4 Things I Love About Reading Day

Pixabay

Reading day is a wonderful phenomenon that is, as far as I know, exclusive to colleges. The day after classes end/the day before finals begin, it's a day to prepare for end-of-semester assessments. Students study, write papers, and prepare the presentations that we, their instructors, will read. And are reading.

Having lived in a grading cave for the weekend and having stayed up much too late for two of the past three nights grading the papers that fell by the wayside when my semester took a detour or two with my best-laid plans aboard, I am especially grateful for today, this semester's reading day. Those long days got me back on track so that I'm able to enjoy all a reading day has to offer.

I didn't have to set an alarm. This meant, of course, that I got up later than I intended to, but that's okay because...

Today, I am in charge of my own schedule, so if I get a later start, I can simply make adjustments, knowing I have no class prep to work in and no classes to teach and therefore my timelines are much more flexible.

I can do work stuff, writing stuff and house stuff all from the comfort of my own home. That means I can write this blog post at a time I'd usually be on my way to work, chip away at all the things around here that have been put off until after everything was graded and still get my school work done and tend to my student correspondence.

Right now, I am sitting in my wonderful, still somewhat new office chair, looking out my window at the snow I can appreciate because I didn't have to clear off my car (though, in fairness, my husband often does that for me) and drive to work. The drive is short and a lot less stressful now that the construction that went on for most of the semester is finally finished, but no commute is still better than even a short commute.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to spin my chair around to pick up the school work on the counter behind me so I can do that next from the comfort of my office...

At home.