Almost a miracle

I was doing so well on getting essays graded that I thought, "Oh, I can go to Advisement like a good girl." I absolutely knew I had time after my last appointment to hammer out the last two, especially as they were likely to be good.

Well, no. If I had been more fierce with the last student I met with today and had shooed him out of the office at the end of his official 20 minute appointment, I'd have had a chance--but he is the one who doesn't want to think, and yet I know he's smart--and he not only wanted to understand what he could do to improve, he admitted to feeling so frustrated and negative that he wants to just quit. I talked him off that metaphoric ledge, but ... well, I was nicer than I needed to be, and I don't regret it, as I think it helped him at least some.

The only reason I'm not in a flat panic tonight, thinking I am completely screwed is I realized--after I posted last night--that I could simply get up early again tomorrow, get to the office by 9 (or as close to that as possible), and then I will be able to crank out those last two essays. I started one of them tonight--and unfortunately, it's not as good as I'd hoped it would be, but at least I have a start on it.

I also finally figured out how to access the wifi with my laptop, so that's saved me a couple of steps in terms of getting things back to the students.

Oh, yes, and the student who didn't show up yesterday did get in touch with me today. Several students have had trouble accessing their college email, and she'd forgotten when her appointment was and ... well, confluence of factors. But she's fine (which was my main worry), and we simply rescheduled her appointment for tomorrow. She'll be my last patient of the day.

Now, however, I need to pack up my laptop (and whatever else I'm taking home tonight, which will take a few minutes of looking around, hoping for visual clues, as my memory isn't very reliable). And I'll be in as early as I can manage tomorrow, but then this onslaught will be done. I am going out with a colleague after work tomorrow, so that will be my moment to breathe before I dive back down again.

And on that note, off I go.