Weeks from hell (aka: why I continue to hate my adviser)

So, last week was pretty shitty, and this week ain't looking so great either. I will explain.

Last week was the beginning of classes. No big deal, I really think that I'm going to enjoy my classes. But for one class our text books didn't get into the bookstore until Thursday, and since it was compiled by our professor, it's not available online or anything. So, Thursday I had my whole day planned out to allow time to pick up my book, but when I was going out to run a few errands, I discovered a flat tire on my truck. This wouldn't be so bad, but one of the lug nuts wouldn't budge, so I had to go to our Fleet Services to get a breaker bar to loosen it, and to get there I had to go pretty much as far across campus as possible from where I was. Some kid was kind enough to give me a ride up there and back, and when I got back I found that the socket they gave me didn't fit, so I had to hitch another ride from the kid to get back to Fleet Services, but then he had to leave. So I had to walk all the way across campus to get back to my truck again, and even when I got there it took me probably another 45 minutes to get the nut loose, making the time for this tire change a grand total of 2 hours, 17 minutes. I then had to go to class, skip buying my book, and by the time I got it on Monday I was a full chapter behind in the reading.

Then our band went on a retreat for the weekend. We usually have one retreat a year, which is in the fall, but our director decided that we should have two this year. I say that our director decided this because although it is supposed to be a decision made by the council, I only heard it brought up during a council meeting once, and then we didn't decide anything final on the subject. I was going to ditch out on the retreat, but since I am one of the few people on my enormously eco-friendly campus with the nerve to drive a truck, I got stuck hauling equipment. The retreat consisted of eight total hours of rehearsal being wasted on learning the music instead of rehearsing it, because we had only had our music for a total of 2 days, which is not enough time to learn any music, especially the music that a band as strong as ours plays. I did, however, have fun hanging out with friends and BS-ing the night away.

So, now it's this week. I have to perform a jury on Thursday. A jury is 20 minutes worth of music performed in front of our entire music faculty to determine whether or not the student is allowed to move on to advanced instrumental lessons (and ultimately if I can graduate this year). I had dropped off my forms for it with my advising professor last week, but when I talked with him about it today, he claimed that he had never gotten it. So, we work it out, and I'm set to do the jury on Thursday. The only exception that had to be made is that I have to do it at a later time: 9:30AM. Oh shit! I have my interview for our education program at 9:40. Math time: 9:30 + 20 minutes worth of music = 9:50. So, I run to our education office, and switch my interview time to 8:40 on Wednesday. This means that I have to get up early for the interview tomorrow, which requires an earlier bed time, which cuts out some of my practice time. Cutting out practice time can affect my performance on my FUCKING JURY! All this, plus I'm already way behind in my classes.

Sometimes, I just have to wonder if it's all worth it.