On sleepless nights, a weary mind and graduation

   It’s 2 a.m. on a Saturday night.

   I should be in bed, but all I can think about is my Master’s project, amongst other things.  What still needs to be done? Can it be done in time? Can I do it?

   The good news is that the literature review, which is the bulk of the proposal paper, is nearly complete. The proposal has been through multiple drafts, and I’m anticipating a green light on the project any day now.

   I just reprinted the survey and the survey paperwork, which is now ready to be shipped off for approval from the powers that be at KSU.  Once the survey is deemed safe for human experimentation, I can work on getting it into the hands of the teachers. This will be the second hardest chore of the project, considering I must rely on busy teachers to take the survey and return it to me in a timely manner. Should I promise them chocolate?

   Then there’s the design of the course, which won’t be too labor intensive.  I’ve been teaching basic photography and photojournalism courses at Owens Community College since 2006.  I have a strong instinct on what teachers might want to learn. The survey will help with that, as well.

   It’s now 2:24 a.m.,

   I must force myself to rest my weary mind, which won’t stop. I still have a cap and gown to order. Who will I invite to my graduation? I only have 12 tickets but there are 13 people on the invite list. I hope the survey will be approved. Should I go to each local school and talk to the teachers in person? My lawn needs mowing and the patio furniture needs to be stored for the winter. Both campers need winterizing. Will Obama win? Please let Obama win. Dang, I forgot to give one of my cats his ear medicine today. I must finish grading before Monday………….

   See what I mean? Time to pop a sleeping aid and call it a night.
(UPDATE Nov. 30 - The survey was turned in too late and not included in the study. However, during the defense yesterday my committee members agreed it wouldn't have helped much anyway.)

Overcoming excuses and other reasons for putting IT off

   It’s been a few weeks since I emailed the first draft of my Master’s project proposal to my three committee members at Kent State.

   While I waited for feedback, I updated the syllabus, course policy manual and the first two assignments for the Intro to Photojournalism course I teach at Owens Community College in Toledo. I also created a simple Prezi tutorial.

This is my first Prezi tutorial. I will build on it as ideas come to me.

   Since the prep work for my Intro to PJ class is done, it’s now time to focus on the Master’s project once again. 

   The first draft of the entire paper is due Sept. 15 and I’ve yet to begin editing the proposal paper. But it’s still summer, and I have two kids who need attention, and a full-time job, and I just bought a new RV, and I'm totally into watching Breaking Bad on Netflix! The excuses keep piling up.

   I cannot let those hurdles stop me from getting this done! I’ve worked too hard for five long years. So, every time I feel compelled to delay the inevitable, I remind myself that if I don’t do this now, I will become a statistic. Did you know that lots of grad students don’t graduate because they don’t finish their final Master’s project or thesis? How many you ask? Sorry, but if you want to know a definitive answer, look it up. I don’t have time.

   I don’t want to be a statistic. But more importantly, I want my kids to see me  

walk up on that stage in cap and gown wearing Honors Society cords. They need to witness the final reward of sticking to something you started, and that hard work pays off.

   So after I write this I’m going to watch a few more episodes for Season 2 of Breaking Bad*. After all, next week I will be too busy working on my research paper to watch TV.

*(Update: I'm not proud to report as of Aug. 29, I'm up to Season 5/Espisode 2)