My first semester in college was very different than all my other semesters. Back then, I didn't care about brevity. On my cultural biography, for example, I wrote 14 pages, instead of 2 pages. I loved all the information I hand in textbooks and the opportunity to write about anything and everything. As you may notice, I love to use introspection. Psychology is among my favorite things in life and I find myself using it more often than using computers, another favorite of mine.
Today, I bring to you a narrative of a recent experience I had while working on a big assignment I was on this weekend. You see, the assignment was due at midnight on Sunday via Internet. The reality is that most college students will have to spend weekends and other free time on work. I hope this experience will make you smile, laugh or have any other catharsis that will benefit you some how. Enjoy!
The Abusive Clock
by Celia A. Escalante
The first time in weeks that I've had relief from chronic back pain. The doctor said it was my neck: arthritis on the C1 or C2, I can't remember. Two clocks on my face looking at me with a tedious consistency. "You can't stop me," they both said at the same time. (They really didn't say it, but the impression is still the same.) over 8 hours ago, I got a call from my Scope & Sequence partner, Sandra. "I decided to turn in the presentation," she said without taking a breath. I felt the whole world falling on my head and then hitting me in the stomach. What had happened? The day before I spent all day and night applying the benchmarks and formatting the 36 rows of weeks to be filled. It finally dawned on me, she took that work and turned it in as if I didn't exist. I didn't make a sound. All I wanted was to get it done before those 25 points where out the window.
On Saturday, I stayed up finishing the format and I had e-mailed the 24 benchmarks for physical science grades 6 to 8. I had asked her to do some of the activities on Sunday morning so, I worked on number 24 and up before I called her. Of course she didn't do an activity; not even the five that I asked her to do. I was almost finished with grade 8 and ready to do grade 7 when I called Josh Winslow, the other student in our class. I always ask Josh for advice. I asked him: "So, Josh, what do you think about the choice I made? Since professor Morales wrote choose either a grade or subject, I picked physical science grades 6 to 8." He screamed without waking the dog. "No!," he screamed silently, "you were supposed to do only 6th grade." That was the last thing I had to hear. There's a saying that says: "Never ask what could go wrong." All I could think of was all that time I spent asking why the instructions and templates and document weren't like the ones my professor showed me. My brain was having its revenge on me for making it work over 12 hours a day on this assignment. All for 25 points. This arduous experience won't be a fond memory, but I loved the things I learned about middle school standards. Like the saying goes: "They can't take that away from me.
One of the greatest things you can do in life is to teach something truthful and useful to someone. My name is Celia A. Escalante. I am a Miami-Dade College Alumna. E-mail me your subject-related questions at celiaescalante@yahoo.com or visit my web page at http://www.geocities.com/celiaescalante/. I'm a college tutor and the author of Mood Rollercoaster available on Amazon.com and the founder of MiamiBulletin.com.
