The life of a grad student

Ah, a sigh of relief. I have not yet complete my first quarter as a graduate student, but I am so very close. The most daunting assignments have passed, with only a few more hurdles, if the remaining assignments even constitute that description. For fun, lets take a look at what I have left...

Learning Tournament, Part II & III (pseudo exam)

Case Study competition (pseudo exam #2)

Donut Day (after chapel to promote study abroad)

Careers in Student Affairs Day reflection paper

South Africa Acceptance party

Student Affairs personal philosophy paper

Faith Development paper (incorporating theory)

NASPA Westen Regionals in San Jose

Sierra Madre retreat (with First year cohort)

I do not believe I am forgetting anything, other then the day to day life. Emily and I are also planning on starting "Financial Peace University", which I know will be a great thing for us both. That class starts next Sunday, and continues through January. I have to go to study for my case study competition. I am looking forward to so many things...especially tomorrow. It was 90 degrees today, BARF ;) Tomorrow it is projected to be sunny and 74 degrees, much more to my liking. Sending my love to all my friends and family.

Happy in the grey

This will be a short post due to the lack of sleep. It's early, only 5 to 10:00, nearly time to recoup the lost sleep of yesterday. Though it may be difficult at this "early" hour...as I share a wall with neighbors playing Rockband. The bonus is, it is the new Beatles version, and the singing isn't that bad.

Busy week, I've got the first half of a two part learning tournament in my intro class...a pseudo exam so to speak. Followed by finishing up a reflection paper in which I must apply various theories to my development as an undergraduate student. Then on Friday I go to San Diego for the Jobs in Student Affairs conference, unfortunately I will be returning promptly after the conference concludes...Emily and I have volunteered to chaperon the Homecoming dance. Then on Saturday my Alumni homecoming event comes to fruition when, along with more volunteers from the office, we will set up our Study Abroad booth at the Fun Zone! It will be a good week though...I kinda feel like I am already ahead...hmmm.

Next week will be equally busy...

Looks like another warm day tomorrow...I really enjoyed todays weather. Many complained... but the overcast skies and gusty wind brought a smirk to my face that would put the cheshire cat to shame. Imagine that...happy in the grey!

PS...sleepy=random thoughts with little flow...

ZzzzzZzzzZzzzzz

Half way

As of last night I am half way finished with the first quarter of my first year of graduate school. So far, so good. My first presentation was last night as well. It was a doozy...1 hour long teaching Marcia B. Baxter Magolda's theory of self-authorship. I won't get into the specifics, but we nailed it. After we had finished, our professor let the class know that we had set the bar high for our classmates. I am pleased that we did well, and also that it is over. There will be no lack of assignments in the future.

I am almost finished with my assistantship at the FEC. I begin working in the Study Abroad department next week! It is going to be great! I'm so excited to learn as much as possible about how a study abroad department works from the inside out. I've also been presented with an opportunity this summer. You may have heard of it before, it is called Semester at Sea. This summer program is specifically for Student Affairs Graduate students and focuses on international and comparative aspects of higher education and student affairs. A wide variety of approaches to internationalization and globalization of higher ed will be examined through class discussion and faculty directed practica to international universities. The program begins June 15 and concludes on August 21, 2010. There are a few things that are exciting about this. It's graduate level experience, they offer a limited number of paid internships, and you get to travel to some pretty awesome locations. Check out this itinerary:

• Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
• Barcelona, Spain
• Civitavecchia (Rome)/Naples, Italy
• Dubrovnik, Croatia
• Piraeus (Athens), Greece
• Istanbul, Turkey
• Alexandria (Cairo), Egypt
• Casablanca, Morocco
• Norfolk, Virginia, USA

I can't even explain what a valuable experience this could be for me and my future career. I would appreciate your prayers about this opportunity, and if it is truly what I am supposed to pursue, that it will come to fruition.

It's going to get up to 87 degrees today, but we're looking at 70's for the next week...no fires nearby anymore, so it finally makes sense to wash the car! That's all I've got right now...gotta get to writing 4 papers....yup 4 papers (3 are easy...1 not so much).

...if your lucky

Though I do not have as many readers as others, you might get lucky...I might have time to write a blog this evening after my 4:45-9:45 class finishes...maybe