I am exhausted

[Crankin]

I am doing a 4 day "Introduction to Professional Psychology" course on Cape Cod. We are staying at a conference center, across the street from the beach, which is beautiful, but it's like one step above a hostel.
The first night we had a wicked thunderstorm and one of the other students (young enough to be my kid) asked me if I jogged, as we had to get back from one building to another. I said I didn't run, but I was in pretty good shape... so even though I had an umbrella, I was afraid to open it in the lightening. I draped a beach towel over my head and took off. The next thing I knew, this young person was far behind me, saying, "I can't run anymore." I was scared to death of the storm, so I just sprinted for like half a mile. Boy, were my legs sore from that...
I brought my bike and got up today and yesterday and rode at sun rise. I didn't have time for a long ride, just about 10 miles the first day and 12 miles today. Most of it was false flats in a headwind! I found out there are actually some small hills on the Cape. It was beautiful to ride along the beach and then I went over to Hyannisport, near the Kennedy compound. Just those little rides, combined with all of the intense learning and role playing has wore me out. Today I did my first role play as a therapist. I feel pretty good about it, too. Tonight I am going out to dinner instead of eating at the conference center and I am going to have a big glass of wine!
I can't wait to go home to my own bed.

[songlady]

Are you staying at that large conference center in Hyannis? We were in Hyannisport last week for vacation.

[malkin]

Long seminars can be brutal.
How good does it feel to leave the young'uns panting in the dust?!

[ikkin]

i have never understood, and probably will never understand, the concept of packing so much information into short time frames that no one ends up remembering anything substantial.

luckily my company takes the exact opposite approach. we take lots of breaks, people have tons of time for reflection, etc. and we tell them they're not allowed to use their cell phone or crackberries. many of them look lost without 'em. pretty amusing.

anyway, enjoy cape cod! i bet it'll feel good to be home.

[Crankin]

No, we're not at the place in Hyannis. I'm at Craigville Beach. Last day today, thankfully.
This is an actual graduate course, sort of the introduction to the counseling psychology program . It's supposed to be intense. This morning I went for a run/walk along the beach, packed up, and now I'm waiting for class to begin.
The weather has been awesome and I'm glad I got to enjoy the Cape a little. We went out for dinner and drinks last night, so it felt a little more normal.

[NoNo]

About twice a year I have to take a training course for work, and then I usually go to one or two conferences as well. Every time, I'm amazed at how exhausted I get from literally just sitting there listening to people talk. Makes me wonder how I made it through college

[TahoeDirtGirl]

Crankin! Should have posted this sooner! I would of met up with you for dinner or something to entertain you while you are were in Hyannis. I'm over the Bourne bridge in Marion. Yes, I hear you on sleeping in your own bed. There's no place like home!

[Flybye]

Hey there Crankin-
I hear you - this is my first week of the Masters Program in Counseling. I am pooped from learning so much, trying not to miss anything, and from the anxiety of the first week. That and I am, ahem, one of the more mature students in the class (okay, there is only one older person than I and I am 36) and so I have that staring me in the face, too. Lovely.
Next week I'll get the pleasure of role play as counselor/client in both the group and individual setting - all while being watched by grad students behind the glass and by professors in their offices. No pressure!
Glad your first role play went well! Are you in a program? I know that there were a couple of us around this forum who got accepted into programs. Are you just playing around with the idea of psychology? What is your story?
I have to get out on my bike tomorrow - that may just be my saving grace! Yours too??
Get some rest and keep in touch with me through pm's if you want to - misery loves company!!
Who else is exhausted from the week? It is FRIDAY tomorrow! Woot wooh!

[Crankin]

Flybye,
I am in a MA program in clinical mental health counseling. I was a teacher for 30 years, so I already have a master's in ed., so this is a career change. I am in the "wholistic" counseling track, and I want to work with adults with wellness/health issues, maybe eating disorders/weight management.
I did my second role play this morning and it went well. A lot of what I have done is transferrable, so I'm not too freaked out. The rest of my classes start next week. It's going to be a lot of work.
I am the oldest or second oldest in this group of people (54). There is one other person my age, but quite a few are in the 30-40 range. And yes, there are 2 students who went to high school with my 26 year old son! I did not go out drinking with them!
Lesley University is really a unique school. There very diversity aware, so everyone is quite different.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Robyn, you rock.

[Jolt]

Add me to the list of people who are exhausted from the week (and I'm getting ready to head to work for the evening). Maybe not exhausted so much as frustrated--I'm working at a nursing home and am still pretty new so not really in a good routine yet; we have a large number of patients to care for and it's really hard to keep track of everybody especially when "stuff" happens during the shift and there are interruptions. It's difficult to get everything done during the shift. Besides, the nursing home setting is NOT where I wanted to be; I am interested in cardiac care so this has basically nothing to do with that and the reason I'm in this setting is simply because the hospitals in the area just didn't have any positions for new nurses (believe me, I tried). So that's where I am for now and just have to make the best of it and try to do a good job... Hopefully this evening's shift goes smoothly.

[Crankin]

Jolt, I'm glad you got an RN job. I know it's not what you want, but maybe getting the experience there will help you get a hospital job.
I have a friend who works at Emerson Hospital, though not in nursing. I can ask her if they have any openings for new grads in the future.

[tygab]

Flybye,
I am the oldest or second oldest in this group of people (54). There is one other person my age, but quite a few are in the 30-40 range.

Awesome, I know you can do it! I would say your age will be an advantage in a program such as this. Please keep us posted!

[Crankin]

Thanks, Tasha. Glad to see you posting. I am about to sit down and write my 4-6 page reflection paper about the class and the reading. Of course, it's not really a reflection paper, since it has to be written APA style, with a works cited page. Thankfully, I used this style in my ed. classes, so I don't have to learn that.
I agree, that my age and experience will really be a help in this field. I pretty much have seen it all in terms of emotional issues in teaching. I really don't see how some of the just graduated from college people in this program can have the same insight.
Hey, maybe we can actually do that snow shoe or mountain bike ride this year...

[nancielle]

Thanks, Tasha. Glad to see you posting. I am about to sit down and write my 4-6 page reflection paper about the class and the reading. Of course, it's not really a reflection paper, since it has to be written APA style, with a works cited page. Thankfully, I used this style in my ed. classes, so I don't have to learn that.
...

The APA puts out a software program that automatically formats citations. Best investment I (and others in my program) made while working on my Master's in Psych. Congrats on your career change. My first supervisor (after my own career change) was a Lesley graduate as is one of my colleagues.