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Monday, September 03, 2007

Summer's End

Shortly I will be leaving to go to the Fair for the fourth time this year. Today is the last day of the twelve day run and also the unofficial last day of summer.

Having seen the seven day forecast, I know that the summer weather isn't quite gone yet. Low to mid-90s are expected by the end of the week, just in time for the kids to go back to school.

Working in academia, the fall semester has already began, so in some ways the summer has been over for a week already. The first week of classes is done, the syllabus are in hand, textbooks are purchased. Unless you are like me, and don't have a single textbook yet, and one of your professors was out of town at a conference so class has yet to commence.

I've always loved the excitement of back to school. The new clothes, the school supplies, seeing people you haven't seen in months. RussianViolets put it very eloquently, and so I won't try to put it in other words. I've missed the excitement since I graduated, but now there's a different kind of thrill knowing that I might have a classroom of my own in a couple years.

It's too soon to say. Maybe I'll hate teaching. Maybe I'll flunk out of grad school. But I sure as hell am going try to do as well as I can.

8 comments:

Jenny F. Scientist said...

I seriously doubt you'll flunk out! For one, you're too smart, determined, and focused for that, and for two, it's harder than you'd think (usually).

New clothes... now there's an idea.

I think that everyone who loves teaching still really loves teaching once they've done it. One may loathe those particular students, but the desire to light up that spark of understanding never goes away. Sometimes, I've found, the desire to deal with the attendant nonsense (parents, deans, paperwork, standardized testing, whiny entitled students) does wane, but never that desire to, I don't know, help someone love their knowledge as much as you do.

Anonymous said...

Ah the fair! It's going on here too and Mr. LS and I keep debating on whether we should go. I just want fried dough and a corn dog. :) Tonight's the last night so we better make up our mind...hope you have fun.

And I second Jenny F. I don't think there's anyway you can fail! :)

BerryBird said...

Four times to the Fair!! I am exhausted just thinking about it. We drove by on our way back into town last night. There was dust hanging in the air for miles. Your boogers must be black.

Coffeypot said...

Have a great year. Sometimes I miss being in college. SOMETIMES! Maybe once decade or so.

a/k/a Nadine said...

Thanks for the good thoughts, all!

The Fair was fun of course, and I ate some fried dough for you NSLS.

Anonymous said...

Glad you ate fried dough because we didn't make it. Errands and a movie.

jo(e) said...

Oh, yes, the end of the state fair marks the true end of summer.

Cup said...

You'll do it! Just keep telling yourself that.

I'd love to be starting back to school this week ...