Back to School for GrownUps

One of the most fun things about going back to school, for many of us, is the back to school shopping.

Me, I’m not much into clothing - and rarely get excited about the excuse to buy new clothes… but if you are into them and can afford it, it does provide a good excuse to update your wardrobe, or so I hear.

The back to school shopping that I most look forward to is the office supply sort. I’m not alone.

I was talking with some fellow students this week and turns out we pretty much all started our new school year off with a trip to buy cool back to school stuff (that we didn’t really need cuz we’re graduate students and we’ve been in school pretty much for what feels like forever) …. binders, pens, way cool organizers, etc. Several of us got new laptops this year - for me, so far, that has been more a frustration than anything, as my Internet at the motel where I am staying is abysmally slow, and in the parts of the university campus that I am at most of the time, there isn’t any at all!!! Imagine having a brand new back to school laptop - and it is PURPLE even - and hardly ever having Internet… it’s very frustrating!!!!

Anyway … I was back at Staples earlier this week and bought more back to school stuff that I am sure I could have managed without but…

I like school supplies

This trip, I bought 2 packages of markers, some large index cards (we’re making name cards in my seminars today) and a portfolio for each of my 2 seminar groups. The plan is that I will keep everything for each class in the correct portfolio, so I will show up with everything I need to hand out neatly organized - and if my students hand me ~stuff~ that I am not supposed to lose (students hate it when you lose their stuff) - I will put it right into the portfolio rather than tossing a stack of student papers onto the front seat of my car, or into a textbook which then gets tossed into the car or…

I’m hoping to spend less time looking for things this year than I have in the past, in other words.

Don’t you think that a good excuse to buy school supplies is a good reason to go back to school? Year after year? Works for me

As you can see, I have begun adding some resource links to the blogroll … not that many yet - mostly because I am working on my brand spanking new back to school laptop. It is very, very pretty …and also very, very fast compared to either of my 2 older computers (yes, I am a geek as a matter of fact!) … but I do not yet have the track pad sorted out. I need a proper mouse.

At some point today, I shall get off my butt and go buy a proper mouse. But for now, I am making do, and getting frustrated… so more linking of resources will have to wait. I wonder if I can buy a purple mouse to match my laptop? Would that be just too much geekdom? Probably I will likely go for what ever is cheap - I don’t even want a wireless, as I have a history of snapping the little doomaflicky that goes in the USB port right off. Very expensive tendency!

So anyway - resources! I can stay on topic, really Sometimes. So far today has not shaped up to be one of those times, but I will get there. Soon. Hopefully. I have a 15 - 20 page psychology paper to write between now and when I start at Trent on Tuesday morning. It doesn’t HAVE to be done - but it would be SO nice to get it done and out of the way before I jump into the next bit. Will still have to arrange to write the exam for the course, also - but once the paper is done, the bulk of the course (and stress) will be finished.

I will continue to add to the resource links as I round them up or come across them - and eventually, will also write some articles re: specific resources and so on - but I certainly encourage you to share any resources you have come across in your travels with us, and will be happy to add them to the list.

What websites have helped you in your back to school as a grown up experience? Tell us about them!