Tag Archives: graduate school

Life After Grad School

Posted on by under Books, Grad School, Life

DSCN7346I’ve spent 70% of my adult life in college. And now……… I’m done! This is kind of a strange transitional period for me though. I barely know life without school! (Though as a teacher, I guess I won’t be too far removed from it ;) ). I’ve just finished my final graduate school paper, and in May I’ll be walking for my second MA. It’s exciting, but it’s also a big life change. This particular two-year-program I was enrolled in at Pacifica took me about four years to get through with the various ups and downs of life. And though I’ve written my last five research papers over the last couple quarters, I haven’t had any regular time on campus since the end of summer… and I’m really missing that community! The experience of Pacifica is something that’s almost difficult to put into words. The courses, the materials, the instructors, and the students really are a rare breed here. Delving into mythology and psychology and exploring so many rich areas inevitably affects the psyche and the very being a person. It’s about so much more than academia. Working with this material and going through this passage of my life has molded every aspect of my being. Makes it hard to say goodbye to the program and the people (though a big YAY for social networking keeping this commuter community connected)…. of course I’ll always be able to return for other campus events and seminars… but it will be different.

So, I’ve come to realize it’s a bittersweet celebration.

I am very excited about saying goodbye to homework though! Of course, I enjoyed the coursework and loved just about everything I read, but it did consume a lot of time that I am looking forward to having back. I’m particularly excited about reading anything I feel like! Though I realize with all the grading I always have to do, I’ll never really have all the time I like to fantasize about having with all my books, which I’ve recently re-organized. The picture to the right shows all the books from I bought during my graduate program. Once I was done making working piles out of them in my office, I got to organizing them. Amazing to see it all together.

And the pic below shows all the books I’ve bought/received in just the last 14 months. Each one was selected with the thought, “I’ll read this next!” And the pile, of course, just kept growing. Still haven’t decided what I’m actually going to read first!

DSCN7345

In addition to reading, there’s other things in life I’m eager to dig into. There are many things I’ve been interested in learning or doing over the years, and I always tell myself, “I’ll do that when I’m done with school!” This includes learning sign-language, learning to sew, and learning how to really cook more than spaghetti and quesadillas. I also want to catch up on TV shows that started when I was in grad school that I never got a chance to check out. Fringe & Castle are on the top of that list. Other projects I want to take on include taking agility classes with my pup and tagging the last decade of digital photos.

More importantly, though, what I’m really excited about is spending more time at home with my hubby, working on our various house projects, and spending more time with all of our extended family. Since I commuted to school and was out of town once a month, there were some events I wasn’t here for. And there were many others I just couldn’t make, or really enjoy, because I was so swamped with homework and research. And, of course, the biggest step and most important thing we’re now focused on is starting a family of our own.

For now, I’m going to enjoy the liminal space I’m in and embrace whatever life has to offer next. Thanks for reading. Namaste.

© myth_girl

© myth_girl

Links of the Week

Posted on by under Books, Buffy, Buffyverse, Grad School, Life, Pop Culture, Whedonverse

Here’s the links I’ve enjoyed this week! Hope you find some goodies to dig on too!

First up, super cool woman made her dreams come true: Amanda Hocking, the writer who made millions by self-publishing online.

And, then, I’m compelled to share any time Buffy makes the news: DePaul students can take course on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”.

This world constantly blows my mind. The things nature and animals are capable of is absolutely captivating.  Here’s the lastest: New Island Born and Glow In The Dark Shark Has Invisibility Power.

One of my friends found this great article on 10 easy ways to fail a PhD by Matt Might. It’s a great, insightful article. I enjoyed perusing his site, and this is, by far, my absolute most favorite post of his: The Illustrated Guide to a PhD. So very, very true!!!

If you came by my blog on Wednesday, you saw it blacked out in support of stopping SOPA. Here’s a by-the-numbers recap of the success of this large internet protest. It’s amazing how we can make our voices heard in this digital age!

