learning from the past

in the winter of 2003, i signed up to take 18.5 credits.  i was averaging 15-16 per semester and figured a few more wouldn't be too much more trouble.  and it was kind of exhilarating to be pulling of such a feat, considering that this course load included a black and white photography class and the formidable american heritage.

in an average semester, student film shoots would start about five or six weeks into the semester and be in peak activity a few weeks after that.  that meant that by mid-march i was getting steeped in classwork, but i could tread it well enough until the end of the semester, pray hard, and emerge feeling victorious.

carrying these 18.5 credits, i was feeling that drowning feeling by the middle of the second week.  the photography class was fascinating and something i fought to get in to; american heritage was a beast of a class and demanded a lot, but, although my professor held high expectations, he was also very good, and i wanted to stick with it.

i was sitting in the living room one night with books piles at my feet, talking with jack.  it soon became apparent that, while it would be really cool if i could do this, it really wasn't a smart idea.

the next day, i dropped american heritage.

i took it a year later during the summer.  it wasn't as interesting, but my photography class that winter proved so demanding that i was still fighting a good fight by the end of the semester.