SEE YOU IN A BIT
Sorry about not posting in a while. I got caught up in a whole combination of things: my last day at work, deciding on this new TA offer, organizing a farewell dinner, finalizing a stag, saying goodbye to some departing SJC people, and packing for New Orleans.
Friday was my last day at work. I haven’t had a “last day” at work since March of 2002. This most recent last day was fairly easy-going at first. I generally did some housekeeping things and tied up loose ends. Then near the end, there was a flurry of activities as I raced to finish some tasks.
The three women I worked with gave me two cards and some chocolate. It was a nice touch. It didn’t really dawn on me that I was leaving until I was out the door of the building. I started June 16th and finished August 22nd. It went by in a flash. I am really thankful for having the job. I’m not sure what I would have done without it. Now I can pay for tuition in September.
As for the TA offer, I’m still not sure what the hell I’ll do. I’m almost inperceptibly leaning towards taking it because it’s the difference between not having tuition next term and having it. I’ve talked to some people about it and they’ve both said they think I can do it and not kill myself. It’s essentially an extra three hours of supervising a lab a week. However, there’s also time to be taken for marking and preparing for the lab. I hope I find some time on the plane to find a resolution.
In other news, the summer has definitely signalled its end. As if almost on cue, the weather has turned colder. Even in the sun now, I don’t feel as warm. The cloud cover this weekend only punctuates the point. Another sign that summer will soon end are the increased throngs of people on campus. Last week, I was at the bookstore. Already, there were eager first-years with parents in tow, buying up books for their classes. I’m pretty sure some of them even bought their books for the entire year. They will soon learn buying textbooks from the bookstore is a last resort and should be only done for the semester that is coming up next.
After I went to the bookstore, I went to the CIBC in the Village. As I stepped up to the ATM machines, I saw a bank employee helping a guy activate his bank card. Standing faithfully next to him was his mother. I gather this was his first “university bank account”. I could almost see the Mom beam with pride. That was me a long, long time ago.
I’ve been talking with some other grad students, we are lamenting the start of the school year. All the undergrads come back and clog up the campus. They’re everywhere, lining for this, lining up for that, it’s almost impossible to get lunch on campus in a decent amount of time the first two weeks of September. The funny thing is, the crowds always seem to dissipate somehow. By October, the lines won’t be gone totally, but it’s somewhat bearable.
I can now see why summer time is the best time for a grad student. The campus is deserted and the weather is nice. I was told in May that it’s really nice at SJC in the summer. It’s easy-going, light, and carefree (well, for the most part). They were right.
Alright, that’s it for now. I’ll be back with at least one more post before I take off for New Orleans.