Famous Last Words: Settling into the Semester

I found myself getting lost in the first "real" week of classes. The workload has finally landed, and I'm still setting myself up with these classes. I found myself setting up a schedule for myself and my readings, as we did for this class. It's basically the only way I'm going to be able to survive.

I didn't keep up so well in this class this past week, but it's something I'm absolutely working on. I'm going to try my hardest to get ahead so I don't have to stress. This class is definitely going to challenge me, because I really am not imaginative. Writing our own stories each week is definitely going to push my imagination's limits, but it's something I'm looking forward to. I tried to change it up this week by using a different writing style, instead of straight prose. Diary entries allowed me to think in an entirely different way, so experimenting with other styles each week is something that I'll be depending on.

I'm very thankful for the extra day of the weekend, because it's allowed me to kind of calm everything down. I'm definitely trying to use my time more wisely across all of my classes. I have kind of a heavy workload this semester, with a lot (a LOT) of reading. Unfortunately, I'm kind of a slow reader so my time management skills are going to be crucial this semester.

I'm really loving each of my classes, though. I think that my schedule is kind of perfect for the kinds of classes I'm taking and the weekly requirements there are for each of them. I have one class everyday (Latin 2) and my 3 other "in-class" classes are only once a week. This is great, because I have basically an entire week to prepare. Which is great, because most of my classes have us reading an entire book a week.

I am trying to keep up with ALL of my readings this semester, and really read all of them. I love my classes; I really want to learn everything I can in each of these classes.

(Candid Picture of Me, Mid-Week; web source: Flickr)

Feedback Thoughts

I think giving feedback is something that isn't as effective as it could be in some classes. The reality is, most students aren't comfortable giving constructive feedback for fear of seeming too mean or judgmental. For me, it also comes from the fact that a lot of the time I feel as though I'm not qualified to give criticism. At my old job, at the end of every semester we had to give feedback on all of our immediate supervisors and then they had did the same for us. This seemed fine with me, because there was a level of anonymity. However, then we had to meet with our higher-up supervisors and then try to explain the comments that our supervisors made about us. I found that, for myself, this kind of feedback process really did not work for me. Receiving the comments about my work ethic from an anonymous source was already a blow; having to explain them to my highest supervisors was near torture.

In reading the articles about taking advice, I found myself in a lot of the examples of what not to do. I'm a bit of a perfectionist, so getting feedback that isn't all positive seems like a major failure to me. Criticisms kind of hit me like a brick, but it's something to work on. Especially since in about a year's time, I'll start applying to law schools. This process necessarily requires a process of putting yourself and your accomplishments out there and waiting for an unknown committee to say yes or no to you based on how you appear on paper. Nerve-wracking!

I don't think a certain kind of feedback works the best for me; I receive it all in kind of the same way. I'd be interested in reading others' blogs to hear about the different kinds of feedback and what works and what doesn't!

(Feedback, web source: Flickr)

Wikipedia Trail: From Cistern to Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Cistern:

A cistern was used in ancient times as a place to store water. They're often used where there is little rain or where a well couldn't be dug properly. They often serve the same purpose today; yet, they must be kept away from algae and mosquitos.

Lava:

Lava is what erupts from a volcano. It's molten and liquid-like, but it dries into lava rock which some cisterns were made of. There are many famous volcano eruptions during which the lava wiped out entire civilizations.

Mount Vesuvius:

Mount Vesuvius is the volcano that destroyed the town of Pompeii. Arguably, this is one of the most famous volcano eruptions. This eruption released 100,000 times the thermal energy that was released with the atomic bomb that hit Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki:

These events were the only atomic bombings to date. They were released during World War II by the United States on Japan, their enemy during the war. Many people were killed by the initial blast of the bombs, but others succumbed to burns and more yet had children with birth defects.

(Portuguese Cistern, web source: Wikimedia)

Google Timer Tech Tip

I did not know about this gadget at all!

This very well might become something I use every time I have long study sessions. My high school physics teacher taught me that when working with computers or screens, you should break your work sessions into 45 minutes and give yourself a break until the top of the hour. This rests your eyes and keeps your attention sharp.

Having this in the browser will alert me when it's time to take a break. One of my biggest faults while studying is looking at my phone, or using my phone for something like a calculator and then being distracted by something else on it. SO, this saves me from using my phone for a timer and makes sure that I take my breaks. :)

Story: Women Saints

June 1, 257

Dear Diary:

Another day in this tower Dad's locked me in. It's been a whole 4 days since I've been able to see Zacharias. I have not even been able to send any messages along to him. I really can't believe that Dad reacted so outrageously!! I suppose I should blame myself for being so reckless; we have been successfully dating for months now and I just slipped up. Of course, the first time I invite Zacharias over is when Dad comes home early. Ugh.

