zombie students!

I don’t buy in to Freudian-like dream analysis at all. I’ve always subscribed to the theory that dreaming is the product of random neuron firings during our sleep, and that this is one of the ways our brains make memories. Every so often, I have a dream that seems to have symbolic value, and I have to eat my words on this theoretical issue. Early this morning I had one of those dreams.

I dreamed that Hubby and I were back living in Grad School City, and that I was starting seeds for the garden (something I will actually do later this week once my seeds arrive in the mail). Our house was packed with people: my younger brother, a bunch of his friends, long-time family friends, random strangers, etc. I was happily starting nasturium seeds when the dream changed into a zombie dream. One of my students was the zombie who ambled into our house through an window to the back yard, moaning and groaning as they struggled along. Luckily one of my brother’s friends had a baseball bat on hand and took care of it immediately (a la Shawn of the Dead). Most of the rest of the dream was a struggle to fortify the house’s weak points (a la I am Legend), keep the healthy people indoors (I recall going to the park to buy sandwiches at a food stand), and avoid the zombies on the ground (a la Dawn of the Dead). I recall quite a few other students mixed in amongst the zombies on the ground, including the ones I had to avoid while running through the park. As if a sandwich stand would be open during a zombie attack!

I usually *hate* having zombie dreams because they’re typically the scary variety (i.e., the kind where I can get to the phone but can’t make my fingers push the buttons properly). I woke up laughing after this one because I knew its source. No, I don’t actually have undead students who try to eat my brain, and most of them speak instead of moaning and groaning.

It’s not that they’re literally eating my brain, but they are definitely figuritively eating it.  I just hadn’t made the connection until I woke up early this morning after this weird, funny dream. Last night after class I had a queue of over a dozen students who needed to ask me questions. Most of these questions were of the mundane variety, issues that they could have figured out independently if they’d taken the time to look at the syllabus and other course materials.  I didn’t get to leave the classroom until 15 minutes after class officially ended, and then with post-class paperwork, I didn’t get to leave campus until around the time I usually arrive at home. Over the course of the day, I received at least a half-dozen other emails with similar inquiries. I felt so brain-dead by the time I arrived home that I just had to go for a walk instead of doing other work or home-management tasks.

Clearly I really need spring break. Good thing it’s coming soon! I can spend this time fortifying our house and building a panic room in our attic…