I’ve spent most of the last two days in “new Teaching Assistant” orientation. I won’t prattle on with an uninteresting review of what happened there. What IS notable, however, is the fact that I’ve been operating under the false delusion that I knew when classes start this spring. I was thinking, for months now, that classes started Tuesday. Found out today they actually start on MONDAY. I know that may not seem all that critical of a screw-up to the uninvolved, casual observer… but I assure you, this is SEISMIC to me.
I also found out one of my syllabi (for the class that has 9 books assigned) is online already. I read through all FIFTEEN printed pages of it and then began what is surely the early beginnings of a full-on meltdown, which I predict will be in full swing in about six days.
CRIPES! I have no idea how any one person is supposed to be able to read this much at one time.
Answer: They’re not.
But it was helpful (said with ALL possible sarcasm) to have the dean of the graduate school end today with the oh-so-insightful advice: “Don’t sacrifice sleep for studying.”
What, then? Basic hygiene?
Ewww.