And, finally, Zombies! I’ll admit I haven’t read the whole article yet, but it goes with all the research I was embedded in last quarter: Dead Man Walking: What Do Zombies Mean?

Teaching, Studying, Writing. Getting it Done.

Posted on by under Grad School, Life, Mindfulness, Teaching, Writing

It’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it.
- Lena Horne

I’ve always been quite good at time management, but this semester has been a struggle for me. The problem isn’t really how much I have on my plate but how strange my schedule is.  I teach an evening class Tuesdays and Thursdays and then get up super early for 7 a.m. classes on Wednesdays and Fridays.  I have the same class Monday, but at least I get to bed early on Sunday night. It’s not the worst schedule in the whole world, but it is the most challenging teaching schedule I’ve ever had. And because each day is so drastically different and some days don’t allow for quite enough sleep, I haven’t been able to settle into a good daily routine.  I would prefer morning classes every day or evening classes every day. Just some kind of consistency. Oh, and the day with the evening class is also a split day, as I am on campus earlier for an early afternoon class.  I really don’t have much right to complain. In this economic climate, I’m super lucky to be teaching at all.  Nonetheless, the day to day wackiness is getting to me. I’ve been making the mistake the last few weeks of trying to “catch up” on my grading.  But this is the same as collecting all the sand at the beach. It never ends. As soon as I finish one stack, another roles right in. Teachers (especially in English) are therefore never caught up until the semester is over and they turn in grades. And even then, you’re prepping for the next semester. This is definitely not meant as a complaint. I love my job. But this job does present an interesting way of looking at your workload because you’re never done. So, while I’ve been trying to “catch up” at work, I haven’t got as much done for my schooling as I should have. And when I focus on grading papers and wait to do my readings, this tends to result in 8-10 hour reading binges, which always wears down my brain.

So, here’s my three-step solution. It will be most effective for this crazy semester, and will continue to be effective until I complete my PhD program and my book.
Step 1: Though every day for this semester will continue to present a different schedule, I’m going to dedicate at least one hour to my studies every day. It doesn’t matter when, but at some point before, after, or between teaching classes, I will let my grading and prepping sit, and I will read for 60 minutes. This will prevent the crazy reading binges. And I’ll probably enjoy my reading more and retain more of it.
Step 2: I’m going to dedicate one day a week to my book. Maybe not even the whole day, but at least half a day. I’ve got two years to complete my manuscript, but I really need to be using that time, not waiting until the deadline gets closer. Having all this time is a blessing, and I need to take advantage of it. I’ve been working on ideas in my mind and taking notes from reading material, but I haven’t written a single word in months. My husband has started working on a podcast, which means he’s gone for at least half a day each weekend. That’s the time I’ll dedicate to some book-work, whether it means research or writing.
Step 3: The absolute key to surviving this teacher/student schedule: meditation. I was doing good for a little while with daily meditations, but now I’m failing to keep it in my routine. It just so happen that today is Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh‘s birthday. On Facebook, the Plum Village Monastery posted that the best gift we can give him is the gift of our own practice. They asked us to post our “gifts.” I vowed to make meditation a part of my daily schedule. No matter what, I can always stop for at least a five minute meditation. And it is amazing how just five minutes can really help bring relaxation and a fresh perspective.

So that’s how I’ll be getting it all done. Things have been extra crazy the last couple weeks because I am looking for a teaching position to replace one of the positions I have right now. Also, my husband and I have been house hunting. He’s been a gem though doing all the footwork. All I’ve had to do is show up and look at houses and give my yay or nay. He’s been wonderful! Really, right now, I’m living the dream. Or, really, multiple dreams! I am greatly blessed, and as soon as I get back to meditation habit, I’ll enjoy everything even more! Working on staying mindful and being in the present moment is what has got me this far. No one said it was an easy practice, but it is certainly a necessary one!