The Curse Of Winter Break

[DontHate]

I don't know exactly how many of you are attending school/teaching at a school while you're going through the application process, but for those of you who are --

I've stumbled upon this curious dilemma: just as I've finished my applications, I've also finished my Fall quarter, and now I have a month of vacation. With nothing to do, I've got nothing to distract me from the painful anticipation of the possible acceptances & rejections that await in February. How are you guys dealing with this? I have a LOT of books to read, some personal projects, and a final paper I still need to work on. But I can't focus on anything right now, except that one thing we're all thinking about...

So, what ELSE is on your mind during winter break?

[rosales]

Finding music that seems to empathize with the current situation works. For instance switch "summer" with "winter" in this song, and bingo:

Also, reading end of the year best-of lists and looking up albums or movies I wasn't aware of helps me.

[bfat]

Well, what should be on my mind is my thesis (still need to write 2.5 chapters) and my conference paper for NeMLA in March...

But honestly, I will probably spend January only half-assedly reading what I should be reading and mostly re-watching Buffy and checking this board every 30 seconds...

[ProfLorax]

But honestly, I will probably spend January only half-assedly reading what I should be reading and mostly re-watching Buffy and checking this board every 30 seconds...

This made me chuckle because I re-watched all seven seasons of Buffy-- including the embarrassingly awful sixth season, which is only redeemed because of the brilliant "Once More, With Feeling"-- last winter break! Some may say that was not a productive use of my free time, but honestly, it was a blast!

[practical cat]

This made me chuckle because I re-watched all seven seasons of Buffy-- including the embarrassingly awful sixth season, which is only redeemed because of the brilliant "Once More, With Feeling"-- last winter break! Some may say that was not a productive use of my free time, but honestly, it was a blast!

Ummmmmmmm, season six of Buffy includes the greatest episode of the series: Normal Again. And Tabula Rasa is good. I also enjoyed Doublemeat Palace and the final three episodes.

I am neither a teacher nor a student but a sub and a nanny and I will be spending my three week break arguing with people on the internet about Buffy. And maybe rewatching it?

[sebastiansteddy]

I tried to watch Buffy, but I just couldn't get into it I gave it a shot though!

[Phil Sparrow]

This made me chuckle because I re-watched all seven seasons of Buffy-- including the embarrassingly awful sixth season, which is only redeemed because of the brilliant "Once More, With Feeling"-- last winter break! Some may say that was not a productive use of my free time, but honestly, it was a blast!

You are crazy! Season six is among the best. So many emooootions. Oh well, more for me, I guess! You can have season four.

Edited December 12, 2012 by Phil Sparrow

[ProfLorax]

So, what ELSE is on your mind during winter break?

I was going to start a very similar thread, so I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who is worried about, well, worrying. I submitted all of my apps last week, so now I have nothing left to do but wait. I am struggling with remaining mentally present, in the here and now, because I am preoccupied with the news I'll start receiving in February. I'll be somewhat distracted next week by piles of grading, and my husband and I are doing a two-week vacation in Paris and Rome towards the end of January (so excited!). While I definitely have awesome things to look forward to, whenever I have a free moment, my mind automatically wanders to PhD applications.

During the down time I have between grading and my Europe excursion, I will try to take up some healthy, productive hobby, like yoga, knitting, or cycling. Either that, or I will find a TV series to marathon, never shower, eat vast quantities of cheese, and frantically check gradcafe. My money's on the latter, but for the sake of my sanity, I hope I go the healthy route!

[practical cat]

During the down time I have between grading and my Europe excursion, I will try to take up some healthy, productive hobby, like yoga, knitting, or cycling. Either that, or I will find a TV series to marathon, never shower, eat vast quantities of cheese, and frantically check gradcafe. My money's on the latter, but for the sake of my sanity, I hope I go the healthy route!

Thus far, I've been finding that "all of the above" works just fine. (Except for the cheese.)

[DontHate]

my husband and I are doing a two-week vacation in Paris and Rome towards the end of January (so excited!)

Oh man, I'm so jelly

[ProfLorax]

Season 6 has so many great individual episodes-- and Willow as the big bad?! Amazeballs! But I could never get down with the Buffy/Spike relationship, and I think that ruined the whole sixth season for me. Still, I love "Once More, With Feeling." And for sebastiansteddy: did you get through the first season? The first season is kinda rough, but power through! The second season is pure brilliance, and one of my favorite TV seasons of all time.

And girl who wears glasses, you have the right idea! Maybe this winter break will be the one where I learn about thing "balance" thing I hear about so often...

[bfat]

You are crazy! Season six is among the best. So many emooootions. Oh well, more for me, I guess! You can have season four.

Yes. Season four so so lame franken-demon mightaswell be named "Carl" or something. Except Hush which is the awesomest. Seasons 5-7 blow my mind with their Jossy brilliance. Best feminist text on tv evar, anyone?

But back on topic (cause I could talk about Buffy all day), I'll also be prepping for teaching my first two classes! One of which is Women & Gender in Film & Media, so... back to Buffy!

