"You Look Like a Dementor" And Other News From Grad School

A month and a half in to the first semester as a grad student, and I've been told I look like a Dementor. Interestingly enough, it was a compliment. So, there is that. One of my colleagues told me that, and the next day she gave me a teapot. Life is good.

Grad school is an interesting ride of exhaustion on top of the zombified roller coaster of academic success. And by academic success, I mean never sleeping again in my life. However, I am having a great time. I have wonderful students who thrill me to no end with their antics and attempts to pass this course. One of them has a wife who wants to invite me to dinner (!). I guess I'm doing something right. I love teaching these people. They're so eager to learn. I realize this may be the novelty of the job and that I happen to have exemplary students that other teachers don't have, but I still am loving it so far. It's challenging, but the looks on their faces when they get something right is just priceless. Occasionally, I reward them by speaking a phrase or two in Klingon. Yes, they really see that as a reward. There's also the occasional Fox in Socks reading if they come visit me in my office hours. And usually, I have students lined up.

As far as the coursework goes that I'm studying...well...it's ridiculous. I have to work hard for my grades now. Before, I only had to work semi-hard. However, it is paying off because I got a 98 on my first midterm! One of my presentations was done with "Syntax Cookies." What are those? Why, they're sugar cookies with syntax rules written out in frosting. Great learning tool. No, they weren't for children. They were for my fellow grad students. Everyone needs a pick-me-up now and then. If that comes in the form of a cookie with grammar rules written on it, so be it.

The husband and I made the move from one town to the next fairly uneventfully, and we've even settled in to a routine. The dogs have adjusted. He has adjusted. I've adjusted to being more busy than ever before. Life is actually pretty good right now. I'm off to bed, because I'm tired.