Compostable Kate

I haven't fallen literally on my arse for at least two weeks (had a bit of an incident in the shower at Hotel KaznSteve , but it didn't even leave a bruise, so it's hardly worth mentioning), but I have well and truly fallen down in a metaphorical sense. Fallen down and scraped both knees, and even though I'm 40 years old, I feel like crying to Mum about it. I came to this uni course full of confidence, straight from a job I felt I was good at, to do something that I was sure I would be great at. I felt that the stars and planets had all aligned to make my high school teaching ambitions come true, on the second time of trying. I was available, and – at QUT at least – qualified. I could get financial assistance from Centrelink (Austudy is more generous than Newstart, so it would marginally easier to survive without working). Friends and family all thought it was a great idea. Then I started. By the time I got over the physical shock of uni life I had fallen...

I still have doubts about my ability to pass this course, but at least now I am physically managing this uni lark. For the first couple of weeks, if I wasn't at class I was asleep. The physical effort of getting around campus, sitting in my wheelchair all day, and all that concentrating (and confusion) were exhausting. Because I was so tired, and so asleep, I was behind in reading and assignment preparation from the outset. I was also hampered by not having any text books until 2 weeks into the semester (I had no money until then) and my chronic inability to focus or apply myself to studying outside of classes. Now that I am in Week 5, I am much more accustomed to the physical requirements, and my fatigue levels seem to be similar to when I was working (ie tolerable). Although it's come too late to get any of my first assignments in on time (I have extensions for all three; one since submitted), I am at least in a position to try to catch up. I no longer have to sleep until F...

Today was Day One proper of my Graduate Diploma in Education, which will qualify me to become a high school teacher, specialising in senior English (supposedly; more of that later). Today, was EXHAUSTING! I have a 3-hour workshop from 8am , two hours off, then another 2 hours of lecture/tutorial. From next week, one of those 2 hours off will be taken up with another lecture, and I think I may even gain another tutorial from 5 - 7pm. So, although I am totally stuffed after today's effort, I got off lightly. There was a timetabling mix-up, which meant that 2 of our tutorials (or "tutes", to use the vernacular) were scheduled at the same time. I thought I had stuffed up my enrolment, so un-enrolled from one of the modules, but then found out this afternoon that I can re-enrol, because they are rescheduling the 2nd tute (thankfully, not to Mondays). However, if that does leave me with an 11-hour day, I might have to stay un-enrolled, and hope I can catch this other modu...