We are a week into school around these parts. Yep, you read that right. "We"; as in Miss J and little old me. I really didn't envision my Fall including anybody's assigned reading and I sure as hell didn't envision it including anybody's classroom. I foresaw more of an office type setting for this time of year. You know, something that demanded a lot out of you, but actually paid you instead of you paying it at the end of the day. Surprisingly, I am not the only one around campus who adorned a cap & gown back in May. There are even some folks who have already been accepted to a grad program, but are still prancing around UCB, trying to figure out which way is up. Trust me, its not by choice for the majority of us. These are some pretty rough times and it shows in many aspects of many lives.

As education was thought to be a safe haven for a jobless economy, the CSU and UC wells are starting to run dry. Colleges are turning students away, rushing the students who remain and giving staff the X left and right. You should see all of the courses that have been cancelled due to not being able to keep professors and employ GSIs (graduate student instructors). Its a bit ridiculous to those of us who have watched our schools invest their capital in projects outside of academics, like that useless ass sports facility that UCB is building. Furthermore, the situation is made that much worse because of the financial state of California. All me can do is sit back and hope that things improve with the least amount of damage in the long run.

In contrast to the summer, I hit the ground running this first week. Tracked down a viable class, that doesn't require me to buy any books, touched bases with my thesis professor and developed a new workable plan, and I am about half way through the process of trying to secure funding for one last semester at Cal. If my case is convincing, I could have that piece of paper with the golden seal no later than April (takes them 4 months to get you the tangible proof in the mail). I feel like I've been to this point so many times before. Same old song, just a different semester. I truly am working hard. As hard as an exhausted mind could. I've decided that I'm just not gonna beat myself up about it anymore. However long it takes me to earn what I came to UCB to earn then so be it! I do admit that its hard to watch others reach their achievement, especially when we either started the journey around the same time or if they started after I did. But again, there is really no use in beating myself up about it because at the end of the day, I am but "me" and only I know how much work I am putting in and how much I am sacraficing to reach my own achievement. I've made peace with it!

So, now, I find myself back in the game, fighting to get what I came for. Got my eye back on the prize and determination in my spirit. I see the challenges of the next 3 months in advance, but I am going to face them head on and call on every single resource that I have available to me.

Keep me in your thoughts and throw some virtual umph my way as I strive to cross the finish line... officially.