Going the Second Mile (even while being exploited)

I need to confess that, because I feel exploited in my situation as a lecturer (now "part-time") and an adjunct,  for the most part, I do the bare minimum. I don't spend a lot of time preparing classes and I don't spend a lot of time on campus apart from teaching, only my office hours (none for U#1 because I really don't have time, with the mega-commute and all). (the worst part, perhaps, is that I cannot bring/let myself to feel bad about that, what can I do after all?)

However, I'm going the second mile in dealing with enrollment at U#2 because it's done in a permission basis and we really really need freshmen-junior students (and not seniors) to take the intro language classes so we can build the program.

This year I'm recording every single permission request (a tedious process of copying and pasting the info from various boxes in the university registration system website) and also emailing every single student I grant permission to with a letter that explains that there's a long permission/waiting list and that they were lucky to be selected and also practically "beg" them to continue into the upper level classes.

And I'm doing this all mostly for the benefit of my colleague (and "boss") that will get to teach the upper level classes.

Sigh... It's tough.

Thankfully through all this week I basically forgot completely about the upsetting offer letter I received a week ago. I only thought of it on the morning we were driving to pick up the car and K & I had a conversation in which we were both very very bitter about this whole situation. What I really wish I could do (and K thought would be the right thing to do in these horrible circumstances) would be to wait until the day before classes to tell them that I am not accepting the job and that they can find someone else to teach those classes.

But I need the money. I need to help support my family. I don't have other options, it's the only "job" I've got!! Sigh...

And, of course, I love the students!! (wholeheartedly at U#1 and up to a certain point at U#2, there's a certain "situation" with them that I cannot really discuss for fear of revealing too much about the school and thus blowing my precarious cover -- if you're curious, you can always email me and I can "reveal all!") ;-)

So, yeah. I had to come blog this as therapy as I was working on the registration some because it's helpful.

P.S. I'm very busy translating, trying to catch up after all the time spent with car-shopping. I'm super excited about the car, BTW and hope to blog about it soon!