I think I've finally reached the point I can thank my mother.

And I mean this in all sincerity.

Recently, as I've mentioned in previous postings, I've been getting my life together- from figuring out my life goal for the next two to three years (I'm graduating early, getting certified to teach, applying to grad schools and teaching jobs in my semester off) to deciding which grad schools I would actually like to attend, which schools I would like to teach in, and which courses I have to take and when to graduate with a Bachelor's Degree in 3 semesters. This hasn't been the easiest task as I also have about 30 pages of term papers due within the next month, the majority of those papers being research. And with a project due each week for a theatrical design course, it's been hard to find the time to organize everything in my life. But I have completed it, with time to spare- and feel much better for it.

As I look back on my life and attitude a year ago, I don't think I would even recognize myself. I've come such a far way, and matured in many great ways. A year ago today, I was squatting at my boyfriend's apartment because I "hated" my roommate on campus, I was just doing enough homework to get by, and leaving friends and most aspects of my life to the dogs. Since that time, I have learned to take on responsibilities for my actions, create lists and keep on top of assignments, and still have time at the end of the day to go to bed early, relax or attend a party. Social drinking has become much less of a "Hey ya'll, let's get plastered tonight!" and more of a "Just one glass of wine would be great." I feel healthier, I feel free, I feel myself. And I'm glad for it.

This is where the title comes into play- I wouldn't be any of these places without my mother and her hard-ass ways of functioning and organizing. One of the major memories throughout my childhood is of my mom, keeping on us to get our work done. "No, you cannot watch TV until I check over all your homework." "You can't have friends over until you've cleaned your room and the major living areas of the house." From the time I entered school until the past year, I was the world's biggest procrastinator. The words of "Hold on, I'll clean it, I just have to go pee first." were issued from my mouth on so many occasions- oh, and I never came back to clean. But now, I have finished two of my papers due this month, with plenty of time to edit, a full week and a half before they're due. This evening, I will be starting on a paper due the 21st. I'm on top of life, and it feels great. And I wouldn't be here without my mom pounding this stuff into my head for 20 years.

Advisement Fail.

Lately, I've been attempting to get my life planned out for the next few years- from finishing the undergraduate program I'm in, graduating, getting a job, getting certified to teach and then starting a graduate program. This wasn't the original plan- the original plan was to double major in Theatre and Art Education- everything was cleared by my adviser up until the point last Friday when I received an email from the Dean's Adviser in the College of Arts and Sciences telling me that the only way I could do Art Education would be to apply for a Dual Degree. And I may graduate in 9 more semesters. Uhm, what? Where was this information when I was discussing this with my adviser in the Theatre department? Was it unknown? Was it hiding under a stack of papers? No- the adviser in my department is simply a horrible adviser. I have heard more complaints from other students in the department than compliments. There is either a lack of caring or a lack of knowledge going around, as multiple students are getting to their senior year without taking the classes they need because they have no knowledge that these classes are necessary to graduate. While I am aware that it is mainly our responsibility to decide which classes to take, it is helpful to be aware of which classes will actually count towards our degree. In this same instance, I came to the knowledge today that we (being theatre majors) need a movement class to graduate. Where was this knowledge? I've looked- it's nowhere online. It was never mentioned once by the adviser. Was it just up to me to know that a movement class was needed? I don't feel like this is something that I should have just known off the top of my head- maybe if advisement was worth anything, everyone in the department wouldn't be scrambling to take random classes in our last semesters in order to graduate.

Unjust Department

Let me start off by introducing myself. I'm Kelsey. I'm a college student at an unnamed university in the south-eastern United States. Recently, it has come to my attention that the department under which I am studying has a habit of being incredibly biased and unjust towards its students. This has prompted me to start this blog to document this situation as it continues to spiral out of control, as well as those other musings that I find important to write about. Now on to this situation...

I study in the Department of Theatre and Dance at the fore-mentioned University, and it has been an unspoken rule that undergraduate students are pushed to the way-side in turn for the much more "favorable" graduate students. Apparently, there has been a rumor circling the department that certain professors favor the graduates specifically, and have no respect or wish to help those undergraduates also under their professorship. To the uneducated (and in some cases, the educated) eye, this seems to be the case.

At the end of one of my classes today, one of the professors whose name has been heavily mentioned in said rumor decided to speak to our class. After a lengthy spiel about how we are paying for our education and deserve our money's worth in time and opportunities, they continue to discuss the rumor. Now, I dealt with things like this being a preteen girl in middle school. There is no need to stop class early and waste valuable learning time that I am paying for out of pocket in order to discuss drama circulating the department! Once this initial debriefing was over, the conversation danced around the equal opportunities of grad and undergraduate students. In my experience, the graduate students in this program are practically guaranteed roles in shows while undergraduates are forced to lap up their leftovers. This at a university where we are not yet ready to be thrust into, nor are we already living in the big bad world of acting professionally. It's a given that students learn better from experience when it comes to acting, and the undergraduates are left to "experience" from the bit parts and one-line roles left behind from the MFA's. As if this situation could get any worse, the same small group of undergraduates are cast in every production- leaving many without any experience acting in the department at all. Does this seem fair at all to you?