Back to School!

Hello my lovely reader,
I must apologise for my absence these last few weeks, I have been busily preparing for (and freaking out about) going back to university again!
On Tuesday I left work in the afternoon and made the trek across town to my university campus for my first lecture. I must admit that this first lecture scared me a little, okay, a lot. Coming from a science background I feel that I face a huge learning curve with this graduate degree in writing, editing and publishing. I am afraid of this curve, that it could possibly throw me off like a motorcycle racer who leans to close to the corner and gets torn from the bike. It is important to acknowledge this fear, to give it a name and look it in the eye. Once I know what the fear is exactly, what it's spidery arms are reaching towards and how far it has spread, I can begin the work of counteracting the fear on my terms.
So I am afraid of a curve in my learning. It is a good curve but the fear inside me is that I am not up to the task. To counter this I need to remind myself that I have already been to university (albeit in a different context) but I know that I am capable of the work expected at these institutions (Amy: 1; Fear: 0).
I am also excited by this learning and that battles fear in a big way because that excitement feeds motivation, which in turn nourishes hard work (Amy: 2; Fear: 0).
But the final point in my trio of battling points against fear is that I have love and support from the people around me, and fear is all by itself!
Final Score. Amy: 3. Fear: 0.

When I headed off to my second lecture yesterday I was understandably apprehensive, but I walked out of the room inspired.

Part of the beautiful campus at UQ.

As part of our assessment we have to write a response to each week's lecture. These responses can include poetry, so of course I made up a little nonsense poem about the inspiration and hope I always feel when I walk out of the first week of lectures, the dreams that are inspired by the possibilities of where this course could lead me. I hope you enjoy.

“First Lecture Dreams” by Amy Chatwin

Last night in those starry dreamless hours

I surrendered myself to those highest powers

The dreams called forth by a first lecture’s hope

This is what I remembered through the haze as I awoke

I dreamt of typewriters and coffee stained pages

Submissions from hipsters and new fashioned sages

Whisked away to a world where offbeat is god

But corduroy and activism is not my scene so the dream moved on

Now I’m in a high rise, Prada suited and coiffed

Shiny windows, harbour views, a Blackberry always going off

Rushing in heels, call to my assistant to “Get Ms. Wintour on the phone!!”

This slickness doesn’t suit, oh Morpheus please find my publishing home!

Then I’m landing in soft pages and a pot of tea brewed

Crumbs, galleys from a new Nigella (post-its galore!) across my desk are strewn

Laughter from the kitchen – celebration of a new ‘cook-blook’ to come

Morpheus you found it – the perfect ingredients – hard work, food and fun

A place where ‘yummy’ is a defining criteria

Proofs with recipes crowding their interiors

Yoho and a bottle of essence of rum

A job baked from this batter seems just the right (write) one!

Before I can taste this ambrosia delight

The dawn starts calling an end to the night

My alarm calls to alert a new day and end this sweet sleep

Lecture notes, assignments yet to do, remind me

It’s only first week!