Gradschool has offically taken over my life
Since begining my internship in September, I haven't seen much of anything or anyone outside of my job and getting a bite to eat after I'm done for the day. I don't even have time to make a sandwich for myself or eat lunch. At the moment I'm managing with three schools. One urban high school in Los Angeles (60% African American and 29% Latino and 1% other) and two elementary schools (evenly split between Hispanic, Black and White with some Asian). My counseling case load is as large now as it was small when I began my practicum. I had two kids back then. Now I have almost 25. Yes folks I counsel nearly 25 kids in addition to assessments, consulting with teachers, working with administrators, going to school, keeping my case load straight between schools, conducting academic interventions, conducting crisis intervention, helping parents, creating behavior support plans and contacting outside agencies. The life of a school psychologist is an exceedingly stressful job. I think it doesn't help that I'm in the second largest school district in the country. We have troubled youth and crazy families from low and high socioeconomic status. Which is why sometimes it becomes just an added annoyance to write a paper three times because your district, program and field supervisor want it written in a specific way. Let's see you smile at having to rewrite and synthesize a 20 page report to suit three drastically different needs.
Anyway, aside from all that, I can't work a day or night job, because that would kill me and we are advised strongly against it. I don't think anyone is working right now in my group anyway aside from the lucky few with full paid internship positions. So, I'm buying books, supplies, and art stuff for the ungrateful students I serve. They don't realize I'm poorer than they are. They don't realize I stress over what to say and do with them every week. But then again, they shouldn't. Their job is to enjoy their lives being a student. If they can just do that, and not piss me off, then that's ok by me.
That said, I am just now buying books for the next few weeks of reading. One of the books I only need to read for one class for one night. I contemplated buying it and expediting it since I need to have read it by Wed. Those of you who buy on Amazon know this would be dreadfully expensive to do. So a book that would normally cost $30, now costed $50. That is not money I'd want to waste on a book I will only read once and never read again. So, out of desperation, I searched and searched all the LA libraries, Santa Monica, LMU (book was checked out until December) and UCLA. UCLA has the book. I was going to drive over there tomorrow, but decided to look again and see if some other bookstore had it and I would read the last 4 chapters there. Lo and behold, I find a scanned copy on the ERIC data base, a full PDF version. I am so happy. God saved me potentially $50. I spent almost $200 on counseling books and supplies alone, so this would definitely a relief and just in time for my reading. I saved gas too and possibly frustration of not finding it and paying $9 parking.
Yes, they weren't kidding when they talked about starving grad students. We do starve and have empty refrigerators. We are too poor to go to the grocery store and too overworked to find time to eat during the day. We welcome free food during staff meetings, orientations and workshops. We resort to the most unhealthy food by the time we get home at night, collapse on our beds, and wake before the crack of down and drive in our mobile offices down the jam packed freeways every morning. That is the life of a school psychology grad student. I need a break.
Anyway, aside from all that, I can't work a day or night job, because that would kill me and we are advised strongly against it. I don't think anyone is working right now in my group anyway aside from the lucky few with full paid internship positions. So, I'm buying books, supplies, and art stuff for the ungrateful students I serve. They don't realize I'm poorer than they are. They don't realize I stress over what to say and do with them every week. But then again, they shouldn't. Their job is to enjoy their lives being a student. If they can just do that, and not piss me off, then that's ok by me.
That said, I am just now buying books for the next few weeks of reading. One of the books I only need to read for one class for one night. I contemplated buying it and expediting it since I need to have read it by Wed. Those of you who buy on Amazon know this would be dreadfully expensive to do. So a book that would normally cost $30, now costed $50. That is not money I'd want to waste on a book I will only read once and never read again. So, out of desperation, I searched and searched all the LA libraries, Santa Monica, LMU (book was checked out until December) and UCLA. UCLA has the book. I was going to drive over there tomorrow, but decided to look again and see if some other bookstore had it and I would read the last 4 chapters there. Lo and behold, I find a scanned copy on the ERIC data base, a full PDF version. I am so happy. God saved me potentially $50. I spent almost $200 on counseling books and supplies alone, so this would definitely a relief and just in time for my reading. I saved gas too and possibly frustration of not finding it and paying $9 parking.
Yes, they weren't kidding when they talked about starving grad students. We do starve and have empty refrigerators. We are too poor to go to the grocery store and too overworked to find time to eat during the day. We welcome free food during staff meetings, orientations and workshops. We resort to the most unhealthy food by the time we get home at night, collapse on our beds, and wake before the crack of down and drive in our mobile offices down the jam packed freeways every morning. That is the life of a school psychology grad student. I need a break.
posted by shine
at
Friday, October 23, 2009
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