Because I was absent on Friday, I didn't get hard copies from my workshop groupmates, and I have only received *two* of them via e-mail. I have to have typed comments ready for workshop--so far I've done one of them. The other is so atrociously bad that I'm not even sure where to start, especially considering that we have to give as much positive feedback as we do criticism--class rule. Oy.

I also have about seven poems to do workshop feedback for, and I have to somehow make time this week to meet with my poetry professor so we can go over my poem, because I missed the very FIRST effing workshop.

Also, I have no idea where we are in Geology, as I missed it all three days last week.

Let it be noted: all absences were weather and public-school cancellation-related. The rest of my free time was mostly eaten up by assorted catastrophes, a death in Rhythm's close family and subsequent calls/preparations/etc., an appliance delivery (and the necessary cleaning involved in such,) the Lost Dog and subsequent household upheaval and drama, and the fact that our water pipes burst for the FOURTH time in three weeks, but this time they burst right under the kitchen sink, which basically flooded the whole kitchen, and I am just at a fucking loss right now as to what to do from here.

Not to mention all the other assorted crap that's just too complicated to explain.

Can I just call a do-over on life? At least for the past 3 weeks?

*sigh*

Hugs appreciated. My apologies if I'm whining too much. I just feel overwhelmed at the moment.

[DarkTirade]

1. Just relax. Gather yourself.

At the very worst you'll miss or not quite finish a couple of assignments. Your grades might seem to suffer right now, but that's 'cause the semester just started. In comparison to the long run of the semester, its not going to put much of a dent into anything.

:hug:

[Lyric]

7. I sure hope so.

More than anything, what bugs me is that these are all professors with whom I am still developing a student/teacher relationship. I feel like that part isn't going so well because of all this crap, but there just wasn't much I could do about it.

I think I can kiss my 4.0 semester GPA streak goodbye, but maybe that's a good thing. It's a lot of pressure to constantly maintain perfect grades, and a "B" isn't the end of the world, right?

:hug:

[DarkTirade]

15. Yeah, I went from 3 As and an A- my first semester here

to a B, two B+s and one A my second semester when I was working near full time and taking care of my grandpa full time... these things happen. Teachers usually understand. As long as they see you make an effort they'll usually do what they can for you. :)

[Jamastiene]

25. No, a "B" is NOT the end of the world.

I kept a 4.0 GPA for 3 years of my four years in college. When I finally made a "B," I noticed that I actually started enjoying the curriculum more and learned way more through hands on and just taking the time to absorb what I was learning instead of going for perfect scores all the time. A high 3.something will not kill you. It will free you from the pressure. I know that from experience.

[kentauros]

2. here's some hugs then

:hug:

Can you talk things over with your professors? They're bound to be aware of the weather problems and could compromise on some things. Doesn't hurt to ask :)

[Lavender Brown]

3. Hugs

:hug: :hug:

I'm trying to get caught up tonight too - I missed my first class last week because of the stomach flu, and I have no idea how to do the assignments because I wasn't there.

[Xipe Totec]

4. I think I see part of the problem...

How long did it take you to compose the OP?

And were you planning on spending time answering replies?

:hide:

[flvegan]

5. Hugs to you.

You're a good person, you'll get through it.

[JenaLaw]

6. I agree...

Try to talk thinks over with your professors...you are probably not the only one having problems due to the weather etc. As for the workshops, you are not responsible for people not emailing work to you, or if the one you have is so weak that you can not give positive feedback. Due your best...that is all you can due.

How are things going with the new pup?

[Lyric]

11. Puppyface went home.

We found his family for him, and he's back home as of a couple of days ago (for which the cats are deeply thankful, lol.)

If things weren't so bureaucratic within the university, I'd feel more hopeful about the "talking to them" part, but most professors tell you right off the bat that they don't *want* to know why you missed class, because it doesn't matter. Death in the family, bad weather, illness, injury--it doesn't matter why anymore. You get "X" number of absences and then your grade falls, period, and excuses don't matter.

