Fitting in

Okay, so, here's a different thing here - I'm going to ask for advice.  I mean, I know not many people read, but hey, can't hurt.

So, here's my schedule:

Monday: up at 6:55ish.  At work by 7:30.  Leave work around 4, home by 4:30.  Change, get some dinner, do some homework, leave by 6 for class.  Home by 10.

Tuesday: up at 6:55ish.  At work by 7:30.  Leave work around 4, home by 4:30.  Change, run out the door by 5 for class.  Home by 8ish, then dinner and homework.

Wednesday: same as Monday

Thursday: up at 6:55ish.  At work by 7:30.  Leave work around 12 (usually skipping lunch), in class until 7 to 8 (varies).  Home by 8, then dinner and homework.

Friday: up at 6:55ish.  At work by 7:30.  Leave work around 4, home by 4:30.  Friday nights I "take off" from school, so dinner at some point, maybe a night out at friends' places.

Saturday: up at 9:30, school work until noon or 1, eat lunch, housework until 4, shower and leave to go out for Saturday night, home by midnight generally.

Sunday: up at 10.  My most open day; usually I'll do a little homework at some point, but I try to relax.

(I also do homework as much as possible while at work - during conference calls, during my lunch break, etc.)

So, given all that... how the hell do I fit any kind of workout routine in there?  I'm not an hours-at-the-gym kind of person anyway, so that's not a concern, but I would like to have at least some kind of focused effort a few days a week.  I'd also like to get in my walks and such again, even if just on the treadmill, as I feel better when I do more.  But I can't really do math or physics problems while walking.  I can get up a little earlier (say, 10-15 minutes maybe) and do some stuff in the morning, but realistically (just being honest) if I'm not in bed from 10 to mostly 7 most nights I go downhill fast (yes, I need 9 hours of sleep to be healthy; I'm a teenager at heart).

Also, I need tips on quick, easy, healthy meals (not necessarily low-call, but just healthier in general) that I can prepare on Sundays for the week since most of the time I don't have time to really cook.  I'd love to be able to eat between work and class most nights, as I hate eating late, and I need to stop the fast-food cycle.

So, anyway, if you have any suggestions, please leave them below, and thanks :)

Voices carry

Ugh.

So, math test last Wednesday.  I know I screwed up at least part of one problem, and walking out of the test, I felt like that was the only issue.

I think we're getting them back today - in just over an hour, actually - and all day my anxiety level has been ramping up.  If I got partial credit and that was the only thing I missed, I probably got mid-90s.  If I didn't get partial credit or I messed up on something else, best I can hope for is likely a 90.  If both, then less than 90.  And as the day goes on, the little voices just keep ratcheting up.

"I probably blew it.  This is going to be my lowest score ever.  I'm going to start off the semester with a B - or worse - and spend the rest trying to catch up.  I won't be able to catch up.  I'm going to get a B in the class, and it'll be the first in the slide down.  I won't get the grades I need.  I'm a failure.  Of course I blew it."

I know it isn't rational, but *because* it's not rational pointing that out isn't useful.  I mean, yes, there's a chance I got a B - of course there is - but I don't think so.  I just don't know how he grades.  There's also some (limited) extra credit, as well as the fact that he drops the lowest test score.

But this is important to me, and because it's important, the OCD really hammers down.

I'm not going to post this until after class - I'll update it with the actual grade.  But writing it down helps, at least a little.  Getting it out of my head, even just temporarily, makes it a little less powerful.

Anyway, off to class.

***

So, a 92/100. A-.  That's worse than I wanted to do, but still an A, so I'll live.  The mistakes were silly, and if I took the same test again, I likely wouldn't make them.  Hopefully this will be my lowest score.  It also doesn't include any extra credit points (which don't count until the end of the semester), so realistically, I'm probably at a 95% or higher in the class right now.

What's scary is that I apparently got the only A.  Which means I also have the only A in the class at this point.  I fully suspect that the next class session will have about half as many people in attendance.  The professor seemed pretty depressed, actually.  I think he took the general failure of the students personally.

Oh well, I know now, and the anxiety of anticipation is gone.  Up, up, and away.

Keeping up

I'm... annoyed.

(That seems to be common lately.)

Math is going well; the first test is on Wednesday.  I expect to do well (I never say 100%, because ADHD and dyslexia make that last 1% really really tough), and I've already got the most extra credit in the class (don't ask; apparently, no one else is even trying), so, should be fine.

It's the other classes.

Don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying physics.  Even the labs where the equipment is being all funky and throwing my OCD off.  The problem is that we've turned in two labs already and are about to turn in our third, but the professor hasn't even returned the first.  So, I've got no idea if the format and process I'm using for the labs is what he wants, and I won't know until 25% of the labs are turned in.  Meaning, if they're not, I could be blowing a quarter of my lab grade.  Grr.

And with English, it's even worse.  I just turned in my first draft of my first English essay, but the professor hasn't "graded" or commented on our outlines at all.  Or graded or commented on any assignment with actual writing samples that we've done.  Or, frankly, anything after the two assignments due the first 3 days of class.  We know he's alive - he's posted stuff - but you'd never know it by the grading.

And that's what frustrates me.  College is about education and learning, and - yes - students need to bring their best to the classes.  But that's only half the equation: instructors are there to do a job, and I'm feeling like these two instructors are (at least at this point) not holding up their end of the bargain.

At least my Physics prof apologized for not having the labs back last Tuesday; I'm hoping we get at least one of them tomorrow.  But the final English essay is due on Saturday; while we're supposed to have peer review due Wednesday, I don't know that he's actually looked at any of the essays at all yet.  If it gets to be tomorrow night and we haven't been assigned papers to review, I'm going to email him.

... Oh well, it'll work out somehow.  But I'm annoyed.

I don't think I've mentioned it yet, but I got a 100% on my calc final last semester; I ran into my old professor and asked him if he could send me the grade, and he finally did.  So, that's pretty awesome (especially given the ADHD/dyslexia thing above).

Speaking of ADHD/dyslexia, still no appointment to confirm diagnosis yet.  Might not be until the end of the month.  I'm also taking Spring Break off from work, so the second week of March will be totally open.