Something I Learned Along the Way

It's 6:24 right now, and I'm thinking about leaving the office. Our meetings lasted a while, and I was the secretary for one, and that leads me to share something I learned along the way in life.

Here goes.

When you're the secretary for a meeting, type up the minutes before leaving the office for the day. (Unless, of course, you're high tech enough to take notes on a laptop, in which case, you win, and would you like to adopt me, please?)


See, you know this. You've probably told students to go over their lecture notes after class to clarify things. You've probably told students to write things down as soon as possible so they'll remember.

But when it's 5pm on a Friday, it can be hard to remember. But as onerous as notes are at 5pm on a Friday, they're a lot more onerous at 5am on the Friday three weeks hence when you need to get the minutes copied and distributed before noon.

I've finished all the work that came out of the meeting I was secretary for. I've finished prepping all the stuff for the meeting I have to chair on Monday. I've sort of prepped for the meeting I don't have to chair that comes before the meeting I chair on Monday. My inner bean counter has been very busy, alas.

Now I have all weekend to grade and prep for Monday. Okay, not all weekend because I have some other obligations, but at least there's time to put on the face to meet the faces that I'll meet.