Hurry Up and Wait

Hurry up and wait is a way of life in many arenas. I first heard of this concept while I was in the military. It seems to have become a common thread throughout my life; right now, I'm seeing it in my acedemic career. Professors will assign homework or projects with a definitive due date, but in between such assignments, there's a lot of waiting involved. For writing assignments, I tend to do them immediately to get them "out of the way." It has led me to a start-and-stop pattern. However, some classes require a ton of reading. Thankfully, I enjoy my program of study, so most of the readings I have to do are relatively enjoyable--if not entertaining. Today, since most of my homework and reading is complete, I plan on going home from school and forcing myself to relax. Yes, I have to force myself to relax. I've learned that I push myself too hard, and sometimes a little forced break in the normal grind is the only remedy for my inability to turn off. Sara Gehrke...out.

Can You Feel the Tension?

Ugh. It's that time again...finals. Every end of quarter it's the same thing: workload and study time increase; and stress levels are at their peak. I have OCD--actually diagnosed, not simply self-assessed. I always create Excel spreadsheets to help me figure out hypothetical scenarios for final grades. It helps ease my anxiety level to know exactly how poorly I could perform and still receive the desired grade. My friends tell me that I'm crazy for being so obsessed with routinely calculating my grades. Um, yeah, that's what OCD is. I look forward to a week and a half from now when the term is over, and I have a month-long break from school. Even on breaks, I have a difficult time relaxing. I make lists. I get things accomplished that I otherwise do not have time to do. Even a break is not really a break (See the picture of me on vacation reading a book about improving memory). Nonetheless, I look forward to having less stress in my life after December 14th. I may as well enjoy it; next term I will be taking 18 credits. Ugh, again...

Hope, Love, and Charity

Last year for Christmas, the only item on my list was an iPad for me to give to my best friend's autistic son. It made me feel so good to give to another something that would help him connect with the world. This year, my boyfriend asked me about a charitable gift again. Being as it felt great to give back, I selfishly want that same feeling again. The problem is that I cannot decide what charity is near and dear to my heart. I mentioned giving to the adopt-a-family drive at South University, but I want to be sure that I have a personal connection to my giving. In the next few weeks, I will be giving serious thought to the beneficiary of my gift this Christmas.