April Musings

The semester is winding down, just as summer is beginning. For the first time in years, I'll be taking a summer class. I haven't yet had this particular professor, although I hear from others that have had him that his classes are wonderful. I hope so, because poetry isn't one of my strong suits, but I'm hoping it'll let me grow and become a better poet. So far most of my professors have been wonderful and encouraging, the kind of professor I hope to be.

With only three semesters remaining until I graduate, time seems to be racing in front of me. I see the end of this phase of my college career and have come to think of IUSB as home, it'll be hard to leave the nest. If I had my 'druthers' I'd take one of each class in the English department, one in each of the speech department and probably one of every other department I could slide my way into. I love being in class, I love learning and yes, some will call me sick, but I even love homework. Once I complete the BA degree and move on to my Masters degree, the end will really be in sight. I won't have a real 'reason' to continue my formal education once I've attained the Masters but I'll probably always be taking one kind of class or another just to keep my hand in the role of student. I don't ever want to forget what its like being a student, because I've found that those professors who have forgotten tend to be the ones that I don't mesh as well with.

Writing short stories this semester has allowed me to work through some personal issues using my characters as the bridge between fiction and reality. It's given me the chance to relive cherished memories, work my way past some painful ones, and let my imagination fly on a child's wings. I have adored every moment of the writing fiction class I've had this semester and I hope it's made me a better writer. I know it's allowed me to look at my stories in a new light. I'd always just written them, saved them to a disc and went on from there. But now I take a look at the reasons behind why my characters do what they do, I take a harder look at my locations and settings and how they help or hinder my characters, and I pay more attention to the interaction between my various characters and how that propels the story along.

I've learned a lot about my writing so far, and I hope to learn even more as I go on. Life is a learning process and if we're smart, we learn from it as we go. I may finish my formal education but I'll be learning things the rest of my life.