This is nothing new, actually; it’s been raining pretty much continually for the last week. Great for our drought-ravaged state, bad for things like my windshield wipers, which have been pretty much worn out, and my mood, which goes down when I can’t see the sun. Not too far, though, as I’m feeling pretty non-stressed at the moment. That won’t last, I’m sure, as I’ll be getting a pretty big assignment in Intro to Grad Studies tonight, and other big assignments are on the horizon. Not the least of which is a big paper I’m doing in my Tolkien and Film class on characterization in the HP movies.
Speaking of which, could some of you more web-savvy people help me out a bit? I’d like to do an online survey, similar to an LJ poll but on my own server, and I don’t know how to do it. It’s mostly just radio buttons and text boxes, nothing incredibly fancy, but still above my line of expertise. Can anyone help?
I registered this morning for next semester. I’m taking Literature and Religious Values, which seems to be survey course of sorts, albiet with a certain focus, Studies in British Victorian Literature, and Studies in British Contemporary Literature. Both are periods I haven’t studied before, so that should be good. The best part is, though, that my classes are only on MWF, which means I a) won’t have to drive down to Provo every single day, and b) can work 8 hours on Tuesday and Thursday, and Friday afternoons, which will give me a 20-hour workweek again. Thus saving money from gas and working more, which means my budget won’t be so tight. Hopefully, as a result of all this, my stress level will go down, too. The only problem is that in order to acheive this schedule, I had to postpone taking a critical theory class which is required for graduation, and which (according to the current schedule), is only available in Spring term. Which means paying another $600 in tuition and working around a class when I should be working full time and saving money for next year. *sigh* Hopefully they’ll change their minds and offer it during Fall or Winter of next year– and since the actual course offerings this semester bear only a passing resemblance to the supposed offerings which appear in our packet, I have high hopes that this will be the case. Registration for Fall semester comes early enough in Winter that I’ll be able to tell if I can postpone taking the class until next fall or not. If not, it looks like spring school for me.
We’re also supposed to be turning in our preliminary Course of Study, based on these supposed offerings. If all goes according to plan, I’ll have most of my required classes out of the way by my third semsester, leaving my defense semester pretty much open for thesis hours. In fact, I’ll have all 4 of my courses for my emphasis done by the end of *this* year, if my advisor accepts the undergraduate class I’m taking right now and the Tolkien class (which I think is understood, considering I had to get permission to take it in the first place–they wouldn’t give me permission to use it for 590 credit if that credit couldn’t count toward my course of study, now, would they?). That just leaves 9 hours of electives and the theory class, then 6 thesis hours. Hopefully, I’ll be teaching English 115 next year, so one of those electives will be the teaching rhetoric and comp. class required for student instructors. I’m also looking at a class on the mystery novel, which is being offered next fall, and the previously mentioned Lit. and Religious Values which I’ll be taking next semester will fulfill the other 3 hours.
I’m required to turn in a prospectus by October 15 of my second year or else I lose my tuition benefit (which I most emphatically do NOT want to do), but I’d like to get it in by the end of this semester, so I can work on it over the summer. I just have to narrow my rather ephemeral “I want to do it either Tolkien or Rowling” to a specific subject on which I can do research. I’ve already got Dr. Walker on board as my thesis chair, but I’ll need to pick two readers. Hmm. Might have to ask Dr. Walker which of the faculty is inclined to fantasy literature. 
That way I can also take 3 thesis hours next fall.
So, this is the way my graduate studies should fall out:
Fall 2004
English 452– Critical Theory (prerequisite, 3 credit hours)
English 600– Introduction to Graduate Studies (required, 2 c.h.)
English 590R– Tolkien and Friends in Text and Film (emphasis, 3 c.h.)
English 373– British Literature from 1660-1789 (emphasis, 3 c.h.)
Total: 11 credit hours
Winter 2005
English 605– Literature and Religious Values (elective, 3 c.h.)
English 675– Studies in British Victorian Literature (emphasis, 3 c.h.)
English 680– Studies in British Contemporary Literature (emphasis, 3 c.h.)
Total: 9 c.h.
Spring 2005 (hopefully not, but this is currently planned)
English 630– Theoretical Discourse (required, 3 c.h.)
Total: 3 c.h.
Fall 2005
English 610– Rhetoric and Composition (elective, required for student instructors, 3 c.h.)
English 510R– Studies in the Mystery Novel (elective, 3 c.h.)
English 699R– Masters Thesis (required, 3 c.h.)
Total: 9 c.h.
Winter 2006
English 374– Studies in British Romanticism (elective, ’cause it’s extra, but can also work for emphasis if 373 credit is not accepted, 3 c.h.)
English 699R– Masters Thesis (required, 3 c.h.)
Total: 6 c.h. (which is considered full-time, since I plan to be a student instructor)
If I can take 630 in Fall instead of Spring, I can cut the thesis hours and just do them all my final semester. Which would actually make more sense in some ways, since that’ll be my semester of defense.
Whew! Doesn’t look so hard when it’s all planned out like that, does it? 
Now, must run home because I forgot my graduate handbook for my class tonight. Grr.