Dr. Crystal K. Waters

Hello folks!  I cannot believe I’m blogging right now.  I have so many tasks I need to accomplish within the next 72 hours it is quite unbelievable.  As many of you know it is that time in the semester for final exams.  Students everywhere are losing sleep, eating tons of junk food, and cramming information for the cumulative exam for which they hardly studied.  In the process they are getting sick – coughing, sneezing, and everything in between. (Wash your hands folks!)

Last Friday, Blacksburg had freezing rain, cold temperatures, and (of course) tons of wind!  Virginia Tech cancelled classes up until 12PM to ensure that the temperatures would be warm enough to melt some of the ice and the students/professors could safely get to campus.  Crazy enough, this past Friday was a final exam day.  As most of you know, that means many students had to get a final exam rescheduled.  The university put the new exam day to be the following Wednesday.  Five. Whole. Days.  Later. Oh no no no!  The general chemistry professors talked with the registrar and got the exam day changed.  This affected me solely because I was pulled into proctoring for the general chemistry exam that was rescheduled for SUNDAY (literally, yesterday).

I say this all to say that everything I had planned regarding studying and writing towards my own course requirements got switched all around and now I feel like I need those 4 hours from proctoring back.  In grad school, every hour counts during finals week.  You are trying to balance studying for your own exams while also trying to finalize grades for your students.  It is a busy time.  Tonight I will be up for a while studying for my Advanced Organic Chemistry exam that is on Wednesday!  Unfortunately, I haven’t started studying for it yet.  Yikes!  I’ve decided I’m just going to study smart, NOT hard.  I just don’t have the time.  (But I guess, I’m wasting time blogging – although, I’m typing pretty fast!)  Thursday, I wrap up my Generating Research Ideas course by submitting the final version of the proposal I’ve developed.  If you don’t know what I’m talking about, catch up with the link HERE.  The written portion is almost complete and I’ll be on toward presenting it to my doctoral committee within the next few months.  I am accomplishing milestones!!

Well, I say this all to say that my stress levels are peaking but I seem to be making forward progress, thanks to God.  Sometimes this academic journey can seem never-ending, but by Thursday I am hopeful that I will see a brighter light at the end of a tunnel.  I’m getting closer to fulfilling my dreams and it seems almost surreal at times.  I see the progress I’ve made and the true meaning of perseverance.

 Related Post: The Year of Finding Balance | 2019 Recap

Closing Thoughts

I encourage you to take a leap of faith. I mean fully bet on yourself! Choose to do something that pushes you out of your comfort zone and forces you to grow, if even the slightest little bit.  Remember to be proud of the small accomplishments as much as you are of the huge ones (small wins matter too!).  Most of all, stay true to yourself because your uniqueness makes a difference in this world.

Until next time…