Thoughts on the Coming Semester

I can't believe the semester starts tomorrow. And I'd like to note for the record that I think it's stupid to start the week before a three-day weekend, and that seriously we should just chop a week off of the semester so that we can start on the Tuesday after MLK Day and still end at the same time. I promise that I would make my students do just as much work. Seriously.

But so anyway, there is part of me that's looking forward to this semester, but also part of me that totally is just looking forward to this semester being over.

The part of me that's looking forward to the semester is doing so for the following reasons:

1. I'm so excited for my course release! Huzzah!
2. It will be my last semester having to teach the online course that I loathe!
3. My teaching schedule has returned to a very normal and reasonable schedule, as opposed to the monstrosity with which I was stuck last semester!

The part of me that is looking forward to this semester being over is doing so for the following reasons:

1. 6 campus visits in a 3-week period, three of which will require a lot of engagement from me.
2. The continuing saga that is Gen Ed, which makes me want to hiss and scratch people with cat-like fury.
3. I actually have to teach that online claszs that I loathe.

But so anyway, I don't have a whole bunch of goals for the coming semester or anything, or resolutions, or what have you. My main objective is just to get done with it so that I can revel in research for the 8 months that follow it. I feel like that may not be a comment that would win me any teaching awards, but that's totally how I'm feeling.

So. I need to finish a syllabus and other course materials for the dreaded online course today (sigh), and I need to finish the Great Closet Re-Organization. But before I do any of that, I'm going to the gym. I feel like some cardio will put me in the proper frame of mind for the week ahead.