And when you protest, they say--"Well it's not MY rule. It's University Policy. Nothing I can do. So sorry."

I effing hate bureaucracy. x(

[mwooldri]

8. Contact your lecturers / professors / teachers... let them know.

Death in family is good reason for teachers to cut you a bit of personal slack. Plus the others...

I have gone so far behind with school work when struck down with a clinical depression bout plus add in a major surgery or hospitalization with my son on top of that ... I had no choice but to withdraw from school - done it twice in last 5 years. I did have one unsympathetic lecturer one year who refused to help out with a "minor" episode that meant I missed two weeks... rather than fight that lecturer I dropped their course...

*hugs* to you... yes it's overwhelming but the only advice I can say is take a little time out and PLAN PLAN PLAN.

All my best, Mark.

[Lyric]

14. Yeah. I don't know if they'll count the "death in the family" for me, though.

Rhythm and I are a lesbian couple. We're married in everything but the legal sense, have been together for 10 years, but because she isn't my legal spouse, a death in HER immediate family doesn't count for squat in terms of excusing *me*...even though my reasons for staying home with her are the same that any married person would have in a similar situation.

It's worth a shot, though. Who knows? Maybe the new university administration is liberal. :shrug:

As for the weather and They-canceled-LyricKids-school-AGAIN?? absences...all I can hope for is that my profs don't think that this is some kind of habit that I have. I'm usually an excellent student, always in class, straight A's. I'd really hate for them to get the wrong impression about me. :(

[mwooldri]

18. I think your profs would take your prior record into account...

... when considering exceptional situations such as this.

If I was your professor (which I'm not) I'd excuse you, on the death in the family grounds alone. If you worked here, they'd be giving you time off with pay, quite possibly the whole week! As for the school system cancelling schools, nothing you can do about that. Universities *have* to make allowances for us mature students too! Besides if you brought up Rhythm's loss (which is your loss too) and they refuse to make allowance for that, then that's pure discrimination if I walked in and said my wife's sister died and I was taking care of her and her affairs and they said OK for me to have time off and not for you.

Again sorry about this horrendous week...

And yet another case of when I wish I could swap passports with you guys... (UK has civil unions, equal to marriage but not in name, I guess eventually it'll become one but give it time). That and about healthcare issues too...

All my best, Mark.

[truedelphi]

9. They say that the schoolyears ar ethe best years. By that, they must meant he

Friendships that we form, and someof the good times we have are wondrous.

But most of the rest of it is this blur of trying to keep up with being overwhelmed.

Hang in there. (Maybe they have Shakespeare on audio by now so you can listen in the car or while doing other things.)

[Haole Girl]

10. It helped me a lot, when I read Shakespeare, to utilize the listening lab...

I just found it so much easier to read along with hearing it. You might try it, if your school has one.

Hang in there. One thing at a time... that's all you can do. :hug:

[LeftyMom]

12. BTDT on workshopping the disaster paper. Had to do one of those myself.

What I did was focus on the biggest problem (in this case it was serious structural deficiencies) with the thinking that much of the rest would be different in subsequent drafts once that was addressed. Luckily, the student knew his paper had huge issues, so even though my comments were largely "this is crap, throw this out, this is okay but I'd move this here, rewrite this entirely, this interview is good but it really doesn't need to take up your text like that, and I don't see any references to existing theory" kind of stuff as opposed to the less dramatic changes I usually suggest, his feelings weren't hurt and he didn't complain about not getting more positive feedback (there wasn't much to work with yet). FWIW, after a heroic effort, he managed to turn out a pretty decent paper in the end. I was a bit surprised.

Since my professor had seen the paper too obviously she had no problem with my going outside the format a bit, since the format tends to assume that the paper is rough but workable in it's existing form.

You're a good student. Communicate well with your professors about what's up. You're not the only person effected by the weather, and from what I hear from my friend up the road, everybody and their Mom had broken pipes. They should be sympathetic, since you're not one to slack on your work.

