As if the second shift wasn’t enough—I had to take 17 credits this term? What was I thinking? Perhaps I was hoping to confirm what my family has suspected all along—that I really am certifiable.  I guess I am that much of a glutton for punishment. I know, it  isn’t that much of a stretch . . . really it isn’t. I took 15 credits last term, and that wasn’t so bad. And, two more measly credits actually WOULDN’T be a big deal, if all the stars would just align and everything would fall neatly into place. But, of course they never do, and it never does.

Just this last week my nephew ended up in the hospital; my niece (whom I rarely ever hear from, and who rarely asks anything of me), suddenly texted to see if she could hang out for the weekend; I came down with a terrible sinus infection AND my computer crashed! Yes, something is definitely amiss in the universe.

The problem is I really want to graduate next summer, but I need to average 13 credits per term (including summer term) in order to do so. With my daughter set to trial an insulin pump at the end of June, I know I’ll have my hands full with round-the-clock blood glucose monitoring, and if I don’t take at least a week off from work and school this summer my family will most certainly disown me. That being said, it certainly seemed logical when I put this schedule together a month ago. Yes, I should definitely cram this term in order to “enjoy” a lighter term come this summer.

But, just thinking about what still lies ahead got me thinking that I could really use some good work-life balance advice. So, I went searching the blogosphere for answers. Luckily, I came across this post from the Work It, Mom! Blog that has some pretty sound advice. If your life is as harried as mine is, you may want to check this out for yourself. So, I have loaded up on credits this term, and I will just keep on keepin’ on . . . One. Grey. Hair. At. A. Time.  But, I will try to incorporate some new work-life balance practices into my hectic schedule and see what comes of it. Let’s just pray the stars are also lined up for the rest of this term.

I had a Strawberry Shortcake diary when I was a kid. It was a handwritten (scented) record of my favorite songs, current crushes, hopes and dreams. Yeah, I may have followed the “Five Ws” formula, but I certainly wouldn’t have called myself a journalist. Possibly a talented storyteller (and doodler), but not a journalist. Since a blog, by its very definition, is a personal online diary, and bloggers are often expressing opinions which may or may not be characterized as unbiased reporting, it is my belief that not every blogger would be (or should be) considered a journalist.  There is no expectation, for instance, that bloggers have done any fact checking to support their personal opinions—although they certainly may have done so. However, for those bloggers that do go out and conduct interviews, research topics, etc., the lines between blogging and journalism are most definitely blurred.

Weighing In: Must Bloggers Hold Professional Degrees in Journalism in Order to be Considered Bona Fide Journalists?

So what about credentials? Is this a valid line to draw? Some would argue it is. However, there are many professional journalists that provide unbiased news reports to the public, and they do not have journalism degrees. Therefore, this argument does not seem to hold up. When a blogger lives up to the same fact checking and ethical standards—providing the same fair and comprehensive accounts of events and issues that the press is expected to live up to—it is then that I believe they cross over from a blogger stating their opinion to a journalist reporting the news. Perhaps we should call them bloggerists?