Perfect Storm of Academia

Trafton B.

February 27, 2010 - 2:36 PM

When did my life get so hectic?

I thought I was done with the academic insanity after last week when I experienced one the top three most difficult days of my college career. I know it was the most difficult three and half hour span of time because from 10am - 1:30pm I was writing page after page of essays for midterms in Environmental Education or Natural Resource Policy. By then end of the second midterm, my brain was effectively ineffective. Walking out of the classroom my vision was hazy. I was in a scholastic stupor.

So, last week I took it easy and chose to catch up on sleep more so than get ahead in school readings. And now, of course, that has all caught up to me and convened with extracurricular obligations to create a perfect storm of academia. Here's a brief overview of what lies ahead of me in both the near and not so near future.

Today, I have to meet with my ELP team to talk about finalizing lesson plans for next term's trips to local middle schools. We finally received school profiles from our community partner, only two and half weeks late, which gives us a better sense of who we're working with. We also need to plan out a visit either this week or next week to one of these schools, and some of us need to plan our lesson for tomorrow morning's class. Right now I'm a little bit overloaded on pedagogical theories.

I only have a few other minor academic deliverables - a two-page memo critiquing Eugene Springfield Metro Parks and Open Space planning, maintaining a nature journal and another GIS lab assignment. Nothing too overbearing, but it's still something to keep track of, which is becoming especially difficult now that the weather becoming conducive to playing outside - i.e. time I probably should spend studying.

The real anxiety stems from the search for a summer internship, which has consumed a good amount of my time recently. Sadly, however, there's still plenty of work to be done.

I locked down one interview at the beginning of spring break with the San Francisco Planning & Urban Research Association (SPUR). Ideally I would be interning with them starting immediately after spring classes end, but I don't hold too much hope because they aren't offering many positions in the fields that I'd like to work in, like sustainable development or community planning, and they may not be flexible with work dates. That might be the only time the quarter system has been hindrance to my summer plans.

I'm also working on cover letters and resumes to send out to SF Environment, Restore Hetch Hetchy in Yosemite National Park and the Pacific Forest & Watershed Lands Stewardship Council.

That last one is particularly intriguing because the office is in the same building as my father's real estate company, which means that my dad and I could carpool to work every day. How's that for family bonding? Then again, dad has some stiff competition with those other two opportunities. SF Environment could potentially mean carpooling with my mother into the city. And Restore Hetch Hetchy would have me living at Yosemite for two months - not to mention it's the only paid position of the group. Sweet options, right?

I'm also going through a dilemma about whether or not to volunteer at Mt. Pisgah next term. Between classes, ELP and work at Facility Serivces, I probably don't have time to lead a group of kids around the arboretum, but environmental education is contagious. Plus, it would force me to get outside once a week and there's still plenty to learn about Willamette Valley ecology. Then again, an internship with Food for Lane County just opened up, which might be just as fulfilling.

What do you all think? Mt. Pisgah, Food for Lane County, neither, both? Okay, definitely not both. I need some guidance. Who wants to give me a tip?