New Study Schedule

I am trying to get organized with my crazy life. Following the advice of new friend, Leslie, she suggests that I "schedule" my life just as if they were appointments and not breakable. So that when others call and request my attention, I would have to beg off in order to fulfill my committment to myself. Excellent advice.

Starting off slow...

This week, my partner will be recovering from a surgery, so I will be at home alot. I want to get back to Zumba classes and possibly yoga. I am planning to add a couple of self-help meetings to my regimen as well. This week will be devoted to tying up some loose ends, reading my Study Guide book in its entirety and perhaps Zumba and/or yoga once or possibly twice.

By Sunday, I will have my weekly schedule all prepared.

Exhausted and feeling the stress

I haven't studied at all. Life and work. I was asked at the last minute to house sit, plus, I committed to helping Allison hang art for her show at Songbird tonight. I woke up yesterday with a major neck and shoulder ache which necessitated constant heat and ice for several hours. Couldn't sleep well last night at
the new house and then woke up at 5 am for work. Tonight is the show. I am the photographer. It will be done by 8. I plan to rest up for another day of work tomorrow.

Study time will resume on Monday.

wow...check me out...I cracked a book!

The book in question: AODA Exam Secrets Study Guide

http://www.mo-media.com/addiction/

I had the opportunity to finally begin by reading through the first few pages. The first page is helpful with test taking study tips. The next topic is Clinical Evaluation.
It covers the following:

• Drug use
• Drug abuse
• Drug dependency and addiction
• The DSM-IV-TR definition (7 symptoms) to diagnose substance dependence / addiction
• ANATOMY (neurotransmitters, etc.)
• Alcohol use facts and definitions
• Effects of alcohol (on the body / behavior

And then I had to stop. I highlighted and made a few notes. I need visual aids for the anatomy stuff. I think it will be helpful to actually draw & label my own diagrams to fully grasp that topic.

This text is 173 pages in length, and it seems that it will be a valuable tool.

Tomorrow:

Back to work. I have a little time in the morning before I go in to read & highlight more. I will commit to 45 minutes.

It's already after midnight (I had to do some painting homework for class on Friday morning.) Goodnite for now.

Excuses, Excuses...and new committments:

I had a full day booked and only had a couple of hours to work on the portfolio. However, I ran into problems. The scanner / printer was not working. I had a computer geek-friend come over, and no luck. Grrr!! I re-read the CAADAC site and realized that I was mistaken about needing the HS Diploma or transcripts. I put in a call to the CAADAC offices in Sacramento, and no...confirmed, I do not need that after all. Sheesh, what was I thinking.

I filled out the request for (vocational school) transcripts and dropped it in the mail. So, as you can see, I only accomplished one thing on my to-do list today. sigh.....

Wednesday, I am helping my buddy (the above-mentioned computer-geek) with important, official business and I may not get back to the to-do list until late afternoon. So, may not have much time.

Wednesday's Plan

1.  Put C.G. friend to work on the printer situation (can't you call somebody? LOL.)  
2.  Decide on and organize Study Subjects and what order to study in.

• I have acquired the book called AODA Exam Study Guide http://www.mo-media.com/aoda/ and I think I will begin with reading and highlighting this guide.
• And from there, I will tackle the memory-stuff first (like the 12-Steps of AA and the 12 Core Functions, etc.) and then move into the Theories. 

Sounds pretty rad. G'nite!

And so it begins... The to-do list.

My to-do list for Day One has come with much mental preparation. After making the big decision in February to free up some time (by dropping one of my classes, algebra, that is, for my goal of an AA and then later a BA degree); I had decided last week that I had procrastinated long enough. Time to walk through the fear and make a to-do list. Last week, I had went to the CAADAC site and found the Manual Portfolio information packet:  https://www.caadac.org/site_media/media/attachments/flatpages_flatpage/44/adc_all_levels_manual_11-10_final_effect_7-2011.pdf . The "portfolio" as they call it, is merely a collection of official documents, recommendation letters, logs and forms. I know, it sounds overwhelming at first, but I broke it down by the easier stuff to do and then things to do that would take more than one step to complete.

MY WEEKLY TIME MANAGEMENT PLAN: I have decided to dedicate approximately 5-9 hours per week studying and otherwise preparing for the exam. I am currently going to class 5 hours and working 28 hours per week. I attend 4 "self-help" meetings per week and also see my son for about 4 hours per week. Other than that, I don't watch TV, but do let off steam by hanging out with friends at home a couple evenings per week. I am a huge procrastinator, as I mentioned above, so I feel that keeping this blog will help me to be accountable to achieve good study habits. My days off from work and school are Tuesday and Wednesday, so along with laundry and chores, those will be my primary days for studying. This week, however, I have committed to helping others and will only have a few hours to spend on the exam endeavor.  

TODAY:

1. Call to find out about getting a copy of HS Diploma.

 2. Fill out Scope of Practice form.

3. Fill out Request for Transcripts form.

4. Mail Transcripts form to InterCoast College (mail goes out at 1:30).

5. Make copy of Course Description from InterCoast.

6. Make copy of Practicum log.

7. Make copy of Intern Evaluation.

 8. Print copy of résumé.

 9. Fill out Written Exam application.

 TONIGHT:

 Discuss with others the path of least resistance: what subject to begin with, and what to end with. Do I begin with the easy stuff, because it will come back to me quicker (I attended InterCoast College's Alcohol and Drug Counseling program from Dec 2011 to Fall of 2012.) Or, do I begin with the harder stuff (like the theories) and stuff that is harder to grasp?
I am memory-challenged, so I must consider that factor as well.

That is all for now.