I started writing this post eight weeks ago, during the first week of school. It’s hard for me to believe that was eight weeks ago. EIGHT whole weeks – a lifetime when you are on the quarter schedule. If you’ve never been on quarters, they hit you hard and fast and before you know it – it’s 10 weeks later and you’re not exactly sure how you’re writing your final paper.

Before the first day of school, I spent the week prior mourning the loss of my Saturdays. Saturdays are my day to sip coffee while catching up on the news or watching Netflix. I treasure my Saturdays – they are my reward for a week’s worth of hard work and frustrations. I get to be creative or laze around or go for a walk in this beautiful fall weather. I built it up in my head that not having my Saturday’s was going to be a challenge.

We’re almost done with the first quarter and it’s okay because I realized that I foolishly mourned the loss of my Saturdays. They haven’t died – I now just spend them in Evanston instead of on my couch. I can sip coffee just as effectively in a class on Change Management as I can at home. And I still have my Saturday night and my Sunday. As long as I plan ahead, I can still relax and get caught up on the world or a friend’s life before diving into readings for the week.

It took several weeks to stop feeling rusty. I’ve attended a lot of professional development throughout the last few years which prepared me for sitting in classes. But my brain – like most students who don’t go directly from undergrad to grad school have probably realized by now – has not had to make connections between theoretical, lectures, case studies and in-class discussion for quite a while. It’s been a bit of transition.