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| Sitting at Cusco Coffee sippin on a Passion Frap finishing my paper for 370. Bliss. |
THIS WEEK:
317 - all due yesterday:
- quiz over Cusco and reading packets, 15 minute presentation, a reading with comprehension questions and an interview with mami about her role as a woman in peruvian society.
390 - due today:
- read a 15 page pdf on the 19th, 20th, and 21st century development of art and take notes.
308 Literature - exam today over the renaissance and romanticism
370 - 8 page paper due monday on health in Peru.
THE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS:
317 - various readings and comprehension questions, 4 page reflexion paper, diary entries (1 per week) of new experiences and new words learned.
390 - Project on a work of art by a Peruvian artist with a group of 7 students most of which are unreachable every hour of the day because they are peruvian...
308 Literature - various readings, final paper - I have to read the Alchemist (200 page book... in spanish) and do a structural analysis as well as many other literary elemental things - and memorize a large portion of a poem to recite in front of the class.
308 History - 3 page paper on two chapters from our two books that I have yet to read and a midterm (both this coming monday!)
370 - breathe until the final exam. The 8 pager is due monday so I'll be home free after that!
So now, my reason for posting the depressing state of my academic life is not to impress you with all the many things I will accomplish in just a few short weeks but to merely get the overwhelmtion off my chest and onto yours ;) I work best under pressure. Well, as they say (i'm not sure who 'they' is, but they surely say it!) the pressure is ON. This entire semester I have gotten by with doing minimal work in the week. Literally an hour here and an hour there; some tv here and some tv there; some hanging out with friends here and going out on the weekends there. I have forgotten what it means to be a student. And consequently I have forgotten what it means to study... Exhibit A: I woke up at 5 am to start studying for my lit exam today because I was too busy last night writing my paper due monday to set aside time to study... But no worries, the exam was not difficult. The only consequence of this action was tiredness and I drank coffee to remedy that.
Learning how to be a student again is hard. I've found I would much rather watch tv, hang out with friends and talk to my family than read, write, reflect, summarize, translate, and study. But i didn't sign up for this program to be a slacker. I signed up for this program to learn as much as i possibly could form a culture far from my own. And I would say I have successfully done that. I have learned what it means to be Peruvian. I have met new people, formed new friendships, sharpened my spanish, tasted the food (good and bad) and redefined my very being. Now it is time I learn what my books have to say and remember how to research and write in a way that makes me seem much older and smarter than I actually am. I believe that is called BS - that is a universal term.
At times it is frustrating. Every time I go to the library to work on a project I am reminded I am not at Calvin as they only have 7 shelves of books and you can only check them out for a couple hours at a time. But even though I am not at Calvin and the researching is harder here as the resources are few and the academic system here makes less and less sense to me as time goes by, I feel incredibly blessed; blessed to be here, to learn here, and to love this new place, my new home. Every semester I find I am incredibly overwhelmed after midterms. All the projects and papers hit and it seems impossible when I look at it on paper. But one day at a time I manage to get everything done and I know that will be true for me now. What's the saying?: "God wouldn't bring you this far to drop you on your face?" I know He's got me and I know I will finish this semester successfully like all the rest. I also know that I'm going to have a crazy fun time in the process. I've only got 4 more weeks here. Crazy how time goes by. It's bittersweet. I'm not ready to say goodbye to Arequipa but I am more than ready to say hello to ice cold beverages and other silly comforts of my life in the states.
Well, i'm off to a friends birthday party... er, I mean... I'm off to study... or something.
love love love,
Me
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