Thursday, January 31, 2008

It's Over. It's Really Over.


Today I got an email from my course lecturer informing me that not only did I pass The Last Ever Assignment (a portfolio of autism pieces), but I'd earned myself a DISTINCTION.

Squeeeeeee!

Even though I posted the assignment off a week ago, I didn't feel as though I could celebrate finishing up until I got these last results back. And now I have. And also - yay!

For the last four years I have been simultaneously juggling (and not very well, most of the time) home, husband, children and studying and I would be lying if I didn't honestly wonder if this day would EVER come. Some of you reading may even remember me posting on an old Yahoo Group about the logistics of beginning the course all those years ago. More times than I could count these last four years I've regretted continuing. But I kept going. And now I'm done!

Sorry folks, I'm just a teensy bit excited.

When I first started the course I had a 5 year old, a 3 ½ year old and a 2 year old - the first time in my husband and my relationship that we didn't have a newborn. And remember, we started early. Master J still wasn't even toilet trained back then.

After high school I had studied for a little while and within a year I was pregnant. And then pregnant again. And then pregnant a third time. Somewhere in between Thing 2 and Thing 3 I just stopped trying to juggle it all and put away study for several years. And then Miss Moo got a little older, and I started to have my familiar niggly feelings about 'doing more', but at the same time understanding that it was fairly impossible with three small children.

And then this particular course popped up. In an area - professional writing - that I was passionate about. The school was/is highly respected, the lecturers are all published authors (the story goes that one of the hardest teachers I ever had interviewed JFK once) and best of all, I could study part time from home - the only way possible I was able to do it. The whole shebang fit me like a glove. It was heaven on a stick for the first year. The second year was enjoyable too, but I was 'seasoned' and starting to look on the deadlines as a curse. The third year was rough. My mother passed away that May and I found it very, very hard to get my mojo back, so I treaded-writing-water for the rest of the year. And then this last year was torture. The last six months especially, as I was madly tying up loose ends I'd neglected for the previous 12 months.

But I'm done.

And I'm still alive.

And it feels soooooo good.

And I even managed, somehow, amazingly, to get half-decent marks for most of my (*counts in head*) approx 120 assignments over those four years. I will finish with a solid 'credit' (B) mark, which completely flies in the face of what I deserve, considering how I've dragged my feet these last 18 months or so.

It's mine. Alllll mine.

And I'm so glad it's over!

Cheers,
Lizzie

7 comments:

Thia said...

Many congrats!!!

libby said...

A big congrats to you. And yes, I do remember way back when you went through all the decision making. Can't believe it's been four year though..surely not!!!

Libby

Amanda Sanders said...

Good job girl! You are an amazing writer.

stacey said...

how wonderful for you!! celebrate and enjoy!!

Lizzie said...

Thanks guys...♥

And yes Libby, it really HAS been four years. I KNOW....LOL.

The funny thing is, now I have this piece of paper, I'll probably (very willingly I might add) sit on my rear for a good long stretch and 'decompress'. I'm SO tired...

Cheers,
Lizzie

Lightening said...

Wow Lizzie!!! Congratulations!!! Don't forget all us little plebs that helped and encouraged you along the way when you become a rich and famous writer!!!! ;)

Won't it feel strange not to have the rush of adrenaline as you motor through an assignment last minute?

Lizzie said...

Lightening - NOOOOO!

I'm rather enjoying the feeling of freedom actually! LOL. Just last night, for example, I could actually sit down and enjoy a DVD without worrying about all the assignments I'm NOT doing, LOL. But I think in a month or so I might start getting the urge to write again. The good news is, I have Lizzie's Home for the nonsensical stuff and I'm 'qualified' now - or I at least FEEL like I am, LOL - to start submitting my stuff to various places, or perhaps working on a - gasp! - novel. If I get the urge to 'create' again, I can channel it into those sources and not waste all my best stuff on my lecturers, LOL!

Cheers,
Lizzie

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