Is it over yet?

Is this semester over yet? If not, it should be. Either that or it should be time for the new Harry Potter movie. I have been overwhelmed this semester and that is putting it mildly. I have two papers, no make that three, to write this weekend as well as a practice grant for funding. Can someone give me more hours in the day? Not to mention that damn daylight savings time is going to give me an hour less!

I have a second semester review tomorrow. I'm not quite sure what the point of this is and why I have to have one. Apparently I'm also the only second semester PhD. Ugh! Hopefully they won't tell me I suck.

I also have my core exam coming up. For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, let me explain. All the PhD Fine Arts students, regardless of department, have to take 5 core classes. For me it was music, philosophy (double ugh!), and art, well, until I transferred to the School of Art, then it changed to theatre. I got my theatre requirement waived, because I had so many theatre courses before I transferred there was no point in my taking those core classes. I had to petition for that and get a lot of people to sign off on it, but that meant the music class I took summer II was my last core class so I could schedule my core exam for this fall. We pick a committee of 4 faculty members - 1 each from art, music, theatre, and philosophy - and choose one of those to write our question. The question then goes through the committee to get approved and you get it two weeks before your exam. You then have to prepare a 20 minute presentation answering the question and defend it in front of the committee. Oh, and did I mention the associate dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts who is also the head of the FADP program is the moderator? Needless to say this is an anxiety inducing prospect. I have been to a few of these to try to prepare myself, but it's different when you are the one on the hotseat. My exam is scheduled for November 19 and I am starting to worry now. I should get my question on November 5 and then that will be all I can concentrate on for two weeks. Who cares that I have other homework and that life won't stop for two weeks so I can get ready for this? All I can say is that I will be glad when it's over and there will be alcohol after no matter the outcome.

On the plus side, I had a very productive meeting with Dr. Hoffman in the museum studies department. I'll be taking my first museum class in the spring and am looking forward to it. It will be a nice change. I'm finishing my arts administration classes this fall - funding is my last class. It will be strange not to see Dr. D. twice a week for class. One more art history class for leveling to go in the spring and then I just need to finish my requirements for art. Maybe I might actually get out of here some day!

Happy Halloween everyone! Don't eat too much candy and stay away from the zombies. :)