Wool & Words

Less than 24 hours to go before examination number one. Thanks to all of you who've sent me kind words and good wishes! I love that I've met fellow knitters who are also in grad school; it's a great blend of passions!

I'm so very tired and my brain feels, well, empty yet full. I've been jotting down connections between texts in this steno pad that I carry in my purse while I review the two literary periods I'm testing in (British Romanticism and Modernism). Unfortunately, I can't quite reset my brain fast enough to include jottings from my third area, Humanities Computing, as it's a bit more theoretical in nature. I'm taking that exam on Friday (the others are Monday and Wednesday, respectively), and the plan is to totally shift gears Wednesday afternoon and try to quickly become a techno-dweeb.

I know now why everyone has told me that you never feel ready for your exams. I feel so underprepared. I haven't completed all the texts on my lists, but I've tried to focus on the major ones, the ones that are anthologized and that I would be expected to teach in survey and undergraduate majors courses. The written exams are all essay, 3 hours each, and I'll have to write 2 essays for each exam. How much can you reasonably say in an hour and a half? My committee members keep telling me, "It's not what you know, but what you do with what you know" so I'm hoping that holds true and that I can do what I think I'm strongest at: making connections between texts on a variety of thematic issues.

So, I'm off to Borders for the last go round of review. I'm looking at the "lesser lights" of the Romantic period--Felicia Hemans, Letitia Landon, Thomas deQuincey, Charlotte Smith, and Elizabeth Inchabald--so that I can make sure I've got their "thing" down pat. Have a great day, happy knitting, and I'll try to keep posting as I go through this week. I'll likely just be kvetching about each exam or fretting about the oral (which is scheduled for May 10), but I promise it'll all be over soon. I'm still knitting away (all stress knitting--round stockinette), and will post pics of projects completed.