I have had my license for almost two decades. I have driven in wind and rain and snow and ice and, quite by accident, a thunderstorm that produced tornadoes. I spent two winters in Alaska, where roads don’t get salted because we all want to protect the moose. I should know a thing or two… Read more »
Growing up, our schedule was pretty relaxed. There was school, of course, and other activities, but nothing like the litany of sports and social commitments and volunteer work that seems par for the course among modern families. The one big exception, however, was December. Eleven months out of the year, we didn’t need a calendar… Read more »
Now that Thanksgiving’s over and the months’s moving toward Halloween, we’re entering the middle of the race?that time when we’ve lost our initial momentum coming out of the starting gate, but we’re not quite ready to use up the burst of energy that we’ll need for the homestretch. Work’s piling up and we’re getting behind…. Read more »
I wake up reluctantly, the loud tendrils of my alarm clock penetrating my brain like shards of glass. Wednesday. Wednesday? Aha! Today is the day that I get that essay out the door, all 2,000 words of it. It’s due at the end of the week, but I’ve got the day off work and I’m… Read more »
Have you ever sat down in front of a blank page, put your fingers to the keys, and then . . . nothing? Of course you have. Writer’s block is so ubiquitous that It’s become late-night entertainment show fodder. But all the SNL skits in the world aren’t going to do you much good when… Read more »
You’ve got your books. You’ve got your supplies. You’ve carved out time and finances and a space to work, and now You’re ready to begin the school year. Except that You’re not, really. You sit at your desk and stare at the schedule?and stare and stare. You have a headache. You’re terrified. You want to… Read more »
The early bird gets the worm, they say. To which I say: Let him have it. The only early thing I want is a very, very strong cup of joe. Getting up early is for the birds. Given the choice, I’d prefer to bury my head under the covers against the searing sunlight and sleep… Read more »
You write an essay. You proofread it, twice. But when you get it back from the prof, It’s marked up with all sorts of ?careless errors? and typos that you know you should have caught. How could you have missed them? It’s a phenomenon That’s caught the attention of linguists and experts in recent years,… Read more »
Does it ever seem as though the secrets of life can be narrowed down to a formula? Success is 99 per cent perspiration. Eating right plus getting exercise makes you lose weight. Do this, get that. It sounds reasonable, right? If you don’t put in the time, you can’t expect to get results. And yet… Read more »
This article was originally published May 27, 2011, in issue 1920. Sure, the end of the world may be six months away (or not), but for many students it feels like It’s already happened. With June often comes the end of the academic journey, the close of a significant segment of one’s life. And while… Read more »