May 17, 2005
Using time wisely, coloring well, and general deportment...
I have been reflecting a lot lately about my own achievements, work style, etc. Perhaps I am feeling a little anxious as I enter this next stage of my graduate school career. I feel like I must quickly learn to STOP PROCRASTINATING NOW! SEEK OUT INPUT EARLY AND OFTEN! STOP BEING SUCH A PERFECTIONIST! STOP BITING OFF MORE THAN I CAN CHEW! etc. etc.
Well, in the midst of all this attempt at work-habit makeover, my mother sent me a box of my childhood keepsakes. One hilarious thing in this package was the following:
YES. Here is my very first report card--What started it all, my amazing march to scholarly greatness! Opening it up, however, reveals that I was not the perfect 5-year-old scholar that I imagined I must have been:
Note that in all areas, I had to work my way up from "S-Satisfactory" to "G-Good." In fact, in the area of "General Deportment" I appeared to suffer a second session slump ("S-") before righting myself the final session. Next page:
Oh, the shame. I began the year "Needing Improvement" in two areas. (I guess I'll ease off stressing about my own daughters' current difficulties with the whole shoe lace tying thing.) Good to know, though, that my patriotism was apparently well achieved.
ANYway. What lessons should I take away from this?
Well, this school thing is all still a process. And that's OK. There is always an allowance for lack of initial competence and room for ongoing improvement.
I should not allow my life to be defined by my academic successes--or my academic disappointments. I remember around the time I got this report card my parents bought me my first "big girl" bed which I helped to pick out: That is one of my earliest memories of one of my greatest joys. So, there will always be more to life than whether or not I've mastered letter sounds or structural equation modeling.
And if all else fails, there are always colors. ("Knows Colors"=straight G's--Yeah, baby!)
Posted by perry032 at May 17, 2005 11:13 AM | TrackBack| Printer-friendly version
It's always nice to hear you aren't the only one struggling with "issues" in graduate school. I'm making my way through Neil Fiore's "The Now Habit" book on overcoming procrastination. I'm not big on self-help books, but someone recommended it so I thought I'd give it a shot.
I liked your post and it seems like you're successfully putting it all in perspective!
Posted by: Carrie at May 27, 2005 02:41 PMI love this post. Thanks for putting up the pics of your report card.
Posted by: Academic Coach at August 13, 2005 09:53 PM