Feeling the pressure

So I’m at the end of my third week of the term and starting to fully realize how much I have bitten off for myself to do this term...and wondering if I really will be able to chew it all. Engineering has always been pretty demanding but 4th year has been the most work by far – it’s been fun and interesting, since we have a lot more control over the direction we want to take with our studies, but the increased freedom has meant a lot more to worry about and manage as well. On top of all of this I decided to take the Beyond Borders course as extra electives since there was no space left in my schedule, and while I am really glad I decided to go for it, it has and will continue to test the bounds of my (somewhat limited) time management and organizational abilities.

Specifically, here’s what I’ve got on my plate this term:

-Five engineering courses
-The Beyond Borders course for this term – the biggest requirement being keeping up with this blog
-20 hours of volunteering
-$1700 of fundraising left for Beyond Borders
-Continuing to improve my Spanish
-Completing some outstanding degree requirements for engineering, including retaking an exam (in a course that, let’s say, didn’t go so well last year!)

As is pretty clear to see, it’s going to be a lot of work these next couple of months, but that’s pretty much par for the course with everyone else I know in Engineering and Beyond Borders. We all have “to do” lists that stretch for miles.

Even with all the stresses academic life at the moment, I’ve found the time to do some more research into my placement in Chincha Alta, and I’m getting more excited all the time. Last week at a fundraiser I spoke to David Perrin, the president of St. Jerome’s University, and found out that he had been to the quarry in Chincha Alta, met Brother Blaise, and taken some pictures, which I was able to take a look at. The pictures were mostly of the quarry and the buildings in and around the Oblate Mission, and while they were interesting to see I would have to say it was a huge relief to see a picture of some people from the local community. Most importantly, they had big smiles on their faces, and that definitely helped to put me at ease about my placement. From what I’ve heard from Joanne (director of the Beyond Borders program), there are many places in the developing world (and in the developed world as well, for that matter) where there is a sense of despair, and smiles are hard to come by. However, Joanne has told me that this is not at all the case where I am going, despite poverty of the area and the devastation caused by the 2007 earthquake that hit Chincha Alta. Apparently, the people in the community have a palpable sense of hope - in Joanne’s opinion, due in part to the work of Brother Blaise and the Oblates. And unsurprisingly, it has been a huge relief to learn that I am going to a vibrant community with plenty of spirit – while I know that things are probably going to be hard, it should make everything easier.