My fall semester of grad school starts today.  I’m both really excited and really worried, since I’ll be taking three classes and still working full time.  While this will let me graduate in May rather than August, I’m  nervous about how well I’ll manage the courseload.  A coworker of mine did the same thing and advised me that it’s doable, adding “but I was on a lot of anti-anxiety meds toward the end.”

Anyway, I’m looking on the bright side and trying to stay positive.  I’ve managed straight A’s (with one A-minus) for the first three semesters, so taking three classes instead of two shouldn’t break my back or fracture my sanity. I’ve already ordered most of my textbooks and printed most of the articles for class (that purple folder on top is well over two inches thick now).  And I really am looking forward to what I’ll be studying, especially for my Information Needs of Young Adults class.  Most of those books are included in the picture, although I also chose to read Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist for a reaction paper on young adults and intimacy — mainly because I saw the preview for the movie and didn’t even know it was a book until I saw it on a list for class.  For the first time in a while, I actually want read the book *and* see the movie.  (I didn’t even want to do that with Atonement.  Reading the book was amazing, but I heard not-so-great things about the film and didn’t want to ruin it.)  So a trip to the movies will probably be a mid-semester reward for me, even if it’s a quasi-bubble-gum / teeny-bopper movie.

And here’s a question for my distance education colleagues — do you know if attending graduation (i.e., the physical event with the caps and gowns) is even an option for us?  If possible, I’d like to be able to attend and party down in Tallahassee with some friends and family.  Even if I’m getting my degree online, I still feel like I put just as much (read, “a hell of lot of”) work as the people on campus, and I’d like to be recognized, too.