2 days as a proper student and ......

[harrisey]

....my brain has melted and seeped out through my ears.

I'd forgotten what it was like to sit in a lecture/seminar and take notes/ask questions/keep up/listen to words such as 'discontinuity' and 'eschatologically' when I was up twice with dd2 who has an awful cold in the night before (yesterdays class)

Today I had no classes but went in to the library to do my reading for the class from yesterday as I have classes on Fri, Mon and Tues, and I fell asleep at my desk in the library as I had been up with dd2 4 times (she is coughing and bunged up poor wee thing).

Tomorrow morning I have a 3 hour lecture/seminar. Luckily it is the first class in the course so I dont have any preparatory reading.

It is a totally different kettle of fish being a student with kids. Firstly, I have not seriously used my brain for about 15 years. Secondly, they actually threw away my brain along with a placenta somewhere along the line. Thirdly, I have a house to run and children to think about (well dh is a brill help but there is still a lot of responsibility rather than when I was a student in the 80's-90's).

But lastly I actually care about what I am doing this time round. I mean, I liked my first degree and it was interesting but I am really passionate about what I am studying this time (theology).

Dont really know the point of this post, but I suppose I just wanted to say how I am feeling. I'm so glad we made the decision to go back to college. I'm just feeling alittle bit overwhelmed by the first week.

It does get better you know! At first last year my friends and I all physically felt our brains were stretching and our heads really hurt- now it's normality.

It IS different with a family- next week I have to take a day off for BIBIC, it's a school play tomorrow I ahev to attend- but different isn't worse, exactly.

I'm the same, although I really loved the psychology lecture we had today, I could have sat for more than the 2 hours!!!!

And I always have a migraine after a lecture or a seminar.. despite wearing glasses and not having strain on my eyes.

once I got over being the oldest in the class, I relaxed and people even started to talk to me. Especially after the professor asked "who has actually done a real trial?" A few of us raised our hands, I felt like, ok, I may be rusty academically, but I have actually done this stuff. I hope I make a few friends to have coffee with though. It feels a bit lonely sometimes.

I hear you! My brain hurts. Got a question wrong in a postgrad media law lecture the other day and felt like saying 'Were YOU up at 4am with a feverish two-year old??' when all the bright-eyed, bushy-tailed 21 year olds looked round at me.