Stress

I thought I'd post a quick update of my life.  I figured the title of this post was quite apropos considering all the insanity at the moment.

My current school life involves a significant amount of writing.  My goal is to write everyday, but that doesn't always happen.  With the holidays and happenings, the remainder of my life is constantly getting in the way.  For those of you who are as clueless as I was about a dissertation, it involves five chapters.  The first three are considered your prospectus or your plan for your study.  This requires approval from your entire committee (before you are able to collect any data).  My goal for the year was to have a prospectus meeting in December...I've yet to submit chapter 1.  Therefore, I will be amending that goal.

While in Athens a week or so ago, I had an extremely honest conversation with my advisor.  Currently, I feel completely overwhelmed.  Although I'm not taking classes, I am attempting to write daily, supervising student teachers, and am a teaching assistant for an online course.  Some days, it feels like I'm swimming upstream or solely treading water.  On top of all of these commitments, I'm applying for jobs and trying to get papers published and accepted to conferences.

There is good news...I have been published (albeit, I've been rejected numerous times too) and accepted to conferences, and although these tasks are important...they're not getting me closer to my ultimate objective of a PhD.

So, here is the part where you come into play.  Next semester is going to be insane.  I'm teaching a course on campus (in Athens), am a teaching assistant for a class online, supervising student teachers, writing, and interviewing for jobs...STRESS!  In fact, my first job communication occurred today.  I should know if I have an interview by next Thursday (so they said).

I don't ask often, but this time I am...please pray...often!  I feel like this is an intensely vulnerable and stressful time in my life and right now, I need the support of my friends and family...I hope you'll be one of them!