Coming To A Close

Today is my last day of ENG 111. I have finished HUM for the semester with an "A," and only have PSY and HIS left to go.  I will admit, while it has been tough getting into the routine of full time work and school, I still could have done better.  I have planned out my remaining classes at 3 per semester to give myself a better chance to give each one the time and focus I'll need to not get as overwhelmed as I kept finding myself over the last four months.
Taking the summer off to do some Army training, I am looking forward to the extra time I'll have just as much as I know I will be looking forward to continuing on in the Fall semester.  I am also excited to finally have a little time back to some painting!  I have some ideas in mind and can't wait to get started!

Staying on Task

I am indeed finding that getting distracted while do a research paper by getting info for another research paper really is the best way to go if you are like me.  I am certainly going to apply this method every chance I get. :)

Here I Am Again

It seems to be a habit of mine to end up staring at random notes for a paper due just around the corner.  I am at a standstill.  What makes it worse this time is the fact that I don't like the class, and am generally uninterested in the most interesting topic I could even think of to fill 4 pages with.  I'm trying not to regret going for a full time semester.  It's been a little overwhelming, and now that the semester is coming to a close, each class has large assignments all at once.  While I can't say that I was unaware of all of these projects from day one, my judgement on my ability to manage my time and prioritize things was less than realistic.
When choosing my classes for this semester, I didn't foresee so much writing being involved.  Though I have surprised myself by my ability to finish as many papers as I have and, most importantly, be satisfied with the finished product, there have been just as many that have been totally disappointing.  My current struggle is worth 25% of my Humanities grade.  It is due in 3 days, and I have only a questionable outline and thesis statement.  I may have to just give in and write a crappy paper.  Something is better than nothing, right?  Ugh.

Does anyone want to write my paper on Gabriel Garcia Marquez's 100 Years of Solitude and it's impact on Magical Realism and Latin America??  Anyone?  Bueller??

Distraction

I have two papers due this week, and I still have yet to start one of them.  Honestly, I don't even know how I managed to get as much down on paper as I have today.  I gave up on the idea of "being a writer" when I realized I would never get anything finished because of my anal retentive ways convincing me that what I liked while writing it, became shit by the time I read it over a few days later.  I think I've also forgotten quite a bit of my once fairly impressive vocabulary.  My ability to retain information has been failing me as of late.
Ugh. Back to the grind.

Get Creative!

I stumbled upon a great post on The World's Best Ever that I just had to share.

A First For Everything

I am sitting here at the library writing my English paper when it dawns on me, this is actually the first college paper I have ever written.  Even in high school I only did 3 papers at the most, and they were all 2 page book reviews. All of the writing I have done in the past ten or so years has really just been rambling, unedited babble.    Now that I am aware of the critical eye my writing will have on it, I must admit, I am a little nervous.  I've already had some great feedback at home. Though this means that now I find myself being overly critical of every comma I even consider placing.
I realize it has been a long time since I was in an official learning environment, but I still have high expectations of myself.  I am trying hard not to be too disappointed with myself for  thus far failing to achieve the standard I set for myself.

Going Mobile

This is me testing my new found techie skills on mobile blogging.  :)

I'm trying something new.  We are currently in class tweaking our blogs, and I am attempting (unsuccessfully, it seams)  to set up a mobile account for my blog.  I never claimed to be tech savvy.

UPDATE!
The app is downloading now! This will be great for the inevitable time I am running late for class and realize I am one blog short of the requirement.  My next post will be the official test.

Busy bee

It has been a crazy week!
     3 day drill
     re-enlisting for another 6 years (! or ?- my thoughts on this keep changing)
     brand new car is in the shop- again! (yes, this time I am sure)
     psychology mid-term (a little disappointed in my grade, and miffed that detailed results aren't available to see what I did wrong)
     750 word paper to write!!! (still have no idea what to write about)
     just thinking about the fact that I have only LOOKED at the half dozen unfinished paintings sitting in my studio while I have spent every spare ounce of time and energy doing homework. ugh.