[davidinalameda]

13. get the hell off of DU and do your homework

gee, how hard was that?

[Lyric]

16. I'm eating dinner, dammit.

I can justify some DU while I eat. Not much beyond that, though. :(

[davidinalameda]

19. sorry baby

doesn't cut it

I've been there and have paid the price

[LynzM]

17. If I were you:

1. Email your history prof, explain extenuating circumstances, ask to take make-up quiz at later date, or if there is a drop policy of one grade, accept that it will be this one. Catch up on reading over the week.

2. Read cliffs notes/ online summary for Henry IV, do the best you can.

3. Get the second workshopping done, even if it's not great, to have it done.

4. ((hugs)) for the poetry bits, gotta slog through that, eh?

5. Anybody in your Geology class on FB that you can ask for the notes?

(((((hugs)))) for all the crap these last few weeks, sounds like things have piled up; I know how that is, hang in there! :hug:

Also, set yourself a treat for once you get through all that stuff... even something like a nice coffee out or something small like that! :)

[elleng]

20. Ask profs for 'do overs,' given the conditions.

((( )))

[Skittles]

21. you want I should kick your unmotivated ass, Lyric?

or sympathize with you and tell you you're very stressed and need to calm down and tackle ONE of these things right now - I suggest reading you some HENRY IV.

[Lyric]

23. I think a kick in the ass might be helpful, actually.

Really, I just need to STOP the stupid avoidance routines, and start facing up to the crap I have to deal with, 'cause ignoring it won't make it go away.

:hug:

[Skittles]

28. well it's something I've always tended to do too, Lyric

I've found what works for me when I get overwhelmed is to prioritze the tasks in order of difficulty/time and actually knock out a couple of the simpler/faster ones first because just getting them off my plate helps slow down that hysterical revoving script in my mind of all the shit I have to do, and makes tackling the harder stuff a bit easier :)

[Bertha Venation]

22. Hug and vibes for you.

:hug:

[Jamastiene]

24. OH, mercy! I'm sending you hugs and

the best possible vibes for a speedy recovery from life's nastiness and hopes that you can make up the school work in due time.

:hug:

and

(((((BEST POSSIBLE VIBES)))))

[Starry Messenger]

26. Hugs to you.

Some days I miss being a student, but the scenario you've got in your lap brings back some other kinds of memories. :hug: You will get through.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

27. ~

:hug:

[Lyric]

29. For those who are interested: update

I passed the History quiz with flying colors; it turned out to be a map quiz about different places we've talked about (Holy Roman Empire, Ottoman Empire, the historical Line of Demarcation between Portugal/Spain, etc.) and I remembered everything with no problem. I'm pretty sure I aced it. Also, that professor is not counting our absences against us--we provided him with a printout of the obituary for Rhythm's grandmother, and he accepted it (for BOTH of us) with no problem.

I managed to finish enough of Henry IV, part 1 last night to make good contributions to the class discussion, and everything was fine on that note. I even added a few interesting facts about Elizabethan theatre that the professor didn't know--like the fact that the idea of an "intermission" came about because Elizabethan indoor theatres (like Blackfriars) had to use candles to light the theatre space for shows, and needed a "break" in which the burned-down candles could be changed out for fresh ones. :)

I got all of my classmates' essays workshopped, including typed-comments, and the workshop went great.

I'm still working on the upper-level workshop poems, but I have until tomorrow to finish, and I am almost done.

I wound up just dropping Geology. I had missed five classes in a row, unfortunately, and was so far behind that I'd have never been able to make it up by the exam date next week. But the professor understood completely, and I'm still well-above my credit hours needed to maintain full-time status, so it's not going to adversely affect me, save for a "W" on my transcript. I can live with that.

Thank for the support, all.

:grouphug:

[IdaBriggs]

30. Yeah! You go, girl! nt

:) Best, Ida

[rug]

31. I bet the laundry's piling up too.