Where am I, a rubber room?

Although I should be sanctioned to the aforementioned cube, the reason I wrote the headline is to get people's attention for the following:

COMMENT ON MY BLOG, PEOPLE!

This blog wasn't simply created for my amusement -- rather, it's a tool to remind me that I actually DO exist outside the student sector of the planet. THEREFORE, it is mandatory I receive contact with the outside world for this to take place. So, in that light, comment or email me at will. Thanks!

Just checking in...

My adoring fan (singular, ha ha) reminded me that I have a blog yesterday, so I feel compelled to write.

Must I write? I just completed three assignments for two other classes including an essay for my Poetry Writing Class on "Why I hated the poet I just went to watch on Sunday" (I didn't really name it that, but it sounded more interesting than "Poetry Reading Report"). It was supposed to be 500 words, by the way. And just to add extra emphasis to the fact that I have terminal verbal diarrhea, it turned out to be closer to 950 words. OOPS.

Anyways, chronic over-achiever that I am, I had a meltdown yesterday. Seems that when I was attending community college, I got into a habit, albeit a routine, of taking naps whenever and wherever necessary (even in my car in the parking lot of the local library). Since I decided to be a full-fledged Poly Dolly, I've suddenly decided that I should try to function sans nap. NOT A GOOD IDEA. So, I dropped everything, and I mean everything to nap yesterday. Day went much much better, thank you very much.

I am hoping this, however: to all students, previous, present and future -- I welcome any suggestions, however small, as to how to balance this bucket of chaos I call my life and all the accompaniments thereof. This includes children, school, doctor's appointments, grocery shopping, housecleaning, cooking, etc. etc. ETC. HELP!

I'm gonna get extra credit for this???

So, since I routinely have to give myself a little breathing room when it comes to my grades, I chose to take one of my professors up on a little EX CRED challenge: posting comments to her blog online. (It's a good site! Check out www.laurafreberg.com !)

The assignment is simple: read a blog entry and post a comment that contains more than the words "that's cool...". So, I chose to comment on her "The Thrill of Victory and the Agony of Defeat" post. It's all about how we strive to win, even though people will say [read: lie] about how it really isn't all about winning. Here goes:

"I couldn't agree more with Garrett [USC's athletic director.] Ever since I was a child, I learned about the Psychology of parenting by observing my own. My mom always TOLD me that I needed to be a good sport (apparently I had inherited the competitive gene from my dad) whilst my father would SHOW me how to win (i.e. "keep your eye on the ball"). I can't imagine that anything in life is worth doing unless it's worth doing well. And, in order to do that, you have to try to win.

It is the basic psychological principle of positive reinforcement. We try to win, because of all the accolades we receive when we do so -- the trophies, the pats on the back, the cash money, the "atta girls (or boys, for the guys)." Thus, the rewards for winning reinforce our behavior to such an extent that we try to continue the same behavior over and over again to receive the reward.

Unfortunately, one cannot control all the factors involved with any given scenario (such as the weather, competitors, or controlling exactly what one ate that day and how many milliliters of water one consumed). So you get our Marion Joneses of our generation, trying to up their edge by injecting chemicals to make them have the edge biologically. Why would one go to such lengths? It MUST be all about winning..."

My, oh my, whatever am I to do???

So, like, this school thing is really taking a toll on my social life... Just kidding -- actually, I really have to say that I am getting used to PRACTICING balancing my life out: school, kids, personal commitments (after all, I DO have to deal with me all day whilst I behave like a rabid bunny looking for victims; I seriously remind myself of the Tasmanian Devil sometimes.)

If there's anything I've learned from Cal Poly, it's this: you must PRIORITIZE. If I don't make time for schoolwork, I have no time for anything else because I'm too busy stressing myself out about my unfinished schoolwork to concentrate on anything else, much less enjoy myself. Even one of my kids is feeling the strain (I swear, words that should never come out of a kid's mouth: "I didn't have time to get it done." What's even more slave-driver-ish of me is that the statement keeps on being TRUE!!!)

So, back to the splinter-infested drawing board I go: let's take another whack at this thing called life...