But that requires too much thinking. And my brain is so tired from exam-studying, I need to write something that takes a minimum of mental effort.
So you know what’s coming: MISCELLANY. 😉
study buddy
I have my final exam today at 10 am, but I’m meeting a classmate at school at 7 am to help her study.
By somewhere around 11:30 today, I should be done, done, done with third semester. YAY!
And I think they will release the final exam grades pretty fast, so perhaps at some point today I will have my grade for the class. We can hope, because I am always on pins and needles to find out how I did.
a cat in study-interference mode
The year of the underconsumer
This article from The Cut discusses the year’s version of frugality; now it’s called under-consumption!
(I will say, “The Underconsumption Girl” does not have the same ring to it as “The Frugal Girl”. I have no plans to rebrand.)
I don’t really care what we call it; I am just happy with a trend that celebrates buying less.
Because as the article says, no one needs 34 Stanley cups. 😉
my underconsumption: instead of a Stanley, I have a free metal water bottle from Fincon 2019
I hope it keeps being cool to under-consume!
Wanna know something dumb I did?
I got a free ticket for a Christmas concert at the symphony in the big city, for a Sunday afternoon, before my third exam. I got dressed, drove there, and when I approached the symphony hall, I thought, “Hmm, this is weird. Usually there are more cars backed up here.”
And thennnnnn I realized I got my weeks mixed up. The concert was scheduled for the 8th, not the 1st!
Whoops.
Luckily I had loaded up a bunch of nursing podcast episodes before my drive, so the time in the car was at least not a waste of exam prep time. 🙂
And I did go this past Sunday, on the right date, at the right time, at the right place.
I switched my health insurance
I only have to have insurance through my state marketplace for probably another six months or so. But I am so done with United Healthcare.
I switched to Blue Cross, Blue Shield, and I hope it will be slightly better.
BCBS at least has a better reputation, and the cost was only marginally higher. And it’ll be worth it if I have less frustration.
“Now that I’m getting older”
Have you ever thought about how funny this phrase is? We say, “Well, now that I’m getting older, I can’t ___”, or, “Now that I’m getting older, I feel ____”.
And I think this is funny because…when in our lives are we ever not getting older?
We have literally been getting older since the day we were born!
Adults make poor beginners
When I used to teach piano lessons, I noticed something interesting about adult students. They often were much harder on themselves than my younger students; they expected to be good at playing the piano much faster than was reasonable (and much faster than my grade-school students expected).
I think this is part and parcel of being an adult learner; it’s hard being an inept beginner!
When you are a kid, honestly you are just used to being pretty terrible at everything. You expect to be at a kid level, and you don’t think something’s wrong with you for failing to reach pro level in 9 months.
Kids accept that they will be in-process with things for a long time.
But when we are adults, it’s a lot harder to have that attitude, and I have noticed that about myself when it comes to learning Spanish!
So, I’m trying to remember my adult piano students; they needed to be patient with themselves, and I need to do the same with my Spanish-speaking skills.
Talk to me! Have you ever struggled as an adult learner? And how do you feel about identifying as an underconsumer?
(Any other topic here is fair game too, of course.)
Jenny Young
Monday 16th of December 2024
It's kind of hilarious how each generation makes up a new name for something old. Undersonsumerism...as they call it?...has been around forever. I grew up saying cheap, then as a young woman it became frugal. But it still means the same thing.
I got dressed up & went to a much anticipated baby shower a week early not long ago. thankfully, it was in our local library community room so I didn't show up at someone's house! I just went window shopping in the sweet downtown where I was so I wouldn't feel as if it was a totally wasted day.
lulutoo
Saturday 14th of December 2024
There's a wonderful (out of print) book by the late John Holt. The book is called "Never Too Late" and he writes in detail about how he wanted to learn to play an instrument at age fifty or so. He was an educator who wrote several books about learning and also had a newsletter about Home Schooling for years.
Tammy
Friday 13th of December 2024
I have to correct what I said in my earlier comment and cannot find it to reply to so am making a new comment. My Duo streak was 139 (now 140 as I just did a lesson) not in the 160's. I know that this won't matter to anyone reading your comments section, but I have to correct myself if I give wrong information.
Also, bad experiences with United Healthcare, huh? Yikes.
Tammy
Friday 13th of December 2024
I'm using Duo Lingo for Spanish as well. I used 2 freezes this week to keep my 167 day streak (sad face); it's been quite a week - and it's only Thursday! Happy to say that I could read what you posted above so I must be learning something. I took Spanish language classes and some teachers said that though many people believe that it's easier to learn another language as a young child than as an adult, that's not accurate. They said that kids learn faster as they're less afraid of making mistakes, they don't get embarrassed as easily so are less afraid to USE they language that they have acquired. They also chatter away at themselves or sing for no specific reason and they will do that in the language they are learning as well as the one(s) they already know. Adults, generally, are the complete opposite.
Inspired by your symphony attendance of late, though not the same, I attend a candlelight string quartet tribute to Queen on the weekend. It was lovely and I've purchased a ticket for a tribute to Pink Floyd in January and think I'm going to go to ABBA as well. I love music.
Kristina
Thursday 12th of December 2024
I am happy to be an under-consumer, as I credit this for being comfortable in retirement. A note for your Spanish efforts: I am a trained teacher of English as a Second Language. In the linguistics part of my training, the experts said that learning a second language as an adult takes about six years; you can learn "street phrases" faster, but to be really fluent and literate, it takes about six years. Children who learn a second language before puberty, which few Americans do, find it easier to learn a third language in adulthood. Fluency means you can tell the difference between formal and informal usages, and use the right terms in particular situations. For example, in court you need formal, correct language, but in a casual bar you can use a lot of slang. So I hope you persevere, Kristen--it seems slow for adults but it opens lots of doors and hearts. Language is part of every adult's identity, and you will be a more effective and in-demand nurse when you master the most widely spoken language in the U.S. outside of English. Hang in there, and treat yourself to the occasional Spanish film or TV show as you are also learning about the several cultures that speak Spanish. South American Spanish is not the same as continental Spanish, for example, but the people you are able to talk with will share with you. As another learning activity, you may be able to find children's books in Spanish, and magazines--helpful reinforcements and supplements! This is why I support language study in elementary schools. Adults who speak only one language are limited in the job markets of the future.