[practical cat]

OK, OK, but season four. Here's the thing. After the part where season 3 was all about beating a simple and embodied version of the Patriarchy (the Mayor), season four was, in the beginning, in part about learning about some of the problems of second wave feminism. Seasons two-three were about men and fathers, seasons four-five were about women and mothers. I am so into Maggie Walsh as Big Bad, you guys. (Adam + the Initiative = Big Mistake)

Also, let's not forget the beauty of Beer Bad, Something Blue, Superstar, and Restless (in addition to Hush).

Seven though? That was utter crap.

ETA: yeah, the Buffy/any vampire situation was pretty awful but Buffy/Spike is the literal worst.

Edited December 12, 2012 by girl who wears glasses

[Datatape]

I will be listening to George Winston on endless repeat, continuing to work at my office job, and wondering when helicopter parents are going to stop emailing me about their precious darling sugar booger.

[Quant_Liz_Lemon]

I've been pouring myself into my research (e.g, my thesis and manuscripts in prep). I might take up a few stats consulting projects. At this point, I'll pick up any project that'll keep me busy.

[dendy]

Oh god, I can't wait til my winter vacation--at least then I'll be visiting my family and have them to distract me. Now I just spend all my time at work refreshing my inbox and grad cafe. I have a meeting with my boss this friday and I have nothing to show her...

[ohgoodness]

Gaming.. Civilization and blinds drawn - no days, just waiting.

[dazedandbemused]

I can't wait for winter break! I set aside an entire week of alone time to spend reading fun things and playing Skyrim (I'm a hardcore introvert). I'm hoping this will keep my mind off of my applications and what I could have done differently and whether someone's reading my application RIGHT THIS INSTANT and...and...and.....

Yeah, I'm sure the plan will be super successful.

[ohgoodness]

I can't wait for winter break! I set aside an entire week of alone time to spend reading fun things and playing Skyrim (I'm a hardcore introvert). I'm hoping this will keep my mind off of my applications and what I could have done differently and whether someone's reading my application RIGHT THIS INSTANT and...and...and.....

Yeah, I'm sure the plan will be super successful.

Gaming and the curse of tab - playing 20 minutes - tab out to check mail, grad forum, application sites..

[rems]

this

I can't wait for winter break! I set aside an entire week of alone time to spend reading fun things and playing Skyrim (I'm a hardcore introvert). I'm hoping this will keep my mind off of my applications and what I could have done differently and whether someone's reading my application RIGHT THIS INSTANT and...and...and.....

Yeah, I'm sure the plan will be super successful.

and

Gaming and the curse of tab - playing 20 minutes - tab out to check mail, grad forum, application sites..

this

[rems]

And Season 6 is, by far, the best season of Buffy. No contest.

[waparys]

Well I only work 10 hours a week so...yeah I'm going crazy.

Since the start of September I've already watched all of Scrubs (the good seasons), half of Dawson's Creek (I'd watched the first half in the summer), half of Friends...now I'm watching Fringe and House (again). We have a lot of DVDs...

I'm also returning to a novel I started over a year ago.

Any tips for indoor exercises/sport-type things I can do (in a small amount of space...) to keep myself from actually going crazy?

[skybythelight]

I still have three apps left to submit, but for whatever reason, I haven't (so far) been too stressed out about admissions decisions. Obviously I care deeply about it, and I'm sure the stress and anxiety will come, but I think I'm just finally starting to breath again from application stress and I'm just going to ride that for as long as I can. Also, my boyfriend and I are planning to move whether or not I get in anywhere, and I guess that's kind of my fall-back plan for not being too disappointed if I don't get any offers.

Once my last three apps are in, I plan on painfully restarting and slogging through Feast for Crows... I FLEW through the first three books in the SOIAF series, and came to a dead halt with this one. BUT I really want to have AFFC and Dance with Dragons finished by the time season three starts!

[rems]

Any tips for indoor exercises/sport-type things I can do (in a small amount of space...) to keep myself from actually going crazy?

Yoga.

Once my last three apps are in, I plan on painfully restarting and slogging through Feast for Crows... I FLEW through the first three books in the SOIAF series, and came to a dead halt with this one. BUT I really want to have AFFC and Dance with Dragons finished by the time season three starts!

And this. I've only read the first one, but I have the second one sitting anxiously at home waiting to be cracked... I actually might start that tonight.

These are my plans: Play video games, watch Damages season 4, work on syllabus for Spring semester (not a lot of work there, really), panic about applications, continue The Dark Tower series (I actually finished the first one yesterday -- very excited to start #2, also sitting at home waiting to be read), read more comic books, work on cooking skills (a lot to be desired), yoga, start running again (find iPod), and then play more video games. I get really down during school breaks -- I like going to work. BUT, this will be the first winter break I've had where I don't have a side job... so, hopefully Stephen King will suffice.

[ProfLorax]

Once my last three apps are in, I plan on painfully restarting and slogging through Feast for Crows... I FLEW through the first three books in the SOIAF series, and came to a dead halt with this one. BUT I really want to have AFFC and Dance with Dragons finished by the time season three starts!

Ugh, that fourth book is rough; I just quit about a quarter of the way through. Like you, I devoured the first three. I was so obsessed, I read the third book while on my honeymoon! (My husband was very confused by the sounds and facial expressions I made while reading Joffrey's wedding feast!) But the fourth book is tough to get through; I am just not attached to any of the plots. I figure I'll start trying to read it again when I hear that the sixth book is actually getting published.