I hope I'll be able to see him soon. I miss him. Every day that passes feels like a year. Seriously.

June 3rd, 267

Dear Diary:

So Dad apparently got inspired to construct a new bathhouse? He saw it in town, I guess, so now he just HAS to have one. Anyway the construction workers are here like all day. It's really distracting me from taking every waking minute to think about Zacharias.

EXCITING NEWS ON THAT FRONT!! Due to this construction mess, the workers had to come in and take measurements or whatever. ANYWAY Dad had to leave to doors unlocked and stuff so I was able to sneak out! I met with Zacharias earlier today and it was bliss. Dad didn't suspect a single thing. I felt like a genius. I don't know when I'll be able to see him next. Sigh.

June 4th, 267

Dear Diary:

Okaaay, so that day was today!! Zacharias snuck in here this time. We've decided that we're going to be married. No one will be able to stop us; we've made our decision. As he left, he promised to go make all of the arrangements for us.

All these plans make me reflect on the way Dad has raised me. I truly believe that he's tried his best, but he just is misguided. I mean, who's immediate reaction is to lock their daughter away in a tower for all of eternity.. It's going to nearly kill me to run away and leave him alone. Of course, I think he'll be mad in the immediate aftermath... but I think he'll come around once he sees how happy I'll be.

June 7th, 267

Dear Diary:

I AM SO EXCITED!!!!! I'M GETTING MARRIED TOMORROW!!! TOMORROW!!!!! I'LL WRITE ALL ABOUT IT AFTERWARD!!!!!!!!!!!

June 9th, 267

Dear Diary:

Wow, nothing went according to plan. So much has happened over the past couple of days!!

It all started out well. I put on my nicest dress and snuck through the construction entrance (they're still building that damned bathhouse). We met at a gazebo and our ceremony went as well as I could have imagined. We were so in love in that moment. And then...

Dad STORMED up. With a RAGE in his eyes the likes of which I haven't ever seen!! Oh my.. He was so upset and he threatened to lock me back up. I don't know why, but I thought we could be married and then live in town, able to visit Dad all the time. Things went from bad to worse..

Zacharias stepped between me and my father as he reached out to grab me. Dad attacked him! He threatened to kill him right then and there. We had to escape. We had to go so far away. I just knew that I would not get my fantasy life... but we would be able to live, just the two of us. 

We ran for it, disappeared into the woods. Dad chased us up the mountain for a ways, but eventually gave up. Now to figure out how to live on our own...

April 2nd, 268

Dear Diary:

Uncovered this book a couple of days ago. Figured I'd write an update. We now live in a quaint home on the side of the mountain. Oh, and we're now a family of 3. We brought a little boy into the world just a couple of weeks ago. I miss Dad now and then, but I have so much to be thankful for and to be excited about. Our future is bright!

(Saint Barbara fleeing her father, web source: Wikipedia)

Author's Note:

I enjoyed Barbara's story the most from this collection of Women Saints. Some of the plot lines in her original story were a little dense and hard to get through. I knew I wanted to modernize her a little bit, but still wanted to keep her in the time period. I also thought the best way to show this story entirely from her perspective was through this personal medium of diary posts.

Bibliography:

Golden Legend: Saint Barbara, link.

Reading Notes: Women Saints, Part B

Reading:
Women Saints of the Golden Legend, link

I really, REALLY loved reading all of these stories about these women who accomplished so much, especially for their time period. They all were dealt with various, interesting hands to power through and they did just that. Nearly half of these stories had a point in the plot that surprised me or gave me pause. I think the most startling thing that happened was in Saint Barbara's legend; there's a point in the story in which she is literally just flown by divine power (I'm guessing) from her tower to the side of mountain. Oh, that, and her father bursting into flames after her death. A little unnerving.

This comes after her father becomes enraged with her and her religious beliefs, and goes to kill her. I figured I would dial back this intense conflict and attempt to place some modern "father-daughter" conflicts into this time period. Instead of Barbara outright refusing to marry any suitor, I figured I could include the time old trope of the boyfriend that the dad doesn't like. In response to this, he builds the tower that is featured in the original story. Instead of demanding an additional window, Barbara demands a secret stairway for her to escape in the night to visit her forbidden love. I also am toying around with putting a bit of a "Scarlet Letter" twist on this story; instead of Barbara being beaten publicly as in the original, the general public shame her for an illegitimate child. This modern adaptation will follow much of the original plot, with dialogue and more arguments between Barbara and her father that we might see in a household today.

(Barbara crushing her father, web source: Wikimedia)

Just a casual painting of Barbara standing on her father's back, looking very nonchalant about it all.