As some of you know, I was blessed with a week off of work. (OK, so I just took the week off, but that's neither here nor there.) I figured I would take the time to chip at my thesis, read for pleasure and do things of that ilk. I ended up baking, having an awesome Christmas, and getting no work done whatsoever.
The push toward application deadlines is beginning to bear down on me, however. I have responded to this pressure appropriately. In the previous week I have become far too familiar with USF's Office of the Registrar. The thing I love to hate about my lovely academic bubble is the paperwork. There is always so much paperwork.
Case in point: I printed out different transcript request forms for three of the five schools I'm applying to. Of the five schools, four of them want multiple copies of my transcripts. Of those four schools, three of them want one transcript sent to two separate locations. Have I lost you? Fantastic.
What kills me is the paperwork on USF's end. I have to go to the Cashier's Office to pay a fee (surprise, surprise!). There, I pick up these cute little carbon-paper forms that have to bear the Red Stamp of Paid Destiny from the Cashier's Office. Next, I take these little forms and, individually, write out the addresses of the 40 different places (OK, maybe eight) that are receiving my transcript at five schools. Then, I get to go to the registrar's office, putting my transcripts and destiny in their hands. Will they really process my requests in two days? Will they seal the envelopes with the USF Sticker of Sealed Destiny (placed precisely 1/4 on the top flap and 3/4 on the bottom flap, per applied-to school's request)? Frankly, as nice as the front desk lady is, I live with this incredible urge to go into the back room and watch them follow the instructions each school provides. In fact, I walked over my last 1,200 transcript request forms this Monday and at midnight I still felt like going back to the office just to check on my requests. The good news is that I only have to do this for one school -- imagine if I had attended another school or four? Yuck-o, yo.
BUT, enough whining about paperwork hell. I have two reasons to celebrate right now:
1. I have completed, submitted and paid for my application to Temple, and I have finished my application for Florida.
2. Also, I received this for Christmas:
No, my friends, your eyes do not deceive you. That is a 100%, totally awesome, totally squishy, totally rotund stuffed Otto the Orange (what, what, Sarah and Mike!).
With the new year approaching (like, tomorrow), though, it's an odd time of reflection. Mostly, I sit around asking myself what the hell I'm doing. I walk across campus and look at the beautiful blue Florida winter sky. I go to Disney World when I want to. I have cookie parties with my friends. And I'm leaving all of that (and less superfluous stuff) behind to pursue a Ph. D. It's terrifying, to be honest, but it's also exciting. I don't pray, but I do hope out loud (a lot) that I'm making the right decision. And in that sense, 2010 could be a big year for me. An exciting and terrifying year. But I'm more excited than terrified, and ready for the challenges I face. I'm simultaneously bracing myself for rejections and already planning cupcakes for celebrations. I'm simultaneous wondering how I'm going to get my damned thesis completed and already planning cupcakes for the graduation party. (Just pretend the cupcake theme is a total coincidence.)
So, adieu 2009! Welcome, 2010! I hope you have all the acceptance letters, cupcakes, and painless-as-possible moves a girl could ask for.
- Mel(li) :)
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