mid-terms? already?

This week I receive my first mid-term. Can you believe it's mid-terms already? I can't. I feel like I just started school. How can it already be mid-terms? Unbelievable! My challenge as a student is to keep up with the readings. I literally have 5oo or more pages to read weekly. This week I am reading a book, eight book chapters, and about 20 articles. The book alone is almost 400 pages! I also have a presentation, two papers, plus the mid-term. How do I get it all done? There are weeks I don't. This may be one of those weeks. I make a valiant effort, but I am human after all. I do still have to sleep from time-to-time. I also try to spend some time with Kenyon, at least once per week. He's been very supportive and patient. I think this might try the most patient human being, only three more years like this one. Yikes! Though I hear each semester gets a bit better, until it's time to write the dissertation. On the bright side, I am learning more about US housing policy, constitutional foundations and statistics than any normal human being should be exposed to. I'm loving the learning.

My greatest struggle in returning to school is financial. I was preparing to take a significant pay cut - as a student I will be living off 1/3 my previous salary. Unfortunately, due to paperwork issues I didn't get paid for a month. I was not prepared to have no income. I should receive my first regular paycheck Friday. What a relief!

Anyone have ambitions of going back to school? Hard to believe, I know, but I would encourage them. I believe, in the end, it is worth the effort. Most things worth having in life don't come easily, they require work - generosity, contentment, godly character, successful relationships, and...education. I believe the value of a degree is more about the endurance it took to achieve the goal than the knowledge itself.

Gotta get back to the books...