The Pre-Break Rush

Ever since I've started college, the pressure really seems to ramp up in the time right before a break. It happens almost without fail. On the curricular side of things, there's always multiple tests or papers those last few days — everything comes to a head.

Both of my semesters in reporting have mirrored this feeling to some extent. Last winter I finished three stories that last week before break and even stuck around through break to make the last five weeks or so less breakneck. I won't be doing that this semester, but I have a good feeling that things are starting to come together. I've got one of my assignments for the shells project basically finished, and another is about ready for the interview stage. I co-wrote an article on the House's higher education appropriations bill. I'm waiting to receive information from a FOIA e-mail request, and I've gone to a career fair at Columbia College to get the feel for the local atmosphere surrounding a school that is spreading its wings to adult learning in states across the country. I feel much better than I did a few weeks ago.

I hope today's shells meeting with the Web designer helps us get the formatting, etc. of the Web page cleared up a bit. That's my one worry with the green group about the shells project. Once that gets ironed out, I'll be ready to keep my nose to the grindstone with more long-term work,  hopefully get my second shells story finished, and take my third turn at Five Ideas before a much-needed week to recharge.