School Stress

 I am just DYING right now.  This Monday, we have an Islamophobia poster assignment where we have to have a display ready and be prepared to answer questions for three hours, and on that same day, we have to hand in Midterm questions. Next day, we have a 6 page Psych essay. Next day, we have mock counseling sessions and we have to hand in our case notes from the previous week. Next day, I have to do a presentation for Applied Communications and I also have to do a presentation on historic Psychologists, and I also have to hand in a seven-page proposal to implement a group therapy type thing at a social service agency.

I have Friday off. But in the following weeks, I still have one more mock counseling session, one more set of case notes, one more homework assignment for Human Services, and a Cultural Competency paper to write about. Then I've got two more Sociology tests and an exam, and I've got another exam for Psych. I also have a Conflict Resolution paper, a Personal Reflection paper, and a portfolio assignment. I also have to hand in a brochure assignment that I didn't do originally.

First blemish, and it was a minor assignment. We were having weekly projects for Applied Communications,  and the brochure was due the day after my info session for SSW. I was completely preoccupied with the info session beforehand, and invested so much energy during, that I simply didn't have any energy to do the brochure afterward. And honestly, I think I had my priorities straight. Getting into SSW might have a serious impact on my future career, while obtaining an Ontario College Certificate probably won't. HSF was most important for it's function in getting me into a program that offers a higher credential. The certificate it offers, in and of itself, is not worth much. And I'm still going to get the certificate, anyway, so I think my concentration on SSW was worth it, especially since I got in.

Do  you know what's cool about the Portfolio assignment? It's a mandatory 10-25 page assignment where you scrounge up your credentials and submit them. I'm pretty sure most people reading this knows what a portfolio is.  Thing is, while the SSW info session only required me to put an autobiographical statement or resume and a letter of recommendation, I also included letters of rec from all three of my Katimavik Project Leaders, and from each of my work supervisors. I also included my PL's letter of rec. from CWY. I also included my certificates from W2W, Katimavik, and CWY.  I did not scan my certificates from W2W (although I will mention them). This means that, once I write an inventory and concluding statement, meet the requirements with a 20 page paper (although I hope to get my W2W certificates scanned). I have already basically completed the assignment because of my over-preparation for the SSW info session.

We had a Sociology exam. The results were the worst in ours Prof's career. He said that there was a majority who failed. The worst grade was 7%, which is disappointing when you take into consideration that if you just take a multiple choice test without any knowledge whatsoever, the average grade is 25% He said there were a number of people who decided to just not answer when they were not sure. He said that, if this was the first time he'd had this test, or if this ws the first time he'd taught the course, he'd blame himself. But this course has been around for years and years. There are rumours that there were only 5 people who passed., although I have been looking and cannot find the source of these rumours.

The past two weeks, he's been saying he would publish our marks, just to show us what we earned. Even though he has to give us another option to gain us back (the midterm was worth 25% of final grade). I hadn't really studied for the exam, but it hadn't felt harder than the Psych exam. Finally, he published our grade for the first exam.

I got 73%! Not up to my par, but in this class, I'm happy to reach mediocre!