Due to the anticipation of
Thanksgiving break, I entered this week knowing that my language study was likely
going to be a bit of a struggle. Lack of consistent internet access made it
worse than I imagined, but given my poor productivity in the weeks leading up
to break, I knew that I had to plan extra carefully if I wanted to get things
done. So, in as much as I could, I attempted just that!
As I mentioned in class, when I am
at my family home, I can be a little deceitful when it comes to being
productive. Although they want me to succeed and try to support me, I don’t
think they recognize the full extent of my commitments, particularly how much
time coursework, teaching, and independent language study take up. So,
sometimes, I “lie.” After I wake up, I stay in my bedroom for a half hour to an
hour and commit time to something productive. Or if that is not possible, for
instance, when my mother knocked on my window to let her back in (because she
had locked herself out), I take a “nap” later in the day or I “go to bed early”
and have a little study time. This way, I can get anywhere between a half hour
to three hours of guilt-free studying completed.
In last week’s instance, I made sure
to spend some time with the Bible in Kinyarwanda, as I recognized that was
lacking in my study schedule in recent weeks. Even though I haven’t always
necessarily seen the relevance of translation to my study, I have recently
returned to it with a new fervor, because of my anticipated trip to archives
with Kinyarwanda sources this summer. Indeed, I think the ability to translate is
more important now than ever.
In addition to studying while “sleeping,”
I also managed to slip in some flashcard time at Thanksgiving dinner. I didn’t
do it while at the table, because that would be rude, but I notice that members
of my generation have their phones out during downtime anyway, texting, playing
games, or scrolling through the internet/Facebook. So, I decided I would join
them this time. Of course, I assume everyone thought I was participating in
activities similar to my peers, but I was only looking through Memrise.
Accordingly, it was a win-win- I fit in with my cousins (albeit deceitfully),
and I got to study!
Beyond Thursday, however, I did not have
internet connectivity, so I was unable to meet with my language partner, but I
intend to meet with her via Skype this week.
In conclusion, it wasn’t a perfect
week, but I’m not sure I’ve encountered one of those yet. I am proud of my
accomplishments though, because I think it’s almost a little more noteworthy to
study even a little during a chaotic week than it is to study extensively
during a relaxed one.
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