and a normal routine has been established.
Monday, “free” for me to leisurely do housework and schoolwork without leaving home. I need this quiet time to recharge my energy level and reconnect.
Tuesday, a late start to the day, but I try to get to campus a couple hours early for reading or getting together with classmates. It’s a way for me to establish my “personal space” on campus, as a student. This is the formal “lecture” day, and a seminar session.
Wednesday, a short day, only one session on campus a sort of workshop each week. This week I was sick, but managed to stay for most of it. The afternoon is for at-home work or hanging out with the younger kiddo after I pick him up from school on my way home.
Thursday, observations. Have to be up early, but there is an opportunity to visit and discuss the experience with classmates afterward, and then time in the afternoon and evening to work on material that needs to be turned in first thing Friday.
Friday is another long day, starting with a seminar and ending with a workshop. It was nice to start with the in-depth discussion of our readings again, and to end with structured group activities.
So far, the workload allows me to have some time “off” in the evenings, to get to sleep early or to be present for the family and friends. It’s a rigorous schedule, but no worse than I would have if I were working a full-time job — in some ways, better because while I am putting in more than 40 hours a week, I have some flexibility for when I work, and can do things around the boys’ schedules.
And that’s it, in a nutshell. Irregular hours, but on a regular basis…