Next Thursday is officially the middle of the fall semester, and I for one am feeling it. The one good thing is that since I’ve been through this period before, I know what to expect. How can I tell it’s the middle of the semester?
~ I spent all of yesterday in a complete fog. I have no idea how I got from one class to the next, or from home to school and back. I got home and collapsed. I tried to nap, but evil creatures from another planet my children wouldn’t let me.
~ I know that the correcting I have to take care of is reasonably easy, but I still don’t even want to look at it.
~ When students ask innocent questions like “when will you be returning my essay,” I have cartoon visions of them roasting on a spit with apples in their mouths. I might just be hungry.
~ I am having my usual mid-semester dreams. Now, in the past, these have featured guest appearances by such stars as Brad Pitt and Ben Affleck (not at the same time – but there’s an idea). Last night, I dreamt that I had discovered Green & Black’s chocolate at the dollar store. The whole range – even butterscotch. Not to mention the dark cherry. Sigh.
The good news is that past experience tells me that this is not a permanent state of affairs, and that in a matter of days I will be back on track. On the other hand, the fact that this is a recurring phenomenon confirms my belief that we should have an autumn break, because presumably I am not the only person in the academic world whose resources are feeling a little tapped at this stage.
Unfortunately, I personally don’t have the energy required to do anything about changing the system. So if someone else could take care of that, I’d appreciate it. I’ll even sign a petition, as long as you bring it to me. With a pen. And a chocolate bar.