I had to move my canvases to avoid feeling guilty for avoiding them :(

I was thinking of doing my English paper on painting (mainly to relieve some of my guilt) but there really is no process that I use.  I have an object, I throw paint or some textured stuff on said object until it looks cool, then it usually sits around awhile until I find the right subject for the background, then I paint the subject. I don't know, maybe if I think about it enough I can figure out a way to use it.  I miss painting, but I am so distracted with school right now that I just can't let myself get lost in it.  Yes, I mean lost.  When I paint, the rest of the world ceases to exist.  I can spend an entire 14 hour session working on a piece without even realizing that I forgot to eat.  An example of one of these days is a  portrait I did for a friend a few months ago.  While it was extremely fulfilling to do, and great surprising her with it, I no longer have the luxury of time these days.  My homework won't do itself!

Total work spent: approximately 22 hours

Toughing It Out

     I think I have learned my lesson.  After finally just writing my last history paper (then having someone else read it, then going back again and revising it to make sure all the necessary parts were included) I have gone through the course outlines from each of my classes and set a calender, prioritizing all of the major papers I have coming.  The last thing I need is to be stuck at the last minute like today, only having a bigger assignment than my time can accommodate.  This next week is gonna be tough with a 3-day drill weekend that includes a diagnostic pt test (and have I mentioned that pt is one of the things I procrastinate about the most?) and an exam the following Monday to prepare for.

     This is one of those times I wish I was one of those people that not only enjoys working out, but used it to help focus pump myself up.  It's just not as easy to do when my work schedule is up and down and I have to rely on only myself to stay motivated.  Maybe I should just get up and run now.  Hmmmm...

...... well, I have to be to work tomorrow at 0615.  I should probably just go to bed instead.  Yeah, in my head are all of those thousands of excuses I come up with every time there is no real reason not to do something I know I should. :/

Writer's Block

     I have essentially been staring at a blank page for the past four hours.  We recently talked about writer's block in my English class, and our last journal topic was about those things that most distract us.  Looks like I overlooked the most dominant dilatory influence- my own procrastination and inability to focus.  I have a 500 word essay due tomorrow at noon, but since I work at 6am, I will have to finish it tonight.
     To bring up another English 111 discussion, yesterdays class involved outlining.  Well, when you have an outline for a 500 word essay, then have to somehow include answers to four almost completely unrelated questions involving the 1000 word article that can be your only source of information, things get a little difficult. So, here I sit, completely capable of writing about the fact that I can't write this paper. "Why?" You ask?  Because it will simply be a bad paper.
     I have already answered the questions needed without a hitch.  The problem lies with making them flow together in a paper that will be graded partly on structure.  I haven't written many papers, and it's been over a decade since I have done on at all, so maybe there is a way to work through an issue such as this, but I simply don't have the experience yet to do it.  Though I know I can write it, perhaps the biggest problem is that I know it will be crap, even if it meets the requirements of the professor.
     I'm going to read the article for the fourth time now and see what happens.  Ugh.

Where has all the time gone?

With juggling full time work and school, drill weekends, and all that other random crap that comes with life, I had completely forgotten this blog existed and serves a purpose.  Of course, the purpose is mainly just to get credit for it in class, but I had also planned on using it to log my daily dealings with this new adventure called higher learning.  Turns out higher learning leaves little time for much else.
Well, my classes are coming along pretty well, though I am still trying to get to the point where I am "ahead of the game" as far as my online classes go so I have a buffer of time in case anything comes up.  It also is looking like I won't be taking any classes over the summer since I will either be at WLC for the Army or reclassing to another MOS - also for the Army.  Can't really complain too much, though, since the Army is what's paying for it all anyway.

;)

One Word At A Time

I already have an established blog at http://livingartloud.blogspot.com/, but since there I mainly focus on my painting projects, I will use this page to rant about school and other writing adventures.  I've only just made it through my first week back at school, so I can't really gauge yet how the rest of the semester may go.  So far, I don know that my history class in unexpectedly giving me grief.  I love history, but I am completely unfamiliar with ancient western civilization, I'm off to a bumpy start.  I do, however, trust that my English class will remain my favorite, and not just because this blog will be presented in class and graded. Overall, I am excited to finally begin this chapter in my life, as it has been a long time coming.

This quote was mentioned in class the other day, and I have a feeling it will be repeating in my head now every time I sit down to a blank page.

When asked, "How do you write?" I invariably answer, "one word at a time."
-Stephen King

Recommended reading:  On Writing by Stephen King